Lord & Taylor Charity Day for Breast Cancer on October 3rd, 2015

Hi thereeee...  

Calling everyone in NYC et all over the United States of America :)

As I said, I have more interesting news in breast cancer awareness campaign this month.

Let's work together and donate for the noble cause :)

Get this $5 coupon with 3 special bonuses and Savings, including for the sale items.

How cool is that :)

Come and join us today, Saturday, October 3,  at all Lord and Taylor at the US ;)

And here's more information about Lord and Taylor Day Charity Day for Breast Cancer :)..

American Cancer Society | Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Make sure you stride in to your local Lord & Taylor this Saturday

to take part in our inaugural Charity Day! There will be fashion and

fun for all, honoring Survivors & special coupon booklet sales

benefiting your American Cancer Society.  

Lord & Taylor has partnered with your American Cancer Society by

hosting this Charity Day on October 3rd in stores across the entire

nation. If you didn't get the chance to pre-purchase your very

special coupon booklet, don't worry- they will be available at

every register! We look forward to partnering the world of fashion

with our fight while maybe walking away with a fabulous new

outfit.  

See you at your local Lord & Taylor on Saturday October 3rd!

Aaaand...

Wait for my special Giveaways at my blog, My Purple World, with a lot of against-breast-cancer pink merchandises, including from the American Cancer Society and many beauty products (wait for those lovely products from Estee Lauder, Sephora and many moreee...) only for you..

Stick around and help spread the words in our fights against breast cancer!

#lordandtaylor #charityday #pinktober #breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #againstbreastcancer #MSABC #Timessquare #gopink #makingstridesagainstbreastcancer #centralparkwalk #NYC

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Kickoff Breakfast Making Strides against Breast Cancer

And we are going to have another walk this year!

Yeaaah ;)...

join us in Central Park :)

Remember Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk that I did last year in the middle of my chemotherapy?
I did that in the middle of the second chemo I got. And it as the AC one..
the tough one :).
I shared it in my blog as well and you can read it here on 

Making Strides against Breast Cancer...The D-Day :)

And this year, 2015, we will have the same, or even more fuuuun :).
And last week, I joined the Kickoff Breakfast for Making Strides against Breast Cancer.
Thanks to my dearest Kisha Kelly, who contacted me in the first place, I managed to get a reservation for this kickoff breakfast.

My dearest Kisha Kelly :)

thanks to Kisha Kelly, I got the email :)

Surely the most fun breakfast I have ever attended!

And very moving as well ..

You know, being a breast cancer survivor, I just celebrated my first birthday a couple  weeks ago.
I just had my mammogram, 1 year after my last one last year, so it marked my 1 year cycle already.
And I never thought it felt so wonderful.

I just can't help it when during the breakfast,  we, the survivors, were asked to light the candles that we got for free together with Magnolia bakery's cupcake.
To light the spirits and remember those who have lost the battles.
I cried like a baby :).
Happy tears indeed..
Even as I wrote it now.

light the candle :)

Merci, Ya Rabb...

Alhamdulillaaah...
I can't help it...

I know it is still a long and winding road ahead with Herceptin and Tamoxifen at least for the next 5 years but I have all the hopes and spirit to stay healthy and live healthier.

So we started the kickoff breakfast at New York Marquis Hotel with the registration for everyone... 

Newcomers, survivors, family members, volunteers, team leaders, pacemakers, sponsors... Everyone is welcomed.

Fight like a girl!

They had photo booth and pink carpet as well ;). 
You should see the properties we have here.. Super cute.

choose what you like...

Then we also had free cupcakes for survivors presented by Magnolia bakery.

thank you Magnoliaaaa...

Inside the hall, we had some presentations, testimonies and information session given interactively by Kelly Crawley. She was supeeeeer coool indeed.

with Kelly Crawley :)

We all made a pledge to join this noble cause of raising awareness of breast cancer and helping those suffering from it. That's why I am also soooo excited to invite everyone of you to join my team, Indonesia Ceria & Beyond, to walk in Central Park on Sunday, October 18, 2015. 

our brekky :)

Even Miss New York 2015 joined our breakfast and will have a team for the walk! 

cheers from the pretty Miss New York :)

We had a blast last year and will definitely come back this year.

