Dental Day, Positive Preparations

Woke up happy and rearing to go. Dale and I went for our walk down at Klineline. It was beautiful as always there plus we saw two exceptionally fun things. First, a blue heron was standing very still and moving his head and neck back and forth  kind of Egyptian style, and we were wondering what he was doing, then quick as a wink he had a snake in his mouth. Wow!  I've seen them fish before, which was cool enough, but this was really different.

Then we went off the paved road onto the dirt trail where there were no other people. Suddenly right in front of us was a beautiful deer. Now I know some people don't get too excited over deer, but I do, and it stood and watched us for a while before it turned and walked off with that cute little white tail behind him. I kept thinking how many wonderful things there are to enjoy in life, if we'll but look for them.

Then............I went to the dentist. Talk about changes in environement.  But during chemotherapy you can't have dental work done because of the incredible risk for both bleeding and infection..........so I had to go.  Fortunately for me I have the coolest dentist.  Mary Ann Daly at Kaiser has been my dentist for about  15 or 16 years!!  I came to her back then really freaked out about dentistry and insisting on gas while having dental work done.  She has convinced me not only that I don't need gas but that I don't want it.  I actually enjoy my visits there (once I am numbed up). And..........I'm not afraid of the injections.  Her secret..........she is a very real person. She has a genuine concern for life and people, there are no airs about her and her interests are wide and varied. I always go away from there with some "thought provoking" thoughts secondary to something that has been mentioned during the visit.........and she cracks me up. All that said..........my mouth still hurts tonight. In practicing gratitude though, I am grateful for modern dentistry and that I have a dentist I really like!!!

I  have decided I am going to surround myself with  as much positive re-enforcement as possible.  So I went out and bought a few things tonight.  I bought a cork board to put in my bathroom ( to replace a beautiful beach scene on Myrtle wood) and a bunch of brightly colored post-it notes.  I am going to put the post it notes all over the house so I can write down things as I think of them (since they say that with my temporary "chemo-brain" things get a little cloudy) and I am going to write down beautiful thoughts, poems, motivational quotes, scriptures..........anything that "floats my boat" so to speak.  I am going to keep these things going through my brain as much as possible. The cork board will have my favorite sayings to look at daily when I brush my teeth or whenever. I will fill my mind with "light".

I also bought a bunch of yarn on sale at Freddy's. My mom said she will come over and help me knit things. I think being able to "create" when I feel well enough, will be very fun and therapeutic! (especially with my mommie).

My friend Janet told me today to just think about it like waves of the ocean when I am not feeling well. (she used to be a chemotherapy nurse). She said to think of the waves in their beauty, coming and going, coming and going. Whatever I may be experiencing will come and go just like the waves. So an example might be, when some nausea comes on, just ride it out, like a wave, it WILL go away. There will be good times and bad times.  Find ways to really enjoy the good times..........and know the bad times are temporary and will go.I thought that was a really good way to look at it and  think about it too when you"re "down". 

Tomorrow I'm staying home all day to try and organize my house better, and do things like put that corkboard up in my bathroom. I might even take a few pictures.........today I was a slacker!

Dale however is going to be taking  CPR!!!  He says he doesn't do well with that kind of stuff.  I said "you'll do even less well if your wife has some arrythmia and dies!"  That did it for him..........he is going. I am very grateful.  Everyone has always said they're so glad when I am around because I'll know how to take care of them when they are sick or having and emergency.  Hey............it's my turn, I need someone around who I can be confident can handle me in an emergency too!. (Dale definitely knows how to take care of me when I am sick though!)