a note from Claudia

[chelidon]

I wanted to pass this on from Claudia for those who have been sending good thoughts and wishes. Thanks to you all.

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Hello all you lovely people,
I want to say thank you. Thank you for the cards, the little gifts, the emails, the phone calls, and the prayers. I have felt them every day, and together they hold me and my family up through all of this.

I saw the Radiology-Oncology doc yesterday. He is a smiling, jovial, Armenian, fatherly-type of man (though I think he is probably about my age). He has obviously cultivated this bedside manner, and what the hey, it works for me. In other situations, having my hand patted and being called "dear" would send me right up the wall. But he looked straight in my eyes when he said it, and he held my hand a little after he patted it, and it was a good thing.

On the plus side: the surgery went well, the surgeon got all the thyroid and most of the central lymph nodes. On the down side: many of the lymph nodes they did take did have cancer as well. That means that they will have to use a relatively high dose of radiation iodine on me. The doc's comment was, "We want to get them, and we want to get them all.". I will be hospitalized in a lead room for 3 days because of this, to protect others from radioactive-me basically. Minimal (5-10 minute) visits by staff and family keeping their distance (no Forest at all), no physical contact. That will happen starting June 26th. After that, I can come home, but will be relatively isolated in my room for several days after that, and will need to keep my distance from Forest for almost 2 weeks. My parents will be up to help take up the slack, but that will be the hardest for me, and possibly for him, I think. Sometime during this time, they will do a scan and see if they got all all the cancer. If not, I could need either more radiation treatments, or more surgery, but I'll deal with that if and when it comes. Bottom line is that my long term prognosis is still excellent, but how many hoops I need to jump through to get there is in question.

On the up side, I have May and the first half of June to be and feel healthy and energetic. I'm plotting a garden, playing with Forest, hanging out with friends, and spending special time with Rick. Spring is here and I am so grateful for all that I have and for all of you. Please feel free to pass this email or info on to the larger circle of friends who are also sending love and concern my way, I really appreciate their thoughts and well wishes and it helps if I don't have to say the same thing over and over again.

**BB** Claudia

Comments

[christeos-pir.livejournal.com]

Much love to you all...

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Chris, I appreciate it, and all of the same to you guys. We're talking about maybe doing a big bardic shindig in June, come on out! :>

[threefrognight.livejournal.com]

Thank you for passing that along, Rick. I think about you all now and again, and wondered how everything was going. You are all still in my thoughts, and pass on my love to everyone. :)

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Will do, thanks! There's a bit of a pause before Claudia's RAI, so we're talking about possible bardic dates, will let you all know if/when we have something firmed up...

[ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com]

much love to you all - think about y'all

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And see you soon, I hope!

[humidcityloki.livejournal.com]

With each day of rebuilding my city I dedicate the work to you as well.

You're going to be fine, they're working on the St Charles Streetcar line!
*grin*

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Heh. Excellent, I'll look forward to riding it with yous. Thanks, bro'.

[lylythe-strega.livejournal.com]

Oh, excellent! That's great news! I very much missed the St. Charles line in February. Good to know it might be running by July.

[lylythe-strega.livejournal.com]

I don't have words right now - all I can do is love, and be here for my family, and love some more.

[helen99.livejournal.com]

Chelidon and Claudia, I know that we have been out of touch for a long time, but know that I still think of you and care about you and Angelica. I have not looked at this journal for a very long time (I looked at it last year, whereupon I browsed in fascination through your whole photographic record), and so did not realize you'd had serious surgery. I am very happy that it went well, that you had your beloved friends around you at all times, and that you received the best medical care from professionals that you know personally. This once again brings back the memory of a long-ago ritual at Assateague Island where we attempted to be entirely in the present moment (and didn't really succeed that well). Of all the people I know, you have made the very most of each moment of life, and continue to do that. May you continue to do just that for another century.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Helen, I appreciate the good wishes and thoughts, and will pass them on to Claudia. She is quite a manifester, and we're hoping to manifest much good health. Angelica moves out of Casa Chaos North and into her new house (which she closed on last week), about 5 min from here, at the beginning of June -- she's very excited about it. I remember that ritual well...we've been very focused on the present lately, for sure. Thanks again!