Busy Busy

Well, once again I have fallen behind in keeping you wonderful people updated with the wondrous thing that is my life...well, life anyway.

December 19 held another chemo. Pam M went to chemo with Mom and I. Once again, the blood work order wasn't logged in the system so that added a bit of time to the process. I was rather tired this time around during the treatment but I think that had more to do with the fact that it was 8:30 in the morning rather than having cancer. I like my sleep to last until at least 9. Once we got my blood tests done and the results arrived, we were cleared for take-off though the nurse commented that my white blood cell count was low and to take it easy with crowds and coming in contact with lots of people during days 7-10 (Christmas Eve and Christmas day, staying away from people would be so easy). We went through chemo without a hitch and we were home after only 4 hours, I think. We did stop for lunch and I got my Jag Tag for IUPUI classes in January. After we got home, I slept until 4:30 and had a bit of a freak out when I woke-up. I thought it was 4:30 in the morning and really confused for awhile, and then I used my brain and noticed that it was still light outside.

I look tired

The rest of the week was interesting. Grandpa had some dizziness problems and went to the hospital for a few days. He was home later in the week and is better but not perfect. My older sister Katherine came home Friday for the festivities. On Saturday we all got dressed up and host Christmas Eve dinner with the grandparents, my uncle, my great uncle and my cousin. It was yummy. We always have Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner from Schwan's ( we love them). It was then dash away to church for the carols and message Christmas Eve service where the five of us plus my cousin lit the Christ candle for advent. I was the one lighting and almost took off my cousin's head with the end of the acolyte stick thing, it was longer than I had anticipated and the candles were tall and I am not (though with my beautiful red suede 3.5in pumps, I wasn't too short). I spent the service in the balcony with my cousin and uncle, trying to minimize contact with the crowd. It was enjoyable to sit up there because in front of us was a family I used to babysit for (cancer has gotten in the way of that because I can't hold babies while they are at the squirmy age and I'm not supposed to pick up toddlers). They were cute. After the service ended with a candle-lit "Silent Night", I stayed in the balcony while the sanctuary thinned a bit before going down to wish our friends a "Happy Christmas" (the British saying of "Happy Christmas" appeals to me for some reason, I don't know why but I almost feel as if being happy is a more genuine feeling than being merry, it is easier to relate to anyway. I don't know when I have ever thought to myself, "I feel merry right now", but I digress). We left church to go up to my grandmother's house for dessert. She made yummy sugar cookies with homemade icing and little sugar candy canes. Then it was home and bed.

Oh Christmas day! Mom and Dad went to church, because they are good people whereas my sisters and I just like to sleep. Katherine went for a run and while she cleaned up, I baked breakfast. We had cinnamon coffee cake, lemon poppy seed muffins, blueberry muffins and scrambled eggs with prosciutto and smoked cheese. We then opened presents. I am a fan of coordinated wrapping paper for each receiving member of the family. My paper was of blue ornaments. We finished and got ready for Christmas #2. We went to my aunt and uncle's house for Christmas with the Henns and "lunch". After presents and dessert, we went around the corner for Christmas #3 at my uncle's house for the Van Wyk festivities. We opened gifts and ate "dinner" and a second helping of dessert before somehow convincing everyone, even though half of the group hadn't seen the previous one, to watch Harry Potter 7 part 2. It was great. Then home and to bed.

I have no idea how I have filled the last three days but I assure you that I have done things...I think. If nothing else, it is Winter break, though this is the extended edition of Fall break for me. I have a few parties ahead and chemo a week from Thursday.

To all of you reading this: I hope you had a happy and/or merry holiday and I wish you a Happy New Year, 2012 had better be better. I know it will.

PS: You can find a blurb about the Purple Hair Party on page 13 of the Broad Ripple Gazette. Additional pictures can be found HERE.

Support

This blog entry is dedicated to those that have given words of encouragement, signs of support, thoughts, prayers, food and dyed their hair purple. Your support means the world to me.

Now, let's see, what has happened since I updated you all. The second weeks after my last chemo went by without much incident. I went to work at two different jobs. I went to the circus with Mom and Dad. At the circus we saw one of Dad's coworkers and his sons. As I have a rather purple head, I am quite recognizable and I heard one of the sons ask his father if I was the girl they had been praying for. It felt really nice. And the circus itself was super cool, though the $12 cotton candy with commemorative hat was not cool at all, even playing the cancer card to Mom and Dad didn't work. There was also a very nice Christmas/holiday party that weekend.

Of course the big event of the week was the "Kicking Cancer with Kelsey Purple Party" at Broad Ripple Hair Design (Broad Ripple Hair Design and check out their Facebook). They are the greatest people at Broad Ripple Hair Design. The salon was decorated with purple streamers and purple balloons and there was a sandwich board outside welcoming everyone to "Kicking Cancer with Kelsey". We had purple food: boysenberry jelly beans, grape soda, sparkling grape juice, grape gumballs, purple gummies, blueberry yogurt covered pretzels, "blue" corn chips, purple m&ms, and much more. Over the course of the afternoon and into the evening, we had 29 people get a purple streak in their hair. There were 3rd graders and high schoolers. There were parents and grandparents (no, none of my grandparents got a purple streak but that is totally ok). But most of all, they are all friends and family (not to sound sappy or sentimental or anything but it is entirely true).

Check out these great photos. Because there are so many photos I want to share with you, I am directing you to my Facebook album: Purple Hair Party

You might have seen me on the 6:00pm Channel 13 newscast that night or the next morning. Unfortunately, the video isn't online anymore.

Monday December 5, I had my 3rd chemo treatment. I met with my Doctor (and Mom and Dad) before treatment and when he felt my lymph nodes, the sounded very positive. It was also my first time using the port for my blood draw and chemo. I didn't put the numbing lotion on properly but it wasn't too bad being stuck with the needle. Our friend Becky sat with Mom and I during chemo and Dad went home. Everything went very well but again, we were there for 4 hours. I took naps the days after but it was less sleeping than compared with the previous chemos and even less meds. Friends did come to stay with me those two days, Christine and Cynnie.

Nothing else exciting has been going on, though, in the "Positives to coming home from London early because I have cancer" column I have added "Going to various Christmas open houses". If you didn't know, "Watching the season premier of Bones (and subsequent episodes) on a real TV" is also on that list. I like to find the perks in life, and if you have spent much time with me around a television, especially Thursday night, you know I like my Bones episodes, and NCIS for that matter. Don't stand between me and my shows.

That is all for now. I will try to be better about writing more but I just restarted the Harry Potter books so I have that going on, and I am supposed to be cleaning my room but that has been going on for about a week... Anyway...ttfn.