All you Itazuke people should be so jealous because Judy and Aki and Don and I are having such a great reunion! No kidding. It’s really a joy to be here and having this time together.

The pictures on the blog today are Aki and I in one and Don and Judy in the other. We were eating out at a barbeque place last night.

Last night I stayed up until 1 reading and answering emails and writing the blog. I guess I was a little afraid to go to bed, thinking it would hurt. I got so tired that I didn’t feel anymore, so I went to bed and had no problem sleeping. Then this morning they let me sleep until I woke up. (Don thinks that’s the funniest expression, but it means a lot to me. There’s a big difference in sleeping until I wake up and sleeping until he or the alarm wakes me!) Then I got up and had breakfast and took a bath and went back to bed! I couldn’t have a bath yesterday, so I was so glad to get one today. Going back to bed was a joy, too! Then I took a nap even after that. I think Don was catching up on his emails and Judy had some errands she was running. It was just a great lazy day for me.

I kept bleeding through my Band-Aid today, so that I was washing blood out of all my pajamas and gowns all morning. I finally figured out that I needed a bigger Band-Aid and that solved that problem. It was just enough blood to have me doing hand laundry all morning. I am still very sore and tender, but otherwise I’m feeling fine and doing well.

The doctor took me off all my herbs and vitamins in case the Oncologist thinks some of it might interfere with the treatments he plans for me. She didn’t want any delay in my treatment because I have to wait a couple of weeks to get something out of my system. So, those of you who know that I usually take a fist full of herbs and vitamins will know what a joy it is for me to eat with no capsules! Of course I could choose to do that all the time, but I really believe all those pills keep me in pretty good health; they just couldn’t fight the cancer. They may have fought it off for a decade, or they may give me the strength to fight it. I’m thinking the doctor will let me go back to most of them. I’m still drinking the Essiac Tea. Ick, but it is supposed to be good for my immune system and will be important to continue when I start the chemo.

Thanks for checking on me. I count you all as blessings in my life. God bless.