May 26 update

Last Wednesday I had my fourth (and last of the cycle) intravenous chemotherapy. I'll now have 2 weeks off. The latest results of this chemo have made it a little more difficult to keep my sense of humor. My skin has become super sensitive to the sun , resulting in a condition like sun poisoning. There are red spots on my arms, chest and lower legs. My hair has decided to part company with my scalp, although I still have enough to sport a very short Parisian gamin hairstyle. It's actually quite chic! I bought a wig in preparation for the time the hair is too sparse. I also have begun to have red, burning palms. In spite of all of this I'm having a great time meeting friends for lunch, enjoying dinner parties, and being present for Ryan's pre-prom dinner party by the pool at sunset. Thirty of his friends gathered for photos and food before being taken to the prom via the Santa Barbara Trolley. Nick and his fiancee came to S.B. yesterday and spent the night. Today I am with Laurie and Skip at their house. Aletha and her boyfriend are also spending the weekend. Monday I'll go back to Chris' to pack for the trip home. Aloha for now.

Hello from Santa Barbara. In case you have not heard why I am here, I'll recap. After a wonderful four week cruise around South America in February, I went for a routine checkup with my doctor. The blood tests and a sudden weight loss led to a CT scan which indicated cancer of the pancreas with lesions on the liver. I flew to California to see pancreatic cancer specialists at UCSF and UCLA medical centers. As a result, I have been staying with daughter Chris and family and going to Los Angeles for my chemotherapy treatments. I will have four weeks on and two weeks off for as long as it takes to shrink or slow down the cancer tumor and growth. I am optimistic, as always. It has been wonderful being with Laurie, Chris and their families. Although I am slightly tired and find food not as appealing as usual, the effects of the chemo are not as bad as I expected. Meanwhile there have been parties, volleyball games, art shows, etc. and I haven't missed a thing. I expect to return to Hawaii May 29 and will take my next 4 weeks of chemo therapy there. In July or August I'll be back in Santa Barbara so I can attend my grandson Nick's wedding on Sept. 1. I will post all new developments here on my blog site. You can communicate with me here or at joanlife@aol.com Aloha for now!

View from my deck. Photo by Vince Cavataio.