Checking in on Amy

Update one day later...we are good to go for chemo #5 tomorrow! Read on if you missed this week's excitement. -×-×-×-×-×-×-×- It has been a lovely last few days. Quality time with my sister and her family this weekend was very good medicine for my heart and soul. We lucked out with fantastic weather and the cousins made the most of the beautiful days. The dogs had fun too! They are also photogenic. ;) Chemo port rejection story... It had been about 2 months since my chemo port was put in. In that time it had a good start healing, then things regressed a bit, but with the advice of my amazing nurses things were looking a bit better again a week or two ago. Still, the incision never completely closed up (one stubborn little end just would not heal) and I have been using steri strips to help keep things in place and encourage healing. Well, over the last couple of days my body decided to assert itself and rejected the port once and for all.  !!! Skip the next paragraph if you don'...

Yesterday I had an appointment to have my new port checked out. Apparently I am a good healer and the port is ready to go for chemo next week. As a bonus, while I was there they removed my picc line, so I have reclaimed my arm and will be able to shower without putting on my silly 'water wing' device. I am absolutely thrilled by this development, as it also means I no longer need to go to weekly 'picc maintenance' appointments. I didn't even feel the picc line coming out - they just pull it out through the hole and then put some gauze on it, same as if you were getting bloodwork done or giving blood. The tube was thin and white with a mark every cm along its length so they can make sure they get the whole thing. It was 42 or 43 cm long (I forget which). So weird that it's so easy to pull out. Here I am, 5 minutes before picc removal. Obviously smiling! Both 'devices' visible.' Here I am at home, enjoying my newfound arm freedom. :) Here you can see m...

Today Rick and I celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. I am so lucky to have such an amazing, supportive, loving partner. I wrote last week about things I have found easy and hard as I go through cancer treatment. Seeing worry on the face of the human I love most is one of the hardest things. I have wondered why I feel this way, and I think it is just because inside his look of worry is everything else. All of his love and care. Every story and adventure. And we have had quite a few adventures! 💗 I found this flashback photo on our trip blog from the year 2000! This was taken in Amsterdam: These next two are from our honeymoon in Newfoundland in 2003. We spent 5 weeks camping our way around the island. First photo is from a LONG hike that involved a cold stream crossing. Makes my feet cold just to think about it. Pardon the glare on this one. This was taken in Ecuador in 2005 (or it may have been 2006 as we were there over the New Year's holiday). We crui...