been a good week!!!

Hi All My Many Great Family, Friends, Followers, Supporters here, there & everywhere!!!

It's been over a week since I last wrote - last Fri, my time. I forgot to say that the previous Sunday, the day I went to Cafe Bondi with Evie - Jacqui & I spent the day cleaning the unit - I did have energy that day!!

I wrote that I had worked on the Thur & even tho it wasn't a good day chemo wise, working was easy. I have worked again since then, but will put it in chronologically!!!!! & there is good news associated with it :)

Last Fri night Ruthie & I chatted on skype for nearly 2 hrs, it is always so brilliant to chat to her!!! having skype is like sitting opposite a friend in the same house... wonderful!!

Last Sat was Opera in the Domain, which was my 4th Sat night in a row in the open air in the city & the 4th one with fantastic weather - no rain, tho it was a cooler breeze last week than previous, it was still 24C. Bill & I went in at 430 & got a great position big enough for 12+ people. I was able to park in the street with my mobility sticker & not have to pay parking. Bill had a friend coming along whom he knew from his weekly breakfast meeting & of course presumed no one else would know this friend!!!!! Warwick & Lisa turned up & yes I knew them hahahah - Warwick is a patient at the dentist I worked for in Chatswood for 4 1/2 years - so I know him well & his wife Lisa had been there too - so funny, I seem to know EVERYONE. Peter who was with us too, also knew Warwick from Barker College where they both had sent their kids..... so Bill was a bit peeved (maybe) that this unknowable friend was not unknowable, so funny. 

Anyway the opera, Carmen, with the Israeli Carmen, was terrific. During the evening I had been visiting other friends also sitting in the Domain & had arranged to go back to Jeanie's place for coffee after, which I did.

Got home from Jeanie's after very long chat with her & Helene at 330am. Bed at 430, up at 9!!! was at baby Layla's 1st birthday at 1030, where I saw all my cousins, etc. Had lunch with Janet & her mum at Cafe Bondi at 1230, spent the rest of the afternoon at Viv & Brian's, where I received a call from Peter S inviting me to a concert at North Shore Temple Emanuel at 7. So I went, it was 5 mins from home. It was the most fantastic concert, the congregation & Willoughby singers together singing songs from Broadway Musicals. I was so glad I had gone!!! I also saw some friends to whom I had not yet told my cancer/chemo story & again the most amazing support from them.

As you can probably tell, I was feeling back to normal from Sunday morning!! TG the crap has been gone all week, been feeling very normal (no bad jokes here pls!!) the whole week.

On Mon I went to North Shore Private Hospital for a Look Good Feel Better program. This is for women suffering cancer & going through chemo, not necessarily breast cancer, any type. There were about 15/16 of us sitting round a big table with volunteers, helpers, staff, etc to help. For some reason I was The Model!!! Sitting at the head of the table, with no hair on, the organiser used me to demonstrate how to make ourselves feel better just by putting on a bit of make up, brightening our faces, & just generally working on ways to look good & feel better, this program has been running for 20 years. Many of the well known cosmetic/skin care companies donate their products & we all went home with very full goodie bags - cleansers, toners, moisturisers, eye creams, foundation, concealers, blushers, eye make up, lipstick & everything else u can think of. The companies donating ranged from Rimmel, Revlon, to Estee Lauder, Lancombe, Chanel, Prairie, etc, etc, etc. I got a lovely A'kin facial spray, as well as everything else. 

Then the girls started with the wigs, scarfs, turbans, hats, etc for everyone to try on. Quite a few of us were bald, some had hair growing back, some were just starting to lose it. I'm very happy with my wig, which isn't from the company demonstrating. Which as I mentioned on FB I washed for the 1st time & just hoped it would look the same after - it does!!!

That course was so worthwhile, I wouldn't have missed it for anything & even if I had been in a permanent job, I would have taken the morning off to go.

Tues was a work day at the ophthalmologist. I started at 9, parked outside the door, all day!!! finished there at 730!!! 10.5 hr day - I was a wee bit tired at the end. Had 30 mins for lunch. But it was fine & I felt like I was more than able to be there & contributing & doing what was required. 

