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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The secret gem of marriage...

My hospital stay came to an end, and I couldnt be any happier! The more times I have to be hospitalized, the more I'm thankful for the days I'm not there. Gosh, how great is it to not have to be in the same room all day!! Freedom never tasted as sweet as it does now! The day after I was released from my "second home" Ivan and I went to napa followed by lake Tahoe:) I couldn't be more excited to celebrate our one year anniversary!! The year had flown by, and I couldn't help but think of how much had changed within just a year. After only 9 months of marriage, Ivan and I were confronted with one of our biggest challenges yet. An unexpected life occurrence that has truly tested the strength of our commitment to one another. Going through this challenge with Ivan has shined a new light of what marriage means. Marriage is saying yes to everything! Even yes to illness. Ivan could have easily chosen to say no and walk away to what seemed like an impossible relationship to hold...but he didn't! He said yes! He said yes and accepted my illness, my 6 week hospital stay, yes to never leaving my side, yes to all the side affects that came from the illness, even my bald head. He has said yes to working more while I'm not being able to, yes to giving up our apartment, yes to living with less, yes to taking me to constant doctor appointments....he has said yes to absolutely everything!! And that I believe is what a marriage is. As amateur as I may sound, since ive only been married for a year; this is perhaps the most valuable gem I have discovered in having a successful marriage. I'm so incredibly thankful god has revealed this gem through Ivan to me after only a year! He must certainly be rooting for us;)
I started my new job yesterday and I absolutely love it!! Not only am I thankful to be getting out of the house, but I get to be around art and kids, my two favorites! It's so great to be in a classroom again. It makes me feel like I'm gaining a piece of what I lost. I will get to teach 2 lessons next week, which I can't wait for. I'm looking forward to the incredible feeling I get being in front of a classroom feeding new knowledge into my students, there is nothing that excites me more;)

Amen for our passions, and for having the ability to share them with others!

Friday, July 8, 2011

No more smelly sheets

The hospital sheets here have a distinct smell. By distinct, I don't mean in a good way. They smell like....a hospital. It's not a strong intolerable pungent smell, but odd and hospital like. It sort of resembles the smell of a convalescent home or a home that hasn't been lived in for months. Since I was to stay in this mobile bed for the week I wanted to make it as comfortable as possible so I asked Ivan to please bring me a pillow and blanket from home today. I feel so much more comfortable with a touch from home. Besides the smelly sheets, which are now in the past, my stay has been good. Of course I don't get any sleep during the night, but that's pretty common during all my hospital stays. The nurses have to monitor the ph level of my urine to make sure my organs are functioning appropriately which requires me to give them a pee sample every four hours. I was in the deepest sleep last night having an intense dream, which was sadly interrupted by a shake from my nurse. I was able to easily fall back asleep, but then shaken again for another pee test at 6. Of course breakfast arrives soon at 8, and the internal medicine doctors begin to drop by to check in with me and I'm tired as heck. They expect me to be lively and awake, which is the exact opposite of how I feel. One even commented, "aww are you being a sleepy head today?" rude! Yes I am being a sleepy head, so let my head sleep away! I hate these pee test!
This stay seems to be going by a lot slower than last time:( I hope it starts to speed up soon! Ivan and I's 1 year anniversary is on Sunday and we are hoping I can be out soon after so we can celebrate!
Just a few more days...

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

My short week of freedom

My week of freedom has soon come to an end. I go back for another week long stay at my second home tomorrow. The only thing I'm looking forward to about staying in a hospital all week is the nice AC. I will be escaping the desert like one hundred degree days of Motown this week!! Besides sweating my pits off all week during my week of liberty I discovered a new medium in art to work with! My friend Sarah invited me to an art store she had a gift card for, which turned into a new art addiction. There was a beautiful piece of art work hanging behind the woman who was helping us at the register. I asked the woman who the piece was by, and she proudly pointed out that she had done it. I was amazed by her talent and quickly asked her if she could reveal her secret of how she gave the piece it's vivid texture. She smiled as she lead the way to a corner of beautiful colored paper. The method seemed so simple yet so artistically genius. Sarah and I were in art heaven. We brainstormed pieces we could make by matching the colored paper together. We both left the store spending more than we wanted to, but completly inspired and motivated to make new art. That day I came home and quickly began mod podgeing (glue) the colored paper together. I was so into the piece I soon realized 4hours had passed and I had not eaten dinner. A lot more mod podgeing (this is what im calling it)occurred over the next few days. As soon as I introduced the strategy to my artistically inclined niece, she wanted to start her own project as well. Mod podge is taking over my life!
Besides mod podgeing, I had a weekend filled with lots of family time. It was my niece Joci's b-day on Saturday. My sister planned her a hawaian themed party with a trip to the bowling alley as well. I had a good time watching all the kids struggle to pick up bowling balls and try to skillfully drop the ball down the aisle. My poor niece Cristal who is only five, had the hardest time picking up the oversized ball. Ironic enough she managed to pick up the ball and wobble her way to the aisle to drop the ball just in time. Her turn seemed like it lasted a whole hour as we watched the ball with absolutely no velocity tippy toe it's way to the pins. By the end of the game lucky Cristal won with three strikes! I guess slow and steady does win the race. My mom seemed to grow a little sad at the bowling alley that night. She recalled our last years visit to the same alley for Joci's b-day, only that time my dad was around. She insisted it was nothing and that it would pass. We all let her be In the memory. I too have those snip memories of my dad,where I just want to be in the moment hoping I can catch a glimpse of his face and smile. These quick memory flashes are beautiful opportunities for us to relive times we had with my dad, even if it is just for a few minutes.
The next day Ivan and I went to church, then headed over to my cousin Gaby's for a pre fourth of July BBQ with all my cousins. I couldn't stand the heat outside. It was already 7, and it was still 90 degrees outside. I excused myself and politely took off my sweaty wig. Gosh it felt good! It sure is nice being bald In the summer;) I had to make sure to securley put my wig somewhere safe while I sported my nude head. My family seems to mistaken my wig for a real person if I leave it in open area. The other week I left it hanging on the bed post and there were 3 screams of " O, it's just patty's wig, I thought there was someone there!" I thought they would be used to the whole wig ordeal by now, but I guess not. The fourth of July festivities continued on to the next day as well. Ivan and I headed over to our friend Andy's house for another BBQ and fireworks. I had no complaints, I love BBQs! I wasn't able to go swimming just yet, but I'm counting down the days until I can freely jump into a cold pool to cool off! Probably by the time I get out of the hospital this week I will get the ok...hopefully.
I'm hoping this round of chemo goes well because I received a phone call from the art camp, and they want me to work the week of July 18, and teach the following week. I'm incredibly excited, so please pray that I recover well enough to do it.
Well Im off to spend time with my mama! love you all, God bless!