Summer Birthdays and Tornadoes

My first week this summer with no radiation treatments to go to. I am so lost. Not.

I'm feeling okay, but still tire easily and again it feels like there is a rock in my throat when I swallow, but it's not painfully sore like the first time that happened. I'll keep taking the non-vomit inducing OraMagic mouth rinse stuff, and I need to drink more water.

In an earlier blog entry I mentioned the size of my medical file at the Cancer Center. So, last Wednesday I took a photo of it when the doctor had to leave the room for a minute. It's huge. It's embarrassing. Each time you go to the cancer center, they take a photo of you. That file now has three different photos of me!

This past Saturday my brother Jay and sister-in-law Alicia had a combined birthday party for all three of their children, so we drove down there a little earlier and the kids opened their birthday presents (because the invite said not to bring gifts, but we did). It was a very humid day, but Jay's house is surrounded by trees so it didn't feel too sticky. Their property is just beautiful. But it was kind of raining, and storms were threatening, but he had a tent up and chairs set up in the garage as well. The kids were really excited to open grandma's presents. Nik got two hockey goal sets, Anna got an American Girl doll (her birthday & Christmas present), and Ellise got a little bike with training wheels. They were in heaven. I gave them a big three lane water slide and a sprinkler.

I was kind of afraid to go to the party because I knew there were going to be a LOT of little kids there and I didn't want to scare them if they looked at my revoltingly molting neck. But they didn't really notice me (imagine that!) They all got to play games and ride Jay's zip line and Nik was the one that broke open the pinata. (It was also my brother Larry's birthday!) Here is a video of Nik hitting the pinata. He's the little guy in the navy and red Twins outfit at the end who hits it with a wicked swing. Joe Mauer look out!

We left early, thankfully. Bad thunderstorms and tornadoes blew in about an hour later. Unfortunately everyone else left right in the middle of the onslaught. It reminded me of when we were kids and Larry and I had combined birthday parties in July and every time we had one it seemed like there were tornado warnings and everyone ended up in the basement.

Everyone made it home safely, though some had to do without electricity for a while.