feeling good

Hi all :)

My updates have been pretty sparse since returning from the beach. Not much is going on. I've been doing a lot of movie-watching this week and anxiously counting down the days until Saturday when I head down to Annapolis for Lindsay's graduation party and a reunion with all of my former roommates from Loyola.

On Sunday we went out for Father's Day brunch with my Dad's side of the family. Kevin and Maureen Byrnes came up from Baltimore and it was great to see them. We all had a very nice brunch at Iron Hill Brewery.

Monday and Tuesday were spent running errands and making preparations for law school. Orientation is the second week of August, if I remember correctly. I can't believe how early it starts! I still need to select my courses. I'm assuming they'll have us do that at orientation.

Yesterday my sister and I went to the "Look Good...Feel Better!" program at the Wellness Community here in Wilmington. The Wellness Community is a house that has been converted into a center for people dealing with cancer. It's such a gorgeous place! The house is set back from the road in a wooded area and has a gorgeous garden. It also has a fully stocked kitchen, a beautiful den, and a studio room for yoga and other types of aerobics classes. They hold free programs there daily. There are support groups for every type of cancer, groups for families, educational seminars, crafting classes, and fun programs like the one I went to.

"Look Good...Feel Better!" is a program sponsored by the American Cancer Society that helps women dealing with cancer learn how to care for their hair and skin while undergoing treatment. Hair stylists and cosmetologists come and provide free wigs and makeup products to all the participants. It was so much fun! I received a huge box of probably around $200 worth of really nice makeup from Chanel, Clinique, Estee Lauder, and others. Unfortunately they ran out of the kits for people with "light" skin tones, so my kit was "dark." I get to keep it, but they're also going to have another kit mailed to the center that will have the right products for me. The kit I have now has a lot of really nice things in it, so I'm not complaining :)

The best part of the program was getting to meet other women who are dealing with cancer. There were probably 8 of us there total. I ended up seated at a table with two very nice and very outgoing ladies, Jacquie and Joy. They are older than me, but probably only in their 30s or early 40s. After we had been sitting there playing with our makeup for a while, we all started chatting about our different cancer experiences. It turns out that they both have Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma too! I was excited to meet some women who could relate to my situation. We exchanged phone numbers and they want to meet up for lunch.

I was also very excited to learn that Joy is being treated at UPenn by Dr. Glick. Aunt Kara originally told me about him and I have been hearing quite a bit about him since. He specializes in lymphoma treatment and is supposedly the best in the region. I am interested to talk more with Joy about her treatment. She is receiving R-CHOP chemo (the same drugs I am getting), but she only has to go for 3 rounds because they caught hers very early. I don't think I will switch doctors, since Dr. G has been absolutely fantastic, but I would definitely consider getting a second opinion from Dr. Glick. I hear he's very hard to get an appointment with though.

In addition to all of this, I learned techniques for wearing scarves and various head wraps at the "Look Good...Feel Better" program. The instructors also taught me a lot about how to care for my scalp and promote hair growth once my treatment is finished. They answered all of my makeup and beauty questions. It was a very fun and informative session! Now that I am a registered member, I am going to start attending the yoga classes at the Wellness Community. It was such a welcoming environment :)

Last night was also fun-filled. Mrs. Clark, my next door neighbor, came over with flowers and a huge bowl of chocolate chip cookies. It has been less than 24 hours since she brought them, and half the bowl is already gone. They are soooooo good! Uncle Ken came over and visited for a while too. Then my parents and I watched Music and Lyrics, which Kevin Byrnes recommended. It was really a cute movie. I also rented The Usual Suspects and the Reno 911 movie this past week. The Usual Suspects was great. Reno 911 was funny, but could've been better.

Anyway, that's what's been going on with me. I'm still feeling physically good too. I'm meeting Sara for lunch today at the Top Buffet (a buffet-style Chinese restaurant). Lunch dates there are a tradition for us. Sara and I have been friends since 3rd grade, but I haven't seen her in more than a year since she's been away at school in Michigan. I am so excited for our reunion! From Saturday-Sunday I will be in Annapolis, and then I have another lunch date with Jenny on Monday. Hooray :)

I probably won't post again until after I return from my weekend in Annapolis with my roommates. Until then, stay cool. It's really starting to feel like summer!

Lots of love,
Lauren