A FAMILY FUNFEST IN REVIEW

 Though I did enjoy time with Cath while in Calif., this trip was too short to see everyone I love while attending to my lack of energy.  And the fact that a cold was making its rounds within my cousin Zena’s house caused us to send each other our love from afar.   On the other hand, Will and I did manage to create lovely memories with extended family in the short span of a week.

Last Thursday, Dec. 8th, being my birthday, saw day two of my birthday celebration as we’d enjoyed dinner on the heated patio of a favorite restaurant with Barry, Marie, David, Bryce and our niece, Beth, with her family.  (Again, Tony and Ray were with their dad).  A good time was enjoyed by all amid festive balloons flying high and gifts chosen with care. Lots of good cheer was experienced as old family stories were renewed aloud.

On Friday night, Will, David and I accompanied Barry’s family on their annual Christmas tree excursion.  Our very first.  And fun was had again, as Tony spied the eight foot tree that he’d deemed to be the perfect one to hold everyone spellbound who would enter Barry’s living room with elevated ceilings, once this year’s choice had been decorated with Marie’s family’s beautiful ornaments.

When Saturday dawned, I’d felt unwell.  In fact my stomach had been so loose during the night that by morning my low energy felt so depleted as to deem me disoriented upon standing.

As with every day, I spent my time quietly, taking in as much water as possible. By evening, I, feeling less dizzied, felt able to enjoy ordering out dinner at Barry’s .  And with Tony and Ray at home, it had been predetermined to celebrate my birthday and an early Chanukah party with the boys, and so, yet again, I’d found myself feted with love as a fun time was had by all as everyone had at least one gift to open ..  Twas a wonderful way to end our week on the coast before awakening on Sunday to pack up and greet Barry and Marie, who’d arrived at the condo with coffee and muffins to see us off after Barry helped Will to load everything into our car for our six hour drive home.  

The week would have been idyllic had David’s back not tightened up, creating a painful few days for our youngest son.  (Thank goodness, between an ice pack, heating pad, and exercises, the intensity of his discomfort has finally lessened.)

Soon after we’d pulled into our garage, Steven pulled up curbside as preplanned to help his dad unload our car after our lengthy drive.

I welcomed a lot of quiet, during this current week, in which to hopefully recoup more energy while undergoing Tuesday’s PET scan and Wednesday’s Chest CT.  Today, I finished unpacking (a feat that took weeks in the aftermath of our October stay at our timeshare).

Tonight we have dinner plans with dear friends.  And tomorrow, we’ll see my oncologist who, having received my test results, will hopefully offer us good news with which to welcome in the New Year.

🙋🏻‍♀️🍀⭐️Annie

INTROSPECTION

 A day of quiet introspection spent mustering my strength to face tomorrow’s PET scan and chest CT on Wed.

The truth of the matter is this—

With four tumors within a span of three years time, this week’s tests will offer reason for fear to emerge while awaiting results.

And with that acknowledgement, I’ll keep to myself so as to feel as peaceful as possible.

👩🏻🍀Annie

THE SURPRISING START TO A THREE DAY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

 Last Monday and Tuesday, we had to stay clear of Barry’s house,  because twelve year old Tony was ill with a GI bug of some sort, and in addition to running a fever, he could not hold down any food or liquids.

Before our arrival in CA, our sons had asked us to reserve Wednesday evening for an adventure with which they had planned to surprise us.  Barry’s boys were with their father, so the four of us (Barry, David,Will and I) climbed into Barry‘s shiny black SUV, and off we went with a heightened sense of excitement snapping through the air.

Where in the world had our three sons (though Steven’s presence was truly missed) decided to take us?

Within twenty minutes of driving, we pulled into a large mall, and having parked his car, Barry, smiling widely, said—OK, we’ve reached our destination-all out!

As before us stood a multiplex cinema theater, I asked with disbelief—are we going to the movies?  Yup replied Barry and David in unison.

But I can’t go in there with so many people.  Even masked, it’s just not safe.  As much as your dad and I love the movies, we’ve not ventured into a theater in more than there years—ever since I was diagnosed.

Exactly, replied David.  That’s why we’ve brought you here to celebrate both of your birthdays, with the utmost of safely in mind.

Barry continued with—the three of us bought out the theater, so we four will be the only ones in it, and it has the great big comfy reclining seats.

You bought out the whole theater for the four of us?

Yup! Chuckled my sons.

Marie didn’t want to come?

She never goes to the show.

Okay.  She’s so caring with us—if this is our thing but not hers  I’m good with whatever she decided.

David piped up with—the lobby’s almost empty, so you and Dad go straight into the theater while Barry and I mask up and get popcorn and drinks.  And here are Purell wipes to cleanse everything that we nay touch.

The movie chosen was The Fabelnans—the autobiographical story of Steven Spielberg’s compulsive boyhood concerning film  whereby he’d convinced the kids in the neighborhood to people his artful endeavors with his video recorder.  As it was a feel good movie  and as my spirits were high—I loved it along with the love of our trio of sons, who knew exactly what would tickle their parents fancy within a safe environment that offered our family lots of fun

🙋🏻‍♀️🍀⭐️Annie

DEHYDRATION IS A BUMMER

 I’ve been too depleted to write.

