There is nothing that gets me more excited than welcoming a new life into the world! Especially when the new life is my baby granddaughter. Daphne Autumn Call was born to Tacy and Charles [Chuck] today at 1:40pm. She weighed a healthy 7 lbs. 12 oz. I don't know her length, though. She has a beautiful head of thick, black hair [like her Daddy]. She is Soooo cute! I watched Fiona for a while and then she spent the afternoon with her Auntie Julia, Uncle Daniel and cousin Rae.
Mom [Edith] and I went over to the hospital in the evening to see Daphne for the first time. She is so sweet! She was busy eating most of the time. I did manage to hold her for a few moments.
Tomorrow I will bring Fiona over to see her new little sister. I can't wait to see what her reaction will be. Life Just doesn't get any more exciting than this!
I am over the hump from the last round of chemo, for the most part. I can tell my immune system is being compromised, however, and I am paranoid about catching a bug of some kind from people. Oh well, I am just so happy to be here with my daughter during this time, to be able to be of whatever support I can.
I have made arrangements to have at least one chemo treatment here next week, and we shall see after that...I have another friend I can stay with during my really sick days, so I won't be an added burden to Tacy and Chuck.
More Later,
Love,
Mary
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Over the Hump
It is Friday, and I have had time to get over the less pleasant effects of chemo. Am not as fatigued, not sleeping all day, and am able to walk without gasping for air. Think I have finally become acclimated to the thin mountain air.
Gary, Tacy, Mom, and Fiona accompanied me to Salt Lake City to see some sites. Went on a tour of the Conference Center, which is full of large (as in 8x10 foot) original paintings of biblical scenes...just beautiful. Makes me want to dust off my paint brushes once again. There is a garden on the roof of the building with trees and fountains...very relaxing.
Then went to lunch at a Food Court, which was very loud...what a contrast! Went through the 1800's house of Brigham Young. Love old places with the fabulous workmanship in the woodwork, etc. And the furniture was amazing!
Then went to Temple Square, to check more beautiful gardens, and some of the buildings there. I had a wheelchair that the Conference center provided and let me use around the several square block area. That was a lifesaver, or would have never been able to keep up with everyone! It was a splendid day!
Went to visit Karen and Lewis, some longtime friends that I see only every few years. Wonderful to catch up on old times and new times, too. Am thoroughly enjoying being here with friends and family.
Love to all!
Mary :)
Gary, Tacy, Mom, and Fiona accompanied me to Salt Lake City to see some sites. Went on a tour of the Conference Center, which is full of large (as in 8x10 foot) original paintings of biblical scenes...just beautiful. Makes me want to dust off my paint brushes once again. There is a garden on the roof of the building with trees and fountains...very relaxing.
Then went to lunch at a Food Court, which was very loud...what a contrast! Went through the 1800's house of Brigham Young. Love old places with the fabulous workmanship in the woodwork, etc. And the furniture was amazing!
Then went to Temple Square, to check more beautiful gardens, and some of the buildings there. I had a wheelchair that the Conference center provided and let me use around the several square block area. That was a lifesaver, or would have never been able to keep up with everyone! It was a splendid day!
Went to visit Karen and Lewis, some longtime friends that I see only every few years. Wonderful to catch up on old times and new times, too. Am thoroughly enjoying being here with friends and family.
Love to all!
Mary :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
On the Road
We made it out to Utah...Gary and his Mother, Edith (Great Grandma) and myself. It was a long, grueling trip in the car. Mostly, I slept in the back seat, when I was not working on the blanket for Daphne. Thankfully, we stopped about midway at my brother, Joe's house. We had a pleasant visit and an overnight stay.
We drove all through the second day, stopped briefly in Evanston, WY to see my dear friend Nola, and then made the last hour and a half into Lehi, Utah (20 minutes south of Salt Lake City). Arrived about 10pm our time...we were wiped-out! Mountaiin time is one hour earlier, and they kept Fiona up a bit past her usual bedtime, so Gramma and Grampa ("Pa-Pa") could see her. That made the trip worthwhile.
