A brown and gold squirrel is munching on a nut, sitting on a branch of our walnut tree. He looked down for a moment and then dropped the nut. I guess you shouldn't take for granted what you have in your grasp as it's all to easy to lose it. More mundanely, it reminds me of the effect of neuropathy on our dishes. John is threatening to buy all plastic plates and glasses.

Working part time continues to be rewarding and not overly tiring. I do admit to several long afternoon naps. It is a lovely time to return to work as most everyone is in the Christmas spirit. Sweet treats are everywhere. which is why my weight is rapidly returning to normal.

Tonight we will sing at the Christmas Eve service and John will sing a solo at the 11 PM service. Tomorrow, bright and early, we will drive to Boise to visit Caitlin, taking gifts from us and from her grandmother. We'll then share dinner and a relaxing evening.

Merry Christmas!

I'm really excited to be back at work. Yesterday was my first day. I have missed my patients and all the people I have worked with for so long. Instead of being tired at the end of a half day I was energized. So much so that it was hard to go to sleep last night. (But hard to get up this morning for an 8AM start.) Things are going well except for occasional clumsiness resulting in near falls.

Focusing on someone or something other than myself certainly has allowed me to forget about my fears and current symptoms. Being back at work has made me feel joyful, a phenomenon I did not expect. Appropriate for the Holiday season, don't you think?

Kay

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only does the ritual of counting my blessings appeal to me, but what could be better than a holiday centered around family and food. Since John's and my relatives are far away we have enjoyed recent Thanksgivings with friends and their various children and parents.

This year I have special reasons for giving thanks. I have emerged from my initial skirmish with cancer feeling well and ready to return to work. More importantly, I have learned the significance of the support and kindness of friends and family. Rare were the days last summer that I received neither a card, call or e-mail full of prayers and good wishes for my recovery. You all have my heartfelt thanks for helping me through this difficult time.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

The exciting news is that I am returning to work part time in December. To prepare for that I am learning Dragon, a voice recognition program so I can communicate with the electronic medical record. Due to the neuropathy my typing is terrible so using a microphone instead of the keyboard will help.

My sources suggest that the neuropathy from chemo is most intense 3-4 months after the last treatment, then in most cases it improves. Good news, but for now I have trouble with buttons and zippers. I can't feel my dog licking the side of my foot.

On the other hand, my endurance seems back to normal. Now I must exercise to improve my strength. Looks like I will be spending time in the gym this winter.

John and I enjoyed a recent trip to Coeur d'Alene where we toured north Idaho businesses with other state legislators. Silverwood's story is inspiring. We also learned about Boundary county; sounds like a great place to vacation.

We're looking forward to our trip to California to visit my mom. We haven't seen her since my diagnosis.

Kay

There is new dark fuzz on my scalp and some new hairs in my up until now absent eyebrows. I think I miss my eyebrows even more than my scalp hair. It must be the wig that helps. I am not skilled enough with an eyebrow pencil to fake them.

Meanwhile I am getting stronger. I swept up more leaves today while progressively removing items of clothing to stay cool. It is a beautiful but crisp Fall day. Many of the flowers are still profuse and seem to enjoy being out of the heat, the petunias especially. Little by little I am getting some of the Fall chores done. My main concern is the ivy that has overgrown and threatens to takeover.

Though I miss working, it is a pleasure to get some long neglected chores done. Things are going well.

We had fun in Boise, saw Caitlin and had some good food. I also planted some bulbs for spring. Hopefully there will be enough rain and sun for them to bloom. I saw two praying mantises while there; they are supposed to bring good luck, I think.

Last night I went to choir practice for the first time since April. It was great to laugh and sing , though I'm not sure my voice contributed that much. Again I felt the warmth of every one's prayers and good wishes. I'll never take them for granted.

Lola is getting more play time recently as my energy improves. She behaves better if she is a little tired. She gets me outside to do a little yard cleanup, too.

I am starting to make plans to return to work and will be talking to our administrator soon. I won't be able to do all I used to do so it will take some figuring out.

Great news! My CT scan showed no evidence of cancer! What a relief. Now I need to decide on whether or not I want something new called consolidation treatment. It has been demonstrated to be beneficial, but the agent used would make my neuropathy worse. I worry about not being able to take care of myself due to the neuropathy. My handwriting is shot already. I wouldn't be able to practice medicine. A difficult decision.

I drove today for the first time in a while. It went well, encouraging me. I'm noticeably stronger and have not had nausea in some time. Yesterday I swept up leaves in the front yard, just in time for the rain today. I have started to read medical journals for CME. So things continue to improve.

Kay