This week has been crazy!

Between the breathing issue (and test), the PET scan, and a visit with an eye doctor for a blocked tear duct, I have spent A LOT of time going to appointments this week. I hoping that all will be well soon, but it looks like there might be another rough patch ahead. In the meantime, here are some sketches from the various waiting rooms.

Medical update...

I had another appointment with Lister today. I finally got him to realize that this breathing thing is a real problem. (I'm still having a hard time breathing while performing simple daily activities). He has ordered a breathing test for me tomorrow morning. I think it's related to one of the meds that I'm on (CellCept). It sort of feels like the shortness of breathe that I was feeling back in late December/early November.

Since I've also had a bit of chest pain (in the traditional tumor area) he has also scheduled a PET scan for me this week. Unfortunately, though, I'm already scheduled to start working again (albeit part time, from home) this Friday, September 1st. So, if they find any cancer, I'm not sure what the plan would be to tell my boss. :-/

Instead of waiting a month to see me again, he said he wants to see me next week to see if the antibiotics he prescribed today help the lungs, and what the results of the two tests show. I'm pretty sure that the cancer isn't gone, but hopefully, I'm wrong.

Home again. (N.H.)

This time I actually have a good excuse why I haven't posted for a couple of weeks--I went home to New Hampshire. Ralph and I went up last week. We got to hang out with family and have a little retreat up at the camp. For those of you who don't know the "camp" story...back in the 1960s, my grandparents bought some land on a Welch Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire. About 12 years ago, they sold it to a wonderful family with 6 kids. They have always been very communicative with my grandmother and always offered for us to come and visit. This summer, I finally took them up on their offer. So, last week for 4 days and 3 nights, Ralph and I had a little retreat. No computers, no phones, no tv, no radio--just water, reading books, resting on the hammock, and sipping tea on the dock. We had glorious weather, calming views, and some really great relaxing days. Here are some pics from our stay on the island:

Breathing

Hey everyone...sorry it's been a bit since I've posted. Nothing too drastic has changed--just some breathing issues. I seem to have some fluid in my right lung (don't ask me how it got there), and it makes me short of breathe often. It's mostly just really annoying rather than actually debilitating. It would be worse if I had to work or leave the house on a regular basis, but since I'm still home on disability, a lot of my time is sitting down and walking only the distance of my condo. The catch is that Lister wants me to go for long walks (minimum 30 minutes) at least every other day, if not daily. But when it's hard to breathe, it's hard to be motivated to get out in the 90 degree humid heat of Pittsburgh for a walk. I know, however, that the more I walk, the better my body will be, so I go. :-)

Other stuff that's happening: I'm still painting like a mad woman. I have actually finished three more paintings that I haven't put up here. They are part of a series that I am doing about the whole "cancer experience." I haven't posted them yet, because I wanted more of the series complete before I showed any one piece. Alone, they are still interesting, but I think they make more sense in the context of the series. Hopefully, I'll have enough of them to post them within a month.

I'm also trying to get enough paintings together to put them up on a website. It's a little tricky, because I'm not sure how I want to organize them--and if I have enough to separate them into categories. In any case, I'll keep you posted. (Get it?!) :-p