Thankful For The Little Things - Literally !!!

Saturday proved to be a good day.  It was a 'take my time' kind of day and I did.  I got to go to Home Depot (my sister took me) and I got some lettuce, Chinese cabbage and spinach starter plants.  I fluffed the potting soil in the pots that I mentioned in yesterday's blog and I planted the starter plants.  The plants I bought were water deprived (shame on HD) but I got them in the soil and watered them good and they are standing at attention on the patio this morning.  Here's a picture of them right after planting, they are thirsty.  I didn't get the fountain going as I need to clean the filter but I will get that done soon.  It felt so good to be outside just planting these pots.

 Thankful for the little things - literally!

I have mentioned that the chemo gives me thrush in my mouth.  Thrush is a fungus that covers your tongue with white stuff, gets sore and causes you to not be able to taste anything.  I have had a bad case of thrush this time along with sores on my tongue and major sore gums around my teeth.  After calling the Center to see what I could do, I began rinsing my mouth with warm salt water (very soothing) on Friday.  Brushing my teeth was excruciatingly painful so for a day I didn't brush my teeth.  Yesterday I got a baby toothbrush that has extra soft bristles and last night I was able to brush just my teeth as the bristles are very soft and do not touch my gums.  After a soft brushing and another rinse with soothing warm salt water, my mouth felt better and I was good for the night.

Thankful for the little things - literally!

In my 55 year span of life, I must say that I have never had too many digestive problems.  You know like heartburn, reflux, and whatever else there is to have in your esophagus or where ever it is you get that stuff.  About two weeks ago, I started experiencing a burning sensation down in my chest from my throat to my sternum.  Since I have never had heartburn that I ever knew of, I didn't know what it was.  Drinking water would cause it first thing in the morning and it stayed with me all day.  NOTE:  This burning sensation could have been my eating problem for the last couple of weeks.  Everything I ate made it worse.  Finally last night when my sister and I ran to the store to get milk, I told her I had to have some relief from this .... heartburn ... which is what I was guessing it was.  Being a chemo patient you don't just buy stuff off the shelf and take it, it is important to call the doctors office before taking anything that you have not been told to take.  My sister and I talked about what to get (even if I couldn't take it) and we decided on Prilosec OTC.  My heartburn was so bad last night I had decided I was just having a bowl of cereal for dinner.  When she let me out at my house, she said read the label before you take this because you might not be able to have milk with this.  GREAT!   There goes the cereal and my dinner.  <smile>  I dutifully came in and read the label and it didn't say anything about milk but it did say ... Consult your physician before taking this drug if you are taking anti-fungal medication.  HELLO!  I take Diflucan, an anti-fungal med for the thrush.  So I called the Center  answering service and got to speak to my precious Helena, Nurse Practitioner, and she said, "Oh honey, I want you to take two of those right now and two in the morning.  The OTC drug is half the strength of a prescription and when I see you Monday, we will get you a prescription."  I mentioned the warning about the anti-fungal drugs and she said, "You're ok, take the Prilosec".  I took two Prilosec and almost had immediate relief from the heartburn.  I was able to eat my cereal for dinner and drink my water and the burning has pretty much all gone away.  

Thankful for the little things - literally! 

Yesterday afternoon while I was planting my little plants, my sweet neighbor, Paul, came over and mowed my front yard while he was mowing his.  Of course this is the time of year for those prickly weeds and dandelions and such are growing rampant so he gave that particular area of my yard a nice short hair cut and then raised his mower to accommodate the remainder of my front yard.  I am so appreciative that he has mowed for me three times.  *Thankful for the little things - literally!*   Paul and I talked quite a while yesterday and I told him that I was going to start my mowing season out by hiring a young man who mows my sister's yard and has mowed for me before.  Justin does a great job and as he and I have discussed, we are very picky about our yards.  Mowing is not my issue, starting my mower is my issue for now.  I have my port that I take my chemo in and at this point I am not sure when it will be removed.  Of course, we are not in the major throws of mowing season just yet either so we will see how it goes. 

Yesterday morning Bonnie and Braxton came over and visited Grammy.  Braxton is walking and talking and he had so much fun because Madelyn has different toys than he does.  Watching these babies play and talk to each other in a language that only they can understand is so amazing.  I generally sit on the couch and just watch them interact.  And they love love love ... marshmallows.  I am truly blessed with these two little people and I am so thankful for them.  

Below: Braxton  and his Daddy last 

Wednesday outside 

 enjoying the beautiful weather.  

Below:  Madelyn enjoying the sunshine

and her sidewalk chalk. 

Looking back ... and while this has been the toughest round of chemo yet ... I am so thankful ... for everything ... small or big.  Sometimes we take for granted the little things but writing my blog this morning ... literally it's the little things that have gotten me through the last couple of days.  I urge you to appreciate the little things and be thankful.  

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says ... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  

Blessed and very thankful for the little things .... sending you blessings for this beautiful Sunday!  

 genam44@charter.net