Surviving Chemo & Houseguests—A Guide for All of Us

Week Two Post-Chemo: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

The beginning of the week was challenging, but today? Great. I climbed ladders, changed lightbulbs, did all the laundry, cleaned the floors, ran the dishwasher—basically, I cleaned everything that didn’t run away from me. And guess what? I felt amazing.

Caity, no cleaning necessary Monday! I don’t want to jinx myself, so I’m not going to say it, but...

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The Last Few Days: Small Wins Edition

✅ Spent an amazing day with Lindsey. (Recently retired, maid of honor and I’m known as her imaginary friend to her inner circle) Solid company, solid laughs, zero drama. Win.

✅ Kept my lunch down until 4 PM. In this house, that’s what we call progress.
✅ LC finally brought my Girl Scout cookies. Mint always helps the belly (and the breath). Priorities.
✅ Kim’s bag of surprises and her delicious soup. Hit. The. Spot. The woman gets it.
✅ Linda delivered dinner for the family. And the best chocolate chip bars! One less thing to think about. Major win.
✅ Joelle sent over beautiful flowers. I mean, you had me at flowers.  Also we need as many things possible looking fresh and alive around here.
✅ Each day is getting a little easier. Believe it or not, we’re trending in the right direction.

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Chemo Belly, Chemo Acne, Chemo—Everything

At this point, I’ve realized that if you Google any weird side effect and slap the word chemo in front of it, chances are it’s already a thing. Bloating? Chemo belly. Breakouts? Chemo acne. Brain fog? Oh yes, chemo brain. Fatigue? Naturally, chemo fatigue.

Who is naming these? Is there a committee? Because if we’re just tacking chemo onto every ailment, let’s get creative. Chemo why-did-I-walk-into-this-room-again? The possibilities are endless.

Honestly, if someone told me I had Chemo Borborygmus tomorrow, I’d just nod and accept it (and if you know what that means WITHOUT looking it up, I need to hear from you). At this point, I don’t question anything. My body is basically a science experiment, and I’m just here for the ride.

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Chemo Acne: The Unwanted Facial

As if the universe hadn’t thrown enough curveballs, enter chemo acne. Apparently, chemotherapy can cause acne-like rashes on the face and body. It literally looks and feels like the chicken pox!!  It’s like my body is purging oil from every possible pore in preparation for the grand event of hair loss. I resemble a connect-the-dots puzzle, with delightful spots gracing my scalp, face, and even my arms. Good times.

Now it’s the weekend, and despite the chemo belly, chemo acne, chemo scalp (because apparently, my head is also joining the party with next-level itchiness), and whatever chemo chaos comes next, I’m still here, still standing (well, mostly), and still racking up the small-but-mighty victories.

And because you have asked…

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JJ’s Visitor Guidelines

Because I Love You, But I Also Know I Should Rest

Everyone asks me to let them know when I’ve had enough. Or how long they should stay. I’m only posting this because you have asked. This isn’t a passive-aggressive hint, it’s just me trying to make this easy on all of us.

I love visitors. Many of you know I’ve never been the last one standing at my own parties. Let’s be real—I’ve Irish exited my own gatherings more times than I can count. By 10 PM, I’m already upstairs, in bed, completely done with you all. Some nights, I don’t even make it to 9. And yet, you’ve stayed, made yourselves at home, and that’s exactly how I’ve always wanted it.

My greatest joy has been making my home a place where my people feel comfortable, welcome, and loved. Having you around me is literally my dream come true. And if this wasn’t my reality right now, there’s no way in hell I’d ever want any of you to leave.

But the truth is, this is taking a toll on my body, and I’m only two weeks post-chemo from my first round. I can’t even imagine what’s coming, and if I don’t set some ground rules now, I’ll be too exhausted to do it later. And let’s be honest—are you really going to want to come visit me four months from now when I’m at my worst? This is the warm-up phase, people. It’s going to get harder.

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So Here’s the Deal:

✅ Quick Visit? Under an Hour.
If you’re just popping in to check on me, drop off some gossip, or say hi, an hour max is perfect. After that, I will start shifting, faking bathroom breaks, or maybe just disappear completely.

✅ Primary Visitor? 1.5 - 2.5 Hours Max.
If you’ve committed to a babysitting shift or a longer visit, I love that. But even for you, there’s a 2.5-hour expiration time before my energy is shot, and I become completely useless.

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How to Know It’s Time to Leave:

• I say, “Welp, I think I need to rest now.” (This is not a test. Take the cue.)
• I literally fall asleep.
• I get up and never come back.

I appreciate every visit and all the love you’re sending my way. Just know that the best way to support me is to follow these guidelines so I can keep my energy in check—and not have to ghost my own house.

And if you’re wondering what the golden ticket is? Still searching.

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The Challenge Is Now On YOU!

OMG!!! 😂🥰 I absolutely love the fact that when I asked everyone what food makes them feel better when their stomach’s upset, 99.9% of you immediately associated it with being hungover. And that is exactly why I love my people.

So talk to me... let me know you’re out there, alive, and not just silently lurking like a weirdo. Text me or drop a comment with a creative challenge question—something fun, something ridiculous, something that makes me laugh (or at least roll my eyes in appreciation).

Oh, and don’t forget to answer your own question. You can’t just throw out, “What’s the most embarrassing text you’ve ever sent to the wrong person?” and then disappear.  You better be ready to relive that horror with me. Commit. 😉

(P.S. I promise CG, this is not aimed at you. Xoxo)