Gaining weight, cleaning up & iPhone learning curve!

April 3/12.

OK! Bring on the whipped cream! Or chocolate milk or pasta with cream sauce!!

Yep, this afternoon, I'm heading back to Princess Margaret Hospital, this time, to see a nutritionist. Many people have expressed concern about my weight (96 pounds at the moment). I used to weigh 115 before cancer. Have tried to gain, but something, - my stress levels or who knows what, just won't LET me. We'll see what Susan Haines has to say when I talk to her at 2 p.m. I met her once before at a pre-cancer surgery class with five other women and remember her giving us a pamphlet called

What to Eat When You Don't Feel Like Eating (mostly for chemo patients). I was so lucky not to need chemo, but the weight came off anyway. Susan asked me to keep a diary of what I had to eat over the past few days. (Don't think she'll be too impressed with it).

Bought a bunch of groceries at No Frills, but nothing seems to get the weight up.

Meanwhile,

over the weekend, finally got to the chore of working with Max to get his room cleaned up. During the course of many months, the room turned into mountains of clothing and a cornucopia of crap. Wanted to get to it during March break, but it didn't happen.

This time, I was DETERMINED to get it done.

Max was ready for the clutter clear-out too. It took us several hours to sort through everything, pack up bags for Goodwill, hang up all the clothing in the closet, fold up shirts for the dresser, and get rid of hundreds of wire hangers, tangled into a massive, laughable pile that resembled some sort of modern art contraption. (Miraculously, Sam got them all unravelled and bundled into neat piles to be added to the Goodwill contributions).

Ta da! In the end, the room actually looked presentable, - (even BART looked impressed!!)

and I was finally able to vacuum!

Hallelujah!

And guess what else happened on the weekend? Sam got me an iPhone 4S! (spooky orange lighting in the house at night!)

Plus a black & bling-y case! Very sparkly.

It sure is cool, but all I have to do is learn how to USE the darn-fangled thing!! I figure if I'm trying to get back into the land of the living in the working world, and join 21st century technology, I've gotta start SOMEWHERE! Max loaded all my phone contacts into it, Sam rigged it up for the Internet, email and added a jazzy ringtone. It's apparently got GPS - (not ANOTHER bossy voice lady!!) and I have NO idea how to add music yet. If anybody calls me, it may take a while to figure out how to answer the phone! (Now I KNOW I'm not in Kansas anymore)! Gak.

P.S. Looking forward to seeing I, Martin Short, Goes Home on CBC tonight at 9!
Mockumentary extraordinaire I'm sure, featuring Andrea Martin and Eugene Levy among others!

Out with the OLD, in with the NEWWWWW!!

August 4/11.

It's a new day! (first day of the rest of my life? - Why NOT??)

No hospital visits scheduled today. No more crappy blue medical gowns!! (and no more looking for a non-existent hallway stylist!!) Finally got some of my old clothes into Value Village. Felt weird saying goodbye to so many things I've loved for years, but it's time. I've lost weight, moved on to other things, ideas, ways of thinking, modes of dressing and I crave a new wardrobe!

I need....no, WANT, tighter-fitting, hotter stuff. I know some people don't connect to this concept. But, surprisingly, my husband, Sam, relates! Having lost & gained weight numerous times himself, he told me tonight that no one understands me better than HE does, when it comes to dropping pounds. He can relate to what it's like to lose weight, how it makes you feel about yourself, your self esteem. He made me laugh, when he complimented me on the new form-fitting shirt/slacks I bought and then told me to look out, - being slimmer can be addictive. (& he's right).

After dropping/donating my old items, it was off to the Eaton Centre with Kate to find some NEW acquisitions.

Kate snapped this shot in the Smart Set dressingroom - you can see HER reflected in the background. I saw this mini-dress about a week ago and wanted it, but didn't think they had my size. (i.e. 8 or 10). Never thought of asking for a SMALLER size. Then, on this return visit, tried on size 2. Still too big! Then, finally, tried THIS one on - size 0. What the HELL? Never, in a million years did I think I'd see THAT day!! Kate told me the "zero" looks better! So, bought it. Looks like I'll be wearing it on vacation soon.

(***Note: Was shocked while changing into the dress, to suddenly see the "treated" area had changed rather drastically in the past few hours - now bright red, freckled, burned, hot, kinda sore, - and scared me. Can't beat radiation for surprises I guess).

Meanwhile, Kate visited The Bay lingerie department, bought a sultry black slip dress and took a pic of herself in the change room. So pretty!

Hit the MAC cosmetic counter, where I bought the long-awaited new blush - (GORGEOUS light pinky colour called "Dainty"), plus 2 fabulous lipsticks, (a lovely pink called "Chatterbox"), and a delicious mauvy shade - ("Impressive"), plus a lipliner, in my decades long fave shade - "PLUM". (Now QUICK! Somebody KISS me!!)

- Also bought a vibrant blue liquid eyeliner for Kate (called "Herizon Blue")! There is just NOTHING like new makeup!!

Then, on to the sunglasses department, where I picked out some GUESS "movie star shades" for Fern Resort holiday week. LOVE them!

Also got some new HUE black stretch Flared Jeggings. They are gorgeous.

So, all in all, terrific day.

Nothing in this world like retail therapy!!

P.S. - Table top Muzak...oh, right, forgot. That's not happening anymore! Instead, nothing but Bryn Christopher blaring in the car. (however, lost my car in the Queen/Yonge parking lot for about half an hour. Finally found it, with Kate's help!! Never a dull moment!!)

Sacha's shower - Highest highs (and a couple of lows)

May 15/11

My cousin, Sacha, is a very lucky young lady! Her baby shower was a huge success and she received everything a mother-to-be could need to welcome a new little one into the world.

Since I hadn't seen Sacha in a number of weeks, it was surprising how much she'd "grown!" But a more beautiful expectant Mum would be hard to find.

Gorgeous mother-to-be, Sacha with her balloons!

Each guest had their gift placed atop the grand piano. So many pretty, colourful gift bags, boxes and bows. Sacha's parents, Marilyn and Kevan, were the perfect hosts, beaming throughout the festivities, serving lovely food and drinks and delighting in watching, as their daughter opened the extravagant, well-chosen prezzies.

So many lovely gifts!

It was nice to catch up with friends and family, after having lived a rather "sheltered existence," these past two months. Despite the great support of so many family and friends, I've found this time from breast cancer diagnosis to nasty, nerve-wracking procedures, to surgery, to excruciating pain, drugs and recovery, to the great emotion of it all, has been, at times, quite overwhelming and has definitely taken a toll. I SO wanted to be in "party-mode" today, (and tried my best to be), but was feeling shaky, queazy and generally, just out of sorts.

Since this blog started off to be about my journey with breast cancer, I'm continuing this saga to try and tell it like it is - in between "normal living," on days when no appointments or procedures are scheduled). I'm sure some family members are having a tough time figuring out what's going on with me, as I haven't quite been my usual bubbly self. I also have very little appetite and my weight today hit a low of 105. I know food is important to getting better and feeling stronger, but it's sometimes tough to eat when you're feeling down or stressed. Tomorrow, I hope to try to get back to a regimen of small meals throughout the day.

Despite not feeling quite up to par, it was a fabulous party, and from my own personal experiences with baby showers in the past, I know it's a day Sacha will never forget. I was glad to be a part of it.

Sacha opens my baby care-package gift

The Staples/Kiewiet clan - top row: Jan, Marilyn, Bep; bottom row: Sacha, Auntie Ray, Kevan