Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sept 7, 2008 - Sunday Afternoon

Well Judy got another infection and has been really quite ill the last few days. After calling the Huntsman Cancer Center they put her on antibiotocs. The next day she was not doing any better so she called again, thinking they would probably hospitalize her. After an extensive discussion with Dr Buys, they decided to put her on an additional antibiotic to see how she would do, with the caveat that anytime she thought it necessary they would hospitalize her. She has since turned the corner and is doing much better, though is not quite fully recovered.

She has convinced that doctors to give her chemo straight through, without stopped every fourth week to give her body a rest. She persuaded them that the week without chemo was worse than the weeks with it. So, we'll see how that goes.

Saturday we canned more tomatoes, made a Apple Crunch with Zucchini, griced and froze the rest of the Zucchini and made
special chicken dinner rolls and banana nut bread. I started out alone early Saturday, but before long Bunny (Judy's sister like cousin) just popped in to help with the canning and Carol Jean Shultz (the sister of the missionary that baptized Judy, who is currently serving a family history mission in Salt Lake) showed up to make the chicken dinner rolls and the banna nut bread. Everything turned out just the way it should and Bunny left a plate of enchiladas for our dinner. Later in the day, the RS Pres (Teresa Smith) brought a loaf of pumpkin bread and a bowl of pumpkin soup and the neightbor at the end of the cul-de-sac (Judy Richards) brought in a dinner of roast beef , potatoes and carrots.

What kind a loving people we have had the privilege to associate with in our lives! You are wonderful and we love and appreciate you greatly.

Most of Judy's hair in now gone, including her eye brows so she is going to go ahead an shave her head today. Several week ago I told the kids that I would shave mine too as a show of love and support. Since then Shelly has arranged for a dinner at the house at four today, followed by a lesson from the Bishop on "Families are Forever" and a head shaving fest. Our three daughters her in Utah have decided to have their heads shaved as well ... and donate their hair for the creation of wigs for other cancer patients. Rumor has it that others may join in, such as our granddaughter and some of her new school friends from Cedar City
(though I am not in favor of this since it is their senior year in high school and shaving their heads would impact so many of their important pictures) and some of Kip's family members. We'll let you know the final outcome later.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Ah Judy, I so remember the loss of hair following chemo ...
When my first fist of hair came out in the shower with my hand, I was devestated. Little did I know then that this would be followed by the loss of most, if not all, of the other hair on my body!

So, I learned that we cannot apply falsh eyelashes to our eyelids without something for them to attach to; i.e., some hair, I guess; ... so I spent that hairless time with shaded glasses, drawing eyebrows by pencil (how awful!), and wearing sunglasses. ... and, of course, the requisite wig. Ah, what a burden to be concerned with one's visual appearance, as had been my history; ... that was short-lived, and I readily accepted the changes I would live with.

one of many interesting side effects (interesting???) was the loss of hair in the nose (ah, isn't that a charming visual??). Without the normal nose hair, whatever might have caused a 'runny nose' had nothing to stop the "drip." I found myself needing a tissue continually (sometimes without the understanding of those around me, as I was still at the school).

0kay, so we did not need to shave our legs, right!? And wearing sunglasses is not so bad, eh?

But what if I offer to send some of the homemade buttermilk biscuits that your mom liked ??? Will that allow you to smile and remember our Gunnison childhood?
I love you, Judy,
Melody McKinney Catan