Day 64: Mum's 40th jet set

This is one of my favourite photos with Mum. It's taken in May 1987, the night of Dad's by-election win. This was the start of his 12 year NSW parliamentary career as the National Party Member for the Northern Tablelands, including a period as a Minister in the Fahey Coalition Government. It was an exciting moment for he and Mum after a tough preselection battle and a challenging campaign, running against the well-loved widow, Thelma McCarthy, of the former well-loved local Member Bill, who died in office.  I think Dad managed the campaign well, showing great respect for Thelma, though he felt the full force of the ALP machine then and in later elections - including from the dreaded Eddie Obeid who was usually lurking behind the scenes. 

Behind every great man...there is a great team of women

We celebrated Dad's first election win at a 'gala' event the Armidale RSL (they were much lower key events after that). Many of Dad's siblings were there, his brothers Alan and Kevin being key members of his campaign team, and all Mum's family descended on town to support him and pass out how to vote cards - that's loyalty for you! As a first year uni student with very different political persuasions to Dad I was laying low. The cost of studying in one's home town meant I couldn't be entirely anonymous, with lecturers embarrassingly and inappropriately berating me about Coalition policies in tutorials -  I told them to shove it. 

Nanna loving the spotlight

Nanna Clare is the one that looks like the winner that night. Boy was she working that blue eyeshadow!

Needing extra courage on day 64 as I headed off for the fourth infusion, I chose to wear the jet earrings and heart and jet beads Mum wore that night - some classic '80's bling. We kids bought these for Mum for her 40th birthday in 1983, which means she was only 44 when these photos were taken. They were purchased from the fanciest shop in Armidale at the time, Mann's Boutique, run by Kerrie Mann who managed to bring a bit of Parisian chic to town, with the biggest range of french perfumes, scarves, handbags and jewellery. I think Suzie was her best customer. Rob bought me my first bottle of YSL Rive Gauche from there (a standard for all his girlfriends, he tells me now!); I reciprocated spending all my hard earned wages on him, with a bottle of Paco Rabanne aftershave and an Oroton wallet.

I had to work had to suppress lots of emotions this morning as I prepared for this infusion. I was very conscious of having to adjust to yet another new thing in this regime, a different drug with very different side effects. I was tired too because in preparation I'm needing to take many more steroids which are interfering with my sleep.  It's common to have an immediate allergic reaction to docetaxel including chest tightening, rashes and flushes. It was hard not to get stressed when my lovely nurse today - Louise, who also grew up in Armidale - when preparing the infusion called for someone to bring some additional hydrocortisone to be administered immediately should any of these side effects occur. Thankfully my body coped with the latest cocktail without any obvious reaction. Over the next three weeks, I should expect to be less nauseous, but more tired, with joint aches and pains, and to develop attractive puffy ankles.

The infusion was much shorter today as I had 1 rather than 3 bags of chemicals run through the port, which is thankfully still working a treat. The process took a little over an hour and for the entire time I needed to keep my hands under ice packs in an effort to stop the circulation to my nails and avoid the nail damage with comes with this particular treatment. It was uncomfortable and a bit painful and most frustratingly meant I couldn't read my New Yorker on the ipad; Robbie kept me preoccupied with the crossword, which we got out all bar one clue. I'm not sure if it was the jewellery or adjusting to the new regime, but I was missing Mum terribly today, and found it hard to keep those emotions at bay. Lovely messages from Eilee, Suzie, Cazy, Lindy and Meg at the very time of the infusion made her feel very close. 

For some bizarre reason - perhaps driven by the anaemia - I started craving a hamburger half way the treatment, so as soon as it was over Robbie and I headed to a local Darlo burger joint. As is always the case with these things, the idea is always better the reality; even thought I ate less than half of it, I've regretted my decision all afternoon!

Now for a evening stroll to the park, and a very quiet evening with my boys and the puzzle. I've been engrossed in it and making good progress, but monochrome outer edges are going to slow me down now.