Thursday and Friday my BFF and I will be attending the Houston International Quilt Show. I am certainly looking forward to this. Besides the wonderful quilts we can also shop with all the great vendors. I love doing that.
One of the nice things about quilt show is seeing the stars of the quilting world. Alex Anderson, Eleanor Burns, Fons and Porter, etc. Adds a little bit to the experience.
I'll try to post some pictures after the quilt show. Stay tuned.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Getting better...
My tongue is healing! I shall, however, be forever known as "She who speaks with crooked tongue." Where one of the cuts healed it caused a small crook in my tongue. Now when I stick my tongue out at someone I will have to be careful where I stand so I am sure that the tongue is pointing the right direction!
I still have a way to go but I can see that it is happening just like the doctors told me it would. Praise God!
I still have a way to go but I can see that it is happening just like the doctors told me it would. Praise God!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Life Goes On. . .
They are totally chilling words.
You have cancer.
Doesn't matter where it is. Or how bad.
Just the sound of those words will chill your blood.
Say CANCER and see what image it conjures up.
It is surprising -- or, at least it was to me -- just what emotions rose to the surface after the fact.
At first I was stoic. Oh, yeah, I have this tumor in my tongue, but they are going to take it out and it will be fine. Fine. FINE. Out and gone and fine.
Then one day, after it was out and gone, my Sweetie said..."You have cancer." I snapped back at him...
"No, I don't. I did have cancer but I don't anymore."
I was surprised at the emotions that surged when he made the comment. I was angry -- I was at the point of tears -- I was surprised. No more stoic Anita.
My surgery was done Oct 1. They got it all. No additional surgery on lymph nodes was necessary. No radiation or chemo will be necessary. Just recovery now. A regime of regular tests for a while. Good news. Great news. Answered prayers!
It is very surprising how much this ordeal took the wind out of my sails. The first week I could barely eat. Maybe a tablespoon or two at a time. Drinking was easier than trying to eat with a spoon. First time I tried to eat my tongue was too swollen to get a spoon in my mouth beside it. I found that drinking was easier.
Then I started trying to find things that I could handle. I chose Chicken and Stars soup. One of my favorite flavors in the Campbell's soup family. I tried a bit -- then went to wash out my mouth, as is necessary after eating. Surprisingly, when I spit I found my mouth had been full of stars. I hadn't swallowed them. I thought I had, but they were still there -- hiding out by my tongue. My tongue that wasn't helping with the process of eating. And, to eat, one needs the help of the tongue!
Well, things are better now -- I can actually chew and things go down the way they are supposed to. Mostly. But, still, my tongue is like a strange, unfamiliar "thing" inhabiting my mouth.
It was sliced open -- looks rather like a hot-dog bun -- you know, sliced down the side so you can spread it open and spread on the mayo or mustard or relish and then put in the weiners. My tongue is sliced open that way.
It is UGLY!!!
It has a bad taste. (or so I think.) It hurts to eat more than a few bites.
The powers that be, in the cancer hospital that did my surgery, assure me that it will grow back together.
They PROMISE!
They tell me it will look just like before except for a thin scar along the cut side.
I'm claiming that promise! Can't happen soon enough for me!!
I'm trying to reclaim my vim and vigor. But, naps are still needed two or three times a day. I can hardly watch an entire TV show without falling asleep. My brain is still fuzzy from time to time.
The first time I tried to do some on-line banking I locked myself out because I couldn't remember my password and I just kept trying and trying until the program locked. Protecting my info from whatever idiot was clawing at it.
I'm back on-line now -- with a new password. On-line banking works better when one isn't dopy on pain meds.
Still a long way to go before I'm back to normal -- whatever that word means for me. But, they PROMISE my tongue will heal. They PROMISE!
You have cancer.
Doesn't matter where it is. Or how bad.
Just the sound of those words will chill your blood.
Say CANCER and see what image it conjures up.
It is surprising -- or, at least it was to me -- just what emotions rose to the surface after the fact.
At first I was stoic. Oh, yeah, I have this tumor in my tongue, but they are going to take it out and it will be fine. Fine. FINE. Out and gone and fine.
Then one day, after it was out and gone, my Sweetie said..."You have cancer." I snapped back at him...
"No, I don't. I did have cancer but I don't anymore."
I was surprised at the emotions that surged when he made the comment. I was angry -- I was at the point of tears -- I was surprised. No more stoic Anita.
