I was busy today! I got my Etsy store open, rearranged our bedroom, and started painting our bathroom. I was hoping to get the bathroom done, but my feet and legs started really bothering me. I guess it was too much time standing on them. Man, I cannot wait until they’re back to normal. But even though I’m really sore, I’m thankful to have been productive. I’ve been wanting to make some decorating changes for a while. Here’s hoping I can finish things tomorrow.
July 16, 2021
Once again, I’m grateful to be done with the work week. Not that we have big plans; instead, it’s free time that I’m looking forward to. I feel like I need to do something creative. And tonight I started that by reading a new decorating book and saving inspirational photos to my Pinterest board. Let the weekend begin!
July 15, 2021
Today I got confirmation that my surgery is officially scheduled for August 10 at 7:30 am. I’m pretty thankful for that, although I’m already feeling a bit nervous about it. I know it will be fine, but still, it’s a big deal. They said it will potentially be 7-8 hours long. I don’t even want to think about it. My mom and sister have already said they want to come and help out, which is comforting. It’s going to be fine.
July 14, 2021
After several failed attempts, a couple of friends and I finally got together tonight in person for the first time since COVID began. I had no idea but they planned a redo for my 50th birthday. We weren’t able to celebrate it since it was the day I found out I had cancer.
I’m so thankful for this surprise today but mostly for their friendship. It was good to laugh together again while sharing fresh strawberry-peach margaritas and a lovely charcuterie board. They even gave me this bracelet grouping which will go with so much. I hope we are able to start seeing each other regularly again!
July 13, 2021
These are the bomb. They are cooling socks that my mother-in-law found and sent to me. They have gel inserts that can be moved to the bottom or top of the sock, and after a few hours in the freezer, they were perfect. I tried them last night when I went to bed, and my feet didn’t keep me awake. Between the foot spa from Patrick and these, I’ll be feeling pretty good. So thankful!
July 12, 2021
Last week, I left two messages for my surgeon’s office to see how scheduling was going. I got a call back on Friday saying they were waiting for the plastic surgeon’s office to call. Today I called the plastic surgeon’s office and was told they were waiting on pre-authorization from my insurance company. So…I called my insurance company and was told the paperwork submitted was pending because it was missing codes. Thankfully, the woman at the insurance company was helpful, and after I explained what the surgery was for, she figured out codes and said she’d push it along so I’d get an answer from them by Friday.
Then I got a call back from my surgeon’s office this afternoon saying that the plastic surgeon’s office told them that they’d be doing the reconstruction part separately instead of coordinating, which was not what was explained to me. So I called their office again, saying I was confused since delayed reconstruction was never part of the conversation. She promised to talk to my plastic surgeon and call me back, which she did. He agreed to coordinate, and if schedules didn’t line up well, then they would have to delay. Finally, I called the surgeon’s office back.
Schedules lined up on August 10. They still need to get it on the books, but I should get a confirmation within a couple of days. It’s not ideal to wait another month, but my nurse coordinator agrees that waiting for one surgery is preferable to two separate ones.
While it was a lot of back and forth, I’m thankful to finally have a date to work towards!
July 11, 2021
Today I’m thankful that Emma made it back home safely. It’s a long drive to North Carolina, especially when you’re driving alone. I’m thankful for some time crafting. I’m getting close to getting my Etsy store open. And I’m also thankful that Patrick got me a better foot spa. I was able to use it while doing a little sewing this evening, and it was so much better than the one I got.
July 10, 2021
Well, I’m the worst. Emma and I spent most of today together, and once again, I took NO photos. What the actual heck. My excuse is that we were having too much fun to think about it.
We went antiquing and planned to have lunch at a winery in the country, but it was packed with people when we got there. We drove in, saw everyone outside, and drove back out and found a different lunch spot. We finished the day by getting her snacks for her drive back home tomorrow and then having a hard cider out on the deck until it started to rain.
I’m so grateful to have been able to spend some time with her this week since I’m not sure when we will see each other in person again.
July 9, 2021
I’m going to whine for a minute, but I promise to end on a high note. I was hoping my neuropathy would start getting better but it isn’t. The numbness in my finger tips doesn’t bother me too much. It’s sometimes weird touching things and not getting a normal sensation. My feet, however, have really been bothering me lately.
When I was warned about neuropathy during chemo, my doctor described it as numbness or maybe tingling. Most websites describe it that way as well, with the added potential for sharp pain or burning. The best way I can describe it is to imagine walking around a big city all day in shoes that have no arch support. Then, when your feet are really sore, taking the shoes off and walking across hot pavement. My feet are achy, hot, and difficult to stand on for very long. Wearing closed toe shoes and socks makes it worse. Sadly, by the end of the day, my calves and knees also ache, and when I lay down, I periodically get sharp pains going through them.
The thing I keep thinking sounds good is wrapping them in something cool, especially at bedtime, and/or soaking them. So today I got a foot spa. It has vibration and is supposed to have bubbles, but it isn’t working quite right. However, I’m happy to say it helped. The cool water is soothing and relaxing, especially while sipping a glass of wine! I’m going to find a better spa and use it regularly. I’m thankful to find things like this that will help instead of resorting to pain medication. And I’m not losing hope that the neuropathy will eventually go away.
July 8, 2021
Tonight we celebrated that our friend Teresa has completed her cancer treatments and is now cancer – free. It was a small gathering of just six of us, but it was a fun surprise that she seemed to appreciate. Once again, it was good to see each other in person and more importantly have something important to be thankful for. I think we should always celebrate our victories—big and small. Beating cancer is a big one. I’m so happy for my friend to be done with this difficult part of her life and on the road to being back to healthy, and I’m grateful to celebrate with friends.
melissagratitude 