C'Mon Old Lady - Pick Up Your Kid!!!

Wow - I think the effects of the Femara are starting to appear. I woke up this morning and getting out of bed felt like I had run a marathon yesterday (trust me, I didn't). I'm having some joint pain in my knees, hips and lower back. Yuck. I think I'd be fine if I could take some Advil, but I can't since my surgery is on Thurs. I took some Tylenol just now and am hoping that does the trick. Needless to say, I didn't feel like the most energetic mom today. Met my awesome friend for coffee this morning where they had this cute little play area for the little ones, and it was hard for me to move around. This too shall pass. Cool thing though - I got to experience complete silence in the house for just a little while after Ginger and I got home. She was exhausted and went down for a nap, and I just sat on the couch and listened to the wind blowing through the trees. I can't remember the last time I did this, and how incredibly peaceful it was. Absolutely beautiful.

I think my anxiety about my surgery on Thurs is stemming mostly from the 'unknown'. Not the 'unknown' of the surgery - I'm pretty clear on what is going to happen there - but I realized I've gotten so familiar and comfortable with the medical professionals and facilities up here in my little town of Prescott - that going down to Phx is going to be - well, different. New nurses, new doctors, new hospital - new everything. I just need to keep an open mind, and an open heart, and pray for patience patience patience. Lots of patience.

Met w/ my good friend this evening and had a wonderful chat. She gave me some awesome advice. (she's been down this road before) There is such an awesome peace that surrounds her, she is so inspiring. On my drive home I thanked God for bringing her into my life - she understands my fears and anxiety about this, and is able to relate to me on this very personal, emotional surgery coming up. What a blessing.

I had to catch up on my devotional this evening because I got behind, and yes, gotta share a quickie here because again, the visual is amazing:

When you need comfort, I love to enfold you in My arms. I enable you not only to feel comforted but also to be a channel through whom I comfort others. Thus you are doubly blessed, because a living channel absorbs some of whatever flows through it.

Isn't that amazing? This is exactly how my friendships are feeling - that I don't just feel the comfort of my friendships, but the comfort of God working through the friendship. So cool. I would have never expected cancer to reveal so much to me, but it has. I am a much better person because of it, ironically enough.


OH - the gross nose thing I was supposed to share. Alright, now as a warning, this is gross - well, at least I think it is. Ok - now since I started treatment back in May - I was told chemotherapy tends to really dry you out, everywhere. Plus, the kind of drugs I was on, bloody noses were also a side effect. First of all, the first hair I lost was my nose hairs - I know, weird. I have a new appreciation for the function of these things, since I had post nasal drip and stuffy sinuses all through treatment. My nose ran ALL THE TIME. Now, this is annoying by itself, but in AZ where is extremely dry, makes it doubly annoying. In order for me to breathe, I would have to excuse myself and rid myself of the back up in my nose - get it? In doing this for the past 5 months, and all the other irritation that has gone on, what has happened I've now discovered, is a hole has now appeared, yes, a hole, in the cartilage that separates my nostrils. It goes right through to the other side. I am revolted. Thank God the antibiotics I'm now taking are working and my sinuses are finally clearing up the most they have since this whole thing started. Because I now have to just carefully blow my nose and let the inside of my nose heal. It does seem to be healing, albeit slowly today - or seems to be anyway. I can't even explain how uncomfortable this is - and how gross this is - yuk. Never saw this coming, or even knew it was possible. Weird, eh? So there's the gross nose story.

My mind is racing with a million things I need to get done before Thurs, and I can only do the best I can do, I know. I have my pre-op in Phx tomorrow w/ my reconstructive surgeon, plus I need to go buy this special kind of bra. Should be interesting. Thank you to Sana who brought us yummy dinner tonight, what a blessing. Thank you to Lisa for bringing my Madeline home tomorrow - what a blessing. Gotta try to get some sleep - I need more than 5 hours a night here. Guess I better pray for that too. Arg.

God Bless -