Shermance's Cancer Fight: Two More Weeks of Chemo

Didn't think I'd say it, but the chemo was 'ordinary' yesterday. It's hard to call sitting in a room full of 30 ailing cancer paitents for 5 hours with a coctail of toxic chemicals streaming through her yeins in any way ordinary. It's really not something Shermance would have ever wanted to get used to, but this week she went with her mom and there was nothing unusual to report. She did get to see her doctor on this visit, which she only does about every 4 visits. Dr. Kocs has the driest sense of humor, and Shermance always does her best to make him laugh. This time the laugh was on her because just as he went in to feel the size of the lump, Shermance was overcome with a hot flash, so her whole body broke out in sweats...the joy of chemo-onset menopause. Shermance shared her stories of cancer joy with him, and he feigned interest throughout. AsShermance puts it, "I'm probably not as unique as I think I am". I think she probably is. :) The only of other thing I wanted to note, is She had a new nurse who seemed to be really distracted and Shermance called her out...Oh, and Bonnie didn't get her an Almond Joy from the gift store - score one point for Dale.

While I was in California running a workshop this week Shermance was in charge. At one point the boys were doing what they weren't supposed to be doing...you know how 9 and 11 yr old boys can be...which made Shermance's blood boil a bit. She raised her voice at them and pointed her finger at them and emphatically said, "Boys I'm NOT serious". She meant to say se is serious, but chemo brain maybe got to her or she switched thoughts mid sentence and added an unneeded NOT for emphasis that totally change what she was trying to say. Instead of getting more mad at that point everyone broke out in laughter. It actually worked to get the boys to stop what they were doing and everyone was happier. I'm NOT serious! :)

One of Shermance's joys in life as a morning person is waking people up. Since she gets up at the crack of dawn, usually 5 am, she expects others to get up at least at a reasonable hour. On Friday before Chemo she thought it would be reasonable if her Aunt Jimmie Anne would be awake at least by 8 am...actually she knew better. So when she called her for Facetime at 8am, JAV not only was not awake, but he had been sound asleep, in the dark and could hardly find her phone to find out the emergency. No emergency, just Shermance's bubbly morning face looking for someone to share her coffee time with since I had already gone to work.

Doc stories from work this week:
- An overly organic -patient was adament about Xrays causing cancer so requested not to have any, especially near his brain, the largest organ (after the skin). So Shermance covered head with the lead vest - so he was a lead head. Unfortunately he wouldn't let Shermance take a picture
- A dear old lady came into Shermance's chair, and Shermance just assumed she was hard of hearing. So after speaking to her very loudly for a while, the lady said "Honey, I can hear you fine." So Shermance quieted, but Doc came in and did the same thing. Shermance wrote a note on a napkin to let doc know she could hear fine. When the lady left, she consoled Shermance about her loud speaking, "Oh Honey, sorry about your problem!"