Grateful and Thankful

 

Thanksgiving 2021

A year has passed. Another year of a long list of people and situations to be lucky to know and be thankful for. If you aren't listed, please know you are appreciated and I am so thankful to have you support me and have you in my life.

 They have my back

Another year blessed with friends that are more like family that have taken care of me. I can't list everyone and everything. I know I'll miss something or someone. But I will touch on some highlights.

Health changes

2020/2021 was a difficult year healthwise. I started iv chemo in July 2020. My blood counts and platelets tanked. I could barely do anything. I was glued to my couch or bed for months, eating oyster crackers and croutons as meals.

Helpful services

I'm thankful for grocery delivery services. At home with no energy and no car,  it was helpful to have my stock of smoothie ingredients, croutons, crackers and Sprite and 7up delivered to my front door. It was also good for me to stay home, out of the stores and away from possible covid exposures. So very thankful.

Meal deliveries

My friends,  the Eastburns,  started delivering meals to me. They lived close. Unlike me, Terralissa is a foodie. She cooks a lot and often and started cooking an additional portion for me when she made meals. I was eating nutritious foods and trying new dishes. And I didn't have to use what little energy I had to grocery shop or cook. So very thankful.

Calvin would come over to my house and also cook meals. He would make enough to leave me leftovers to eat  throughout the week. So very thankful. 

Dependable rides

I want to thank those that made sure I got a ride to Denver and around town for my in-person medical and oncology appointments and errands. It took a lot of stress off of me knowing I had a reliable way to get there without using and paying for Uber or Lyft. So very thankful. 

Being my own advocate

My guardian angels were working overtime in August and September 2021. I'm so very lucky I survived many weeks in the hospital and touch and go situations with pneumonia, pneumonitis and kidney failure. I was able to stay off of a ventilator and dialysis, be my own advocate and make the right,  informed decisions for me at the time. So very thankful. 

The housess

While I was in the hospital,  I was supposed to be home packing for my move. I sold and closed on my house in Colorado days before my first August hospital stay. Then I bought a house in Ohio by cell phone and from my hospital bed. I would find houses on the realtor app. My Ohio realtor, Linda, and my friend, Pam, previewed houses for me and sent me videos.

I found the house that checked off all my requirements and mid century modern ranch quirky house dreams.

But the problem was being in the hospital and not able to complete packing my house. There was a small team of friends that stepped up, went to my house, picked up where I left off,  got things packed and to a storage unit by my absolute deadline to vacate the CO house. I had to ask the buyer to reschedule that deadline three times due to being in the hospital or home and not physically able to complete packing.

I had downsized significantly and packing what was left didn't seem like a big job...to me. But now think about walking into someone else's house and starting in the middle of their packing project and their process. It's not your things,  you don't know how or where to start. It got started and completed. So very thankful.

Lung cancer advocacy

The White Ribbon Project (TWRP) and the lung cancer survivors and advocates associated with TWRP kept me interested and somewhat active in lung cancer advocacy throughout the pandemic and when I was not feeling so hot during chemo and between the hospital stays.

There were periodic Zoom meetings that kept us in touch and me engaged. I did take some time away. I couldn't stay gone for too long. 

Lung Cancer Awareness Month proclamation.

 Lung cancer advocacy gives me purpose and helps keep my mind off of other things like my actual lung cancer and other health issues, if that makes sense. So very thankful.

Lungevity Hope Summit Donor Drive

I started a fundraising campaign to raise funds for lung cancer research and for me and Calvin to attend the Lungevity survivorship conference (Hope Summit) in April 2022. With the generosity of donors so far,  I've raised enough to hit my first milestone goal. I will be able to attend the conference by myself with airfare and hotel provided by Lungevity Foundation.

f I hit my 2nd milestone,  Calvin can attend with me. It would be so helpful to have my care partner with me. Flying and traveling would be so much easier having him along to assist me. Navigating airports and big events are challenging for me since my stroke. Please consider donating. No amount is too small. Much love and appreciation to Lungevity, those that have already donated and to those that will donate. So very thankful. 

Click button to donate to the Lungevity Donor Drive

I'm blessed

There is so much for me to be thankful for this year. I'm still alive. I'm not on dyalisis. I'm in a new (old) city in my new house. I have Calvin in my life. We are getting settled in and living our new Ohio lives. So. Very. Thankful.