As my chemo infusions come to an end, I need to blog about a few amazing ladies in my life:
Aimee Crandall. We met at the cancer clinic. It was her first infusion, my second. She was battling breast cancer. We both were born in the Gunnison Hospital. She, along with her mom and friend (Signe and Liz) gave me the sweetest Christmas basket full of such sweet gifts. We texted each other uplifting messages to help keep each other positive and strong. We'd see each other every 2 weeks, for almost our entire duration of chemo. She made me laugh, and I needed her.
Brittney Kirk. My good friend. Brittney has the kindest of hearts. When I told her I had a recurrence of cancer and it wasn't looking good, we both cried together. She went out of her way to bring the 12 weeks of Anderson to my kids - dropping off a gift for the kids or our family each week. She has been my good friend for close to 20 years now, and I love her. She is like an aunt to my kids and a sister to me. She is true to her heart, genuine and my therapist. (I tell her all of my woes and she doesn't even charge me a fee!)
Nanette Sorensen. She is my cousin, but really my sister, just from another mister. She also came to a couple of my treatments. We were penpals when we were young. College roommates once we got older. When I'm with her, I laugh uncontrollably. I can be my total self around her and she gets me. She helped make my family freezer meals with LuAnn. I loved hearing about her engagement story and her wedding plans throughout my chemo treatments. It helped take the focus off cancer and put it on happier things in life. She has ALWAYS been there for me, and I love her with all my heart.
LuAnn Bennett - aka Louie. She has sent me sweet cards in the mail, helped Nanette make a lot of freezer meals for my family. She sent encouraging texts and checked in on me to see how I was doing. She is my aunt who took the Sorensen nieces places when we would have been stuck on the farm. We rode bikes together, floated down the SanPitch River, went to plays, had sleep overs at Grandma's, went shopping, etc etc etc - all because of Louie. She helped make my childhood what it was - magical.
Kami Higgins Applegate - We became good friends in 4th grade. We sang together in a little group our moms put together. We did a lot of the same high school activities - orchestra, basketball, track, yearbook, NHS. We lost touch for a time, but since she's been back in Utah, we reconnected and I love talking about life and the gospel with her. She came to one of my infusions and gave me a foot massage. She checks in on me and lives and loves the gospel. Some friendships never last, but I'm glad this one has.
Melanie Duke Rawlings. When we were in 1st grade, she came right up to me and asked if I'd be her friend. I thought that was pretty bold, but I was by myself behind a bush under the kindergarten window. I needed her just as much as she needed me. Our moms were both teachers at the school. She'd always have some pretty crazy ideas that I'd happily go along with. She now lives an 8 minute drive away. She taught my kids piano lessons - some of the time for free. I had to beg her to let me pay her what she was worth. We also lost touch as we grew older, but good friendships seem to somehow stay in tact even when life takes you to different places.
Joni Anderson. She brought a week of Harry Potter to my family during my first week of chemo. She loves BIG and serves BIG. Everything Joni does is BIG. That's why her heart is so BIG. She also came to a couple of my treatments and made friends with Aimee too. She makes me laugh and I'm so grateful we are sisters in law.
Diana Anderson. Another amazing sister in law. She made my family a meal almost every week. Sometimes I stayed home because I wasn't feeling well, but Matt and the kids could get out and live life - away from this dang cancer. Thank you Diana! My family needed those meals (if not to just get out of the house)... and you.
I could keep going on and on... Tami Buckland, Brittni Lloyd (two sisters in my ward who checked in on me), my ministering sisters (Kayla and Tanisha), Kathy - my mother in law who was also going through some serious health challenges. Ann and Misti (2 other amazing sisters in law, whom I love.) And of course, Betty...
Betty - no last name because she's my wig. Betty has helped me feel somewhat human again... even if she itches. She's synthetic and as close to my natural hair color as I could get. She's been there for my head every Sunday and sometimes I'll even go out on the town with her.
By the end of chemo, my hair was pretty thin. More decided to come out even after this picture. Dead roots, I'm sure.
Slowly, it's been growing back and filling in the bald spots. I bobby-pin my hair up and wear a hat wherever I go. I like that better than a chemo cap because nobody knows I'm a chemo patient if I do. The chemo cap was a dead giveaway last time. It's been nice to have kept a bit of my hair - even if I ended up looking not so.... filled in, should we say?
My ice mittens and booties. They were a God-send and kept my neuropathy at bay.
My last day of chemo was March 17th. I wore my lucky socks that day. Here's to hoping the tumors will stay little for a very long time. I need to be with my family still... and they need me.
