The Infusiastic Skier

This was my title during January, The Infusiastic Skier!  Thanks to Gary Wilson for the creative label!  Dr. Picozzi didn't think skiing would be a good choice, with the 24/7 chemo pack of 5FU attached via the PICC line in my left arm.  He was concerned about the PICC line ripping out in the event of a fall or a collision.  Well, I don't typically fall, and my pack of ski buddies promised to surround me as a protective barrier on the slopes.  I enjoyed half a dozen days of Mt. Baker skiing, with the chemo pump attached.  I'm pretty sure I was the only skier on the hill, multi-tasking with an infusion taking place.

Speaking of titles, my friend Marie has named our alien antagonist -- "A.T." stands for Alien Tumor.  Marie hoped her next career would be naming OPI nail polishes.  They have the most clever names.  I'm currently wearing "A Ruble for your Thoughts".  This was after "Susie Sells Sushi by the Seashore" and "Sonoran Sunset", among others. I'm ready to let the acrylic nails grow out since the dark discoloration on my own nails has nearly grown out.  The acrylics are pretty and they're fun to have, but for the long haul I don't see myself dealing with the maintenance appointments every two weeks.

The PICC line came out on January 31st (yahooo!) and I received my radiation graduation certificate on February 1st.  The radiation team was wonderful.  You see these people every weekday for six weeks, so it's kind of odd when it's suddenly over.  They asked if I wanted to take my Spiderman mask, but that wasn't practical since Jan and I were immediately headed to Sun Valley from Virginia Mason Medical Center.  We already had Sniglet in the Sequoia, and we were off on our 11 hour journey.  Except it took 13 hours.  Since Snoqualmie Pass was closed due to avalanches, we traveled south and took I-84 along the Columbia River in Oregon.  It's a more scenic drive than going through Yakima and the Tri-Cities, but it's definitely longer by a couple of hours.

Sniglet, what are you crunching on over there??  Oh, she has found a tortilla chip on the floor from last night's gathering of friends.  Mind you, this is cat that doesn't touch most people food, but she is attracted to grain products -- Cheerios, pieces of bread (even with peanut butter), and now we can tortilla chips to her list.  Sniglet is doing very well with her hydration regimen (200 mg of saline injected every other day).  She's gained weight, and is always a happy cat, here in Sun Valley.  It suits her very well.

A few learnings the supraclavicular lymph node.

- A.T. had moved up north to the lymph node; it is still considered pancreatic cancer.  It has a different molecular structure than lymphoma.

- Dr. Song (my radiation oncologist) had prepared me to expect the skin in the neck area to experience irritation. I was careful to apply lots of moisturizer and pure Aloe Vera gel from the time I started treatment.  By the 5th week it still didn't bother me, but as Denise (Dr. Song's nurse) told me, "It's Gonna!"  She was right.

- The left side of my neck turned into what looked like a major sunburn (3" x 5") during week #6.  By the time we were in Sun Valley that area looked like the skin of a prehistoric reptile, and proceeded to peel.  People pay big bucks for skin exfoliations.  A week later the new skin was flawless and soft.

- There was only one slightly annoying side effect.  During the 5th week I started to experience discomfort when swallowing.  It didn't feel like a typical sore throat because it was only uncomfortable when swallowing food (which is exactly how Dr. Song predicted it would feel).  I learned to appreciate that chewing really is the first step of digestion, and I chewed my food into mush before swallowing.  Sometimes, in the beginning, I would forget and it felt like a pig moving through a python.  The lesson learned is that it's always a good idea to chew your food thoroughly, even if you aren't having radiation in the neck area.  One day, about a week after the treatment was over, I suddenly realized I no longer had this issue with swallowing.  And, I do mean it was suddenly.

On to life in Sun Valley.  We do love it here!  The snow coverage is excellent, and the skies are indigo blue.  The sun shines nearly every day.  Even when it's cold (which it often is), it's a dry cold in this high desert climate, so it doesn't chill you to the bone like the damp cold of Western Washington.  I've skied a lot.  Today Jan, Nora and I are snowshoeing to the Trail Creek Cabin for lunch.  The guys are skiing, and it is truly beautiful.  Admittedly, we do plan to sneak in some shopping as well.  This is a good time of year to catch sales because President's Week is over, and there won't be much of an influx of tourists again until mid-March (Jeep Ski Tour).

We ski and we have fun with friends.  There is something, at someone's house, nearly every night.  Last Saturday we bought tickets to Expedition Inspiration's "Moonlight Celebration", a benefit to raise funds for the 12th annual Laura Evans Memorial Breast Cancer Symposium (March 5-9 in Sun Valley).  The event started with a moonlight snowshoe at the Elkhorn Golf Course.  As we set out on our snowshoes, one of the volunteers served champagne from a bar built of snow.  The snowshoe trail was magical, with the early evening moon overhead, and tiki torches lighting the path.  The alpenglow was like swirls of pink cotton candy. This was followed by a silent auction, drinks and a fabulous spread of appetizers, catered by Ciro's. Local comedian, Mike Murphy, provided entertainment and was the auctioneer.  

I participated in the 3-Day Ladies' Ski Clinic a couple of weekends ago.  This is an amazing experience!  In total there were about 25 women, and we were divided in groups by our ability level.  My group of six was perfectly matched and we loved our instructor, Nicki.  As a result of my new found confidence I have now skied some mogul runs which I would have never dreamed of tackling -- Expedition and Olympic Run.  It's such a feeling of accomplishment.  I trust my skis and I try to focus on letting them do the hard work.  I just let them run.

It's time to gather my recipe for tonight's dinner at the Stones, and get into my gear for snowshoeing!  Oh, and I need to make a hair appointment!  Tiina at Roberto's Salon (in Seattle) did a perfect job of coloring and styling my funky short hair in late January.  It is growing like a weed, and definitely could use a trim to put some order to it.

Signing off from Sun Valley.... until the next time.