Please donate and contribute and show me some love to this great cause. Ask me how to do it ;). look for some charity sales I will soon do (I am thinking of cooking some cakes and food for sale ;) and handy crafts, too) to gather more funds for continuing this fight. 

There are soooo many ways to help as well.

Get more information at cancer.org  or You can also check making strides against breast cancer in Central Park  and my blog for more updates :)

Here is a video about the next walk we are going to make  :)

Aren't you super excited?

I am ;)

Wish me luck, people ✌ 

Bismillahirrahmanirrahiiiim.. 

When you lost your hair...

It's been quite some time  I enjoy my new hair style...
No hair at all :).

I guess I haven't really shared my story about my new look, although those who know me and have visited this blog several time might know that it happened along with my series of chemotherapy :).

Well, as you know...one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy is losing your hair. When I say losing here..it means losing all the hair in my body.

Waktu pertama tau bahwa saya ternyata positif menderita kanker payudara, rasanya shock banget. Apalagi ditambah dengan rangkaian pengobatan dengan dampaknya yang tidak tanggung- tanggung banyaknya. Saya sempat menulis mengenai dampak kemoterapi di sini.

Saat memulai kemoterapi bulan Oktober lalu, saya berjuang dengan rasa mual yang tidak tertahankan dan capek luar biasa yang benar-benar membuat saya tidur saja selama 2 hari pasca kemo. Memasuki kemo ketiga, tepatnya minggu kelima sejak pertama memulai kemo, rambut saya mulai berguguran.

Well, I have been warned. Dokter onkologist saya sudah wanti-wanti, kalau soal rambut rontok, baik sebagian dan seluruhnya, bisa menjadi sumber stress besar bagi mereka yang menjalani kemo. Apalagi mereka yang masih bekerja atau banyak melakukan aktivitas di luar.

Saya sempat berpikir...ah, masa iya? Masa semua rambut akan rontok? Dan bahkan berharap agar rambut saya yang lumayan sehat bisa bertahan. Lewat 2 kali kemo, rambut saya masih oke, hanya sedikit yang rontok. Dalam hati mulai terbit harapan kalau mungkin rambut saya bisa selamat dari gempuran racun ini. Tapi ternyata, masuk minggu kelima, rambut saya mulai bereaksi. Rontok yang tidak kira-kira..bisa satu genggam sekali rontok, bahkan tanpa saya tarik atau sentuh sekalipun. Dan di situ saya mulai stress. Rambut yang biasanya saya uwel-uwel seadanya  lalu diikat dengan karet tidak bisa lagi saya ikat karena saat mau membuka  karet, rambutnya ikut tercabut. Setiap di sisir, lebih parah lagi yang berguguran. Bahkan suami bilang kalau jadi terlihat  pitak  di sana sini.

Well, apa yang diperkirakan oleh dokter memang akhirnya terjadi. Dan ternyata, walaupun sudah diperingatkan, tetap saja saya kaget. Juga sedih.. karena walaupun rambut saya ngga bagus - bagus amat, tapi rambut adalah bagian dari identitas  saya selama ini. Masih ingat  kalau orang-orang terdepan saya memanggil saya Bob karena rambut hitam keriting  gimbal saya yang (katanya) mirip Bob Marley itu? Ditambah horornya perasaan saya untuk ngantor, sidang di UN, ngantor Bo et Obi ke sekolah dengan kepala pitak sana pitak sini.

I know we have tons of choices of wigs. But have you tried one? Not all of them are comfy...seriously. Well, if you want to have the good one, it costs you a fortune. It might look good for a minute or two, but to wear them on long hours like my working hours might be a bit tricky.

So, I came to the point that I would just go out and be me. My hubby, Rudi, ensured me that there's nothing to be worried about. 

The hair will grow back!
Yes..the hair will grow back!
I just have to let it go...

So, after taking Mba Ellen, one of my dearest colleagues who came back for good to Jakarta, a few days after my 2nd chemo, I decide to shave it. My hubby supported my decision and he even shaved his head too to show his strong support and unconditional love. So sweet of him...