Gary had done nearly all the driving, as I was in NO shape for it...too tired from my second round of chemo. I am still recuperating, and have been napping a lot today. But I am happy to be with Tacy, Fiona and Chuck, and we are still waiting for the arrival of Daphne...Tacy looks way too perky to be ready exactly yet. She is still climbing the mountain with Fiona in the stroller! (They all took a walk, while I took a rest!)
Today is Chuck's Birthday, and we are going to have a very nice dinner that Tacy and Edith are preparing. I HAVE to play with Fiona while they cook.
Love to All,
Mary
We drove all through the second day, stopped briefly in Evanston, WY to see my dear friend Nola, and then made the last hour and a half into Lehi, Utah (20 minutes south of Salt Lake City). Arrived about 10pm our time...we were wiped-out! Mountaiin time is one hour earlier, and they kept Fiona up a bit past her usual bedtime, so Gramma and Grampa ("Pa-Pa") could see her. That made the trip worthwhile.
Gary had done nearly all the driving, as I was in NO shape for it...too tired from my second round of chemo. I am still recuperating, and have been napping a lot today. But I am happy to be with Tacy, Fiona and Chuck, and we are still waiting for the arrival of Daphne...Tacy looks way too perky to be ready exactly yet. She is still climbing the mountain with Fiona in the stroller! (They all took a walk, while I took a rest!)
Today is Chuck's Birthday, and we are going to have a very nice dinner that Tacy and Edith are preparing. I HAVE to play with Fiona while they cook.
Love to All,
Mary
Friday, September 9, 2011
Long time, no write
Sorry folks, I'm supposed to be keeping you updated, but have just not felt like anything newsworthy was happening, which is good news, right? So, today is catch-up day, because I will be filling you in on the latest. I apologize for the length...maybe you can read it in several sittings....
First of all, I decided to override my workaholic mentality [no easy task, because the GUILT is horrendous!] I did not report to work as I had wanted to (against the wishes of my Oncologist, I might add, because I am wonder woman, after all, and nothing is gonna bother me). She was adamant that it would be very easy for me to pick up illness from the children on the bus, and with no immunity to speak of, I would literally be up a crick without a paddle (my words, not hers---she was way more professional in her explanation as to why I should not be driving school bus because of the disease factors involved)
Well, as the day approached and I had already overdone it on the weekend, driving three bus runs to the state fair for Epiphany Diner Volunteers, Realized I was NOT wonder woman, and was NOT feeling very well. So, after a lot of agonizing mental compromise, called work and let them know I would NOT be driving. It still bothers me immensely and I worry about "my kids" on my route...WHO is driving them? etc.
Friends have reminded me repeatedly that I need to take care of Myself...Never been very good at that.
Come Monday morning, I woke up sick, tired, nauseated and dizzy. Was SO relieved I was not driving the school bus right then. So it proves that sometimes I am actually capable of making good decisions on my own behalf.
Spent the rest of the rest of this week relaxing, sleeping, and generally taking it easy. Spent Wednesday with Sandy L. from work, because it was her Birthday. We ate at Olive Garden. Fun time! Started feeling better again....just in time for another round of Chemo!!! Yay!
Oh, and as of Thursday, I started noticing hairs falling out...went to bed, and my scalp felt really weird...almost painful...which started a whole lot of thinking...am I going bald now?...will I wake up in a pile of hair?...am I really going to lose ALL my hair?...then said to myself...shut up and go to sleep...there's nothing you can do about it anyway, one way or the other...maybe you won't lose all your hair...maybe just some of it...oh shut up and go to sleep! So I did.
SO, today [Friday] was my appointment, and I got there and my bloodwork looked good (everything on the sheet said, "normal") Which meant I could have the chemo again. YAY! Spoke with the nurse specialist who asked me all about my health and symptoms, and she again reminded me that I should NOT be driving with all the kids. She also asked me about my hair and assured me that the kind of chemo I am getting is a sure bet for hair loss. She said, this second round will make it happen.
