I am the featured artist in Portland Magazine, December Issue!

Hey all...

If any of you are so inclined.
Pick up a copy of Portland Magazine, December Issue.
I am the featured artist in the In Tune section on pages 66-67.
Thanks again to writer Todd M. Richard for having an interest in my story and interviewing me....
And they used my picture from my head shaving party! Bald as can be!
Awesome!
xo
M

ps. Pick up a copy of By Blood Alone's new album Seas of Blood!
Available at all Bull Moose locations, CD Baby, Relapse Distro and now ITUNES!

pss. Apparently I love the exclamation point today.
Maybe its the Taxol....

YAY!!!!!

After talking with my friend Cat on Saturday night I realized something really great!
I miscalculated my chemo doses.
My last dose is on the 13th of December NOT the 27th! Yay! Yay! YaY!
2 more to go.
my next one is this thurs.

I am so happy!

If you have time to kill

vistit this website and watch all of the do not try this at home videos.

I love this guy

Will it Blend?

gobbily go

Michael and I totally forgot that our wedding anniversary was coming up until my Sis, Erin, came to visit.She reminded us.November 20th.... Michael and I have been married 12 years.Happy anniversary to us.We usually aren't ones for celebrating dates just because something happened on them.I mean...we celebrate days that are just ordinary sometimes.I know, It is a little strange.We also realized that this coming April 20th. 2008is our 20th year of being together.That is more than half my life.Michael is pretty friggin special.xoM

The "its about friggin time" Blog and Taxol the Drug of Champions

Hello there all.

I have been quite slack with up keeping my blog a bit.
It has been over a month since I have updated you all on what is going on with me.
I am not exactly sure where to start.
I have decided to write this on the day of my second Taxol treatment. Only 2 more Chemo Treatments to Go! Then… it is on to radiation treatment.
Which shouldn't be as hard side effect wise… so I am told.

I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
My last Chemo treatment is set for December 27th.
I cannot wait.
I am counting the days.
Nothing says fun like surging poisons running thru all of your body systems.
And while I am really looking forward to the new year….
Chemo treatment free….
It can take as long as 2 friggin years for all of the chemicals to be purged out of my system.
Yeehaw!
This means more of my healthy eating and a good dose of weekly exercise is in order to keep my healing on track.
I have been doing pretty good healthy diet wise… allowing myself cheats now on then.
And by cheats I mean , 1 good cheat a week.
Which could be a piece of chocolate, a slice of bread or some pasta.

It has been very hard… but I have to say, I am better for it.
I think that If I was eating shit all of this time I would be in much worse shape.
It is amazing… I have actually had the experience of tasting bad food and being repulsed by it …..
Even though I used to love and crave it before all this cancer business.
For example, My sis, Kris, my brother and Michael went to see 30 days of Night (which we ALL HATED, but that is another story ). Now, normally when I would attend the movies it involves a HUGE bag of popcorn (no butter) and a diet Pepsi.
Well, I opted for water instead of Pepsi (cola is the brown piss of Satan I tell you, Why is it that so many of us have no problem consuming brown liquid and calling it good?)
Anyway, I certainly was not willing to forgo the DELICIOUS popcorn. Sans the M and M's poured over the top. I mean I wanted to cheat… but not that bad.
So we got to our seats, (our usual very close but not too close to the screen seats)
I took one bite of the popcorn and almost thru up.
Now, I wasn't having side-effect nausea… I actually was having one of my GOLDEN DAYS (that is what I like to call my couple of days before my next Chemo Treatment).
The popcorn actually tasted disgusting.
I could actually taste the RANCID oil that it was made in.
How often do you think they change that oil that they cook the popcorn in?
Do you really think that pimply-15 year old- $7.00 an hour-employee really gives a shit about doing that part of his/her job.
EWE! Is all I can say.
I will NEVER eat movie popcorn again.
And that is really saying something.
I am so proud of myself.
Michael also did not enjoy is Nachos.
This good eating has rubbed off on him. Well, he is the cook in the house….. So he is a being forced into these new habits.

I have also lost my taste for most candy, I miss my Coffee SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much, and have hyper reactions to most distinct smells. I usually could smell things out way before Michael (did you know that women have more refined Olfactory Systems than men? Something to do with smelling our babies and other stuff) and now….
I can smell day ole meat or fruit in the fridge upon opening it, smelling the cat box way before it really needs changing (this is now Mike's job to change…. Can't be near that bacteria… I don't miss THAT AT ALL! Sorry Mike.) and I make Mike put his work out clothes directly in our washer in the basement IMMEDIATELY after he works out (his sweat USED to smell sweet to me… not any more… did you know that they did studies with women and men… where a group of women were asked to smell a T-shirt that men wore to bed and had to rate the shirt from 1-5 for smelliness…. 1 being least offending and 5 being GODDAMN SMELLY!…. The men that were more symmetrical in facial features were rated with the least offending smells, and also Symmetrical people are said to be more attractive… so therefore….. Attractive men actually smell better to women).Okay, ok I am rambling sorry.

So, let me take a break and give so much thanks to people.
So many people I want to give my love and thanks to ….
I am sure I will miss someone (please don't be mad… It is the drugs I swear! And please don't take it personally … just give me a note and I will add you Tout Sweet!

