Every once in a while a friend turns up in the most unexpected places and times. For Olivia and me it was first in our home ward, where I was obviously the superior one being 3 years older and wiser than her. But it really came together as young married people where we ended in a different “same” ward situation in Bountiful! We had boys that were about the same age. We started making lunches with each other when new ones came up that we wanted to try out. One day on her way out the front door, she exclaimed “I think we should be friends!” though I think that had already been predetermined by me.

Before she got to my house tonight, I thought about how do I say “goodbye for now” to a dear friend I’ve known so long? I’m not sure I nailed it, it’s just an understood reality. I’m sure we would have both ended up blubbering on the floor. So, for my “famous” college teacher friend who rocks her students at a Buddhist university in Boulder, Colorado, I’ll see you the next time our worlds collide and I’ll be SO HAPPY to see you again!

Chemo Skip

 So, today I skipped chemo. My body needs more than a week to recover from the side effects of Taxol. So I took it!!!

I met with Annie, social worker extraordinaire and had an amazing conversation with her. I’m going out on a limb by saying this … I think for the first time in my life, I feel content with who I’ve become. All my dang trials (and hundreds of hours of therapy) have made me a far better person than I could have created without them. I have a clearer understanding of so many things!

On my way out, I ran into a guy named Chris. He is a brilliant researcher, professor, and passionate about metastatic breast cancer … because he has it too! Yes, men can get breast cancer, although much less likely than for women. He asked me if my tumors were in soft tissue. They are. He said he’s connected with some immunotherapy clinical trials through the NIH (National Institutes of Health) in Washington DC. So he’s going to try to hook me up. Wow! I’ve heard that immunotherapy can have bad side effects too, but if it can slow down this dang cancer, I’m for it! Because my chemo doesn’t seem anxious to help me. Not everything they’ve given me over the years qualifies as actual “chemo”, but I’ve experienced the same side effects from everything I’ve done, regardless.

I came home and crashed, just long enough to give me the strength to make a pecan pie for our ward pie night. Technically it should have sat out 2 more hours to set up. There were 3 or 4 “judges” who decided on the top 3 pies. I came in 3rd place!!! Who’d have ever thunk it! The pie tin was wiped nearly clean by the end. I saved my last few bites for Mat.