Pretty in Pink-How Lucky am I?

[Bettybuckets]

I am so grateful for 3 close friends from my USA high schoolwho flew 24 hrs to visit me for a few weeks in New Zealand! We joined 50K others at last nights Pink Concert and it was really amazing!

I was very anxious about needing to walk long distances because the roads around the large stadium were closed and after 14 months on xeloda I am not walking long distances very well due to HFS.

Plus When last I updated you… I had burned my feet walking in beach sand. My soles were quite purple and my USA oncolgist asked me to take an extra week off from xeloda to recover… I stressed over not being able to muscle thru it like when I have succumbed to needing a wheelchair to get through airports etc. Lord help me! When the sea of 50k concert goers streamed out of the stadium and into the closed city streets.. we all had ti walk out to where we could find a taxi. I luckily was able to do it… I reached over 10k steps which I never do anymore and sweet relief when we got to a taxi! Of course we got into a taxi in huge traffic with the meter running which was a different kind of stress! Especially since we.were racing to catch the midnight ferry which was the last one from Auckland to my little island of Waiheke. Again so grateful to make it with just minutes to spare. A peaceful 40?min crossing and then I still had to walk from ferry to car in parking lot and drive home 15 more min across my little island. In bed by 1am… I am so grateful for my lovely friends supporting by coming, to the nice Indian Taxi driver who zipped along so we didn’t miss that last ferry, and I am also very grateful to be on Xeloda even through my feet are sore ALOT, but I am not fatigued like I was on past two treatments. I couldn’t possibly have done this during the 2 years I was in the CDK 4-6. This was a big effort but it was so worth it for the great evening and many laughs that we had. I am telling this tale trying to be uplifting… with a bit of accomodation like taxi/ Uber I managed. My friends were my advocates and got me a chair while waiting in line etc. I was glad I didn’t let my anxiety about maybe being a burden on my friend keep me from attempting this big event that they had come half way around the world to do with me. Pink was amazing! Her 12 year old daughter Willow came out and bravely sang to us in her clear young voice. She rocked! So I just wanted to write hopefully to help someone on the fence about doing something difficult that they may really want to do. I’m going to write a few more stories down in the comments and post a few pics for some ladies that have encouraged me to send more pics. So I will but God bless anyone going thru a head time right now.

[Hopeful4Cure]

Good for you! It is so important to have friends like yours and from HS to boot. Totally understand wanting to have fun and enjoy and then on the other hand, the worry of not keeping up and just the overall stress of the whole event. Yep, indeed you are very lucky. Memories made.

[Totheriver]

So awesome you could do this wit your friends.💕. You are such an inspiration to me❤️. Theresa

[Bettybuckets in reply to Totheriver]

Thanks for coming along with me Theresa!

[Figletf]

You are one courageous and amazing soul.Congrats to you ❤️

[Bettybuckets in reply to Figletf]

thank you not too courageous …but I’m just trying to be with my fav people doing the good stuff.

All my besties!

[NPmary]

WOW, so exiting fun and stressful. Good friends, crowds and Pink! Happy for you as always. 🩷💕🩷 Mary

[awesome4ever]

Beth you definitely rock! What a glorious picture....even before I read your post I figured you were attending a Pink concert. Persevering despite all obstacles should eventually be part of your obituary...hopefully many years from now. I truly hope that your feet don't get really cranky with you in the days to come because of your adventure but I think even so you would have to say it was worth the memories you made. Thanks for being undeniably you and pushing back that cancer to the side of the road and racing by it. Keep on inspiring us.

[Bettybuckets in reply to awesome4ever]

Def worth the adventure! Today I finally started back on xeloda… let the fun begin!

[Bettybuckets]

these bathing suits stretch completely around the store

I Love these 50’s swimming “togs”as bathing suits are called here

[love2golfwell]

So happy that you had this wonderful evening with your friends. You truly are an inspiration with the way you handle anything that comes at you with a positive attitude and strength. Sending you hugs and prayers.

[Bettybuckets in reply to love2golfwell]

Thank you! 🙏 finally I looked at the calendar and see that one week from today I fly back… alone. My husband leaves on 17th, the gals on the 18th, and me on the 20th. I never want this to end. I think we all feel that way…. And not just about vacations!

Me with very best friends Dan and Cindy

[love2golfwell in reply to Bettybuckets]

Well, safe travels to all of you. I never wanted vacations to end. If we had a particularly wonderful time, I would say to my husband "can we move here?" He would just laugh. We are in Florida, though, a place I never thought I would move because of allergies I used to have. After menopause, however, the allergies disappeared and I do great here! Glad you had this time with your husband and your friends. I'm sure you will have many more adventures in the future, especially with your positive attitude and determination. Sending hugs and prayers.