I would first like to thank EVERYONE who has donated time, money, talent and love to me everyday.
I am so lucky to have such generous people in my life.
I really am not sure what I did to deserve so much love….
But I am learning how to deal with it.
And that has been such a challenge for me.
Learning to accept love, help and charity.
It is not easy to do.
I hope that none of you have to go this kind of situation…
But, we should all learn to say thank you and I love you.
I LOVE YOU ALL.

I would like to thank the following bands for donating their art and their time and their money to help me out.

In no particular order

Covered in Bees
Hatchet-face
Twisted Roots
Balls Deep
Ghosthunter
Man-Witch
Hiss and Chambers
Big Coffin Hunters
(my band) By Blood Alone
Ogre
Guttersnipe
Taming the Shrew
Ocean
Cochise
Cult Maze
Brzowski
Aepril Schaile


The media

Mark with a K at WCYY
Justin Ellis and Aimsel Ponti at Portland Press Herald
The Phoenix
Charlie at WBLM
Jan at WMPG
Amy Martin at The Maine Switch
Todd Richards at Portland Magazine
Maine Musicians Exchange
The Bollard

Venues

Geno's
S P A C E
The White Heart
Pub 33


I would like to thank all of the artists and individuals who have gone out of their way to help me out as well…
It would take to long to list.
But you know who you are ….
But these are peeps are the most tippity tops (again in no particular order)

Mark and M Lennon
Rowan Bishop
Sara P
Andrea
Heidi P.
Lauren
Aepril Schaile
JR
Knaughty Sarah
Angie, Laura, Kay and Karen
Everyone at The Blue Spoon, especially David Iovino
Hepzibah
All of my Family
Tristan
Dominique
McNallica
Norm
Jim K.
Cyndi Lou and Nikki
Molly
Salli
Peri
Bebe Buell
Matt and Alice
Gina and Mark
Kris
Ryan and Emerson
Rebecca and Mike
Sara Mallory
Katie Wallace
Everyone at Geno's
Everyone at The White Heart



There are so many more….
And I am sorry if I didn't mention you.
Seriously….
It is so hard to keep this all on in my head!
I LOVE each and everyone of you.
Thank you.

You all have been a big part in sustaining me and my husband.
I don't know what we would do without you.

So…..

Back to my goings on…..

So today was my second round of this nasty nasty nasty drug called Taxol.
It is so much fun.

5 hours spent at the hospital, getting this shit spewed into my veins.

My last treatment with this shit was horrible.
I don't think I could have been in any more pain.

First off…
The steroids…
I was so fucking high from all the steroids that I had to take before my treatment.
They made me take 20 milligrams the night before
Another 20 milligrams the morning of
Another 50 milligrams were pumped in my veins right before Taxol and another 40 mill after
I sat in the hospital for 5 hours receiving my treatment.
The next day I had this false energy from all the steroids.
I couldn't stop.
I was like "whoo hooo! I have so much energy… I am not going to stop until I drop!"
Well that was exactly what I did…..
All day Friday (the day after treatment)
I ran around like I didn't have a care in the world or a bad cell in my body.
I woke up at 6am on Saturday and still was going strong (I have been getting up so abnormally early
Between 6 and 8pm)
And around 3pm I crashed! And crashed really really really really HARD.
I was in so much pain.
They call in Neuropathy
My legs hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurt, my hands and arms hurt.
In addition to that…
I had pins and needles all over my body, numbness in my feet and hands and a splitting headache.
It was fun.
I didn't get out of bed till Monday morning. Except to pee.
I had numbness and needles in my hands and feet for about the whole 2 weeks between that treatment and this one.
I also caught some sort of nasty infection/ cold… I think on Halloween.
Which my nurse repeatedly scolded me for not coming in early enough into the hospital to be put on antibiotics.
I really need to be more careful of infection because my white cell counts are super low. And then the anti-biotics made me super sick to my stomach.

To say the least …..
My first experience with Taxol was not good.

Also… during all of this ….
I have been working really hard on the opening of a new bar.
Michael and I are helping our JR to open a cool neighborhood bar/lounge right on Munjoy Hill.
I'm doing all of the Interior Designing and Decorating for the whole place.
So, that has been keeping me real busy.
It has been a little slow going… but we all have been pluggin away.
I have had some help from friends….
So It has lessened the load for me a bit.
(if any of you have some free time…. Hit me up! Shameless, I know)


Other great things

The release of "Seas of Blood" by…. By Blood Alone
The visits of my sister Erin, brother Zachary and Cousin Dee Dee
My productivity in my Art Studio has been awesome
My rent refund check
My constant love from my husband and my kitties and my friends
I've read tons of books and watched tons of movies
My doctor told me I could have sushi and I did today
I got a great new wig and got to wear it out 2 times
I have been taking tons of pictures
The Bees put out a new album
I forget what day it is sometimes
My couch has a nice new bum indent
I cleaned the house
I have tons of hats now
I have sold some art
And
I have lost 30 pounds

Well that is all I have for you right now.
I am sure I have forgotten to tell you tons.
But you will get over it.
I will try to update as I remember.
I hope that the after effects of my treatment goes better than last time.
Hey friends....
call me....
I know I am bad with calling you all back.
Sorry to..., Raina, Sally, Molly, Gina, Alexandria, Sarah C, Zibah and so much more.
I will do my best to call you back.
I do love hearing all of your messages.

Love love.
Melynda