Merry Christmas!
Here it is, Christmas Eve, and I'm looking out my window at a true Currier & Ives portrait. Snow falling....and falling...and falling......we've broken records for snowfall in December and the drifts are about 2-3 feet deep in my backyard with more to come. Beautiful, but definitely going to keep me (and a good portion of the Portland area) indoors for this Christmas holiday. I was feeling a bit woeful about that this morning, not being able to go to church service this evening or be with family here tomorrow, no shopping done, etc. and then I stopped cold, remembering the reason for Christmas is not all that, but it is about the hope we are given in the birth of Jesus. He is our Christmas present and what He represents: hope and love and salvation. The blessings He gives me are so many!
The appt. with Dr. Dubay (at UCSF) was good - no clear direction of treatment yet as we're still waiting for the pathology results to determine whether this is or isn't metastasized cancer. The Portland medical offices were closed Monday due to weather, Dr. Karamlou isn't in on Tuesdays and now the offices are closed for the holiday. Dr. Dubay talked about the different methods of chemo/radiation that would be used (depending on the final diagnosis) and provided detailed packets of information about the different types of chemicals that would be used, how often the treatments would be given, methods for determining how well it's working,etc. Not light bedtime reading, trust me, but very informative and information needed to compare with the treatment options Dr. Karamlou will recommend.
I had a wonderful time with my family and it was so good to laugh and joke and cry together. We had our Christmas celebration and the time with them is precious to me.
Sometime I'll tell you the stories of watching my brother, nieces and nephew try to make a gingerbread house.....good thing none of them are thinking about a future in construction.
Even in all this horrible weather and canceled flights everywhere, I was able to get a flight home to Portland yesterday with a minimum of fuss. Very glad to be home and snug in my warm house....I'm going to bake cookies this afternoon and right now, have the Christmas music playing. Lovely.
Thank you for all the wonderful phone messages, e-mails and cards I've received. The notes of love, support and encouragement are so wonderful and mean more to me than I can ever adequately express. God is good and, though I find it difficult at times to be patient waiting for news from the doctors, I know He is in charge and each day will bring the necessary information and what's needed for that day. I still feel good and that is such a blessing.
Sending hugs and love to all, have a very merry Christmas!
Susan
Here it is, Christmas Eve, and I'm looking out my window at a true Currier & Ives portrait. Snow falling....and falling...and falling......we've broken records for snowfall in December and the drifts are about 2-3 feet deep in my backyard with more to come. Beautiful, but definitely going to keep me (and a good portion of the Portland area) indoors for this Christmas holiday. I was feeling a bit woeful about that this morning, not being able to go to church service this evening or be with family here tomorrow, no shopping done, etc. and then I stopped cold, remembering the reason for Christmas is not all that, but it is about the hope we are given in the birth of Jesus. He is our Christmas present and what He represents: hope and love and salvation. The blessings He gives me are so many!
The appt. with Dr. Dubay (at UCSF) was good - no clear direction of treatment yet as we're still waiting for the pathology results to determine whether this is or isn't metastasized cancer. The Portland medical offices were closed Monday due to weather, Dr. Karamlou isn't in on Tuesdays and now the offices are closed for the holiday. Dr. Dubay talked about the different methods of chemo/radiation that would be used (depending on the final diagnosis) and provided detailed packets of information about the different types of chemicals that would be used, how often the treatments would be given, methods for determining how well it's working,etc. Not light bedtime reading, trust me, but very informative and information needed to compare with the treatment options Dr. Karamlou will recommend.
I had a wonderful time with my family and it was so good to laugh and joke and cry together. We had our Christmas celebration and the time with them is precious to me.
Sometime I'll tell you the stories of watching my brother, nieces and nephew try to make a gingerbread house.....good thing none of them are thinking about a future in construction.
Even in all this horrible weather and canceled flights everywhere, I was able to get a flight home to Portland yesterday with a minimum of fuss. Very glad to be home and snug in my warm house....I'm going to bake cookies this afternoon and right now, have the Christmas music playing. Lovely.
Thank you for all the wonderful phone messages, e-mails and cards I've received. The notes of love, support and encouragement are so wonderful and mean more to me than I can ever adequately express. God is good and, though I find it difficult at times to be patient waiting for news from the doctors, I know He is in charge and each day will bring the necessary information and what's needed for that day. I still feel good and that is such a blessing.
Sending hugs and love to all, have a very merry Christmas!
Susan
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