[Sharon0122]

it’s great to have great friends! When I found out I had cancer I had a friend in Atlanta I hadn’t seen for 15 years. When she found out I had cancer, she and her fiancé flew to OKC and we had dinner which I tried to pick up the check, but they paid for it begins my back. She’s 42, I’m 72. They haven’t gotten married but are living together and had a baby two years ago. I gave them their wedding present the night they came, when the baby came I made an advent calendar for him and flew to Atlanta this past weekend after thanksgiving. We had a great time, went to the Christmas Market, and from that it’s going to be an annual visit to Santa, there!! I’m so happy for you that you too have such great friends!!! Hugs!!!

[Bettybuckets in reply to Sharon0122]

Sounds like you have a family that really cares about you!

[LibraryGeek]

Hi Beth,

I think it is so tempting to avoid trying things because they seem too challenging- but you haven’t let that stop you, which is so inspiring for the rest of us. Glad you are having such a great time with your friends, you deserve it x

[CTGirl1962]

You are amazing and I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying your life to the fullest!!! 🩷🩷🩷

[13plus]

oh I would’ve loved to have seen Pink’s concert! That’s so great you could make it and pull all that off ! 🎉 I’ve been wondering how your feet have been doing after that bad beach burn. How were they in the first few days after the burn?

my dose is so low now because I got hfs so quickly after first starting. I was still finishing just my third round last week, already on the new lower dose of only 1500 mg, but still had it, so she let me skip the last two days when I mentioned we were going to DC to see my son for the weekend. And then I managed to stun myself by walking a total of 8.5 miles on Saturday and another 5.5 miles yesterday! I haven’t walked more than a maximum of about 3.5 miles for months now! 1 foot peeled fairly badly last night but it feels OK today😅

Cheers to our fun times!

[Bettybuckets in reply to 13plus]

Wow big walk! My feet slowly recovered- my onc had me take 10 days off so I only just restarted. This allowed me to be less anxious about how I was going to walk out to the taxis. My spiritual zen pal just kept saying God will provide! And he did! Even when we discover that our $300 tickets were “ standing room only”… we found angels to fix that!

Sitting!

[13plus in reply to Bettybuckets]

Wow, I’m so glad you were able to end up getting seating!!

[mariootsi]

So glad you enjoyed your friends and that you were able to get to where you needed to be. Amazing

[Aquadog]

I just love reading about your adventures! Great friends + fun equal the best memories.

[monkeygirl62]

So awesome!! I understand the challenge but you and your gal pals look like you were having so much fun!! I love the pic and the pink hair!! It encourages me to go and just do things that might be a bit challenging. I used to live in New Zealand for a short time and made some great friends there. You go girl!!

[Bettybuckets in reply to monkeygirl62]

Oh cool! Where did I you live? I mostly lived in Auckland north shore but settled on waiheke island and felt like it is my spiritual home

[monkeygirl62 in reply to Bettybuckets]

I live in Seattle now. My husband and I were looking for work in New Zealand as teachers many years ago. But we ended up not qualifying according to their regulations we just needed one more year of student teaching. I had to laugh because Joe and I were teachers for many years. The difference was the US only requires one year of student teaching and New Zealand requires two. They would not budge on that despite our long history of teaching. We were in our early 50s then. So we continued our journey of teaching internationally elsewhere.

[Bettybuckets in reply to monkeygirl62]

That is so interesting! My daughter came with us and she did the one year study and student taught… she taught HS biology for 5 years… was nominated for a most inspirational teacher award. I was so proud of her! On Mufti day- the kids could pay a gold coin donation to not wear the uniform… on that day molz would wear their HS uniform and looked like a kid! So funny!

[monkeygirl62 in reply to Bettybuckets]

Oh we used to live in Fremont Bay in the Auckland area. Loved living there and I have friends I still keep in touch with. That's awesome that you're daughter is a teacher. I too was a high school teacher, I taught literature and English.

[Bettybuckets in reply to monkeygirl62]

Wonderful!

[Mumberly]

I’m so happy to read your post, and that you got to return to NZ. That’s awesome!!

I remember reading last years trip and you weren’t sure you were going to get back there.

I can’t imagine the challenges of getting around, but you did it.

Thanks again for inspiring us.

Kim

[RLN-overcomer]

Sister/Warrior/Advocate, and yesss Thriver🙂Your posts give me such joy. Thank you for sharing,😇. GOD has placed the most amazing angels around you.😊 XoXo

[Bettybuckets in reply to RLN-overcomer]

Truer words were never spoken!

All you need is love! Our magical mystery tour

[BluHydrangea]

sounds like a lovely adventure!! Thanks for sharing. Big events with walking long distances have intimidated me too— I’m encouraged by your story!❤️

[Bettybuckets in reply to BluHydrangea]

Hi Blu- walking is not fun… I do like to wear short silicone fins on the beach to protect my feet from hot sand. Thr smoothness is what I like. I almost wish they would make a thick silicone sock to insert in my slippers

[bikebabe]

that’s great

[Bettybuckets in reply to bikebabe]

bike babe- I’m back in USA after 10 weeks in Nz and thr inly mishap was a nasty fall on a steep gravel zig zagging switchback. Hands knees and shoulder but I wasn’t injured to badly!