Field Trips

What do chemo patients do?  This somehow makes me curious since one tends to give up most of what keeps them busy in life. Sometimes I take field trips.  By that I mean, on nice, usually sunny days when I feel well enough I get out with my family.  We go to important places like Hobby Lobby, and Target. :) Usually I wait in the car.  That's why I most particularly like to go on sunny days.  Some times I actually get out of the car, go in the store, tell Dell what to buy and then head on back to the car.  There is something wrong with me that truly makes me think I might break if I leave the house or spend more than a few minutes in a store.  I think I might be psychologically distoibed.:):):)

Thank You

I am a little worried about something.  I can't tolerate one of my bags of chemo.  I have had serious side effects from it.  For those of you who are praying for me, and I think that is pretty much all of you I ask a special favor.  That is that you along with my family pray that eliminating this particular bag of chemo will have no adverse effect on the killing of the cancer cells and that other chemo will do the full job and that the Doctor will make the right decisions for my chemo.  There is power in prayer.  Thank you.  With love, Barbara

Team Mumsie

I'm starting to feel a little bit better right in time to do it all over again.  I have been hanging out with my girls and they have been a great joy to me.  Many of my family members including grandchildren will be participating in a run in March in my behalf.  They want to wear T shirts that say "Team Mumsie" and on the back say "Kiss My Pancreas".
They are the best.

Trade Off

Chemo week-end is never the best but having two of my daughters here this week has been wonderful.  So wonderful.

Encouraging

There is a particular blood test that indicates cancer and tumors .  My last test indicated almost half the numbers it originally was.  This is only one tool they use to make a determination how things are going but we feel somewhat encouraged at this early stage.  :) Plus,  today my bloodwork was an A+ the nurse told me.  And they took me off the anti nausea meds they think are causing my tremors.    Yea!

The Language of Love

A man by the name of Gary Chapman wrote a very informative book about the five languages of  love.  I have been the recipient of all five.  It is a great blessing to feel so loved and to recognize each act of kindness as one of the five languages of love. We are all different and express our love in different ways.  I have and continue to witness them all. Thanks to all who express  their love, however you express it, it is felt and appreciated:  Here they are, not listed in any specific order   1) Service  2) Quality Time Spent  3) Physical Touch  4) Giving of Gifts  5) Words of Affirmation.  Thanks to all for your various acts of love.

The Charmed Life

I had a conversation with a friend some months ago only to find the person I was asking about had undergone some devastating medical issues.  I was shocked.  This was the family with the "charmed" life. My friend and I both said  almost in complete unison that you think someone else has the charmed life and come to find out it was you all along who had the charmed life.  I think that gives us something to think about and certainly be grateful for.  Count your blessings, name them one by one.

The Mad Hatter and the Party Planner

Although I was still in the "chemo" fog we tried to make Stacy's 30th birthday fun for her while she was here.  Thank goodness for the "party planner" and her hubby who really pulled it all together.  Stacy crocheted me the most adorable hat for my birthday and told me she would make me a hat every month.  I think we all thought I would be hairless at this stage in the game. ( I still have my hair.)  Nevertheless we decided to give her a Mad Hatter birthday party.  Adrienne made it so fun by buying the cutest mad hatter hats for us to wear.  We did the best we could under the circumstances.  Hope it was good enough Stacy!  Glad you are now home safe with your family.  :)

Two Down Ten to Go

Not my best moment but loved ones are here to support and love me.  Grateful.

Slow but Sure

My Dr. in Chicago told me about one of his patients who ran marathons in between his chemo treatments.  I thought that sounded pretty "one of a kind".  I thought wouldn't it be great if I could
continue to ride my bike in between treatments.  Unfortunately it is 2 degrees outside with snow.  Not sure I have that kind of energy any way.  Yesterday after Maxine shared a great afternoon with me and I was feeling a little upbeat I decided to try my seldom (that's a stretch, like almost never) used stationary recumbent bike.  The batteries were burned out.....hmmm understandable.  Dell replaced those for me and today viola!  I rode!  Thirty minutes!  Granted it was so slow that a real bike could not have stayed in an upright position, but I did ride.  Now I have some new goals to set!  Yea!  I am a happy camper, or biker as the case may be.   :)

Let It Snow

I am doing pretty well and gearing up for the next treatment.   For me, right now, church is not in the cards, I do not feel I can risk getting the flu or a hearty cold.  Maybe when those epidemics die down I will feel that I can do a shortened Sunday.  I really wish they would let me "stream" in with my phone but apparently not.  Thank you for your love and concern.  Yesterday Dell and I managed to get all of Christmas down and put away .  I thought it might take until March but we did it!  It was great having it up while it lasted.  Next week end, weather permitting, two of my girls and 2 of my grandchildren will be here.  I am looking forward to that although it will be during the worst of times.....I guess that is why they will be here.   So looking forward to that.  Let it snow, I'm staying in :):):).