Transitions

Today is the first day of Jump Start for kindergarten. This is the day I would have met my students for the first time. I have many mixed feelings. I’m super sad to miss the energy, excitement and the kids. I’m missing my teacher friends. But on the other hand, I’m so grateful for medical leave so I don’t have to try and keep my head, heart and hands in both worlds. And I’m so grateful for Jessica’s positive energy and all the people she has there supporting her already. I am grateful that I get to focus on fighting cancer and making my whole self healthy. 

Maggie has just a couple more days before she heads into her new job so today she was able to escort me out for my first grocery run as a bald person. We went to Burien rather than West Seattle and saw no one we knew, baby steps. I’d say the outing was highly successful and I even forgot about the hat with no hair thing more than once. 

Mike went to work today for his official first day back. We are fortunate that he has flexible medical leave so he can go to work when I am doing well and he can take off when I need him here. 

We had a busy weekend with Maggie home and Michael and Eva up from Portland and Betty around most of the time, too. Michael and Eva arrived on Friday evening and we celebrated Michael’s 25th birthday! Woohoo! Michael is Paleo (on the paleo diet that is). Eva is mostly Paleo (just a little more reasonable than Michael). Maggie is getting the bread and cheese from Ireland, France, Spain and Italy out of her system so she is eating very healthy. And Mike, Betty and I just try to eat healthy; avoiding dairy and grains and sweets as a rule (with exceptions!). So for Michael’s birthday Maggie made a Paleo cake and we had coconut milk ice cream. Jennifer came over in the middle of the afternoon and pitched in and helped Maggie and Betty make cod cakes without bread crumbs, grilled yams, roasted beets and a salad. Oh my, dinner was delicious! Well done, everyone!

Everyone kept busy on Saturday and we got a lot of chores done. Micahel, Maggie and Eva cooked another delicious dinner that night (chicken with almond butter sauce and green beans). On Sunday we ventured out to Lincoln Park and it was my first outing (other than chemo) with just a hat; no hair. I did ok. It was a gorgeous afternoon at the park and Maggie, Michael and Eva always make me laugh out loud…good medicine.

So tomorrow is one week since my second infusion and my side effects this time have been similar as the first time around. No surprises is a good thing! Since Tuesday I’ve just felt  crummy…not real bad, just not good; tired, fatigue, bloated, gross. My skin felt sensitive to cold and to touch in general. I couldn’t eat or drink cold things and actually burnt the inside of my lips somehow. Today I got up and worked out downstairs and immediately started feeling better. Not so bloated, not so tired. I’m grateful to know that these side effects are passing. 

I am gearing up for the day, very soon, and it will be ok, when Mike and Maggie will both go to work and I will not. I’ll work out downstairs and meditate and read and I’m thinking about painting the bathroom as long as I feel strong. 

Thank you all for the food, hats, visits and love you’re sending our way. We feel supported by you all.

Lots of Love

Janet