Christmas this year has been spent lounging around in hospital. I observed to my own personal reindeer (Saint Mike) that this was a rather extreme way of ensuring a stress-free Christmas Day!
What has been absent this year due to my planned admission for blessed relief from craptastic chemo nausea you ask?
- No psycho mummy attempting to create a feast worthy of Martha Stewart
- No control enthusiast mummy attempting to orchestrate setting of table to match feast worth of Martha
- No control enthusiast mummy cracking the complete shits because no one can get their arses enthusiastically to the table to enjoy (and provide positive reinforcement) for said feast worthy of Martha
Ahhhhhhhhh can you hear Saint Mike's sigh of relief?
Instead I came into hospital on Sunday and have remained cocooned in what is a very quiet hospital over the Christmas break. Coming to it with very low expectations it has been blessedly stress free for me too. Oh aside from the cough I've picked up from a rather over enthusiastic air conditioning vent above my bed:)
I decided not to set daddy any hurdles to jump over and left alone he has hit all the right notes...my room gets the prize for the most festive in the hospital (according to every staff member that crosses the doorstep).
The girls brought their bean bags and lay about to watch the Carols (Melbourne/Channel 9 version!!!)
I awoke on Christmas morning with a suitable burst of energy and had a wonderful visit with my little elves and stubbly reindeer. I opened my presents and didn't once have to adopt the dreaded "present receiving face"! I was just so grateful to be with my gorgeous little family and be able to share such special time with them.
Having unwrapped my gifts I gave my KATs the best pressie they could ever receive (I hoped). The news that this hospital visit spells the end of my downward trip resulting from craptastic chemo. After six tortuous cycles my oncologist has decided that I can forego cycle 7!!!!! No more FECking FEC for me:)
There were tears all round from Oldest KAT, Middle KAT and me. Saint Mike and Littlest KAT stayed composed. The relief in my beautiful girls eyes was palpable.
Truly the best pressie ever - a mummy that will start to get better in the New Year.
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Hi Libby, your mum shared your blog with me yesterday at lunch at John and Simone's. You write beautifully, with grace, humour and honesty. It's great to hear that you've finished the chemo and I can only imagine that it was the best present for Mike and the girls as well. My mum is 11 years post BC and I've thought of you often over the past few months, it only seems like yesterday that we were at the wedding. I hope the end of 2013 brings a sense of relief, even though you've still got hurdles to jump. Will be thinking of you all. Marita, Ben, Ben and Cam
ReplyDeleteHi Libby, I just stumbled across your blog. I hope you are home with your family soon. Hooray for the end of chemo, that is nasty stuff. I was also diagnosed with breast cancer this year - had eight rounds of chemo and am just out of hospital following a mastectomy. Here is to a wonderful 2014!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I hope that all your Christmas prayers are answered.
ReplyDelete