Chemo #6…Last and Final…Hopefully Forever!

I had my final Chemo on Monday, 16 Sept.  I was so excited.  I’ve heard of people who get emotional because they will miss the staff or routine.  Not me!  I was emotional because I was so glad to put an end to this phase of hopefully getting rid of this horrible disease.  I will not be sad to never have another injection here or anywhere else.

The chair I always sit in.  It has an outlet on the wall behind it that I can plug my phone and DVD player into.

They don’t have any kind of bell to ring to mark this event so I put an app on my phone and rang away when I was done.  I wore my Super Woman shirt Natasha gave me and posed for a few shots to mark the occasion.  I felt like a super woman…I am a super woman!

Ringing the "bell" on my phone!

Super Woman pose ... I suppose.

Ray brought home a stomach flu again.  This time it was the day after my really bad day.  Last round he was sick and throwing up on my worse day which meant no help from me or from him.  I think I caught it from him this time.  I have nausea medicine to keep me from vomiting, but my stomach has taken several days to stop gurgling.

I have a sore on the roof of my mouth but it’s nothing compared to the sore I got last time under the very back right side of my tongue.  Food would get stuck back under there.  Oww and ick.  My feet are numb, my face is numb, my mouth tastes terrible, food tastes terrible, my eyes are goopy, my nose is dry and sticky, I can’t remember things I just saw or did, my teeth hurt…the usual.  Each time I just hope things will rectify.

This round has been a lot more exhausting then past rounds.  My legs have been really sore and tired.  I have to remember I need to rest.  My body is working hard to heal and it saps a lot of energy from me. 

Next step, radiation.  Bring it on!  Let’s get this done!

Metal Retreat 2013

Thursday was supposed to be my last Chemo but the doctors said I could put off my Chemo until Monday.  Instead I was at a Metal Retreat.  So what is a metal retreat?  It is cutting, soldering, pounding, firing, patinaing, casting, riveting, annealing, rolling, stamping, folding, shaping metal and metal components. 

It took place at Trout Lake, WA for 6 days, September 9 - 15.  Fourteen amazing metal smith artists with their infinity of tools drove or flew to a huge house to create and share.  We would gather in the garage, where the studio had been set up and make things.  Someone would say “Who wants to learn how to…use a hydraulic press, make a fold form bracelet, hammer a ginkgo leaf, use the rolling mill, make glass cabochons, do kuem boo, solder a bezel, create a prong setting, work with metal clay, ...  ?” If you wanted to learn a technique someone was using, you could ask them.  They were more than willing to stop what they were doing to teach you and share their wealth of experience.  Each participant had a realm of unique talents in so many different areas making the group extremely diverse within a common interest.

All of the amazing women that attended the retreat except our fantastic photographer Kiimberly Rockett.  Thank you for the great picture.

Robin made sausages for any of us that wanted to try them.  They were delicious!  Others brought a variety of breads to share and were very much enjoyed.  This has to be one of the most sharing groups I have ever met.

Some of us went for a walk at the marsh nearby one morning.  The marsh reflected the mountain in the distance.  The trail was very well maintained and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.  It was so nice to be walking out in the mountains. 

Besides that I spent most of my time in the studio.  Why not?  That’s why I was at the retreat and it was constantly full of unbelievable energy.

 
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday my legs and feet swelled up to a humungous size.  So much sitting and standing on concrete must have caused it.  There was too much to do to take time to elevate my feet so I soldiered on to learn and do as much as I possibly could before tools started to get packed up.

Cabachons Sandy brought.

 I also bought some amazing cabs.  They should keep me busy for a very long time.










These are some things I created using the shared talents of unbelievably skilled artists.

Kristi demonstrated copper clay.

Francesca showed us how to make glass cabs.

Judy helped me learn Keum Boo.  Love the clasp Shari showed me.

Marcy taught me how to fold form gingko earrings and Sandy taught the ear wires.

Accidental art...spilled pewter pot.  I pulled it off of the melted table and wood board.  Melissa claimed it for her studio as "tortured art".  I was happy to let her have it.

So … most importantly a metal retreat involves good food, very little sleeping, strangers that become lifelong friends, interesting conversations, sharing, laughing, and healing.