Round 2, Cycle 1

 Hey friends! Hope you guys have been enjoying July, I cannot believe it’s almost over! I had a solid two weeks before  my new round of chemo started yesterday. Also, I have some stubble on my head, maybe the mane is growing back?? We shall see! So the new round of chemo went well. It’s a little shorter than the previous one since it’s one less drug to get. I still get a steroid as a premed but the new premed is Benadryl. I was knocked out in no time. So really I guess when I was getting my new chemo drug, Taxol, it went by pretty quickly because I was knocked out for half of it. They give Benadryl because it’s a plant based drug and they don’t want any allergic reactions. The only thing I got from it was a 5 hour nap once I got home followed by a 7 hour night sleep. Not bad. I had a great crew at the hospital with me yesterday and it was nice having big support to kick off the new cycle. So far the side effects I feel are fatigue (could be the Benadryl still?) and nausea, which I was told wouldn’t be a problem this round. Hoping that subsides sooner than it did with the last drug at least.

So how about the fun stuff.. During that little break I got have some good times with friends. I went to the “Under the Sun” fest at Ravinia and saw Vertical Horizon, Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray, Fastball, and Gin Blossoms play. It was AWESOME. Most of y’all know what a 90s music fan I am so this was like heaven. Sugar Ray was so entertaining and my Mark McGrath still has it. I wish you all could have seen me screaming my face off during Smash Mouth’s “Allstar”. One of the highlights was meeting Vertical Horizon at the end of the night, the lead singer Matt was so great to me and loved rubbing our bald heads together. People are fun!

There was the Swim Across America at Navy Pier to raise money for cancer research. My mom and sister swam the 5k and were the only two to did it in a bikini! I also had a lot of friends do the swim, Dave Sims, Christina Klinge, Elaine Wilkinson, Adrienne Bicek, Morgan Piasecki, Patti Piasecki, Christine Kuczek, Katie Braun, Charlie Cunnick (who put the whole deal on), and a new friend Chris Thompson. I’m probably forgetting someone else.. sorry if so! It was a perfect day for a lake swim. Lake Michigan was warm, it wasn’t too hot on the beach, and the Chicago skyline always makes for a nice backdrop. The event raised a ton of money for research at Rush and was a fun and successful gathering. Congrats and thank you to everyone who participated and donated! Special thanks to Sarki's Cafe for feeding the fam with Lorettas post swim!

 Another cool thing I got to do was cook an authentic Italian feast for friends! The menu included: meatloaf, sautéed spinach, a light, fresh pasta, bruschetta, and rice pudding in a cake-like form for dessert. The meatloaf was out-friggin-standing. Unreal. Not surprising when 3 meats and 3 cheeses are involved though. I think another feast will be happening soon, I’m pushing for Mexican next time!

This weekend should be pretty relaxing. Hoping to stop by the Illinois state meet and the Hawks convention. Expect some good pictures coming soon!

Also, anyone want to claim the amazing pillowcase I was sent? With my face and Lord Stanley on it?? It is SO soft and just plain amazing! Talk about sweet dreams! Thank you!!

Where does the time go??

Somehow it is already July 13th and I am officially done with round one of chemo. I only have about 13 and a half weeks left with my fellow fighting friend chemo. I am thankful for our time together but I will be happy to never interact with him again. So my first round of chemo is over (A/C) and I move on to my Taxol round in about a week and a half and will receive 12 weekly treatments of that. The perks of this are Taxol is supposedly much better tolerated which is a lot to look forward to. The biggest negative from the sound of it is just the fact that I have to go in every week now. Luckily my chemo nurse is fabulous and receiving the treatments aren't too bad, although to be honest this last round was the least enjoyable of them all. I think they are starting to get more psychologically challenging. It all kind of is. The last round really took a toll on me and I only had hours as Kayla vs full days of feeling like myself. I'm hoping this round is more like the first or the second. Pray that I hang tough and have lots of reasons to smile through this. It's hard to remember sometimes that this is all temporary when you're caught in the storm of it all. Or when it's 2:30 and it's your second time being awake during the night... But this is all temporary. It'll be over soon, this too shall pass, and all those other nice things people put on bumper stickers to remind you to hang tough. The news I found to be good was that my counts had dropped pretty significantly from the prior round, which might sound like bad news, but it was nice to know there was a real, physical reason for everything that was going on. I was pretty scared that the struggle of the last round was all caused by psychological stuff or I was being dramatic or crazy. It's surprising how much comfort it is to know that what you're feeling can be justified or is legitimate. And if it ever isn't I hope to have someone come smack me with a reality stick to snap out of it!


