Hat Party

I have always been blessed with strong friendships. I honestly don't know how people can make it through life without friends to rely on, confide in and share the good days and the bad.

She's going to be mad at me for this, but I am going to talk about a very special friend in my life that did something particularly kind recently. I don't remember a time in my life when Lizzy O'Brien (McGovern) wasn't in my life. She has been there during all the major moments in my life and has always been a great source of support.

Well this cancer thing is another moment in my life and thankfully Lizzy (I know people call her Liz now that we are older, but I will always call her Lizzy) is right there with me. A few weeks ago she offered to throw a "hat" party for me at her house and I said sounded like "good times."

The party was on a Thursday night and the number of people that came was wonderful. Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to spend some time with me. It was a fantastic evening with friends, food and of course HATS.

I received cool hats, fun jewelry and some lovely scarves. Of course, my friend Amanda had to show me how to wear a head scarf properly, so I didn't look like a dork. Thankfully, I have the scarf thing down now.

The night was full of surprises...to name a few.

• Patti brought two PRICELESS photo albums from high school and I must say that we were all looking very cool. The late 80's early 90's were not the best years for fashion so the clothes were big, flowery and loud and the hair was big, hair sprayed and full of bows. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

• My sister-in-law Gwen did the coolest thing - she gave each friend a note card to write a funny "Maria" story on so when I am feeling down I can read them. The amazing thing about this was that my brother Marc, brother Michael and sister Cara all wrote the same story - they all have fond memories of a young Maria and the Sheep Joke - people are still laughing AT ME not WITH ME. FYI folks - I have had some rough days and I have read the cards multiple times - some are committed to memory....."sitting at the beach......."

• Another awesome gift was from my nieces and nephews. I am now the proud owner of a lovely hat with patches that stand for each one of the kids. When I wear it I feel like I have a little piece of my kids with me.

See what I mean about friendship? Lizzy took the time to put all of this together while working, being a wife and raising two awesome boys. I know that no matter what happens in my life Lizzy will be there during the good and the bad - to lend an ear, a shoulder, or to offer a house full of people to lift my spirits.

I will never be able to fully explain how much her friendship has meant to me throughout the years.

Lizzy......... B/F/F.............Maria : )

Chemo #6 - Monday, June 15 w/Mom

Wayne, Mom and I drove downtown and arrived at Northwestern without much excitement. Once there Wayne went off to work and we went off to pick-up my muffin and head to chemo. Everything was running smoothly, which is always a nice surprise. We joined another woman and her friend in a lovely room overlooking the lake (OK... it's not the Ritz and no one offered us tea, but at least there was a window) and we settled in to enjoy (well you know what I mean) our time together.

I must start this next paragraph by saying that during chemo my sensitivity to noise is heightened. For example, if someone is talking loudly it can be painful and give me a headache (the tone of the voice and the actual voice do make a difference), television commercials are like nails on a chalk board, but thankfully the VERY LOUD voices of my family are still music to the ears (most of the time). However, the two women we shared a chemo suite with were beyond normal LOUD, although happy - it was her last treatment - we believe. Mom and I found ourselves whispering to talk and thankful when they left (I am sure they were also thankful).

After, that we had a woman who was unable to get her treatments due to low blood counts (that is horrible) and a lovely gentleman who could not speak a word of English who didn't know why his machine kept beeping (it means the nurses need to fix it, turn it off, start it again, etc.) and then it just stopped and I was concerned for him, but thankfully the nurses attended to him and he was fine.

Three different groups had been in the room with us and Mom and I were still hanging out. The pre-drugs, Taxol and the Avastin were finally administered and we were on our way out of the hospital and into the world.

Mom and I decided to stretch our legs a bit down Michigan Avenue and straight into the Cole Haan store - that's right - I may have little energy and less patience, but I can take a moment to see what's on sale at Cole Haan. Nothing screamed "buy me" so we went back to the hospital to meet our driver (Wayne) and headed back to the burbs. We stopped off at a very exclusive restaurant, "Chez... P.J. Klem's" for a quick bite and then headed home.

