January 22, 2020 was an incredible day. Jamie, Tamara, Mike and I started the day at OrangeTheory. Coach Ashley, who has been so supportive of me through this journey, surprised me by dedicating the class to me. Everyone in the class wore lavender, the color of the Hodgkin Lymphoma support ribbon. They had balloons and a made a huge sign for me. Ashley, who was supposed to teach the class, ended up bringing in another coach from out of town so she could take the class with me. I normally do not enjoy being the center of attention, but this experience was so amazing, I just embraced it. I couldn’t help but feel the love from everyone cheering throughout the class. There was no better way to start this day!
From there, Jamie, Tamara, Mom, and I went to MGH for the final Chemo. As much as it was the same routine as the previous eleven rounds, it was so different at the same time. Knowing that I won’t be back for more chemo while also knowing that my last PET scan shows no evidence of disease means that I can begin the process of returning to normal. Here are some of the things I’m looking forward to:
- Thinking clearly for more than 4 days in a row
- Eating sushi
- Not being paranoid about someone coughing within 100 yards of me
- Traveling
- Feeling a sense of forward motion rather than suspended animation