Being dehydrated has seen me feeling a bit off balance these last couple of days.  I’ve been guzzling water and don’t feel disoriented, today, but have still not returned to the natural level of my low energy self.  Even so, we spent the last three evenings enjoying family while sharing old memories and making new ones.

🙋🏻‍♀️🍀Annie

ONCE LOW ENERGY DECLINES

 Though staying with Barry’s family offered a heartwarming weekend, by Sunday, my low energy had declined to no energy, suggesting why no posts have been penned since Friday.

We took possession of our timeshare condo, yesterday.  As my most recent round of chemo and my last radiation treatments were, last week, I’m much more tired than was true when we were here in October.  In fact, I’d wondered if I would be up to making any plans, at all, until I awakened, today, hoping to see extended family while we are here.

Being on the west coast for a week is quite different from enjoying our leisure with Barry’s family and David, over several weeks, while also seeing everyone we love who lives nearby.  As always, I’ll do my best to enjoy, one day at a time.

🙋🏻‍♀️🍀Annie

ON THE ROAD, AGAIN

Earlier this week, I—surrounded by all of the women who’d positioned me to radiate the tumor in my neck with a laser’s degree of accuracy—rang the bell at Mayo, declaring my radiation treatments to be complete.  Small as the bell may be, its ‘peal’ resonated, loudly, clearly and deeply within me.

Yesterday, bright and early at 7am, Will and I began our drive to Calif. to celebrate my good fortune at having finished my second round of every-day-oral-chemo without incident of side effects other than fatigue and the fact that my nails are turning white as had happened with chemo in the past.

I’ll be off of chemo for at least three weeks, which causes me to wonder if my nails will have time to self-heal before the process begins, all over again.  As with everything of consequence—time will tell if radiation decimated the tumor in my neck—if any of my hair will fall out—if the chemo reduced the cancer cells traveling in my blood.  As always, living with cancer necessitates the patient to muster Patience with consistency …

The sun was rising east of our home when Will and I got into our car—I cannot remember the last time I witnessed a desert sunrise—beautiful … peaceful … as the birth of another new day offers the gift of possibilities—as yet unknown …

Passing Gene Autrey Dr. just before the turn off for Palm Springs—we see a God-given snow capped mountain standing tall in the background with man-made windmills harvesting electricity in the foothills below …

A casino stands alone in the desert as man leaves yet another large footprint in constantly shifting sands …

Six hours after leaving home, we feel grateful to have arrived, safe and sound, at Barry’s home, following an easy, uneventful ride.🙋🏻‍♀️😊🍀Annie

THE TRUTH ABOUT AGE

 On the eve of Thanksgiving

This thought came to mind:

Age is just a number

Until it’s your age and

Decades keep flying by, at which

Time, your age has swiftly become

A very BIG number, indeed!

So—I stopped to ask myself:

How could it be that

My birthday is coming up, again, when

My last one was

Just a couple of months ago, at most?

I swear—they’re coming

Several times a year!

Though age is just

A number when

You’re turning 24

You’ll think of your age as

Incredulous—most especially

Once you find yourself

Somehow, only one year

Shy of 80!

I mean

How in tarnation

Did so many decades pass

So frigg’in fast???

Let’s consider

My precious mother, who’d

Enjoyed good health till

She turned 100

And as such

I’d planned to do

The same until

My plan went awry and

So we come to see that

Though we may

Truly have grown old

We do not feel

Old enough to

Wither and die

Not when, having had

Parents who’d excelled at

Loving life for as long and

Robustly as had been true of

My precious mom and

My beloved dad (both of whom had

Become two of my best friends)

That fact is one of

Many reasons why

I often give pause to

Feel my good fortune at

Having had parents who’d 

Loved me so thoroughly as to have

Gifted me with

The wherewithal to

Pass that treasured legacy onto

My three sons and they onto

Their children, as well

So—if Thanksgiving is a time of

Contemplating, creating and choosing

Family traditions, both

Old and new, then I feel

Grateful for the fact that

So many of our family’s

Festively treasured traditions

(Like several generations

Gathering, together, to

Roll out, stuff and fry

Potato Knishes in our kitchen)

Continue to come to fruition as

Our attitudes t

ransform work into

A hearty Knish Party, year after year

And though I have been

Relegated to smile

Straight from my heart while

Sitting on the couch, watching

My three sons

Passing our traditions onto

Our grandchildren who have

Come to see how much fun

Holiday preparations can be when

Adults raised with positive attitudes

Take the lead, I, who love our traditions

Have come to accept

Need for peaceful transition based in

My awareness of time to

Pass the baton while ‘kvelling’ with

Pride over our three sons’choices to

Retain whichever heartfelt traditions

They each decide to make their own

🙋🏻‍♀️❤️🍀🇺🇸Annie