What are you most thankful for?

barbb

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I feel horrible today! I am in my fifth week of recovery from surgery after uterine cancer. Tomorrow I have an IV contrast scan and the following week I will get my radiation implant, the first of three. I don't need chemo so I am not as bad off as a lot of people.

I got my diagnosis a week after being laid off my job of 27 years in late April as they were outsourcing work to another country. It has been so unreal for me. I have been sort of in shock through this whole time.

Up till now I've been strong but today I just feel so sad. I have to get up at 3AM tonite to begin taking Prednisone and Benadryl because I am allergic to the dye, but they need to use it for the scan anyhow.

I hope this isn't TMI. I am just tired and crying I'm trying to think of things to be thankful for.

Here is what I am happy about every day: I love my husband and 4 indoor kitties and my 2 outdoor ferals. My favorite time of day is in the morning when the cats all want their wet food. I get up and it is like Christmas for them every day. They are so excited about getting their food. They weave in and out between each other and all of them head butt me while I am preparing their dishes. The ferals outside stand up and mew against the screen door and play-wrestle with each other, they are so happy. So much happiness for such a little thing! It makes me thankful to be a kitty mom.


What does everyone else feel thankful about or love every day? I feel like a goody two shoes asking, but I want to soak up all the good things of the world. I think it will help give me perspective and a second wind.
 

adymarie

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I am sorry you are having such a rough time. My mom has fought the exact same fight as you against uterine cancer and she had to have the radiation as well.

Me - I am thankful she is alive (not 100% well after radiation, but cancer free)

I am thankful for my boys, Kevin and Derek. With my fertility issues I never thought that I would end up having kids and now I am blessed with 2 lively little boys 14 months apart in age.

I am thankful for my DH who loves me and tries to take care of everything.

I am thankful for my job - I have a good paying job that I enjoy.

I am thankful for having little debt (just my mortage) and a roof over my head.

I am thankful for living in Canada - IMO the best place to live in the world!

I am thankful for everyone who fights wars so that I don't have to.

I am thankful for my 4 little furbabies - who kept me going when I wasn't able to get preggers and who will always be my "1st born children".

I am thankful for all of the friends I have here at TCS.

Wow - I guess I am thankful for a lot. Thanks for posting this to help remind me how much I do have to be thankful for. I get caught up in things sometimes and I forget to be grateful.
 

larussa

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First of all good luck on your continued recovery. Be thankful that the surgery is over and you came thru it ok. I am also a cancer survivor but I did have to go thru chemo and radiation, be thankful you didn't need chemo. Be thankful for your husband and the kitties, my one kitty had been my lifeline when I was sick with the chemo treatments. I hope all will go well for you and you will be right back on track with your life as it was before
 

wesley's mom

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I'm thankful for just about everything! I am thankful for my husband and our blessed marriage. I am thankful for my kitty Wesley for the joy he brings into my life. I am thankful for my whole family, the air that I breathe, my house, our jobs, that we have food to eat and clothes to wear, the country I live in... I could go on all day! Each day is one of a kind!
 

katachtig

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I hope your scan goes well


I'm thankful for my patient husband and my three wonderful cats who according to all wisdom shouldn't get along but do. I love cuddling up with everyone right before going to sleep.
 

swampwitch

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I am thankful that I am loved by my sister, husband, and daughter, and I am thankful for every moment I have with them. I'm thankful for the laughter that my husband and daughter bring to our lives. I am thankful that I live in a beautiful healing place with wonderful weather, and that I have good friends. I'm thankful for my kitties and the joy they bring. I am thankful that my life is finally peaceful and full of love.

Sending you best wishes in your recovery!
 

bonnie1965

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to you for all you have been through. Sending lots of healing vibes your way


I sometimes get down and forget to be thankful, too. I am thankful for my health, for the family who loves me, for their health, for the opportunity to have a college education, for the food I eat, the water I drink and for the roof over my head.

I am thankful for Sebastian and Daphne who love me and accept me just the way I am
They bring joy and laughter even when I don't feel joyful. They are the best
 

carolpetunia

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Barb! It's great to see you here again! And you're so far along in your treatment, too -- it must be so good to have the worst of it behind you.

