My Good Week

 This past week was a welcome reprieve. I felt good enough to drive and leave the house on my own. True, for most things, one hour and just one errand used up my energy, but it is quite amazing how refreshing everyday things can be:

• v  several shopping trips to Walmart and Aldi.
• v  picking up prescriptions from CVS.
• v  browsing at Goodwill.
• v  enjoying a delicious lunch at Jude’s just because.
• v  picking up four more caps in different colors from Hopestone.
• v  working at my Good Shepherd office for an hour one day.
• v  going to church Sunday, for the first time since October 13!

Best of all, I did two 4+ hour visits with my grandchildren (and their parents, of course). The kids were fascinated by my lack of hair, especially Ava (6) and Elijah (almost 3). Those two wanted to touch and rub my head a lot, which was fine with me. Ava was the one who asked if I would please take off my cap. Josiah inspected my head as well. Benjamin did not recognize me at first. Joelle, being a more grown-up 11 ½ year old, was not as focused on my bald head.

You might wonder why I did not do anything with friends . . . because I didn’t feel like I could plan ahead.

To be perfectly honest, there were also some struggles. My hands and forearms itched intensely several times a day and during the night. The only thing that helped was ice packs. Yesterday, the itching stopped thanks to the steroids I take the day before chemo.

Also yesterday, while Joelle and I were playing charades, I decided to act out being a cheerleader, which I was in eighth grade. I stood up to do the Saugatuck High School song and cheer, which I have remembered all these years. Except I didn’t even quite remember the first move, and the rest was simply gone. And, in the evening when I was doing my stretches, which I had finally memorized a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t remember the whole sequence and had to look at the printout to do them.

All in all, though, it was a great week. Today I do chemo treatment #2 and will take it really easy at least for the next week (and remember to take my pain meds when I need them). Just think: two down, two to go.