imPORTant things

I just couldn't stay up last night any longer. There were a few things I wanted to add about yesterday. I was actually home quite early as the surgery was at 8:45. Mother and I came home. Daddy had left to go back home and his responsibilities there. He drove his "new" (Jeff's old) car. He is taking that to Becky's and switching with our new car - it isn't legally ours as we are waiting for a check from the bank for that. He will drive that here when he comes to get Mother.

I feel like them coming here was a waste of time - in some ways - but was good in others. Yes, I needed someone to be with me on my surgery day, but I am not really that limited, and what I am limited in doing can be put off for a couple days until I or Jeff can get to them. The girls are being helpful. If I had known what this week would have been like I would have told them to stay home now and come later - if it was a choice between this week and my first week of chemo for sure. It has been nice to have them - always is. And it was good for Mother to be at that class with me and also to meet Dr. Moline and hear what she had to say. But it looks like she will be staying through my chemo time -----whenever that ends up being......

Dr. Moline came in after surgery to let me know how things went. She said "I didn't know you are LDS." Turns out she is - and when she said that I seem to remember someone telling me they thought she was. Everything went well with the surgery except that they had to put it on the right side instead of the left. I guess I wrote that last night. I was sent home after I could eat something and get up without being lightheaded.

Dr. Moline told my mom as she was going out into the waiting room and they were wheeling me away from prep something that is enlightening. She said "Remember, this cancer has been growing for a long time. This is not a medical emergency - we can start things now or in two weeks, it won't make much difference. This IS a mental emergency. Waiting is not fun."

We spent the rest of the day just resting. When D left (about an hour before we got home), the girls went over to the neighbor's. Lavena also picked A and her friend A (the neighbor girl) up to take them to the Activity Day activity. We were sitting here reading, etc. after I texted Rachel that we were home, when there was a knock at the door. Here was N with a huge bouquet of flowers and Rachel bringing a dinner to put in the freezer. She knew we had dinner being brought by someone else, but she brought that to use when we need something last minute. She took N back and had A stay there too when they got back from the activity. I took a nap, and just wandered around or sat pretty much all day. I did have a lot of texts from people checking in on me. The girls all came over a little before Jeff got home and Rachel's girls wished me well and then went home after we chatted for a few minutes.

I went to the front door for something and noticed a box on the porch. It must have come before we got home. It was a box of sunshine from Suzy and family. It was full of all yellow things ("Not Pink") to brighten my day. Yellow scrubby, fingernail polish, gum, potato chips, socks (smiley face), lemon heads, sanitizer, sticky notes. It was a fun box overflowing with sunshine!

Then later in the day, Lavena and Luci brought us dinner. That was so nice and tasted so good! The girls helped clean up and we just ended up reading or I wrote here and did other correspondence. It was good to go to bed. My neck hurts when I am fully reclined, so that isn't the most comfortable position, but when I slept I slept well.

I am scheduled tomorrow for a CT scan, and on Monday for a full body bone scan. It was a little disconcerting to call the place for the CT scan and be greeted with "Nuclear Medicine office, may I help you?" I kind of like this 'take one day at a time' principle. I can't worry, change or get away from what is coming. But I can focus my energy on what I have right in front of me at this time and get through it. Then I am through it and I can put it behind me- then onto the next. It has helped me not get all worked up about what is out of my control. After I decided to do this, I read a book that Amanda got from the library. It is called "A Long Walk to Water". Very good about dealing with this day. Also based on a real person's experience.