A couple weeks ago I was telling  a friend that I’m tired of the scans and wanted to get on with battling this disease. Well, it’s on!

The diagnostic scans and preparation procedures are done. Chemotherapy starts on Thursday. There will be 17 cycles spread about three weeks apart. Schedule may be altered at times, so the end date is sketchy. We will count cycles to track progress. 

Now the preparation is different.  This is the kind of preparation I was made for — accumulation of supplies!  I would be a good survivalist because I like to amass (and shop for) supplies.  In the event of zombie apocalypse, I will have no problem collecting supplies from abandoned vehicles and buildings.  And my fort-buliding training in various living rooms over the years means I could probably fashion a dwelling out of canvass, branches, and big furniture-sized rocks.  Once I have a dwelling, first aid supplies, and have fashioned a meal out of leaves and berries; the zombies are going to eat my brains. I can’t run.  

Luckily, chemo survival doesn’t require running from zombies.  But I have amassed a reasonable supply of clear liquids (soups, broth, juices), the recommended over-the-counter meds to help my body recover from treatments, the prescription meds which also help keep the body in tune, and a couple new tops that are meant to be comfortble and provide easy access to the port (which is about 4 inches below my collar bone).  Still on the list: hats. 

I am immensly fond of my Google “I Feel Lucky” baseball cap, but I don’t see it having a place in my everyday headwear for work and it’s not going to cut it for Easter, which will soon be upon us.   I have been told very plainly that I will lose my hair.  It’s okay, I think.  I reserve the right to be unhappy about that later, but for now, it’s really not the worst thing that could happen to me.  I think I’d take losing my hair to having another sausage moment in the MRI with “Keeping the Faith” on a loop.  My hair will grow back.  That song will NEVER end!  

So, today, we’re off to look at hats so I have some options to get started.  The next battle in this war – hat shopping.  Because I’m convinced every other girl went to some sort of “girl class” in school and I apparently skipped class that day, I have some trepidation about this battle.  It won’t matter, though, it’s a beautiful day and we’re going shopping!