Monday, May 26, 2008

Relaxing Between Therapies

We didn't make it to the cottage this past weekend for our "weekend away" -- too many other things on the agenda! Nevertheless, we are scheduling this coming weekend for Mazomanie and the cottage.

During this past cycle of chemotherapy we have TWO weeks in between. Tomorrow we draw blood to see how the therapy has worked this cycle and a week from this Wednesday we meet with Dr Sheehan to check the results and plot the next attack!

Sabine's hair is beginning to grow as I endearingly call her my "fuzzy wuzzy!" (But she has a long way to go to catch up to me -- who would have thought?).

This Memorial Day weekend we did a lot of yard work at both the farm and cottage. Sabine's mom, Charlotte, has been busy now with TWO flower gardens -- one at our farm and the other at the cottage (which is looking quite "lived-in" now).

This past Sunday we worshipped again at Trinity Church in Mineral Point (see photo below) and we are booked up doing "supply" clergy work during three of the next four Sundays (at St Andrew's Monroe, St Peter's North Lake, our former parish, and Trinity Church in Janesville).

Our cancer support group met again last week and we continue to be encouraged by that group of 15-20 strong cancer survivors! Just sharing our stories as both patients and caregivers seems to strengthen both of us.

Sabine's niece, Teak Nelson, and her two young children, Seger and Malea, will be visiting the farm later on this week. We look forward to seeing them again. It was Teak's parents, Ken and Barb, who came earlier this year for a number of weeks and helped us out after Sabine's diagnosis (truly god-sends for us!).

Sabine continues to build her strength with a couple of two-mile runs on top of our woodland walks and grass mowing. She is truly amazing (but I have always thought that!). I have been getting out on my bike and hammering out some miles in spite of the windy weather we have been having. Sabine is reluctant to get out on her bike giving the increased chance of falling which would not be helpful at this stage.
She continues to monitor our crowd contact by wearing a face mask when we are in large groups and so far that, along with a lot of hand-washing has forestalled infections.

In a nutshell, things are getting stable. I am writing a lot of my life stories down and we both are enjoying the early summer season. Life is good! Carpe diem!