my new life

yesterday i took my first shower in two weeks. hot water and soap are a magical combination. throw in some shampoo, and all is right with the world. well, kinda.

my little trip to the er turned out to be more than i bargained for. i've been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and it has spread to my lungs. in the past two weeks, i've had three surgeries, countless iv's, shots, probing tests of both the manual and hi-tech nature, a very nasty encounter with a long, wide tube that was aimed for my stomach, but entered through my nose, my first colonoscopy (i need to eat more fiber), my first mammogram (all clear), assorted catheters (not so bad), and my first cycle of chemotherapy (better than i feared).

i've also encountered so many wonderful doctors and nurses that i've been overwhelmed by more than their professional dedication, but also by their genuine kindness. one doctor brought me magazines that he knew i'd like. another brought me a cheeseburger and fries. others were giving me bear hugs and visiting me and researching support groups for me. these were my doctors! i could cry just thinking about it.

i'm home now. my body is battered and bruised. i took a good look at it yesterday. it looks vaguely familiar, but with the wounds of what looks like i was in a knife fight, or perhaps kicked around by a horse. i'm exhausted, but i'm surrounded by people who love me, and that makes all the difference.

it looks like i may have to change the name of my url from curlywithglasses.blogspot.com to "curly with cancer". or eventually, "bald with glasses".

photos to come.