Good Friday

I am feeling much better today. I woke up at 2:30 a.m., hungry for the first time in a week. I walked to the patient kitchen and made some peanut butter toast with the fresh ground PB my mother in law, Carolyn brought me yesterday. At 5:30 I walked back down to get a bowl of cereal and milk, ate my breakfast at 8:30, and had juice and cookies around 10:00 from the snack cart. Lunch was a light seafood salad that tasted great and hit the spot. It is amazing what having working plumbing can do for a person's appetite! :-)
Now, even though I am eating everything in sight - final count on water weight loss for three days was 17 lbs. Can you believe that? I finally have ankles! Salt is now on my no no list - the list keeps getting longer! If you have any good recipes or suggestions let me know.
I get to go home this afternoon. I am so happy. My port will be put in sometime, hopefully, early in the week, and I will start chemo the next day. I dread both of these things, but know I must do this if I want to have a fighting chance. My oncologist may hold one drug this round to allow my body to heal from my heart operation and mild heart attack. He is considering this, and to be honest I would love it if he could break me in slowly - but I also want to zap this cancer. It is a hard call, which I will leave to him. Once I begin this regime, I will have to carefully watch my exposure to colds and flus as my immune system will be basically non-existent.
My students and coworkers continue to be on my mind. I have loved being a teacher at Millard South and enjoyed building our building's multi-categorical special education program. I had the opportunity to help design my area, as well as having input and creative reign for the 11 years I have taught there. I have had three different head principals, all who have shown great leadership and the ability to allow staff to do their best. Four wonderful department heads have each thrown their flavor into the mix as well as a plethora of wonderful sped teachers and paras who are so dedicated to our students. I have also enjoyed the pleasure of other dedicated sped staff throughout the district - all who have shared their expertise with me and helped me grow as an educator. I have been truly blessed.