learning

Learning:

We have all learned that being diagnosed with Cancer is life changing.  I have learned many things throughout this journey.

I have learned that I need to ask for help.

I have learned that you always need your mom to help you heal when you are sick.

I have learned that I can handle Chemo.

I have learned that I can handle a bilateral mastectomy.

I have learned that I know a lot of talented cooks (thanks for the yummy meals.)

I have learned that it truly takes a community to raise kids.

I have learned that it hurts like hell to use my arms but I need to use my arms to do almost anything.

I have learned that my children can do laundry.  I do not have the arm strength to open the dryer.  However, my children can and get excited when asked to help out.  They also enjoy using the stool to reach the clothes out of the washing machine.  This has brought laundry to a whole new level.

I have learned that two drains is better than four. I learned that the drains go pretty far inside (had to sneak a peek when they pulled it out).  And of course, having no drains is the best of all.

I have learned how to dress myself without inflicting pain on myself.  I can dress myself now and that is a huge accomplishment.  Don’t get me wrong, I am no speed demon when it comes to putting on clothes.

I have learned that the weeks leading up to surgery lasted forever.  The weeks after surgery have flown by. At first, I got out of bed and tried to work through the pain.  Those first few days were all a blur (probably due to the pain medicine I was on).  Then as the weeks went by I tried to do more and more things for myself.  For example, I washed my dishes or tried to reach for the phone.

I have learned that you can still learn things from your high school teacher even though you graduated many moons ago.

I have learned that “framily” means:

n. Friends or blood relatives to whom we would actually choose to be related, because the relationship is mutually respectful, close, supporting and affectionate. The favorite people in our lives we would include in our family, whether they are blood-related or not, typically because we love them.

I have learned that I have a heck of a lot of “framily.”

I have learned what a true friendship is.  In times of crisis, sometimes people shy away.  They don’t know what to say or do.  Then there is the other group of people that rise up and shine.  They may not have been the ones that you were not really close with.  However, they make all the difference in your recovery.  The text, phone call, or card brightens your spirit and gives you the motivation to get moving and heal.

I have learned that your best friends are called that for a reason.

I have learned that the best present ever was a pre-surgery present from my friend’s mom.  She sent me these bags with pillows for my arms.  The bags hang on my shoulders but keep my arms from touching my sides.  This was the best thing ever.  I could not have my arms touching due to the sharp shooting pain.  My left arm is particularly bad from the lymph node removal.  Thank you so much Mrs. Ferraris for my present.  It really got me through those first few days.  Thank you Mr. Ferraris for picking out the fabric.

I have learned that Ardith Collins is absolutely awesome!  I sort of knew this already but she has sealed the deal by skyping with me so I could watch the holiday concert at my school.  I loved listening to all the students sing and play.  I truly felt a part of things.  We all know how important this is to me since I have not been able to go back to work. 

http://doublebreastedmusic.com/

Check out her band and listen to her sing and play. 

I have learned that I miss hanging out with my little brother.  I truly enjoyed our time together.  He was absolutely wonderful.   He helped take care of my children.  He cooked for me.  He took me to my doctor appointments.  He went shopping for me.  Most importantly he entertained Shua and kept him happy when I didn’t have the strength to handle him.

I have learned that my brother knows a lot of information.  I have learned that he can make me forget about the pain by telling me something that he knows or has recently learned. 

I have learned a lot of new words (from my brother). I can remember some of their meanings.

I have learned that “bad boy” and “get down” are half of Shua’s vocabulary.

I have learned that I can still fill in a U.S. map starting from the farthest west point and work my way east ending in Maine in a certain about of time.

As a teacher I know that there is always something new to learn.  I love to teach others but it is just as important to learn from others.

Aaron

Aaron:

I have been telling Aaron that he would get his own entry on my blog.

