I visited WVU the weekend before everyone went back to school for the fall semester. I had been wanting to visit for so long. I had the time of my life that weekend. I am not supposed to be drinking much during treatment, but I felt great so I indulged. I just wanted to feel normal with my friends. I am in the Chi Omega sorority at WVU and most of my friends knew about my situation by then, a few didn't. One night, after the bars, we went back to the house I was staying at. I was sweating and decided to take my wig off. We were home and I thought it was just going to be us hanging out.
Well, it wasn't. Our guy friends ended up coming back too. I was casually sitting on the couch with no wig on and the guys were shocked when they came in. They asked what happened and I came back with "it was an impulse decision. We just shaved it off." They couldn't believe it, haha. Then I told them I was kidding and that I had cancer.
Leaving that Sunday was extremely hard. Everyone was staying for the start of school and I was going back home. After my depressing car ride home, I was pulling into the driveway when I got a call from my friend Sam. She was telling me how upset they all were when I left and that the guys wanted to put together a philanthropy event for me. I was taken back by the love and support they were giving me. Just the fact that they thought to do something like that for me means more than they will ever know. Occasionally, I felt lonely and secluded when my friends would be together and having fun. Once I knew they were still thinking of me and cared about what was going on, I rarely felt that seclusion again.
I try my best to know when I will be sick next. It seemed to happen on the same days every cycle. At first, it was the first weekend after a chemo treatment. I would have the sores in my mouth, the tingling and the nausea. My 5th chemo was on August 13th, 2019 and I began to notice the symptoms hanging around a little longer. My last chemo on September 24th, was in sight. It was a little more than a month away. I had come so far and was ready for the end. The good thing was, I had a few other things to look forward to in the meantime.
Wednesday August 14th, my sister, dad and I were sitting at my dining room table eating lunch. I finished and got up to leave the room when my dad stopped me. He casually said, "So what are you guys going to do with Deena and AnneMarie this weekend?" My sister started kicking him under the table, which I did not see. Instead of saying that he made a mistake or fixing the situation, he asked again. I was confused and said, "Deena and AnneMarie?" His mouth dropped as he finally realized that he just ruined a surprise they had been planning for a month. They planned for my two friends from NY to come visit that Friday as a surprise. My dad felt pretty bad about blowing that one. Even though I wasn't surprised, I was so happy to see them and spend time together. Unfortunately, it was the first weekend after a chemo treatment so I was not feeling too hot. I felt bad that I had friends visiting who I hadn't seen in a year and I was in bed nauseous.
That weekend was also supposed to be my senior year move in weekend. At first, all I could think was that I should be at school. It was tough as I watched Snapchat stories of the reunions and parties that I was missing. When Deena and AnneMarie got to the house, they took my mind off of it, which was nice. My grandma and grandpa helped save the weekend too because they broke the news they were taking us on a cruise!! They extended the invitation to both sides of the family and now we have almost 20 people going! It will be my New Year's remission cruise, lol.
Olive was 4 1/2 months old, and she got so tall and skinny. I would get so excited to take her places. She loved to explore too. One of my mom's good friends came to visit with her family and Olive loved being around them. We had a nice pool day. It was great to see the Lewis family.
Being cooped up in the house all the time takes a toll on you mentally and physically. In an effort to get me out and about, I had to schedule some plans. I hadn't seen my two great friends Carolyn and Christine in a while. We got together a few days after my 6th chemo treatment and decided to go to a winery. It was a beautiful day out and I had some fun with my wig. The wine definitely gave me a little indigestion, but other than that I was feeling great.
That Saturday I had a ticket for the Jonas Brother's concert. While at hydration the Friday before, I was talking to one of the nurses about the concert. I jokingly said that I should get to go backstage because I have cancer. She knew I was a Four Diamonds kid and proceeded to make calls trying to make it happen. I was getting excited but didn't want to get my hopes up. I reached out to the brother's, but I know so many other people have their own story on why they should get to meet them. I just thought it was worth a try. Nothing ended up panning out, but that was okay. I had been hoping to go to this concert all summer and my good friend Mikelyn got me a ticket. The day of the concert I was feeling a little nauseous, but I pushed through and had a great time tailgating.
While we were tailgating, I got a notification that the Jonas Brothers went to the hospital to see another Four Diamonds kid. She had posted a picture explaining that she would be having chemo during the concert and would love for them to stop by. The post went viral and they ended up stopping by before the show. Of course, I was a little jealous, it's the Jobros! But I am beyond happy that they went to see her and put a smile on her face. Our seats for the concert were amazing, and yes, I may have cried a little when the Jobros came on. I needed a night like this one to boost my spirits. I am so grateful to Mikelyn for including me in the many festivities she goes to.
September 4th, my newest best friend and cousin was born. I got to go to the hospital and welcome Paris Rose to the chaotic Bushman family. I felt sorry that she would be subjected to the teasing and rough housing, but then I thought, we all went through it... she can do it. Haha, she is already loved so much, and I am excited to see her grow.
On September 6th, my grandma took me to visit Long Island. It is truly one of my favorite places to be. The food, the people, and the overabundance of things to do, are what makes it NY. We stayed with our good family friends, Tony and Ester, Friday-Sunday. I didn't have much time, so I had to make every second count. I was able to go out to dinner with our family friends and then meet up with two of my middle school teachers that I stay in touch with. It was so nice to see them and catch up. It was a lot more fun being able to hang out with them as an adult and friends. That night I was also able to make up for being sick the weekend Deena came to visit me. I met up with Deena and her friends for a night out in Rockville Center. It was a fun packed day/night to say the least.
I had been feeling pretty good and was hoping it would stay that way. Our Chi Omega parents weekend was coming up September 13th (the first weekend after a chemo) and I was not missing it. It is the best weekend of the year! All of our parents come down for our Make-A-Wish fundraiser on Friday, followed by a huge football tailgate the next day. If people think the WVU students are rowdy, you should see the parents! Friday went great, I got to see so many friends and catch up. When I woke up Saturday morning, I was definitely not feeling great. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't go away. I began to get achy as the day went on. I was physically at the tailgate but mentally, I was not there. All of the parents were so caring and made sure I was okay.
Instead of going into the game, I decided to take a nap in the car. I was hoping it would rejuvenate me. It didn't. I tried showering and moving around when I got back to the house, but the aches were getting worse. I had never had this before. I was devastated that my day was ruined and now my night was going to be ruined too. My amazing friends came to the rescue yet again and lifted my spirits. They went out for a little while I went to dinner with my parents. It was a long day and they were all tired, so they came home early. We got to spend the rest of the night in sweats on the couch, which was nice. In the middle of the night the aches got much worse though. It almost felt like extremely bad growing pains. For a little, I was unsure how I would get back up the stairs if I went down. As heartbreaking as it was, I needed to go home with my parents on Sunday instead of staying extra days. Before we left that Sunday, there was a fundraiser organized by Theta Chi to support me. They had the event at Panda Express. We were able to stop by and participate before we got on the road to head home. I am so grateful that I have people in my life that take these measures to support me.
What's Next: Greek Life, is it good or bad for students?
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