Sunday, August 30, 2009
6:58PM
Janet’s Not Fond of Cancer: Update #4

Editor’s Note: Janet’s first post about her cancer diagnosis and treatment can be found here. Janet is going to keep udating the Colony and the Colony is going to keep sending thoughts, prayers and good juju her way.

On Monday, 8/31/09, I begin my last week of chemo and radiation and the side effects have kicked in with a vengeance! Because I didn’t take the anti-diarrhea drug a couple weeks back when I first had diarrhea, it’s now very raw in that area; made worse by the daily dose of radiation. I’m using a combo of Domeboro solution to sooth, and two different creams. Still bothersome, but it’s helping a bit, although it won’t heal until I’m done with the radiation. I get wicked cramps and I really need to start watching what I eat, I think. I’m also very tired and find I have to just take it as easy as I possibly can.

I promised a friend I’d actually drive to the hospital on Monday and all of this week instead of parking in Somerville and taking public transportation in.

So rather than focus on the doom and gloom (actually, other than the side effects, all is well, according to the blood work), I thought I’d share this:

The absolute best thing that happened the week of 8/17 was that I was chatting with the chemo nurse that Monday and for some reason we got to talking about Johnny Depp. She told me that his boat was moored in a nearby harbor! At first I thought she was teasing me, but another nurse had taken pictures and sure enough, there was his boat! It was SO hot that week and I wasn’t feeling well (death warmed over, actually) so I didn’t go take pictures myself (and now you know just how yucky I felt). But I’ll share a few with you here:

Wednesday I found out from a friend that it was possible he was looking for me property to buy in the area. How awesome would that be!!!

Oh, right, this is “Not Fond of Cancer”, NOT “Fond of Johnny Depp”.

Janet is…a woman, a daughter, a sister, a cousin, twice a wife (third time’s the charm, right?), owned by a shibanu named Wolf; she’s a photographer; a lover of life, travel, food, books, movies, tattoos, the usual and unusual, and, last but not least, hopefully, a cancer survivor. Happiest with a camera in one hand and Wolf on a leash in the other, she loves exploring her surroundings and sharing what she sees. You can read more of her at her blog Fond of Snape.