Pockets of Normalcy

Time these days is measured based on which week of which cycle I'm in.  Right now I'm close to the end of week 3 of cycle 2 so I'll be going back in for chemo again on Tuesday.  This week has been really good overall and has been the closest thing to a normal week in over two months.  I started Monday off with acupuncture and also received a vitamin b12 shot during that visit.  I had started to experience some minor numbness in my fingertips, which is an expected side effect of chemo, so the b12 shot was offered to treat that along with the lack of energy I had been feeling.  Whether it was the shot or just a coincidence, I felt awesome after getting it and have felt great mentally and physically all week.  After the appointment, I stopped at work for a quick visit with my coworkers which also gave me a boost. 

On Tuesday I started working again which has helped bring back a sense of normalcy.  It's only part time, but it makes the days go by faster.  My boss has been good about making sure I know that I'm needed while not putting any pressure on me to do too much before I'm ready.  Having that flexibility and support has been huge and something I don't take for granted.  It's one less burden I have to bear while I focus on getting better.  Wednesday night I was able to attend the monthly board meeting of PMI-NH and see my friends there for the first time since this ordeal began which was nice.  And then Thursday night I made it to our weekly small group/ Bible study.  All of this without needing any naps!  I'm feeling pretty accomplished this week.

Related to nothing in this post, but I've gotten really good at making non-alcoholic concoctions

I've still been walking every day to stay in some semblance of shape.  This week I was really tempted to start jogging  because I felt so good but my better judgment kicked in and I held off.  I look forward to running again but I still have another 3 weeks for my surgery to heal.  The last thing I need is to rupture something so I'm being cautious with it. 

Things at home are settling into somewhat of a routine.  Now that it's finally warming up here Tiffany and the girls can spend more time outside or going places, so my takeover of our sunroom doesn't cramp their space as much.  Genevieve is also adjusting better lately.  Being a four year old, she knows something is different and that her daddy has been sick, but isn't able to understand or process it.  She has gravitated more to Tiffany and was more hesitant around me at first, so we could tell she was dealing with it.  For example, one morning when she woke up, she came into our room to lie down next to Tiffany as she is usually the first one up.  I had already gotten up, but I came back in and laid down next to her.  She slowly and casually crawled away from me to the other side of Tiffany while eyeing me suspiciously.  We actually laughed about it, as I knew it was part of the adjustment process.  For my part, I've tried to act as normal as possible around the girls and reassure them that I'll be better soon.  Last Friday I took Genevieve out to lunch and a movie for some bonding time and since then she has been back to her usual self with me.  Nadia has been blissfully ignorant of anything and has just been happy to have me around more.  I love my girls.

My lunch date

From last summer

Love this picture

 I also have the date for my next CT scan to check the progress at the halfway point of chemo - 5/22.  That's all for now.