Sorry we haven’t blogged recently. There hasn’t been too much new to report on the cancer side, while the home life has been absolutely crazy.

I made it through both graduations, though I was really tired afterwards and I had to leave each shortly after it ended because I was freezing, even though I dressed like I was in Tahoe in January! Just don’t have any insulation left and the thermostat is still busted. Dashiell’s 8th grade graduation was pretty low key emotionally, as expected. The high school graduation was a different story. As expected, seeing my little girl take one more step toward the edge of the nest was intense. We are so proud of the fine young lady she’s become, but it is bittersweet.

The following week was I was apprehensive about attending the customer mtg in San Ramon due to my lack of physical stamina, but the mtg went really well. I was able to stay through lunch and my condition never limited my participation. It was the best morning I’ve had in months, since I was so preoccupied with the mtg that I went for long stretches of time without thinking about the big C. Kevin invited me to the dinner that evening and although I was concerned about eating in public due to my limited diet, low appetite and really slow eating speed (yes, even slower than normal for me!) I decided, what the heck, I’ll go for it.

One of the reasons I wanted to attend the mtg and dinner was it would be the last mtg for Vince C. and Dick V., who are both retiring in the next few months. They have both been great to work with but more importantly, they are also my friends. So I went home for a nap and later drove off to the restaurant. Yes, that is something new -- I am driving again. I’m still on enough pain killers to knock out a horse but I finally convinced Bonnie that they don’t really limit my coordination. Also, it’s not like I still drive a hot little sports car (ye olde Camry is 16 now). Well, dinner went great too, although toasting with a glass of milk while everyone else was drinking some nice red wine wasn’t much fun. It did get some laughs though! I managed to find courses that I could handle although it was a bit depressing to have my choices limited that way. There were a bunch of dishes that tempted me but I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat them. As expected, I paid for such a busy day. My stamina was much lower and I felt a bit more fragile over the next couple days. But, it was worth it!

Last Saturday there was a picnic down at the park for our neighborhood's 13 graduating 8th graders. Dash stayed to play soccer while the rest of us came home. Later, he limped in the house with a swollen, bloody big toe and asked me if his messed up toe (from slide tackling someone bare-footed) would keep him from attending camp the following week. He was planning to attend camp in Minnesota for the next 4 weeks. It is a camp that some friends have attended and highly recommend. I took him in for x-rays the next day and they confirmed his toe was broken. Not only that but the doctor thought it would probably need a pin but he said the podiatrist would make the final decision on the treatment. We couldn’t get an appt. until Wednesday so we cancelled his flights and camp. He was pretty bummed. We did get some good news on Wednesday: no need for a pin (just a big boot) and he will probably be healed enough to attend the mid July camp.

Today Carolyn left for 3 weeks as an au pair for a friend in France. Unfortunately, she had some bad luck too. Thunderstorms in Chicago delayed her departure from SFO long enough that she missed her connection in Chicago and they diverted to Minneapolis to refuel and let the storms clear Chicago. So she arrived over 5 hours late and was in a mile-long line waiting to get rebooked as I write this. Luckily I called hours ago and got her rebooked on an Air France flight tomorrow evening but she needed to wait in line to get the paperwork. It helps that her aunt lives 45 minutes from O’Hare so she can stay with them tonight and tomorrow. Her aunt and uncle and cousin Max spent hours waiting for her--they all finally left the airport at 2:00 a.m. What a long day for everyone!

I’ve got an appointment next week with Bonnie’s oral surgeon for consultation on the cracked molar. The uncertainty and potential severity of removing the tooth has been weighing on my mind. It even overshadows the cancer prognosis which seems strange when I think about it. Perhaps it means that I’m more optimistic about the cancer than I thought, although the worst case scenario with the tooth is loss of my jaw bone, so it’s all relative.

I was supposed to see my ENT surgeon next week also but he cancelled due to a need to operate on someone. My check-up needs to be rescheduled, but he has no slots available for the next 2 weeks.

The good news is my diet continues to widen and I can now maintain my weight without drinking any Ensures. That is really nice. I still should drink 1 or 2 a day to regain some weight and I will later but for now I’m enjoying not having them. Maybe not… GOD, how I hate Ensure now!