Akhirnya saya pun memutuskan untuk mencukur rambut saya. Keputusan yang didukung penuh my munchkin Udi, yang juga ikutan gundul bareng dengan saya. Rasanya mau nangis waktu tau Udi juga bela-belain  mau rambutnya dicukur seperti saya. Juga waktu saya bilang ke Bo et Obi kalau rambut saya akan saya cukur habis. Tapi sepanjang dicukur, Udi sibuk bercanda dan menghibur saya yang akhirnya jadi cengengesan selama dipotong rambutnya.

You know what's funny...
Waktu Udi mulai mencukur rambut saya, sebenarnya kami sempat mencoba - coba model cepak yang ternyata malah membuat saya keliatan super aneh ;). Untungnya kami melakukannya  di rumah, jadi bebas deeeh...

aneh kan keliatannya berjambul begini :)

Dan setelah dengan telaten  Udi mencukur rambut saya hingga  gundul licin, saya malah suka melihatnya. Yuuup...it suits me fine!

Even with no hair, it feels like I'm more relieved. After being stressful looking at those hair falling down,  I feel more confident now. Well, in a way...

Selesai dicukur (dan mencukur rambut Udi), Bo et Obi langsung berebut  mau pegang kepala saya. They said I looked funny, but cool :).

Terus saya telpon mama via facetime. Dan mama justru yang nangis melihat saya gundul. Ah mama...jadi sedih kalau mengingatnya  kembali, karena mama langsung memanjatkan  doanya untuk kesembuhan dan kelancaran kemoterapi saya. Makasih banyak ya ma...it means a lot to me.

Penampilan perdana saya dengan 'rambut baru' adalah saat Making Strides against Breast Cancer di Central Park. 

getting ready for Making the Strides against Breast Cancer..

Meski kaget, teman-teman tim saya mendukung dan memberi semangat. Begitu pula dengan pimpinan dan teman-teman di kantor maupun kolega saya di UN. Well, many stare at me at the beginning bit it doesn't bother me. I usually tell them that I have cancer and they will either apologize for staring at me or simply say I look good with my hair style :)

What bothered me at that time was because it was the beginning of winter. And we happened to have crazy winter here in NYC. Complete with its freezing wind. With no hair, you can imagine how cold it was, even with the help of winter hats, beanies, scarf and everything you can name of :). But at the same time, I can be creative with those things as well :).

taraaaa....

One thing for sure, no more bad hair day for me. 
Alriteeee...

Bangun pagi bisa langsung loncat mandi tanpa sibuk memikirkan rambut mau diapain. Enak juga ternyata, menghemat waktu banyak. Saya hanya perlu ektra hati-hati dengan kepala yang tidak lagi memiliki pelindung alaminya plus memastikan kulit kepala saya juga dirawat dengan baik. Kulit kepala harus benar-benar diperhatikan lho..karena selain sudah tidak ada pelindungnya langsung, kelembabannya juga harus dijaga supaya tidak gatal.

And now, 2 months after finishing my chemo, my hair starts growing back :)
Can't wait to see how it looks later ..

Satu pelajaran penting yang saya dapat adalah betapa di balik setiap cobaan-Nya, ada hikmah yang bisa kita petik. Saya hanya perlu bersabar, percaya pada-Nya, bahwa skenario yang diberikan adalah yang terbaik. 

Kalau tidak kemo, mungkin saya akan terjebak dengan gaya rambut yang tidak pernah berubah sejak saya SMP. Cobaaa...ngga bangeeet kan...

Kalau tidak kemo, saya tidak pernah tau hati mulia dan doa tulus orang-orang tercinta di sekitar saya yang tidak pernah alpa memberi semangat.

Kalau tidak kemo, saya tidak pernah tau kalau Allah SWT mengarunia saya semangat tinggi dan rasa percaya diri yang besar.

Alhamdulillah...

So, when you lost your hair...
Live with it...embrace it :)

cheeers...

Music that Heals at NYU Clinical Cancer Center

I believe you all agree that music heals.
Yup, music does heal :).

I personally love music. Love it so much, to be exact :).

I love singing, playing guitar, listening to all kinds of music and not to forget, watching music concerts. My hubby loves it, too. Well, he's an avid bassist, guitarist and drummer. And we do sing and play music together. Perhaps, I guess music brings us together since the very beginning as I joined his band before we were dating :). Aaaah...such sweet memories :).

