Peeling, etc.

Here are the beginnings of the irises! These are both rebloomers, so I’ll have them off and on until Thanksgiving. God is so generous and creative!

I didn’t ever get around to pruning in the yard today; it was too windy! We did walk, though. I’m going to the nursing home to sing tonight with a group from church. I’m really looking forward to that. I couldn’t go there while I was on chemo, so it’s been a long time since I could go. There is one guy there who is the age of our youngest daughter; years ago he was beaten and left for dead in a nearby town. He recovered, but he can’t walk and talks with difficulty. He’s one of the sweetest guys alive. His mother died with breast cancer, so he took it pretty hard when I told him I had breast cancer. I wrote to him from Houston, and he even sent me a plaque for my wall in Houston. I look forward to hugging his neck tonight.

One of my ‘breast cancer sisters’ wrote today and we were comparing notes about our radiation redness. It reminded me that I haven’t mentioned the peeling. It’s part of the story for me, so I’ll mention it. Every place that they radiated is very red and about half of it is peeling like a minor burn. It’s a lot like the peeling of a sunburn, but the skin is not quite as thin and doesn’t peel in big sheets. It’s sore like a really bad sunburn, but it’s not all over me like a sunburn would be, so it’s really bearable. I’m supposed to put lotion on it and I can put cortisone on it for itching. That really does help. I still don’t like buttons on the front of my clothes because the seams, and knots behind the buttons are uncomfortable. None of this is anything bad; it’s just how it’s happening. Oh! One more thing: I have some skin break down in the armpit that they radiated. That’s no problem because I’m mostly numb there. I can barely feel it. I clean it with a solution of peroxide and water and it will heal fine. These are all reasons I haven’t been the least bit eager to wear a prosthesis, yet. Maybe when all this heals I’ll be ready to look like a girl. Right now I’m so grateful to be looking alive and feeling alive! I feel great!

Thanks for keeping up with what happens to us! I love you and God does, too. God’s love is a comfort to me!