Slumber Party Therapy

Yes, I'm feeling better than I did during my last post (many have been asking - it's nice to know how much people care).

I'm doing well because I have a diverse treatment regimen. I have my monthly 5-day dose of Temodar chemotherapy (my latest one started yesterday). I take medication to control seizures, and I take vitamins. I try to eat lots of fruits and veggies, drink lots of water, and I exercise EVERY day. (Still going since May 5!!!) My favorite workout is on a bicycle, because it's a good neuro test, I feel like Lance Armstrong, and we added a child's tandem attachment so our son can pedal with me. My husband puts our daughter in a trailer behind his bike, and off we go for a family ride most evenings!

In April I had "gaggle therapy", when my high school friends came to town for a visit. It was awesome! And this past weekend I enjoyed "slumber party therapy". My bestest friend from sixth grade came to visit me from Wisconsin. We used to be in school together in the Chicago area, but tearfully separated when my family moved to Utah during the summer before seventh grade. We remained pen pals and met up again at around age sixteen (that's the photo where I'm sporting my cool 80's headband), but we completely fell out of touch around the time we each got married. So it was a joyous reunion when we recently found each other again after so many years, and it was especially joyous to be able to visit in person. (The other picture is the two of us standing outside Southfork Ranch last Friday.)

I call this visit "slumber party therapy", because it was like a typical slumber party: lots of talking and very little slumbering. My husband joked about how he should have come out into the living room to tell us to keep it down, since that's what dads usually do during slumber parties. As a third-generation insomniac, a former early morning seminary teacher, and the mother of a baby girl who used to have her days and nights mixed up, I'm pretty used to sleep deprivation. But this was such a fun reason for being tired! We laughed and cried and gabbed about everything from old times to current challenges and the faith that carries us through it all. Before we knew it, hours and hours would slip away so fast. Just as it was with my high school friends, it was as though the gap of space and time had completely disappeared, and we just picked up our friendship where we left off. It was good therapy for the mind, body, and soul to add more love and laughter to our lives.