Musik memang selalu memiliki efek menenangkan dan menyenangkan buat saya.
Rasanya bahagia. Kalau bisa bermain musik, bernyanyi sesuka hati...apalagi kalau duet dengan suami :).

Lately, I have been visiting NYU Clinical Cancer Center on daily basis.
Every day, from Monday to Friday, for my radiation therapy.
I am obviously tired, but I have to go through this therapy uninterruptedly. 
And amidst my fatique thanks to the radiation and the trip I have to make, nothing makes me feel more relaxed than sitting down at the lobby for a while and enjoying some cool, refreshing music.

Truly Music that Heals :).
Co-founded in 2007 by Kathy Lord and Susan Weber, both are musicians, Music that Heals has inspired seriously ill adults and children in 25 hospitals, clinics, and various health facilities all over New York City, in its 5 boroughs. My Clinic at the NYU has them, too. Involving professional performers from a wide range of music genres, they have brought joy, happiness and pleasant environment to patients and those around them amidst the rigorous treatments and procedures that we have to go through.

And I am lucky. During my painful chemotherapy, I managed to get a chance to enjoy those mini concerts from Music that Heals. 

One Wednesday, I saw this cool lady with her guitar playing all those great songs from John Denver, Stevie Wonder, and many more. I was transfixed to her alluring melodies although I just have some doses of Taxol and Herceptin. So cool...

Sayang saya terlewat namanya. Tapi dia sempat memperkenalkan diri dan bilang kalau dia sering bermain musik di subway, Dan sumpah,,,suaran, gaya dan pilihan lagunya keren bangeeet. Just exactly like what I love :)

Then the following visit,  I enjoyed this classic performance. 
Meskipun hanya berdua, tapi musik klasik yang mereka tampilkan sangat berkelas.

Aren't they great?
Well, I only have these two videos and I would definitely make some more if I got to see them. 

Feel free to check their website and you can support them by donating or becoming volunteer to one of their programs, too.

Really enjoy Music that Heals. And I do sincerely hope it will help me through my ordeal :).

Chemotherapy and I...

February 12, 2015 was my last chemo...

Yaaaaay....

That was more than a month a go :)

What a journey!

Sebenernya udah lamaaa banget draft ini saya susun, sejak kemo masih awal dijalani. Tapi entah kenapa, baru selesai sekarang :). Well, lebih baik terlambat daripada tidak dishare sama sekali kaaaan...

After 4 rounds of AC and 12 rounds of Herceptin and Taxol, I can finally close one chapter of my #roadmaptowellness :). Many more to come but at least the hardest parts were done. Done...

Alhamdulillaaaaah...

Ngga kerasa lumayan lama juga saya menjalani pengobatan kemoterapi. 
Sejak pertama kali dimulai bulan Oktober 2014, 2 bulan setelah saya menjalani mastektomi, rasanya waktu berjalan cepat. 
Yah, cepat dalam arti satu demi satu prosedur pengobatan yang harus saya jalani selesai sesuai jadwal. Tidak ada yang mundur dari jadwal yang disusun sejak awal bersama onkologist saya :).
Benar-benar anugerah luar biasa dari Yang Kuasa.

Kemoterapi. ..

Apa yang ada di benar teman-teman saat mendengar kata ini?

Rambut rontok, kepala botak, badan tidak enak? 
Well, suka tidak suka, semuanya benar adanya...Paling tidak, inilah yang harus saya jalani selama 5 bulan terakhir...

Cheers....

Buat kami yang dideteksi terkena kanker, bisa jadi kemoterapi  adalah 'paket hemat' yang harus dijalani bersama dengan prosedur lainnya. Yah, walaupun tidak bisa dibilang hemat juga ya. Karena dari pengalaman tante saya, yang baru-baru ini terdeteksi kanker payudara juga, pengobatan kemoterapi di Indonesia sangat mahal :(. Saya beruntung karena masa pengobatan saya jalani di AS dan hampir semuanya ditanggung oleh asuransi, walaupun masih ada out-of-pocket expenses yang harus saya bayar dan jumlahnya tidak sedikit.

What is chemotherapy? 

