Where has time gone?

How can it be November already? Today was a beautiful fall day, with lots of sunshine and beautiful colors, but it's cold! How could I have lived in Alaska 38 years? But I did, and still love it up there; in the summer!
I'm listening to the brand new Florence and the Machine CD, "Ceremonials." God I love her. Her voice is ethereal. This is the second CD from Florence. She is a fabulous Welch red head - and guess what? I'm a quarter Welsh, and I was a redhead (my hair is coming back very dark). That must explain why I so love the royals, and Florence! So, she is performing Dec. 8 at the Wa-Mu theater on a triple bill with singer/songwriter Matt Kearney, then Seattle's own "The Head and the Heart," who are fabulous, then Florence is headlining. And guess who is in row 13, dead center in seat one! ME! YAY!!!
That's just two nights before I leave for my little Hawaii trip. Then I'll get back and it will be Christmas almost. So, that's what I mean.......where does time go?
Today was productive. That extra hour (going off Daylight Savings) is always such a God send. The doctors, of course, keep telling me to take it easy, but it's hard for me as everyone who really knows me, knows. But I was pretty good to myself this weekend.
Good news though; I got that damn drain out of me Friday. I was still putting out more fluid than they wanted me to, but I basically demanded they take it out. It hurt. And it had been in three weeks and two days, and I'd had it with the fucker. I hate artificial crap in my body. I'm stuck with the port for at least another year, so that's bad enough.
One of Dr. Beatty's main nurses, Chris, took it out. It felt weird. She was very nice, but also very stern and sort of a negative Nellie. She wasn't happy with my decision to take it out early, because if my chest cavity started to fill up with goop, I'd have to come in and have Dr. Beatty drain it with a needle, maybe every two days she said. Then, she says, if that doesn't work, they might even have to put in another drain. Meantime, Dr. Beatty is saying, well, none of that might happen.
Well guess what??? I haven't had to call him all weekend. I am not filling up with fluid. I win!! I'm still sore and sort of feel like an elephant is sitting on the left side of my chest, but I'm healing well, and God willing, will be able to be fitted for a prosthetic in a week! Yay again! I even can get a swimsuit for Hawaii with a fake booby!
The downer of the week was having Herceptin Tuesday. The Herceptin isn't the problem. For the first time ever, the oncology nurses were having a hell of time accessing my port. It was horrible. I basically got poked six times with needles; three lidocane shots and three attempts to access the port. I was in tears. It seems my port has moved a little - it's crooked, probably from my chest area being jerked around in surgery. But, that was awful to say the least.
Dr. Beatty is checking my wound again tomorrow, then Wednesday I have a CT to figure out where to aim the radiation.
I had a lovely late brunch today with one of my oldest friends, Linell. She's been so good to me. I've known her since the 7th grade. We went to this newer place in West Seattle called the "Tuscan Tearoom," and OMG, it was fabulous! It's very girly-girl, with white linens, China tea pots and cups, fabric on the walls....you get the picture. We had a pot of incredible Amaretto tea and then we both had Frangelico French Toast. I'm not kidding - died and gone to heaven good.
They do high tea and dinner, too, and they also have wine. I'll be back!! It was killer.
So back to time...I'm already worrying about Christmas. But, I bought three gifts today, and already had a couple from a few weeks ago. So, yes, I feel productive.
Next weekend I will get a much needed baby fix, as my dear friend Erica comes to see me, with her adorable, precious almost-two-year old baby girl, Quinn. I love that baby. I hope she'll warm to me and give me lots of love; I haven't seen her since April, so she may not have a clue who I am. I hope so. I'm proud to say I bought her her first purse, AND her first faux-fur coat!
My own baby is doing fine. He's had to go through a lot of physical tests in order to even get into Firefighter I next semester, but he's doing good. Healthy as a horse, my boy. Wish I was, too, but I'll get back to my old self one day. It's just going to take time.