Tami Health Update 8/18

Round 2: DONE! 

The 21 days between Round 1 and Round 2 have been a true rollercoaster of ups and downs, but looking back, there was so much goodness packed into those three weeks.

First, the many bright spots. I had many days filled with good energy. I got to reconnect and visit with so many dear friends, some of whom I haven’t seen in years. We’ve had the sweetest James Family and Mom Mom time. Barry and I had the best boat day with our friends Terri & Scott and Alex & Meredith, and we even managed to sneak away for a little downtown staycation and catch the Ravens game. Those moments filled my cup right up.

Of course, a rollercoaster has its dips too. I had a pretty rough reaction to one of the medications that caused intense bone pain, but we’ve adjusted the timing and schedule, so fingers crossed that won’t happen again. For my prayers of the group, this is a specific prayer request :) 

Then came the hair. I knew going into this that losing my hair would be hard, but I could have never imagined the emotional toll it would actually take. With my specific chemo regimen, cold capping had only about a 35% chance of saving half my hair, so I decided it wasn’t worth the extra stress. Once it started coming out in clumps, I decided it needed to go. I picked a day, and it was just the seven of us. Lately, I’ve fallen completely in love with the movie Voicemails to Isabelle and its theme song, "Dancing On My Own." So, we blasted the song, and everyone took turns cutting a piece of my hair. We laughed, we cried, and we held each other close. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. I’ve had a few days to adjust to the new look, though every now and then I catch my reflection unexpectedly in a mirror and it is a straight-up JUMP SCARE! 😂

All that to say, the 21 days were manageable, full of love, and we made it through.

Today was Round 2, so onward and upward we go.

I continue to be completely overwhelmed and humbled by the way our village is showing up:

It is deeply humbling, and it has inspired a vow in me to pay this kind of intentional love forward in big ways for the rest of my life. Thank you for walking beside us, lifting us up, and keeping us laughing.

With all my love,

Tami (and the whole James crew)