Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Chaos of Transition

I'm still unpacking in my new apartment, which is overrun with books, boxes, laundry, kitchen gear, and just about everything else you might imagine -- I'm making SLOW progress, but the emphasis really is upon the slow. Worst part is that I can't get a clear WiFi signal there, despite having specifically checked that out before deciding to move! So once again I'm back to unplugging the laptop and taking it with me for the afternoon to the other tower, and setting up camp in one of the public lounges where I can still get a signal. Eventually all these problems will be resolved. But it still takes a very long time, and has pretty much been life-consuming. Did manage to hire a new Director of Religious Education in the process though, who will be introduced to the congregation here next Sunday. And my medical news still seems to be stable as well -- no changes, good indications, and most of my day to day incidentals under control. I am awfully tired a lot of the time, and my emotions are still very close to the surface...but my appetite is good, my pain control is good, and my mobility gets better and better almost by the day. My Physical Therapist still kicks my ass every time we go Wii bowling, (the Wii is a video game which simulates normal athletic activities, like bowling, baseball, golf or tennis), but I'm walking and climbing stairs better than ever. One more chemo session in another couple of weeks, and then another big MRI to see how we're doing. That test represents my next big milestone. So pray and light candles for stable or shrinking tumors.

Had a nice visit with my new Primary Care Physician today as well, who checked me out "from nose to toes" and confirmed some of the things I'd been thinking about this one year milestone -- basically that my five year survival statistics shoot up dramatically, especially given the relatively good state of my health beforehand. And he also prescribed some anti-fungal cremes for me to put on my skin and feet, which happen to be the SAME over-the-counter cremes women use to treat yeast infections. So if you see some strange tubes in my medicine cabinet next time you visit, don't be too shocked! It's all for a good purpose. Of course, hopefully the medicines will do their job and I will be rid of them before too long. My medicine cabinet is already pretty crowded as it is.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My favorite part of this entry is the line "my five year survival statistics shoot up dramatically". Woohoo. I especially liked the choices of the words "shoot" and "dramatically". I see a shooting star of dramatic proportions skyrocketing upward.

Love,
Lynne

Anonymous said...

"Out of Chaos, Brilliant Stars Are Born"
I-Ching Hexagram #3

Before a great vision can become reality there may be difficulty. Before a person begins a great endeavor, they may encounter chaos. As a new plant breaks the ground with great difficulty, foreshadowing the huge tree, so must we sometimes push against difficulty in bringing forth dreams.