June 18, 2015: No More Chemo!

Today was my last round of chemotherapy. I started in December with 4 rounds of AC Chemo (The awful Red Devil). That was followed by two failed rounds of Taxol. (I was one of the lucky percentage that’s highly allergic to the stuff.) Now, 12 rounds of Abraxane are in the books! 

  
There’s something very exciting about walking into the infusion lab and being hooked up to the last bag of chemo. I pray God has great things in store for my life that never involves another bag of chemo. This rocky road was not without reason. I’ve learned so many important lessons. It was a very difficult way to learn them though. 

Here are a few lessons learned:

In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part…Jonathan has been the most amazing caretaker and has made me feel beautiful even through the ugliest of times.  

 

The love for a child and from a child can  never be compared to any other kind of love. My “babies” have been through so much through all of this and have stood strong throughout it all.  

  

 Friends are friends forever. Build relationships with people. It’s important. I can’t even tell you how many times a simple gesture from a friend has lifed my spirit. Today, I was lucky enough to have a couple stop by and a newer one ended her last round of chemo today too, so we celebrated together.  

     

Take time to celebrate the important moments in life. Never be too busy, too poor, or too lazy to celebrate life. Life is never guaranteed and sometimes there is never a next time.  

   

Not everyone can always be there in person, but they are still there for you. A text, a message, a comment, a picture, a joke, a funny monster commercial, and even a crazy research project involving a thousand selfies is a way to be there. Thank you to everyone who took time to celebrate with me. 

My Uncle David has supported me via text message from my diagnosis on. He lives hundreds of miles away. Tonight, he celebrated with me. It melted my heart. He’s helped fill the void left in my heart because I don’t have my dad. I’ll be forever grateful to my uncle for his thoughtfulness. 

   
 

In the midst of the storm, have faith God is with you. He will calm the storms and keep you safe.  

 

This part is over. It’s worth celebrating. The side effects are still here though. Chemo, the drug, still has to do its job. In a few weeks, we’ll have a proper celebration. Chemo free has a great ring to it, doesn’t it? So does CANCER FREE! and I AM A SURVIVOR!

My sister, Cindy, gifted me a SAPPHIVOR necklace. It will always be a special piece of jewelry. It fittingly lies close to my heart.  I can’t wait to see her future SAPPHIVOR jewelry line  to help others celebrate this great moment in life. 

 

Phillipians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!