HAPPY THANKSGIVING, 2010:-)

Hi Friends,

Sorry...I didn't realize I stopped blogging this week. I've been recovering from the chemo and IV steroids. They seem to be helping, but they also come with side effects of lethargy, pain, and vomiting. So, I've been recovering VERY slowly as recommended by my doctors. And I'm still in bed a lot of the time. When not in bed, I seem to spend the rest of my time working with the doctors on my team. I currently have 9 doctors on my "dream team." Since lupus is a systemic illness (that is, it affects many of your body's systems), I need a specialist for every system currently being affected. So, basically -- my excuse for not blogging was I spent the whole week doing these three things. 1. Seeing doctors. 2. Having testing done that was ordered by those doctors. and 3. Resting/recovering from the lupus flare I am currently in.

On Wednesday, I voluntarily surrendered my driver's license to the DMV. I felt it was the morally responsible thing to do after having a seizure while driving. The neurologist will be working with me to determine the cause/treatment course given what happened. Meanwhile, I am under orders to take all medication as directed and control my pain well. I take 18 meds at the current time and several of them if missed could bring on a seizure. Also, when my pain is really bad, my heartrate and blood pressure skyrocket and that as well could cause a seizure. So, I know what I need to do on my end, and I have Bill's full support.

Today was Thanksgiving. I hope you all had a wonderful day...a day filled with the love of friends and family and of course, lots of good food. I'm not up to much activity yet -- but Thanksgiving was the perfect holiday for me. That is because it only involves 3 things -- being thankful (which I am), and eating and napping (both of which I'm a pro at!). Bill has a lot on his plate figuratively, and we decided not to add cooking to it today. So we elected to go out for dinner at the HomeTown Buffet here in Oxnard. We've done that in the past, and it's always been a good experience.

So, we slept in today. This morning we all kind of dawdled around the house and eventually did our daily chores. At about 3 p.m. we went out for dinner. It was exciting because it was the first time all 6 of us drove as a family in our replacement truck. We used the money paid for our totalled Ford Expedition, and we replaced it with a 2000 GMC Sierra 2500 Pick Up truck. It has the double cab, so it seats 6. It is also a 4x4 with a towing package, so that will come in handy out on the land. It's beige in color, which wouldn't have been my first choice -- but at this point, I'm just glad it's not white because it seemed that most of the vehicles for sale around here were white.

Anyway, our Thanksgiving dinner was very nice. We ate and we ate and we ate. Great food, great desserts. They even have slurpees there now, which was an unexpected treat for this 7-11 baby! I took lots of pictures of our Thanksgiving Day and meal and posted them on FB if you are interested.

For me, dinner was really good. And I ate, and I ate -- until all of a sudden I felt the chemo tummy and then it was not good anymore. I ended up going outside with Nate to get some fresh air until everyone else finished up. When we got home, I vowed to never eat again, and then I lay down and took a 2 1/2 hour nap. Since then, I've just been hanging out in my room, playing around on my laptop. Yesterday, Bill let me order a beautiful pink alligator carrying case for it as well as a butterfly skin to decorate it. So, I can't wait for it to come this week.

Isaac and Bill had a lot of energy today. They rotated the tires on the new truck and did some routine maintenance on it. They also brought in the Christmas decorations and started getting the house ready for Christmas. Isaac brought me a Santa hat to wear -- but I just wore it in my bed as I didn't really have the energy to help.

When we left the HomeTown Buffet today, we drove past Best Buy. It was about 4:30 p.m. and people were already camping out in their tents in a line waiting for Black Friday tomorrow morning. Bill and I laughed and decided there is nothing we want bad enough that we'd be willing to sit all night out in the cold for. I am planning to go to Walgreen's with him tomorrow -- but that will be it. He has some RXs to pick up there, and I'm in need of a new perfume. I figure there may be some good sales there tomorrow.

Also, I am very excited because one of my BFF's, Shirlene, is coming to visit tomorrow. I haven't seen her for several weeks. She's the one who had Nate and Isaac stay with her and her family for almost 2 weeks during my last hospital stay + car crash afterwards. Anyway, I am thrilled to get to see her as well as her son, Brandon, and his girlfriend, Margaret. I miss them all so much.

On that note, it's late and I should go to bed. They are driving here from PalmDale, so I'm not sure when they'll be arriving.

With thanksgiving for our friendship and
Much Love,
Shel


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PostScripts for Thanksgiving:

"For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in Heaven, we thank Thee!"
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel." -Author Unknown

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What the Bland Family is thankful for:
(A family tradition at the Thanksgiving dinner...)

Isaac: "eating this food and having dinner at the HomeTown Buffet."

Nate: "getting an XBox for my birthday."

Molly: "my family"

Cameron: "My life is hectic, but I am thankful because I know that many people have it worse."

Shel: "thankful that I am still here...that I lived through my fiery car crash. I recognize that God provided me with angels to get me out. There is no earthly reason I should be alive as my car burned to the ground within minutes. It was a miraculous exxperience and I believe evidence that I have a purpose-filled life that I am not done with yet."

Bill: "also thankful for Michele's life and that we were able to find a good replacement vehicle with the insurance money."