Eternal Hippies A Year Homemade and Beyond

I found out Friday that I will be getting 3 more rounds of chemotherapy. I am not looking forward to this, in fact, I am outright dreading it. My hair is coming back nicely, that will go as well as the following side effects: changes in taste, loss of appetite, nausea, extreme pain in joints, digestive issues, possible mouth sores ( I was able to not have that last time because of oil pulling), soft nails, extreme fatigue, neuropathy, and my favorite...chemo brain. Our little garden is all set up and we have started seeds indoors in trays. Bush beans, tomatoes, peppers, lavender, sage, and basil are just some of what we will be growing this year. Our sweet potato slips are coming along nicely. Last Saturday evening we did have a firepit. I did two short videos. Peace to you for reading.

I am worn out. My energy levels are still not what I need them to be. I realize that the side effects of chemo and radiation therapies are in play, but I have things to do and I need to feel better. Take last night, for example. I was cooking dinner and as usual, I had to sit down to rest after each part of preparations were made. I needed help cutting up vegetables, stirring the meal and even grating Parmesan cheese. And it was a simple dinner of Italian sausage, red onion and bell peppers served with rice noodles. It shouldn't have been the drama situation it turned out to be. But that's every night. Especially after working 9 hours a day. This evening Joe and I are going shopping for gardening supplies. I hope I don't wimp out and use a scooter at the store. I am not eating like I know I should and I am not drinking enough water. Little bit ago I went on SparkPeople and logged in what I consumed yesterday on their food tracker and I ate almost 3,000 calories. No wo...

Happy St. Patrick's day to you.  Just went to my mother's assisted living facility for lunch and a show. The bangers 'n mash was good.  The show was a couple who  often sings for the folks. They do old tunes.  Mom had fun and it was nice spending time with her. Joe works at the same facility and had to man the drink station. We bought him a new green shirt for the day. After about 2 1/2 hours mon and I had enough and she went to her room for a nap. I came out to the van to wait for Joe to finish cleaning up. The best part was when he took out the trash. His wedding ring fell off but without missing a beat he jumped into the dumpster to retrieve it. New shirt and all. I love him! But I'll wait to kiss him until he takes a shower when we get home.  Peace to you!

Horray! I had my last radiation treatment yesterday. I finished my daily external treatments a few weeks ago. But I still had several internal treatments.They are now done and on the 22nd I have a follow up appointment to see if I need any more chemo treatments. Fingers crossed that I am done. My hair is coming back nicely and the neuropathy is going away. I still get nausea though. I've still been wearing hats because of the cold. As you can see, my hair is long enough to be messed up. I am completely silver now and with very straight hair. Everyone kept saying I'd end up with curly hair, but my head wouldn't have any of that nonsense. The flowers in the background was given to me from a co-worker who have been very supportive through this whole process. She was so proud I made it through radiation. I'm just bummed I look more and more like my mother.... In other news, I ordered some more seeds as part of our preps for this year's garden. Banana peppers, lav...

That's right! I have finished my daily radiation treatments. I was given a certificate and I got to ring the bell they have on the wall. I still have 3 more radiation treatments in Wilmington, but yesterday was the last daily treatments. My hair is coming in thick, with the exception of the top...so I am still wearing chem hats to work. Plus, it is still winter and my head gets cold. I am still fatigued by the radiation and I have aches and pains in my bladder. The doctor said it was normal. That knowledge doesn't stop the fact that I have to run to the restroom every half hour.  Some time in March I'll find out if I have to do any more chemo treatments. I am so hoping not. We are now in the planning stages of our garden. Hopefully this weekend I'll feel like getting my hand dirty planting seeds. I took this picture of a flower that was outside work. I laid it on white card stock and used the flash. I love how it almost glows. Not too much is going on. J...

Today makes my 20th radiation treatment. 8 more to go. good thing too because I am worn out and sick of loosing hours at work, fighting traffic, having to scramble to get dinner ready after treatment and putting up with technicians who are clearly on auto-pilot. There is one young man who asks me the same questions, some times three times a day. "How was your day?" "What are your plans after your treatment?" "Any big plans after this?" "What did you do today?" No one is outright rude, but they are clearly tired of seeing my fat face. I've been taking a picture each week showing the progress of my hair growth. The sides are coming in nicely, the top, not so much. I am really hoping that by mid March to be able to show my hair again. I am tired of wearing hats. We are going to have a garden this year!!! Yea! This time we are going to only use 5 gallon buckets. In the past I have used smaller containers and ended up with smaller vegetables. ...

I am now 12 radiation treatments into it and the fatigue is kicking my butt! I have had to resort to drinking coffee on work days just to stay awake. On days off, I sleep a lot. 12 to 16 hours a day on weekends. Last Saturday I took Mom and Sean to lunch, but it was a real struggle. My body just didn't want to be moving around. Today, even with coffee, I am struggling. I don't normally drink coffee, just herbal teas. I've had nausea as well. Biggest bummer is that I have gained 10 pounds since this radiation has started. My hair continues to grow and is still very soft and fluffy. I am hoping in a couple of weeks I can shed the chemo hats at work. But I won't stop wearing them until my scalp doesn't show. For comfort, I have been watching youtube videos on homesteading and nomadic travelers. My favorite right now are Weed em & Reap , Off Grid w/ Doug & Stacy , Nomadic Fanatic , and just to drool, Hercules Candies .oh, and I shouldn't forget Luke M...