Taken from my pocketbook provided by the NYU Clinical  Cancer Center, chemotherapy  is "a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells." Drugs that will somehow stop or slow the growth of cancer cells.  The problem is it's not only destroying the cancer cells, but also some healthy cells. You know, cancer cells divide and grow very quickly and that's what the drugs are targeting. But, some healthy cells divide and grow quickly as well, so the drugs will hit them, too. At this point, the chemo drugs still can not distinguish them, because they only notice it from the speed of their growth. Well, that's why chemo has side effects and some of them are quite damaging.

Hal ini yang membuat kemo sangat terasa karena memang pada prinsipnya kemo adalah obat yang bersifat 'racun yang digunakan untuk membunuh sel-sel kanker. Salah satu ciri-ciri sel kanker adalah perkembangannya yang cepat. Sel kanker memang membelah diri dengan cepat dan obat kemo menargetkan sel-sel yang berkembang dengan cepat untuk dibasmi. Sayangnya, sel sehat pun ada yang berkembang dengan cepat dan biasanya ada di sistem tubuh yang selalu sibuk dan tumbuh, seperti misalnya rambut, kuku, dan sistem pencernaan. Itu sebabnya kemonya biasanya selalu membuat mereka yang menjalaninya mual, muntah, kehilangan rambut dan mengalami perubahan warna kuku.  

The notorius AC...

I still remember my first round of chemo.
It was the AC one. Or commonly known as Adryamicyn  and Cyroxan.
The notorious AC :(.

It was October 9th, 2014. 

Sitting nervously in my oncologist ' s room, I was once again prepared for my first chemo. I was also briefed, one more time, about the possible side effects and complications.

Before that, and before every chemo I have to go through, I need to have my blood checked to make sure I'm healthy enough. They're looking at my blood count, hemoglobin and some other indicators from my blood. Once everything is satisfactory,  I can proceed with my chemo.

Then I was bravely walk up to the next floor. The Infusion room.

This is where the chemo starts.

my infusion room at NYU Clinical Cancer Center

I'm lucky to be handled by Nina Bells, one of a senior registered nurse who is so kind and gentle. She got my vein, chatted with me so I could relaxed and also  explained  what I was going to go through. It started with pre medication, including ones that will help me with horrible nausea and vomiting as well as other possible allergies. Then she injected that notorius AC, slowly to my vein. She needed to make sure that my body could handle it. Then the rest of my first chemo went  smoothly. 

My dearest Nina...

Until I arrived at home. 
I had been warned that I would feel nausea, vomit, lack of energy, and many more uncomfortable feelings. and they hit me. 
Hard.

I still can't describe exactly the feeling I have after I had my chemo. It was like a mixture of discomfort when you have horrible morning sickness, feverish body, and total loss of energy. No wonder I spent 3 days just sleeping, (trying to) drink enough water, taking my medicine and sleeping again.

Rasanya seperti campuran mual ngg enak karena hamil muda, badan meriang karena tifus dan lemes ngga karuan ngga ada tenaga. Itulah rasanya kemo buat saya. Sepintas memang seperti tidak ada yang salah, tapi badan benar-benar ngga enak rasanya. Makanya selesai kemo, paling tidak saya butuh 3 hari istirahat total...hanya tidur, minum obat, minum air putih dan juice sambil mencoba makan apapun yang masuk (biasanya keluar lagi :( ) dan tidur lagi.

one of my pills...helping me with the nausea...

Although I was given the premedication and some extra medication to fight all these. And they are darn expensive. Again..I was lucky I had my insurance covering them. But USD 80 per pill for anti-nausea is indeed expensive. 

Rasanya tambah seperti kena tonjok ketika tahu harga-harga obat-obatan yang dipakai untuk melawan dampak kemoterapi ini. Salah satu obat anti mual saya kalau dihitung harganya sebutir kira-kira USD 80 ...dikalikan Rp13.000,00 udah berapa tuh. Untungnya, sekali lagi alhamdulillah, sebagian besar obat-obatan ini dicover oleh asuransi saya di sini. Saya hanya perlu membayar co-pay USD 60 untuk 4 box yang berisi 8 butir obat mujarab ini. Bener-bener rezeki dari Allah SWT :)

So, that's my first round of chemo with AC. 
I was scheduled to have 4 rounds of it and believe me, time flew so very slow at that time. I was trying to get back as normal as I can after the 4th day, going back to work, taking the subway....But I know exactly, I have to go easy on almost everything. 

