It's been about a month since we've known something was wrong with T. Three years ago he battled stomach cancer with surgery, chemo and radiation - and so far - so good.
A completely routine screening test has turned up some other news. T is now looking at surgery again - this time for another part of his digestive tract. And remember - there's not much stomach left...so no one really knows what will happen next. He is meeting with yet another surgeon right now - while I sit across the river, working and waiting. I would be sitting next to him but for a huge presentation involving potential dollars and senior vice presidents.
There are no guarantees that the surgery will remedy everything. I think it will, and I hope it will, but until they get in there and biopsy everything - we won't know. I have known this man for more than half my life, and loved him for at least 20 years. I am not willing to take no for an answer on this one.
I thought I was handling it well until I lost all control on Wednesday and almost started world war 3 with a neighborhood mom. I am apologizing to her for my tone. Because my tone was way out of line and out of proporation to the situtation into which she inserted herself. But she inserted herself into something, yet again, and really pushed my very-sensitive-about-working-fulltime-and-not-being-aroundenoughtobeginwith buttons - and aside from phrases like "why are you talking to me about something that happened between my son and another child - not yours?", "you are the grown up", "wildly inappropriate for you to call me", "what were you expecting me to do at 1 pm at least an hour from home, when all the kids are fine?", "I haven't heard from the school about this..." and it just went on from there. T wants me to apologize for everything. I'm only feeling the apology on the tone, - because screwing with the mom code of conduct is just not acceptable. And yes - the quotation marks are too much - but blazing red anger doesn't show up well in text.
And then I had to go to the dentist. On that point alone it pretty much sums up the week.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Bumbles and Stumbles
It is the middle of November and I am back from Chicago. Yes - I went to my favorite conference - one fueled by early childcare professionals on steriods (the mad combination of free mini-meals at the Residence Inn, juice boxes and freedom from children and parents (not their own, but the ones they take care of). And yes, shooting the potato launcher was not only fun, but frighteningly addictive.
20,000 people in early childhood took over Chicago. There is something so very wrong about people wearing deely boppers in public - and especially on Michigan Avenue. This conference is also known as the suitcase spectacular.
Fly three hours with one bag crammed with clothing and personal items, and check the big old empty bag on wheels. Why? Because you will actually have to wheel it onto the exhibit hall floor to collect: in no particular order: juice box, pencils (unsharpened), pens, a caterpillar in a jewel box necklace, a calendar featuring babies, a crest kid doll, garbage bags with peach scent, pencils (sharpened), paper, more paper, more paper, montessori building block, tooth brush, sample playdough, make your own book, fruit cup and spoon, yarn, finger puppet, fiskars scissors with kid sized handles, baby wipes, toddler wipes, calendar featuring research and quotes about the importance of preK, deely boppers, connectx toy, finger cymbal (yes - the other one got lost in the frenzy), ocean sampler, toy school bus (with phone number in case the need arises to buy a real one), sing-along dvd, bag with smiling family on it, fleece hat with logo, fleece ear warmers with no logo, toothpaste sample, lysol wipes sample, more miniture candy than Halloween on a really good year.... you get the picture.
Important safety tips:
Do not pick up more than you can comfortably carry home. The hotel housekeepers do not want the stray pencils, scented garbage/diaper bags, and information on how to purchase child sized equipment from catalogs that are thicker than most city phone books.
Do not purchase the seasonal clothing in bulk. You know this type of clothing. It's the turkeys on the sweaters, wreaths on the socks, pumpkins on the turtleneck kind of thing. Discretion. Discretion. Discretion. I'm not one to turn down socks - but more than 3 types of seasonal clothing on one person at one time is wrong. And to be kind, I think the sweater was just stretched out from carrying and dragging too much stuff...the resulting placement of the turkeys was just unfortunate.
And finally --- above all - do not get suckered into buying the wheelie crates. Those things are dangerous in the hands of crazed attendees.
I did manage to purchase some things for home, work and school. If you are ever needing a really cool science toy or tool - check out stevespanglerscience.com. It is one of best online catalogs around - and really, when you need 32 pipettes, moon sand, fizz color tablets and one lizard in an egg - go for it.
20,000 people in early childhood took over Chicago. There is something so very wrong about people wearing deely boppers in public - and especially on Michigan Avenue. This conference is also known as the suitcase spectacular.
Fly three hours with one bag crammed with clothing and personal items, and check the big old empty bag on wheels. Why? Because you will actually have to wheel it onto the exhibit hall floor to collect: in no particular order: juice box, pencils (unsharpened), pens, a caterpillar in a jewel box necklace, a calendar featuring babies, a crest kid doll, garbage bags with peach scent, pencils (sharpened), paper, more paper, more paper, montessori building block, tooth brush, sample playdough, make your own book, fruit cup and spoon, yarn, finger puppet, fiskars scissors with kid sized handles, baby wipes, toddler wipes, calendar featuring research and quotes about the importance of preK, deely boppers, connectx toy, finger cymbal (yes - the other one got lost in the frenzy), ocean sampler, toy school bus (with phone number in case the need arises to buy a real one), sing-along dvd, bag with smiling family on it, fleece hat with logo, fleece ear warmers with no logo, toothpaste sample, lysol wipes sample, more miniture candy than Halloween on a really good year.... you get the picture.
Important safety tips:
Do not pick up more than you can comfortably carry home. The hotel housekeepers do not want the stray pencils, scented garbage/diaper bags, and information on how to purchase child sized equipment from catalogs that are thicker than most city phone books.
Do not purchase the seasonal clothing in bulk. You know this type of clothing. It's the turkeys on the sweaters, wreaths on the socks, pumpkins on the turtleneck kind of thing. Discretion. Discretion. Discretion. I'm not one to turn down socks - but more than 3 types of seasonal clothing on one person at one time is wrong. And to be kind, I think the sweater was just stretched out from carrying and dragging too much stuff...the resulting placement of the turkeys was just unfortunate.
And finally --- above all - do not get suckered into buying the wheelie crates. Those things are dangerous in the hands of crazed attendees.
I did manage to purchase some things for home, work and school. If you are ever needing a really cool science toy or tool - check out stevespanglerscience.com. It is one of best online catalogs around - and really, when you need 32 pipettes, moon sand, fizz color tablets and one lizard in an egg - go for it.
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