Background: when I was in college I had to have surgery. It was over winter break. The turn of the century. All my friends were partying it up and I was laying on my stomach healing. My younger brother Aaron was laying on the floor reading teen magazine to me. ( he claims he doesn't remember this at all). While everyone was having fun, we bonded and he kept me company. That moment has stayed with me. I was not allowed to drive for a certain amount of time. I needed a fancy dress for a formal. Aaron drove me to the mall and went dress shopping with me. (he also claims he doesn't remember this). Here is how the experience went:

Me "what do you think of this one?"
Aaron "sure"
Me "do you really like it or are you just saying it so I stop trying on dresses and we can leave?"
Aaron "sure"


Today Aaron drove me to the mall. I wanted to buy a winter vest for the cold but not super cold days. I figured it would be easier to get my arms into a vest than a jacket. It was a fun experience. There were moments where Aaron made me really laugh. I enjoyed our time together. Before we left, I told Aaron a list of all things I needed to get. He has a fantastic memory. Of course in his "Aaron-ness" he re-arranged all my items into a silly sentence. (we did get everything that we set out for). The list reminded us both of "a loaf of bread, stick of butter, and a carton of milk." It made me smile to remember this phrase from Sesame Street. Aaron says he doesn't remember seeing this clip but clearly remembers our older brothers repeating it over and over.

After we got home, Aaron started making me my lunch. Pictures to follow. I sat down and played some WWF. I was tired from the excursion and knew sitting down would let me rest up. Aaron came over and looked at my boards a few times. Background (he used to play at scrabble tournaments and has memorized a lot, a lot of words). Here are some of the conversations:

Aaron "do you know what you can put in front of the word jar?"
Me "a?"
Aaron "yup" ( starts to walk away)
Me "but I don't have an 'a'?"
Aaron " I know"

Another board
Aaron "oh you can play a 'd' before the word 'Jin' it means the same thing.
Me" oh, ok, wait, I don't have a 'd'"
Aaron "I was just telling you that it is possible to do that."

several different boards:
Aaron "you can write a 7 letter word with those letters."
me "with these letters?"
Aaron "yup, those letters"
me " is it a word I know?"
Aaron "nope, never heard of it"

 Aaron getting the rice ready

Aaron cutting the broccoli.  I asked for broccoli and if you know Stephen, you know we rarely have broccoli in the house.

Clearly Aaron stopped to eat some brownie while cooking (thanks Rubin's for the delicious dessert).

Finished product:  broccoli and tofu with rice, very yummy

Help

Help:  such a short little word but it is so very important.  Sometimes we take help for granted.  These past two weeks, help has had a whole new meaning to me.

First,  Jill thank you so much for helping me get through the waiting period before surgery. I never got to say thank you.  My name was called and my phone was then turned off. I am pretty sure we were in a heated game of "I am thinking of an animal?"  Thank you for playing to help me pass the minutes and keep my nerves in check.

Adele, thank you for picking up this iPad for me. Without it, I would not be able to Skype and see people. I can't really hold the phone to my ear so it is so much easier to skype.  And the laptop is way too heavy to hold at the present moment. I wouldn't be able to play WWF or even compose this blog. Thank you for my new toy which has been very helpful.


First, I have to let you know how hard it is to sleep. After my port surgery, I could not lay on my side for a week or so. One can only lay flat on their back for so long until intense pain sets in. I am back to laying flat on my back. I find that I sleep for an hour or two and then wake up and desperately want to change position. The only problem is there is no way for me to adjust to. I did ask the plastic surgeon "if I could get onto my side would that be ok?" he said it would be fine to sleep like that, but we both know that getting on my side is near impossible at the moment. For a little taste of Rachel, try this: get into bed with little use of your arms, attempt to get comfortable. Don't move at all. When your back starts to hurt try to find a new comfortable position...hahaha you can't because you can only lay on your back. For more fun, after sleeping in bed, try and get out without the use of your arms. Let me know, how you do.  My little Ruthie has been the one to come check on me after I have gotten into bed and has pulled the covers up to keep me warm. A little role reversal. I have made great improvements in attempting to sleep on my side. In my mind I am but in reality my head is just slightly turned. 


