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sky's Cancer Blog
December 5, 2007
| My Beautiful Little Toesies | Views: 360 |
I had the best day today. Let’s see…where do I start? Well, I was reminded of all the blessings I have in my life, my friends, my loved ones, and everyone who cares for me.
Wait, let me start from the beginning. The morning started out great. I felt really good and so I logged on to work to do some, well, work. Took the chemo pills right before I had breakfast and then my energy level took a major nose drive. The world spun off its axis and turned on its head and so I crashed for a bit and three hours later, was as good as new.
I found out my friends have been planning some things for me. I won’t say but I was…speechless, stunned, teary-eyed, touched, weepy…yada-yada-yada. I didn’t know what to say. How do you say Thank You when Thank You doesn’t seem to be enough?
Anyway, my friend Terri texted me and said she wanted us to go get pedicures, her treat. I thought it was a great ending to a wonderful day. The foot/hand syndrome had wreaked havoc over my poor feet and the bottoms were still black as coal and peeling, too.
So got dressed and off we went to the Salon. While we were there, I remembered that this time last year, I was in the hospital and it was the day before my back surgery.
I began to tell Terri the story:
Last year, my two oldest sisters blew into town and literally took over my life. Gotta veer off course here for a bit.
First, a bit about my two oldest sisters: I’m the youngest of seven and there are five of us sisters. Becca and Sarah have been used to running the family business. They deal with problems head on, make decisions and go on…very executivelike. I’m closer to Sarah. To me, she is my almost-fairy-godmother. I can always count on Sarah to come through for me. If I were stuck behind enemy lines and injured, I would never fail to believe that Sarah would be working behind the scenes to get me out. They’re both very, very capable. Oh, one more thing…the word “no†is rarely used in their vocabulary…or rarely told to their faces. LOL
Fair warning to those with delicate sensibilities…I’m about to share some TMI.
There are some of us women who, when winter rolls around, cut back on shaving our legs, right? Oh please say I’m not the ONLY one in the South that does this??
Anyway, around this time of year, when it gets cold, I typically will cut back on shaving my legs. I mean cut waaaayyyy back…more like shave once every 2-3 months? Of course there are exceptions to this rule…like if I went out on a date.
There are those of you who are fair-skinned who have thin, barely see-through hairs that can get by without shaving your legs for a few weeks. YOU ARE SOOOOOO LUCKY! I’m quite the opposite!
My leg hairs look like black, thick, gigantic roots that pop up out of my skin, like something conjured up by the wicked witch of the west! They grow at a rapid pace, become coarse and long, and you could see it for MILES! My legs were so hairy that you could probably have dropped me off in the middle of a family of gorillas and the silverback would probably make me its wife. And during this time, since I was bed-ridden and trussed up like a giant ham hock on a slab, there was no point in worrying over the sad condition of my legs.
So my sisters enter my hospital room, here am I slumped on the bed, partially covered with an excuse for a hospital gown. Their eyes were drawn to…what do you think? Rapid-fire conversation flew over my head and I knew some of the questions were aimed at me at some point.
“Grace! You didn’t shave!?” “Grace, what would the surgeon think?” “Sarah, we must do something about this?”
Thus, my sisters were on a very important mission of the first order. My legs MUST be shaved before I’m wheeled into the surgery room and thus traumatizing some poor surgeon and his staff and distracting them from their duties for the day…which, as I was rudely reminded: The wonderful yet awe-inspiring event of saving my life. Therefore, their vital and VERY necessary mission of shaving my legs was in full support of medical practices and, yes, it could save lives!
I had other friends there and my sisters put them to work. “Razor, check! Towels, check!, shaving cream, check!†So they spread out their material on the bed and exposed the offended furry limbs. My sister Sarah, sat next to me with a razor. She wiped my leg down, slathered on cream, and while poised over my poor helpless, defenseless hair follicles, what do you think happens? Think it could get any worse?
