I'm All Aglow

Well, not quite yet, but I'm on my way to the big house for my very large dose of radioactive iodine on Thursday. My first blood draw showed my hormone levels to be well above what is required for treatment and I've been on my diet for almost 2 1/2 weeks already, so the time has come. The nuclear medicine man told me that if I followed all of his directions I would be released around noon on Friday, so I'm planning to be on my very best behavior! He even said I could have a regular old breakfast Thursday morning, whatever I want, but I'm foregoing that in favor of a latte on the way to Spokane. I haven't had one since November 21 and if you know me at all, that's a really long time. I am starting to feel the effects of no thyroid hormone. My mom and I finished my Christmas shopping today (thanks for the playdate Carrie!) and I was exhausted by the time I got halfway through my errands.

Speaking of my mom, thank goodness she's here. We picked her up at the airport last Saturday and immediately drug her out to the forest the next morning in search of a Christmas tree. She was such a good sport, just put her feet into my Ugg boots and off we went. She will be taking over the job of "me" for awhile, for although I will return home on Friday, I will have to be sequestered from my family until December 19th. At that time I will have a body scan, start my hormone replacement therapy and be done with this cancer thing for awhile I hope.

It was of course raining on our expedition, but that did not dampen our spirits and we found the most beautiful tree in the meadow. We even got it home and decorated that night, although the rest of the house will have to wait for my decorative hand a little longer. And yes, I will be putting up the village lest you think I am a cruel parent; Claire and I made a deal that I would put up the houses and she could do everything else. I guess I really am letting go of the control factor this year!

And here are my two beautiful elves under the Christmas tree. I am slowly working on my December Daily album and maybe after I get home and put on my rubber gloves (oh yes, I must wear rubber gloves to touch my computer for a while) I can post a few pages from it. Until then, peace and goodness all around.