The port is out, the port is out....

Yippee Clark's Port is out. Technically it is called a portacap. It was installed into Clark's chest when he started chemo almost 2 years ago. It is "a device inserted in the veins to introduce IV's and/or chemo".

This is a HUGE step. Last year this time, Clark had just finished chemo and was about to start radiation and now we start this holiday season port FREE.

Clark went into the surgery clinic this morning and I waited in the lobby.

Nothing like waiting in the lobby to hear Kaiser's receptionist talk about Kaiser's latest plan to have one check in area on each floor of the clinic and eliminate each department receptionist check in. Cannot wait to see how that pans out over time.

We went to Father Nature's in Danville to eat afterward. Father's Nature had been our refuge in some ways after hospitals visits the last few years. Many life decisions have been made there and today we celebrated. We celebrated a new beginning!

Clark proceeded to tell me on how they removed the port, how the port had adhered to his body, the blood, making me gag on my breakfast. I stopped eating, and while he ate the rest of my breakfast, he said he had anxiety going into the port removal and now it was done!

I asked if he was allowed to keep the port. Gross I know. Clark then started on what it looked and that started more gagging on my part. Then he said the doctor threw it in the trash and the nurse had to retrieve to send it the lab. My stomach was not in the mood for this at all but my husband was floating on cloud 9, higher then I have seen him in a long time.

A new chapter is beginning, a chapter free of cancer and all its things. Clark still has to go in every few months for a check up and will not be considered remission for a few more years but for now, for today we celebrate!

The port is out, the port is out....Praise God! The port is out, the port is out...

A tale of a teapot and some best friends

A few days ago, Emma looked up in her closet and asked if she could play with a Winnie the Pooh Tea Pot and cups. I looked up and covered in plastic and years of dust, was the teapot and cups.

I had not forgotten about this Tea Pot but not found the reason to take it out of its box until now. Some of our friends, our best friends who we have known over 25 years (as we seem to have a few of those), Charley and Jodie Newsom had given the set to me years ago. Well, to be honest, I sort of just remember, Charley being the one who found it and was so pleased to give it to me. At the time I collected Winnie the Pooh (this was before it was on every corner store). Yes, I just dated myself. Anyway, I took the box and together Emma and I unwrapped it.

I started to remember the promise I just made to the Newsom's. This summer, daring as it sounds, Emma and I are going to drive ourselves to Sandpoint, Idaho where they now live. Clark might join us on some of the trip or all of the trip. We are not sure yet.

What I do know. This is the last summer before Emma starts school. So I decided this summer and every summer we can afford it, we will pile in the car and drive. This summer it will be to Idaho (and maybe Oregon, Washington, who knows). Driving in the car provides the freedom to go so many places and do so many things. Emma is at a good age I think to do this and while it has been a few years since she has been to Idaho, I think she will like it, no I think she will love it. She is a good traveler already and I am getting to be a little bit more confident traveling alone with her.

Here is the lesson I learned from last trip driving to Idaho with Clark and Emma. I will not be driving the Lexus. Really I think now what were we thinking driving in God's 4x4 country with guns and ammo in our little 4 door Lexus. We had pulled up to a Walmart not far from who knows where and this man who had not dared I say taken a shower in a week and was missing a few teeth, saw us getting Emma into the car's backseat car seat, and said, "Nice car" and smiled. Images of Deliverance came into mind, Clark said, "Get in the car now." We speed out of the parking lot quickly and then did not see another Lexus sedan for another 3 states. That was 4 years ago. I have not forgotten the image. So the SUV or the 4x4 it will be.

I did a pre made meal and had much needed help

Last weekend I spent a great deal of great time in Kaiser ER. I had woken up with extreme scaitic nerve pain and started to throw up due to the pain. When I threw up a little blood, my husband threw Emma in the car, drove to my brother and my sister in law's and we went to Kaiser.

I had the stomach flu a few times in the last few months. Now looking back I had not realized that when I was in pain I would take over the counter medicine, aggravagrate the stomach and throw up. Nice.

So the doctors sent me home with a bunch of medicines and said bed rest. With Thanksgiving coming up, I did not know how this was going to be possible. Clark does not cook and we normally host.

So, I did the next best thing. I ordered a pre made meal from a local market. Clark made sure I got the rest I needed and I took medicine as I needed.

Then I picked up the meal. It was all well and good but for our small gathering, it needed more. Somehow, Lord only knows how, I had organic cranberries, green beans and other good fixings to make this meal even better. I prepped all the dishes the day before Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving, Emma set the table and Clark cooked the meal with Dad assisting. It was good. All I can say is that I was the first one asleep after the meal. I slept through all the good byes.

Literally you can take one finger on a place on my lower back and almost temporary freeze my legs. The pain goes up and down my legs. Medicine has been good for spasms and pain. Over time this too will go away.

To be so Free

Happy Hollow in San Jose

Happy Thanksgiving!

By now my belly is full, my child is in bed, my husband is about to be asleep and I am are sitting in a moment of reflection. I came across this prayer earlier this week,

"If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough."

So God, I thank you for the abundance of life you have given me. Thank you for myself, my husband and my child. Thank you for my family as twisted and curved we all are, we are like pieces of a puzzle that would not be complete without the other.

My friends, my best friend of 25 years, God I thank you for placing Terilynn in my life for so many seasons of drought and sun. Really thank you for all the other friends and strangers (yet to be friends) you have placed in my pave along the road taken. Thank you. The enrichment they have given me, I can only hope someday to return.

Thank you providing what was needed whether it was food, shelter, a hug, a hand, a stern word or even recently a "be quiet and follow me".

Thank you God, I am blessed because of you.

A little time with the Man in the Red Suit

Dear Livermore Library,

I have had sometime to think about our last exchange of e-mail.

I need to let you I want to volunteer as a storyteller at the Springtown library since services have been cut there. My passion is to provide stories to children but I am unwilling to provide to you my private data for myself and individuals within my current/past organizations when the position is not open. In today's day and age of privacy concerns there is no treasure safe you can keep my data in until such time the position opens. Once the position opens indeed, you have my information, you can contact me, I will be the first to turn in my application, background and if need be fingerprinted.

I will be forwarding this e-mail to City Council as well.

Thank you for understanding,
Kathleen Schoening