Lemonade

My favorite recent quote is by Guy Fieri, chef and television star:

If God gives you lemons, make lemonade, and hopefully you’ve got some friends with vodka.

The Universe has been giving me tools to make lemonade with top shelf vodka. Hey, with my current life, I need some spiritual vodka since I cannot have any alcohol. Okay -- it is recommended that I do not consume any alcohol.

My post yesterday on Chemo Candy by Sarah Sprinkles was a hit. It got noticed by a site that wants me to publish an article regarding my bracelets. The site provides support to families dealing with cancer. The lady asked if I sold them. Not yet. I am still setting up my Etsy shop and I have to make extra product to sell online. This will fund my bracelets so I can give more!!! I am not there to make high profits, but it would be great to have my bracelets self-funding. Soon I will have bracelets and related-themed product online. Isn't this wonderful?

Tawny's husband* dropped her off at my place this evening. We shopped for more beads and ate some taco action. She left me early so she could get some stuff done. My mind was busy building ideas for my 'smile' empire. Ha. Today's e-mail was an affirmation to the direction I want to take my life which has a vein in public service. When you're as blessed as I am, you need to find a way to give back. Let's make some lemonade!

Love,
Sarah


*Jeff has also volunteered to be there for me on Monday since my aunt cannot make it. Apparently, he's an expert on blubbering females. ;p I've also asked him to do henna tattoos on my bald head as soon as I get clearance from my surgeon next Friday. If I am going to have a shorn head, may it still be adorned!

Lemonade

I Hate Drake

Dianne saved the day by being her scintillating and hilarious self. We had planned on getting together tomorrow night but she asked if we could reschedule for today instead. It must have been Divine Guidance; I needed the feel good energy she brings me.

As we continued to share anecdotes after dinner, she took me to an online site that was sure to make me laugh. It was painful to watch the videos but worth the laughs. Watch the others, too.

Here is my favorite, "I Hate Drake" from getmortified.com:

WARNING -- profanity on the video:


Later in the evening I remembered to check my phone which had continued text messages of support from friends around the country. They were an extension of responses from my earlier blog post and messages on facebook. I know I can get through this hair loss with the support I receive. Three more gals and one sweet man asked me for my crystal bracelets which I mailed today. That makes 30 bracelets so far. Wow. Love vibe = Healthy AGOL.

Kisses,
Sprinkles

I Hate Drake

Cottage Industry

Sprinklesville has its own 'cottage industry' with more than two and half dozen crystal bracelets made so far. It was Tawny who coined the term for my beading this afternoon when I gave her an update on my progress.

Here is a pic of my mail out today which does include the box next to the envelopes:



I am sending out a love revolution for my chemo support. Every bit is needed especially when I go back to work in two weeks. We'll all have to work on our love vibe ringing strong across this nation as well as all over the world.

Speaking of...I have decided to design new bracelets for all of my upcoming chemo appointments. Huh? What I mean is I am making bracelets to give out randomly to the women going through cancer in the building. A few will be given out in the waiting room and another set in the infusion center. Each bracelet will have a note on it that says "Something Pretty...because cancer is not".

My new goal is to give back somehow. How I found out about my cancer was Divinely Guided and I am wickedly blessed with a support system of friends and family all over the world. How else can I make a difference in other people's lives? By giving smiles with a tangible object to remind cancer patients that they are still beautiful and worthy of receiving 'something pretty'. If you could see the lights that have gone out in some of these women's eyes, you would either weep with them or want to shake them to remind them they are still alive. I am also working on a male bracelet for the ones I see in the infusion center. Some prototypes are in the works for that part of my project. All of this hasn't all been worked out yet, but I figured I can wing it until I do...

Other than beadies, I made calls to my benefit company for my short-term disability status and I called the triage nurse for the skin condition on my hands and a possible cold I am catching. Based on my chemo cocktail, I can take Benadryl for the skin condition and over-the-counter meds for the cold thing. So glad I called. Not. I only did it to make sure I didn't need to do anything additional.

Dad called me tonight to see how I was doing. I also spoke to my stepmom who only has to go through a bit of radiation for her breast cancer. She had borderline readings on her pathology report for the lump that was taken out a couple of weeks ago. Chemotherapy has been omitted from her treatment. All this was good news to hear.

I worked on more bracelets tonight and two are ready to be mailed tomorrow. I wish you could share with me how much joy it is to create pretty things.
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Cottage Industry

Beady Babe

Nightmare images accompanied my more restful sleep but they didn't terrify me. Not being in shoulder and neck pain when I woke up were my trade offs, too. A hearty bowl of cereal and a gigantic mug of coffee banished any remnants of the night...

The one annoying side effect of chemo is my itching hands. They look inflamed and irritated. Washing my hands at least a dozen times a day probably doesn't help. I am trying to apply food grade coconut oil on it after each washing to see if it will help. I will make a call to the doctor's office tomorrow to see if there is a specific cream to apply.

What was my fun-filled activity today? Beading bracelets. I made three complete bracelets and even sent one off to a part of the world this afternoon. I have six other bracelets "staged" just waiting for proper string and center bead thanks to my galpal Jill. In her effervescent way, she announced my bracelet offer to her office after reading my blog and I now have six to complete. She will receive her own tomorrow night when we have dinner. If you ever need loud support from a friend, Jill is your magic pill!

Pretty beads...



