Update for 6/16: Buzz cut, Promotion Ceremony for JGMS and more

Hi everyone :-)
The short on the chemo this time:
Well, I'm happy to be feeling better after three days of yuk. I had chemo on Monday and was pretty much incommunicado Tues and Wed. I think it was a little worse this time-the nausea I mean. I also just didn't have the energy those three days at all. I was surprised since my doctor said that the effects should be equivalent. I think there might be some psychological factors that play into the effects being different each time, maybe because on an unconcious level, your body and mind know that it's coming- just hypothesizing of course.
It was good that I wanted to sleep, though. Nothing is worse than being awake and nauseus. Ugh. But...it's over for this round anyway. Yay!!!! The next one is 6/27 and my dad is going to come in for a couple of days for that one. It was really great to have some helpf or those few days as well, just so that I didn't have to think about making anything or cleaning anything. Thank you to Debbi, Summer and Joy as well as Glynis for coordinating, and Todd for taking my brother (aka "house boy") to the airport.

"Hair apparent"
On Tuesday, my hair was really coming out and I decided I needed to do something about it because it was shedding everywhere. So, Wednesday, my friend Chrissy Wong took me to have my haridresser, Joanna (awesome Italian woman from NYC who has done my hair for years and is also a friend) buzz it. I wasn't sure at first if I just wanted to cut it short and let the rest just kind of fall out..but the rate of shedding was such that it was just annoying and had to go. Karen Pendelton met us there and the four of us, plus others in the shop all looked on as my hair went bye-bye. It was somewhat hard because it's a loss, but it's temporary, and thankfully, God graciously made me with a good looking skull. So, GI Jane, here I come...No, really, I'm wearing a scarf at present and will go to look for a wig today for another option. I am liking the scarf thing at the moment because it's comfortable. I don't really feel self-concious about it either, which is great!

Promotion Ceremony for JGMS at LQHS field last night (6/15)
It was amazing. Did I say amazing? Yeah. I'm not sure my words will aptly convey it either. I really wanted to go, so I made sure I had rested enough (yeah, I couldn't even sleep well last night, I had rested so much). It was also my first outing with my new "do."
When I walked into the gym where the kids were being lined up, they started coming up and hugging me, and then I saw my colleagues and we cried a little bit and just hugged with joy. What was amazing was that as I going around hugging kids and trying not to disrupt the whole gym (they line up before they walk out to the field) the kids broke out stomping "We will rock you" it was awesome. Yes, it really was amazing. In response, I just strongly held up my right arm in a fist to show victory and everyone cheered. That broke me. Wow, to know that they were just doing that spontaneously as a show of support...I can sing in front of tons of people, I can speak in front of a crowd and not be nervous, but when the attention is somehow on me personally, it's much harder. Wow.
Then, I saw all of the students with pink wrist bands, which two male students had gone door to door to raise money to buy for the whole academy of students. The fact that they did that on their own was so impressive. I was floored. I just loved being there and having the opportunity to hug lots of kids, and give love away. Mark Hicks, who gave the student address at the ceremony even mentioned me in his speech to the whole crowd-to which I blew many kisses in response. Wow. I just felt so loved. I felt the power of God in me and working through me to show who He is. That is the most wonderful privilege there is in life. Period.
People have been coming up and sharing how they see God in this situation, or in me, and it just blesses me immensely, because I sense it, too, and know htat it is not me, but Christ living in me to show who He is. That is also my prayer-that everyone would see and experience God through this in some way.
A former student, Martin, said he would see me at church this weekend, so I'm going to the high school service on Sunday to see him there. I'm so proud of him for making that decision to go.
The students also put together some albums for me by class period of encouraging notes that my sub, Lisa Fierro put together for me and delivered to my doorstep. I opened them on Thursday morning and was floored. I'm just so amazed at how much love is there. Sometimes being a teacher can be very trying, but now I know that it's worth every travail. Our kids are amazing.
Wow, what a night.
So, after lots and lots of hugs and pictures as well, I finally got home about 2 1/2 hours later, even though the ceremony was only an hour. It was amazing. What a privilege. I'll never forget it.

Blessings to you!
Julie