On Thursday, I stopped by my doctor’s office to visit my friend Pam during her chemo treatment. OK we weren’t exactly friends before Thursday-we had one phone conversation, exchanged a couple of emails, and I read her blog religiously. I thought chemo would be a good opportunity to meet her so I swung by for a short visit, which turned into an hour and a half. Now we are officially friends. When I walked in, the receptionist pointed me towards her and she immediately recognized me from my photos. She introduced me to her new friend Missy-also getting chemo for breast cancer. The 3 of us chatted non-stop for the entire time. I could have stayed a few more hours but I had to pick the kids up from school. And their treatments were ending. We talked about the usual stuff that 3 women in there 30s normally talk about-breast expansions, chemo and medication side effects, bald heads. We have so much in common that goes way beyond the fact that we are close in age and raising young kids in suburbs of Detroit. I am pretty certain that if we met under other circumstances we would have hit it off, but cancer connects us in a way that nothing else does.

Tonight I got emails from both of them and it sounds like they are doing ok during their post chemo time. Missy’s cocktail doesn’t include Adriamycin so she had a bit more energy after her first treatment. In fact, she’s doing the Race for the Cure Saturday, shaving her head and meeting family for lunch afterwards. I could barely take a shower two days post chemo so I’m guessing that drug (or maybe the 3 together) could be the kicker. Pam has a pretty similar experience as I did with her 3-drug cocktail so I imagine she won’t be joining Missy.

I’m excited about my two newest friends and excited for them to finish their treatments, feel great and enjoy life as survivors.