The pros and cons of chemo

April 13, 2015 by The Sonia Show 5 Comments

Yeah, so, lately I’ve been having to say no to things that I want to say yes to, and I hate that shit.

Since 7 to 10 days out from chemo is when my white blood cells are their lowest, and I’m not aching to spend more time in the hospital, I’m having to decline invitations to events that I would love to attend.

For example, this weekend I had to say no to a friend’s wedding. Sadly, a wedding is the type of event in which sick people will attend no matter what. I couldn’t go and risk exposure to even something as silly as a cold. It was a super bummer. Mighty, mighty good man David went without me on Saturday, and I was probably the most depressed I had been in a while. I love weddings. I was planning to spend the evening feeling really sorry for myself, but luckily, I have awesome friends. Good buddy Kate came over. We ordered Chinese food and made fun of watched “Step Up,” which is a pretty fine way to spend a Saturday evening if you ask me. Big thanks to Kate for hanging out. She’s good people.

Today, someone offered me tickets to the San Francisco Giants Opening Day game. Pre-chemo Sonia would have replied, “Oh hell yeah!” But Chemo Sonia had to be responsible and decline. I’m still in the hot zone, and that ballpark would be filled with “Outbreak” monkeys. I will be watching the game from the safety of my couch. Obviously.

The traditional SF Giants Opening Day Selfie.

This reminds me: There are still a few days left to vote for me for the San Francisco Giants’ Honorary Bat Girl contest. Please, please, please vote for me! It’s easy. Just click here, pick the San Francisco Giants, and there’s a photo of me and Calvin on page 4. Then you vote for me. I really want to stand on that field in my orange wig. Thank you for your votes!

So anyway, since I’m generally a “always look on the bright side of life” person. I’ve been working on a list of chemotherapy positives.

• Saying no to events I really want to attend sucks, BUT, now I can get out of attending pretty much any event I don’t feel like going to. Chemo is a great excuse to skip any event from baptisms to your friend’s poetry reading.
• It only takes me a few minutes to get ready to go anywhere now. Brush my teeth, put on lipstick, slip on wig: I’m ready.
• When I had hair, I used a flat iron every day. My hair was not that naturally straight and shiny. Sorry if I fooled you. Anyway, every day I did the same little dance when left the house. I would get halfway down the stairs and think, “Did I leave the straighter on?” Then I would go back upstairs, go into the house, upset the dog and check the straighter – only to discover every time that I had, in fact, turned it off. Well, thanks to having no hair to straighten, I’m no longer doing this paranoid dance every day. The flat iron is gathering dust in a drawer.
• I don’t have to shave my armpits or legs anymore. I’m like one of those creepy hairless cats now.
• I haven’t lost my eyelashes or eyebrows yet. *knocks on wood* *immediately loses eyelashes and eyebrows*
• My skin is really soft. I don’t know what’s up with that.
• Of course, the biggest positive is the chemotherapy is killing any cancer cells that thought they could run and hide in my body.