Thursday, September 10, 2009

Perspective

I came home to an empty house around 8pm smiling. Not smiling because it's empty! Sean and Priesty are working out of town this weekend. But smiling because I could feel the accomplishments. I felt this feeling all over....I had heard from my doctor and gotten good results, jr junior leaguers training event was amazing tonight, I had a wonderful day with my students today (though they are pretty wonderful every day), my art is going to be in Gracie's for Art Walk, I'm teaching art lessons, and I didn't have any more laundry piles (well who's looking in the hamper anyway)....and the more I thought about everything the more I smiled as I realized that it might have been some time since I had thought about all the positive things in my life. I am taking chemo and I am still moving on. Still striving for a cure. Still living life, still walking on my own, still smiling. I knew that I was also smiling because I hadn't stopped to think about it more and I knew I needed too. Things can pile up on you. Kind of like dirty laundry piles. You might have a pile of work, a pile of volunteer agendas, a pile of cleaning, a pile of medical bills, a pile of regular bills....and before you know it those piles can be so overwhelming. What I hope that you are doing now is thinking about all the positives in your life. And if you can't name 3 right now off the top of your head then you need to look at your bracelet that says Positivity is Power. And if you don't have one of those bracelets, then you need to call me so I can send you one.
I had labs on Saturday and talked with Mara, Dr. B's nurse, today via email. I had had a phone conference with her on Tuesday about the labs, but of course I forgot to ask any and every question...just a few important to name -what were the results of my lab work, why do I have to see Dr. B next week (this was unplanned), am I having more testing....you might be wondering now what was Amanda saying to her on the phone if she didn't get any of this information. I had only been thinking that she would tell me to continue chemo into month five because my levels were good. But her first question sent me to la la land. She asked if I was still on chemo. Or rather what I found out later was that Dr. B wanted to know if I was. And what I later found out (when I talked to her again) was... he wanted to know if I was still on chemo because my labs looked really good. He knew that I had been sick all of last week from some kind of cruddies, but my levels were still fine. That is awesome! And the reason he wants to see me next week is because he will be gone until October 25th and he wants new scans for chest, abdomen, and pelvis. OK. This is good. So on Thursday the 17th, I will have my stint in my ureter changed out, have x-rays, labs, full body barium swallowing CT scans, and meet with Dr. B.
But for now, I will return emails, make coffee for tomorrow, pick up my sweet little Chopper who is asleep on the floor next to me and go to bed! Oh, and take my chemo of course. After all, chemo does a body good!