I have already mentioned that I have needed help doing simple tasks. I have found that my arms are being a little more cooperative but there were times where I have been pretty useless. Stephen, along with my mother and brother made this past week possible. They got lunches packed, the kids off to school and took control over the chaos when it arrived around 4:30pm. Stephen was able to go to work, laundry was washed and put away. Dishes were cleaned and put away in the correct places. As for the playroom, I promised myself to stay far away from that room for a few weeks.  (I did start to put some stuff away, I just can't take the chaos for too long.)

I have had to have help to bathe/shower. That simple 10 minute task lasted more than 40minutes. After, I was done, I passed out for two hours because the task was so physically draining. Thank you mom for allowing me the feeling of being clean.

Drains....the dreaded drains. I left the hospital with four JP drains. They were cumbersome and needed to be drained and measured twice a day. Of course it took some time to accomplish this task. Again, mom thank you for helping me take care of the "oh so much fun drains." I was very fortunate to get two drains removed on my one week check up. Don't get me wrong two drains are far better than four drains, but drains in general are not a lot of fun. I was even more ecstatic to have the other two drains removed on my 11 day check up.  Drain free!!!!


My younger brother Aaron, came down from Boston on December 1st to help me. He has been there to help the girls get to school on time. He has shopped for and cooked food for the family. He has changed Shua's diaper and chased him around the house trying to keep him out of trouble. I am afraid Shua has been too much for him. He even helped drain and measure the drains. If that is not love, I am not sure what love is. Thank you Aaron for helping control the chaos and helping me move past this part of the journey. Two of my favorite Aaron quotes "uh oh...I made a boo-boo, I left the bathroom door open and Shua....."  and "Oh no, you are stinky (to Shua) and I don't know what I am doing...."  Both of these times made me smile and very appreciative of him being around to help me. There were many more times that Aaron and I have were chatting and he made me laugh. Of course, I said "oh I should write that down." It has been nice to hang out with him and spend some time with him. I am pretty sure he is not aware of how proud I am of him.  He recently received his PHD from MIT.  During the car ride he said "I am just a skate by kind of guy...." I nearly started to hyperventilate from this comment.  I had to explain to him that receiving a PHD at MIT is not a skate by kind of behavior.  Now who is the smart one?  When he was younger, he had his appendix out. We were not supposed to make him laugh because it hurt. Of course I did not listen and am having my paybacks now. He has made me smile and laugh through this experience. I know that having Aaron around has been crucial to my recovery. There have been times when he has come into my room and seen me crying and says something positive and uplifting. The truth of the matter is you can't always have your game face on, you can't always be happy and smiling because sometimes it just hurts. The reality is that sometimes the physical and emotional pain are just too much to hold it together all the time.  Thank you Aaron for coming to my home and helping me take care of my family so much. There is no way we could have done it without you.  I do hope I have not scared you from wanting to have children. I promise it is not always this chaotic.

Mother: I know I have told you already, but thank you for helping me eat, get dressed and all the other tasks that I just can't do. There is no way I could have had a bilateral mastectomy without my mother right next to me. I have given birth three times. Each time, I stayed in the hospital by myself and then came home with a new baby but no parents staying over to help out. Stephen and I managed to do the normal stuff plus all the brand new baby stuff as well. Somehow this time things were way different. For starters, I did not choose this surgery. I never imagined I would have breast cancer.  Remember it always happens to the other guy.  Remember, I am cancer free now! My mother said something the other day when I was down on myself because I could barely do anything. "the surgery was an assault on your body." I know she is right but I just wish I could make some of the pain go away and feel more of a productive part of society.   Dad, thanks for stopping by Costco and making my house look like an aisle at costco.  The kids will have tons of snacks for their lunches and Aaron will have plenty of food for his many different meals.  Put that line in there to see if Aaron will read the whole blog or just skim it....

For those that have been following the process, I have these things inside that are called tissue expanders. The goal is to stretch the skin and tissue for the real implants I will get after radiation. They feel like a Mack truck is sitting on top of my rib cage. Imagining these expanders inside for the next few months is not so cool. We did have a little incident with Elisheva and her pull-up. Let's say I pulled the "I have tissue expanders" card to get out of taking care of it.....sorry Stephen.

