Comments and Other Stuff ....

Over the course of my baldness, I have had many folks make comments about how pretty my head is shaped.  This afternoon I went down to the first floor of the Federal Building where I work to drop off a Fed Ex package.  Dropped off my package and turned around and headed back down the long hall and there was a lady behind me.  All of a sudden I hear ... You have the prettiest shaped head ...  I told her thank you and I am starting to believe it because people keep telling me that.  I had one lady on my floor the other day run up to me at the elevators and said ... I wanted to tell you that I could never pull off the bald look because I know my head is not pretty ... I told her thank you and I was quite sure if faced with the opportunity for being bald, she would look just fine.  Confession time and I have to admit ... I was a c-section baby and did not pass through the dark tight tunnel that many babies pass through in order to enter the world ... at this point in my life ... I'm pretty thankful.  Speaking of heads ... and hair ... mine is getting longer and little fuller.  The top seems to be taking it's sweet time of growing but I am sure it will fill in here pretty soon and if it doesn't, I'm not beyond using a product to make it.

I took some pictures of my radiation area and I am betwixt and between as to whether to post them or not.  I have a good sunburn going on, however, I am Praising the Lord that it is not too awfully painful. I have one more overall radiation treatment on Monday and after that I begin the 'boost' radiation as it is called for five days.  One more week and one day and I am finished with radiation.  Praise the Lord ... but I must say ... it was not bad.  Dr. C and the radiation techs accommodated my 6:00am appointments for my whole 33 treatments and for that I am thankful.

When I met my survivor sister, Leslie and our friend, Donna for lunch last Friday, I told them the story about before I started chemo and how I had it all scoped out where I would sit each time in the corner of the chemo room.  There were only two chairs in there and I would not have to talk to anyone and I could be isolated and left alone.  You know when you're first diagnosed you don't really want to talk to anyone or see anyone so you want to just hide.  Well as I have mentioned before, the prisoners take their chemo on Monday (same day as mine was) and guess what?  They got to sit in the corner where I wanted to sit.  I wanted to act like a child and say .... NOT fair!  I wanted to sit in that corner.  Well the corner only had two chairs in it and the other chair was for the guard to sit in.  So with the guard and the prisoner that left no chairs for me to go hibernate and act like a shy child and therefore I was forced to go sit in one of the other three areas where there were six chairs in each.  Ugghhhh ... or so I thought.  As it turns out ... sitting in those other areas with other people ...  I made friends.  Friends I know will be around most likely for the rest of my life.  People that know what I am going through because they are going through it too.  I have to thank the Lord for prisoners who took chemo on the same day as me and got to sit in the corner ... it forced me to be a big girl and put my big girl panties on and sit in one of the other areas where people I met blessed my life.

Speaking of prisoners ... one day last week when I finished with my radiation and got back to the changing room sitting area ... there she sat ... the prisoner who took chemo at the same time I did.  She was sitting there with her feet shackled and the guard was in a chair opposite her.  I walked in the sitting area and said ... NEXT ... and they laughed.  After I got changed and out of that hospital gown that we have to wear (pictures coming soon) and got ready to walk out ... I said ... Have a good day!  They smiled and bid me a good day as well.  When I got to my car and headed to work I thought to myself about that prisoner lady ... What did she do that she ended up in prison?  Was she remorseful?  Would she ever leave prison?  And then I thought ... I cannot imagine being in prison and taking chemo and not having the comforts of home.  That blew my mind ... being in a prison where you have a hard bunk and not a soft bed, couldn't get up and go to the kitchen and get something to eat or drink when you felt like you could.  What if the chemo had a really bad affect on the prisoner lady and she got like throw up sick?  What then?  My heart strings were pulled that day for the prisoner lady.  I've not seen her back ... however ... that was the day that my appointment was a little later in the morning so perhaps she goes at that time all the time.  I prayed for the prisoner lady that day.

One day this week when I went in the changing room where we keep out hospital gowns and in my little cubby hole there laid an envelope with a card in in.  It was from my survivor sister, Leslie, telling me how she had enjoyed our lunch last Friday.  I thought that was just the sweetest.

