The speeches weren't too boring and it was an emotional day for us all. One of my medical school classmates just recently became the Chancellor for the entire University of Texas system and he was at the ceremony. It was nice to be able to introduce Ian and entrust his education to a friend. We had good Texas barbecue for lunch and then Mexican food for dinner with Ian, Resa, Macy and Isaac. Sunday morning Robert got up at the crack of dawn to take Isaac to the airport then came back to collect me and we headed North. We had lunch with Robert's aunt at the Town Cafe in Centerville and then landed on a friend's doorstep in Dallas for more good food, drink and conversation. We slept in Tuesday then split up and I had lunch with my friend while Robert knocked around on his own. Tuesday evening we met old friends from the SMU chemistry faculty at Celebration for our traditional Dallas confab. Coming home yesterday presented no problems and I used the rest of the afternoon to rest and recuperate. I was back at work first thing this morning and am looking forward to my last clinical shift tomorrow with a very busy schedule.
As far as cancer goes, I've tried experimenting the last few days and taking oxycodone whenever I feel any kind of not good - pain or nausea or extra weak or whatever - and it seems to be working. I've determined that my inability to stand or walk for any significant period of time is actually due to low back pain which pretty quickly brings its friends nausea and lightheadedness into play. Even when my pain is completely controlled at rest or sitting, standing and walking trigger it like crazy. I've been keeping track and will talk to my oncologist and Hospice next week about where to go with pain management so we can get rid of the ups and downs and try to keep things on a more even keel. My appetite is still decent, I haven't lost any weight, I'm getting enough sleep and I'm not drowsy or sleepy during the day. So things are pretty good!
I finished the last of Lindsay's quilt squares yesterday so move on to the trimming and assembling stage and then I just have to applique the border and that one is done. I have Emma's fabric and pattern set to go. Hannah is chomping at the bit to choose hers. Speaking of chomping at the bit, I went with Hannah today to get school supplies! She can't wait to get started on her senior year. She's still volunteering at the hospital and working two jobs. Classes start four weeks from today and volleyball four weeks from Saturday. Philip is in Illinois visiting old friends and old haunts. Emma is back in Colorado and thoroughly sick of moving. Lindsay is coming up Saturday for some math therapy before she takes the GRE.
Robert has started the hunt for stadium seats so I can sit comfortably on the bleachers for volleyball, impatiens are blooming like crazy and the weather is still weird - cooler than usual and whenever it warms up it rains. The outside of the house is all painted and Robert is making his way through the inside. Life is still busy and happy and our eyes are still on the future horizon.
Until the National Free to Breathe Walk is past (November) I'm going to end each email with a reminder to contribute to the lung cancer cause in my name if you are able and the link to the Team Sunnyside fundraising page - so here it is:
http://participate.freetobreathe.org/site/TR/RunWalk/General?team_id=1950&pg=team&fr_id=1139
Next update after I see the oncologist next week.
Lisa
1 comment:
You look really good, Lisa. Thank you for the picture. The update sounds great, too. I'm pleasantly surprised by the photo, however, because your spirit is such that I expect you to *do* well, but I'm glad to see you also *looking* physically well.
For what my kibitzer opinion is worth, I think you are going to be surprising some people in terms of your staying power. Maybe even yourself.
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