So here is the latest and greatest....

Since I had my central line removed I can go swimming with Katie! (For the first time since the fall of 2007). She just loves it and we signed her up for "swim class" with other 2 year olds here in town every Saturday morning. Another good thing is that since I have faced everything this illness has brought on, getting in a bathing suit is the least of my worries!

We had the best visit with my niece Blake during her February vacation. We have missed our time together so much during these past two years so it was great to have her down with us for a few days. We went bowling and swimming and she and I got pedicures and she made a beautiful ceramic pie plate. Katie couldn't have been more thrilled to spend time with her cousin.

At the beginning of March I went to a conference for hospital based clinicians. It was hard to be away from Katie for three days but was good to attend lectures again and to see that the radiation last year didn't blast my PA training too. Last week we went to my sister Kim's new house. It was great to see her and Missy and Katie loved sleeping over at her Auntie's house and loved the dogs and kitty. My mom has come down two Saturdays in a row to watch Katie for me so I could have a girls night out with my sister Kathy and a date night with Rick. I feel like I am trying to cram 2 years worth of makeup time into a few short weeks. I start back to work this weekend and then with Rick working weekday nights and me working weekends again, time away or out and about will be tough to manage.

Last night I was able to attend my first Junior Service League meeting in nearly two years. It was great to see all the women who have helped to support us during our long journey and I think for them it was good to see I am getting better.

I am excited about getting back to work Saturday but a little nervous too. It's hard to go where you know there are sick people, when you have been so conditioned to fear anyone who is sick and when I know my immune system is still not normal. I'm also getting emotionally fatigued telling my story and telling people "how I'm doing". It's so nice of people to truly care about us and of course I understand them wanting to know but it's still hard to talk about and it feels like I've been talking about myself non-stop for two years. I look forward to the days when this is all a distant memory.

So that was the latest. Here's the greatest...

During this whole thing, one of the gifts I have received is the understanding of what things are most important. Losing my hair and waiting for it to grow back, staining of my teeth from medications, scars from surgery and procedures and more, are all just part of it but are NOT what counts. Being here for my daughter is what I know is the most important thing. Despite my best efforts at remaining positive, the whole face looking swollen from steroids thing, really has bothered me and although it is not as bad as it was, I still see it. My family all says "oh no, it's hardly noticeable" and "you look so GOOD". Well compared to where I was that's true but I know it's still different. You can always count on children to tell the truth. Katie and I were looking at a new book and she turned to a page with two chipmunks skipping down the road. She pointed to them and then touched my cheek, then back to them and said "Momma!". I laughed so hard and thought thank goodness I am here to read a book with her. Chipmunk cheeks and all.