I've been having a lot of visitors lately which is great for my spirit! My best friend Brittany came out from NY and brought me my first wigs. She was the perfect guest to have because all of her favorite activities are those of a cancer patient. It was a long weekend of multiple naps, some tv here and there, gourmet tots from Trifecta (go there people!), and watching her eat enough candy for the entire family. It was just really nice to be around one of my very best friends again, I've missed her. I actually slept in the bed she slept in while she was here two nights ago and it felt wrong. You hear that Zorots? Come back soon! Also my first best girlfriend ever came to visit  me too, Miss Ashley Cusack. She is always a good laugh a great person to be around so it was really nice to have her to take my mind off of how I was feeling. Hope to see all of the Cusack family soon!!

I also had some more friends from California come, the Tutton family! I haven’t seen them since January so that was a real treat. I miss my Maddie and her wonderful family. And Liz’s cooking, mmmmm! I cannot wait to get back out to Newport Beach as soon as I can and see everyone again and just enjoy that California sunshine.

Some of the alternative medical stuff I have been receiving, a lot of it thanks to you guys with bracelet sales and that fun stuff, has been acupuncture, reiki and massage. I’ve been really good about diet AND treat days J but this stuff is more exciting. The massages have been a really wonderful time to just rest and zone out. I usually get a short nap in during them, which is always needed, and the two masseuses I see are phenomenal. One is my acupuncturist and the other is from Bella’s Salon in Winnetka if you’re looking for some relief. Acupuncture is one of my favorite things of the whole process. It’s a time I usually share with my boyfriend and I really appreciate having him as a constant there and in so many other ways. It starts with a massage and then she uses various techniques from acupuncture to acupressure to cupping to burning stuff.. there’s a lot she can do and I don’t understand half of it but boy do I believe in it! The coolest part is the little semi-permenant needle she has left in my ear, it’s super tiny and set on a calming point. I press on it whenever I’m not feeling when and it gives me some relief. Oh the ways the body is all connected… Reiki has been a really special thing to learn because I got to do it with my parents. It’s all about helping energy flow through everything, my body, my meds, my parents, everything! It has been a great practice in staying present which is a big struggle of mine. Our instructor was actually a parent of a student of mine, another example of the amazing community I am so fortunate to be a part of!

Right now I have a REALLY special visitor in from Newport again, my little sister Rylee Gladych. It has been a great calming presence having her here and she is someone who just really makes me feel special and loved. Rylee is someone who I will  never have to question whether or  not she loves me because she shows me every day. That's a rare thing to have from someone, Rylee is a real gift. She also has amazing taste buds and has been enjoying her fill of great Chicago foods. I love people who are easy to please :) As you can see  from the pictures, we have all been really enjoying the wigs Brittany brought. One of my kids just got my a Katy Perry pink wig that will definitely be a part of a future blog. It is awesome, thanks Hannah!!

What else is new.. Work is going well. Staying connected with the Baker community through the summer has been really important to my general wellbeing. Seeing my kids has done a lot for me mentally and spending time with the whole school just really keeps my head and heart in a good place. I am so thankful for that place. I've been trying to get to the pool to see my GA friends at least once a week. I really miss you guys over there and can't wait to be more involved. The great friends you find in places you never knew you would.. Even though I don't see you guys a lot I feel your support daily. The GA family has been a HUGE rock for me and you all are making me stronger. Talk about a community who is definitely going to be a large part of my remission celebration. I couldn't do this without you.

Other good news.. the tumors  in my armpit can no longer be felt through physical examination!! That's great because those guys freaked me out a little! The lump in my breast is much softer and continues to be less noticeable with each check. Go chemo, go! So ya hear that team, we are beating cancer!! We definitely have the lead in this fight. Thanks for helping me to get here and thanks for helping me stay there!