[NEDenise]

Good Morning Friends!

So...new news...

My head feels MUCH less "full" today.
My son even commented that my eyes don't bulge today! Small steps...start big journeys...
Haven't had a headache for over 36 hours - quick! knock wood!
Nausea is much less frequent...but shhhh...apparently Tykerb can make one "gassy".

Knees are feeling better...but have some lower back pain (another familiar weak spot for me...so no big deal)

With the help of Ativan...drumroll please...I slept for 6 straight hours last night! Woo Hoo!!

In a strange new development...
Coffee, my favorite food/beverage since about the age of 12...just doesn't taste so great right now.

In fact...most things don't "taste" like much at all right now.
Eating has become an adventure in texture, rather than flavor, over the last few days.
Crunchy pretzels, milkshakes, frozen chocolate bits...

And strongly flavored foods like clams, green olives, anchovies, and sauerkraut...are appealing.
I'm just trying to remember to be vigilant about rinsing my mouth...I reeeaaallly don't want to get mouth sores!

Now...on to you guys...
I'm amazing? Really?? I'm just sitting around...waiting to heal...and asking for your help. Not a tough gig.

You're the ones reaching out to someone you've never even met (well except for Amy ...)
To keep my spirits up,
support me,
pray for me,
encourage me,
share the wisdom of your experiences,
and remind me every single day, that there are friends out there who not only "get" what I'm living, but are facing that same ticking clock with grace, poise, dignity...

And truly, I am humbled and amazed that you take time to be here for me. Grateful! VERY, VERY grateful...but amazed. I hope you're not weary of hearing this from me...but I can't even imagine what this mess would be like without the support of this group!

I pray for you all, every day...many of you, specifically, by name...asking for what you seem to need IMHO.
So, if you end up with a weird "blessing" you weren't expecting...oops!

And when I count my blessings...rest assured, my HER2 friends are near the top of my list!! And believe me when I tell you, that's saying something, because I have quite a blessed life...BC or no BC!

Marie- if you come to the states...it's a date!

Amy- would love to see you again! Love at first sight indeed!

Becky - love the image of all the discomfort being worse for the cancer beasties than it is for me! Die beasties, die!

Steph - you are my idol in this mess...I look at your smiling face and think...I can do this!

Sandra - I can feel how much you miss your classroom...just by reading your words. I'm so hoping I can make this work. I know I could stop teaching, if I wanted to...but I LOVE teaching. It's part of what makes me, be me. What would I do instead? I really, really hope I can manage symptoms, and God forbid, anything new...and still love my job.

Darita, Michka, Barb, Jackie, Jessica, Dawn, Brenda...other brain mets survivors, forgive me if I forgot you...you know how that brain fog works! - Thanks for hanging around...letting the rest of us see that life can be reeeaaallly good post brain met treatment! That's a huge encouragement to me on the rougher days!

So...I hope all of you feel as well as I do today...because, I'm feeling pretty good!
Not good as new....maybe like a gently used car...like at CarSense.
I clean up nice...but I'll never pass for "new" again...the bodywork alone gives me away!! Hee hee!
Love,
Denise