How many puns can I make on my own name? If you have your own blog, I say why the hell not. But yes – it was a good week. It was my goal to feel healthy and energetic for this past week – a very special week because my husband graduated from medical school! Holy shnikey. It feels so surreal that he is a certified MD. Prescription pads flying, meds for everyone! Er… not quite. My poor husband has had a crash course in fertility preservation, breast cancer treatment and chemo these past four months… while still managing to power-study and pass his exams with flying colours (plus… taking care of me, and our son). I am so insanely proud of him. Here we are right after his graduation:
My sweet friend Sunja Link, a fashion designer and cool mama, made me the black linen head scarf. I must admit I get a lot of looks wearing the head scarves because I like them piled high and dramatic – they feel less cancer-y to me this way. Sikh men double take with mild confusion, and others think: religious garb? Fashion turban? Rastafarian? Ballsy fashionista? Or… ohhhhh…. chemo! Look away! Look away!
COMEDY! Rich dressed Teddy up in his graduation cap and gown. The tiniest half Chinese Doogie Howser MD.
On his graduation night, there was his med school ball – kind of like a teen prom. We were definitely the oldest people there. My sister helped me go shopping for my week of events, and I am super into this silk polka dot top/lacey skirt/black wedge look… plus… I wore my wig!! At the last minute I decided to throw ‘er on. I ripped open the wig box, flung it out of it’s netting and pulled it on my head. I figured, if drag queens can work a tight itchy wig, fancy dresses and high heels AND sing, dance and perform under hot lights, this lil breast cancer patient could give it a try too!! After a while I was used to wearing it, and I looked and felt so much like my old self – how I remember myself looking – that I felt great. Incognito, comfortable in myself, happy – pretty, even. Walking in to the med ball was like Andie and Duckie walking into the prom at the end of Pretty In Pink. Awkward as hell… late 30s oldies amongst the teen excitement vibe of young party animals … but we eased into it… and ended up having a great time!
We also celebrated with a dinner party at our fave Thai restaurant in Vancouver! Gotta love it when your kid only eats a bowl of coconut rice and a tall cool glass of milky.
Ice cream guy! This little trooper. My heart and soul. He loves ice cream as much as I do.
Teddy and I have really been getting into playing “restaurant!” I drew two menus and I am pretty stoked on them. Drawing was all I did when I was a kid… so it was fun to doodle and colour some menu snacks… and charge 1980s era prices… I’m thinking of drawing up some cute images and printing them on kiddo tshirts to sell in my online shop! Why the heck not.
Owlie in the wild … Teddy’s favourite security blanket thingie came with us on a nature walk in Lynn Valley…
Teddy’s pretty huge for the hiking backpack yet he’s too little to go on his own just yet … so we mix it up, carry him for a bit and let him run around too… burning off his seemingly endless energy. It felt SO nice to get out into nature. I breathed the air deep into my lungs and took in all of the beauty.
I even got to go for tea with two good pals. Couldn’t resist this giant teal blue iced sugar cookie in a big old circle! So cute, from Liberty Bakery – a lovely, artful cafe here in Vancouver. Tomorrow I start my “new” chemo – after my last round, my oncologist decided to take me off of one of the demonic chemo drugs and try me on a new “cocktail.” So I’m starting six rounds, once a week, of a lower dosage of a different drug – fingers, toes and butt cheeks crossed that I get through it without too much pain! Can’t believe it’s almost June. Hoping to do some light camping and mini getaways this summer with my little family once this is all over! Thank you as always for the sweet support. Hope all my cake pals, blog friends and readers out there are doing well! And a special shout out to my mother-in-law for staying with us for two weeks during a particularly rough time. xo Lyndsay
steph
looking good lady!!! i love your head scarf with height :)
wishing you luck with your new chemo cocktail
congrats to rich and cheers to summer, camping, and all the good things.
xoxo
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
aw thanks steph! hehe it adds a few inches, i kept bumping it by accident forgetting i was “turban-tall”… xo
Laurel (@abubblylife)
I love the drawings- sell them, I want one! Can you add a wine glass to the menu ;), I will keep that out of the kid menu, of course!
Congrats to your hubby and your family on the awesome achievement!
Really praying, hoping and crossing everything that the new chemo cocktail is not painful and does its job. xoxo Laurel
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha! adult menu only … ^__^ thanks laurel… xo
Sara @ Cake Over Steak
So glad to see you’re fitting some fun and exciting things into your life amidst all of the chaos you must be experiencing. You’re totally rocking that head scarf AND that wig. Thinking of you, lady!!! xoxo
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
you sweet girl. thanks sara! xo
chiara
that is the CUTEST picture ever of your boy in the cap and gown!!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
haha… i was dying of laughter too… he stood there so proudly as if it really was his graduation… !!
Sarah
It fills my heart with joy to read that you have been having some lighter, happier times as of late. :) Your son is the cutest little boy EVER. Also very cool to hear that you are a friend of Sunja Link; I sold her beautiful dresses at a boutique in Saskatoon years ago!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
WHAT that’s so awesome! sunja is great and our kids play together. i love how small the world can be! thanks sarah! xo
jan
Congrats to Rich and to happier times! You are totally rocking both the wig and scarf! Love it! And how adorable is that photo of Teddy?
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you jan!! yes teddy revelled in the graduation excitement, too! xo
cynthia
I LOVE that headscarf. Pile that mama as high as it’ll go, I love its panache and fearlessness — just like you! And you look BEYOND gorgeous in both the wig and the scarf. Love all these images and this happy week. As usual, Teddy slays me. There is no cuter. (And those MENUS!!!!) Crossing all my appendages for you on this new cocktail <3 and sending you so much love as always!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
cynthia!! thank you SO much sweet pal!
Jen McGoo
You are looking fabulous. Congrats to your family and your hubby on the graduation. Great idea about the kiddo shirts. All the best as you go ahead with your next round.
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
thank you, jen! xo
Steph
You look amazing! Have fun with the headscarves. There’s so much you can do with them. I remember my first night out at a restaurant in one and I felt like a weirdo, and then the hipster waitress was like, “I love your scarf” and I felt sooo cool. Haha. Now whenever I see someone wearing a head scarf, I totally appreciate their skill because it’s not easy to do.
I hope your new chemo goes WAY better! Did they switch you to taxol? Taxotere/docetaxol was hell for me, so I totally feel your pain. That is great that they’re trying something else though. Fingers crossed!
Also, your husband is so amazing to be able to pull all that off. That is super impressive… congrats!
Lyndsay // Coco Cake Land
aww — i feel like i’m totally on the look out for headscarf wearers now. thanks steph. xo
~ Carmen ~
Woohoo congrats to your hubby. What an achievement. I love your illustration. I thought it was a real menu or children’s menu & thought it was so fantastic. :]
// ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Congratulations to your hubs, Lynds! What an amazing accomplishment. I love all of these photos so much. Teddy is so stinkin’ cute, I can’t stand it! Your head scarf look ultra chic ‘n rockin’, you look fabulous in your wig (I honestly thought that was a pre-chemo photo of your natural hair) and I’m so glad to hear that you’ve been feeling better. Here’s hoping this next round of chemo is waaaaaaaaay better than the last! xoxo