Like a Chia Pet on Steroids

That’s how Mike describes my hair this week. Can you see?! Probably not, but it’s growing. It looks like my original color, but so far seems a lot thinner. This is really different from last summer, when I had a two-month break from chemo for surgery and my hair started growing back. Then, it was super thick, but looked really pale. So we’ll see what happens this time.

Just for fun, Mike joined my outdoor PhotoBooth shoot. We're on the deck of our little rental cottage.

In other news, did you notice the different background on my photos? We’re in San Diego this week, sandwiched between Mission Bay beach and the ocean beach. Sandwiched is the right word – they cram these beach houses close together! There’s about five feet between each cottage, and the streets barely fit two cars. We’re five houses from the bay and a couple blocks from the ocean. This is the off-season, so it’s really quiet, too.

Normally when we vacation, we try to do and see as much as possible. This trip is all about reconnecting after three intense years of school, and celebrating: I’ve graduated and finished chemo, and we just had our 17^th anniversary, and Mike’s birthday was yesterday. Our plan was to relax and see a few things, but we just couldn’t help ourselves, so we’ve been busy exploring San Diego all week.

All our “touristing” has shown me what a toll chemo took on my body. What a surprise! I knew my endurance was down, but, at random times, my strength and energy suddenly tank, and I feel like I’m walking through molasses. I’m ready to start building back up, but surgery is going to put that on hold for a while. Of course, I think I can use the treadmill while my upper body is healing. We’ll see how reality plays into that. :) Once I’m cleared, my oncologist recommended a program at the Y that was developed by the Livestrong Foundation. It’s designed for cancer survivors who need to regain strength after treatment.

This week has definitely given me more insight into how frustrating it might be to live with chronic limitations or just an aging body. When people visit, my inclination is to keep them busy and entertained, but maybe that’s not what everyone wants or needs. For me, these physical limitations cast a shadow over what we’re doing – wondering how much I can do and pushing myself further. My hope is that cancer has taught me to ask better questions and be more considerate of others.

But for now, we’re headed to Palm Springs tomorrow for a week of real relaxation. Warm sun, the pool, lots of books. And a few tourist explorations. But just a few!