May The Fourth Be With You

Way back in the day - about when one of the original Star Wars movies came out - maybe The Empire Strikes Back - I happened to hear this saying on the radio. I thought it was so clever and couldn't believe that nobody else was saying it to each other since SW was so big. I remembered it and it has been a race between me and my nephew Caleb to see who can wish the other one "May the Fourth" first. Fourteen years ago, my nephew Keegan was baptized on the 4th of May. I was asked to give a talk at it, and I chose to do a talk on the Holy Ghost. The first thing I said as I stood up was this line and I had every one's attention. I likened the Force to the Holy Ghost and that we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ really do have the Force with us and we can have it with us all the time if we remain worthy of it - "It" being the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Anyway, that is the story for our family behind this special day of the year!

This year, it has significance to me. Yesterday was the last day of radiation! So May the Force be with ME!

             As you can see, I am not very good at selfies. My front camera is broken, so I have to do a blind capture. Of course, the nurse didn't do much better with not getting a blurry picture, but at least she got the whole me in it. Behind me, you can see a big door. That is the door into the radiation room. It is about 8 inches thick and made of metal and other containment materials Above it (the fuzzy light in my selfie) is a sign that says "In Use" - meaning, don't come in as it is hazardous. There is even a hazard sign on the door. And that is where I am when all those hazardous rays are being released - directed right at me. Not any more!!!! I am so happy to be done with this! My skin has been healing a bit this last week. Saturday and Sunday were probably the worst for the red area behind my arm. It didn't ever get weepy or goopy. But it did get raw and close to blistery looking. This silvadine cream and vaseline gauze has been very soothing and helpful. It is a pain wearing a big pad over it to protect my clothes and keep it from drying out. The nurse made a tank top type thing out of gauzy material. I probably have to wear all this for another week at the most. The red area was about 5"x6". The edges are healing, so the worst part is now about 3x4 now. Every once in a while, I'll get a prickly feeling, like it is being scratched with sandpaper. And the redness around my sternum is getting really itchy. It is drying out a bit and I'm having a hard time not peeling it or scratching it all away. I have to put some kind of material (clothing or something) over it and just tap it to relieve the itch. At this point the best lotion has been Calendula. I still put the Emu Oil on it at night and sometimes Aloe Vera. I try the hydro-corisone, but Calendula takes away most of the itch and soothes at the same time.

I have started a hiking group to try out different places to go hiking around here. We went two weeks ago to Bowl and Pitcher and had a nice hike. I planned on going to Manito Gardens last Friday, but it rained and there were only 3 of us going - all 3 of us decided we didn't want to freeze (it was about 58*) and get wet. So I planned the same hike for today. N woke up sick and so I had to back out. That ended up cancelling it as the others decided not to go either. One of these days we'll get there. N has been watching Scooby-doo all day. I'm a little bit tired of "Rooby-rooby-roo". But it is helping her take her mind off throwing up.

Another thing I did was ride bikes with A to school today. Finally I don't have my early radiation appointment. I was having to leave the same time as A&N, so I couldn't walk or ride with them to school. I did pretty well. It's only a half mile there, but the way back is just the slightest incline, so I have to work a little harder coming home. I was a little out of breath, but I could have kept going. I had to gear down a little, but I did better than the last time I rode which was after my 3rd chemo treatment in October.

The weather has been perfect spring weather. Cool nights and 70's - 80's. The strawberry plants are thriving. This weekend is supposed to be really nice, so we are going to get a little bit more dirt for our tomato box and go get some plants and seeds this weekend. I have some lettuce growing that came up from what was left in the garden last year. The girls are excited to get some pumpkins and watermelon again. I am going to try cucumber if I can find an english cucumber plant (I got one last year, but it froze and I couldn't find another one). Also peppers and jalepenos again. The carrots were pretty much a waste, but I may try that again. (I didn't thin them, so they grew really weird). But the lettuce was really great and this year I'll plant a few seeds every couple weeks so we can eat it all summer rather than have it all grow at one time.

I guess that is all. I still have to go in every 3 weeks for my herceptin infusion. That will go on through August. I only have 6 more of those to do! Wow, I didn't realize it was that few left. I am going to go get fit for prothetics next week. It doesn't bother me much - I thought it would. But I am going to be happy to have a girlish figure back. Last Sunday I was putting a dress on and wondered why it was all baggy in front and tried to get it to straighten out until I figured out that I was needing to fill it out instead. I've been wearing lots of jackets and scarves. It's getting a little warm for that. On that note - I know I mentioned it before, but since I was diagnosed with cancer - and all that comes with it. I couldn't have asked for better timing for everything. I had my first chemo infusion the week before school started. I missed out on a couple of things like the primary program and some school events that fell in the few days after treatment. But I lost my hair just as the weather was getting cooler. So I wore hats all winter long. My grandson came with perfect timing the week before surgery. I have to wear this compression sleeve for up to a couple months after radiation ends, which puts it right about the time school gets out and the weather stays hot consistently. It is bothersome on the few mid-80 days we've had so far, but by the time it stays that warm, I won't have to wear it all the time. I will be healed up and everything by the time Jeff and I go on a get-away at the beginning of June. He qualified for a trip to a resort in McCall, ID for being a top salesman. Originally it was supposed to be Tahoe and in May, but it got changed. I don't think I would have been healed enough to really enjoy it all if it were to be even a week earlier. I will be tip-top shape (or should be) by the time school gets out. Or at least I will be able to get myself into tip-top shape by then. I keep having these thoughts about ladies who fight cancer and then go on to run marathons or something. I don't think I am that crazy - or I should say, I don't think that is in me - at least it doesn't interest me in the least. I do however want to get into better shape and do (casual) bike riding and hiking. So that is my goal. To get stronger and [heart] healthy-fit.
So with that in mind - May the Fourth Be with You and Me. I am counting on it. It has been with me for the last 9 months and I have gained strength because of it and it has carried me through the times that I haven't had any or very little strength. And it has made me stronger!