However, in this instance, the tuxedo fitting was not a pleasurable event for me. Why? Since the wedding was taking place only eight weeks after I finished chemo, I remained looking emaciated. I was not pleased seeing myself in the full-length mirror. And I wondered how others would view my appearance. Turns out, there was nothing to worry about except how I saw myself. More on this shortly.
We picked a very nice boutique hotel near the wedding venue for family and out-of-town guests to stay during the wedding weekend. Since the wedding was on a Saturday night, Linda and I decided to book ourselves into the hotel for Friday and Saturday nights. Stacey and Adam got a bridal suite, which was beautiful. I got to nap – a necessary activity for me!
On Friday night, we hosted a dinner for family and out-of-town guests. This was the first time since my cancer diagnosis that I saw some of them. We were still 24 hours until the wedding and I was very emotional already. Everyone told me how well I looked. I realize that they meant it. But, a part of my brain said they thought I looked well because they were expecting me to look worse. A mind – mine, anyway – is a terrible thing to waste.
Saturday turned out to a 10+ on a scale of 1 to 10. Everything went super. However, it was also an extremely l-o-n-g day. There were lots of things to do and a very late evening to handle.