The picture on the blog tonight is one Don snapped just for the blog. I threw out the last of the flowers and have the vases all washed. Of course we’re taking the plants home with us. There really isn’t much to capture with the camera anymore; maybe I should have taken a picture of the bags I have packed and ready to go! That’s where my mind is. Our bodies are still here in Houston, but we’re really already gone from here.
I had my first BOOST treatment today and it really did go very quickly. They only had to set me up for two different positions and then just had one 25 second ‘zap’ for each one. I think we were there for less than a half hour. Tomorrow we have to see the radiology oncologist and I hope he will release me to leave on Friday.
My chest is still very tender from the radiation, but I think it will get better and better. Actually, it’s tender still from the surgery, too, but it’s not anything too bad at all. I only mention the tenderness so that I don’t mislead you. This whole process since the surgery has gone so quickly that it’s been hard to realize all the changes. I went from pain and drains to numbness and exercises right into radiation. The time has really flown. I’m so very pleased with my range of motion. I’m so glad to be able to walk. It’s an honor to be walking in my mom’s steps. She set quite a goal for me to reach and I think of her every day as I aim to do better and better.
It’s fun to have enough hair to comb! I look forward to getting in my tub at home and to eventually all these marks fading off my chest. God has been so good to us to give us a wonderful experience with no complications; I thank Him profusely for that! I look so forward to getting home to see all our friends and to get to family soon, too! Can you tell I’m so excited?
Hooray for you! Just four more days of radiation. I am so thankful that MDAnderson and you found each other.Be sure to have Don take a picture on you ringing the bell on Friday.Your story continues to inspire me. Now I can look forward to seeing pictures of flowers from your backyard. When the Clematis start blooming, I will send some pics to you. Oh, you know you are welcome to come by Paris to spend the night on your way home.Home#903-784-4298 and Cell# 903-249-4898 Love,Ann
ReplyDeleteHey, I just realized Thursday not Friday is your last day. I would suggest you either leave around 5 or 5:30 A.M. or wait until after 9 because of the heavy traffic. Again you are welcome to spend the night with us.Love,
ReplyDeleteAnn
Ann, I never thought of having Don take a picture of me ringing the bell. I was just thinking of ringing it and then running to the car to head home! It's a great idea and we'll do it! That'll be a great blog picture.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about flowers at home! I can't wait to get there and see them!
Thanks for inviting us to stop by your place on the way. We may do that on another trip, but we are SO anxious to get home! Please give us a rain check!
We celebrated our anniversary at the Black Eyed Pea and missed you and Jim! We'll always recall our shared dinner last year when we eat there.
Love you,
Mary Jo
Ann, thanks for the wise suggestion about leaving. We are so ready to leave, though. We're heading out of here just as soon as my treatment is over. We'll probably be sitting in traffic, but at least we'll be pointed in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteFriday is the day we're leaving. I may have misleaded you all; nothing I say can be trusted if it has to do with time or dates! Chemo fog is still in control; like my sister reminded me that it was 2 years ago and not last year that we went to Dover. UGH; time, again!
Friday is when we are leaving. We'll go straight home, though and post to the blog as soon as I can get online.
Love you,
Mary Jo
Great Good Morning, Jo and Don, too. Happy Anniversary to you two. How many years? Frazier just came in and saw the pictures and I read you Updates to him. I told him, I just gotta do one more while they are in Houston!! You will keep sending them from Hobart, won't you? I hope you can as all enjoy them so much. GOD IS SO GOOD! I think, myself, when you went to Houston, it sounded so long till you would be ready to go home and now the day has almost arrived. All is well and Praise and Thank our Awesome God in Heaven for answered Prayers! One more, Please be extra careful on the drive back to Houston and a Great Homecoming Breakfast with your Friends Sat. morning. At least I call it a Great One. God Bless!
ReplyDeleteWith Love and Prayers
Dot and Frazier
Dot, thanks for one more post while we're still in Houston! We're just here for one more night after tonight! This count down is too fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your love and prayers through all this. Yes, I will keep writing from Hobart. I don't know how long to keep this up, but I think maybe as long as I have a story to tell. After the radiation I start on Arimidex which is a medication that blocks estrogen in my body because my cancer was fed by estrogen. It'll be another trip of sorts because there are lots of side effects from it. I'm going to do my best to conquer it and make it my friend. I'll need your continued support for sure!
I'm going to see you sometime this summer. We may be there around our family reunion time around the middle of June, but if not then, surely we'll make it another time. We want to see all the Springville people so much!
Take care and keep 'traveling' with us on this journey.
Lots of love,
Jo
(31 years!)