Bye Bye Baby!

Today we take our baby to the airport and send him back to Kentucky! *sigh* It's both sad and exciting. Sad for the obvious reasons and exciting because when he gets back to school, their lacrosse season starts. I love the game and am excited for Luke to be playing and very excited about our plans to go there in March or April to see Luke, his pals and some games.

Last night we took Luke to John's for a nice dinner. Just the three of us. It was very nice. There were lots of hockey people at the restaurant, too. Some foreign languages we didn't know.

When we got home, Ron and Patty came by bearing beers with which to toast a new year and a new beginning. Their son, Matty, left yesterday for Winkler, Manitoba where he'll rejoin the hockey team he played with last year. Patty, Ron, Kevin and I gathered in the living room as kids steadily arrived through both the back and front doors for Luke and Arden's farewell party. Grace was here, too, and it was good to see her before she leaves on a traveling adventure. And Sloane. Always nice to see Sloane. And all the boys. It was another crazy night at the Acton house. I just love all 'dem boys and girls! I didn't get my camera out for the tradiational tequila shots photo so here is a much more serene photo of a beautiful and interesting flower in the bouquet I got from Lori. Eventually, we adults moved to the kitchen to hang with the kids for a while and we had a great time. I'm going to miss having all these kids around after Luke is gone. I met a girl last night who I hadn't seen since she played on Luke's novice hockey team! I wouldn't have recognized her, of course.

I think my radiation burns are healing nicely, peeling just being part of the process. It isn't getting more uncomfortable. It will be a while before I'm ready for a bra yet, though. Now to help Luke pack.

Bye Bye Baby!

Shedding. No Need To Wince.

I'm losing more skin under my arm. It's not too terrible. I just have to be very careful with it. It's like peeling after a bad sunburn except a bit deeper. The skin peeling away is thicker ... like card stock instead of onion skin paper. It's peeling in that part under my arm that I wrote about earlier as being the most sore (but is less sore now). It's that divot between the armpit and the breast/chest, right where the scar is from having two of my lymph nodes removed. It doesn't look like it's going to be problematic, though, at this point and I'm confident that with reasonable care it will heal quite nicely and in good time.

There's another area that has been peeling for about a week now but I haven't said anything about it mostly because of the wince-factor, which isn't nearly as bad as you might think. So don't wince if you can help it, though I admit I wince thinking about it but that's only reflexive. It's really not bad at all. The skin of most of my areola has disappeared. It's obvious because there's only a ragged, outer ring of very dark skin there (very dark from the radiation) while most of the area is now a baby pink and has that new skin look. I notice bits of dark skin stuck on the inside of my tops but I don't feel the skin coming off. It's shedding more than peeling and aside from the whole area being a bit tender, it's not sore at all. So don't wince. It's not bad and I'm not worried about it.

Shedding. No Need To Wince.

Weekly Hair Shot

If I remember, I'm going to try to take a photo of my hair once a week ... let's say on Saturdays. See how I'm all salt and pepper ... more salt than I remember there being before. And see how it wants to curl? It would look longer if it would just stand up. I guess this gives a look of more depth and that's okay, too. See how it flips up over my ears? Oh yeah!! Completely unruly! I'm not ready to go wigless yet and I'm not ready for full view yet either. All in good time.

After lazing about all day yesterday I didn't sleep so well in the night. Natch! I might have to fight naps since I really HATE napping in the first place and stick with just getting longer sleeps at night. That's a schedule I prefer.

I saw Erin this morning, she having just come home from Christmas with her family and some friends on the beach. I then had a wonderful lunch out with Carol and Leslie at McNally Robinson's restaurant ... whatever it's called. The restaurant was very chilly. I only had my winter coat off for all of two minutes. I don't recommend dining there on a cold day.

Now it's time to get our boy ready to leave tomorrow. Lots of laundry.

Weekly Hair Shot

Easing Into 2010

There's not much movement here today. I didn't get out of my pj's all day! I made sure I didn't drink much last night and got to bed at a decent time so as not to be wasted today. And yet ... I felt wasted anyway. Oh well. It's a good day to laze about. Kevin rented some movies and I've been a couch potato all day. I napped for a couple of hours this afternoon. Gearing up for more action tomorrow. It really feels as though fatigue has suddenly caught up with me. I feel very, very tired.

Sharon Strueby's visit this afternoon was a wonderful surprise and I don't mind a bit if she catches me in my pajamas and toque. She's so busy when she gets back to Saskatoon, I don't expect to see her. It was great to catch up with her in person.

