Getting half as much done in twice the time.
Feet First | 321
Monday, 25 July
I was back in the plastic surgeon’s office for a routine follow-up. Everything was laid out for her to do a bit of cosmetic touch-up and instead she ended up doing a bit of a slice and stitch to make a bit of an improvement. Bizarre and amazing that she can do something that profound in 15 minutes. One more visit in the fall and I should be finished with the last chapter of the reconstruction.
Feet First | 236
Sunday, 1 May
It had been a looooong time since we’d seen the sun, so it was worth recording.
Feet First | 237
Monday, 2 May
JD, sporting handmade hand-puppets on her feet.
Feet First | 238
Tuesday, 3 May
Washing hands. This girls could wash her hands and play in the water all day long if I let her.
Feet First | 239
Wednesday, 4 May
Putting the Easter basket to use, collecting dandelions.
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Thursday, 5 May
Cinco de Mayo doctor’s visit. The six-month followup to my final reconstructive surgery. Sitting in the exam room chair one year after this all began. The view was quite different from here.
Feet First | 242
Saturday, 7 May
Getting the boat from the dry dock, down the Chicago River and back into Lake Michigan for another season of high seas adventure. Luckily the rain held off until after we’d raised the mast and were nearly into the harbor.
Feet First | 228
Saturday, 23 April
Scilla or squill. Whatever you call it, this little blue early sign of spring is beautiful.
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Sunday, 24 April
The first planting of spring. A flower box for the front steps.
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Monday, 25 April
Bourbon time.
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Tuesday, 26 April
JD and me, hanging around waiting for her dad to show up for our weekly dinner together.
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Wednesday, 27 April
A CSO performance that included two dance pieces performed by the Hubbard Street Dance Company.
Feet First | 234
Friday, 29 April
Party prep. Did as much of the food preparation as possible the day before. My first fear was there wouldn’t be enough food for 60+ guests. My second fear was there wouldn’t be enough room to store it all. It all worked out–with two kitchens humming and four of us chopping, mixing, baking and preparing over two days.
Feet First | 235
Saturday, 30 April
The big day finally arrived! My one-year cancer-free anniversary party! I could think of no better cause for celebration and wanted to give back to everyone who’d helped me in one way or another to get through the past year. A good way to give back the positive energy that I’d been the grateful recipient of last year.
Everyone brought a craft beer to share and we had a big beer tasting that went on for hours. The photo above was taken very early in the evening. By the end, we had three beer buckets overflowing with a varied and impressive array of beer.
I wanted to make sure everyone was well fed for the tasting and I tried a bunch of new recipes, including a brie and arugula sandwich with apple mustard, lentils on crostini, stuffed dates, spiced almonds, and stuffed cucumbers. Had the old standby favorite veggie pizza and for dessert, peanut butter cookies, bourbon glazed shortbread and a killer chocolate caramel pretzel bar made by a friend who’s a pastry chef. The evening was a success on all counts and it was great fun to see everyone in one place, together. A tad bit surreal, actually and unfortunately, over much too soon.
Feet First | 189
One year ago today I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I can't believe it's just been one year, it feels like at least two or three or five. And yet, I can remember this day like it was yesterday. I think the weather and the time of year, with its subtle cues of winter into spring and the change in the light have triggered a stronger, sort of sense memory than I would have imagined. I've been very tired lately, which brings back another physical reminder of last year, and I think it might be my body's way of registering the anniversary too.
I'm looking forward to passing each of these cancer-related anniversary dates in the coming months and marking them appropriately, acknowledging how far I've come. I feel good.
So, it seemed very appropriate that today I saw the first real, true sign of spring while JD and I were out walking. Forsythia in bloom means spring is right around the corner and I needed that pick-me-up, today of all days.
Happily, my C-day anniversary falls on a Tuesday night, so my friends and I, who regularly gather at a local pub, will have something to raise our glasses to.
Feet First | 118
Monday, 3 January
I made an unscheduled visit to the plastic surgeon Monday. (I'm not due to see her again until May.) Just checking on a stitch that didn't seem to be healing right. Everything is good.
In other news, the car was in the shop and India seems to be following her brother Scooter down the path to the great feline beyond. I wasn't feeling too bully for 2011 at the beginning of the week.
While I’m as glad as anybody to see the page turn on a new calendar year, I have to say 2010 wasn’t a terrible year. There was a surprising amount of good that surmounted the bad and I look back on 2010 as an essentially positive year.
That being said, I am looking forward to a decidedly less medically-centric new year. 🙂
My very best wishes to you all for a happy and healthy 2011 with a special thank you to that handful of you who regularly visit 2Things. Extra special thanks to those of you who take the time to drop a comment now and then. I appreciate it more than you know.
Cheers!
Feet First | 100
It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was starting this little project, and here I am already at day 100! Yes indeed, the last quarter of this year has really flown.
I've had the idea for my one hundredth photo for a few days now, but I didn't know where I'd end up tracing the number in the snow. By happenstance, I found myself at the lakefront, in the exact same location where I was back in March when I came to the realization and made peace with my decision to have the bi-lateral mastectomy. How fitting that I have come full circle and ended up back at this special place on the very day of my final post-surgery doctor's visit.
So here I am, nine months after my initial diagnosis, ecstatic to be standing in the frigid snow, looking out on the same comforting expanse of lake, so much more confident in where I am, who I am, and how I got here. Back in March (and April and May and June…) I told myself everything was going to be okay and it is. It very much is.
Feet First | 91
Tuesday, 7 December
JD and I hit the holiday trains at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She could watch the model trains all day long.
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Wednesday, 8 December
Taking the "back way" into Orchestra Hall to hear my last CSO concert of 2010.
Feet First | 93
Thursday, 9 December
I snapped this quickly while I was in the bathroom changing into the hospital gown before my final procedure. The reconstruction is complete and I'm done done done!
Feet First | 94
Friday, 10 December
Making tea. Vanilla orange rooibos. So good.
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Saturday, 11 December
Homemade eggnog! Yum rum rum and a little cognac too!
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Sunday, 12 December
Attending a 3-year-old's birthday party. A good time was had by all.
Feet First | 72
Thursday, 18 November
I had my post-surgical follow-up with the plastic surgeon. Healing progressing along and everything looks great. Got the instruction about how to care for the new girls. 🙂
The end of this road is in sight.
Feet First | 66
It will be interesting to see how many of my feet photos are taken from this exact vantage point.
Recovery from this surgery has been fairly easy. I don't have the same restrictions as I did with the past two (other than lifting anything heavy) and there's very little pain. I decided to go for a walk this morning and ended up making it all the way downtown, where I met a friend for lunch. I walked back again and was a bit tired out, so I hit the couch for the rest of the day.
2 Things @ Once 