Grateful Friday

 Yesterday I had my training with my team.  I planned to leave at lunchtime and Alissa said, "Do you have time to get lunch together first?"  I did and it was good for me, nice to have the distraction because I was nervous about my appointment.

I am grateful to have a team I love.  Miriam is the nicest person ever, which is wonderful.  Alissa is a little bit snarky like I (possibly) am (sometimes) so we wrote each other messages on sticky notes and passed them back and forth during the training like we were in junior high.  Miriam just raised her eyebrows at us and smiled in her good-natured way.

 Mark and I went to the appointment.  I told him that I might cry.  He shrugged.  I don't think that he is even a tiny bit phased by me threatening to cry.

But I didn't even cry!

As soon as the doctor came in, Mark called Adam so he was on speaker phone and we could all absorb the information together.

My lymphoma is not curable, but treatable.  I will have chemo (6 cycles every 4 weeks that are two days long each time).  It should go into remission for several years and then we'll go from there.  (Maybe there will be even better treatment the next time it returns!)

It is a relief to know what to expect schedule-wise.  My little planning brain is happy about that.

My sense is that chemo is a bit like covid.  Everyone seems to have their own little individualized experience.  So I don't pretend to know exactly what to expect, but hopefully it will be manageable.

I need to get a port and get my insurance to approve and I need to have a chemo class.  

Also, I need to go see Braeden, Anna and QE during fall break.

Because of all of that, I'm set to start chemo on October 23.  I mapped out the dates and for three of the six cycles, I will get an extended recovery time because of Christmas break, Martin Luther King Day and President's Day.  So that works out pretty well.  

It all still feels like a lot.  It feels doable though?  I haven't made it this far to make it this far.

I'm grateful for answers and support and encouragement from numerous sources.  I'm grateful for the kindness of many, many people. I aspire to be more like them.

Whenever there is something awful, like a mass shooting, people offer "thoughts and prayers."

People also say, "Thoughts and prayers aren't enough.  Let's do something to make this stop."

I tend to agree with the second group, especially since I have schoolchildren in my heart.  I cannot discount the blessing of someone praying for you though.  I have felt help from others' prayers.

I have a dear friend who is very sick.  I have beloved family members with injuries and health worries.  It is all heavy and makes me sad, but I also have prayer.  

Also, I'm grateful that there is nothing wrong with hope.