It's April Already!

     Last week went pretty well -- I am definitely feeling stronger. Emiko was sick Monday through Wednesday, so Todd had to take vacation days and stay home with her. So I wasn't able to come home and take a nap before Todd got home, like I did the week before spring break. But I didn't feel awful, so that's progress.
     My first period girls told me I was super crabby on Monday -- which is to be expected on the Monday after spring break. I'm sure all the teachers were crabby! I told them I will try to be less crabby next Monday (which is tomorrow -- we'll see!). One student mentioned my medicine and how it wasn't really my fault. Another girl asked, "How long are you taking that medicine???" I told her ten years and she said she felt sorry for my family! I told her I did, too!
     But after the crabbiness on Monday, I was cheerier. My eighth graders are reading the Malala book, and it's so good! We've had some great discussions about women's rights and about how people use fear to meet their agendas.
     I didn't make it up to the Observatory. I'm going to try one day this week. Thursday? The drama girls performed Les Mis Friday and Saturday, so now my two major walking buddies will be available after school to walk with me. It's going to be rainy tomorrow, so we will wait and see how it looks on Thursday.
     My right boobette is still oozy and open. Dr. Klausmeyer said we can keep doing what we are doing, or we can stitch it up. I told her let's wait two more weeks. So I see her again on the 26th. If it's not noticeably better that afternoon, I'll have it stitched up. I'm sick of buying gauze! My biggest medical expenses these days parking and gauze!
     I have been trying to a little yoga, and it's doable. I can touch my toes and do down facing dog. I am getting back my range of motion in my right arm and shoulder. These are all exciting developments!
     I didn't get to go to the cancer support group Wednesday, since Emiko was sick. We will go this Wednesday. I'm curious to see how it is, and I know it will be good for me. I'm also reading a new book called Anticancer. It's amazing and I am enjoying it immensely. It's written by a doctor who had brain cancer, and his experience as a patient truly changed his perspective as a doctor. And it talks a lot about things cancer patients can do to feel like we are active participants in this journey, and not just passive patients. It's empowering. I am hoping Todd will read it when I finish it. I'm trying to cut down on refined sugar and carbs, since the evidence seems pretty clear that they feed cancer.
     And green tea is super good for you. I drink a lot of green tea already, but now I'm really upping my intake. I have been making green tea in the morning to take with me to work, and it's really helping keep me perky! I may still drink a Coke on Wednesdays until I run out -- I think I just have three cans left. It's all about moderation.
     Todd gets nervous when I talk about eating differently -- it freaked him several years ago when I stopped eating meat and I lost a lot of weight. I think he felt he was being rejected, since I basically stopped eating what he cooked. So I'm not doing that this time. But for me, this is no longer theoretical -- I have cancer. I don't want to die of it. I have to take care of it. So if there are things I can do, that are truly not that difficult to do, I'll do it. It's not worth taking any chances. Plus I can still have red wine with my evening meal. Whew!
      I guess those are the major things I wanted to write down. I have a new bracelet that says "fuck cancer" on the inside. A woman who worked in the high school at work died last week of a rare form of cancer. She was only 32 and had been fighting the disease for five years, I think. So sad and so awful. I didn't know her -- just said hi to her a few times. I was going to go talk to her about her cancer in December when I got my diagnosis, but it felt weird to do that, without knowing her better.
     Fuck cancer.