Satin Sheets to lie on..... and you know how the song goes!!

Well hello all . It has been two weeks since I last wrote and an eventful two weeks it was for sure. No need to get into all the nitty gritty details  but suffice it to say I made it through the first round of chemo and it was not as bad as I thought , Had some yucky days ( ok I will never say I am tired again after this journey is over because I never really knew what tired is till this week)  but have been feeling excellent since Friday night.

This past few days have been wonderful as my "little brother" Eric came to visit from Nova Scotia. What fun we had!!!! I haven't laughed so much in a  long time . Mom always said there can't be too much laughing because it will result in tears and of course there were quite a few when  I left him at  the airport tonight. But at any rate it was so good to have him here to help out and just  talk about the good old days ! I used to hate it when I was a teenager and he would answer the phone. He would always yell out " Miss Piggy you're wanted on the telephone"...used to drive me nuts!! But  I used to love it when he would massage the calves of my legs.... and as soon as dinner was over on Sunday I was flaked out on mom's couch and he was at my feet ready to do his duty! I sure enjoyed my Sunday Turkey dinner...man I gave that plate some fright.On Monday I went to Mary Brown's with Helen and the Big Mary never stood a chance either!!! I wasn't able to eat all the previous week ( with the exception of Wednesday when |I ate a slice of toast, a baked potato and a bowl of jello) ---- Damn that red jello - only those who are closest to me will know why I am saying damn that red jello !!!!! but thank you Jean for making it for me .... Glenn and Garfield never saw a woman devour a bowl of jelly so fast before!!!   And Kellie I'm glad it made your day.

On Tuesday of this week reality set in again as my hair began to fall out. Glenn and Eric were there to help me through this as I covered up in Pat's quilt.  On Wednesday I went to St.John's to see Nadene and she was kind enough to shave my head. As my father in law Sterling always says "God only made a few perfect heads, and the rest He put hair on them. " Well I have almost a perfect head.  In case you are wondering I  had a bit of a hard time with that but it only lasted as long as that Big Mary....as  I explained to Emily losing my hair means the chemo is working. My "real hair" is caught up in customs so I have a temporary wig... I'll let you judge for yourselves in the pic below.  Mrs. Welsh has made me satin pillowcases for my bed now that my hair is gone since  Lorraine told me that it would be more comfortable to sleep on satin . Along with the pillowcases she has been busy making me turbans and a scarf. Wait till she sees what I got from Lorraine yesterday----- a pattern from one of the dragon boat ladies for knitted boob prosthesis!!!! gonna need more than one ball of wool for that one....just imagine a knitted boob to slip right into a mastectomy bra..... who would have ever thought that almost 19 years ago when she was helping me with a breast pump  beacuse my right hand was injured ( oh my she nearly tore the boob right off me) that she would be knitting me boobs!!!! NOW LET'S TAKE A BREAK FROM READING AND LOOK AT SOME PICTURES!!!

SOME OF THE ANGELS I HAVE RECEIVED

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM BARB

MY NEICE NADENE ...THE BEST HAIRDRESSER IN TOWN

FROM MY MOM ...WHO IS MY VERY BESTEST FRIEND

SATIN PILLOWCASES FROM MOM WELSH

POEM FROM MICHEALA

I'M NOT LIKE SAMSON...MY STRENGTH IS NOT IN MY LOCKS

FROM MY NEICE CHANTAL IN ALBERTA

A BAG OF SURPRISES FROM ERIC'S DAUGHTER CHARLOTTE

MY BREAST CANCER CHIA PET

ERIC & EMILY

OH LINDA ... YOU MADE MY DAY

ME & "MY LITTLE BROTHER" ERIC

GETTING A MASSAGE

DO BLONDES REALLY HAVE MORE FUN? WE THINK SO

I will be back at the hospital on Feb 7 for my blood work and assessment and if all goes well I will have my next chemo treatment on Feb 8. I am looking forward to seeing some familar faces and am anxious to see if a particular two patients took my "port" advice. I look forward to lifting the spirits of the other patients as it keeps me on top shelf too!!!

As usual I have received lots of support from others and had to tell my colleagues at Ascension Collegiate to stop sending food once I was able to cook again. Would you guys believe that there has not been ONE day since I came home from hospital that I haven't received some act of kindness .... not sure how I will ever repay it all back but rest assured I am resolved to pay it forward. I thank God every day for my family and friends who brighten the days in what could be a dark period .

ME & MY BOY

I was especially Glad to have Luke home for the weekend since he makes me laugh too. He made special treats for me on Saturday and helped  us out with a lot of things that Glenn needed done... Emily was glad to have him home since it gave her  a break !!!! Glenn and I cant believe how fast they have grown up and are quite proud of them....okay so I am going to brag now ...Luke won another scholarship this week  ...totalling $5100.00 now.... I think I have a right to brag !!!! He found out that he won the provincial Newfoundland and Labrador Womens Institue Scholarship and will be formally recognized in the near future. Emily also continues to excel with her studies despite all that is going on at home. Eric could not believe what a beautiful young woman she has become since he saw her almost two years ago.

Tonight I am feeling a little ( well alot) down since I have been instructed by my doctor to stay away from the hospital tomorrow. Glenn is scheduled to have back surgery tomorrow morning at 11:00. I would appreciate it if you could all say a prayer for him and the doctor and nurses at the Health  Sciences. I am hoping that he will be pain free after a couple of days since he has been in agony for almost six weeks now. I will be on pins and needles until I know that he  is alright. Special thanks to Carletta who will be with him when he goes to the O.R. and to his sisters who will go with him later in the day when they get off work. Luke will also be there when Glenn gets out of surgery. I can't,  according to my doctor,  risk the chance of getting an infection in the hospital where all the germs are!! But my heart will be there a million times over. We are planning a second honeymoon as soon as we are all better!!!!

So that's all for now I will post a brief update on Glenn's progress to let you all know how he made out....just keep us in your prayers please.... now as traditon dictates it's time for a joke:

If my body was a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull ...
But that's not the worst of it.
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close
My traction is not as graceful as it once was.. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather..
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it --Almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter, either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires.

Until next time......your breast friend KIM   XOXO