Monday, October 3, 2016

One Year Since Surgery

One year since my lumpectomy, for today (October 2).  I've spent a quiet day, remembering, looking back, reading some of my old blog posts from back then.  I can't quite believe it's been a year, already.

I didn't feel up to doing a lot, today.  I felt tired and a bit achy.  So, I took it fairly easy.  But I did clean the kitchen a bit (wiped the counters and stove top and did the dishes) and swept my bathroom.

My neighbor called me in the morning and I chatted with her for a bit; she has offered to go walking with me, so we might do that, tomorrow evening.

One of my cousins called in response to my call to her, yesterday, telling her about the prayer meeting.  She offered to bring a dessert and I gladly accepted her offer.  Another cousin also called me in the afternoon; earlier in the week we had discussed about possibly going to the Sri Lankan store this afternoon, but I didn't feel up to going there today.  We might do it later this week.  Later in the evening, I called and checked on a friend and asked if she needed anything from the grocery store as I was planning to go, but she said she didn't need anything.

In the evening, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, but it had already closed by the time I got there (a little after 6:30 p.m.).  So, I went to the dollar store adjoining the pharmacy to look for Fall-themed paper plates and napkins.  They had some (with a pumpkin design), but not exactly what I was looking for (Autumn leaves).  I will check a different dollar store, tomorrow.  In the meantime, I bought some bananas, a can of table cream, and a box of brown sugar from the dollar store.  My total came to $2.72. 

October 2 Groceries

The box of sugar was $.99 and the can of table cream was $.99; the bananas were $.49/lb. and came to $.72.

Receipt

I had planned to make a stop at the grocery store, as well, but I changed my mind and came home, instead.  I will need to go to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, tomorrow, and I will do the grocery shopping then (and do a proper blog post about October grocery shopping). 

Brunch was an omelette with a filling of some of the ground beef mixture I had cooked earlier and frozen.  I had an apple with peanut butter, as an early evening snack.  Dinner was a banana and a slice of buttered toast; I wasn't hungry and didn't feel like eating anything much.

Still later in the evening, I video chatted with my daughter.   Her clothes dryer stopped working last week (her apartment comes with a washer and dryer) and she had put in a service request; maintenance had left a note saying the dryer was fixed, but today, when she did a load of laundry and used the dryer for the first time since it was fixed, it still wasn't working properly (dryer stops working before the clothes are fully dry and then, won't re-start).  She said she cleaned the lint traps, in case that was the problem, but it still wouldn't work.  So, she said she had to hang her partially dried clothes wherever she could -on the back of a chair, from the handle of the fridge, the edge of her desk, etc., to air dry and turned on the heater and the dehumidifier!  She really doesn't have a proper place, such as a door frame, from which to hang the clothes (and her lease has a clause against air drying laundry due to problems with humidity and mold).  She has put in another request for service.

Today, I am grateful for:

- I've survived a year, post-surgery
- My daughter and the way she's been there for me throughout this whole journey
- All the support I've received from family and friends
- Speaking on the phone with my cousins, neighbor, and friend; exchanging e-mails with another friend
- Video chatting with my daughter

How was your Sunday?

14 comments:

  1. Though you include gratitude every single day in your daily posts, today is one to be exceptionally thankful for. I hope tomorrow finds you feeling better.

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    1. I am, Susan. Very, very thankful! I feel very blessed. Every day I wake up is a blessing, and I've woken up 366 days since the surgery (with this being a leap year and all that!) I appreciate each and every one of them. I remember I cried before they rolled me into surgery, when I had to say goodbye to my daughter, wondering if it would be the last time I'd see her, because I have a fear of general anesthesia and I didn't know if I'd ever wake up after surgery. :)

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  2. What a year you've had. Congratulations on coming through it all. It's time to celebrate!

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    1. Thank you, Nathalie. I think the prayer gathering will be my celebration. :)

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  3. Sending hugs. I suppose you are at the anniversary of when your old life died. You have been really inspiring. Take care x

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    1. Thank you, Lyssa. I guess from now on, I'll be identifying myself as a cancer survivor. :)

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  4. Anniversaries like this are bitter sweet aren't they Bless. I know I spent my first anniversary thinking exactly the same as you, 'this time last year', then I seemed to spend the next year saying the same thing. Obviously the medical side of things goes without saying, but I truly believe your positive attitude and your faith will have played an equally important part in getting you through this. Bless you. xx

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    1. Thank you, Suzanne. I think, when it was all happening, it felt like a dream. It is only now that the magnitude of all that happened is really sinking in.

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  5. One year.. I am so very happy that you have made it up that steep mountain and I feel very blessed that I am reading your post today.. You are a very strong lady, whom i have become to admire.. Your strength and courage, comes through. I love your reply to Lyssa.. " I am a cancer survivor"..
    Hope you feel better tomorrow.

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    1. Thank you, Judy. I know you've been there with prayers for my recovery; thank you.

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  6. What a milestone -- one year has held so much. <3

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    1. Yes, it has, indeed. I am realizing it only now.

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