I've been keeping my arm still and aired all day. More skin is peeling away so the main thing is to keep that to a minimum and prevent infection. My joints are very bothersome today. Maybe because I've been especially inactive? Perhaps? There never seems to be any consistent pattern to the joint problems. I'm holding on to the suggestion that this disheartening side effect might start improving by the middle of January.

All in all ... all's okay. I'm just SO glad to be starting a new year without cancer treatments! AMEN FOR THAT!!

Easing Into 2010

Partying with Bonnie and Kelvin and friends!

Thanks, Bonnie and Kelvin! We had a super time at your new years party! We danced. We sang. We laughed. We ate. We drank. It was alllllll good!

I didn't get to the party as early as I had planned. By 6:00 I was so cold in the house that I decided to have a hot bath and it kind of became a bit like the children's book, "If You Give A Mouse a Cookie ... ". I then knew I would need to air that deteriorating skin under my arm, which would mean keeping it explosed and getting cold all over again. So I decided to expose it while the rest of me was under the covers in bed. Good idea. I read while I was there. And then I got sleepy and decided a nap would be good for me anyway. So I slept until sometime after 8:00. I went downstairs and turned on the hockey game and I caught it just between the 2nd and 3rd periods. ACK!! We were losing!! So I curled up under a blankie and watched the rest of the game (what a nail biter!) and waited for Kevin to get home from the game so we could go to the party in one car. It was good that I did have a nap and some quiet time. I was fresh for the party, which we got to shortly after 11:00 and we had a great time! Because of the issues with the skin under my arm, I ended up wearing a pajama top (very loose cotton tank) with a dowdly, old, loose, black cotton cardigan and I dolled the whole ensemble up with a pretty scarf and earrings. Nobody minded and it would have been handy if I'd decided to sleep over.

It was just the right way to ring in a new year and a new decade ... with a bunch of good friends and some new ones, too.

Partying with Bonnie and Kelvin and friends!

Happy 2010!

YEAH!! A new year! A new decade. 2009 was SO last year!

The first thing to do in the new year for me and especially after a year like the last one is to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! To all of you. You are my team. It might have been a little cocky to say, "I'm here. I might as well win", but I think one needs to be a little bit cocky when facing the fight of and for one's life. But the real truth is that I would not have got through this past year as well as I did had it not been for the amazing support of the people on my team ... all of you who helped me so much even if all you feel you did was stop by my blog from time to time to see how I was doing and/or say a little prayer for me now and then. You might not have expected it of me, but I did feel accountable to all of you and that turned out to be a good thing for me. It prevented me from withdrawing and it meant I couldn't allow myself to wallow for long even if I felt like it. I couldn't let down my team even though I often had to take a time out and let my team play for me. You're the MOST AWESOME TEAM A GIRL COULD HAVE!!

More than anything right now, I wish I could properly convey the depth of my gratitude to each and every one of you. Really. Thanks so much. So very, very much! And I wish all of us a happy, healthy, prosperous new year and decade!

Happy 2010!

Happy New Years Eve!

Kevin, Luke and Don ... and so many others ... have gone to see the Canada vs United States game! Exciting!

I'm at home relaxing before I get myself glammed up and over to Cinderella's house.

Unfortunately today, the skin under my arm finally gave way. It might have happened yesterday. I noticed some discomfort under my arm then but didn't look. Today I looked. I had hoped to avoid skin breakage but ... oh well ... at least I don't have any more radiation treatments to make things worse! This will heal and I'll have some time in the next few days to keep it still and let it breathe. I did have to take some tylenol for it today and I'm sure I'll be a bit subdued tonight but I'm celebrating nonetheless! I have champagne ready to be uncorked!

I wish all of you a very happy ... and safe ... New Year's Eve!!

Happy New Years Eve!

Happy Rebirthday To Me!

It's a bright sunshiny day and that last day of yucky 2009. It's my rebirthday because I'm done all of my breast cancer treatments and can now get back to the joy of living! There are a few little things to still be dealt with in the breast cancer department but the worst is over and I have no more ordeals to face. At least that's the plan and I'm just going to assume it's so.

Yesterday my family was moving a little slow. It's a good thing most of them slept well into the afternoon. Those dental appointments were a disappointing interruption. Hannah, Kevin and I ran a few errands. Kayla and Gillian joined us for dinner and then we took Hannah to the airport ... only to find out that her flight was delayed by 1.5 hours. So we brought her home for a while and when she got back, it was only delayed by an additional hour. It's always a little sad for me to wake up and walk past their empty bedrooms after seeing them in there every morning for a while.

