"Send sleep vibes..."

Okay, today is a 7 hour chemo day. So, all together now, send Julie your "sleep vibes." While I can relax with the best of us, especially when watching golf on TV, being chained to an IV for 7 hours tends to make me want to run free. I've had to use positive imagery to last through MRI's and CAT scans, and while I do have a creative brain, 7 hours will be a long time. I've a radiation appt. at 7:30am, and then proceed to the cancer treatment center for "blasto" chemo shortly thereafter. Send all your "sleepy work vibes" towards Jules around 9:00am or 10:00am!! Just about the time you get your first sleepy tone at work, shoot it my way!! The first 7 hour treatment went so-so as I slept through about 4 hours of it.

I feel bad for Wes. It's one thing to endure such trying times. It's another thing to watch someone you love be so enthusiastic and strong, but yet feel and sense the worry in him. I'm also worried about my sister. She's been so strong and made so many trips up here, I worry about her constant commute. Wes and I think we're going to BAN her for a week or so in order to get her ducks in a row and her life back to normal in Wichita. My mother is now staying with my oldest brother in Falls City, Nebraska for a bit. While I was mom's caretaker, and my chores for her, with my frenetic and hectic lifestyle did move fast, I already miss taking care of her. She's coming back to stay with us next week to help me out when the chemo is over for a bit, and we're just doing radiation. It will be a mutual taking care of each other. We'll both be wobbling around the house! That will be a sight for laughing eyes!!

I can't say enough about how humanity opens up it's arms in a crisis. My husband and I are blessed to have tons of family and friends that bring food, supplies, whatever necessary. It makes me realize that friends and family are really the "gold" in what makes this world go round. I've received tons of food from friends, sore-throat products from my favorite tech nerdie at school (jen), and food from my golfing friends. I've had tons of people volunteer to drive to chemo/radiation appts. I get e-mails, books, magazines and texts from friends. It's amazing how little things really do put a smile on your face when life throws some adversity at you.

It would be easy to simply give up and sail through this battle. It's miserable. However, every time I do, I think of those that have had worse adversity, bigger battles, and tougher roads. While this road is no smooth sailing, I'm gonna give it the best shot I have. I have no choice but to. It's just gonna have a few choppy waters to traverse before I know how it will end. We hope the tumor shrinks. We hope the meds and radiation do what they're suppose to do. I'll keep perservering, because I know people have perservered through much worse.
Much Love,
Julie