Another "new normal" day

I went to the cancer center this morning for an appointment with a psychologist. It was nice for me to have him affirm that we are dealing with this situation in a very normal/positive way. He liked the fact that Mike and I can talk openly about our feelings. I have had such anxiety with doctor appointments fearing that we will be told more bad news. The psychologist assured me that with questions that we might ask, we can have more control over the visits. I have been very afraid to visit the neurosurgeon this Thursday. I was reminded that this visit should be a normal 6 week after surgery visit. He indicated the doctors will tell us what information we want to know. I thought I was one of those people who always wanted to know everything. In this situation, I only want to know what I have to know for tomorrow. I am just to the point in this process where I can think just a little beyond tomorrow... For a many, many weeks, I could only think about today (or acutally the present hour or minute.)

Mike spent time at the office this morning. He napped well after his return home from his treatment and then had lunch. He is off to a client meeting right now. He slept very well last night. There is certainly a correlation between good rest and productivity.

I watched a video last night about an amazing woman who dealt with many trials in her life. One of the things she said was that "we don't have strength, we find it." We are finding strength in so many different ways. I am so strengthened by writing this blog. It is so theraputic to me to be able to write about each days events and especially the high points! Our biggest strength comes from our knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and in his son Jesus Christ who will carry us when we stumble. I am so grateful for this sure foundation.

The architect at his new work station :)

Mike has had a busy day... He has been doing quite a bit of work from home, after going into the office for a bit each morning. Today he is doing something he is really enjoying because he has been at it since noon!

It is such a beautiful day today. The windows are open and the breeze is so delightful. I pulled weeds this morning but soon got dismayed. It needs to rain so they will be easier to get out of the ground! I have been rearranging our books. It seems we have too many for the amount of shelving we have. I found an old journal of mine from 1975 - 1979. Of course I sat down and read most of that. I read some things to Mike - We laughed at some things and were inspired by much of it. It was so wonderful to relive so many memories.

We look forward to Hannah and Allen's arrival on Wednesday night. I cleaned out the dresser of the bedroom suite that she and Allen will be taking back with them. Once that is gone, the architect will have to figure out what we are going to do with an empty bedroom. That will be another fun project for us. I am sure Mike and Hannah will put their heads together and make decisions and that project will begin soon after the Rick's departure.

A cute quote I found in my journal... "The Lord won't always come when you want him, but he will always be on time."

Healing

We been blessed yet again with a very restful day. Mike has had some good naps, as have I. We spent the morning at church and were uplifted by the things we heard. Our choir sang this morning and did an outstanding job. I don't think there is anything so soothing as good music.

My sister recommended that Mike listen to music when he rests as part of his healing process. She has been so kind to give us some great music on CDs. Thus far, I have listened to it more than Mike. I do believe in the power of healing through music. Hopefully this will be the week that Mike can listen too :)

Yesterday as I was looking at some pictures of friends, I was reminded of a favorite scripture of one of them... "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." I am constantly amazed at how often I have been reminded of something, a verse, lyric, scripture, that will make both Mike and me feel better. We are stronger, have more courage and are happier because of lessons we have been taught by many of you. Thank you for sharing your music, scripture passages and words of wisdom with us. We love it!

Our family is in healing mode right now! We are learning so much and are grateful for the knowledge we have gained. Many, many good things are coming out of this situation.

Project completed!

Today was such a good day for us. Mike worked a bit at the office this morning. He napped just a tiny bit and then started a long awaited project. We changed to AT&T Uverse several months ago. When it was installed we had cords running everywhere. The control box had to sit on our mantel and cords ran from the mantel to the shelves beside the fireplace. I tried everything to cover them, but it looked like a big mess. Today Mike reworked everything. He rearranged the shelves and put all of the electronic components on them. He ran the cords behind a nice covering and now it looks so neat and tidy. He worked so hard and was so pleased with the result.

I baked bread today and gave one of our friends a loaf. I am so embarrassed... I forgot the salt. It looks pretty but it tastes pretty bland.

When my sister called today after being on vacation for several days, I was able to tell her that I went most of the day today without thinking of Mike with cancer! What a blessing for me! We continue to be grateful for small miracles each and every day. Today, my six week survivor completed a major project. He has been able to do so many things around the house that I wasn't EVER counting on! I'm sure he is going to be voted the husband of the year. How am I so fortunate to be his companion?

The Relay for Life

Mike rested a lot today. This afternoon he told me he thought we should go to the Relay for Life... I told him I didn't think we should be around that many people. We went. Mike may have been the only one whose shirt said "6 week survivor," but he wore it and walked with the other amazing survivors of cancer. Mike will be walking next year as well. Maybe some of you would like to join us.

Too hot to play

Mike had a rough night. He slept well until his legs started cramping. He was anxious about that when I woke up. We think we have it all figured out... dehydration, low potassium, steroids, chemo, radiation, outdoor heat could all be culprit. We got him some orange juice, are making sure he is drinking plenty of liquids today and did call the doctor. The doctor agreed with our assessment. I told Mike that it was just too hot to play outside today!

The Cancer Center will be closed on Friday next week due to the 4th of July holiday. Looks like Mike will end his radiation on a Friday rather than a Thursday. We are grateful for a 3 day break next week! Hannah and Allen will be here on Wednesday and will stay for a few days. Yeah!!

Our children continue to be so amazing during this journey. We have grown closer as a family. Will told me last Sunday that he really "yikes" me. I asked him if he "yiked" Poppy and he said that Poppy and Andy are his good friends. We absolutely love our family... we are a way beyond the "yiking" phase :)

Stay cool and drink lots of fluids today... We all need to take care of ourselves :)

1/2 way there

Mike is having his 15th radiation treatment right now... but who's counting? We feel so blessed that he is handling them so well. He has experienced a bit of a metallic taste in his mouth which is very common with the chemo. The taste hasn't been enough to slow his eating.

We had a nice dinner out last night after a conference we attended earlier in the afternoon. It was nice to eat without cooking! We did a lot of laughing and crying together last night. It was an unforgettable evening. Sharing feelings is so vital during an experience like this. I think we both are renewed today.