It’s the morning before Taxol #2.  I want to talk about good things in my life.

My Husband and boys are first.  They love me, protect me, care for me.  I could not ask for better.  I think back on that day in February when I met my dear wonderful shy husband.  The first words I ever spoke to him were, “Where’s the food?” and now it’s 15 years later and I love him more and more every day.  I never thought that was possible.

Then there are my friends, old and new.  They bring us food, they send us cards and presents.  They call and text and email to see how I am doing.  Yesterday, I was in a bind.  I needed a ride to chemo since my husband has to take my little one to camp at the same time.  I posted one Facebook asking for a ride and not 30 seconds later, my dear friend texted me offering to help.  And then, five minutes later, four more people had offered to get up at dawn and take me 45 minutes away from my home to the doctor’s office.  I cried.

I can’t name my friends because someone will be left out because I forgot and oh my, I would never want to forget any one of them.  The first person I told sat with me while I cried.  They all take care of me.  Watch my kids for me.  Get my house cleaned for me.  The bring me orchids (that I always kill, please stop the madness!).  They send me cupcakes and Chicago pizza.  I don’t know how I got so lucky.  Friends I love you, you are a good thing.  And this is coming from a girl who didn’t have a lot of friends growing up (boy was I a pistol!).  I love you.

My family. All of them.  All of them.

My brother’s visit brightened our whole weekend.  My Aunt’s cards, presents and kind comments are a Godsend.  She’s been through this in the worst way with a child.  I was in a coffee shop before all this madness really got started and the owner asked how we were doing and O said not great and he asked what was going on and I said, “The worst” and he looked at my son sharply (who is named for my cousin). And I quickly said, “Oh no it’s not him.” And he said, “Then it can’t be the worst because when it’s your child it’s the worst.” And I thought of my Aunt and agreed with him.  And then I hugged my son a little too hard for a coffee shop.

I love my cousin Kyle.  Always have, always will.  I think of him all the way along this horrible journey.  I like to think he has my back.

My uncle who picks people up at airports and drops them at my house and never complains.  Yeah…he’s a good thing.

I love all of the other cousins too.  I appreciate their kind words and thoughts and prayers.

My sister-in-law is a very good thing.  Love her.  He hubby isn’t bad either.  Thanks for checking in.  We are almost through what I perceive as the worst.

My mothers, both of them. And that’s all I am going to say about that.

My sister and brother and my new baby niece.  Babies bring a smile to my face every time.

I was teaching this preschool class and for unforseen circumstances beyond my control, I did what I consider the unthinkable, I had to leave them.  No worries, they were well cared for to the end of the year by a wonderful person.  But it hurt to leave them.  Two weeks after I left, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Hindsight makes it all seem like the right choices at the time, even though it broke my heart.  And I’ve seen some of those glorious kids from that wonderful class. They have brought me dinners.  Made me cards that make me cry.  One parent sent me a wonderful yearbook.  Each and every one of those families was and is such a blessing in my life.  Every year teachers fall in love with their classes.  I am so grateful to have been in the lives of these small children.  They are such a good thing.

What else?  Ice packs are a good thing.  Medicine is a good thing.  My oncologist thinks I’m an absolute weirdo but boy is she a good thing.  My Plastic surgeon is a miracle worker.   The nurses an P.A.’s are good things.

Shoes are a good thing.  Wigs are a good thing.  Lipstick is a really good thing.  It’s so good I went to Sephora and bought my old college standby, “Brown” by Bobbie Brown.  Its the first Lipstick color in her line and it looks good on everybody.  I need that lipstick!  I got it.  Good thing. Hats and having lots of them are a very good thing.   I bought two new cute ones at Target yesterday.  Wigs are itchy but still a good thing. T.V. is a good thing.  I watched every season of Gilmore Girls all through AC chemo.  My boys would run in my room and sing the theme song with me till Hubby and I were so annoyed.  They would yell it me if I tried to fast forward it.  I know GG was on the WB but it’s a fabulous show.  As much as I dislike Lauren Graham as Sarah Braverman is how much I adore her as Lorelai Gilmore.  I guess that means she must be a really good actress.  If you haven’t seen it, watch it.

Shop therapy is good.

Air conditioning is a fabulous thing.

My son’s garden that he planted with his grandmother is a good thing.  We got a bumper crop of tomatoes, people.  Whew!

My dog is a good thing, when she’s not getting in trouble for sneaking candy bars.

The nurses in the infusion room are a good thing.  Most chipper people you would ever meet in a roomful of grim.  I can’t do that job.  My hat is off to them.  My shiny bald head salutes them.

Food is a good thing.  Mmmm…food.  Love it.  The steroids give me munchies.

Books, magazines, T.V….all good things.  My house is a good thing.  Messy but comfortable.

Movies are great.  I watched Pitch Perfect at my last chemo.  Soooo funny and good quality.  One of my older son’s friends recommended it to me.  Even my husband liked it, and he didn’t like Silver linings Playbook which I adored.  Watching lots of movies over here.

My ipad is a good thing.  I spent my entire Saturday researching David the Bubble Boy.  When he was alive he was always protrays as this normal kid living in a habitrail since birth.  As a kid, I would read about him in my weekly reader and think this kid lives in a bubble and is happy but I am a mess, what gives?  He fascinated me and saddened me.  His life brought great breakthroughs but at what price?  Sad.

Well, it turns out the poor kid was fairly miserable even borderline psychotic.  It seems his one true friend was a therapist whose office was across from his room.  She says he made her promise to tell his real story.  So she did and she told everything and his parents got it blocked and tried to say she barely knew him.  But it’s funny.  In almost every picture, even the one where he received the bone marrow transplant that sadly killed him, that woman, Mary was there.  She was there with him when he died.  Now you can get her book on Kindle.  It needs an editor and is a bit of a plow but from my research, it appears she is telling the truth or at least the truth as she saw it. I read it in a day laying in bed fatigued (my RBC”S are low).  You can see the documentary on YouTube.  The whole story is quite tragic. It’s not a good thing to know what happened to David but it is a good thing to know the truth and for the first time in months actively need to know and do research. Here is part 1 of the documentary orginally run on PBS:

I told you.

Acupuncture, Reiki and Hypnotherapy are good things.  Moxa sticks are good things.

That’s all I can think of right now and I need to go get dressed because my friend is coming and I don’t want her to see me in my p.j.s.

Thank you.

All videos courtesy of youtube.