Despite last week Hubby’s back deciding to fall out, with much tender care of his very achy back we were able to get him recovered enough to make our much anticipated trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to have a visit with my family.
Hubby was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease several years ago. Eventually he will have to seek a surgical solution, but in the mean time he works on his core to keep his back as stable as possible and occasionally suffers with his back falling out. It really feels like it falls, he makes a slight move, like he did last week brushing his teeth and shift goes his back. It feels like it shifts and falls near his lower back and sends shooting pain up and down his main nerves. It takes days for his back to settle down and the inflammation of his nerves to come under control. To have this happen 3 days prior to a planned 6 hour drive was not a good sign for us to be able to keep our planned trip. But we did everything we could to support his back and all our babying worked well enough that he felt well enough to make the drive.
Friday morning we left an hour later than we had planned, but we made it up in good time and Hubby felt strong enough to even head out to dinner with my parents after we arrived. It was so nice to hug my dad and stepmom again.
Dinner was lovely and we had an enjoyable evening getting caught back up with everything that has been going on since we last saw each other this past November when they made the drive down for Thanksgiving. Even their kitty, who can be shy, decided she remembered us and we were good people, visited with us after dinner.
Saturday my parents hosted all the family in the Bay Area for dinner so we could all be together. Dad had asked me what I wanted the menu to be for this party, so I told him Kitchen Sink Salad (everything BUT lettuce as my Stepmom doesn’t like lettuce), risotto (which Stepmom has a fantastic imagination and dresses up this wonderfully creamy rice into exotic flavors), and Surf and Turf. Dad is the meat guy, and almost everything is Bar-B-Qued, so I let him choose his best – Prime Rib and Lobster Tails. And of course the appetizers!
My “little” cousin, who’s wedding I kind of attended this past January (my 6′ two dimensional me), brought me a taste of one of his prized whiskies. My Uncle and Aunt brought a zucchini casserole to compliment our dinner. One of my little brothers brought flowers for all the moms. My Uncle and my other almost “Uncle” both brought their guitars and played for us while dinner was being prepared. I could hear them playing together in the back yard while I sat in the room off the kitchen visiting with my cousins.
There were 15 of us in my parent’s house. When dinner was served it was buffet style and find any seat to sit. After we ate we were all sitting in the front room, every seat and floor space was taken while we shared stories of the past for the younger generations and for those that had not heard all the stories. We laughed, and laughed some more. We started the planning another WWT (Wisnia Women’s Retreat, and yes it is WWT because we cannot spell!) Once I am done with all my treatment we will do this WWT. It’s been almost 20 years since the last one. We had some great stories of the WWT’s we had in the past, and the killing of birds (birds flew into the cars driving on highways, we didn’t aim for them)! We shared stories of my little brother’s adventures in the Navy, and the funniest things we have said and done over the years. Stories of broken bones and the scenarios that followed the breaking of those bones, which of course were funny, because that is how we roll. The stories of vegetables, and shopping and so much more.
I was introduced to two new apps, one from each of my female cousins. One let me create my own avatar:
And the other app is similar to Snapchat:
As my family said their good byes, it was bitter sweet. I know I will get to see them again soon. But it has felt like forever since I got to see them, it was such a wonderful night and I can hardly wait for the next one.
Sunday was Mother’s Day and Dad made his crepe style pancakes for us for breakfast along with a pitcher of Gin Fizzes that I missed on New Year’s Day. We all decided that shopping for Sunday night’s dinner was the only activity we wanted to do that day. Sunday night came all too soon, and had to give our final goodbyes to my Stepmom. She had to get up really early for work on Monday.
Monday morning we packed the car to head back home, said our final goodbyes to Dad. This was one of the hardest goodbyes. I think because I could tell he didn’t want to say goodbye either. But I do have things to do at home, follow up on my insurance yet again as they still have not answered me as to my Radiation Oncologist and whether if she is still covered under my new group. Next week I get to follow up with the Plastic Surgeon again. I really am hoping next week we get to let the hole close up. I am so done with having gauze packing strip poked into my boob every day.
