I hope you’re all having a wonderful Easter morning! When you combine Conference and Easter and Blake’s birthday, what could be better? I was sorry to miss the fun yesterday afternoon. Dad tells me that the Easter egg hunt and soup dinner went really well. Paul and Stefanie and Josh came here afterwards to stay over, and Paul brought Josh up to my room to visit. We tormented Tina, who was hiding under the bed.
I’m hoping to be there this afternoon for the dinner at Tom’s. And to wish Blake a happy first birthday! I hope I’ll feel well enough to go. I’m slowly recovering from the radiation, but it’s been hard. My radiation doctor said he’s never seen anybody have such a rough time, even with the short course. The side effects aren’t supposed to kick in for at least 2 weeks, but for me, it was more like 2 hours. We barely got home the first day when my insides exploded. I’ve had it all: nausea, cramps, diarrhea, muscle pain, and fatigue. By the third treatment I was so dehydrated they had to put in an IV and give me fluids. That was the day Nora showed up at the clinic to cheer us up. She was great! She took Dad to lunch at Costco, and they brought back Lindt truffles. I so appreciate everything you kids have done for me, and everything that everyone else has done, too. Heather and Kim and Donna have given us delicious soups. Everybody has prayed for me, and I hope you’ll keep it up. I can endure all this much better because of your prayers, and the prayers of your kids, too.
I really came to appreciate the kind people at the Huntsman cancer clinic, the one in Murray. I was relieved to have the last treatment over with, and they wished me well. I got to “ring the bell.” I said it might discourage people who are still being treated, but they said it would help them. There are lots of ladies there who’ve been through chemo and are having radiation now. They’re all incredibly cheerful, but incredibly bald. There’s a basket of beanies that people donate, and I put in one of mine. Remember a couple of Christmases ago, when we girls were all giving each other the knitted beanies? I ended up with three of them, so I donated my purple one. The next day I saw it had been taken. I hope the lady who has it will survive and get well.
Thanks again for all you’ve done, and for your prayers. Love, Mom