The Day After

I had the energy to "do" the holiday, but I am resting a lot today.
The best of the holiday for me was Christmas morning, waking up with all the girls in the house, opening gifts and just hanging out together. It was fun to hear them all get ready in the same bathroom again, too. I guess for a mom the best times are when all her chicks are in the nest, no matter how old they are.
I am getting the hang of doing my own lymphedema massage at home. Twice a week is required, but I am doing some extra - can't hurt!
We are beginning to prepare to leave for Gulf Shores in a couple of days.
I hope your New Year is happy and healthy!
Jan

Merry Christmas!

I woke up this a.m. feeling like I've got the energy I need for the next two days, which is an answer to prayer.
Last evening Emily, Katie, Bryan and I celebrated Christmas Eve Eve by going to Buckhead's and renting a movie to watch at home. We had a nice time just hanging around.
Today we will attend the Christmas Eve service at 3:00 with all my family (20+). Then we will spend the evening at my parents' home exchanging gifts. Sarah will come home with us and the girls will sleep under the Christmas tree.
Tomorrow is brunch and a gift exchange at my sister-in-law's home (Teri). In the evening we return to my parents' for a traditional Christmas dinner, games and "white elephant".
The girls have baked and decorated the most beautiful cookies. I watched as Katie arranged the basket this morning to take to Mom's. We put one of each kind in the freezer in a ziploc bag for me to thaw and eat when I know that my taste buds are right again.
I am grateful to be alive this Christmas!
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas spent with people you love.

Lymphedema Wrap

The gauntlet and sleeves I ordered are not fitting well enough to keep me from swelling, so Wednesday morning I went and had my hand and arm wrapped tightly in order to bring down swelling that has continued to occur. This morning I went and had my hand and arm unwrapped and they were small enough to remeasure me for new garments which should be in in about 3 weeks. They are custom-made in Germany. I have been given temporary garments to wear in order to keep down the swelling. Please pray that my new gauntlet and sleeve will fit well, and that the swelling will stay down while I am in temporary garments, so that I do not have to be wrapped again. It is bulky like a cast from fingertips to shoulder, and really limits what I am able to do. The therapist has done a manual drainage massage twice this week, and I can continue to do it at home to help the situation.

Emily is staying with us over the holidays and I am really enjoying having her here, as are Bryan and Katie.

My mother-in-law is a hit at assisted living. They like for her to play the piano in the activities center, and she is making lots of friends.

I'm Done!

At the end of my 6th and last chemo on Wednesday, December 12th, the nurses threw confetti on me and gave me a certification of completion - finally! Today is day 5 and I am weak, but this one has not been as bad as the others.
The girls all came out and baked Christmas cookies yesterday (Saturday). They used our traditional recipes in smaller quantities, so we have cookies now! It was fun to listen to them working together, watching Pride and Prejudice and chatting from my position on the couch by the tree. My job was to guard the tree from Tatiana, our black mini-schnauzer. She has learned that she can drink water from under the tree.
Sarah had to go on home after the baking, but last night Emily and Katie played the piano and sang Christmas carols. We had a fire and watched "Elf".
Things can only look up from here!
On another note: my mother-in-law moved into assisted living the same day I had chemo, and she is loving it. Meals, new friends, etc. I am happy that she is happy there.

Preparing for #6

I haven't written much - I am still fatiqued from the last chemo.
I did get to go to Locust Grove one evening for a candlelight tour. I enjoyed the movie "Enchanted" with my girls, my mom, my sister MaryAnn, her two girls, and Emily's friend, Regina. I was also able to go to my husband's men's group Christmas dinner party.
Other than that, I have started to just give in to the fatigue, knowing that this is not going to be much longer. I can pretty much quote you the TV schedule (network and a couple of cable stations) even though I've never cared much for TV. Reading doesn't work well for me, because I fall asleep! I have enjoyed listening to music on my i-pod shuffle and some Christmas music on my portable radio and CD player.
I have to give major kudos to Bryan. He is cleaning the house every weekend, catching up any laundry that I can't get to, going to the grocery, chauffering me to doctors' appts. (along with Katie and Mom), etc. He also makes me food on the weekends if I am too weak to do it myself. He has been a husband extraordinaire!
Once again, my prayer request is for a mild #6. I am grateful for chemo, but not wanting to "go through the valley" of the five or so days afterward. Just one more time!
Thanks for being faithful to pray.
Jan

A Great Day Before Chemo #6/The Beach House

On Sunday, the girls all came to the house, along with Hunter, for lunch after church. Everyone worked together, and the tree and the house were decorated in couple of hours. The only difference in our tradition was that we usually cut the tree instead of buying from a lot, but the rain prevented our going out to a u-cut farm, and we knew that we could not get everyone together again at another time. The group all stayed to watch a movie and "hang out". I even read a couple of Christmas stories to the girls while sitting by the tree, which was very much reminiscent of our early home schooling days. Sarah brought Oni, the whippet, along, and she was lots of fun for everyone to play with. The "party" didn't end until about 10 p.m. It was a wonderful day.

I am still very fatigued from the last chemo, and hoping that the next one will be milder.

We have been offered a free week at a beach house at Fort Morgan near Gulf Shores the week following Christmas. This is the man we usually rent from in June when my mom takes the daughters and all our children. When Mom called to book for June 2008, he asked about the family, and she told him about my diagnosis, which was new at that time. Either his mom or mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor, and he offered this week as a reward for me for finishing chemo.

At the time we go, I will be near my third week out of the last chemo, but that does not mean that I will feel "normal" yet. I am praying that the last chemo will be mild, and that I will gain enough strength for the trip. All I really "have" to do is sit by the ocean during the day and go out to eat at night, but there is some sightseeing planned, and I would like to go with the group if I could. Thanks for prayers for strength and renewed energy!

I am supposed to feel better 4 - 6 weeks after the last chemo, and begin to grow hair. I am told that it typically comes in curly, which will be a change for me. Should be interesting to see!

I get my radiation markings on January 14th, my port comes out January 16th, and I begin radiation January 21st. I am making progress!
Jan