Happy Happy Birthday Baby

This afternoon the family-extended gathering for a birthday Linner (4PM) for Shelby. Her dad and stepmother drove out from Texas. Lizzy drove out from Chino Hills. Two from Redondo Beach, four from Hermosa and one from Manhattan Beach. The destination was Islands in Manhattan. Now what could go wrong? For me, it was the three people who might be expecting me to in a wheelchair followed by a death bed. Wrong! The bright colors and special occasion won the day.

Shelby’s birthday gift will take a year of my life to thank her for her duty fulfilled. And I must complete its design prior to midnight. The may arrive late but not completed late. She got Truffles and Tea Cups as gifts and I’m giving her Hope.

A family gathering this year is mighty special and enjoyable. We all want to thank each member of my ‘family team” along with Captain Shelby. Happy Birthday Baby.

Another Week of Life

Here is a weekend and medical appointments are completed. Chemotherapy was this morning and radiation this afternoon. It’s a bit out of my normal zone. Yet I find myself quite normal and customary to be seeing this group as “my people.” In chemotherapy I recognized the napping young lady, the cranky brother-in-law, the weak kneed grandma and the two middle-aged moms. In radiation it seemed as many were friends. They all loved the employees and the entire medical staff. Some stayed longer than others and some were return visitors.

It’s rare to find a whole new world of experience and friendship. I wasn’t so surprised to find a world of friends in the Himalayas near Namcee Bazaar. I’d read all about Mt. Everest and people of Nepal. The community of Pucallpa in the Amazon Rain Forrest was most interesting, yet few friends were collected. It must take at lease a month of time to develop something long lasting like college, organizations, employment or a community.

I wonder about this journey into the world of cancer. Had I avoided the communication or did the knowledge flash past like becoming an astronaut or bounty hunter. In so many ways I sought out my future one step at a time. The neighborhood, clubs, hobbies, school district and education.

I can now see just how fluid life becomes beyond family. That is the one thing that I did not choose beyond a spouse. The lesson for me is that the blessings come in the gifts rather than the choices. For my children and their children are by fondest possessions. Then comes brother, sister and awesome cousins, and their children. Nature flows a mighty third with music, color and words. A field of golden poppies, the sound of the wind and a story told about them.

I’m enjoying this adventure as all others before them. Learning about all things ‘new’ is the pride of life and longing. 

Hair She Goes

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. 

Mark Twain

Today I got to go to the dentist. Your pretty sure that if the dentist has more fear about your being there than do you, this is unique. Since the dentist needed approval from the Oncologist before he could clean my teeth. Having ones teeth cleaned must be edgy. It was smooth as butter. Shelby was in the waiting room and came back for a ‘look-see.’ “All is well Shelby,” says Dr. Jay. (Her family dentist also.) Look, no blood. She might have needed one of her special pills. Due to my first aide adventure yesterday Shelby had the full medical kit and drove like a great grandmother. That might be partly because when she got to my house I was trying to wrap a new wound with my left hand.

All done, your mom is fine and she can leave now, please. We headed down the hill back to where I had no access to by own bed because of the carper cleaners. Never mind, it’s time ti go to radiation. Today I’ll arrive with my walker and ditch the wheelchair.  As expected that effort was met by applause. Any improvement by a cancer patient is close to a miracle. I only have 4 more days of radiation - I might go all out with some eye makeup. After 11 minutes I’m all done a strolling back to the family car that will take me for my haircut. Yes, the hair cut that I’ve waited 6 months for it to happen. Grateful that my hair did not fall out I will cut it.

When the hairs were trimmed we headed home with all of the trappings of a great dinner and a full night of great television - if you like Survivor and other A- programing. I’m pleased that today was not a train wreck but more like a smooth flight. I have no fear yet the people around sure have my share. “Knock it off - worry about yourself.”  Not really - kisses to all.

Boats and Trains and Planes

Season number seven! It's been so exciting for us. When we first began, we were like the little train that could... and we did! We're terribly excited! It will be an interesting season for us, I think. 

Roma Downey

Somedays I fly through the sky with delight. Somedays I just stare at a sleek boat. And today I tumbled on a moving train. Jennifer, thank you for your nursing skills. You were perfect until the first aide kit arrived. And your flowers are beautiful. We will meet for tea again and now we have a story too.

When I got home my oldest cat gave me a matching wound on the left leg. My physical therapist told me to keep my legs up today. Okay.

Nothing was more fun than playing nurse and spending the day in bed. Tomorrow I’m getting my hair cut. I hope he stops at the neck. Love to all and now go ‘light up my life.’

