Summer & I've Turned a Corner

I woke up today and felt like I'd turned a corner on this last chemo. Maybe it's the sunshine for two days and the orange and tangerine oil in my diffuser and my celexa and the acupuncture and my dad coming and all your love and support but I do feel happy today for the first time in a few days.

Geoff met someone recently who's coming over today and I get to talk to her about her breast cancer & lympodema experience.

I just got back from a walk with Geoff and Summer (our 3 yr old golden retriever) and my bald head is sweaty and I had such beautiful moments of pure joy and happiness. Geoff told me to hold Summer on the leash and then he walked way down the street and stopped and told me, let her go. She would run like a bat out of hell, down the street to him. It was so cute how fast she would run.

We did this a few times and each time, she ran as hard as the first. Then Geoff told me to walk out so I could see her face running toward me. So I walked out and squatted down. When he let her go, I could see her running toward me, tongue hanging out and when she ran by the place where she always likes to smell (there are deer there sometimes), I noticed her head turn towards it and I wondered if she would stop and smell. But instead, she ran right past it and toward me. Then I wondered if she'd knock me over once she got to me. Instead, she stopped on a dime and didn't even touch me. (I chuckle to myself right now just reading this.)

Little things like that are so meaningful when you are feeling good.

When Bailly was over she asked about Summer since she has no experience with dogs. She wondered if you could say to a dog, "where's Jason?" for example and the dog will look. I couldn't remember. I asked Geoff about it today and he told me that yes, when he takes her to pick up the kids, he'll say, "where's Jason?" or "where's Aimee?" and Summer will look around to see if they are coming toward the car.

Another thought while walking today: I would love to go to Henry Cowell redwoods - you know, the trail by the train? If anyone's up for driving me there and then going for a walk, sometime in the next couple of weeks before the next chemo, let me know! I've used that place for my visualization cd and figure I might as well go there in person and not just in my mind!

Sometime I'll tell you about the visualization cd - it's got really cool affirmations on it specifically for cancer and chemo.

Hope you are having a happy day too.