chemotherapy – Susan Spann, Adventure, Mystery, and Mountains

Chapter 3: Cherry Blossoms and Liver Spots*

Susan Spann 1000 Summits, Blog, CLIMB Photo Companion August 12, 2020August 12, 2020100 Summits, cancer, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, Climb, hiking, Japan, Tokyo

(March – May 2018)* I started chemotherapy two days after returning from my Christmas trip to Tokyo. That sleepy smile in the photo above is a combination of traveling and the massive dose of Benadryl I received before the infusion. Jaime (left) and Vickie (right) made my chemo treatments as easy, and as fun, as chemotherapy could possibly be. They were happy, loving, and friendly to everyone, and I will treasure their friendship always. You read that correctly. (That isn’t a COVID mask – it’s what an immunocompromised cancer patient wears to try to stay safe in public). My mother,

Chemo, Hair Loss, And Waiting To Grow Again

Susan Spann 1000 Summits May 7, 2018May 6, 2018cancer, cancer hair loss, chemo, chemotherapy, growing hair after chemo, hair loss, hair regrowth, triple negative breast cancer

Chemotherapy is a liar and a thief. It lies, because it makes us feel impossibly sick–so sick we cannot possibly recover. It steals, because it causes most of us to lose the physical characteristics we associate with personal identity: our hair, eyelashes, nose hairs (trust me, you’ll miss them more than you might think), facial shape, and sometimes fingernails and skin. (You don’t lose *all* your skin, of course, but it becomes a crackly, dried-out thing you might not recognize.) This was me at the start of my cancer journey: This is me today:

Once More Into the Breach

Susan Spann Blog April 4, 2018April 3, 2018blessings, cancer, chemotherapy, final treatment, joy

This morning, I head to the infusion center for my final chemotherapy infusion. Unlike so many endings in life, this one is not bittersweet. (In fact, since I gave up sugar entirely during chemotherapy, but brought a box of lemon Pocky back from Japan to enjoy when it was over, I can tell you the end of chemo will be very sweet indeed.) That said, I don’t regret my decision to undergo chemotherapy after my breast cancer diagnosis, even though my stage (1a) made it my choice rather than something I “had” to do.

Heading For the Chemo Finish Line – and Japan

Susan Spann Blog March 21, 2018100 Summits, chemo, chemotherapy, dose-dense, Japan, taxol

Today I had my penultimate infusion of Taxol chemotherapy. Now that I only have one more to go, I’m starting to reflect on this journey and the things I’ve learned, and to make more solid preparations for the upcoming move to Japan.

Ginza, Visas, and the Start of the 100 Summits Quest

Susan Spann 1000 Summits, Blog March 13, 2018March 13, 2018#100Summits2018, 100 Summits, chemo, chemotherapy, Japan, travel

Yesterday afternoon, I arrived in Tokyo to begin the first official step toward the #100Summits Project: filing my visa application. Japanese residence visas can be difficult to obtain, but I’m hopeful my plans to climb the hyakumeizan and my publishing contract for 100 SUMMITS–a nonfiction book about my quest to scale Japan’s most famous peaks in a single year–will be sufficient for me to obtain a one-year visa.

Traveling to Japan . . . on Chemotherapy

Susan Spann 1000 Summits, Blog March 9, 2018March 6, 2018cancer, chemo, chemotherapy, Japan, Tokyo, travel, traveling on chemo

Tomorrow evening, I board a flight for Los Angeles, and Sunday morning I’m heading for Japan to meet with my immigration representative and sign my visa application. On Wednesday, I had my second infusion of Taxol chemotherapy (number 2 of 4) so I’ll be recovering from the side effects while I travel.

Blueberry-Cinnamon Oatmeal With Chia

Susan Spann Blog January 8, 2018January 7, 2018blueberry, chemo, chemotherapy, chia, food, oatmeal, recipes

Since I’m currently undergoing chemotherapy following breast cancer surgery, I’ve cleaned up my act where my diet is concerned. No one can guarantee that a certain food, or diet plan, will prevent, cure, or even help with cancer treatment – but healthy foods are never a bad idea. On the days right after my treatment, I take joy in preparing my meals, and it helps my appetite (which chemo suppresses) too. In the interest of sharing – and hopefully helping other people looking for healthy, simple, and tasty recipes, I’m going to share a few of my favorites in the weeks