I got up earlier this morning and then made myself go back to bed because I knew I hadn't slept long enough. I want to be able to stay up for midnight. I'm going to Bonnie's tonight to celebrate New Years while Kevin, Luke and Don are going to the Canada vs. United States game.

And all day I'm going to celebrate my rebirthday day. Happy Birthday to you, too, Laurel!

Happy Rebirthday To Me!

For the story proper ...

... scroll down and start reading from the first post of the day.

For the story proper ...

After that ...

... I think it was around 4:00 a.m. when I was piling dishes, plumping cushions, had removed my wig and was just walking down the hall on my way upstairs to go to bed when ...

... the door flew open and there was Luke and a bunch of friends home from the bar! So I put my wig on again and we had a kitchen party with Luke's friends! There was loud music, much singing and dancing ... all in the kitchen! Thanks, Myles for dancing with me! The boys were really busting out some moves! I had no idea they were such amazing dancers ... Jared, Keenan ... WHO KNEW?!!

And a big bonus for me was that I got to see Luke's friend, Delaney, who tricked everyone into thinking she wouldn't be coming home from London for Christmas and then ... SURPRISE!! She had been here once before but I was asleep at the time but this time I got to see her and give her a big hug! Crazy girl!

So that was quite the end of radiation celebration. I think Luke got to bed at 5:30 a.m. (which wasn't much after the rest of us) and then he and Hannah were both up at 8:30 to get to their 9:00 dental appointments!

What a crazy night! I think I'm going to claim false labour and have my rebirth day tomorrow!

After that ...

Then There Was Song ...

After the boys left, Kayla and Gillian went home since they had to work the next day. Kevin made like a DJ and played great tunes while we sang ... danced ... and solved the world's problems.

Then There Was Song ...

The Turning Point ...

... which had to have been the tequila shots.

The Turning Point ...

Silly Boys!

Silly Boys!

Then There Were Boys!

And still, all was very quiet in the house. The boys had drinks and watched hockey in the family room while we visited in the living room. This photo is after the tequila. The tequila shot was the turning point, I think. At this point, the hockey game is over, tequila has been shot, Arden has made sure all the boys have had enough lemon to save their livers, and they're about to leave to meet up with a bunch of friends at a karaoke bar.

Then There Were Boys!

Then there were two more!

Tarah and Auria came over bearing some goodies. All was very civilized and peaceful ...

Then there were two more!

It All Started ...

... innocently enough. Kevin, Hannah, Luke and I had dinner at the Nutana Cafe since it was Hannah's only chance to see Norm, the proprietor, while she's here.

I didn't plan a big party because I wasn't sure how I would feel at the end of radiation. Well, of course I knew I'd be elated, but I also didn't know how sore or fatigued I'd be. About a month ago I had invited Auria and Tarah to come by tonight and celebrate with us knowing that would also give us a rare chance to have all of us together for a visit. I also told the kids to have some friends over if they wanted because I love having their friends here and I also knew that I could still go to bed with a house full of young people in the house.

Kayla and Gillian were the first people here and they brought me this lovely amaryllis! It's gorgeous and it's so sweet of them.

It All Started ...

There Was More Tequila ...

... and more Tequila enthusiasts.

There Was More Tequila ...

I Can Explain ...

... really ... I can.

I Can Explain ...

Another Good Read

A couple of nights ago I finished reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. She also wrote her astounding autobiography, The Glass Castle, which I read earlier. Her story is quite amazing and how she and her siblings found success let alone survived is quite amazing. This is the story of her grandmother and also provides the background for the story of Wall's own mother. It's an interesting read and good story telling. Hard times. Tough people. Undaunted spirits.

Another Good Read

And Even More Good News

I just heard from my oncological nurse and she had some encouraging information for me. The oncologist who was on call today looked at my file and he feels that it will probably take another couple of weeks but that then I should start feeling some improvements in my joints and muscles. Even that is exciting to hear!! It's been bothering me so much that I haven't seen any improvement yet but to hear that it typically takes a little longer yet is just nice to know.

She also said that there will be a visiting oncologist filling in starting on January 11 and that shortly after that I'll have an appointment so we can start figuring out what to do about continuing medication.

That's all good news to have before starting my rebirth tomorrow! I'll wake up a new woman tomorrow! I wonder if Kevin's ready for that. I'll bet he is!!

Thanks, Sylvia, so much for these pretty roses and heather that you dropped by with! Such pretty pastels! I also listened to Leonard Cohen sing "Dear Heather" today. YEAH!!

And Even More Good News