Luckily, my bosses and the office are fully supportive. Although it was in the middle of crazy session of the the UN GA Third Committee, but I took things at my own pace and tried my best to manage all those stressful works and meetings amidst my chemo schedules. I also tried to stay healthy as I had to be fit enough to continue my treatment. If I had flu or infection or fever for example, I have to wait until my body is strong enough to receive another round of toxic that kills my cancer cells. That's why they had to check my blood cell counts before my chemo.


Alhamdulillah lagi, atasan saya dan teman-teman di kantor pun mendukung. Terus terang, saya sempat kepikiran bagaimana dengan tanggung jawab yang saya miliki di kantor selama masa pengobatan. Untungnya, setelah 3 - 4 hari istirahat pasca kemo, saya bisa kembali ke kantor meskipun agak keleyengan. Pelan-pelan saya menyesuaikan kondisi badan dengan beban pekerjaan yang ada. Di tengah masa sidang Komite 3 Majelis Umum PBB yang menggila, saya tetap berusaha memenuhi tanggung jawab saya walaupun harus berbagi dengan teman lainnya yang pekerjaannya juga sudah banyak. Rasanya tidak enak, tapi saya sadar memang saya belum sanggup untuk bekerja full seperti biasa, walaupun semangat tetap membara. Banyak yang terlewat, tapi sebisa mungkin saya penuhi. Again, not that easy, tapi Allah SWT memang adil dan saya diberi kekuatan ekstra untuk menjalani ini semua.



Well, yang pasti, saya harus extra jaga kesehatan karena selama kemo saya tidak boleh sakit. Dengan terpaan racun di tubuh, mau tidak mau tubuh pun mengalami penurunan daya tahan yang signifikan. Jadi, batuk dan pilek yang mungkin sepele bagi orang sehat, bisa menjadi masalah besar untuk saya yang tengah menjalani kemo. Karena itu, setiap menjelang kemo, saya harus melakukan tes darah untuk memastikan sel-sel di tubuh saya cukup untuk menerima pengobatan berikutnya. Untung, sekali lagi, saya bisa tetap sehat dan menjalani pengobatan sesuai jadwal.

Selesai dengan AC, saya juga menjalani 12 rounds of Taxol and Herceptin. Compared to AC, this is really a walk in the park. 

Well, no more nausea and vomiting, just a bit of fatigue, that I got so used to now, and tingling sensation at the tip of fingers and toes. If AC was given every 2 weeks, Taxol and Herceptin were given every week. After a while, everything feels like a routine and everyone in the clinic feels like family to me. I managed to come back to the office after just a day off. And my weekly trip to the clinic was much more colorful as well :)


What's annoying from Taxol and herceptin is the worsening tingling sensation on my toes and fingers. Rasanya seperti kesemutan, tapi permanen. Mengganggu banget kaaaan hehehe. Dan walaupun kemonya sudah lewat lebih dari 1 bulan, tapi masih kerasa dampaknya sampai sekarang :(.

My (not-so-new) hairstyle...

But the impacts of chemo are truly enormous. 
Dampak dari kemoterapi memang banyak. 
You wanna know some of them? At least, there are some that I myself have experienced during my treatment... 

I'll put them in my next posting, okay..this one is a bit too long already :)


Well, again...it's not an easy process, rather a long and winding road for me and my family...but stay positive and always feel grateful will help you get through it. 
As simple as that...
Because of course, I have to say it's a painful process and there's nothing I can do about it. Feeling those IV needles getting in to your skin on such a frequent time, managing nausea and other discomfort, coming to the the clinic every week, taking pills and more ...
Like it or not, as I wanted so bad to get rid of all these cancer cells, I have to go through these procedures and learn to dance with the storm :).

Aaah.. Alhamdulillah, sebagian besar dari prosedur ini sudah selesai dan sekarang, mari kita lanjutkan dengan tahap berikutnya :)...

Semangaaaaat...

References:

For Women Facing Breast Cancer, American Cancer Society, 2009
NYU Hospital Center on Chemotherapy, 2014 Chemotheraphy and You, National Cancer Institute, 2011