Not much today, my lovelies. Just itchy skin and pretty beads.
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Beady Babe

No Languishing Zone

Can one actually feel like being hit with a Smartcar? Brain was less foggy this morning but that only magnified how my body was not feeling. Not great. I slept on my back all night and my neck wasn't comfortable. Top that with super night sweats and it was a perfect night not to sleep well...

Once awake I am determined to do something everyday inside my apartment even if I don't get a chance to run errands or meet friends for a quick meal. It is the activity and the idea of progress of some sort and the moving away from any sort of...languishing. I hate languishing! Don't worry, my lovelies. There is no trace of languishing or overdoing it for your AGOL. My body does protest if I try to do too much.

My nails were redone in magenta this morning. I just repainted them two days ago in a nude color that made me gag at how old my hands looked. All the extra washing of my hands and the chemo are not making friends with the skin on my hands. The cheerier color makes me smile more.

For some reason I had a big craving for pasta at lunch and I gave in. I stuffed myself then decided to work some of it off. I put back the sewing corner of my art room in the early afternoon. My cousin Angie's help last month to clear some stuff out helped make it easier. A trip to the sewing store is in order for some new tools though. About an hour of my slow moving body placing things here and there, I began to recognize a cozy sewing corner again. It was time to rest.

I talked to Tawny off and on via IM all day when I wasn't busy wondering when my body was going to feel normal. My hands didn't want to wonder for too long. I made four more crystal bracelets to give out. It was easy to do this time around and I can't help but feel good about creating beautiful things. I've gotten over the shyness of asking people to wear them while I go through my chemotherapy.

My aunt called me tonight and talked more than usual. She spent the day gardening a portion of her yard. The freeze back in January, all our family goings-on and the still cool weather have delayed her clean-up. I know she worries about me and wants to make sure I know that she is there no matter what I need. Maria might know me better now -- she knows I won't ask for assistance unless I have to or if I am ambushed with the offer. I just feel so thankful for what I have already received and don't want to be an imposition. We did make dates for my next chemo and the last two. She will be in the Philippines for two of the six.

I've been putting off going to bed until now because I want to make sure I am tired and sleep through. Each day I must remember gets better and easier. There is no "Languishing Zone".
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No Languishing Zone

Cabin Fever

My best plans were foiled by my nurse yesterday. She didn't get to come until 2pm. I was starting to feel cabin fever. There is one thing to feel like staying home and being forced to stay home. It was just as well because my brain was experiencing "Groundhog Day" with my meds. Ugh. My nurse did give me good news that my wound in my belly would soon be all closed up by the weekend and could comfortably scar over and heal. I decided then that we would cut down our visitation to once a week just to be sure.

Tawny came to see me in the evening and to finish up our initial set of crystal bracelets that I am having the Sprinkles Posse wear while I am in chemotherapy. She hasn't been feeling well either with a serious bout of anemia. It is serious enough to warrant a blood transfusion. Since she just started her new job two weeks ago, Tawny has been staving off this measure until further results from yesterday's blood work and an ultrasound this afternoon. I am worried because she does so much for others and that includes me!

............

Today was my day to combat cabin fever. I didn't have to take further "nasty anti-nausea meds right after chemo". My brain just had a slight mist. I made plans to mail my reimbursement for my $285 wig to my health insurance as well as mail one of the bracelets below to my friend Kathy in Jacksonville.



I am wearing one of the crystal bracelets as is Tawny. My friend Dianne will get hers when she visits me next Thursday and I delivered one to my friend Sandy this afternoon. If anyone wants to wear one until at least end of June, please let me know. I will mail it anywhere in the world. Just e-mail me at helloagol_@_yahoo_dot_com or from my profile. This is my design and are all hand strung. Tawny had to help me with this set as my brain was a bit foggy to try to manage installing the clasp. There are teal color bicone beads which signifies Ovarian Cancer like breast cancer is pink. (Also, please let me know sizing 6.5in? 7in? 7.5in?) The bracelet is a tangible support in my cure. DUE DATE FOR OFFER APRIL 2, 2010 or while supplies last.

Before visiting Sandy this afternoon, I had my new passport pictures taken. My passport expired in January and I wasn't able to renew it on time thanks to my surgery. I wore pink and actually smiled. This was different from psycho-killer pose of years ago and the outfit was heinous!! LOL I just had to make sure I still had my own hair in the pic. There is no beauty rest in Shallowville!

Sandy has been wanting to see me since she brought me a houseplant and yellow daffodils while I was in the hospital. She's been offering up any bit of help to me. Her whole family is such and I've treasured her friendship for 15 years. More importantly, I wanted her to see me as I am now before I have my head shaved. Sandy had seen me about 40lbs heavier at Christmas thanks to my burgeoning tumor-filled tummy so seeing me upright and much trimmer was a great surprise to her. She said I looked much healthier today.

Not too far from Sandy's is my aunt's house. I stayed for dinner to enjoy being around my family and I know they were happy to see me out and about. I made mention that today would be my mother's birthday -- my aunt's will be Friday, too. Both women named Maria and both as precious to me as anything.

I felt like a reverse vampire going home trying to get home before sundown since my vision was a bit impaired from chemo. I made it within 10 minutes of no sun. Tawny made me keep vigil of each place I visited today so she could be assured I'd be home okay. It was a great feeling to text her from home...Spoke to Angie twice in Los Angeles tonight. Now I am going to prepare for bed!

xo
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Cabin Fever