Merry Christmas Eve! I’m thankful today for celebrating early with a friend, and for a relaxing day at home.

Today I’m thankful that we didn’t need to leave the house in the super windy weather that supposedly felt like -31 F. It’s nice to be able to work from home. I’m also thankful that even though their power went out, my daughter and her in-laws survived the cold snap, too.

Like much of the US, we were impacted by a severe cold front today. We didn’t get a lot of snow, but the wind made it colder than usual and difficult for driving. So I’m grateful that Patrick made it home from Texas without issue. He started driving yesterday and made it home late this afternoon. It’s good to have our little family together again.

I saw my plastic surgeon today, and it did not go well. In his opinion, my only option to repair the damage caused by my radiated skin is to take skin and fat from my side or stomach and replace some of the damaged skin in an attempt to relax it again. He doesn’t think going to smaller implants would be a good option because my skin may not heal as well. I could remove the implants altogether, but I’m not sure I’m ready for that. He ended our appointment with the news that he would also need to refer me to a another doctor. The clinic he is working in has decided to stop accepting insurance, and thus stopped doing breast reconstructions completely. He said I’m his last reconstruction patient. And now he’s ditching me.

I was pretty upset as I left. It’s been a long process and I keep expecting it to be done. Honestly, I felt a bit betrayed. Disappointed in my options, but mostly disappointed that this doctor who was so passionate about helping women with breast cancer when I first met him has given up on me.

But I’m going to be ok. I’ll take his referral and continue my journey elsewhere. Maybe the next doctor will agree with his assessment of my options, or maybe he or she will have another suggestion. Maybe there’s nothing more to be done.

Today I’m thankful for supportive family and friends who help me stay positive, for Christmas lights that always make me smile, and for cookies. Because…cookies. Mmm.

It might not look like it, but these guys were happy to see me come home today, and I was happy to see them. They were exhausted from the excitement.

I’m so thankful for good pup sitters. It’s easy to go away when you know someone is home loving on your pups so they’re not lonely. I realized today that it had been about 5 years since I was last in Texas. Too long to be away from this happy bunch. I’m so glad I was able to see Patrick’s side of the family after so many years.

I’m thankful today for hanging out with Patrick and wandering around looking for treasures. We found a couple of oddity and vintage shops and had more yummy tacos for lunch.

I’m thankful for another good day starting with yummy breakfast tacos. I’ve missed these. I’m not sure why the tacos are better in Texas, but they are.

Then after a relaxing morning, Patrick, his sister Meg, and I went wandering through a shopping area before going to a place called Fang and Feather. Patrick has been watching YouTube videos from The Whiskey Tribe for a while now, and Fang and Feather is the whiskey tasting room from the show. He’s been there before, but I hadn’t seen it in person, so I was curious to go. It’s in a picturesque location outside Austin on a campus that also includes a whiskey school, wedding chapel and coffee shop.

We had a good drink and enjoyed checking out the grounds. We even met a couple of folks from the show (no, we didn’t ask for a picture).

I made it to Texas! I was immediately grateful for the sunshine, which we haven’t had at home in what feels like years. I’m also thankful for seeing family again after actual years. We celebrated Christmas and had a wonderful meal together. It was a good day. One worth getting up at 3:00 am for.

Today was our holiday work party, and I’m thankful it went well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The table decorations were a hit. Somehow I knew bringing toys and balloons would go over well with my colleagues.

It was an early morning with a 6:00 am meeting, but I took a couple hours off this afternoon to finish up a few errands before my trip to Texas Saturday morning. While I didn’t finish everything I wanted to, I’m thankful I got everything done I needed to. And tomorrow is Friday!