Stephen: I had a whole glowing paragraph about you, but then you tried to smother me when you were helping me get under the covers. Clearly you have not tried getting into bed and getting comfortable without your hands. Otherwise you would have understood the placement of the pillows and how it takes forever for me to be "comfortable."  I do feel honored that you paused the Giant's game to help me get into bed.  You know that I love you very much. I am very thankful that you stayed in the hospital with me for those two nights. I am so happy that we are moving past this stage and onto the next part.

While I don't like to ask for help, I certainly appreciated it, but am happy to be able to start doing some things for my own again and look forward to things getting back to "normal." 

News flash!!!

Pathology results came back from the tumor. The cancer was completely wiped out! The tumor was a bunch of shriveled up dead cancer cells. Originally they could see cancer in 11 of the 21 lymph nodes. They were unable to see any sight of cancer in the lymph nodes. Obviously this is fantastic news. Every drop of poison was worth it!

One Week

In the past when I wrote about time, it seemed as if some days would take forever to happen.  Weeks were like years for me.

I had surgery on December 2, 2011 at roughly 2:00pm.  Just as expected they couldn't find a line for my IV.  Using my port was out of the question due to the location of my surgery.  Of course after a few sticks here and there, I could no longer hold it together and started to cry.  Finally, the anesthesiologist came in and saved the day for me. I was so worried that the surgery just wouldn't happen.  I told the anesthesiologist, "I just want to be counting down from 100..."  He was a very nice man, calmed me down, found a line and then the plastic surgeon marked me for surgery.  Of course I don't remember many things from the OR room.  However, I do remember the anesthesiologist saying "ok, Rachel, I want you to count down from 100 by 3.5's."  Sure enough, I tried to process his request but am not sure I was able to even say one number before I was out.


I have no idea how Stephen handled the many hours of surgery.  I know that my brother Aaron was there to help keep him company.  However, I do not imagine the two of them having non-stop conversation for 6 hours.


I remember waking up in the recovery room.  I felt like I needed to cough and knew that it was going to be painful. My husband and brother were brought into see me. I am sure they said things to make me smile, but it is all a blur to me. I remember lots of ice chips.

I was given a room on a "minimally invasive surgery" floor.  I am still a little confused about this but am very thankful it was a private room.  Stephen slept right by my side (in lovely hospital chair).  The nurses and techs came in once an hour throughout the entire night. I know at some points I just ignored them, let them do what they had to do and continued sleeping.  I know that Stephen has heard me say this numerous times "I feel like a mack truck sitting on my rib cage."  I still have that feeling but it is not as intense as it was right after surgery.

I do not recall eating much on Saturday. I do remember people having to feed me because my arms would not stretch out like they should.

I came home to my house on Sunday December 5, 2011. I could have slept in the hospital another night, but who likes staying in hospitals.  Besides, we all know I had to check on my house and make sure all was ok.  Of course it was!


I can't describe how dependent I had become on others.  Simple things such as pulling up my pants after going to the bathroom.  Simple things as to cutting my food into little pieces and feeding me.  Simple things such as to covering me with a blanket or pulling the back of my shirt down because I can't reach it.  There were many moments when I was embarrassed but asked those around me to help me.  Those that know me well, know losing my independence was hard.  I am slowly getting my independence back.  Today, I fed myself, pulled up my pants after going to the bathroom and made some snack bags for the upcoming week of school.

It has been hard to blog because of my arms and the computer.  My previous "mini-blog" was done on my new toy "ipad."  There was no way I could have done a long blog on that though. I do have more thoughts and hopefully will get them typed over the next few days.

Mini-blog post

I figured I would need to send out a small post to let everyone know I am doing well. Surgery went well. It took a long while for them to get a working IV in. Once the anesthesiologist got a line in and I was marked for sugery, I entered "lala" land. Can't report back about what happened for the next so many hours. I did wake up to seeing Stephen and my brother Aaron smiling at me. They told me the good news that my liver scan came back clean. Of course I would not fully remember these moments as I came out of anesthesia. I was put into a room and was prodded and poked for the next 15hours or so. They came in once an hour for one reason or another. Of course to me, it seemed like days had gone by. Having Stephen sleep right next to me was very much needed for my recovery.

