Hi all–

I am woefully behind on catching up with you all, but I'm moved by your support in all the ways it's reached me. Here are some updates on my life and cancer treatment.

I had my fourth and final chemo infusion on February 20. I rang the bell. It went as smoothly as it could have gone, given that I developed an allergy (what doctors call a "delayed hypersensitivity") to the diluent in my chemo meds two weeks earlier. Apparently, it is not unusual for people to have allergic reactions to their cancer medications, partway through treatment.

The allergic response included an outbreak of hives, as well as occasional, but intense, chest pain. It happened after my third and fourth infusion, although I was medicated and more prepared after the last one. The chest pain was scary because it could have been any number of things. For example, cancer makes you more susceptible to blood clots. But cancer treatment also makes you more prone to acid reflux. Luckily for me it was the latter, not the former.

I have some strength to regain, but I have mostly recovered from the usual chemo side effects. Some highlights from the last few weeks include: making deviled tea eggs for Lunar New Year, busking on the Somerville Community Path with friends (we made $21 😆), taking an experimental printmaking class, dipping my toe back into local journalism, short jaunts to Maine and New York, seeing Cat Power in concert (ask me about her autotuned version of "The Moon"!), and catching the Boston Ballet's performance of The Seasons' Canon (twice!).

I had a mastectomy in September. Why am I having surgery again?
In December, we learned that the cancer in my left breast had spread to a lymph node deep in my armpit. This cancerous lymph node was hard to find and now it needs to be addressed. So, I will be having two surgeries in a week on Tuesday, March 24. Here is what I'll be undergoing at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center:

1. Axillary lymph node dissection: The removal of all the lymph nodes in my left armpit. Why? Because cancer has spread to one of them and it may have spread to more. A breast surgeon performs this surgery.

2. Lymphovascular reconstruction: The reconstruction of my lymphatic system. Why? To prevent lymphedema. When you remove a bunch of lymph nodes in your armpit (as I am doing), it can cause buildup of lymph fluid in your arm and lead to a condition called lymphedema, the chronic and incurable swelling of your arm. To prevent this, a plastic surgeon takes a small section of a blood vessel in your leg, and under a microscope, uses it to connect your lymph vessels to your blood vessels so lymph fluid can continue to drain normally. It's like building a connection between two different train lines. 

Pre-surgery tests indicate that I'm already at risk for lymphedema because the lymph fluid in my arm has not been draining normally since my mastectomy. I'm grateful for this preventative surgery, but it means that I will leave the hospital in a compression sleeve to further prevent lymphedema and I'll have to wear it for 6 months to a year. Hot!!

Are you lost on all the medical jargon? I didn't know anything about this before it all happened to me. I hope this never becomes our lingua franca.

I am trying to prepare for the trauma of surgery and for the recovery it requires. I don't actually know how one does that, but I am writing, stretching, reporting, making art, and playing music. I am holding all of you in my heart, hoping to bring the love you've shared with me into the operating room.

This winter has been tough on us. Thank you for the warm food you've made us and the cozy homes that you've shared. We're opening up the meal train again for the first few weeks after surgery. We'll keep you posted on how it goes and what comes next (radiation? stay tuned) 💛