Sidelined

Inspirational song: I Like to Watch (Fish)

This is hopefully the last day that I am relegated to the sidelines, discouraged from actively using my left arm. It's not like I was following that as closely as the medical professionals who directed me were expecting anyway. I did a full load of laundry today, and while I mostly used my right arm, I did reach in and get stuff from the way back of the washer. I keep using both hands to put dishes away. I pull shirts on over my head (although I choose the loosest ones in the closet to prevent struggles). A few times I've rolled over onto my left side while sleeping, but as of yet, that hasn't proven comfortable enough to hold this position for long.

Tomorrow I meet with the oncologist for the first time, late in the morning, and then after a short lunch break (which I will consume on site at the hospital), I see my surgeon again for my first follow-up. I don't know what they'll tell me, but having had a peek at the pathology on the portal, I know there are no huge surprises on the way. The only thing that was "worse" than before was that my tumor grew to 20 mm at excision time, from 19 mm at the biopsy. That seemed to have been enough to knock it up to Grade 2. There was still no sign of cancer cells in the lymph nodes, so I'm expecting reasonably good news tomorrow. I'm no expert in this field, so I have no information that leads me to believe the plan has changed, from a week of concentrated radiation and physical therapy to make sure I can use my arm fully again (um... pretty sure that's gonna go well).

But until I get cleared tomorrow, or partially so, I'm stuck watching other people do work while I sit in a comfy chair, covered in cats. The Mr asked me to come out and hold stuff in place while he constructed raised garden beds. Then he remembered I would not be wise to comply, and he called T over from next door. Together they got one mostly in place, and put down a bed of weed barrier (not sure whether it was just cardboard, or the fabric from Lowe's as well), leaves, and grass clippings. (I'm super mad about the grass clippings. Our front yard is 90% weeds. You KNOW there are weed bits in there.) He'll top it off with soil and compost, and hopefully by Mothers Day, we'll be planting. There's a cold snap coming mid week, so patience is de rigueur. For now, we wait and watch.