There is much more to report on but you will just have to wait until I get more strength to type. I can't wait to share my fun filled experiences with the drains.

Will be back soon with another installment.

November/Limbo

November:  What have I been up to?                       

Waiting is the worst part.  Some say that I have been in “limbo.” Chemo ended in October. I had all of November to rid my body of the chemo before my bilateral mastectomy.  I tried to keep myself busy.  The busier I am the less I think of the upcoming bridge that needs to be crossed. No secret, I am scared shitless of the surgery and the recovery period. 

Here is a website that will help you understand how I see surgery and what I will be experiencing.  I warn you there are some graphic pictures.

http://kissestocancer.com/about.html

In November, I went to a baby shower. It was so nice to be out and about and not have everyone ask me questions about how I am feeling or what the next step is.  It was so nice to be the old Rachel for a few hours.  No secret, sometimes I wake up and think “no, I don’t have cancer, it was just a nightmare….”  Then I look in the mirror or feel my port and reality sets back in.

In November, I worked on Elisheva’s quilt. It was supposed to be finished before she turned three.  She will be turning five this coming April. I have sat and tried to do a few squares at a time.  Hopefully it will be done soon. Ruthie keeps reminding me that Shua needs a quilt too.  That might just have to wait until the summer time.  No secret, I am dreading making another quilt.  However, my friend Erica’s younger sister once said “what you do for the first child, you have to do for the rest of the children.”

In November, I had one EKG and one breast MRI.  No secret, waiting for these results were nerve racking.  EKG came out fine.  The MRI showed marked improvement on the tumor.  Turns out the poison that I infused actually kicked cancer’s butt!

I was supposed to have a PET scan to determine if the cancer spread to my liver. A previous test had shown a spot on my liver. I was determined to start chemo, so I had an MRI instead. The MRI said it was probably an atypical hemangioma, but I needed a follow-up PET scan after chemo was over. After the doctor put the orders in and the insurance approved it, the first available appointment was the day before my surgery. That would not work. I would not be able to have surgery then.  I did try calling several other hospitals to see if they could do the test earlier and failed big time.  I will have to wait another month and worry about my liver. People and doctors say “it is probably just an atpical hemangioma.”  The problem is I don’t do “probably.”  I was told “it is probably nothing” when I had my mass first biopsied.  It turned out to be cancer.  I was told it is “probably not in my lymph nodes.”  The cancer was in several of my lymph nodes.  I hope this explains why waiting another month for this one test is very hard for me.  No secret, I wished things would have worked out for me just this one time so I could stop worrying for a few minutes.

In November, I colored many pictures with my daughters.  We are working a special project to get me through my 30+ days of radiation.  No secret, radiation is nothing like chemo but I am still not looking forward to it.

In November, I honked impatiently at a car only to find out it was the Rabbi.  Yup I impatiently honked at a religious leader of our community.  Not a shining moment in the month of November.  No secret, I avoided eye contact with said Rabbi when I went to Shul.  I did listen to his Web Devar…..which should make up for the honking?

In November, I did some skyping. I tried to stay away from people and germs. I did skype with family and friends. It is very important to stay connected.  It can get lonely in the house by myself. My greatest skyping moment was with my grandmother in Kentucky.  This past August she turned 89.  She is always full of spunk and positive thoughts.  She has taught me so many things from playing Spite and Revenge to quilting.  She is probably the reason that I am so competitive when I play games.  Even though we were children, she played the game to win.  Just recently she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was not able to make my yearly summer drive down to Kentucky due to my own cancer and chemo appointments. I have not been able to fly down there either to visit with her.  Last week she had to go back to the hospital because she was not feeling so well. On Thanksgiving she was able to go home. My cousin Suzy set up her computer so we could skype with my grandmother.  I was so happy to see her and have her see my children.  Thank you Suzy for making that happen. No secret, I miss the personal interaction with people.

