Ruth Update, December 10, 2007

Dear Friends, relatives, and prayer partners,

 

To coin a phrase, no news is good news.  I had blood drawn today in preparation for my treatment on Friday, so I may be getting some more news later this week.  I imagine sometime in the near future I will have another PET scan to see what the beast is doing.  My pain is less than it was, so the bone-strengthening medicine, Aredia, seems to be doing the job.  I was unable to sleep on my right side due to pain in my rib, but now feel very little pain there.  My right shoulder is better, too, though I still get twinges of pain now and then in various places.  I am only taking Tylenol in the morning, and Vicodin at night.  If I think about it, I might take some more Tylenol in the afternoon, but I usually forget, and it usually doesn't matter.

 

Our plans for Christmas are coming together.  Andy and Tony are joining us in Paul's hometown, Roseau, in Northern Minnesota, to spend the holidays with Paul's family.  We will leave here the Saturday before Christmas, fly to Philadelphia, where we layover for 3 1/2 hours (oy!), and Tony joins us.  Then, we fly to Minneapolis, where we arrive at about 11:00 PM, and meet Andy, who will have arrived about ten hours before.  I think there is a shuttle to Mall of America, so he will have something to do!  The plan then is to rent cars, drive to Anoka, where Paul's brother and his family live, and spend the night with them before heading even farther north.  According to the 'net, the forecast high one day last week in Roseau was zero degrees Fahrenheit.  Oh, boy.  I think we will buy new coats before we leave.  Coming back, our flight leaves Minneapolis at 0600 in the blessed AM on Sunday, December 30th.  We plan to drive down on Saturday, and spend the night close to the airport.  This is what happens when you wait too long to buy tickets over holidays.  All the convenient times become very expensive.

 

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing many of my favorite people over the holidays.  I love Paul's family, and wish we could spend more time with them.  Two of his siblings now actually live in the hometown.  Having my brothers along is a bonus!  Matt will be home, too.  I don't know how many more times we will be able to have family trips with him, so I plan to enjoy it!  Of course, he gets his wisdom teeth out on January 2nd.  Happy New Year, Matt.

 

Thank you for all of your messages of support.

 

Get your mammograms.  Do your self-exams.

 

Love,

 

Ruth

http://ruthsmusings.blogspot.com