Yes I’m writing during the Superbowl…The Pats aren’t playing and I have no money tied up in this game so I’m less than invested in this particular Superbowl. I’m hoping that the 49ers win this one out of concern for a dear coworker of mine. I’d hate to go into work tomorrow and watch a grown man cry.

The last couple weeks have been eventful for me. I had my second round of chemo, the last chemo that I will be receiving at Yale. The chemo day itself went smoothly but unfortunately this round was not quite as easy as the last time. My symptoms lasted for over a week. Lots of abdominal discomfort, body and joint aches, and horrible insomnia. I am now just starting to feel better. To add insult to injury a few days before my return to RI my apartment was broken into. My poor roommate had her laptop and cash stolen. As if we both weren’t stressed enough already. I can only imagine the level of bad karma that our burglar will experience after robbing an apartment belonging to a cancer patient. Hope it was worth it buddy! Enjoy your crack cocaine.

In lighter news, I’m back in Providence for good! I return to work tomorrow and I am thrilled. I had a meeting with my supervisors last week and they couldn’t have possibly been more understanding and supportive. I believe that my transition back to the workplace will be relatively smooth thanks to the unbelievable support of my supervisors and colleagues. I’ll just be happy to be somewhere for 8 hours a day where I’m thinking about something other than my illness.

Thursday will be the big day that I have my port put in. It is a relatively short outpatient procedure but I’ll be asleep for it (thank goodness). I’m not thrilled about this at all. Nor am I looking forward to the amount of time spent receiving chemo tripling in my near future (fun fact- my next treatment is on Valentines Day. Nothing says love like an IV in your arm for 4 hours). I have the same feelings of anxiety and fear that I had prior to my first round of chemo. I feel like I’m starting all over again in the midst of an already physically and emotionally taxing experience. I just need to stay focused and remember that all of the unpleasant things that I have to endure are in place to make me better. This is a solution, not a problem. It’s time to dust off my game face and put it back on.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Superbowl Sunday and hopefully copious amounts of buffalo wings.

Love and gratitude,

Jess

(OH! P.S. I shaved my head. It’s kind of liberating)