May
2009
Crazy, Crazy Chemo
I know we have all heard about the awful, awful side effects of chemotherapy treatments. Believe me, I know firsthand how draining they can be!
I would undergo treatments every Friday that would last for 7 hours. Not the greatest way to spend the day, but I got to hang with my sister and we had some great bonding time. We would look through catalogs, and decide which clothes we were going to buy. And yes, we bought nothing. Often my daughter, brother in law , mother and nephews would pop in just to make sure I was still alive and hadn’t od’s on poison being pumped into my veins.
BUT…………….(here we go again)…………..there is an upside to chemo. (You think I am crazy….I know, I can see you shaking your head and rolling your eyes……… and all that chemo and radiation fried my brain, right? It did……..but I use that only as an excuse whenever I forget something. (Sorry, chemo fried that brain cell). See how helpful it can be?
Back to the perks of chemo. (No, not the puking, unless you are bulimic, then this is right up your alley.) It’s the steroids.
Steroids? you ask. Yes. Now those injections eventually build up in your body and start putting some weight on you. (The stomach flab is not the perk part). The perk part is your face fills out.
It fills out and stretches out all the wrinkles…………….it’s like a miracle!
Suddenly people were commenting on how young I looked. Most people knew I was going through treatments, but some of my clients didn’t know I had cancer, as I never missed a day of work other than my chemo days.
“Zelzee, you would never know you were going through cancer!”
“Wow, Zelzee, you look younger and younger!”
“You are glowing! Tell me, is there a man involved………….?”
“You look better now than you did before!” (???)
“Did you get a face lift?”
“Do you mind my asking………….have you had botox treatments?”
And the best of them all.……………..
“I don’t know how to tell you, Zelzee, but cancer agrees with you!”
Color me lucky……………………
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13 Responses to “Crazy, Crazy Chemo”
By Jen on May 11, 2009 | Reply
I have another friend going through chemo and she has been so sick. Maybe she will get this unintended side effect. Hope you are cancer free now. You do look great in your picture!
By Futureblackmail on May 11, 2009 | Reply
What an incredible thing to do – find the postives from chemo. It just goes to show how strong of a person you really are.
By foradifferentkindofgirl.blogspot.com on May 11, 2009 | Reply
Ha! That last comment is nearly worthy of a survivor’s tshirt! How fantastic to find the light in something that can be so dark!
By JAM (Just A Mom) on May 11, 2009 | Reply
Zelzee, one of the reasons I love coming here is your positive attitude! Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day…
By KathyB! on May 11, 2009 | Reply
You are an eternal optimist (even if you are a sarcastic optimist — it still counts)!
I did not have this particular side effect, although in my early 20′ I wouldn’t probably have noticed. My bonus was being thin! Grogeously, unrealistically thin! And it was right before my wedding, so I looked fab in my dress!
By KathyB! on May 11, 2009 | Reply
And why is my typing/spelling so bad?!
By Ree on May 11, 2009 | Reply
Brava my dear! I love your outlook.
By blunt delivery on May 11, 2009 | Reply
oh you are the eternal optimist. and perhaps,my polar opposite.
love. it.
By Jessica on May 12, 2009 | Reply
thanks for reminding me how much life is better when you put a positive spin on it. I’m glad you’re doing well.
By Shawn on May 12, 2009 | Reply
Cancer agrees with you? Uhhhh. Is this person still your friend?
I have actually always wanted to be bald—I know, its weird, but there is something attractive to me about that—you know, Sinead O’Connor look?
Anywho—thanks for sharing these stories—you must be an amazing person to go through all this and still come out with such a great attitude!
You go, girl!
By Hyphen Mama on May 12, 2009 | Reply
You are a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?!?
Most of us would be a little more in the downy dumps, but you look on the bright side! What a great thing you’ve passed on to your kids to see.
I agree that the last one is t-shirt worthy! Maybe even competition for your old sweatshirt.
By Mrs4444 on May 17, 2009 | Reply
One summer, I lost 20 pounds. AFter I gained it back, someone told me that I had looked much older when I was thin; the weight filled out wrinkles, apparently. Thanks, I think.
What’s the status of the cancer now? Do you have a post to point me to on that?
By Yaya on Jun 20, 2009 | Reply
Huh, I never realized that.