On 01.02.02, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Too late for surgery, I had chemotherapy, which failed. In May the chemotherapy was changed and I was soon in remission which was celebrated and welcome and lasted nine years - until October 2011. There was progression in 2011 so more treatment was indicated and I am now back in partial remission. But I'm not only a cancer patient - I also enjoy my family, walk my dogs and am learning to draw and paint. Life is good!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

A good day

When I was a much younger woman I'd hear mid-life folks discussing their older relatives with comments like, "Oh, you know, she has good days and bad days."  Yep, that's what it's like.

On a scale of one to ten yesterday was about a three.  I felt nauseous and was in significant pain.  Still, I walked the dogs 1-1/3 miles, went to Santa Rosa with Steve to pick up even more medication (45 minutes each way) and we relished in the fall color all through the Valley of the Moon.  I picked up as the day went on and probably ate more yesterday than any other day of the week, maybe even got past 500 calories!  I read about 30 pages.

Today is awesomely better.  Steve is working this morning and left in the dark.  When I heard the chickens calling I unlashed the coop and noticed that Raquel has started molting.  I was suspicious yesterday, but today I am sure.  No eggs from her for a while and she's gonna be shivery cold if she doesn't grow those new feathers in quickly.  Our temperatures are getting into the upper 30s these nights.

I groomed some geraniums on the deck and vowed to get that area in order by Thanksgiving Day when the kids and grandkids arrive (two coming from Honolulu).  Our deck is enormous - almost 30 feet square - and needs significant sweeping from fall leaves tumbling down and the plants need care.  Taking care of plant life, you might remember, is on my list of Six Things I Need to Do Every Day, that I posted a few days ago.

I also need to draw daily - it's on the list - but I haven't been drawing at all for a couple weeks.  Today I looked at the corn and pumpkin decoration Steve set up in the living room and snagged a colorful ear of corn to keep me busy for a couple hours.  It felt so good to be using a pen for a change!  I can't let this cancer thing stop me from drawing - although it might make my hands shake and then I'll have to switch to collage or something.

It's a good day.  And that's as far into the future as I'm going to look, just today.

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