Catching up - Oct. 16 - 24

Greetings - I didn't want to bore you with an overload if information but apparently I have gone too far in the opposite direction and have not posted as frequently as some would like. So - I will give you a big update now and try to be on more frequently in the future.

Thurs. Oct. 16 - regular bloodwork app't. at the Chatham hospital; I also called Windsor before I left to report some side effects that were happening to me - listed in the section that says 'Call you doctor if this happens'. Returned home to a voicemail that said 'Doctor will see you either today before 2:00 p.m. (not possible at that point) or at 8:30 a.m. Friday'....so, Friday it was.

Fri. Oct. 17 - another early morning trip to Windsor. Practiced wearing scarf and nice cap instead of wig. Turned out that the chemo meds had irritated a 'pre-existing condition' and I came home with even more pills. David is still suffering from a horrible chest cold, so he went back to bed and I did laundry in preparation for a very special trip on the weekend.

Sat. & Sun. Oct. 18,19 - I was able to go away for the weekend with a very special group of friends, a teachers' group who have been meeting for supper once a month for over 10 years. Twice a year, at least, we are able to go away overnight. This trip was up to Huron County on the eastern shore of Lake Huron and the fall colour was gorgeous. Craft Fair in Grand Bend, lunch in Bayfield and then on to our overnight destination, a lovely old farmhouse that belongs to the family of one of the group. I had to have a nap by that time but the girls took care of me. We bring dinner and breakfast and stay in overnight, once we get there. It's so good to be able to just catch up with each other's lives. We had a memorable evening, filled with good food and lots of glorious music. I worked up enough nerve somewhere during the evening to do an 'unveiling' of my bald head and everyone thought it was cool and that I could leave my wig off - so encouraging and loving. After a long a leisurely breakfast on Sunday, we headed back home, touring the Goderich jail (Doors Open Ontario Program of historical buildings) and doing a bit more shopping on the way.

Mon. Oct. 20 - work day around the house - 4 bags of garbage to the dump, made a turkey pie and a big pot of turkey pumpkin rice soup - more little containers of frozen goodness for the 'off days'. As you can see, these are my 'good days' and I am making the most of them.

Tues. Oct. 21 - day trip to Kingsville with 2 friends to visit another friend who has moved there - great times again had by all - 'unveiled' again - everyone is cool with it - so helpful when I feel that I look so different...but I do have a nicely shaped head and flat ears ! Later that night, I had my first Skype conversations with my two children in Kitchener and my children and grandchildren in Texas - more with wig/without wig viewings...everyone agrees that 1) my hairdresser did an exceptionally good job on my wig and 2) that wigless is not as bad as expected. So - we are all coping with that pretty well. David had had a doctor's appointment this morning for an annual physical and came home with a massive anti-biotic prescription - 1/ 500 mg. pill 3 times a day, so between the pills and the cold (bronchial viral infection) he folded pretty early.

Wed. Oct. 22 - lots of little jobs - formalized my Leave of Absence from the Occasional Teaching List for the rest of this school year, ordered my meds form the Windsor pharmacy so that they are ready for tomorrow, went to my old school for a visit for lunch and to thank them for their day in support - pink picture day - Oct. 10, etc and - drum roll - interviewed a cleaning lady in the afternoon who will start cleaning my house on my chemo days for 3 hours so that I can come home to a nice, clean house !!! A little treat for me. David's anti-biotics are working - can see improvement already but he rested all day again today.

Thurs. Oct. 23 - Chemo # 3 - in Windsor for 8:15, at lab for 8:30, picked up prescriptions 8:50, waited for dr.'s app't until 9:30ish - my dr. was away, so saw another one - approved for chemo - then waited and waited - seemed to take longer than I remembered - didn't get called in until almost 11:00 (volunteer who was supposed to get me got side-tracked), did preliminary stuff - hooked up my port, ran saline to rinse it out - didn't actually start chemo until 11:50 but was done by 2:15. Took ourselves to a nice restaurant for a late lunch before we came home - I was feeling fine, with the help of 3 steroid pills and 2 anti-nausea ones - almost like nothing had happened. I was encouraged again by a comment from the young woman who is my clinical trial supervisor; she asks me the same set of questions every time - how is your nausea/appetite/sleeping/mouth sores/shortness of breath/ etc. - and for me most are normal. Her response yesterday was "It's unusual for someone to have so many normals by mid-chemo". I'll take it !!!

So there we are - caught up to TODAY !! As you can see, my second week is very good and I am able to live a pretty normal life. My voice sounds like me again and I have good energy, although I still need to lie down for a while most afternoons - but I read or just lie quietly and listen to the radio or something - don''t have to sleep as much as the first week. I will try using the additional anti-nausea pills again this time after the first 3 days are done - seemed to help last time and I wasn't as 'down'. You can learn how to do almost anything.

Thank you for your prayers, which I am constantly aware of - maybe the reason for all those 'normals' - and for your cards and e-mails and phone calls, which comfort me and fill me with calm and peace - also good medicine. I appreciate your interest in my situation and your concern for me. They are more of a help than you can know. May God be with you today and may you also feel the comfort of His presence in your life in the things that are happening to you. He is always interested in His children and waiting for your call.