Covid round 2

I keep trying to get back to normal. Normal schedule. Normal routines. Normal bike riding and walking the dog. Normal health. But that's not quite working the way I want it to work. Not yet. 

This last week I worked the fair in the Bazaar building. Demonstrated the Accuquilt Cutting system for quite a number of people. Sold a few. Pulled interested sewing and embroidery enthusiasts into our exhibit so they would get introduced to the machines we had available to sell. There were many, and our display earned the Best Indoor Fair Display for 2022. Such a nice honor.

The weather was good for the most part. The crowds were pretty amazing actually, especially as the day progressed. More and more people came to enjoy the fair atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed them, especially you who frequent the Aurora Sewing Center stores. It was so fun to see you and chat about the projects you are working on. It was equally enjoyable to hear how your summer has been.

Well, with all that, I landed Covid again. Started feeling funky after my Monday infusion. So now I am returning to that Covid way of feeling, and I pray it is short-lived. I've been in touch with the Cancer Clinic to see if I should be medicating. If I don't hear anything, I'm on my own, letting my existing immune system do its thing. Maybe this will help it become stronger.

Monday morning - before the Covid blossomed - I had an appointment with my surgeon. She was happy to report that I do not need to see her again for six months. So in January, I will have my first mammogram and follow-up appointment. That feels really good. AND I only have three more infusions remaining. The count down begins!

I do find myself thinking about that first mammogram and wonder if I will spend time worrying about it over the fall and winter. That worrying business is not something I want to do. Somehow I have to choose to put my concerns on a back burner and move forward with living, again trusting that God will lead me into my enthusiastic way of being. Onward is the word of the season. January is six months away!

Signed with a hope for new health, the quilting cancer girl

Adirondack vacation

We took a vacation to celebrate my completion of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. From August 8th to August 12th, my husband and I tent camped in the Adirondacks. What a relaxing joy that was! 

My Chicago sister, Betty, and my Indiana sister, Donna, were there with their husbands. Each family had a different campsite. Canoes were rented for trips out on the lake. Cameras snapped photos. Campfires were built. We ate suppers together, and of course, we talked non-stop.

Where did we camp? At the 8th Lake Campground above Old Forge and Inlet. The 8th Lake  campground gave us access to 7th Lake where for years - as kids growing up - our family tent camped for an entire month, transporting all our camping gear across the lake in a small motorboat. I will never forget how hard my dad worked, getting camp set up for all of us. 

It was where we learned to swim, canoe, kayak, hike, manage a small motorboat, and survive the curves that nature threw at us. We chopped wood to cook our meals. Dad dug a latrine, surrounding it with tarps to make it as comfortable as possible in all kinds of weather. We read together, played board games and card games, made family memories to last a lifetime. On Sundays, we planned worship services overlooking the lake and learned about God as our supportive, loving Father.

Our soul was filled by 7th Lake camping, and to this day, it captures our hearts. That's hard to explain to husbands, and you. Those early years like a rite of passage helped us girls be resourceful, discover independence, and find ways to entertain ourselves. We developed an internal strength in the wild that has followed us through life, helping us realize that we can handle anything.

It is one of the reasons I knew I could tackle this cancer and survive. My family has been behind me every step of the way, and so were you, my friends. At the same time, God lives within me, holding my hand when I need his strength and guiding me to caring doctors and nurses who are experts in their field. As I have said all along, "I am so blessed".

I am not finished yet. Four more infusions await me. However, I will complete treatment at the end of October, and then I will pray everyday for the rest of my life that cancer never fills me again, and that cures and treatments improve even beyond what they are today. So many 'out there' await miracles. I pray those miracles become reality. Look how far we have come already. God is in the process. Amen.

Signed within total relaxation, the quilting cancer girl

Healing mindset

This last week was a busy week. Our Block of the Month Quilt Show came off without a hitch on the 23rd of July and then there was a week of camping and craft classes. 

I can't believe that quilt show was over a week ago! For so long I looked forward to seeing my quilt block ladies and the beautiful creations they designed. It was my focus, my much anticipated fun event, during chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. That goal kept me going: I had two quilts to finish and I wanted to be well the day of the show. 

Well, my quilts got finished during the week prior to the 23rd. Hurrah! And I was stand up ready for that Saturday, although mid-day I thought I might not make it. I had finished radiation the day before but recovery from radiation therapy literally does not happen overnight.

That is the reason for this post. You who may be experiencing radiation therapy need to know that it takes time to get your expected normal back. I still have mornings or afternoons and sometimes a whole day when I feel crummy with like morning sickness. I keep eating crackers, and then I'm okay. My ankles still swell. So I walk the neighborhood with my dog, ride my bike, and put my legs up in the recliner. Sometimes I feel bloated. 

Radiation in my body did funky things with water. So this is the way my body reacted to radiation. Your reaction may be totally different. Perhaps you will be fatigued. I was not.

The problem is that people around me have no clue I am feeling lousy. They are ready for me to be my enthusiastic self, back into daily life where work and play and routines are handled with ease. I do my best, believe me. I want to be there for my husband, friends, family and students, and then suddenly I fear I will be ill, and crackers come to the rescue. Thank the good Lord for Ritz!

I am learning there are moments when I need to withdraw to rest. Or I need alone time to recoup and separate myself from the noisy activity around me. But it's difficult claiming that time. I have been away from regular life for so long that I don't want to miss a minute. Besides, folks depend on me. 

Getting used to healing from this last year is my new challenge. I am still getting infusions once every three weeks. They are rebuilding my immune system. There are four more infusions on the calendar so I will be finished by the end of October. Then, the big bell is rung signifying the start of genuine recovery where I will no longer be putting something foreign into my body. Nurses tell me I may be back on track by the end of 2023. My initial reaction: that's just way too long!

I know better than anyone that I have run the gambit. You who are taking the cancer path know we have it rough because we fight for the privilege to live. That's the name of the game and it is not easy. Now with my making adjustments, being flexible, and practicing patience, God and I will work together to restore peace in the bodily house I so enjoy. 

With faith as my foundation, I have travelled this journey, trusting God as my guide, every step of the way. His support is amazing. Most days He carried my troubles and made my load lighter. Now I am ready to walk in His love into the healing year ahead, setting new goals for growth while nurturing my health. I am up to the next new adventures, and you will be as well, one day at a time.