It appears the side effects hit a little earlier and harder for round 3, thanks in part to also fighting a cold. Post chemo days 2-4 were no fun, but my body finally agreed with the Daylight Savings reset and as of now is feeling back to a generally good baseline.

I’ve been reflecting on some of the early moments and healthcare team that were a big part of the initial weeks where I underwent so much testing. During some of the procedures, providers started asking if I wanted music on in the background, so I started working my way through some of my favorite Jazz: John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington. 

My first MRI was the most difficult thing to date in this entire journey so far because.. claustrophobia. Without hyperbole, I can say it took the most mental energy of anything difficult I can recall in life, including a lot of “type 2 fun” adventures. Climbing up things outside is easy but it’s a different story lying face down Superman style in an enclosed tube for 50 minutes. Despite the jazz playing in the headphones, a patch of lavender under my nose, and a very nice cold room (which helps me), I would not have gotten through the almost hour MRI without a man named Colton who volunteered to stay in the room the entire time holding my hand and talking loudly about the woes of dating in Denver and how he “now apparently has to learn how to do woodworking or skiing to date in Denver”. 

The second MRI was shorter but still hard and an RN named Chelsey held my hand with so much compassion and talked about astrology and auras. I had a total of 4 biopsies. The second one was longer and harder because of the special imaging that was needed and more difficulty with body positioning. When the MD asked if I wanted any background music on I picked John Coltrane. Turns out the entire clinic was blessed with listening to John Coltrane that day when the tech accidentally left the overhead page on next to the speaker. 

It’s a strange thing to encounter so many kind and knowledgeable people in such a crappy circumstance. It brought a lot of perspective, especially as a person in healthcare myself. Feels good to be past the halfway point for chemo! Thanks for the continued support 💜