Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Three Months In

Three months ago yesterday I had my first chemo treatment. It's been a rocky ride ever since...

The good news is the PET scan I had last week showed the cancer has not spread!

The bad news is I've had such a rough time since the last round of chemo that my oncologist has pushed the next treatment out for a week to give me more time to recover. On the one hand I'm grateful for the additional time because I truly feel miserable, but I'm slightly bummed because this just means it'll take longer to finish. My hope of getting through the worst of the treatment plan before the end of the year is starting to fade.

The good news is my sister came to visit! I wish I'd felt better and been able to do more, but I'm just so grateful she came to be with me for a few days. One night we had dinner at Tina's and the grands enjoyed having her read to them.

The bad news is the engine light in the car came on again. It was in the shop for 8 days, and the light came on within an hour of picking it up so back it went. They adjusted something and the light went off... and now it's back on. It's probably an easy adjustment but a pain that I have to take it back. It ain't happening today though; maybe I'll feel up to driving it over tomorrow.

The good news is Ivan's in Indiana celebrating his mom's 97th birthday! Her birthday is actually Sunday but the family is gathering today. I'm sad to be missing the party, but thankful Ivan could be there for it.

The bad news is...

Oh, let's just forget the bad news!

My sister and I watched Temple Grandin while she was here. I'd seen the movie years ago, but it's a favorite and I enjoyed watching it again. Beth's an occupational therapist in the school system, so she works regularly with autistic kids and she found the movie to be as inspiring as I did. Have you ever seen it? Highly recommend it! I've seen the real Temple Grandin interviewed on a news magazine show (can't remember which one) and she's an amazing woman. FYI, the movie is free on amazon prime video.

I found out from my sister that my favorite television series is also available on amazon prime video!!! The Closer featuring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson of the LAPD. I'd just finished re-watching all 15 seasons of NCIS so perfect timing! I just want to say to amazon, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Our grandkids continue to bring such joy to our lives. We get to see Simon and Betsy often, and we FaceTime multiple times a week (and Marco Polo!) with the California grands (and their parents of course 😉).

I've had the chance to spend time with just my daughter, and with my daughter and sister... do I even need to say how precious that has been?! Had so much fun with those two last evening, trying on some of the pretty Noonday pieces Tina has bought for herself and when she does trunk shows as an Ambassador for the company. I've never been big on jewelry but Noonday has changed my thinking; not only is their stuff absolutely gorgeous, but I love knowing that when I buy something, I'm helping another woman somewhere else in the world to provide for her family. These women are using their ingenuity to produce stunning jewelry and accessories. Women helping women pursue their passion and creativity: what's not to love?! And it has made gift buying sooooo much easier, because they have so many diverse pieces in their collection that I'm bound to find something for everyone, from teens to those my age and older.

After so much trouble and grief with our health insurance company in May and June, things are finally turning around and we've had some really helpful people start to get things straightened out both here and back in Indiana. Things are not completely resolved yet, but the end is in sight.

I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for Willis Carrier, the father of modern air conditioning, as well as all those curious minds from before who kept looking for efficient ways of cooling the air. The low last night was 90 degrees. It's 113 degrees right now. Need I say more?

In three more months, hopefully it will be significantly cooler and I'll be that much closer to being done with treatment. Bring it on!

2 comments:

The Bug said...

I love everything about this post - even the bad news. It always makes me smile to see a post from you. Love that picture of your sister & grands. And I love that, however delayed, there is an end in sight for your treatment!

P.S. I really did NOT need to click on the jewelry link - too much temptation!

Just A Southern Girl said...

I hear you about the temptation. Most dangerous for me is the sales page — I WANT IT ALL 😜