Month: March 2022

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Here’s to good health!

I’ve decided to share a bit of a health update here, since it’s become clear to people that there’s something going on… 🤔

A while back I was diagnosed with the Big “C”. It’s actually been a few weeks since I last wrote a health update; partly because there wasn’t anything significantly new or different to report, but also because I’ve been quite busy in other areas.

And therein lies the paradox of my life right now…

On the one hand, I feel (and, evidently, look) mostly normal. People see me singing for Sunday service or other events and have a hard time believing that I’m not completely well. That’s okay, because I have a hard time believing it myself!

The busyness I’m experiencing is largely because we’ve committed to doing our Good Friday Oratorio this year. True, it’s with a very small choir, but still…!

Although Oratorio is a big undertaking, we felt the strong inner guidance that this wasn’t the time for the music ministry to pull back, but rather to go for it. So, I’m definitely busier than I originally expected to be right now.

On the other hand, this is a serious illness and the treatment process is getting more varied and intense.

At the end of this month I’ll start two weeks of radiation. Then in early May we’ll meet with doctors to evaluate having a bone marrow transplant, which would mean time in the hospital and a significant recovery period.

So, my challenge right now is wrapping my mind around both of these realities at once: that I feel fine and filled with energy as I continue singing and serving through the music ministry, while at the same time I’m adjusting to the possibility of being out of action for longer than I can really imagine.

For now, it’s enough to keep taking things one step at a time, even while seeking to understand what it all means in the Big Picture.

In the meantime, I’m beyond grateful for all the prayers and good wishes. 🙏😊

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A day of doing nothing much

It took a certain amount of concentration and focus, but I passed this entire day without turning on the computer.

The only “work” I did was jotting down a few reminders for tomorrow. Or maybe even Monday.

Instead I slept in, moved slow, chatted with Ramesha, read my book, practiced voice, drank tea, took a nap, had a visit from a friend, folded laundry, and watched a movie.

It’s been blissful.

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Slug day

Things are definitely speeding up.

More people to see; more projects to organize; more tasks to accomplish.

What a week!

So, tonight is about kicking back and taking it easy.

And tomorrow is going to be a designated “slug day” (that’s what I’m calling the days where I just do nothing and rest)!

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It’s really happening

Lately I feel like pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming…that singing together in increasing numbers really is starting to happen again!

We were already approved to have a small live choir for this year’s Good Friday Oratorio, but now it looks like we’re going to have another small choir for an event later this month.

Plus planning is getting underway for Spiritual Renewal Week at the end of June, for which we just might be able to have a full choir — for the first time in over two years.

It’s enough to make me giddy with excitement!

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Too much, too little, too late

This was a day with too much too do and too little time to do it in.

And now it’s simply too late to write more, especially since it’s going on 9:00pm and I haven’t eaten dinner yet!

(Wasn’t it just yesterday that I wrote about how eating well and regularly was one of the things I was doing right? Guess I jinxed it!)

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Daffodil rewards

It’s kind of funny how even though the top priorities are rest and healing, my schedule seems more jampacked than ever.

Of course, when you look at it more closely, it’s not surprising at all.

These days I’m routinely shooting for eight, nine, sometimes even ten hours of sleep. I can only think of maybe three times in the last few months when I got less than seven. This is a radical shift in my lifestyle which makes a big difference in the number of hours available for other things.

Then there’s the time spent scheduling, driving to, and being at appointments.

I’m doing pretty well at making time to eat well and even managing to move forward with key music ministry projects.

But there’s one important activity that has completely fallen by the wayside: daily walking.

It’s not easy to get myself out the door when I’ve been gone all day at appointments, or I’m feeling particularly tired. But I know that even five or ten minutes in the fresh air will make me feel better.

So, this week I plan to make a concerted effort to take little mini-walks every day. Picking these beautiful daffodils was a little reward that got me off to a great start. 😄

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Our music team

Left to right: Jeannie ~ Ramesha ~ yours truly ~ Pavani

This is a selfie taken during our music meeting last week, when we celebrated Ramesha’s birthday (a week late).

I love being part of this team!

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WINGS memories

My diagnosis has been a wake-up call in a number of ways.

I was part of a women’s group back in the late 80’s; it was an important part of my consciously coming onto the spiritual path. Over the years other women friends joined us for solstice and equinox rituals, ending up becoming part of the group as well.

We went through any number of intense experiences together over the decades. But eventually life took us in different directions and, although we remained close in spirit, we never managed to all get together after Ramesha and I moved back from Europe in 2006.

But last month we (figuratively) put our foot down, set a date, and met via Zoom. And today we not only did it again, but we’ve already got a date set for our next meeting!

I’m feeling very grateful for this group of friends who hold a big chunk of my life in their collective memory. Such a blessing.

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Treatable

When I first received my diagnosis I was relieved to learn that it was a “treatable” cancer.

In retrospect, I realize I had a somewhat fuzzy take on the word, “treatable.” It was associated in my mind with “treatment” in the sense of bodywork or other health and fitness practices.

Which is not surprising, considering I was rarely sick and never had a serious illness or broken bone or severe accident in my entire life!

Of course, my “treatment” horizons have greatly expanded in the past couple of months. I’ve been introduced to MRI’s, PET scans, biopsies, hematology, oncology, drug prescriptions, and chemo injections, with radiation and more still to come.

Quite a learning curve.