Day 161: Surfing Saved My Life

How I Got Here

It was a beautiful sunny day on the morning of November 6, 2010.  I woke up in a lovely room of a seaside villa without a care in the world.  My friend Martina and I had spent the prior day surfing in the beautiful coastal waters of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.  I was sore and exhausted from the strain of surfing the day before, but was looking forward to trying it again later that day. 



Not the best shot of me hanging ten in SJDS, but I
can assure you that I did ride a few waves that day.



It was my first time surfing and I loved it.   We had spent hours on our boards the day before looking for the perfect wave.  The thrill of it was exhilarating.  I did my best to get up a number of times, but most of time, you're fighting against the waves that want to push you back to shore -- clenching onto your surfboard. It was this soreness on my pectoral muscles that led me to massage my underarm that following morning.

It was the cancer.  I could feel it with my own hands which were still caked with the salt of the sea.   I knew it wasn't just a minor abnormality. It was serious. 

It was nearly two weeks later when I learned for certain that it was cancer.  And a bad kind of cancer at that.  But that there was hope because I had caught it early.  Stage II.  I was one of the lucky ones.

It wasn't until later on in the process of my treatment that I realized how my time in Nicaragua contributed to all of this.  My fertility counselor, Kristin Smith, who along with her husband helps run the Chicago chapter of the non-profit Surfrider Foundation, asked me how I had discovered my cancer.  I told her the story of Nicaragua and then she said to me, "Wow. Surfing saved your life."  She was absolutely right.  I owe something to this beautiful sport, that promotes peace and preservation of the ecosystem.   And to my friend Martina, who introduced me to surfing.

 
Since My Last Post -- It was May Day!!

Many of you already know this, but May 1st is my favorite day of the year.  Not because of the labor-movement connection to that date (which is interesting historically, but not my main motivator here), but because it is the day where we can all celebrate the coming of Spring.  When I was little, I would make paper baskets from construction paper, fill them with daffodils from our garden then deliver them to the doorsteps of our neighbors, ring the bell and run away.

I try to continue that tradition now by delivering flowers to friends and neighbors near and far.  Unfortunately, this year I didn't have the energy to reach everyone I would have liked, but since it was a Sunday, Joe was my helper as we drove various bouquets of flowers around the city.



Joe acting as my helper on May Day




Flowers make the world go 'round!




The Final Session


The Chemo Countdown Board has eight checkmarks! 


This past Thursday marked my final chemotherapy treatment.  It has been quite a six months since I was in Nicaragua.   Joe & I pursued fertility treatments, got engaged, and endured eight long sessions of chemotherapy and the horrible side effects it brings into one's life.

Unfortunately, the treatments have been getting more taxing given my paltry amounts of white blood cells.  As a result, I have needed to get an extra shot after each one, which makes my bones ache like nothing I have experienced.  My oncologist gave me a choice last Thursday:  "You can either get the shot or risk getting an infection which will land you in the hospital for 2 days."  Her point was taken.  The shot, while making my life uncomfortable, is nothing compared to getting actually sick from an infection.  Unfortunately, though, as a result, I am home from work today, writhing in the pain of my bones which are expanding to produce new white blood cells.  It has been hard to celebrate my final chemo session, since I have felt pretty crummy these past few days.  At least I can say that this is the final time I will experience this. 




Me and mom at my final chemo session



My mother came with me to my final chemo session, which we followed with a nice champagne toast and late lunch at the restaurant Fred's, which is at the top of the Barney's department store.  It was a lovely lunch. Thanks, mom!

I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing, going to an art exhibit with friends Robyn & Drew, and then Joe and I visited my nieces for t-ball practice, which was pretty hilarious.   

Speaking of art exhibits, Joe and I ended up buying a painting last weekend at Art Chicago.  The painting we bought is pasted below.



Ann Toebbe "Washing the Windows"

This is my "end of chemo" present to myself, along with an upcoming weekend trip to Michigan with Joe and a three-day jaunt to Scottsdale/Sedona with my friend Amanda. 

Over the weekend, Joe and I celebrated by venturing out to a few great Chicago eateries, including the following:



Great new pie company on Chicago Avenue!



Damn, I love rhubarb pie



Celebrating where we met...



Joe drinking Krankshaft at Terzo Piano, Art Institute





At Terzo Piano, Art Institute -- I love this city!



In Lurie Garden - Millennium Park

Advocacy

I am dedicated to promoting awareness about breast cancer in women under the age of 40 and, particularly, awareness of the BRCA 1 and 2 genetic mutations.   To that end, I will be appearing (I think...) on this Sunday's episode of "Living Healthy Chicago"  (9:30am on WGN).

To be continued...

I'm not sure when I'll update this blog again.  My schedule was to update it every time I got a chemo treatment.  Now that I'm done, I'm not sure where to go next.  Maybe I'll update this blog whenever I find an interesting factoid about breast cancer prevention...or when I do advocacy.

To be sure, I still have a lot ahead of me, including major surgery and three years of hoping and praying that I don't have a recurrence.  But in the meantime, I can only do good things for myself, for others, and for the earth.  Hey, I may not be a real surfer, but I can at least adopt their mentality.



A couple of carefree girls the day before my life changed



Thank you all for everything you have done for me during this trying time.  Your cards, flowers, gifts, and prayers have all been felt.  My life has forever changed due to this occurrence -- but I can only look at it as a positive.  My perspective has broadened, my love for life deepened, and my outlook on the future brightened.  I am blessed because of the wonderful relationships I have with all of you. 

Peace and Love and Joy and Health...