Don't Change the Spark Plugs

Whenever you would change the spark plugs on my old ’55 Chevy some things worked much better, like the starter. And some things suddenly failed like head lamps. My body is like that now. All of the excellent vitamins and medicine are improving my energy and wellbeing. That led me to believe that I could lift my broken leg into bed from the right and from the left side. Yet to-date, I’d only done it from the right side. OUCH! So today I lift my leg from neither side. And await my physical therapist’s arrival on Tuesday. In many ways ‘what I don’t know’ is far more dangerous than ‘what I do know’.

It was also a smooth move to schedule having my bedroom carpet cleaned while merely walker-able. Yet I hate seeing a dirty floor and I’m stuck at home having to see it all of the time. I can’t pick anything up off the floor and I keep dropping things. 

Those windows sure need washing yet don’t get out of bed. The cat did what, again? I’m not really a ’55 Chevy. I’m a ’45 Plymouth. Dad was a Plymouth and Desoto Dealer in our hometown. I was raised in an automotive world of wonder. I pumped gas at age 11 and did a complete forensic dissection of every wrecked car. Strands of hair in a shattered windshield was a clue, as was the empty bottle of beer on the floorboard. I often wondered was that the preceding guide to becoming a therapist. 

Your “comments” back to me are like those ‘spark plugs’, each words alters my mind. And I thank you. I save every comment in a special place and reread them often. I can’t see you yet with your words let me know that you are there. Thanks you so much for caring and sharing. When you speak to me you make my head lights glow brighter.  This beautiful Hibiscus is in my garden right now and this one is for you.

A Spacey Day

Never mind that I chased the Shuttle to the San Pedro Lookout Point and waited 2.5 hours in the sun with three hundred of my new friends. I did enjoy the gathering and yet it was my first crowd in a wheelchair. Usually I can work my way up to a premium spot. Today I slid into a space and stayed there. I couldn’t see the shuttle until moments after everyone else. Dang, everything is slower and older. But there it was right up there in the big blue sky. The crowd roared and the dogs barked.

I wanted chills and goosebumps. I got yep and done. My video will remain in the can. Yet the memory of being in Florida with Ginger on July, 8 of 2011 was a goose bumper. We were a Space Park in Florida having slept in our car all night. Many generators were keeping the television stations aware of the launch and the rain. Since I did yet to see the first Shuttle Columbia launch as well as the last I ought not have been so surprised that this day did not bring to me a ‘shock’ and ‘aw’. Seeing the last Shuttle soar into space was purely amazing.

While Shelby stayed home today to run errands and to watch the Shuttle on television. She kept me informed by text how long it would be for the aircraft to reach my location. And she did just that. Then she noticed on television that the Shuttle did a slow and low approach over LAX before heading out to sea for a go around. She grabbed her trusty iPhone and ran up to her deck. YES, the Shuttle flew south and turned east right over her house. So you will get to see my happy face in San Pedro and Shelby perfect video over Hermosa Beach. Good work Shelby!

After my afternoon adventure I headed off to my Friday radiation and I'm now ready for my “I did too much” nap. The weekend is a blessing and I plan to use it well.

It's My Job

In the next 7 days I have 13 medical appointments. Most are in the same zip code and many are a close call from blending appointments. I wonder how I am supposed to rest my way into health with all of this activity. When I was in the hospital they all came to me. Alas, now I go to them. Physical therapy (2), Oncologist (2), radiology (5), Primary doctor (1), Dentist (1), Home Health Care nurse (1) and lab work for blood (1). Getting well is a full time job.

Today I feel like I need to go to bed around 8:00 PM and sleep for 11 hours. But no, tomorrow is the day that the Space Shuttle is flying across our sky. Today at 11:45 AM a military helicopter flew low and slow along the coast. I’m betting that to get from the Venice Pier to the Queen Mary we will have a secret front row seat at the Coastline of Redondo Beach. I’ll be on the patio with my camera fully charged. If I’m right you’ll get a video tomorrow night.

There is so much to look forward to my future that I enjoy having a full calendar. So much of ‘future days’ requires thought and planning. I’m currently planning a mental adventure up Mount Whitney and a fictional trip back in time to neolithic Britain circa 2,000 BC. Both require mental as well as physical exercise. This is much more fun than any form of worry or despair. The busier that I keep my mind the busier my feet follow.

I sure hope my feet are ready for ice cream and Jeopardy right now. Enjoy the Shuttle fly-over wherever you are tomorrow (Friday).