Fast facts (if you don’t have time to read the full post): It has been a long week and weekend, but I am finally on the mend from COVID. Today was the first day since last weekend that I have felt more like my cancer self. The combination of having a week off chemo and kicking COVID to the curb has left me having the most energy I have had in months. It is week 21 of chemo and Thursday marks my LAST CHEMO INFUSION!

TO THE LONG VERSION!

In high school, I discovered a British jewelry channel called Gems TV. I would spend hours watching fine jewelry auctions. What can I say??? They made it super engaging! It was a falling auction format, starting at a high price but eventually crashing the price to something absurd. Real certified gemologists ran the show, so you would get rants and raves and educational lectures about each piece of jewelry available for purchase. I learned a shit ton about jewelry! From various cuts of gems to different types and mining locations, I was obsessed that a channel could be so fun and educational while trying to sell you shit. I was so obsessed to the point that I applied at a jewelry store in the mall. I didn’t get the job, but that is how far my obsession ran.

I always felt like I was missing out on the fun of the show because I was too young to order things. The more I learned, the more I wanted to own at least something. I convinced my mom a few times to order stuff. I know she still has at least one of things she bought which was a ruby belt buckle ring. I remember we ordered a tanzanite piece because they were all the rage at the time (turns out they still are!) but she ended up returning it because the blue was not as vivid as she thought it would be. I was depressed with the news and vowed someday I would buy pieces of my own when I had my own money.

One day the channel disappeared from our service provider and I was devastated! DEVASTATED. How can you pull the GREATEST selling show of all time?! I thought maybe the company was gone forever. Luckily my sister came across it several years later under the new name of Gemporia and I was giddy with glee! Turns out the provider just stopped offering the channel. Lame.

I go through phases of watching obsessively. The first time in my adult life was when my sister rediscovered its existence! We could finally watch it from a web browser, so I remember nights laying in bed watching it before I fell asleep. I ended up investing in a sleeping beauty turquoise piece during that first phase. It is set in sterling silver, with three teardrop turquoise gems that are the most insane blue. Sleeping beauty turquoise is renowned for not having inclusions like turquoise you generally come across. Occasionally I wear it in place of my wedding ring. I like the idea of buying pieces I can wear interchangeably like that and I honestly believe diamonds are overrated despite the fact I do have a gorgeous diamond ring. The center stone is a brilliant cut and is the diamond my mom had on her wedding ring to my dad, so I made an exception obviously. But in a perfect world, I would probably have a Russian Alexandrite or maybe even a Paraiba Tourmaline.

The second phase of time was when I was sick with COVID in December of 2020. Alone during the holidays and finished with season one of Bridgerton, I found myself once again watching on my phone. This time I didn’t make any purchases, but it was a nice reminder that I could if I wanted to at this stage in my life.

The third time was this past week. Before I got sick, Jose reminded me of Gemporia (what a nice guy hahah) and I fell asleep the last couple of weekends after chemo watching wheel after wheel of jewelry. I had been reminded of it in February when Jose gifted me a pair of gold Tahitian pearl drop earrings from Gemporia for Valentine’s Day, but it was quickly overshadowed by my tumor discovery several days later. It brought me a ton of comfort this week as I spent the days alone, numb in sickness of COVID and chemo. It has been nostalgic, weirdly entertaining, and still educational. I ended up buying five pieces of jewelry last week, two of them being gifts, two for Jose, and one piece for me. Trust me when I say that I hardly spent anything and got INSANE deals. I am a deal hunter after all. Gemporia has both lulled me to sleep and kept me awake. I literally would watch it all day if I could, a dangerous act considering I am now an adult with a credit card and debit card.

It is weird how I go through phases of watching the show and it just so happens to be at times when I have a lot of expendable time and am in need of comfort. Now you all know what brings me to ease: a British 24/7 jewelry channel. And if you ever need a recommendation for what to buy in terms of fine gems, you know I am your girl.

This week was a hard one, with my previous post very emo and sad. I am happy to report that my smell and taste have returned to their previous state of parosmia and I am back to healing from 2020 COVID! Woo! I was hopeful that maybe this new infection would trip my nerves into returning to complete normalcy, but I am guessing OG COVID did some wild shit and even the new variant was like “Nah, no thanks,” and dipped.

I am still testing positive based on an at-home test I took yesterday. My test lit up positive SO FAST. However, I feel back to my cancer self today. I have had no new symptoms since last Tuesday. I think I am past the contagious phase, but it is interesting that you can continue to test positive for a while after infection. That is why the first time I had COVID I refused to test after because I had quarantined for 10 days and was cleared by the health district by CDC standards. I really struggled with the stigma and shame that came with my first infection. This time around I still experienced them, just on a less intense level. But damn, this reinfection gave me PTSD. I cannot wait to get my next booster. Who would have ever thought I would wish for another shot???

Today I felt a lot of energy, the most energy I have felt in a long time. I cleaned, I meal prepped food for my lunch and for dinner this week, and did a strong leg day. In fact, the last two days I have been able to do light weight lifting and it has been THRILLING. My muscles are still rather weak and fatigued from chemo, but I can tell something in me is shifting. I cannot wait to get this last chemo over with so I can begin healing. If this is a glimpse into what is to come, like fuck… this August is going to be a beautiful month for rediscovering my body before I have to get my breasts chopped off. I am still in denial about that.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy this week, watch a shit ton of Gemporia, and try to exercise as much as I can before Thursday. I don’t look forward to getting my ass kicked one final time, but I cannot wait to ring that fucking bell.

Today’s song lyrics of the day are brought to you by Iggy Azalea.

“I’m so fancy
You already know
I’m in the fast lane
From L.A. to Tokyo
I’m so fancy
Can’t you taste this gold?
Remember my name, ’bout to blow-oh-oh-oh”

– Fancy, Iggy Azalea, Charlie XCX