The Toothless Wonder Cat was happy to have us back home and even though we were expected him to be upset with us and not come around, he was ready for dinner earlier than normal and was very happy to sit on my lap the rest of the night before we went to bed.
Tuesday we did the grocery shopping and then there was Support Group. Hubby’s back was still bothering him quite a bit so we agreed to have him drop me at group and he’d come back later to pick me up when it was over. We had a new gal in our Breast Cancer Group. She was diagnosed with Triple Negative Cancer mid-January. The very next day she was told she was pregnant. Because of her pregnancy, they did her lumpectomy first. There was debate over how they would handle the rest of her treatment – chemo and radiation and her unexpected pregnancy. She and her husband had to make a very hard decision, keep the baby or risk her life and having their 1 1/2 year old daughter possibly grow up without her mother. They decided they should concentrate on her health and ended the pregnancy. How heartbreaking. She is terrified. I understand. And being the only other triple negative BC diagnosis in our group currently, I was able to give her some reassuring statistics. Her incision opened up about 4 weeks post op and she too had to push gauze into the open incision areas until it healed. She said it took about a month and then she started chemo. Her chemo regime is the same I was put on except the Carboplatin. This is one of the newest drugs to the BC Chemo regime. I gave her my number and email in case she ever felt the need to talk. My friend Linda did as well. She has a wonderful support system, and now she has a community that understands what she is going through. We will be there for her, just as we are there for each other. I also need to reach out to one of the gals that hasn’t been able to come to group as she had problems with her incision healing as well, and chemo has been really hard on her. She wants to talk with me too.
By 10:30 PM I had such a headache, I went to bed before Hubby and slept until about 5:30 AM. I was still so very tired after all this activity this past weekend and keeping it up through Tuesday. I was napping on the chaise several hours later. Woke up about 11ish. Still tired and taking it very easy today. Haven’t even bothered to change from my PJs.
Life is recharging with the family
That is quite a lot of activity after so many months of little or none. No wonder you are tired. Sure hope Robert’s back is easing up a bit. The trip must have been hard on him. I am so glad you were able to make it though. From your description, it was a wonderful time for everyone. I wish I could have been there too, but…
Things here are moving along slowly. Mother’s Day was wonderful with all the flowers and plants and my cooking and Jason, Jen, Dillon, Connor, Patrick and Becca here for dinner. I don’t get to cook a big dinner very often so I really enjoyed myself while preparing all the delicious dishes. I felt like I was still a mother!
Monday saw me in Columbia at the Poor People’s Campaign rally and action. I’m so glad I went and will go every week unless I am unable for some reason. I heard Rev. Dr. William Barber speak at the biennial in December and he really moved me (along with about 5,000 other people). This rekindling of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s program is important to me. I would have participated with Dr. King’s campaign but I was a little busy raising children at that time. Now I can spend my time doing the things that are meaningful. I’m so happy that I can.
After all that fresh air and sunshine on Monday, I was pooped on Tuesday and didn’t do much of anything. Today I was revived and had a massage, chiropractic adjustment and got my nails done. Whew!
I will see the surgeon on Friday for my pre-op visit. I think I can feel my lump which now feels bigger than 2cm. I wonder if what I’m feeling is the tumor or swelling around it. I’m sure the doc will have a better idea of what is actually going on in there. I’m beginning to be a bit anxious about it now. Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone. I’m trying to keep up a brave front but that dragon has entered my being and unfurls its tail once in awhile. I know you understand.
Sure hope you get some answers about your Radiation Oncologist soon and can begin treatment. It would be nice to have an end date in sight for all this medical stuff and know when your life might take on some semblance of normalcy again. I’m feeling the angst of waiting around for the next thing myself so understand how antsy you must be to get on with it. Meanwhile, keep on getting stronger everyday. LYTTMAB!