Skip to main content

35 Purple Balloons

Episode LXVI - 35 purple balloons fly by...


There was a knock at my door? I opened it to see a bunch of purple balloons. My brother drove in from out of town to surprise me after I finished treatment. Not only did he want to celebrate he wanted me to release the balloons as a way to let go. Let my radiation treatment fly away... far, far away...



35 purple balloons representing my 35 radiation treatments...


I printed a small message and we attached it to each balloons hoping that they would reach someone. It was a wonderful idea and so thoughtful of my brother. Plus, I was happy to see him!

That evening when the family was all home we went outside and let them go into the night sky. As with any moment it was real. My husband and brother were trying to take pictures on their phones. My son was wanting to hold on to the balloons the longest. My daughter got upset that she could not keep one as they flew away. It was a typical family moment... even in the letting go, there was still drama!


 

Up. Up. And Away!



As with most of my treatment it has been about all of us. I was not the only affected person. My husband had to step up and take on anything I could not do. My children watched and worried. Yet, I had forced myself to remain present and functioning and as normal as possible during the past year. My other family and friends had also been along the journey too. While we all had endured, I was glad that (for now) I was able to at least feel the constant medical treatments were coming to an end.


In my head...


So much love and support was shown to me. Not only was I watching purple balloons vanish into the sky, my daughter's class had made me cards. The sweetness shown by 1st graders...


There may be nothing better than handmade kid cards!

I was also brought home cookies from a friend that had a note saying congrats for being finished or as my daughter called it "my mom's no-more-cancer day". It was a great day and I was surrounded by a lot of love!


What a journey we have been on?!?!?!


“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.” 
- Sigmund Freud


Episode Reference: 99 Red Balloons, Nena song
(how could I not use this song...)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

my longest hardest day yet

Get ready boys and girls... today is a doozy. And a long post too! But before we begin on one of the toughest days I've ever done, let's recap. Mon: Irritating Onc day where I was not told about suspicious fluid around lung/heart in time to get a biopsy & I got contradicting info from his NP the week before.  Tues: Spending the morning getting Immunotherapy and 2 Chemotherapies before going straight to the airport to fly to Houston and enduring long rental car lines and afternoon heavy traffic. A few more checks off this weeks list... a few more to go: Now back to my Wednesday... the Humpday I would like to forget! So, after 8 hours of cancer treatment, flying, and travel in congested Houston the day before, I didn't have much rest because we had to start Wednesday early. My husband and I decided to walk to the medical center since our hotel was close. However, it was not necessarily the easiest or closest walk - tons of traffic, intersections, and some strange indivi...
Post a Comment
Read more

the red devil strikes again

My Second Battle with Chemotherapy They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But sometimes, it feels like the journey to strength comes with a hefty toll. Facing the “Red Devil” a second time, I was prepared for some of the more notorious side effects—hair loss being the most talked about—but I wasn’t quite prepared for the onslaught of additional challenges it would throw my way. As the clock ticked past midnight, signaling the dawn of a new day, I found myself wide awake, grappling with the weight of a familiar foe. This is my second time undergoing chemotherapy, and the dread of the "Red Devil" has once again become a part of my reality. For those fortunate enough to be unfamiliar, the "Red Devil" is a nickname given to the chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin, known for its potent and aggressive nature. Back in 2013, the first time I faced chemotherapy, I was filled with a mix of fear and hope. I clung to the belief that the treatment would work, that the side...
Post a Comment
Read more

christmas cheer and chemo chairs

Picture this: It's Christmas morning, but instead of unwrapping presents by the tree, I'm unwrapping IV lines in a cozy chemo chair. Talk about a plot twist, right? A Holiday Like No Other The hospital was eerily quiet, the usual hustle and bustle replaced with a calm serenity. The nurses, bless their festive hearts, were decked out in Santa hats and reindeer antlers, spreading cheer even as they administered my final doses of my previous month's partners in crime: Taxol and Carboplatin. Soon, I'll be enduring the Red Devil, a Chapter I am all too familiar with - yikes. The Gift of Resilience As I settled in for my last Taxol and Carboplatin treatment, I couldn't help but think how surreal it all felt. I decided to embrace the uniqueness of the moment. After all, what better time than Christmas and New Years to start a journey of hope and healing with my switching between my chemo companions? Deck the Halls with Humor The cancer center had turned the place into a mi...
Post a Comment
Read more