In November, I went out to dinner with Stephen.  It was nice to go out and celebrate the end of chemo.  I need to thank Alex for watching the kiddies so we could have some alone time.  No secret, I was not all that excited about my dinner.  I will definitely have to go out again (to another place).

In November, I did some time practicing using my right arm more than my left.  I am right handed but I do a lot of things with my left hand. I carry my purse on my left and I carry my Shua on my left.  After surgery I won’t be able to carry Shua for a long time. My left arm will have a higher risk of swelling.  Whenever Shua is near me and asks to be picked up. I pick him up and kiss him lots.  I know that come December, Shua and I will have a relationship from a distance.  He is way more active than the girls.  He doesn’t just sit still.  When he is near me he fidgets, kicks, and attacks me.  The girls are more low-key.  They will sit next to me and look at books.  No secret, I will miss being on the floor with Shua and having him climb all over me.

In November, there were a few days that Shua and I spent all day together.  It was nice to spend time with him and cuddle (the best that I could since he rarely sits still).  It was great to watch him dump all his toys from their bins (yes, anal mommy cringed inside when he did this).  Of course I was exhausted after these intense Shua days but they were so worth it.  No secret, my favorite part of these days was when Shua said “bbb….ball.”  He says a few words here and there. Mostly he says “da da.”  He says “da da” when I ask him to say mommy.  Now, when I ask him to say mommy, he does an Indian war cry…..can’t explain that one.

 Shua did this all on his own.....

In November, I did one “Turkey Trot” at Ruthie’s school.  It was great to see her happy and smiling and showing me all around her classroom.  It was a great bonding experience for both of us. No secret, I loved that I was able to do this with her.

In November, I celebrated the end of chemo with my dear friend Elisa.  She has been on this rocky road with me from the start and she is actually on the road with me.  I have confided in her several times because she truly gets what this journey has been like.  No secret, we will be doing crazy fun things next summer instead of chemo infusions.

In November, I grew some hair.  Just when I was starting to get used to being bald, my hair starts its long awaited return.  I remember being so upset when I lost my hair.  Lenn was right, hair is overrated.  I will still wear hats for a while.  I never realized how cold your head gets without hair until I lost it all.  No secret, I enjoyed the hairless legs and will miss not having to shave.

In November, I had one kidnapping.  I loved being kidnapped by my cousins.  It was great trying to watch Kimmie open the sliding glass door to let the other hooligans into the house.  Elisheva and Shua watched by the window as I was kidnapped with Beau’s leash.  Yes there was crying….by both children.  I heard an earful by Ruthie when I returned that it was “no fair that I got to go play with my cousins and not her.”  It was a nice ride back to the Bader home where we had Chinese food and watched a lot of Friends.  There was lots of laughter and an overall great day.  Thanks Becca aka Becky for bringing the DVD’s to watch. I got a personalized apron….just kidding Lindsey.  No secret, my cousins have really been there for me as I travel through this journey.

 Some of the hooligans....

In November, there have been many, many games of Words with Friends.  No secret, I am addicted!

In November, I used my treadmill aka dreadmill whenever I could.  I find running soothing. I can get out nervous energy or think about all the days occurrences.  I also know that after surgery, it will be some time before I can use the dreadmill again.  In the month of November I traveled 69.2 miles on my dreadmill.  If you are really curious my day by day accomplishment, email me and I will send it to you. No secret, I will miss my time on the dreadmill.

November, you came and now it is time for you to go.  December is here and it is time for my surgery.  I go into the hospital with a tumor and affected lymph nodes.  I WILL walk out of the hospital with no breast tissue but more importantly with no more cancer. No secret, walking out with this physical change will probably hit me hard at first.  Here's to January!