I am not a parent, but I can imagine how difficult it would be to sit there while someone pumps poison into your child (although I am 35, I am still my mother's child -thankfully). I'm not sure who chemo was harder on, me or Mom (I think Mom). I believe that she would have traded seats with me in a minute, but I would never trade places with her. While I am very important to the family dynamic, my Mother is the glue, the paste, the cement, (get-it?) that holds the entire family together. The DiNatale Family would NOT function properly without a strong, healthy, and perky Adele. I must admit that it is easier to be strong (throughout life that is) when you know your Mom is sitting at the kitchen table waiting for you to call (you know what I'm talking about Mom - thank you for always answering).

Marco Island is the BEST medicine....

We have been on Marco one full day and I already feel more like myself than I have in weeks. Yeah...Marco!!!

Chemo #5 - Monday, June 8 - Joey DiNatale

I must say my brother Joe offering to take me to chemo was a big shocker. My brother DOES NOT like hospitals, doctors, or anything having to do with anything medical. I mean no one likes the hospital, but Joey brings dislike to a whole new level.

When I had my spleen removed he barely came into the hospital room to say hello - come to think of it - did he come into the room or wave from the hallway? From time to time during radiation (Hodgkin's 93') he would run away from me in the house and say don't touch me I'm gonna get the cancer (sorry Joe - but this is one of my memory highlights from that year).

We got to the hospital and although I wouldn't say he loved the 21st floor he seemed at ease. When we headed into the treatment room I loved that he commented on the fact that he thought they could make the rooms a little brighter (I agree). He also had several comments about their ancient technology (bad TV's - again I agree).

I am a major creature of habit - I am a total type A personality so for everything that I do there is a routine and I usually don't deviate from the routine unless it is absolutely necessary (I bet some of you didn't know that). I explained the routine to him and off he went to get me my weekly muffin (remember the Au Bon Pain story) and a Starbucks. I told him he could get my coffee at Au Bon Pain, but he knows me so he went to Starbucks - it was a wonderful surprise.

He got back and we hung out, chatted and then we were all done. It was a pretty easy day. We returned home and I stopped by his house to get a squeeze from Genna (niece age 3), which could make the sickest of people feel better.

They say that truly loving someone can bring out an amazing strength in people...well...it must be said I felt the love and I saw the strength.

Long Chemo Day #4 - Monday, June 1 w/Wayne

After a lovely week off of chemo heading back on Monday, June 1st to start another round was tough. It was a long day. Started with blood draw, then a visit with Kelly, my oncology nurse (she is very cool), and then chemo (Taxol and Avastin). Everything went well, but it was just one of those longggggg days.

I was pretty impatient with everyone who crossed my path. I didn't sleep well the night before, which always makes for a rough next day. I was even impatient with the lady at Au Bon Pain - seriously the lady at Au Bon Pain - she deserved that, right? Of course the person that gets the worst of it is Wayne. At one point I thought he might try to put me out of the car on the way home, but of course he was patient and loving as always, which just made me angrier - awesome!!! I am thankful for my very patient, very calm husband. Baffled by him, but very, very thankful : )

Wayne and I made it until the end of the day and went to bed. I woke up feeling better and headed to work. All I can say about the June 1 chemo is that another visit to the hospital was checked off of the calendar.

Goal for today (Monday, June 8) was to be nicer to the lady at Au Bon Pain, but I didn't get my chance because my newest chemo buddy went there and picked up my muffin (thanks Joey). I promise to kill her with kindness on June 15 - she probably won't remember me, but I remember her.

Have a great week and remember to be extra nice to the people at Au Bon Pain, Corner Bakery, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins (Dad... if you go for ice cream this week feel free to call me and ask if I want a milk shake) and all your other favorite spots.