Once I was hooked-up with all the IVs, settled-in to my chair and crocheted on the blanket for my soon-to-be-born [July 13th?] Granddaughter, Daphne. The actual process is not unpleasant, except when they flush the port with saline...it gives off a horrible odor! Feels like the hair in my nostrils is curling. (maybe that won't be an issue in the near future.) LOL! Watched a biography on Janet Jackson (most of it, anyway) and chatted with the nurse and the patient next to me, who was in there for the whole day! Compared to my measly three hours, I told her she was a trooper!
Texted back and forth with Michelle in Seattle.
Got off the "comfy chair" to use the restroom, and then decided to wander up and down the hall inside the oncology clinic. Told them I was going dancing with my new beau...the IV stand. The nurse said he was awfully thin. Told her next time, I'll bring him a HAT! LOL!
The time went amazingly fast, and after all the pain meds, etc. I was feeling good. Stopped-by the Cancer Resource Center down the hall from the clinic, and inquired about wigs...well, that turned-out to be an understatement! Did they have WIGS! Hundreds of them. Many of them on display. Tried on a blonde one...it made me look sick! Not good. But the next one I tried was SOooooo Cute! It's dark brown underneath with lots of highlights. It is not quite shoulder length, and is a straight, curved cut. I showed it to the lady and she said, excitedly, "OH, that is YOU!" So, of course, because I really liked it, and she approved, decided it was "the one". She also gave me a comfy jersey knit cap for bedtime to keep my head warm; a pull-on scarf for days when I don't feel like wearing a wig; but the fun one was a pink cap with "Chemo Sucks" embroidered on the front. When I finally figure out how to put pictures on my blog, will post some.) It will go great with my "Cancer Sucks" T-shirt that I got from Suz.
Then went into Anoka to the Coop Store and bought some wheat grass capsules, on reccomendation from a friend to keep my energy up. Took them immediately, and did notice a surge of energy.
So, headed to the pet store to pick up more food for our Chihuahua, Kiita. Then stopped at KFC and got a meal with grilled chicken. Took it over to Suz' house where Gary was out walking her dog, Gunnar, while she and her husband were gone. We ate, then both left for home.
I took a nap, and then Georgia stopped-by and brought us some banana bread she made...yum. Casie came over to hang out for the evening. I also finished the last load of laundry for the week, and made a Birthday Card for my Son-in-law, Chuck (also on the 13th of Sept, Tacy's due date). Put Fiona's name on the front of her scrapbook.
Full day. I feel good. Tomorrow I pack and go to my appointment at Mercy Hospital for my 24-hour-later shot for my white blood cell count and then we leave Sunday morning (Gary, Edith-Gary's Mom, and I) to Lehi, Utah to see Tacy, Chuck, and Fiona (and hopefully) Daphne!
Love to ALL!
Mary
First of all, I decided to override my workaholic mentality [no easy task, because the GUILT is horrendous!] I did not report to work as I had wanted to (against the wishes of my Oncologist, I might add, because I am wonder woman, after all, and nothing is gonna bother me). She was adamant that it would be very easy for me to pick up illness from the children on the bus, and with no immunity to speak of, I would literally be up a crick without a paddle (my words, not hers---she was way more professional in her explanation as to why I should not be driving school bus because of the disease factors involved)
Well, as the day approached and I had already overdone it on the weekend, driving three bus runs to the state fair for Epiphany Diner Volunteers, Realized I was NOT wonder woman, and was NOT feeling very well. So, after a lot of agonizing mental compromise, called work and let them know I would NOT be driving. It still bothers me immensely and I worry about "my kids" on my route...WHO is driving them? etc.
Friends have reminded me repeatedly that I need to take care of Myself...Never been very good at that.
Come Monday morning, I woke up sick, tired, nauseated and dizzy. Was SO relieved I was not driving the school bus right then. So it proves that sometimes I am actually capable of making good decisions on my own behalf.
