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My last post was 2010? I am still here. I am notified of a new comments, mostly on an older post "The Bawdy Balladeers". If you left a comment on that post you might find a reply there. Every time, I promise myself to make a new post indicating that I am alive. To quote Baymax from Big Hero 5, "I am not fast".
As for me, see that selfie+1 up there? That is us at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2014, 7 years after diagnosis and treatment for brain cancer. I say us because Life Is A Team Sport. I still go for a brain MRI every 4 months to visit my favorite tech Paul. A week later Dr. Grossman shows me it is unchanged since treatment finished in 2008. Pretty nifty team.
We have been keeping busy. In the last year we've been to (probably out of order):
- Philadelphia for the Flower Show 2014 (and 2015)
- Charlotte N.C. for NASCAR race
- Drumstrong music festival
- Atlanta Aquarium
- Atlanta Botanical Gardens - amazing
- Dream Cars exhibit and more at The High Museum in Atlanta - even more amazing
- Atlanta Braves game
- My favorite Mexican restaurant in all the world - Zocalo
- Orioles vs. Yankees
- The Big E - if you have to ask, look here
- 12-14 car shows in various locations
- and one day while just driving down the road, we had to turn around and go back because we both did a double take. Across some train tracks and down a steep hill was the TV set for Sheriff Hood's home/Sugar's bar from Banshee (a sick, violent show we indulge in). The girl on Sugar's porch said they are no longer filming in N.C., it was private property and wanted to charge us $5 to go in. We were content with a few pictures.
I am still amazed when I get a blog comment, an email from a fan or am recognized as Bliss. That happened a few weeks ago. I had to sing Thing Be for a surgical tech during minor surgery on the back of my shoulder. What a hoot! I haven't been to The Maryland Renaissance Festival for two years because it was just too dangerous last time. Balancing my scooter on rough terrain has been increasingly difficult on three wheels. Tipping over is for cows. I might live to eat mor chikin without rocks and mulch under my wheels. I miss visiting, but every year there are fewer friends and more changes. Better to have the good memories I think.
It might take a while, but I will still try to answer if anyone reads this drivel and clicks "post a comment" down at the bottom. If not I'll be back in another 5 years to let the blogosphere know I am still here.
Promise.
A few weeks ago he woke me up and said we’re going – in 9 hours. He covered every step, every hotel, every activity, and even had rain contingencies for twelve days. He hijacked our hotel email confirmation address by guessing my password hint so I wouldn’t get notified. He arranged cat coverage with my neighbor and sister (who patiently listened to me wistfully wonder why he didn’t seem up for a concert or at least a movie. Was he feeling run down? I’ve been wanting him to get a physical). He did all the laundry. He turned the GPS away from me so every day was a surprise.
After we left Maryland:
- NHRA drag racing at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN - I couldn't figure out why signs said x-miles to Bristol. There's no NASCAR race that weekend in Bristol! But as we ate in FATZ (fried green tomatoes on stone ground grits mmmmm) he handed me tickets to the drag races. We saw all the big time drivers from TV up close in the pits. They don't hide like in NASCAR. Skipped the autographs, there were so many drivers I was content with great pictures. Very cool.
- Roller Derby at the Shriners in Atlanta, GA – We laughed, we cheered, we had a ball. The funny names for the players and the teams were a scream. My fave team was the Apocalipstix, while the husband was all over the Sake Tuyas. What a hoot.
- Tradin’ Paint in Marietta, GA – A wonderful play about an auto parts clerk with a crazy(as in mentally ill) NASCAR lovin’ boyfriend, who finds her true destiny. I loved the scene where she’s hit with debris and during brain surgery dreams of her race-fan gay black English professor, the father she blames for her poor self esteem, and the ghost of Dale Earnhardt.
- Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida – The site of most of our original honeymoon. It rained the whole time. The Lion King show stopped abruptly after the first number due to a leak but we returned later and it was fantastic. It took three (count 'em three) tries before we saw Beauty and the Beast all the way through because of mist blowing onto the stage. Bobby scored more than me on the Toy Story ride and Expedition Everest still made me cry. Four times. Our car still smells like swamp water but it couldn’t kill our fun, fun, fun, fun . . . fun.
- Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC – No, not for the rained out NASCAR race, though we could have stayed for Monday and easily bought resale tickets for a pittance. We went for the stuff at the circus in the parking lot and because the husband wanted to replace my favorite hat that went over the edge(gulp)at the Grand Canyon in March.
In between were days of driving with my Boo. Doing what we like to do. I got to knit - although I thoroughly messed up my project and had to switch to smaller things. But mostly we just enjoyed each-other’s company and the music we could find on the radio instead of CDs we brought from home. Or just talked.
My husband. He loves me.
It still amazes me.
One year ago today I had brain surgery.
I had to wait nine days to find out I had cancer. But I knew. The last year has been the roller coaster I was warned about. But really, it looked like this.
I didn't start at 100 percent. Walking with a brace and cane, loosing cognitive brain function and feeling like something was wrong didn't exactly feel like I was on top of my game. First there was a steroid "high". Then the steroids began to affect the muscles of my legs making walking very difficult. The sharp dips are the weeks after chemo once radiation was over when the fatigue was the worst. Those weeks I was guilty of missed and canceled appointments at times. I slept a lot. Everything hurt.
But look at the tail of that graph. I coasted a while then Up Up Up ! Slow and Steady wins the race. My physical therapist and I invent new ways to challenge my muscles. We look at practical needs like loading and unloading my scooter out of the car - what motions are needed for that? What muscles need to be stronger? How will my balance be affected? She's very inventive and lets me give a lot of input. And guess what? I'm up to 23 minutes on the treadmill. Now, do be aware that is under a controlled pace with no distractions. And that 23 minutes was my all time high (my times fluctuate a bit). Y'a know my heart is in better condition now than it ever was due to the workout three times a week plus home exercise most other days.
It's been a roller coaster. I've always loved roller coasters. I know it's a figure of speech, but I was mostly aware of what I was in for. I paid to get on. There have been some scary turns but I actually had fun without screaming at all. My legs are a little wobbly getting off this ride, but I didn't puke and maybe I'll get the tee shirt in the gift shop.
Hey!
Remember all my references to The Wizard of Oz?
There's no place like Home.