My surgery was done Oct 1. They got it all. No additional surgery on lymph nodes was necessary. No radiation or chemo will be necessary. Just recovery now. A regime of regular tests for a while. Good news. Great news. Answered prayers!
It is very surprising how much this ordeal took the wind out of my sails. The first week I could barely eat. Maybe a tablespoon or two at a time. Drinking was easier than trying to eat with a spoon. First time I tried to eat my tongue was too swollen to get a spoon in my mouth beside it. I found that drinking was easier.
Then I started trying to find things that I could handle. I chose Chicken and Stars soup. One of my favorite flavors in the Campbell's soup family. I tried a bit -- then went to wash out my mouth, as is necessary after eating. Surprisingly, when I spit I found my mouth had been full of stars. I hadn't swallowed them. I thought I had, but they were still there -- hiding out by my tongue. My tongue that wasn't helping with the process of eating. And, to eat, one needs the help of the tongue!
Well, things are better now -- I can actually chew and things go down the way they are supposed to. Mostly. But, still, my tongue is like a strange, unfamiliar "thing" inhabiting my mouth.
It was sliced open -- looks rather like a hot-dog bun -- you know, sliced down the side so you can spread it open and spread on the mayo or mustard or relish and then put in the weiners. My tongue is sliced open that way.
It is UGLY!!!
It has a bad taste. (or so I think.) It hurts to eat more than a few bites.
The powers that be, in the cancer hospital that did my surgery, assure me that it will grow back together.
They PROMISE!
They tell me it will look just like before except for a thin scar along the cut side.
I'm claiming that promise! Can't happen soon enough for me!!
I'm trying to reclaim my vim and vigor. But, naps are still needed two or three times a day. I can hardly watch an entire TV show without falling asleep. My brain is still fuzzy from time to time.
The first time I tried to do some on-line banking I locked myself out because I couldn't remember my password and I just kept trying and trying until the program locked. Protecting my info from whatever idiot was clawing at it.
I'm back on-line now -- with a new password. On-line banking works better when one isn't dopy on pain meds.
Still a long way to go before I'm back to normal -- whatever that word means for me. But, they PROMISE my tongue will heal. They PROMISE!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Recovering...
Sweetie has taken me out the past two days -- wonderful to be out and about but my strength does not last long.
Yesterday I got to drop by KCM where I volunteer on Wednesday afternoons. It was good to see the people I work with.
Today we went to pick up a few groceries and a prescription. Then we stopped for lunch at Chick Fil A -- a peach milkshake -- I still can't chew so we have to be creative about meal-time. The family is eating quite well as friends have brought by meals. I have what I can drink from a cup -- milk, tomato soup, potato soup, milkshakes, etc. Who knows, perhaps I can lose an ounce or two.
Yesterday I got to drop by KCM where I volunteer on Wednesday afternoons. It was good to see the people I work with.
Today we went to pick up a few groceries and a prescription. Then we stopped for lunch at Chick Fil A -- a peach milkshake -- I still can't chew so we have to be creative about meal-time. The family is eating quite well as friends have brought by meals. I have what I can drink from a cup -- milk, tomato soup, potato soup, milkshakes, etc. Who knows, perhaps I can lose an ounce or two.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
PRAISE GOD! Surgery went well -- all the cancer was removed but it had not spread to lymph nodes so they were left and I will not have to have radiation. Such wonderful news!!
I will be laid up for a while -- I understand I will be on strong pain meds for 2 weeks so don't think I can drive. Right now my tongue is very swollen and it is very hard to swallow but for breakfast I managed to eat 1/2 scrambled egg and some milkshake. I'm debating what I can try to eat at lunch -- Chicken and Stars perhaps? Or boiled potato -- perhaps potato soup cooked very soft so it is thick liquid. Tongue is so swollen I can barely get spoon inside. Need to dig out a baby spoon -- probably have one left over from early days.
Thanks for those who cared enough to send prayers and warm wishes to me.
Anita
I will be laid up for a while -- I understand I will be on strong pain meds for 2 weeks so don't think I can drive. Right now my tongue is very swollen and it is very hard to swallow but for breakfast I managed to eat 1/2 scrambled egg and some milkshake. I'm debating what I can try to eat at lunch -- Chicken and Stars perhaps? Or boiled potato -- perhaps potato soup cooked very soft so it is thick liquid. Tongue is so swollen I can barely get spoon inside. Need to dig out a baby spoon -- probably have one left over from early days.
Thanks for those who cared enough to send prayers and warm wishes to me.
Anita
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