In walks Jerry, my former boss, into the middle of all this chaos! His eyes grew wide and then it happened…the moment of awkwardness. All I said was, “HI JERRY!†Cheerful as could be! LOL! Jerry stuttered for a bit but gradually regained his composure, under the stern and watchful eyes of my over-protective sisters (they didn’t know who this man was).
Jerry didn’t hang around long, not even to try and save my leg hairs. He knew when he was outnumbered so he hightailed it out of there so my sisters could complete their tasks. However, months later, I heard he’d told a fellow co-worker that I was cultivating the rain forest in my hospital room! I owe him BIG for that one!
So, the next day, I was wheeled in to the surgery room with a lot of pomp and circumstance…nah, just my legs shaved. Oh yeah! She checked my underarms, too! I gotta love my sisters.
So back to the present (Salon and pedicures)
While Terri and I were getting our feet pedicured, I was telling her this story and she was howling with laughter. It was funny. Lesson learned: Never get between a Samoan woman with a razor, especially when she’s on a critical mission.
Now, it’s after 7pm, the sun has set and it’s cold over here. When I was done, I was given slippers and ushered over to the dryer to dry my toenails. Was there for about ten minutes and then decided I would put my shoes on…which were thermal socks and boots.
But from across the room came this loud, shrieking voice yelling, “NNNNOOOOOOOO!†and I slowly looked up and it was the manicurist. She was running toward me, ( I remember thinking: I’ve seen this in a movie or something where the lady is running toward me in SLLLOOOOOWWWWW MOOOOOTIONNN) crazily waving the sandals at me. “No, you put these on.” She pointed to the slippers. “You carry these.†pointing to my boots. I nodded ok, but I felt like a heel. She gave me a long-suffering smile and tip-tapped away back to her station. The whole salon watched this unfold. I was beet red.
Well, it was forty degrees outside and here we are, dressed in heavy coats and sporting salon slippers. There was a Mexican restaurant next door so Terri and I just tip-toed next door and found a warm place to sit and eat. We looked silly but what the heck. We were laughing at the sight we made, and the manicurist’s reaction to my putting on socks. It was hilarious!
The dinner wasn’t that good but the company was excellent. We just talked, laughed, and made jokes.
02.08.08 - 
Juliette Randall 
Cameron Bethuram 
MO 
Thanks for your support -
Sounds like a wonderful day and I am so glad that you have that wonderful family.
My not so funny story about leg hairs is that in the DVD they had me watch before chemotherapy the first time it said go and buy a very nice ladies electric razor. Do no use regular razor blades. It’s too risky and opens you up to infections. So my husband and I searched all over town and finally found a rather expensive ladies electric shaver. I used it once. Now, thanks to the chemo, my leg and underarm hair doesn’t grow any more. Well at least I’m not subject to infections.
I envy you your sisters and your friends. My family isn’t here so we can rarely get together and have fun.
Sky,
This post is hilarious. I bet you have hairy legs right now. I used to say that’s how you can tell the difference between married and single women. If their legs are smooth they are in a relationship or married. If they are unshaved they are single unless they have a date.
I have proven that theory wrong. I am married and in the winter I only shave my legs about once a week unless we are going to the beach.
In Florida we usually have quite a few beach days even in the winter.
You are fantastic.
Donna
Good for your sisters! How proud of them you must be.
About the chemo and hand and foot syndrome….I have this too. Do we just live with it or is it dangerous to have? My feet hurt sooo much to walk! The burn like they are on fire. Mine are not black! They are beet red and a bit purple.
I am taking a one cycle break (on day 15) from Xeloda…but it doesnt seem to be helping a whole lot…
Sky, I was just diagnosed with bone mets and I’m devastated. I found your blog and you made me smile for the first time in a couple of days. Where do you get your “spunk” for lack of a better word? How have you been doing since your back surgery? I want your attitude and I don’t know how to get there from where I am. I have tons of family and friend support but I need someone who has gone through this to talk to. Can you help? I just joined the Blog for a Cure and my user name is Jessie. I don’t know how these blogs work but I’ll keep checking my blog to see if I get an answer there. If nothing else, it sure helped me to know that there are people like you out there who are living happy, productive lives.