Here is a song that has helped me through this long never ending month:

Monday without Chemo

Monday without Chemo:

Yesterday was Monday.  Every other Monday for the past few months I have gone to Chemo.  Yesterday was the day I should have been at Chemo.  BUT, I am done with that poison!  So what did I do yesterday.  I had a very jam packed day. It all started at 4:30 with Shua's lovely wake up call. I would blame daylight savings time but he has been on this 4:30 am kick for a while.  I got Ruthie on the bus and Elisheva into her carpool.  Off they went to school.  Shua's buddy and babysitter arrived and I headed to the basement to do some running/jogging. I have been trying to use the treadmill as much as I can.  I had a bit of cold last week which made exercising difficult.  Jogged my 3.5 miles while watching Will and Grace.  What a truly funny show.  Then I showered and headed out to pick up some new boots. I wanted to get some new boots but have not been motivated to take my shoes on and off several times.  It was a difficult task to do with numb feet.  I felt that my feet could handle the task yesterday.   I was somewhat successful.  I also stopped by a few other stores while I was out.  I had a nice lunch by myself.   I have found that I have no real appetite around dinner time, so I need to eat a filling lunch. After lunch, I headed home and played some words with friends.  Then I watched an episode of the Big Bang Theory.  I am finding this show a bit funny and it keeps my mind away from thinking about the upcoming surgery.  Laughing is good and this show makes me laugh.  After one episode, I traveled upstairs for a quick snooze. I had my "Elisheva will be home in a few" alarm set.  I am not quite sure how long I was out but I believe I got a few minutes of a nap. 

Overall, it was a splendid day. I got to exercise, eat a nice lunch, and take a little nap.  What more can I ask for?

Plans:

Plans:

Sometimes things don't go according to the plan.  I learned this back in July when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Today, mother nature got in the way of my plan.  I was very much bummed about the October snow storm.  I laid in bed most of yesterday.  I would read a book to Elisheva and then drift off for a little bit.  Every time Elisheva would wake me for another story, I would look outside and say out loud "STOP SNOWING!"  There was a few times that Elisheva even got out of bed and went over to the window and asked for the snow to stop for me.

Here is how I spent my day:

My awesome cousins and their new shirts.

Phone Party

Soaring through the air at lightning speed to save the day!

Flying through the air carrying my mere mortal younger brother. 

My brother came home from Boston for the walk.  Slept in New York City because all buses and trains were stopped to NJ.

Awesome shirts!  Thanks Everyone!

Thanks for making the day go by quickly and making me laugh and smile.

Ruthie Toothie:

Ruthie Toothie:


Those that have seen Ruthie lately have seen her loose tooth.  She was constantly playing with it with her tongue and her finger.  Finally, it was hanging by a thread.  I worked at it for a little bit and then she got the courage and pulled it out.  She put it in a sandwich bag until it was time to put it under her pillow.

Last Saturday night she was skyping with a friend.  She wanted to show this friend her tooth.  She ran upstairs and came back with the bag and the tooth.  After she was done showing off the tooth she stuck the bag on the table.



While Ruthie was skyping I was making snack bags up.  I have a shoe bag on a door.  I use this shoe bag to organize my snacks for the week.  I have spots for both girls for every day of the week.  I load up the shoe bag on Sunday with all the snacks.  It is very easy to load up the lunch boxes each morning.

I also made more snack bags. I packed up bags for our trip to the circus. I also packed up snack bags for my chemo appointment.  Needless to say there were tons of Kix bags, pretzel bags, animal cracker bags, tea biscuit bags.

It is now time for Ruthie to go to bed.  She gets all the way upstairs and realizes that she left her tooth downstairs.  She comes down the stairs and this is what happens:

Ruthie: "where is my tooth?"
me:  "where did you leave it?"
Ruthie: "in the bag on the table."
me: "oh, no!  I think I made a snack bag out of it!"
me: frantically checking all gazillion snack bags for a little white tooth.  This tooth was bigger than the last two teeth that she lost but it was still pretty small. I spent a good amount of time checking each bag and rechecking the bag because I can't find the tooth anywhere. I feel absolutely horrible because we have been waiting for so long for this tooth to finally come out.

I decide to stop checking the bags. I look up and notice that the bag with Ruthie's tooth is sitting on the opposite side of the table.  I take a deep breathe and then send Ruthie off to bed with her tooth!

I hope this little story made you laugh. It surely was comical (after the fact).