Congratulations on finishing! What a relief. Sounds like you’ve got a good doctor to help you get on track going forward. I had to make adjustments too—but ones that ultimately made me healthier than I was pre-treatment. I hope the same for you—you sound determined, and knowing what you can control — that there are things you CAN control — is so empowering.
When I finished chemo, I just baked a few cookies for the nurses, thanked them, and walked out the door. And passing over that threshold never felt so good!
You are welcome. So many women gave me truly helpful advice when I was diagnosed. I’m grateful for their help and I’m always happy to help in any way I can. Best of luck in your next phases—it’s a journey for sure.
>>While waiting in line to get into the theater, a neighborhood acquaintance spotted me in my black beret and shouted, “I thought you were moving to Portugal.” “I got breast cancer instead,” I shouted back, and I felt kind of bad.
I’m always counting surgeries that have assaulted my body (I’ll add menopause as an assault with tolls beyond the physical). When I’m asked by a new doctor for one of those seemingly interminable and never-ending lists, I paw through my file cabinet and include tonsillectomy (1948?), gallbladder plus a no-charge appendectomy (“your appendix showed signs that it had once been attacked,” the surgeon who understood pain and stood on two prostheses caused by WWII, remarked); and an unnecessary arthroscopic procedure before the necessary knee replacement. Luckily, so far I haven’t been diagnosed with cancer.
A bell would, indeed, be wonderful. Something light and refreshing, a signal that at this moment all is wellness and healing. Maybe we could donate one?
They have a donated bell but are trying to be sensitive to patients who are not on the road to recovery. Hopefully by the time I finish infusions they will have figured out a compromise.
Congratulations on finishing chemo!! One step at a time. My infusion center doesn't have a bell to ring either, but the staff claps you out after your final infusion, which was really nice. So, I'm clapping for you, Alison - a standing O!
Way to go. I have a Space Needle bell somewhere here from the fair. I will ring it for you. My mother also used this bell for us to call her when we were sick!
I feel like ringing a bell for you! I have this old, small silver one that belonged to my grandmother that I have always given my kids when they were sick, so they could call for me without calling, so to speak. It's small and beaten up and has the prettiest little chime. I'll wait until the house is empty and peal something out. Loved reading this and admire you so much!
Thank you! I keep waiting for Substack to make the DM feature more widely available so we can discuss collaboration on a yoga post. It’s been great having you in my corner and I think about you whenever I take a walk and truly appreciate nature.
Ooh, that would be fun! I've actually kept it up, to my own surprise. I'm way behind due to several days of travel, but I felt a sense of gentle, kind accountability knowing you were doing it, too. 💖
This is such a great post, and fuck yeah: take the time to celebrate this huge milestone! RING ALL THE BELLS! May your healing continue steady and strong through the next phase. Thanks so much for sharing all your helpful tips, and let us know if we can be helpful to you :)
You’ve been such a great supporter and I appreciate you. My experience with this doctor made me wish I’d had such a holistic listener in my corner years ago. We all deserve that.
Congratulations on a significant milestone for you and your team! I so identify with your journey and recommendations. A friend shared “thrivor-ship” as a way to think about moving forward vs “survivorship”. Thrive on💪❤️
Well, to be fair, I have to return to the infusion center on Wednesday for immunotherapy and will be doing that every three weeks till mid-December. I'm definitely ringing a bell in December, even if I have to bring my own :).
Congratulations on finishing! What a relief. Sounds like you’ve got a good doctor to help you get on track going forward. I had to make adjustments too—but ones that ultimately made me healthier than I was pre-treatment. I hope the same for you—you sound determined, and knowing what you can control — that there are things you CAN control — is so empowering.
When I finished chemo, I just baked a few cookies for the nurses, thanked them, and walked out the door. And passing over that threshold never felt so good!
Leslie, your suggestions and encouragement have been so very helpful. Thank you so much!
You are welcome. So many women gave me truly helpful advice when I was diagnosed. I’m grateful for their help and I’m always happy to help in any way I can. Best of luck in your next phases—it’s a journey for sure.
>>While waiting in line to get into the theater, a neighborhood acquaintance spotted me in my black beret and shouted, “I thought you were moving to Portugal.” “I got breast cancer instead,” I shouted back, and I felt kind of bad.
LOL. I hear you!
I’m always counting surgeries that have assaulted my body (I’ll add menopause as an assault with tolls beyond the physical). When I’m asked by a new doctor for one of those seemingly interminable and never-ending lists, I paw through my file cabinet and include tonsillectomy (1948?), gallbladder plus a no-charge appendectomy (“your appendix showed signs that it had once been attacked,” the surgeon who understood pain and stood on two prostheses caused by WWII, remarked); and an unnecessary arthroscopic procedure before the necessary knee replacement. Luckily, so far I haven’t been diagnosed with cancer.
A bell would, indeed, be wonderful. Something light and refreshing, a signal that at this moment all is wellness and healing. Maybe we could donate one?
They have a donated bell but are trying to be sensitive to patients who are not on the road to recovery. Hopefully by the time I finish infusions they will have figured out a compromise.
Congrats to no more chemo! What a relief. It’s a great feeling when a practitioner hears you.
I love the lines of dialogue while you were waiting in line. Nothing like life to throw a curve ball.
Congratulations on finishing chemo!! One step at a time. My infusion center doesn't have a bell to ring either, but the staff claps you out after your final infusion, which was really nice. So, I'm clapping for you, Alison - a standing O!
You are a beautiful role model.
Way to go. I have a Space Needle bell somewhere here from the fair. I will ring it for you. My mother also used this bell for us to call her when we were sick!
Thank you my friend!!!
I feel like ringing a bell for you! I have this old, small silver one that belonged to my grandmother that I have always given my kids when they were sick, so they could call for me without calling, so to speak. It's small and beaten up and has the prettiest little chime. I'll wait until the house is empty and peal something out. Loved reading this and admire you so much!
Thank you! I keep waiting for Substack to make the DM feature more widely available so we can discuss collaboration on a yoga post. It’s been great having you in my corner and I think about you whenever I take a walk and truly appreciate nature.
Ooh, that would be fun! I've actually kept it up, to my own surprise. I'm way behind due to several days of travel, but I felt a sense of gentle, kind accountability knowing you were doing it, too. 💖
Same here!
Congratulations on ending chemo and the best of luck on the next stage. I don’t know you, but I’m rooting for you ❤️
Awww, thank you! Let’s all root for each other!
This is such a great post, and fuck yeah: take the time to celebrate this huge milestone! RING ALL THE BELLS! May your healing continue steady and strong through the next phase. Thanks so much for sharing all your helpful tips, and let us know if we can be helpful to you :)
You’ve been such a great supporter and I appreciate you. My experience with this doctor made me wish I’d had such a holistic listener in my corner years ago. We all deserve that.
Definitely! Keep up posed when you can. Sending love and BIG PROTEIN VIBES
Congratulations on a significant milestone for you and your team! I so identify with your journey and recommendations. A friend shared “thrivor-ship” as a way to think about moving forward vs “survivorship”. Thrive on💪❤️
Much better term!
🔔🔔🔔
Ringing a bell for you, Alison. Congratulations!
Congrats on finishing chemo! I’m bitter they didn’t have a bell for you to ring - I mean, come’on! :)
Well, to be fair, I have to return to the infusion center on Wednesday for immunotherapy and will be doing that every three weeks till mid-December. I'm definitely ringing a bell in December, even if I have to bring my own :).