This is a cross post from my caringbridge page, kind of says everything I need to get out for right now.

Tonight, I start chemo. 

The war is on. 

 Raise the war cry! 

Words are powerful. Very powerful. Thought and intent are also very powerful. Through the ages, people have used words when making a proclamation, whether it be in love, loyalty, forgiveness, friendship or war. 

Brain cancer needs an army to fight. I am leading the charge and I am asking each of you to please suit up and join me. On Wednesday, April 15th at 2 pm EST, please be wearing purple and raise your war cry against this brain tumor.Your war cry can be a prayer, http://biblehub.com/joel/3-9.htma .In terms of realism, this has some ground as traditional and even some current practitioners of martial arts hold the belief that accompanying statements and/or vocal noises alongside execution build up their chi, thereby increasing the power and efficacy of their moves and techniques. Put less spiritually, saying a phrase at the right time during an attack ensures proper breathing. A call used for this reason is known as a kiai. The naming of attacks also served a more practical purpose as many martial arts schools, Chinese ones in particular, used to be secret societies. The passing down of techniques was done orally and giving them esoteric names often facilitated this transmission. In addition, kiai has the potential to startle the opponent and give you an opening. (tvtropes.org) I personally will be using a more Bruce Willis, Die Hard approach, "Yipee Kai Yay, Die Mother Fucker Die". Not very lady like, whatever, this is war and I have had enough cancer in my life already.  My girls picked purple, I don't know why, but Wednesdays are purple days and it just works. I am going to do the first battle alone. I will reassess after the first battle. But I feel like I need to face this one on one for the first time. I am going to "put up my dukes and get down to it". There is only room for one of us in my head, and I am not leaving.  

To continue the war cry, the treatments are Monday through Friday at 11:15 EST for the next 6 weeks. The first one is the only one scheduled for 2. And we wear purple  on Wednesdays.