The Place I Call "Home".

I come from a very small town in southeastern Iowa. It’s where the mighty Cedar and Iowa Rivers meet. Where the Burlington and Cedar & Northern railways once met. It’s a town called Conesville.

According to the 2010 Census, Conesville has a population of approximately 432. That’s up from the 300 or so folks who called it home during my childhood. Everyone claims to be related to one another – and that’s probably true. In 2010, 63% of the population was Latino or Hispanic. It’s a place that has attracted field workers from the Rio Grande area since I can remember. The land surrounding Conesville is lined with tomato, watermelon and bean fields.  I worked in those fields as a young girl, detasseling corn, picking watermelon, and hoeing weeds from bean fields. It was a wonderful way to live out my childhood. Working in the fields and paying softball.

It’s a place I still call “home”. It’s where I’m from and I’m very proud of the place. It was special when I was growing up providing that protective, supportive, and mentoring cocoon from which to thrive.

And while I haven’t lived in Conesville since 1982, that community continues to rally around me. Sure, it helps my dad still lives there and the “Bennett” influence on the community remains strong and vibrant since the mid 1800’s, but it’s the people. The good-hearted, never-forget-your-family, people that make this place special. I am heartened by the words of encouragement, the pictures of old friends in their “Her Fight is Our Fight” glory. Words can’t describe how good this all makes me feel. I’m NOT alone. It’s so clear to me. My battle to rid my body of cancer encompasses many folks, buoyed by prayers, memories, love, food, hats, blankets, and cards. It truly is a village of love.

There are no stop lights in Conesville and only a handful of stop signs. In fact, if you weren’t paying attention you may blow thru the town without little notice. But notice you should.

Conesville, incorporated in 1878, took its name from a fella, Beebe S. Cone (1818-1885), who owned several thousands of acres of land in the area. The earliest Bennetts – at least according to the town’s cemetery records was Henry (1855-1933) and Mary Louise (1853-1925). Now, I am not our family historian. That falls to my dad so I’m sure he can fill in tons of information I leave out, but you get the picture. We Bennetts have been around since the beginning.

I remember riding my bike with friends until it was way past dark outside. No cell phones, no worries. Total childhood freedom to roam my town. No boundaries, no restrictions. My experiences growing up in a small town have stayed with me as an adult. Even in times when I’d find myself standing in the White House – totally alone and entirely authorized to be there - I would never forget to appreciate from where I came.Just a girl from a small town in Iowa.

It is their spirit, their faith, their love and their belief that I will be OK that sustains me in the middle of the night.  Corny or not: Conesville is in my soul and its people feed my soul. I am full. #BennettStrong

Choices.

Today I craved pizza. Now, let’s be clear, we are not a pizza-eating family. My dear wife – bless her heart – only eats pizza after running a marathon. No other time is pizza a part of our diet. But today (actually it started yesterday) I am craving pizza. So where does a cancer warrior go in Dupont Circle, Washington DC for pizza? Well, if you aren’t sure you ask the “youngsters”. The millennials in my office who are always up for a challenge. A task. A test. A party. Pizza! They rallied around my need and came up with several choices within walking distance of the office. I knew they’d pull through.

I dive into my choices – kinda sparse if you ask me as this is certainly NOT NYC where you can simply pick up a “slice’ around just about any corner you walk – and decided on THE pizza joint in Dupont Circle – Pizza Paradiso. This place has been around since 1991. I remember it well in its original spot – a crowded, small, second floor row house building, always jammed with young, well-intended pizza lovers looking for the best pizza – and pizza combinations - DC could muster. Still is today, although thankfully, they’ve expanded into a bigger space in Dupont and even moved into glamorous Old Town Alexandria, and into glitzy, fabulous Georgetown, with the wonderfully over-priced “must have” cupcake spot of said name.

Anyways, I  go all 21^st century and order myself their 9 inch personal pizza online (well, I say “personal” size  because I’m only one gonna be eating this beauty) and hold out until 12:15 when I can get myself over there and pick it up.

I’m thankful I have an appetite at all. The first round of chemo for me, as you all know, was rather rough. I was sick to my stomach for about 5 days. Now, most of that – as you also now know – was due to my stubbornness of not taking my meds. This round, I sucked down those pills every 4 hours around the clock and I must day that I felt OK through the brutality of the first 4-5 days. Now, the nausea is gone – even without meds – and I need that pizza!

OK. It was just what I wanted. Hit the spot as they say. Ate the whole thing – which I’m sure the result will be a blog post for a later time. Done. Craving met. Choice met. Satisfied. Feeling good heading into the next week or so until my next (third) treatment.

By the way, I am grateful I don’t have to choose between my IPhone and healthcare – just sayin’ - and it’s so gratifying to know that whenever I get a craving for pizza – or whatever I choose - I’ll just go get it! Get yours!

Champagne My Ass!

I had my second chemo treatment Thursday. I admit, I felt a bit light headed going into this one. Maybe "anxious" is a better description. By the time the day rolled around the nausea had been gone for about a week, I felt great and my appetite was strong. Knowing how those god-awful chemicals would make me feel again I guess set me back a bit. Very apprehensive going to this appointment.

It has help tremendously that my brother, Jeff, has been staying with us this week. Just having him around makes me happy and calm.  And I understand that he visit comes as a sacrifice to his family - particularly the maturing 12-year who needs her daddy.

In any event, here we go: the process is we first see my oncologist, Dr Rizzo, who poked around and said she believed the mass in my left boob may already be showing signs of shrinkage! Now wouldn't that be wonderful!?  I will have an ultrasound at some point in the 20-week process to better confirm the effects of the chemo, but now I'm good with this! Next, is a blood draw to confirm my levels are healthy enough to with stand the chemotherapy.

Now, if you've been following along, you know I have this nifty mediport embedded under my skin hooked to my jugular vein for such blood draws and the chemo drugs. Well, the nurse couldn't get blood to draw out of the mediport. She had me cough, raise my arm, lay down. Nothing. Well that's not good. Certainly hoped it didn't mean I'd have to have it replaced! As it turns out, there's a way to see if the mediport is till good even though it can't produce a blood draw. The nurse referred to it as a "champagne shower".

It's actually called a "steroid push" by which one of the many steroids given usually via drip is actually pushed into your system via a syringe. The point being if you feel as if your hoo-wah is sitting in a tub of hot sauce, then wa-lall! All is good with the mediport! Holy shit! Not sure where the term "champagne" comes into this mess. Thankfully that sensation didn't last long. Certainly not pleasant but I'm relieved my mediport is operational.

After a few hours, my second treatment - half way through the tough first four - is behind me. With promises to my "village" that I'll stay on top of my nausea meds this go around and a weekend appointment with an acupuncturist, I'm optimistic this round will be a smoother go. Again, many thanks for the incoming messages and packages of comfort and love that continue to arrive every day! I cannot put into words the beauty of my world right now, thanks to everyone!!