Magic Mineral Broth

Wow! I am overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support that is coming my way. I am so blessed because all of you. Word is spreading; more and more people are learning about this cancer (not “my cancer”, I’m just borrowing it from the universe, I shall annihilate  it and then it shall be gone) and showing up on my phone, in my email, on this blog and I feel so much good energy.

There have been quite a few folks wanting to visit and there is not enough time in my day so yesterday I invited a few folks over to visit. Prior to that Mike and I had made a run to PCC to load up on healthy foods and thanks to Emily’s awesome book: The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, I whipped up a batch of Magic Mineral Broth. I asked all who came to visit to give it a stir and add some healing wishes to the broth. Now, tomorrow, after my first chemo, I’ll come home to my magic broth. It is mostly veggies with some kombu (some form of seaweed) and whole allspice thrown in for good measure. It’s actually quite yummy. It was a lovely day of “sit and visits” with good positive energy stirred in! 

The down side of yesterday was our little Rudy (miniature schnauzer) needed to go to the emergency hospital (it was Sunday of course). Turns out she had a tumor surrounding 3 back teeth. The teeth and the tumor needed to be removed. We found a great emergency vet…the people were so kind…and they were able to the whole thing yesterday and she came home at 5:00. I’m calling it a sympathy tumor and really praying it is benign, cause damn...

I have tricky veins. They are not easy to find so drawing blood can be a challenge to some of those who do that for a living. Today I had to get my blood drawn…again. Well, as soon as Billy came out and called my name I recognized him. For the last few years I have been involved in an ovarian cancer research project at the Swedish Marsha Rivken Center and every 6 months I have to get my blood drawn. One time the young woman just couldn’t find my vein and she said, let’s go see Billy. We walked through the maze that is Swedish Medical Center and she requested Billy. She told me he was the master and told him she wanted to know his tricks. He said, “you feel the vein, you don’t see it” and “you wait for the vein to come to you.” Ever since, when someone has had a tricky time finding my vein I think of Billy…and there he was today.

He took one look at my left arm where an IV had left a bruise and said “Who did that to you? I won’t let that happen.” I told him how I remembered him and what he said and he laughed and said how he has a reputation and people all over know him and request him. He was so sweet and adorable and had totally corny yet funny comics up in his little cubicle and told me a couple jokes suitable even for me to share in my job. He is my hero of the day! He told me I can request him when I need blood drawn. I love Billy!

We proceeded from Billy to another part of Swedish for an echocardiogram. It was kind of cool to watch my heart beat and see the ventricles and valves and such. It looked like a strong heart to me, and I have really awesome blood pressure! 

Mike and I met David (my principal) for lunch. It’s so hard to see people who I care about and who care about me for the first time. Everyone just wants to make this go away or at least say and do the right thing. And right now I am so healthy that the whole thing does not make sense. We had a nice lunch and were able to catch up and have some laughs. We agreed to the plan that Jennifer, Genya and Lisa and I came up with for my classroom for the fall.

Then Mike dropped me at school for a couple of hours. I just needed to go through and throw out a few things and pack up a few things to bring home. I did not do nearly as much as really NEEDS to be done…but it is something. I have been teaching at Pathfinder for 19 years… this would be 20. One tends to accumulate a bit of “stuff” when one teaches in one spot for so long. I feel for my sub, there is a lot of “stuff” for you to weed through.  Luckily most of it is awesome stuff…some of it, well, they are treasures to me. 

I was not alone at school. While I weeded through the room Lisa D and Andy had a picnic on my floor and Jennifer pulled pages out of old planners to be able to recycle the paper and toss the covers. It was great to see them and so good to visit. Again, it’s hard to see people who really just want to be able to make this go away. Everyone feels so powerless. But you are not, because I’m getting so much power from you all.

Early on Saturday we took Maggie to the airport  for 2 1/2 weeks in Europe (she is currently romping in Paris with her college roommates) and then we took Betty to the airport to spend a week in KC (so glad she gets to visit my momma). Michael is staying here all week holding down the fort and supporting me and his daddy while everyone else is gone. Eva is here, too, supporting us all and making me laugh. She has to head back tomorrow.

So, we are plenty supported and plenty loved! During chemo tomorrow I’ll be taking Roz’s suggestion and I will visualize my body accepting chemo and healing the cancer.

I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Lots of love and good night to you all.

Janet