One Month Update

Still easing back into everything.

Oncology is not a precise science.

At times it feels like everyone and everything around me is cancer centric.

My house(and household) is clean, well fed,  and lively due to the generosity and love of friends and family.

I need people and visits are good for healing. But timing is important.

It's been a month since I had brain surgery.

Most common question: How are you feeling?
         Answer: pretty dang good considering I had brain surgery. Pretty dang good in general. To be honest- most weeks after chemo are tougher, although the fatigue as the brain heals is a pretty interesting, sudden, intense thing. There is a lot of PTSD with cancer. I do tend to overdo it- but I don't mess with brains and I am being extra cautious and trying not to mess up the good thing I have going on.

Second Most common question: DO you feel like someone was in your brain?
         Answer- Nope. Not a bit. Which is truly bizarre, again reassuring about what an amazing thing the brain is and how far neurosurgery has come.  The back left quarter of my noggin is still numbish. I can feel twinges and a stretching like feeling and some itchiness as everything heals. I definitely ache at night and am hesitant to touch or lay on the left side- so I alternate between bed and the recliner. Pretty small beans in the grand scheme. I am in no way minimalizing the intensity or significance of brain surgery. A good friend and multiple brain surgery officianado was kind enough to send me a list of all tenants that could be in one's brain that should immediately be evacuated( the list includes just about any and everything that is taking up valuable brain real estate.)

The kids are doing really well, Phillip's gotten acceptance letters from a couple local colleges and a scholarship, he works a fair amount each week and has been helping transport littles to school. I just ordered graduation announcements. So very excited for this milestone.

Kiera's busy as always and talking my ear off right now- and even got snippy with me this week so we hit that milestone of the healing journey. She keeps busy with school and dance- 10 hours of dance a week and 2 eschool courses in addition to her regular courseload in prep for IB classes next year.   New milestone-will be Kiera's graduation in 2019. Looking forward to her ballet performance in June- she is the Duck in Peter and the Wolf.

Lily is busy in 6th grade and working on her IB Exhibition project on Gender Equality. I figured she would end up doing one of our favorite community services, HUGS, Alex's Lemonade Stand, St. Baldrick's or Make A Wish. She's been working hard and learning a lot and I'm excited to see what she and her group have come up with to present and educate their schoolmates on a very important issue. She's also taken up Hip Hop and Jazz dance classes again.

And Bella Boo- she is a trip and was placed in Advanced band. She just started playing the clarinet at the end of the year and has been practicing a lot. When she's not doing that she is out skateboarding on Heely's. That's Bell.