Arizona
So I went on vacation to Arizona with my mom to see my grandmother. She got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February, and she's about halfway through her chemo treatments right now. I wanted to make sure that I went out to see her while she's still doing well. I didn't want the next time I saw her to be because she's dying.
Well, she is quite far from dying, I'm happy to say! She looks the same, except for the port bump in her chest and her hair is slightly thinner. She has a few treatments left, so it might all fall out, but hopefully I'll never see that! I was nervous about seeing her because the last person I saw post-chemo was my grandpa, and he looked terrible. But chemotherapy has vastly improved since 2006, fortunately.
We saw the brand-new cancer center, which is really amazing. And this was the first time I'd ever seen her in her own territory, and it was funny to see how much like my mom she is in some ways. We also went shopping, and my mom got me a bunch of new clothes as a belated birthday present. We saw some historical stuff, ate lots of food, met Grandmother's BFF Paulette, did more shopping, went bowling, got in a pool, and hung out with Holly a lot. Holly is the dog that Grandmother was pet-sitting for about half the time we were there, a super cute and friendly bichon.
Oh yeah, and I spent time with Uncle Ethan. Long story short, I hadn't seen him since my Bat Mitzvah, because he was going through a lot of bad things and he decided that he was angry with my mom and my aunts. A few years ago, I think he had to declare bankruptcy, so he moved in with Grandmother. He also has a daughter with his second ex-wife, who I never met. Needless to say, I haven't met the girl either. She lives in Michigan with her mom, so he hardly ever gets to see her.
At first it was a bit strange and awkward, because, well, we didn't really know each other, did we? But although he worked during the day the first few days we were there, he really made an effort to spend time with us. So we spent a lot of time talking, and we gradually got more comfortable with each other. He's a less happy person than he was when I was a kid, but otherwise he hasn't changed much.
I also "met" his daughter, Hannah! I spoke with her on the phone. She's going to be 11 soon, and she's like me as a kid, except she's a lot more outgoing. She loves to read, and she writes stories. She read me more than one! She also writes songs and she's working on a play. I thought the conversation would be awkward and I'd have to lead, but not at all. I just got her talking on a topic she was interested in.
Anyway, it was a good week. I really needed a break from work, and it was nice to spend time with my family. Plus, I asked my mom if I could give her any money for the hotel room or rental car, and she said no. So aside from the plane ticket, I got a free vacation! It was hard to be away from Keith for a week, especially since he had gone to New York with his mom the previous week, so we had only spent a few hours together between our two vacations. I missed my husband!
On tap now - handling my current job, trying to find another job, also trying to keep my anxiety and food issues under control. Thank God for Keith or I'd be out of my mind right now.
Well, she is quite far from dying, I'm happy to say! She looks the same, except for the port bump in her chest and her hair is slightly thinner. She has a few treatments left, so it might all fall out, but hopefully I'll never see that! I was nervous about seeing her because the last person I saw post-chemo was my grandpa, and he looked terrible. But chemotherapy has vastly improved since 2006, fortunately.
We saw the brand-new cancer center, which is really amazing. And this was the first time I'd ever seen her in her own territory, and it was funny to see how much like my mom she is in some ways. We also went shopping, and my mom got me a bunch of new clothes as a belated birthday present. We saw some historical stuff, ate lots of food, met Grandmother's BFF Paulette, did more shopping, went bowling, got in a pool, and hung out with Holly a lot. Holly is the dog that Grandmother was pet-sitting for about half the time we were there, a super cute and friendly bichon.
Oh yeah, and I spent time with Uncle Ethan. Long story short, I hadn't seen him since my Bat Mitzvah, because he was going through a lot of bad things and he decided that he was angry with my mom and my aunts. A few years ago, I think he had to declare bankruptcy, so he moved in with Grandmother. He also has a daughter with his second ex-wife, who I never met. Needless to say, I haven't met the girl either. She lives in Michigan with her mom, so he hardly ever gets to see her.
At first it was a bit strange and awkward, because, well, we didn't really know each other, did we? But although he worked during the day the first few days we were there, he really made an effort to spend time with us. So we spent a lot of time talking, and we gradually got more comfortable with each other. He's a less happy person than he was when I was a kid, but otherwise he hasn't changed much.
I also "met" his daughter, Hannah! I spoke with her on the phone. She's going to be 11 soon, and she's like me as a kid, except she's a lot more outgoing. She loves to read, and she writes stories. She read me more than one! She also writes songs and she's working on a play. I thought the conversation would be awkward and I'd have to lead, but not at all. I just got her talking on a topic she was interested in.
Anyway, it was a good week. I really needed a break from work, and it was nice to spend time with my family. Plus, I asked my mom if I could give her any money for the hotel room or rental car, and she said no. So aside from the plane ticket, I got a free vacation! It was hard to be away from Keith for a week, especially since he had gone to New York with his mom the previous week, so we had only spent a few hours together between our two vacations. I missed my husband!
On tap now - handling my current job, trying to find another job, also trying to keep my anxiety and food issues under control. Thank God for Keith or I'd be out of my mind right now.