Busy, busy, rest, rest, busy, rest, busy, rest!

National Geographic News, August 19, 2009 is a very interesting article about how cancer cells are protected from dying off properly, by anti-oxidants, a new study shows! Just wanted to get this mention out of the way first & foremost because I think it is important for everyone to read. Unfortunately, probably cause I'm a bit tired, I couldn't figure out the link info properly. But, you can still find it online at the info/date above.

So, now to busy, busy, rest, rest! I haven't written since the 15th I think (?) of this month because ... Here's why!

A week ago tomorrow, I started college classes again; although I reduced my classes from four to two. The two I kept are just the right amount of work, I think, for me to pull off in my chemo state of being.

I kept math and basic photography, both of which I am excited about, bit especially the photog class because of it's creative/art spark that I get from it (already!). We use 35 mm cameras, develop film, learn to enlarge film, etc. Really exciting stuff for an artist because I can see myself using film to create compositions to use to paint from, as well as using film to express my art in a completely "film" way. Really great class! Really excited! Really! :) In cutting down my classes, I now only have school two days a week, instead of four, and that's really good for me too.

Then, Wed. I had a "partial" infusion; no chemo because white blood cells too low...but hey! at least it wasn't due to my liver, which is now almost back to normal. Thank You, GOD! Looks like we'll try for Taxol again, this upcoming Friday.

Thursday of last week, my daughter started school. And, Friday, I had surgery to repair my port, which had somehow turned itself around and in so doing, rendered itself un-usable. Having a port is important and extremely helpful to me because it protects my left arm/veins from over-use and more scarring from constant use. A port is "tucked" under your skin, attached to a large vein in your chest (for me, at least). It's actually just barely visable, as a lump under the skin. It's an entry way for access to a vein which would obviously be unreachable for chemo/iv use.

This is necessary for me to help protect my left arm vein, as I said, because my right arm is "off-limits" for needles, i.v.'s and even blood pressure machines. This is because I had lymph nodes removed in my right armpit six years ago when I had my mastecomy. Removing lymph nodes leaves the limb that is "affected" by the loss, susceptible to Lymphedema, which is a horrible, enormous swelling of a limb that gets clogged in draining normal fluids, due to loss of lymph nodes. Somehow, squeezing the arm (in my case) with blood pressure monitors, of putting needles into it, can create the condition. So, I am very careful not to use that arm for any of those things. This leaves my left arm for everything which damages the veins after a while, from scarring due to over-use. Therefore, I needed the port fixed asap.

I am very, very, very sore from these surgeries. The one to put the port in, I had in June, and that was extremely painful for about two weeks, with the third week being just really sore. I sure hope it doesn't take that long this time, as it hurts just to bend over to put on my shoes. Because it's in my upper part of my left breast/chest area, every jiggle hurts! I have been resting solidly since Saturday mid-day, when I had to get my daughter from her gymnastics class. Luckily for me, my helpful sister took her to class, and my other helpful friend Dinah, helped me drive up there (about 30 min away). Both were a great help in doing that! I am thankful to have helpful, caring people in my life.

So, we skipped church today because I'm in pain, tired and resting...as much as is possible with a ten year old and fifteen year old, who want to keep moving and doing stuff and want me to participate. I have to constantly remind them of why I can't. This irritates all of us equally; they hate hearing me say "no, I can't right now" and I get tired of saying it to them. Heavy sighs all around. I often get support from friends, and family, to keep them busy for me while I rest, but I guess ot just isn't often enough for them. This is surely a lesson in patience for us all.

Even my dog, Serenity, does the heavy sighs too! She is a sweet, kind, patient and loving dog--willing to do whatever is asked of her, even wait, wait, wait for her regular daily walk, which hasn't happened this week for several days now. She is laying in her bed right now, and I just heard her do a heavy sigh. Little cutie. She is half white lab, half golden retriever. She looks all white lab except for her birth defect tail (which made her a freebie) because it is only about 3 inches long and looks like it had been docked vs born shortie. In every other way, she is a perfect girl. She loves my 3 cats and the kids and everyone she meets -- Miss Congeniality! We are blessed to have such a good,sweet dog. She still guards the house and grounds for all her sweetness, our great dog!

So now, it is a resting day and I am going to go rest again. Just wanted to keep in touch!

With Gratitude for All-
Elizabeth Gregory