11 October 2011

Nuts and Bolts

We've had another changing of the guard this week.  As my sister Michelle prepared to leave on Monday, her son arrived to help out.  So I've had the blessing of a live-in family member since two days before surgery.  I can't tell you how thankful I am to my family for helping out.  It has provided a stable base for the kids - while there are wildly divergent parenting styles involved, we've managed to keep them on a regular schedule with homemade lunches, homework help after school and a walk to and from Harman.


We have also been the thankful recipients of a very active meal train, with sustenance arriving like clockwork Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Again, this has been a godsend for the kids, as our normal sit-down dinner routine continues.  I shudder to think how much cereal the kids would be eating for dinner without the help we're receiving.  I am thanking my lucky stars that we are in this community full of caring folks who are bending over backwards to support us with whatever we need to keep on keeping on.  I can't imagine having cancer anywhere else in the world!

In the past 3 or 4 days I have crossed over some kind of a milestone in the healing process because I do not have as much pain and I have much better mobility.  I'm still pissed off I can't walk like I used to, and I've lost a ton of muscle tone.  But I'm able to do a little more everyday.  One thing I did not count on was gaining weight.  But three weeks in bed feeling yucky and consoling oneself with goodies people keep dropping off is taking its toll. When I gain weight, I usually gain it all over.  But now the fat cells have been removed from my chest area the excess fat that would have ended up there is settling around my middle, (in addition to the fat that would have ended up there anyway.)  Ouch. As soon as I feel up to it I'll get back on the walking program.  And get back to eating what I should instead of what I want.  I'm hoping that is tomorrow.

FYI: I start chemo in a week.