Martini’s for Hodgkin’s Invitation

“Let’s have a drink, support Lymphoma research, and what the heck… let’s cut my hair off too!"

My ongoing experience with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has put me in a position where I feel I need to give back and help others with similar experiences, with my usual flair, and a martini of course!

On Thursday June 12th at 7:00pm, Id like to personally invite you and everyone on your friends list to join me for “Martini’s for Hodgkin’s” at The Collection downtown for an evening of fundraising evening in support of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma research with a bonus donation to Locks of Love.

This entertaining evening will consist of drinks, dancing, games and prizes leading up to the highlight of the evening; chopping of my hair! That’s right, the hair is coming off, one-way or another! I have a short period of time before my hair really starts to fall out (from chemotherapy) which presents me with the opportunity to cut 16” of red hair off and donate it to Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is cancer that affects the Lymphatic system. It’s a disease that can sneak up on you with very few symptoms, meaning the treatment if often harder to deal with than the disease. Many Lymphoma patients undergo painful procedures like biopsies and bone marrow collection to diagnose the disease, and than undergo months of aggressive chemotherapy (and often radiation) treatment in which they deal with losing all their hair, constant sickness or infections, stem cell transplants, and possible long term affects like infertility. And that’s just the treatment!

The key to making this event work is that you actually come out, and you encourage your friends to come too. It’s not about how much you donate; it’s about supporting the cause, and well… me! I’m more afraid of losing my hair than battling cancer, (female priorities!) but I’m doing my best to go through this process with dignity and my signature “fuck it attitude” that only my friends and family’s encouragement can feed.

There have been so many times where a cause or illness has come close to my heart through a friend and I’ve felt powerless to help; I wish there had been an event like this! Taking the time to come out, show your support, and donate to Lymphoma research will not only direct funds towards better treatments and support programs, it will also make you feel great for really and truly helping.

Remember to bring some cash, your friends, your dancing shoes, your camera (how often do I cut off all my hair!) and a designated driver… as I fully expect you to have “a little too much fun”!!! Please make sure you rsvp the event as soon as you receive this, and forward this invitation.

Looking forward to having a couple of martinis with you and my buddy Hodgkin’s!

http://www.lymphoma.ca/
http://www.locksoflove.org/,
http://www.ottawaentertainment.ca/nightclubs/collectionbar56.asp

Neutropenia saved the day! No chemo today!

Heavy Lashes

My hair started to fall out today, so I put on more mascara. Well I sprouted a few tears first and then decided I wasn’t going to waste anymore precious hair time hiding in-doors. I need to get out there and work the lid I’ve still got while I’ve got it.

I curled my tarantula lashes and headed out the door committed to not cry about this today, mostly because there would be a mudslide of mascara down my face.

Some clients don't care if you're in the hospital... and your family can still find you!

Stool Watching

I’m doing a lot of peeking between my legs to see what’s goin on the toilet bowl these days… ugh! I guess last week when I was in the hospital and the doctor on call was asking me the usual admittance questions (or what I call the – think I would’a mentioned it questions) like are you coughing up blood, can you feel your extremities, any anal leakage etc… she was very specific on one question. She asked if my stool was black, I said “no” but in truth I hadn’t looked; and she replied “oh that’s good, but if it goes black you let somebody know” very sincerely.

So I’ve been on a black stool watch. I don’t really know why, or what the significance of black poop might mean, but hell if it was important to her, it’s important to me.

The problem is, I’m a decorator… who specializes in colour theory; and I think I may be over analyzing my poop. She didn’t say what shade of black. Anyone who knows anything about colour knows that black has many different undertones, and that colour is affected by light perception. What if the poop is black, but the soft lighting in my bathroom casts it as more of a brown? You can see my dilemma… thank god my schedule affords me time to ponder this.

For now I will stick with nope, and take oh so much pride in the fact that I’ve found an exercise that really challenges my skills as a colour consultant even in my absence from work. Op… gotta go…