Tuesday, April 5

Quote of the Day:  When life gives you lemons, cut them in half and squirt life in the eye!  Author Unknown

From Waking the Warrior Goddess:    Custom # 22  Keep your home as toxin-free as possible.  I will write in blog about this in future date.

Chemo # 2-  Today my sister, Erin, picked me up and we headed off to Chemo treatment.  We wore our “Fight Like a Girl” sweatshirts (as you’ll see in photo below).  I feel good, still have hair but it is starting to come out so I probably don’t look like the typical Cancer patient getting chemo, yet. Oh, how I hope I can do something to help the chemo skin color!  Oh my, it is bad!  I am struck by the faces of those who walk through the doors at the Cancer Care Center and wonder about their stories.  Today, I noticed more young people (that would be anyone younger than me.  Cancer never seems to be fair, but there is something about someone younger getting cancer, and don’t even get me started on children.  If I am mustering all my strength to go through this, what must it be like for a child?  It is simply, heartbreaking.  And then I’m reminded that we aren’t suppose to go through this alone, we aren’t suppose to carry all the buckets of sorrow, ourselves, up the hill.  We have all these people, acting in Christlike ways, who are Heavenly Father’s Hands, to support and lift us.

One of the trees in the waiting room, is covered with hanging ribbons.  On each ribbon are messages written on pastel papers.  Two of my favorite sayings are:  (1)  You can’t stop the waves but you can learn to surf and (2)  A clay pot in the sun is a clay pot but when it melts in the fire of the kiln, it becomes porcelain.  Erin just graduated with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Child Life and she is a great resource in talking to Maggie about having a bald Grandma.  She has advised me regarding the subject of healthy cells vs. unhealthy cells.  Maggie has a book on the human body so I can use that to tell her about cells and how some are faster-growing cells, like hair, and how the medicine will take away my hair but will also heal my body so that I can do all the things I love to do, like running, biking, trampoline jumping, field- triping to the Aviary, Thanksgiving Point, Zoo, Natural History Museum with Maggie and Kate!  Erin also suggested using play-dough- some sets have dots you push through thus imitating hair being cut off and also growing.  I’m not sure that Maggie is all that worried though, yesterday, she asked me for the scissors so that she could cut off my hair.  She’s way ahead of dealing with this!

The nurse, Ann, today questioned me about the nausea meds I was taking and said that they usually give you another one for the type of chemo I was getting.  She had the doctor write a prescription so I am hopeful that this medicine will help this week.  Off tomorrow to get another shot of Nu Lasta to help with decreased blood cells.  They took my blood for the genetic testing today so I should know results in two weeks.  Why do I feel that they will be positive?  Am I just so used to bad news or is it really a premonition that I have more surgery ahead of me?  I hope not!

I noticed a lot of hair coming out today so I decided to cut it shorter.  Pics coming.  I didn’t even cry.  It felt good to have someone wash and blow dry my hair- you really do crave kind physical touch when times are rough.

Thanks to Sue Oldroyd and Jill Hays for bringing me a delicious dinner:  bread, green salad, barbecued turkey and my favorite garlic mashed potatoes!  Delicious!

Thanks for gifts and kind words from Carol and John Skeen- blog on Carol Skeen coming!  Cards and e-mails from Serida, Danny and Kathy Daily and Lynne.  Lynne- I love the jewelry you made!

Erin and I at IMC Huntsman Cancer Center-  Happy Birthday tomorrow, Erin!      Getting hair cut shorter.   Joanie, Jill Hays and Sue O!  Oh runners, oh friends!