An OK week, I guess, for a chemo week…..

Last week off my chemo was sooooo nice.  I got to where I actually almost felt normal at times.  Oh, to be “normal” again……

This week did start off very well – OUR HOUSE IN ALABAMA CLOSED without a hitch!!  What a relief that is!  Every now and then I think about strangers living in “my house”, but try not to sad over that.  The check was deposited in the bank, but it will take 9 days to clear!  That seems a bit long to me, but I guess it is what it is.  The entire amount will be available next Wednesday, and that’s when our house here will close – 1:00 pm.  We are planning to move in the following Friday – 6 days!!.  The whole thing is just OVERWHEMING for me.  I’m not sure how it is going to happen with me not being able to do much more than fix a meal now and then.  We have hired a local moving company who will arrive at 8:00 am to move the furniture and the boxes that are packed.  Most of those are upstairs in the floored attic – that we never had time to get unpacked after moving in here.  I did have 3 large floor-to-ceiling bookcases that I had filled with my quilt fabric, books, and notions shortly after moving in here, back when we thought we would be staying here.  

How I wish I had never done that!  But today, Guy, bless his heart, helped me to pack that all up.  I would put a few things in a box, rest a bit, put a few things in, and rest a bit. We filled up 12 boxes!  

There are actually probably twice that many that just never got unpacked – thank goodness!!  Now the main thing left to pack is the kitchen.  Surely over the next 4-5 days, we can manage that.  It’s not like we have to have every single thing in a box ready to go.  Some things we can just take at our leisure, once we get the bulk of it in.  It’s only a few blocks across town, so a lot of the clothes can be taken in our car.  This current house is not going anywhere, and no one is pushing us to move in, so we can take our time with cleaning up the leftovers.  About all I’ll be able to do on the move-in day is point and direct traffic.  I just hope I’m up to THAT!  There are some days when I can do nothing but recline in my chair.  I will be getting my fluids on Thursday of that week, so that should help me for Friday.

I’m back to chemo on Tuesdays and IV fluids on Friday now.  I just took my 1^st infusion of my 4^th month this week.  I keep thinking – I could POSSIBLY have only 2 more treatments!!  I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but at the end of the month when I see all three doctors, I’ll find out.  I know they could say I have to go for 2 more months, but I’m praying that they will say all the cancer is GONE!!!!

I saw my oncologist here last Tuesday, and she added a medication to help with the neuropathy.  I really do think it might be working.  Most of the time when I’m on my feet, I’m “aware” of my numb feet, but the last couple of days, I haven’t been constantly thinking about my feet – not that it’s gone, but I do believe, it is helping.  This week, for the 1^st time, I’m starting to feel some numbness in my fingers.  OH!  I had SO hoped it would not affect my fingers!!!!!  Our pastor asked me last Sunday if I could play my keyboard the 13^th of this month.  I told him I thought I was ready to play again.  Then a couple of days ago, he texted me and asked If I could play this Sunday since the lady that was going to play is out of town with her mother who had a heart attack.  I told him I would, and he came by to give me a list of the songs.  I needed to go in to the church today to practice a little, but when I got up this morning, I felt so weak and shaky.  I couldn’t understand why because I got the fluids yesterday, and I went to bed at 9:30 and slept until 5!  I haven’t got that much sleep forever.  After eating breakfast, I could barely wiggle, so I just lay back in my recliner and slept some more.  About 11, I got up and felt pretty good.  I went to the church and practiced for a while – did fine, and then drove to the post office and got the mail.  I’m telling you – it’s just crazy – I never know from one moment to the next how I’m going to feel.  It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever experienced!!  You just learn to go with the flow….

The weather here had been warm, but TERRIBLY windy!!!  It was gusting to over 45 mph today.  Yesterday when we went to Hutch to get my IV fluids, we could see that there was a large fire between LR and Hutch – down in the sandhills.  

Between LR and Hutch there are lots of very large pastures of tall grass.  They are called the sandhills because the ground is very sandy.  Every year when it is dry – and it is very dry here right now – there will be fires in these areas, and they are very hard to fight because of the spring winds.  I remember back to when I was a child, Carl and Dad were on the volunteer fire department here, and when they would go out on those runs, they would be gone for long hours – into the night, and it was always so scary for us – not knowing if they were safe or not.  Both fire trucks from LR were out fighting this fire yesterday.  We were hoping that we would not have to detour as we went to Hutch.  

We could see the smoke not far from the road we were on, but we never saw any actual flames.  On the way home from Hutch, however, we did have to detour – 4 miles to the east.  We saw flames shooting into the air where we had to turn off onto the detour.  Those flames were pretty near the road and not all that far from a farm house.  This afternoon, as I let the dogs out, I could still smell smoke.  Guy learned from his coffee buddies this morning, that crews were out all night fighting hot spots.  Thankfully, it was not anywhere near our farm.

Mark and Dylan arrived Thursday evening on their way to a soccer tournament near Dallas.  They stayed overnight and left the dogs here for the week.  Next weekend, Mark will load up a UHaul and bring us the rest of our furniture.  Our king size bedroom suite has been at his house in Overland Park because we did not have room for it here.  Now that we’ll have a master bedroom again, we can use it.  There are a few other things that he has of ours that we can use now, so he will arrive with both boys on Friday and be here for the weekend.

Then next week, Jeannine and the girls will arrive during their spring break to help me unpack.  I need her to help me organize and put my kitchen together.  You know, if your kitchen is all together, it feels like your whole house is done. 

I just hope I’m able to pull this whole thing off.  I guess I just need to remember to take one day at a time and try not to look ahead too far. 

I decided to crochet this cap.  It is a very simple pattern – just double crochet stitches – two rows of red, two rows of gray and repeat.  

The first time I got nearly done, it was just way too big, so I ripped it all out, and decided to use a smaller hook, because I guess my tension is a little lose. This time, it was still too big.  So I ripped it out again.  Then I realized I was making the adult big size, so I went to the adult medium size.  I ended up ripping it out a couple more times.  I was determined to get this hat done and wear it!!  I think it is still a bit big, but I’m NOT going to rip it out and start over.  I want to put a little scalloped edge on it, so I’ll need to rip out at least one row or it will be down over my eyes.  I crocheted Annie a little coat, and it was too small – she growled at me when I tried to get it one her.  😀  I didn’t really like the plain worsted yarn I was using – seemed too stiff, so I got some that was softer, and made another one, thinking it was a little larger, but I don’t think it’s going to fit her either.  Oh, well, winter is nearly over anyway!  It never really got cold enough here for her to need one anyway.  I just thought it would be fun to make one, but my luck in crocheting something that actually fits is not going very well.  It’s been more just something to keep my hands busy, I guess. 😀

Since I have nothing earth-shaking to share this week, I’ll end with this from Jesus Calling, which I certainly need to remember:

“Refuse to worry!  In this world, there will always be something enticing you to worry.  That is the nature of a fallen, fractured planet.  Things are not as they should be.  So the temptation to be anxious is constantly with you, trying to worm its way into your mind.  The best defense is continual communication with Me, richly seasoned with thanksgiving.  Awareness of My Presence fills your mind with Light and Peace, leaving no room for fear.  This awareness lifts you up above your circumstances, enabling you to see problems from My perspective.  Live close to Me!  Together we can keep the wolves of worry at bay.”

And as always……..I remain in His hands…..