Above:  No my last name is not Crain but the
card covers up Morrison.  I roll my gown up
really small and push it to the back of my cubby.
I know this is a surprise but I am a
GERM-O-PHOBE ... big time!

At night after I've had my shower and go back to the den to sit and watch a little TV or read, if I am sitting on the couch, I am right under an air exchange vent and if the a/c is on, I have to cover my head because it gets cold.  I keep those little throw blankets on the corners of my couch and love seat 1) because you never know when it might be a bit nippy in my house and 2) the dog lays up there and I don't want her laying on the arms of the furniture and 3) I'm weird.   Here's a picture of me with the throw over my bald head because the air was running.   ...  LOL  and it's OK to laugh ...

Above:  Solemn look ..

Above:  Fat look ... hello.  Some of these self
portraits are not very flattering.  The bright light behind
me is not my halo, I had removed it for the night
<smile> it's the lamp.  

Tonight is my night off in the kitchen.  Alicia and Madelyn are going to eat dinner with her Dad and step Mom and little brother.  I guess I will go pick up something as I didn't eat much lunch in anticipation of going to Olive Garden.  Guess I'll have an old piece of cheese.  <smile>  Oh well ... not a biggie.  My appetite is still missing ... I eat a smidge to keep my strength up and try to eat protein so my hair continues to grow but as far as ever really getting hungry, it doesn't happen.  My weight has maintained at 129-130 and I'm happy about that.  I figure my appetite will come back eventually and probably so will my weight.

I have decided I have made a terrible mistake by not putting tomato cages around my tomato plants when they were just twigs.  These plants are being weighted down with all the tomatoes that are on them.  I found two more ripe tomatoes that were down under the plant a while ago when I was out there.  I check the plants every day to see what is starting to ripen so I can watch it and lo and behold ... found two more tomatoes.

Yesterday evening I turned the soaker hose on in the front flower bed to water the shrubs and elephant ears and guess when I remembered it was on?  On my way to the bank this afternoon to make an extra payment on my house principal.  Of course I wanted to turn around right then and come home and turn it off and decided differently as I figured another 15 minutes to the 24 hours it had been on wasn't going to hurt anything.  I started thinking ... cha ching ... there goes my water bill sky high.  Oh well ... lessons learned ... set the microwave timer when I turn the soaker hose on ... when the timer dings ... try to remember why I set it to begin with.  <laughing>  Yes, sometimes my memory is that bad.  <laughing more>

Last Saturday Pat and I were coming home from Sam's and God was using His crayolas again.  He amazingly colored the blue patch of sky that is between the white and gray patches.  I thought this was so pretty and amazing and I had to share.

Above:  God's coloring book.

I leave today with many --->
Praises:
*  Six more radiation treatments.
*  Feeling good and hip pain is not so bad.
*  Bills are paid.  Waaa hooo ... and there's a little money left.
*  Life is getting back to the normal range.
*  New grand baby coming the day after my final round of radiation. That's May 30.
*  My survivor sisters that I keep in touch with.  
*  Many many more ...

Prayer Requests:
*  I have a friend who had a lumpectomy week before last.  When the results came in from the pathology reports, it seems the invasive ductal carcinoma had broke out of the milk duct and become invasive lobular carcinoma (same thing I had in my right breast).  She will now have a mastectomy in a week and half.  Please pray for her. Cancer diagnosis is so devastating.
*  My survivor sister, Michelle, who continues on with her chemo.  She's having some pretty bad side affects which is pretty normal the more treatments you have but just because it's 'normal' doesn't make it any better.
*  My survivor sister, Wendi, who is finished with chemo and continues to have side affects.  Chemo does not immediately leave your body just because it's the last treatment.
*  My survivor sister, Wendy in Amarillo, who took another round of chemo this week.  They are grueling.
*  My retired NWS friend whose wife was diagnosed with leukemia.  It's not good. Pray for her hubby as he is taking care of her.
*  All those who were recently diagnosed with a dreadful disease.

I personally thank you for all your prayers.  Thoughts are good but prayers are so much better.

I am here ....
Because He Lives !!!
Blessings!


gkmorrison12@gmail.com