Aftermath

So, Santa does visit the oncology unit during Christmas. And he appears in the form of awesome nurses and doctors.

Yesterday started out depressing. I was pretty sure I'd be that sick kid in the window of the Children's Hospital that Macaulay Culkin sees on his way to prepare a house of horrors for Joe Pesci and Daniel Stem. You know the part. It's everything I've been thinking about since I found out I'd be in the hospital during Christmas. If you don't know what part I'm talking about, you haven't watched Home Alone or Home Alone 2: Lost in New York nearly enough. I will allow you to take a moment to watch it and then get back to me.

These are my two all-time favorite movies in the world. Like fine wines, they only get better and more hilarious the more you times you drink.

So, anyway, great movies all around. But just avoid the third one, which I shall not speak of here.

Back to Christmas festivities in the oncology unit. I had written my wish list, and had expected to receive only a few of the things I'd wanted. (No pooh yet.) But the one that I wasn't expecting to receive was number 4. To be able to taste water and for my mouth not to taste like ash. Solution?

It. Is. Awesome. It's my new favorite thing. All these 25 years I was working so hard to produce my OWN saliva, when they had this stuff all ready to do the job for me. All those tedious years chewing over-cooked, dry turkey. All those times when a loogey fell short and lay shamefully upon my collar. All those meals I could have slide down nicely down my throat on a slip-n-slide of fake salivation! 

Here's how I think it works:

Or something like that. 

Anyway, the day was turning out to be fantastic. My parents came by with delicious brunch and dinner:

Then my sister and her boyfriend came over:

And then to complete the crew my best buddy in the world arrived and stayed the whole day!

It is sufficient to say that I was a very happy unicorn:

Oh, and this guy showed up. He was cool, but didn't say much: 

He just kind of stared...

Anyway, we commenced games of Apples to Apples - one round of which I won. (In your face, chemo brain!) And then another of my wishes came true! I was able to taste the delicious food my mom had brought from home! (Thanks to "Mouth Kote". Now there's a coat - for your MOUTH!)

All in all, I laughed so hard I got a headache, got exhausted a little less quicker than usual when I went to brush my teeth that night, and had (most of) all my favorite people around me. It was a very un-depressing time in the oncology unit, so a pretty good day. 

Here's to a New Years that's just as good or even better!