Day 13: Teaching Tuesday
Just for fun, today's styling is a theme of Japan, I really wanted to make a styling with my new Tabi-boots. The Japanese kimono overcoat, I believe it used to belong to my grandmother.
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Day 6: After 3rd Chemotherapy
My Tuesday teaching style. I could not wear anything tight. I was better than yesterday, but I still feel nauseous even with medications.
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Day 5: After 3rd Chemotherapy
Today's Style: Just relax. Fashion came last... WOW, I never thought that day would came. It was so tempting that I wanted to cancel my teaching class today. Very strong nauseous. No appetite means I have not been eaten well for the last days. Fatigue. My husband, who is usually a very decline guy, suggested me to stay, so my parents were worried ans asked if I can ever have that as an option. I thought about it, but I had a doctor's appointment in the city anyway. When I can, I should be teaching as much as I can, period.
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Day 19: Dr. Visit and Teaching
Oncologist's appointment was in the morning and everything seems to be good. 98.6F temperature for my vital check-up. In US, it is considered normal, but not in Japan. Anyway, I was considered normal.
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Day 12: Teaching day
The class was exciting with a lot of students who give thoughts to the lecture. Discussing with them was fun to do. Nausea is mild but persisting through out the day.
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Day 19: Vegetarian Restaurant GOBO in NYC
2nd day of teaching for my the other Fashion Economics course today. I teach the same subject Mondays and Tuesdays, 2 sections with two different groups of students. (Japanese Translation is later 日本語は英語の後に記述あり。) I don't know how other professors are, but when I go to a class room on day 1, I get anxious to find out how I do with a new group of students. Each group can be really different. I started to notice my heart beat goes faster than usual. That made me wonder, if I was doing OK. (and I was OK.) One of a side effects of my chemo treatment that is explained to me was I might have some heart problems. I did not ask exactly what or how it was. Because there were so many side effects that I did not have a capacity to comprehend all details of how each side effects potentially do to me exactly. Just understanding the list of possible side effects. A baseline of my heart condition test has done before my first chemotherapy. I will do the test regular to make sure I don't develop anything serious. Knowing that I may have a heart problem, faster heart beating makes me worried if I am doing OK. This time, I knew the reason of my fast beat and I was hoping that it was a separate incident from the side effects. It happens many times especially on the first day of teaching. Nothing serious happened, no worries. A visit to a vegetarian restaurant; GOBO in NYC (http://www.goborestaurant.com/west/index.htm) After the teaching, I got together with a good friend of mine. She introduced me to this vegetarian restaurant. She knew I wanted to catch up with vitamins and minerals with vegetables and fruits. A vegetarian restaurant!? sure why not. I have never be interested in going to a vegetarian restaurant myself. But if is for the first time, during chemotherapy sessions will be an ideal time to dine. WOW, it opened my eyes! What a great surprise I had. "If that is for everyday, I can become a vegetarian!" Clean, sleek, modern, but warm and cozy inertia decorations. Presentations of meals look very attractive. AND of cause, the taste and WOW, the texture of vegetables, bravo. The menu had mixture of Asian and Italian. Gobo, the name of the restaurant, comes from a root vegetable called gobo in Japanese, but the food was not Japanese. Soy bean paste pate's texture was just like chicken nuggets. King Oyster Mushroom had light cuts on surface and it's texture was just like squid. Seitan -wheat gulten, seemingly a good source of protein- was like a piece of beef. So interesting! I was really content of what we had. She told me that there are other restaurants like this in the city. Interesting. No reason to avoid vegetarian restaurants any more, I am sure some of them are so satisfying for non-vegetarians, too. Vietnamese spring roll: Home pressed ginger ail with pomogranate Soybean with brown rice King Oyster Mushroom with vegitables Seitan, Kale and coconuts rice Passion fruit creme brulee and chocolate cake
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Day 18: Teaching went really well
Day 18 after my 1st chemotherapy. (Japanese translation is at the end. 日本語での記入は英語の後にあります。） School has started and it was my first day of teaching for the semester. I had full energy today. Each class lasts less than 3 hours with a break in between. I started out as usual routine, introduction of the course. When I introduced my syllabus which include schedule for the semester, I made an announcement of my health condition to my students. I did my best to be honest about what is expected every three weeks after my chemo cycles. I explained what I experienced from the first cycle. There are some days that I won't be as energetic as I am today. I appreciate my students reaction that they all looked sincere to me. I am thankful for that. I am excited to be able to teach the subject! First day of teaching: Be active, when I can!
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Day 7: A short trip to NYC
A week ago, I had my first chemotherapy. Today, I felt even better than yesterday. It was best among the last 5 days. I wake up with a slight feeling of nausea, but very mild. It was like morning sickness. (My posture has been pretty good. When I am nauseated, I noticed I walked in bad posture, but I could not help it.) After a breakfast, friend's homemade banana muffin and scrambled eggs, I went back to watch a movie; "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel." A story about a woman who used to be an editor in chief of Harper Bazaar, Vogue and head of The Costume Institute of Metropolitan Museum. That made me think of different head piece solutions I have to think for near future. I wanted to go to the NYC. My husband wanted to come with me to make sure I would be OK. I really appreciated about it, I myself was not confident either. We made a short trip, 2 hours stay in the city. Oh, I was happy. I felt nauseous but when I was looking into different hats, I was not thinking about nausea. A brief moment of nausea-free without medication! Bravo, fashion. I had some inspiration, and I will make some, too, when I can. Soon to be seen here, I hope! (Or not hope... I am talking about after my hair falls off.) [physically] My weight hit the lowest record ever I remember since I am at this height. A mild nausea, consistent but tolerable. I could eat more today. No appetite. Burping. Not much fatigue. My face still has pimples for the last 3 days. My period still goes on. A nurse called me and told me that it could be irregular during chemotherapy. She did not sound concerned about it. Every night, nausea gets worse. [emotionally] Very steady. It may be still too early to say, but the first week of the chemotherapy is rough and tough. If that is the case, 5 more weeks of that to overcome. I have 6 cycles every 3 weeks, that makes it about 4+ months. It is not like 5 months of rough and tough time, more like 5 weeks in total. That way, emotionally it is easier to cope with this. In the train heading back home, I exercised an "escape" that my physiotherapist had told me how to calm me down.
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