Tuesday, August 24, 2010

  I’ve been back at school for a week, and it’s been incredibly hot, but I have a fan behind me, and I have it positioned so that it doesn’t blow the papers off of my desk, but does hit me in the back and keeps me cool if I don’t move away from it.  A few teachers have come in each day to pick up their keys and they’re slowly getting into the groove of getting their rooms back in order.  For the most part, their classrooms are hotter than the office, so I can understand their lack of enthusiasm!

  Got a panicked call from Terry today saying that he was pretty sure that our cat had gotten out while the cleaning lady was there.  He’d been on a conference call and had not seen Buttons since she left.  {It took me a long time to really become an animal person, but losing Buttons would be a huge tragedy!}  So, I dropped everything and flew home, hoping I wouldn’t see her in the street, alive or other, and walked into the house and called her name . . . . . and she walked out of his office!  YUP!

  Blair went with me to the doctor for my weekly blood tests - all the numbers were good again {YES!}  My doctor’s a single dad whose daughter will be a freshman at UC Santa Barbara; we asked if she would be going through Rush, which she is, but he didn’t know too much about it, so he closed the door and we had a little chat - and HE took notes!

  My 3rd round of chemo begins next Monday and there’s lots to do at school before I take off for a week.  I’ve really thought a lot about the idea of going back to work on the last 2 days of my chemo week, and think that I will not try to be a hero, but will stay home to rest.  I haven’t had the stress of working during the first 2 rounds, so I’m sure that it’s made a difference in how I felt during those weeks.  It’s all still pretty new and I will for sure have 3 more rounds after this.

  In the 2 non-chemo weeks, I feel completely normal, and it’s like none of this is really happening.  Unfortunately, my appetite is back though and it’s a challenge to not go back to my old eating habits!

  I do want to thank all of you again your prayers and support; I don’t know how people survive these types of things in their lives without personally knowing God and being able to see how He’s working and answering prayers.  It’s pretty amazing!