I can see why I became so depressed when I tried to come back to my house a couple weeks ago. There are so many things to pick up or move around or clean or whatever and my body was just not ready. Now, though, I can take care of most things without assistance and am happy to be back in my own home. Today a highly recommended guy named Chad (also known as the Picky Carpenter) came over to look at my front and back steps, gave me a very reasonable estimate of the cost to add guard rails, then proceeded to get started and finish, all before noon! If you are in the C-U area and need help with something, I highly recommend calling him at 217-649-0869.
Having the rails installed meant I could keep my promise to Heidi about not going down the steps without them. That is, to be more direct here, it meant I could go somewhere on my own. Alone. I haven’t been able to do that for almost three months. So this afternoon I took a bus to downtown Urbana, “ran” four errands (at an aging turtle’s pace) and came home exhausted but happy,
So the surgery recovery seems to be going very well, and I’m feeling much more energetic overall. On the other hand, I’ve been experiencing a lot of the same back and leg pain that first signaled my cancer, and am having to rely routinely on pain meds. I’ve discussed this with a Pain Management nurse by phone and will be seeing her in person when I’m at the Cancer Treatment Center Friday. Another round of chemo starts that day also, and I’m wondering if I’ll have any hair left after that’s done. A friend helped me wash my hair today and I can see that it’s getting thinner and thinner.
So that’s a basic update on my cancer adventure to this point. The assistance of friends continues to be of pivotal importance, and something I never would have experienced otherwise. Cancer brings pain and weakness and fear but it also brings love and spiritual strength and courage. Seems to balance out well.