conservation – She-ra Hikes

*Photo from my 2022 trip to the McDermitt Caldera where we monitored the area. Photo by Gary Callicott.*

So close, yet so far.

I went in for chemo yesterday, but my platelet count was too low, so they sent me home in hopes that my numbers will be better next week and I can get the infusion.

Sigh.

I’ve just been exhausted this week. As in, I don’t have much energy to move and could sleep all day. My acupuncturist said it was probably low protein (BTW I have an amazing oncology acupuncturist in town, Kym Garrett; if you have cancer and want acupuncture, she is the one. I always come away with something extra, and she goes above and beyond connecting me with the right resources at the right time, she said my recent hair loss could also be explained by low protein.) Nooooooo, I’m not (or didn’t think) I was that vain, but when I put my hair in a ponytail recently and realized it was much thinner than I remember, it was a gut punch. 😮

I immediately googled medication side effects, and sure it could be a side effect of the chemo, of the tegresso, of low protein, and maybe I’ve had it going on for months…When I was in the c-collar, I had my hair up in a bun all the time so didn’t take notice, but wow. Now I’m starting to feel like I have cancer.

I could barely make it on my short walk loop yesterday, and felt like I was dragging my feet the whole way.

Ok. protein. I’ve started asking around more about diet, too. The facebook group for my mutation says there is no proven cancer diet that helps all types of cancer and all people, and you really have to find what your body responds the best to. The truth is I’m struggling to get enough protein by just eating vegan. Well, this week I haven’t wanted to eat much at all, which is another side effect of EVERYTHING. So I’m starting to experiment more with other proteins: eggs, yogurt, protein shakes, and some fish. I need to find what works for my body. I want my energy back! (And some hair, please).

I’m also soooooo ready for a change of scenery. I love how cozy we’ve made our house, but get me out of here! We are spending the weekend at a friend’s cabin and I couldn’t be more excited. Excited to get out of the house, excited to spend time by the river they live near, excited to have something different to look forward to. The days are bleeding into one another and I am in a haze of same-ness. And I still have the Wisconsin trip coming up. 🤞

Soon I’ll be on maintenance mode for the cancer (at least that’s what Dr. Schmidt says) and it couldn’t come at a better time because the oncology floor of the medical center I’m going to is closing in a few months. It’s pretty terrible and apparently a shareholder decision after all the medicare/medicaid hoopla going on in the federal government. Have any of the changes affected you? It’s affecting me, and it sucks. It will be a blow for the community because with less services, more people will not get the care they need on a timely basis, I shudder to think about how far my cancer could have gotten if Dr. Schmidt and Dr. Blechman hadn’t started my treatments immediately when I had my first appointment in January. If I had to wait another few weeks or month to see an oncologist, which is the way it was going. I shudder daily when I look at all that is eroding around me and the fear among friends who work for the federal government.

Oh, and if you care about one of the last intact habitats for the sagebrush steppe in the West, and the health of one of the biggest priority habitats for the greater sage-grouse in Oregon, please take some time and comment:

BLM rushes review of Oregon lithium project following Trump’s executive order – OPB

This is what I used to do, take groups of environmentally conscious volunteers out into the high desert to learn about important issues and do stewardship activities that support these landscapes. This was in the McDermitt Caldera in 2022 – I celebrated my birthday on this trip! There was nowhere I’d rather be. See more photos here. *Photo by Gary Callicott.*

A lot of us rose our voices in protest when this devastating project was given only a 5 day comment period (normal comment periods are 30 days…this may have been breaking the law to only give us 5 days), so I was thrilled to see our outcries resulted in the comment period being extended to April 25 at 4:30pm (pacific time).

Find more information here and comment: EplanningUi

*The red line is my crude attempt at showing where the Oregon Desert Trail is in relation to the potential mining project.*

And remember this photo? (I thought I posted it to my blog, but it was just my Facebook account)

This is the photo of a local rancher who does not want the mining to happen. He will lose his livelihood if the mine goes through, and this is the website of the People of Red Mountain, a committee of traditional knowledge keepers and descendants of the Fort McDermitt Paiute, Shoshone and Bannock Tribes who are working in coalition with allies to protect their ancestral homelands. When I led the group of volunteers to monitor this area a few years ago, the People of Red Mountain had countless stories for us about how sacred these lands were and are. I saw first hand what would be lost, the sagegrouse and Lahontan cutthroat trout that will be decimated, the Lahontan cutthroat could likely go extinct….and for an Austrailian company, No. Nope. Please speak out.

I’ll leave you with a few more tidbits: