She said, "If it's dirty, I clean it."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing...
I said, "Huh?"
She said, "If it's dirty, I clean it."
I said, "Even the baseboards?"
She said, "Yes!"
She even cleans UNDER knick knacks and under DVD players. She picks things UP to dust. Where did she come from? How wonderful is this? I've had cleaning people for years and they NEVER pick stuff up and dust under it. I just know it won't last...she's too good to be true. She attacks cleaning just like I do. WOW.
I got back from my Dr. appointment this morning and my house smelled WONDERFUL. Nina was almost done with the cleaning and it shone everywhere. We had this really bad little vacuum cleaner outside that was supposed to have been thrown away and she was trying to use it to vacuum. I had forgotten to tell her where my Kirby was. I showed her and walked her through the changing of the attachments and she used it to take care of the two rugs in the house. (She even carted off the little cruddy vacuum cleaner to dispose of it.. YEAH, NINA!)
My Cancer Radiologist appointment went very well. He came in and said, "You look GREAT." I said, "thank you...(modestly...HA)" He said, "No, really...most people two weeks after completing chemo look really bad but you look great." I just told him it was God's doing, not mine. (Big grin...) He said they normally wait 6 weeks after chemo to start radiation but if I was game, he was going to get me started 4 weeks after chemo. I said I was DEFINITELY game. He said the side effects would be sunburn to the area and fatigue...o joy...
Next week I have an appointment for them to make the 'cast' of my upper body that I will be lying in every day as they do the radiation. It will keep me from wiggling around (supposedly...good luck with that)...I'll let you know if it works or not when we get there. Radiation starts on 2/14/11.
I also talked to my Cancer Nurse today. I told her that I had gotten the Eminence stuff for doing the facial and that my hair dresser is going to do the facial for me and she was SO excited. She is WAY more excited about this facial stuff than I am. HA. The eminence place sent me samples to try (for a small fee, of course but that small fee was MUCH less than actually buying the products and then finding out I was allergic or anything. A container of the eyecream that I got a sample of normally runs ninety dollars. I have to KNOW I like it before buying that stuff...LOL) and we'll use those to do the facial with. It will be good to exfoliate this dead skin off of my face. 8-) Chemo is really hard on the skin.
She also filled me in on why radiation is so fatiguing. She explained that my already compromised red and white cells will get another hit from the radiation PLUS I have to go and get the radiation done every day and it is all just exhausting. Well...I've been exhausted at the end of every day for about a year now so I don't really see that as anything new...we shall see. 8-) Amy has really been a wealth of information throughout this entire process. I thought today was our last call but she said nope...she is here for me through the entire process and she'll be doing a 3 month check up and a six month check up when radiation is complete. I couldn't ask for a better Cancer Nurse.
Hope everyone is having a great day!
By Grace Alone -
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Getting Back Into LIFE
I finally called a company in town yesterday about getting my house cleaned on a regular basis. I have an interview with them this morning at 10:00. I'd like to get it done weekly (because I love a clean house) but if it costs too much for weekly, I guess we'll do every other week like we were doing before all this cancer mess. We don't mess the house up that much so every other week would be fine but there's nothing like coming home once a week to a clean house so I'm going to see how much it would be for weekly.
(I had the meeting with Nina and she is a wonderful lady. She felt the same way about floors and bathrooms as I do and her weekly rate was not unreasonable. She starts tomorrow...YEAH!)
My boss is also trying to get someone in from Saint Louis (home office) to do some of my training for me for the people that need it done immediately. I don't really have the stamina to do all day training yet and he is nice enough to understand that and try to accommodate. I have a 9:00 meeting for that. Hopefully, it will finish before the cleaning lady gets here.
(This meeting went really well also. They are coming next week to teach three classes for me. Hurrah...relief pitchers...!!)
I am actually totally weaned off of Starbucks now. I don't crave coffee at all since it made me nauseous during chemo recovery. I did love my Starbucks but it is actually better to not have all that caffeine coursing through my veins (yeah...whatever...I'm working on convincing myself of this one.).
I've contacted Nancy (my beautician and friend) and let her know that we need to get our schedule going for hair and nails again soon. We'll start with nails since they are still attached to my fingers (HA!) and then, when the hair grows in, we will add that in and lengthen our appointments. We always have so much fun together when we are doing hair and nails. She always makes me laugh...she has some good stories...and that's all I'll say about that. 8-)
I am still seriously considering starting back to work on Friday. When I say 'back to work', I mean physically back in my office at Boeing. It is time and I am feeling much better everyday. The nausea is greatly reduced and I am able to sit up all day (still exhausted at the end of it, but I am sitting up...)
It took me all day to finish this silly blog. Hope everyone is having a great day!
By Grace Alone -
(I had the meeting with Nina and she is a wonderful lady. She felt the same way about floors and bathrooms as I do and her weekly rate was not unreasonable. She starts tomorrow...YEAH!)
My boss is also trying to get someone in from Saint Louis (home office) to do some of my training for me for the people that need it done immediately. I don't really have the stamina to do all day training yet and he is nice enough to understand that and try to accommodate. I have a 9:00 meeting for that. Hopefully, it will finish before the cleaning lady gets here.
(This meeting went really well also. They are coming next week to teach three classes for me. Hurrah...relief pitchers...!!)
I am actually totally weaned off of Starbucks now. I don't crave coffee at all since it made me nauseous during chemo recovery. I did love my Starbucks but it is actually better to not have all that caffeine coursing through my veins (yeah...whatever...I'm working on convincing myself of this one.).
