Hello World. I’m back. Did you miss me? I sure missed YOU. I am a person who is rarely sick but when I am sick……I’m the sickest woman you will ever encounter. Needless to say, our Christmas was a wash. We were all sick, couldn’t eat or even think of eating.

Becky was first, then George, I came next and Rocky followed. Problem being that Rocky had chemo the day before he inherited the intestinal flu bug from the rest of us and with the combination, he topped the charts for our sympathy. The poor guy was one sick puppy.

He became dehydrated quickly, had a couple of small seizures and I was too sick to accompany him to the Emergency Room. Becky called the ambulance and went with him, spending the whole day while they got Rocky patched up enough to come home with her.

I have great respect for the medical folks who were working through sickness themselves to administer aide to us and others. I am happy to report that Rocky is much better. Last night he slept the night through without having to get up once. That was a giant step forward from our starting point. We have both been trying to catch up on rest and to get our strength back.

I know I’m better because I’m finally worrying about the house. I have had buckets of Clorox and soap to sanitize the bathroom once more and the kitchen is next on my list. Those are the two traffic areas that harbor a lot of bacteria when there is sickness in the house.

I guess I will be recovered when I begin to worry about how I look. At the moment, Rocky and the house are getting my energy……I have avoided the mirrors. No need to be depressed with everything else going on. I’ll settle with that later.

Thanks to Becky who stepped in the gap when we needed her, to our families who called to check on us and to the prayers and concern extended towards us. Rocky goes for another chemo treatment tomorrow and we will both be able to go. This is a different chemo again and one that promises nausea, serious diarrhea and hair loss.

He had the first one last Wednesday and it was hard to tell the effect of it because the flu complicated things. This week we will know just how bad it is without other factors figured in. Meanwhile, we’re trying to get our rest, and get things under control in the household.

With the New Year beginning, we have hopes it will be a better year than 2006. It threw it’s worst at us but we’re alive and kicking so we’re grateful. Our hope is to get the upper hand on Rocky’s cancer and buy more time to be together. That is our only resolution for the coming year. I will be writing late tomorrow after we are back from the Cancer Clinic.

May God Bless you and yours for a healthy, happy and profitable New Year.

Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther