Busy weeks

Oh dear, it has been almost two weeks.

Saturday--I think I have been one notch more tired after my second chemo but that has not kept us from doing things.  Monday before chemo 2, Jenny Kiel, a Hamline colleague, came over to do a yoga session with both Sue and me.  She had offered to bring a pot pie and I asked for a yoga lesson instead.  She had a cancer and yoga book and we went through several poses.  It felt good and relaxing.  Lucky for me she was willing to come back again and yesterday we went through a routine which will make it easier for me to start doing yoga as one of the tools in my arsenal.  Thanks Jenny.

The first reading at MJTC was a unique experience.  After the read through the cast talked about their characters, the interactions between them and the possible meaning of the play.  The director then asked us and the other guests if we had questions or thoughts about the play and/or characters.  It will be fascinating to see what paths they take in developing the final show.  We will try to go to a tech week rehearsal--will keep you posted. Many of you may recognize Linda Kelsey from the Lou Grant TV show.  She lives here now and is playing an 80 year old mother in this play.

Chemo took six hours this time, we closed the clinic down.  I read a little, listened to music, slept, told Sue how bored I was, and watched a video on my phone.  Hopefully this week it will be closer to 5 hours than 6.  Still a long time.  The docs were happy that the first round went well with tolerable side effects.  They said that could be a determinant of what is to come.  The second round side effects were much the same.  The cold sensitivity was a bit stronger and lasted longer, also got to my lips and tongue this time.  It fades over time and is finally gone this time.  It is hard to wait between chemo sessions so I just have to keep imagining my body helping the chemo work during the in-between times. We have started taking a look at alternative treatments in case they are needed down the road.  Talked with a doc in Seattle about sending little micro beads with radiation into the blood supply of the liver tumors.  Waiting to talk to Dr Dan about it and the timing of considering alternatives.  Won't do anything until after the CT scan at the end of February to see how the current treatment is working.  Have a contact in AZ to talk to as well.

Sunday--What a difference a day makes.  Lots more energy today.  Sometimes I guess everything just needs a break--mind and body.  Yesterday when Kim and Lin came for lunch we watched a tv show and I promptly fell asleep for two hours.  They left sometime during the nap--fine hostess I turned out to be.

Had lunch at Rick and Nita's today--Chinese take out so we could all find foods that we would like to eat.  I never know from one meal to the next what is going to sound good.  Today it was shrimp and vegetables and cashew chicken, but it wasn't the kind of cashew chicken I was expecting so stuck with the shrimp.  In Myanmar Sue and I ordered cashew chicken for four days straight and every other day that we could along our trip.  We were teased about it and said we were going to write a book about cashew chicken throughout Myanmar.

Had a busy couple of weeks, Gwen was here from New Mexico to visit.  She was my vice principal when I started teaching in Burnsville.  We have been friends ever since and she has been an inspiration to me in many, many ways.  To get my PhD, to keep going in my career, to keep putting one step in front of the other when things are tough.  We had a nice relaxed visit and threw in a women's basketball game, we won, and a trip to the movies to see Spotlight.  Very good, but staggering in the extent of the child abuse and cover up in the Catholic church.  Big news, we took the Christmas tree down, organized all our decorations and went through the ornaments to decide which ones to give away next year.  Also got rid of all the empty gift boxes we have been saving, the closet has some free space now.

Last weekend we went to a small art show in Redwing--it was delightful and Sue found a bowl from our latest favorite pottery person.  Theater Latte Da, one of our other favorite local theaters, had a world premiere of Lullaby.  A well done play on the difficult topics of depression and loss.  Got gifts from Brussels and Toronto.  Thanks Melodie, Jacques, Eva and Sylvia.  You brightened my day.



Nancy Usic and Liz Wernqvist are coming to visit this week from Connecticut.  Chemo on Wednesday and not sure what else we will be doing during the week.

This is a picture of a Mongolian huntress with her golden eagle.  The movie "Eagle Huntress" was shown at Sundance and hopefully will be picked up.  I love the image and it is a reminder of our incredible trip to Mongolia.  Fly high this week.