I've contacted Nancy (my beautician and friend) and let her know that we need to get our schedule going for hair and nails again soon. We'll start with nails since they are still attached to my fingers (HA!) and then, when the hair grows in, we will add that in and lengthen our appointments. We always have so much fun together when we are doing hair and nails. She always makes me laugh...she has some good stories...and that's all I'll say about that. 8-)
I am still seriously considering starting back to work on Friday. When I say 'back to work', I mean physically back in my office at Boeing. It is time and I am feeling much better everyday. The nausea is greatly reduced and I am able to sit up all day (still exhausted at the end of it, but I am sitting up...)
It took me all day to finish this silly blog. Hope everyone is having a great day!
By Grace Alone -
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Fingerprints and Faith
When they said that the chemo would change my DNA, they weren't kidding. The fingerprint reader on my computer no longer recognizes any of my fingerprints. It has been happening gradually over the last month or so. It would randomly not recognize it and then I would put lotion on or lick my finger (to puff up the fingerprint) and it would work. Now, no matter what I do, it doesn't recognize it. Of course, being security conscious, I've always had lots of different passwords for everything. (Yeah...I'm thinking of going and changing everything to one that I can remember.) Tom built this really great database that houses all my passwords so I keep having to go into that and find out what my password is...that was a particular problem yesterday because I had to reboot and my windows logon password was not in my head and I couldn't get to the database without getting into my computer...(yeah, you can see the issue there). Luckily, Tom has the same database on his computer so I just rolled my chair across the room and looked it up. 8-) I'm not going to change my fingerprints though because it is my understanding that my DNA will correct itself in time. Ah...patience...I swear I didn't pray for it but I keep having to use it. 8-)
Here is a little Max to brighten your day...
"He Meets Your Needs
“Don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries.” Matthew 6:34
God liberated his children from slavery and created a path through the sea. He gave them a cloud to follow in the day and fire to see at night. And he gave them food . . .
Each morning the manna came. Each evening the quail appeared. “Trust me. Trust me and I will give you what you need.” The people were told to take just enough for one day. Their needs would be met, one day at a time."
This stands totally true in my life. God has always and I know He will continue to meet my needs in all things. I am not worried about whether I end up in remission or they continue to find cancer in other areas of my body...I know that it will all fit His plan no matter what that plan is. He has born me through the agony and total despair of chemotherapy and I know he will bear me through whatever the future holds. I praise Him in all things whether it seems good or bad for me.
By Grace Alone -
Each morning the manna came. Each evening the quail appeared. “Trust me. Trust me and I will give you what you need.” The people were told to take just enough for one day. Their needs would be met, one day at a time."
This stands totally true in my life. God has always and I know He will continue to meet my needs in all things. I am not worried about whether I end up in remission or they continue to find cancer in other areas of my body...I know that it will all fit His plan no matter what that plan is. He has born me through the agony and total despair of chemotherapy and I know he will bear me through whatever the future holds. I praise Him in all things whether it seems good or bad for me.
By Grace Alone -
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sweet Card and Return to Work
I got the sweetest card from the people at work today. (Actually, it probably came yesterday but we didn't check the mail until today.)
One of the ladies I work with mailed it to me but put a note in it that says "I wanted you to know that Clifford walked this card around to everyone. He really misses you and your laugh and he asked me to send it to you." Is that sweet or what? The worst part of this story is that I don't remember who Clifford is. Lordy lordy as my Aunt Mae would say. He must sit in one of the offices on my hallway but as I've said before...I'm really kind of shy and don't get around to talk to others that much. He isn't one of the ones that flocked in to see me on a regular basis either (there are a bunch of them that used to fly in and out of my office chatting...I never had to move an inch to talk to people...funny how that works). A lot of people from the office that I don't even know signed it. I really need to get around and talk to everyone when I get back and try to put names and faces to this card. (Good thing their names are on their offices...8-)
Tom was in DESPERATE need of a haircut and we got that done today. I cut about an inch and a half off...that should give you some indication of how neglected he has been. Well, times are changing...we're not gonna go that long again. 8-) I am truly gaining more energy every day and I am thinking about returning to work this next Friday when Nadir is complete and my white count has returned to normal. I know all my blood work won't be back where it belongs but, if I have the energy, I'm ready to get back in the mix and get on with my life. There is so much going on at work that I need to take care of and it is hard to do it all from here.
I did BJ's taxes today and he owes this year. I finished ours the other day and we owe too. Thanks, O'bama...
Not much else going on here. Hope everyone is having a great day!
By Grace Alone -
One of the ladies I work with mailed it to me but put a note in it that says "I wanted you to know that Clifford walked this card around to everyone. He really misses you and your laugh and he asked me to send it to you." Is that sweet or what? The worst part of this story is that I don't remember who Clifford is. Lordy lordy as my Aunt Mae would say. He must sit in one of the offices on my hallway but as I've said before...I'm really kind of shy and don't get around to talk to others that much. He isn't one of the ones that flocked in to see me on a regular basis either (there are a bunch of them that used to fly in and out of my office chatting...I never had to move an inch to talk to people...funny how that works). A lot of people from the office that I don't even know signed it. I really need to get around and talk to everyone when I get back and try to put names and faces to this card. (Good thing their names are on their offices...8-)
Tom was in DESPERATE need of a haircut and we got that done today. I cut about an inch and a half off...that should give you some indication of how neglected he has been. Well, times are changing...we're not gonna go that long again. 8-) I am truly gaining more energy every day and I am thinking about returning to work this next Friday when Nadir is complete and my white count has returned to normal. I know all my blood work won't be back where it belongs but, if I have the energy, I'm ready to get back in the mix and get on with my life. There is so much going on at work that I need to take care of and it is hard to do it all from here.
I did BJ's taxes today and he owes this year. I finished ours the other day and we owe too. Thanks, O'bama...
Not much else going on here. Hope everyone is having a great day!
By Grace Alone -
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)