Its been a busy whirlwind!

Asked for help from my Yahoo site and had a helper crew come together over two Sundays ago to rearrange my daughters' rooms in preparation for a guest room (vision being toward my at-home recovery following the stem cell infusion). Well, it's all turned into a three room project. The first room required some finishing (tape and mudding) before painting but the attic room is not longer an attic...it is Lauren's new bedroom. Some of the bedding and decor details for Lauren's new asian-influence room are yet to be finished but its coming along. Paul is installing a new "safety" window too...thank you Paul. All the other work was completed by Cousin Jenny and her friend Tracy, Aunt Sue and my dear friends Kristin, Traci and Shawn....thank you ALL for your help!

Next was room 2...Kathryn wanted Lauren's room and, of course, it was only fair she got a newly painted room to! So Scott, Kathryn and myself started on it. Kathryn's been a big helper and gaining some great home painting skills! She and I turned her room tino a beautiful mural decor with a blue sky ("bright like when the sun is shining" per Kathryn) ceiling leading to meadow green grass (about 3 ft up from floor). We painted the furniture in a periwinkle blue with green drawers (kathryn's request). Its darling! Just getting the bed in and found her bedding and decor before we picked the paint so she'll be all set!

Now we're finally ready to paint the guest room and hoping to get that completed this weekend (with more help from my friends). It all feels a bit like "nesting" getting this done but I'm so pleased that the girls will have new rooms to enjoy, retreat to, and renew their energy when they feel the need for a break from their worries about Mom. Kathryn also has asked to continue participating in the family counseling monthly meetings so I am pleased she finds comfort there too.

This past week was a busy whirlwind of doctor appointments, tests and now I've just gotten a PICC line put in my arm which will be used to infuse my chemo rather than daily IV's. It is much better and safer for the veins. I'm actually at the cancer center library adding this post while I wait for my 1pm doctor appointment.

So, therapy begins next week. I'm looking forward to get moving on things and hoping my ear will unclog. Seems the enlarged lymph node in my neck is causing minor blockage of my sinuses and I feel like I'm on a plane trying to get my ear pressure to pop.

Will post again to let you all know how my first week of chemo goes.

P.S. Thanks to Jenny and Rob Curran for the loan of a laptop! Look forward to staying in touch with the world during my hospital time.