Lara and Dana got along surprisingly well for the two weeks they spent at the beach with Dana’s parents and brother Howie. Dana accepted the help and Lara was able to step back a bit since Sharon was there to help Dana to keep up with the exercise regimen, medication, and caring for the incision.

The drain had been removed before Dana was released from the hospital so that was good. They still had to watch for infection, and Dana still suffered from fatigue and bouts of nausea. She had her follow-up visit with Dr. Shapiro, and now five weeks later she was ready to start chemo.
Dana and Lara moved back home after the two weeks. It was good for a while but pretty soon Dana started exhibiting the pre-surgery mood swings again and the cycle repeated itself of lashing out and pushing Lara away then reaching out and pulling her back in.

There was a period when Lara felt like she was on her own again. Bette was away at the retreat, Tina was working, Alice and Kit were helping out with Angie, Shane was doing her own thing and Jenny had gotten notice that a publishing house was interested in her book. She was busy making arrangements to go to New York to meet with them.

In other words life happened. By the time Dana started chemo Bette was back and Alice’s time had freed up somewhat. The full support system was back in place. It was a good thing because Dana would need them now more than ever before.

***

“My name is Connie. I’ll be taking care of you during your treatment.” The attendant introduced herself to Dana and Lara.

Connie starts the flow of fluids into Dana’s body all the time talking and making adjustments to the various machines and monitors.

“Oh. It’s really cold… Oh it’s really cold … is that right? It doesn’t feel right.” Dana’s panicking but Connie calms her with a soothing voice.

“It’s going to feel that way for a few minutes Dana. Your body should adjust to the temperature and the bag will get warmer. You might feel a bit cold as the fluids are running through your body for the duration of the treatment. OK … there are blankets over here. I’ll grab you one … there you go. That will keep you warm for a little while. If either of you have any questions or concerns just talk to me OK?”