Thursday, December 28, 2006
It's been a wonderful journey
Admittedly, I have not done a great job of posting regularly as I had hoped. But life has a way of intervening. Since I don't know when I might have another opportunity to post, I will try to recap as best I can.
As I sit here in "my" room at our home in Pelzer, I can see a family of cardinals frolicking in the trees outside my big picture window. I have been happy since we relocated here that we made the move, because it has enhanced my quality of life in terms of comfort, space to share with loved ones and visitors, and overall comfort. It was a good move and I must thank my family once again for making it happen by physically "carrying" us to our new space as they say down here in the South.
I'm still having trouble saying with no doubt or hesitation that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me, as some people claim. However, it has brought me so many unexpected blessings that I can easily admit to many benefits of this disease.
I had read and heard people speak of the outpouring of gifts from every direction when you have cancer. Now I have had the chance of a lifetime to experience it first hand. Family, friends and even relative strangers have enveloped me in a cloud of love and caring that can only be understood once you are in the cloud.
Mary, Sarah and Lea all hopped in their car and drove down just to be with me for 36 hours, to see if there was anything I need and spend some precious time with me.
Loved ones have done things for me that I'm sure they would just as soon not, helped me discuss and research difficult topics, tried to protect me from stresses and strains as much as possible, and even held their emotions in check so as not to add to my burden. In other words, they have taken on as much of the burden for me as they possibly could to help relieve mine, even when inconvenient or distatsteful.
I know many wonder where I am in the disease process and "how much longer" I have. I certainly am at the point where there is absolutely no way to tell. There are new, sometimes alarming, physical developments some days, and I realize that at any time, a new development could become the last one for me.
On the other hand, I have days like yesterday when I could barely walk when I woke up, yet during the course of the day, my appetite was ravenous, I ate nonstop all day and became progressively stronger. By the end of the day I was feeling great and much stronger, and today is another good day so far. So I just never know...
I still sleep from 10am to 10pm, spend much of the day in the recliner chair and on the couch in the evenings. I do tire easily so my caretakers have been trying to manage the flow of calls and visitors. I hope we have not offended anyone, and certainly want to talk with and see people as much as possible.
I am blessed to still be here and able to enjoy all the loving care. I thank everyone, whether they have been able to call and visit, or are busily sending prayers my way, for your support. I feel it is making a difference in my quality of life, if nothing else, and I love you all.
As I sit here in "my" room at our home in Pelzer, I can see a family of cardinals frolicking in the trees outside my big picture window. I have been happy since we relocated here that we made the move, because it has enhanced my quality of life in terms of comfort, space to share with loved ones and visitors, and overall comfort. It was a good move and I must thank my family once again for making it happen by physically "carrying" us to our new space as they say down here in the South.
I'm still having trouble saying with no doubt or hesitation that cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me, as some people claim. However, it has brought me so many unexpected blessings that I can easily admit to many benefits of this disease.
I had read and heard people speak of the outpouring of gifts from every direction when you have cancer. Now I have had the chance of a lifetime to experience it first hand. Family, friends and even relative strangers have enveloped me in a cloud of love and caring that can only be understood once you are in the cloud.
Mary, Sarah and Lea all hopped in their car and drove down just to be with me for 36 hours, to see if there was anything I need and spend some precious time with me.
Loved ones have done things for me that I'm sure they would just as soon not, helped me discuss and research difficult topics, tried to protect me from stresses and strains as much as possible, and even held their emotions in check so as not to add to my burden. In other words, they have taken on as much of the burden for me as they possibly could to help relieve mine, even when inconvenient or distatsteful.
I know many wonder where I am in the disease process and "how much longer" I have. I certainly am at the point where there is absolutely no way to tell. There are new, sometimes alarming, physical developments some days, and I realize that at any time, a new development could become the last one for me.
On the other hand, I have days like yesterday when I could barely walk when I woke up, yet during the course of the day, my appetite was ravenous, I ate nonstop all day and became progressively stronger. By the end of the day I was feeling great and much stronger, and today is another good day so far. So I just never know...
I still sleep from 10am to 10pm, spend much of the day in the recliner chair and on the couch in the evenings. I do tire easily so my caretakers have been trying to manage the flow of calls and visitors. I hope we have not offended anyone, and certainly want to talk with and see people as much as possible.
I am blessed to still be here and able to enjoy all the loving care. I thank everyone, whether they have been able to call and visit, or are busily sending prayers my way, for your support. I feel it is making a difference in my quality of life, if nothing else, and I love you all.
