Hello everyone,

Thank you for all the well wishes. It really does help.

Early in the week I talked to Michael Dupre. He is in charge of my palliative care. We talked about how I’m doing emotionally. I was surprised by this. I didn’t expect this level of holistic care. I’m thrilled about it.

He talked to me about the pain meds I’m on. I’ve been strict with myself and only take them to sleep. It usually takes a couple to get me relaxed enough to do so. He told me that it’s OK to take the pain meds during the day, in fact, it’s preferred. He asked me what I would do if I walked into the kitchen and there was a grease fire on the stove. Would I decide that it wasn’t that bad? That I could ignore it until it got worse? Until firemen were trampling through my house? No. It needs to be taken care of. He has a point. So, I’ve been taking pain meds during the day. I am feeling better.

On Thursday, my friend Maddy came over and got the lawns edged and mowed. Then she cleaned my kitchen. We had pizza for lunch and just talked. It’s good to have friends.

On Friday, I had the port put into my chest. It’s a small device that’s inserted under the skin, with tubing that goes into a blood vessel and ends near my heart. Blood can be drawn from this, instead of poking me in the arm all the time. It is also where the chemotherapy drugs are delivered. This was very stressful for me. And that was before I found out that I’d be awake for the procedure.

The team that installed the port was awesome. They were very kind and made sure I was comfortable and answered all my questions. They played rock and roll during the procedure. Not loudly. That was just too cool. It didn’t take long, and I was so relieved when it finished.

Now, I’m definitely taking the pain meds during the day.

Next week is very busy. Chemo starts. I’m nervous. I’ll let you know next Sunday how it all goes.