Monday, October 25th

My son Andrew was here last week for a nice long visit.  He flew into New York City for a friend's wedding and wound his way to Maine by last Monday morning, was with me until Wednesday afternoon, and then came back again from Friday morning until mid-morning on Saturday before leaving for his cousin's wedding in NH.  Even though neither of us was feeling our best--me from chemo, Andrew from jet lag and lack of sleep--we had a great time together.  Having him around so much was the best birthday present ever!

I took this picture of Andrew down on the covered bridge with the double waterfall in the background.  Experiencing fall in New England after being away for over a year was a real treat for Andrew.

This is week two since my last treatment.  Kind of hit rock bottom this weekend with the blood counts.  I have appointments almost every day this week except for today.  MUST do the laundry today!  Tuesday I meet with my therapist, Wednesday it's cranial sacral work with Meg, Thursday is acupuncture, and Friday is blood work and a visit to the Lymphedema Center to be fitted for my compression sleeve.  I really need to spend some time this week on financial stuff, too.  Have some work to do for Gail's estate and some medical bills to sort out and pay next week.

I worked on a Halloween project yesterday:

Will pop this into the mail later today to send to Andrew.  He LOVES Halloween and goes all out decorating and has spent all month working up costume ideas.  We had great fun at Goodwill stores collecting the items he needs for a slightly demented and dark Mad Hatter.  I'll post pix when he sends the final look.

Got to tidy up my crafting area after the paper explosion yesterday and make a few thank you notes later today.

Feeling a bit more like myself today.

The NEW Me

Yesterday afternoon I went to a salon in Winthrop to have my head buzzed again.  She could get it pretty short but not short enough.  It was still feeling pretty prickly and I could actually pinch my hair and pull it out for the last couple of days.  I decided it wasn't really going to fall out on its own after talking to my doctor.  So I went to Dom's Barber Shop in Downtown Hallowell and asked for the Bald Guy Special.  Julie shaved my head first with clippers that took it down even shorter, then lathered up my head and used a small razor to shave me bald.  The best parts:  hot hot towels and a scalp massage with a nice pomade to make my head shiny.  Very cool!!!

Today at Spa Day in the Oncology Center, I had a make-up consultation and learned the proper way to use cleanser, exfoliant, moisturizer, concealer, foundation, blush, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, lip liner, and lipstick.  Not only did I have fun using the products but I got to keep them all!  Another gift to women with cancer.  I also got two new hats, also free, today:  a green and yellow knit hat made by a volunteer and a lovely olive silk turban from an online company that donates headwraps to women with cancer.  The treatments went really well today.  And I got a good head start on all of my Christmas cards!  A couple of the other women there asked if I'd do a make and take for them at my next treatment.  So I'll plan something easy and quick that won't take much prep or anything using supplies I already have.  That will be fun and is another thing to look forward to in going there.

That's all the news for today.

Anne

Week Three and All's Well!

Here I am at Week Three and looking forward to acupuncture on Thursday and a chemotherapy treatment on Friday!

I taught a class yesterday afternoon at Your Maine Stamper and it wore me out.  I'll have to think carefully about teaching classes as my treatments continue.  We worked with the 7 Gypsies Printers Trays to make twelve seasonal/Christmas/winter ATCs.  This is my sample:

Connie, Kellie, Donna, Jean, and Jeanne were in the class.  Each of the printers trays so was different!  What fun!

Today is a quiet day at home.  Think I'll work at cleaning out space for a cot...Andrew is coming home from California for a visit next week!

A Quiet Week Ahead

I'm voluntarily avoiding people this week until at least Wednesday while my blood count bottoms out and begins to return nearer to normal.  Not much planned for the week...cranial sacral work with Meg on late Wednesday afternoon and blood work in Portland on Friday.  I suppose I'll need to do the laundry by Thursday and pick up a few groceries then.

I've started all of my naturopathic supplements and am really feeling pretty good today.  If only things didn't taste so awful!  It's like things that should taste sweet are bitter or sour or everything is just plain foul-tasting.

I did walk for an hour today, up the road to the fire station, townhouse, and the fair parking lot and back down the road with a detour through the cemetery.  I did find a gate open to the fairgrounds and that would be a good place to walk once I build up some stamina and can do more than an hour.  Or I could park at the townhouse and walk the trails on the fairgrounds for an off-the-road adventure.  Think I might try that later this week.  I can always park at the church and walk the cemetery paths, too.

I have a major art project to tackle this week.  I have a printer's tray class on Monday the 11th and need to create the sample for class and prep the materials.  I'm hoping for a warm and sunny day when I can work at the big table on my porch, but I can always work at the round table near the heater inside.  :-)  Think it will be a Twelve Days of Christmas home decor project (although I do have a group of people just ga-ga over Halloween who may opt for something a little more ghoulish).



I've been reading a lot...nine books in August, six in September, and one already this month.  There's always a stack of books waiting for me!  And now that some of my favorite programs are back on TV, and I don't have a TV,  I've been watching them on my computer.

I guess I'd say I'm falling into a rhythm around the chemotherapy treatments, the other appointments I have, all the medications I take, the need for daily exercise and activity, doing some reading and making some art, and taking time to just be quiet, too.  Two treatments down and only four more to go!