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Monday, August 30, 2010

Another day at the Piper Cancer Center

This has not been a very eventful day--round 2 of radiation. The radiation technicians told me that i looked TIRED...which always makes you feel tired. I had lost 3 pounds, which is not good in my state--however, the real problem is that they weigh me in different clothes,therefore I'm going to weigh differently. It also makes a big difference that I was wearing tennis shoes one day and was barefoot today. So it's not quite as bad as they think it is. I met with the radiologist oncologist who is super nice, and with her nurse. I went up to work out, but I wasn't feeling so well today, and I had time limits, so I only worked out for about 20 minutes.
My sister, kathy, flew in today from California, and it's been nice to have her here. She is pretty easy to have around--and she is a napper like me, so if I am tired, she is very accommodating, and joins me in a nap! We went for a short walk, and she helped with dinner, and it's just nice to have her here.
I appreciate all the suggestions of things to do--I hope to have some goals and get some things done each day--they may not be much, but hopefully I'll do something. I finished a book today--very light reading, but fun. I DO hope my niece, Melanie, will come over and make me laugh during one of my treatments--she can make me laugh almost better than anyone. I am going to look up some of these books/talks on CD, and listen to those. So, thanks to everyone, who gave me different suggestions. :)

One of the things that you really realize during a time like this is that life goes on...even if yours has pretty much stopped for you. Homework still needs to be done, life can still be traumatic, and feelings get hurt. I guess it really is a blessing that life does go on, and that there's some normalcy when your world kind of turns upside down. I had some visitors today, and that was really nice--people are the greatest kinds of blessings we can have. Thanks to all of you for caring, for calling, for emailing, and for just keeping me in your thoughts. I love you all, Louise

7 comments:

  1. I'm so glad that Kath is there and you guys can go through week two together. I decided that the hardest/saddest part of this for me (and many others) is that we can't be there with you. It just seems like its wrong. We desperately want to be near when a friend (sister) is hurting. So, knowing Kath is there is awesome. I'll be there next Monday! YEA!

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  2. I hate it when people tell me I look tired. It usually means my make-up has worn off or I didn't do a very good job with it. I also empathize with your "life goes on" observation. Sometimes you think "Why are you making such a fuss over such trivial things when I am dealing with such critical things?" Luckily, the critical things are truly momentary in the big picture. I hope you will soon be back to only having trivial worries and little upsets. I love you and love the courage you are showing (though a meltdown now and then is also healthy.) We are with you in spirit and will be with you in person when we can. Lots of love,
    Nancy

    PS I know how you feel when know one comments on a post. I finally just decided that my blog was my own personal journal and I'd quit worrying about comments. But you get tons of comments!

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  3. I wrote a post but I'm not sure if it went. I'll try again. We love you and pray for you always. You are and always will be one of our favorate people. We will see you in 5 months but we will keep in touch. Love you so much. Keep up the happy smiley face. You are an inspiration to everyone.

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  4. Melanie makes you laugh more than anyone??????? Present company excluded, right? I take my humor very very seriously - this really hurt my feelings.

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  5. Hey Chad,
    JK. You can make me laugh a ton too. It's just that you haven't called since you got back from Cali, so I wasn't sure you were still on my entertainment committee. But you KNOW I love to laugh and talk with you. I think you're awesome...and WAY funny! Sorry to question your humorous abilities. :)

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  6. My dear Louise,
    I am so sorry that we have not kept in closer contact...I just got the blog address and have been reading it...What an amazing person you are. I have to say that of all the relatives, your happy spirit has always been a ray of sunshine when our times have been dark. I remember when we have struggled with life's challenges your smile and deeply searching eyes gave me such a sense of peace...I wish that I could do that for you...but since I can't here is a hospital experience from one of Dad's patients that might bring a smile to your face.

    It seems that Granddad's patient was in the hospital and there was this one nurse who would come in every morning and ask for a urine sample. He would give her one and she would take a look at it and make some comment about it not being the right color, or the right clarity, or something. So one morning when she came in to get the sample, he went into the bathroom and poured the apple juice from his breakfast tray into the specimen jar. When he took it out and gave it to her, she held it up to the light and said, "Well, this looks a little cloudy." He reached out and swirled it around in the jar and said, "Well, let's run it through again!"...and proceeded to drink it.

    I will leave the aftermath of this to your imagination...hugs and kisses...we are on board for the fast on Sunday...all of the RJP clan...
    oxoxox
    dar and bob

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  7. Dar,
    I loved that post--hilarious!Thanks so much for writing. Every comment or email from people I love mean so much. :) Thanks in advance for fasting on Sunday for me...that will be awesome. Tell your family all hi for me too. They are such great people. love you, Louise

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