Fun with hair

Made it through round #2 of chemo and on the bus trip attempt again - heading to Annapolis, MD, for the Haines Cup tomorrow v US Naval Academy. This time, I decided to make the wise choice and travel with all my anti-emetics! (below left) So far, so good. Plenty of saltines, water, and a fully belly to start the day! Tomorrow, on to Princeton to face (only) Georgetown on Sunday (really, brothers, Easter Sunday is ok?), and then home on Sunday, with, I hope, enough time to get my number before 6:00m. Close! Almost as close as my hair!

Fun with pharamceuticals

'99 above, Rachel & Linda +15 yrs below

Linder & Joe

On to the fun with hair (see above center & right). Apparently, the hair comes out between weeks 2 and 3 of treatment. This week, I noticed not lots of hair in the brush or on the pillow, but I could pull out a good sized wad without feeling it. Given the 3-day road trip the end of this week, and hearing how the de-clumping of hair commences, I decided a pre-emptive strike would be the best offense rather than looking mange like on the road. A few plans were tossed around, and I got a message from my '99 Worlds 2- partner who basically said she still had my back and when could she meet me to join in on the festivities (my word, not hers). 6:30pm Wednesday following practice worked well for all involved, even my volunteer Harvard oarsman who was pressed into service with his clippers. I also knew that another longtime friend and multiple time colleague, Joe, was going to go for the matching do as well. He'd done the same for his sister-in-law a few years back. As they both said, it's just hair, it grows back. Rachel sent this thing viral with this photo of hers - it's all over fb and more than a few twittter feeds as well - and in a pretty amazing way. She made a composite photo of us racing at Worlds with a current photo of us shorn just below it, #winning. I love it. (above center)

Next up, the Boston Marathon, bib # 28447, wave 4. As long as I feel ok for the rest of the weekend - and a few key results on the water could only add to to that, ahem, HVL and HFL - I'll be going for the run on Monday.  Cautiously, of course. The need to finish is overridden by my desire for survival at all costs. And, honestly, the training, this winter especially, was my way of honoring the commitment I made on April 15, 2013, to run this year, April 21, 2014, along with demonstrating the resiliency and strength of Boston, Watertown, and all those involved in the mayhem that came to be that week last year. Yes, I'd love to run, hardly anything would make me more delighted at this point in time than conquering a most terrifying obstacle that I have actually placed in my path, not something that just appeared, butI also know that I have to be smart. Carry on!