Spent the rest of the rest of this week relaxing, sleeping, and generally taking it easy. Spent Wednesday with Sandy L. from work, because it was her Birthday. We ate at Olive Garden. Fun time! Started feeling better again....just in time for another round of Chemo!!! Yay!
Oh, and as of Thursday, I started noticing hairs falling out...went to bed, and my scalp felt really weird...almost painful...which started a whole lot of thinking...am I going bald now?...will I wake up in a pile of hair?...am I really going to lose ALL my hair?...then said to myself...shut up and go to sleep...there's nothing you can do about it anyway, one way or the other...maybe you won't lose all your hair...maybe just some of it...oh shut up and go to sleep! So I did.
SO, today [Friday] was my appointment, and I got there and my bloodwork looked good (everything on the sheet said, "normal") Which meant I could have the chemo again. YAY! Spoke with the nurse specialist who asked me all about my health and symptoms, and she again reminded me that I should NOT be driving with all the kids. She also asked me about my hair and assured me that the kind of chemo I am getting is a sure bet for hair loss. She said, this second round will make it happen.
Once I was hooked-up with all the IVs, settled-in to my chair and crocheted on the blanket for my soon-to-be-born [July 13th?] Granddaughter, Daphne. The actual process is not unpleasant, except when they flush the port with saline...it gives off a horrible odor! Feels like the hair in my nostrils is curling. (maybe that won't be an issue in the near future.) LOL! Watched a biography on Janet Jackson (most of it, anyway) and chatted with the nurse and the patient next to me, who was in there for the whole day! Compared to my measly three hours, I told her she was a trooper!
Texted back and forth with Michelle in Seattle.
Got off the "comfy chair" to use the restroom, and then decided to wander up and down the hall inside the oncology clinic. Told them I was going dancing with my new beau...the IV stand. The nurse said he was awfully thin. Told her next time, I'll bring him a HAT! LOL!
The time went amazingly fast, and after all the pain meds, etc. I was feeling good. Stopped-by the Cancer Resource Center down the hall from the clinic, and inquired about wigs...well, that turned-out to be an understatement! Did they have WIGS! Hundreds of them. Many of them on display. Tried on a blonde one...it made me look sick! Not good. But the next one I tried was SOooooo Cute! It's dark brown underneath with lots of highlights. It is not quite shoulder length, and is a straight, curved cut. I showed it to the lady and she said, excitedly, "OH, that is YOU!" So, of course, because I really liked it, and she approved, decided it was "the one". She also gave me a comfy jersey knit cap for bedtime to keep my head warm; a pull-on scarf for days when I don't feel like wearing a wig; but the fun one was a pink cap with "Chemo Sucks" embroidered on the front. When I finally figure out how to put pictures on my blog, will post some.) It will go great with my "Cancer Sucks" T-shirt that I got from Suz.
Then went into Anoka to the Coop Store and bought some wheat grass capsules, on reccomendation from a friend to keep my energy up. Took them immediately, and did notice a surge of energy.
So, headed to the pet store to pick up more food for our Chihuahua, Kiita. Then stopped at KFC and got a meal with grilled chicken. Took it over to Suz' house where Gary was out walking her dog, Gunnar, while she and her husband were gone. We ate, then both left for home.
I took a nap, and then Georgia stopped-by and brought us some banana bread she made...yum. Casie came over to hang out for the evening. I also finished the last load of laundry for the week, and made a Birthday Card for my Son-in-law, Chuck (also on the 13th of Sept, Tacy's due date). Put Fiona's name on the front of her scrapbook.
Full day. I feel good. Tomorrow I pack and go to my appointment at Mercy Hospital for my 24-hour-later shot for my white blood cell count and then we leave Sunday morning (Gary, Edith-Gary's Mom, and I) to Lehi, Utah to see Tacy, Chuck, and Fiona (and hopefully) Daphne!
Love to ALL!
Mary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)