plodding along

I messed up my access for awhile so that's why the blog has been shut down. Probably just as well because I have found that chemo is no fun and neither are all the things surrounding it, blood tests, shots in stomach, infusions for about three hours, body temperature keeps fluctuating daily and nightly, plus there is the nausea and other horrible bodily functions or lack thereof that one has to tolerate. The medicine regime is huge, and my friend had to make an Excel spreadsheet to help me from taking too much of something. I did one day, fainted, fell on a broken vase and opened my scalp (not seriously) in a few places. Of course, I probably wouldn't change a thing that I am doing, given that I want to see my garden, children and grandchildren grow and develop for a long time, not in that order necessarily.

Rigdon is going on his long-planned trip to Madagascar for three weeks in October. Favorite friends and relatives will be help out here, Bill Henderson, Alexis, Prudence, Anne Ream and Peggy Berry. I am looking forward to watching some good movies together. I can't have more than one small drink, no raw fish, spicy foods, lightly cooked meat and more kinds of food are prohibited but I don't mind watching folks eat the good stuff. Right now I have the usual anemia that chemotherapy patients get so I am tired a lot, am not losing weight because I am not doing very much physically. Muscles weigh more than fat so if I have lost anything, it is muscle (and of course the two boobs and over 20 lymph nodes). I am walking Bubba for very short walks occasionally, today we went to Chicken Ranch, big deal for me and very enjoyable. I am keeping my head shaved using Rigdon's razor, it looks neater this way. Sometimes I wear a hat if I am cold but otherwise I am flaunting my baldness. I find scarves really difficult, but I do wear a full has (not baseball cap because there is a hole in the back for cool guys and gals with pony tails, where the sun would cream me) when out with Bubba or in the garden to protect my scalp which has NEVER been exposed to the sun, I was born with a huge heavy load of black hair, a first in my family, and it never fell out, just kept getting thicker and thicker.

I have been getting a lot of house things done around, termite inspection, new sink faucet, kitchen drain fixed, two new toilet seats that close automatically, all rugs cleaned with new pads, windows washed, worm box fixed, new TV installed in my bedroom on an arm that telescopes out (really great), the outdoor furniture steam cleaned, and new blinds ordered for the tractor shed. It is easy to get these things done when I am home all the time and can let in repair persons.

I have been blessed with dinner deliveries from many friends, delicious, and nutritious and always beautiful, makes Rigdon's life easier and so yummy for both of us. I can't go into stores, the P.O., parties, plus my eyes were in really bad shape so reading has been difficult, but the eye doctor has been very helpful putting little plugs in the tear ducts to keep the tears coming and cream for the under lids which are all scratched. Besides my Sjogren's syndrome, chemotherapy is very drying to all parts of our body.

My last chemotherapy session will be in three weeks, I have been really assiduous after this chemo session about the mouth, throat, etc. regimen to prevent the thrush and mucositis I suffered with previously. It involves a lot of gargling with medicines and baking soda, some magic mouthwash that seems to work and Nystatin gargle, the works. I just am hoping for less pain, I don't mind the mouthwashes (swish, gargle, and swallow) though any one with any sense of taste would be grossed out.

I have received so many lovely cards and had our newly adopted Mexican grand daughter (10) read some of them to me when they visited a few weeks ago. She really enjoyed the time together and she is in love with Bubba. Her English is doing very well and Steve Currie and his wife Agnes, Martita's Mom, have just bought a house a SO CA close to where they live. Life is good for them right now.

I have also been given many books, many of which I cannot remember from whom I received. I want to send out thank you's or return books to those who want them back. Can some of you help me out with this? It is called chemo-brain and I am certainly suffering from it. I can write a list of books which I need to identify next blog.

All the caring calls, the e-mails, the cards, the meals, the outpouring of concern has been wonderful and if I don't get through this it will not because you haven't shown me your love and concern.