Wed, what did I do on Wed? Oh yeah - because I was not presuming I had that job I went for a job interview with a dermatologist in the city. They said they could not believe the quality of the people applying & they were interviewing everyone possibly suitable. As it happened they rang me on Thurs to say I didn't get the job, which was ok with me, I didn't really want a job in the city!!! However, so glad when people tell you quickly where you stand!!

On Thurs I went to Jewish Care to see what they could do for me, financially... Will hear from them soon.

Then I went to visit Nicki who I've known for over 20 years, our daughters went to Gymbaroo when they were 18 months & are now 22 & 23. But life gets in the way sometimes & we lost touch only seeing each other maybe 3 or 4 times in the past 10 years & we did previously have a very strong good friendship. So good to catch up & spend time together on Thurs - she always makes the most wonderful salads, etc. But geez it was hot!!!!

When I got home I had to finally sit down & sort out the tickets to the Ensemble Theatre, our first play is tonight!! It did only take 1/2 an hour..... 

I collected Sue & we headed to Parramatta at about 7pm to see a show called Breast Wishes at the Riverside Theatre, 6 of us went - it was a fab show, about boobs, breasts, knockers, jugs, etc etc - written by lots of great writers, it was an opening night for this particular cast, they were great, but opening nights means wine, dips, cheeses, crackers, fruit for the audience & the cast, producers, stage management, everyone there. Richard Glover a journalist, writer & presenter of our local radio drive program, was there with his wife, I had seen them last year at another opening night of a play she had written & I (no shyness here) had gone up & chatted to them then. So, of course, I went up to them for a chat & they did remember me from the previous time. I told them my story, short version!!! as it was relevant to the show.

From, there the 6 of us, Marilyn, Andee, Robyn, Judit, Sue & myself walked out into the streets of Parramatta for coffee. It was buzzing!! lots of people around, lots of restaurants open, people on the streets, it was more like Europe than Sydney, though there are other suburbs of Sydney where this happens, just not Chatswood or St Ives!!! lolol. more like Glebe or Leichhardt. We found a chocolate cafe, enough said you get the picture!!!

On Friday I worked again from 9 to 5. No doctor or patients, lots & lots of admin!!! & my good news now kicks in - they have put me on probation which means basically I will be working there permanently from now on. It will end up being full time after chemo finishes. TG they are really supportive & caring of my situation. I will work everyday next week, except Wed - chemo day :( 

Last night I went to Shul as usual. I had yartzeit (memorial service) for my mother - it has been 30 years since she died, it's actually quite unbelievable that it is that long. I was still 20, Jeff was 17 & Michael was 14......

Had pot luck dinner at shul, there were not many of us, but Chloe & I had a very long chat in her car after. The only way to build & maintain friendships is to talk, communication is the only key. Yep it is one of my strengths!!!!!! I type as I talk, as you probably all realise, only benefit of typing is that I can edit!!! lolol actually it's more than a benefit :) I can cut out the repetitions, fix the grammar & punctuation, etc - I just can't fix the loquaciousness!!!! 

Anyway it is Sat morn, going to sort the washing, how mundane & have a bit more shut eye, don't have any plans for today until I collect Naomi from the station & all 11 of us (you know who you are!) head to dinner at Kirribilli prior to the theatre.... will let you know if we all enjoyed the play - it's called Just The Ticket... Looking forward to some culture again - I have quite a lot of that in my life!!! But I work on getting freebies, going to previews, specials, etc - I have purchased 1 ticket to see James Morrison with the Sydney Symphony in 2 weeks but it came as a good special offer & I could also use my concession, but the ticket availability was very limited as it has nearly sold out, so there were only single seats here & there & only a few, my ticket is in the middle 5 rows from the front!!!!! but it was the only 1 in that position.

That's all for now, hope you are all doing well with your various weather positions, from freezing, windy, pouring to boiling, humid & everything else in between I'm sure. To Lynn who recently became a granny for the 1st time, mazaltov & wow, he is so gorgeous! & everyone else with their various good & not so good news. Take care, chat soon :)

Cheers

Debbie xxx