Golden Threads

     I have been trying hard to stay very positive about this whole venture.  Sometimes, it gets really hard...like the three days when I was sooo sick last week!

 

However, I have been able to find many "Golden Threads" throughout this journey. I haven't been writing about them yet but I have decided it is important to share the Golden Threads along with the icky news as well as the rest of the patter/chatter/clatter that I write. Sometimes the Golden Threads will be celebrated and sometimes they will just be noted.

     After a tough start to last week, the week ended well.  By Wednesday, I began to feel a bit better and for the rest of the week, Thursday through today (Sunday), I feel really good! Hurray!  That's the Golden Thread that I am going to celebrate!!!

 

     Arland, Katie, Daniel, and I spent part of Saturday at the lake. Daniel and Arland put in the water and did several other necessary "open the cabin" jobs. Katie and I spent our time inside cleaning, making beds, and putting away food. Then I sat in the chair, looked at the lake, and rested. My stamina is returning but is still not near 100% yet.

 

     Today, Arland and I spent part of the day at the lake again. We puttered (me slowly, Arland more quickly!), raked some leaves, (again, me slowly, Arland more quickly!), and did odds and ends that go with opening the cabin. We grilled turkey legs and enjoyed them. We both love, love, love being at the lake!!!

    

     The teacher in me just can't quit...so the new word for today (new for some of you but probably not for Kristi P., Joan, Arlys, DeNae, or others in the medical field!!!) is NADIR (nay-der). Nadir in cancer treatment is the lowest point in your blood count after chemo. The nadir for white blood cells is usually lowest at 7 to 10 days after treatment. My nadir was Tuesday through Friday of last week. During that time, I was told to avoid kids and crowds. That's tough to do! I did go to a retirement dinner at Paradiso for a good friend on Thursday. By then, I was feeling better and was getting cabin fever, which was helped along by ALL the cloudy days we've had!     

 

Quiz on vocab words (nadir) on Friday...  :-)

 

     Probably because of nadir, I got an infection in the small incision where the tube for my port was put it. It is a 1/2 inch incision right on my collar bone and I think my clothes rub on it.

 

Luckily, on Thursday, I had gone to see the surgeon who took out my right half of my thyroid for my surgery recheck. Since I had two stitches sticking out of the incision on my neck, he removed them. As a precaution, since the skin was open from the stitch removal, he gave me some antibiotic ointment. I used this ointment on my infected incision and it looks a bit better today.  I will have the nurses look at it tomorrow when I get my Herceptin infusion in the morning. I'm sure it will be just fine. And so continues my love/hate relationship with my port!!!

     I have had a few lingering chemo side effects that I am learning to live/deal with. The worst one is the mouth and throat sores. They are tolerable now and no longer affect my eating. Now there's a Golden Thread...I can eat again!!!  :-)

 

     Another side effect is that my sense of smell is reallllllly skewed! MANY times during the day, I smell the scent of an old, very sweaty, stinky closet! Weird, I know!!!!!! My body smells like that. Other people smell like that. Our house smells like that. Many things smell like that to me now! Yuck! I'm wondering how long that will last.  I've asked others if they can smell it, and of course, no one else can!

 

     My last side effect is one of the chemo drugs makes my nose run pretty much all the time! The bottom of my nose is red and sore, just like when you have a cold and are constantly wiping it. It's just sort of a pain to deal with but it is better than the couple of days that I had frequent nose bleeds. The nose bleeds come and go. I had one tonight but it wasn't as bad as last week's bleeds. Ah, progress!

    

     The best Golden Thread of this venture still is hearing from so many family and friends who continue to send cards, texts, emails or stop for visits. My cousin, Arlys, who lives in Dickinson, stopped to see me a few days after my retirement party and first chemo. Our house was a disaster...retirement cards, flowers, candy, etc. everywhere, but I really enjoyed her visit! She brought a beautiful planter for our front step.

 

Coop friends of ours, Margaret and Larry, were in town on Saturday. Margaret made two loaves of HOMEMADE bread, one oatmeal molasses and one cinnamon swirl. Since I lived on toast after my first chemo, I very much appreciated this gift. I put one in the freezer so I can eat it after my next chemo when nothing else tastes good nor am I hungry for anything else.

 

Barb, a friend from school, sends me cards with updates on the funny stuff that is happening at school. I end up laughing out loud as I read her letters. She always lists a couple of books that I need to read too. My "need-to-read" list is getting long so I better get started on it soon!

 

Randa, Katie's MIL (Daniel's Mom), emails me funny comics, pictures, sayings, etc. They always put a smile on my face!

 

Another friend, Heather, always comments on my posts. That makes me feel good because I know she is one busy lady but she still takes the time to cheer me on!

 

My list of wonderful things done for me by family and friends could go on and on and on. The list would include chemo care bags, a quilt, flowers, phone calls, books, hot-dishes, desserts,  soup, a "brighten your day" care package all done in bright yellow, sunshiny colors, a crocheted hat to keep my head warm at night for after my hair is gone, satin pillowcases for when my hair starts falling out, going with me on unnerving, scary  appointments (thanks Shawn) and many, many other kind and very thoughtful things. That is my greatest Golden Thread...my family and friends!

 

     Not a day goes by that I don't think about all the people who have taken the time to write, text, email, visit, bring food or gifts, etc. It means so much to me! It makes me want to be a better person. It makes me realize what wonderful friends we are blessed to have...and every day, I thank God for allowing me to be soooo lucky!