These are some of the flowers I talked about in my last post! This isn't even all of them either! I was feeling the love that's for sure! Thank you, everyone, for sending flowers! They meant so much to me and my family!! Flowers are actually one of my very favorite things in this whole world!The hospital stay is kind of a blur to me. My family remembers more than I really want them to because I said and did some pretty weird things according to them! Some people really like the way being on pain medications make you feel! I DO NOT! I am glad, however, that I was a constant forum of entertainment for those who came to see me and those taking care of me in the hospital! I remember a few things...I remember closing my eyes trying to sleep. I couldn't go to sleep because every time I would close my eyes I felt like I had giant rolls of animated wallpaper waving around me like a flag in the wind. I had elephants dancing on a pink background whipping around me. I saw music notes some of which were bold and others faint wrapping around my brain. I had different colors and geometric shapes that would morph from one shape to another and change color while spinning around my imagination! I was so mad! I just wanted to close my eyes! My daughter Ashley could tell you other stories! When the medication thing was figured out and I wasn't as high as a kite every second I could finally rest! I was very grateful for that time.
I don't remember how long I stayed in the hospital but I think it was about 2 weeks. Maybe a little more. I felt so bad because I couldn't go to Channing's volleyball games! I can't say how grateful I am for modern technology and the efforts of Skalooza so that I could watch the games online. It wasn't the same but, at least, I didn't miss anything completely! I also loved watching the Kanab Cowboys play football each week! I stayed connected.
One thing I remember most about that first stay in the hospital was how everyone tried to get me to drink those protein drinks that are already made in those cartons!!! Yuck! I still can't drink them! I just was so nauseated all the time that I still have problems with the smell of some things! It's not the drinks fault! It's too bad the experiences we have sometimes in life can really put a damper on how we feel about certain things.
So I now eat a little differently. Oh, don't get me wrong...I eat a Reese's Peanutbutter Cup at least 3 times a week! But I also know that I need a lot more fruits and vegetables. It's really hard to get what we need from our food intake because honestly we would be eating them all day long. So I use my Blendtec and whip up a green drink to take care of at least a couple servings of fruits and vegetables. This particular drink shown in the picture below has coconut milk, a whole banana, a whole apple (peel included), some bottled peaches (a little sugar in the juice but they are home bottled so not very much!), a couple hand fulls of spinach and kale, a few carrots, about 2 teaspoons of turmeric, and about a tablespoon of black chia seed. I always add ice because a warm green drink is no bueno! I am not sure what the chia seed is for but my uncle Dave and aunt Julie swear by it so I do it! It sounds kind of gross and Channing thinks it is but Brenan and I quite like it and I know for myself I feel better physically and emotionally when I am faithful about it.
I think I mentioned that I am substitute teaching now! If not, I am substitute teaching! I love it! I love the kids and enjoy being at the school with Channing and Brenan! It brings me joy!!! In the picture below I am teaching the social dance class. These are such awesome, beautiful girls. They waltzed for me, with young men of course. The young men were busy trying to shoot baskets while lying in various places on the gym floor when this picture was taken. That was quite entertaining and, just so you know, we were finished with the lesson and had just a few minutes left of class. In this same day, I taught English, an 8th-grade dance class and advanced dance that the Larriettes (our drill team) are a part of. They are getting ready for Region tomorrow evening! GO LARRIETTES! I will post pics later. It was a fun day!
The next day I was asked to sub for our art teacher. It was "free draw Friday" so I was able to choose what the kids got to do that day. The poor kids...they are studying computer graphics and art and I come in and ask them to draw by hand a self-portrait! You should have seen the looks on their faces! I caused some major stress. I did a little rethinking of the project and told them that if they wanted to they could try a serious portrait but if they didn't want to be serious they could do a caricature or a cartoonish portrait. That eased their minds a bit.
While they were working on their portraits I decided to work I my own self-portrait. You know the old thought that we shouldn't ask others to do what we are not willing to do ourselves. As I thought about how to proceed with my own project I thought about drawing a picture with half of my face depicting what I used to look like and then the other side of my face what I looked like in the midst of my chemotherapy treatments. At first, I thought about making the chemo side sad or almost skeleton like. Chemotherapy is hard on the body and literally tries to kill your body in some ways. But as I thought about it a little further I decided to sketch a smile both on the before cancer side and the chemotherapy side. My experience has always been positive. I have tried to smile and have a good attitude. Honestly, I know that I have had divine help along the way. I was carried through most of the last year and a half by my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and angels both in heaven and on earth! I know there have been miracles, many miracles in my life but especially during this most challenging time in my life.
Love you all!
Lisa
Beautiful thoughts! You are getting back into life in a wonderful way.
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