'Them Summer days. Those Summer Days.....' - Sly Stone

When the weather is fine and it also happens to be summer, I can hear Sly and the Family Stone playing "Hot Fun in the Summertime" in my head.  Like comfort food it's comfort music and it harkens back to an earlier time when worries where few and summer seemed to last forever.

I've noticed remarkable improvement in my general health and well being over the course of this week.  My sense of taste has returned; the numbness in my finger and thumb is rapidly dissipating; I've been playing the guitar and returned to singing; I have energy; I've returned to doing my daily exercises; I'm watching less TV and I'm doing mini-projects around the house. In addition, the weather makes it much easier to do things.

I'm still bothered by various aches, pains and the lingering side effects of the chemo.  [Chemo brain is real].  I'm optimistic that these too will begin to dissipate.  I also have a heightened sense of awareness to any new side effects that Tamoxifen MAY bring.  Some of the early side effects have either calmed down or I'm getting used to them.  It's still early as Tamoxifen will also be cumulative like the chemo (unfortunately).  I've never heard back from the doctor's office about my vision changes, but I'm satisfied that the eye doctor will have first dibs in determining if it's an age thing or something else.

I did get news for my reconstructive surgery.  Pending insurance approval (and hopefully not a problem), I'm scheduled for my pre-op mid October and my first of two surgeries mid November.  My immediate concern is the impending season of white stuff and my abilities to deal with it given stitches and recovery.  Both the Farmer's Almanac and the Old Farmer's Almanac have told New Englanders to 'give up and die'.  But it is what it is.  However, I may just break down and buy a snowblower this year to ensure that we have no white stuff. Now I'll have to consider how I'll tackle keeping the roof free of the eight foot iceberg (like last year).

I hope everyone enjoys the last vestiges of "Them Summer Days"!

More to come.  Thanks for reading.