Your question is not "goody-two-shoes" at all! It's something we all think of at times, or should. For me, I feel I'm very, very lucky in the big things: my parents are still living, my brother is in good health, I have a wonderful little nephew who is not yet too cool to love his Aunt Carol
, I have a few really good friends... and like you, I'm so in love with my cats that I get teary-eyed just thinking about them.


I'm thankful for being able to hear music and see colors, and for being able to sing and read and walk. And it may sound odd, but I'm also grateful for having intelligence and a sense of humor... the combination can get you through almost anything!


Thank you for making us think about the good things in our lives. I hope you'll be able to hang out here more often, and keep us updated on your recovery.

Here are some unsolicited good-health vibes, by the way: zzzzzzzzap!
 

starryeyedtiger

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Wow- hon - my heart goes out to you- you are sooooooooo strong and resiliant to have such a great attitude through your cancer treatment!!!
You are going to recover well- i have no doubts!!!!!
I will keep you in my prayers as you go through more treatment


I am thankful for:

Colin- my amazing boyfriend. He means the world to me- he understands me, he treats me well, he loves my animals, he encourages me to persue my goals/passions....God couldn't have blessed me with a more amazing man!
I love him soo much!

My family and friends- i love them all soooo very much and my life just wouldn't be the same without them. We've all been through soo much and learned soo much from one another.

My relationship with God

My beautiful animals - they are such amazing little furbabies!! Each one is soo different yet soo loving! They are always soo happy to see me when i walk through the door and are just soo loving and forgiving!


Having a job where i actually ENJOY (most days) getting up in the mornings to go to work. I am a Vet. Tech at our city's animal shelter- every day i get to work with these sweet, animals that make me soo happy and i get to help them. I couldn't ask for a better job or sweeter coworkers!

I'm thankful that my family/friends/ and Colin are sooooo supportive of the work i do fostering/rehabilitating animals. Colin has opened up his home to me and my foster animals and is always right along side me helping me bottle feed or do meds- he's great!

Having a roof over our head, a reliable car, a cell phone,utilities...things like that we normally don't think about until we miss them.

My guitar


(the list goes on- i have a lot to be greatful for!
)
 

bella713

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Many prayers for you Barb, as you finish your treatment and your recovery
You have every right to feel sad, it's hard to be strong all the time, lean on the people you love.
 

pami

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Ah Barb heres sending MEGA positive vibes to you... Keep on being strong, Sweetie
 

heavenangels

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wishing you the very best speedy recovery My prays are with you I'm sending a
to watch over you...


I was widowed at the age of 40 it has been 6 1/2 yrs married my high school sweetheart my heart riped out of me. Never to love again........Now
I'm thankful for meeting a wonderful man who now is my fiance' I never thought I would be able to love again he treats me like a princess and most important he taught me how to love again.

I'm thankful for my beautiful daughter who is doing well with her live and a newlywed.

I'm thankful for my soon to be daughter and son children of my fiance' (I think of them as mine)

I'm thankful for all of my family there good health and there love

I'm thankful for chosing and to be loved by very good friends

I'm thankful for my beautifurr babies scrappy-doo & kita there love is so special and look for nothing in return they have been there with me through it all.

I'm thankful to god for helping with my health issues and given me a second chance so I could be here for my family and all my new friends at TCS
 

calico2222

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We all have so many things to be thankful for, if we only thought about them.

I'm thankful for my husband, who knows me, understands me, and loves me anyway. (I'm not the easiest person to live with).

I'm thankful for my mother-in-law, who stepped up and became my second mom after my mom died. We are not only related by marriage, I consider her one of my best friends.

I'm thankful for my extended "zoo". My cats and dogs, and MIL's cats, dogs, goats, donkey and goose (not real fond of the goose though, but the feeling is mutual).

Sometimes, it's just the little things. Like, our grass is growing, my marigolds are doing well, I have insurance to get a tooth pulled next week, I have 3 dogs and 6 cats that love me to death. I have a roof over my head, and food in the fridge. What more could I want.

Thank you for making us think about this. It really puts things into perspective. And, I hope you have a fast recovery.
 

adymarie

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Thank you to everyone for sharing. Reading this thread has helped me appreciate what I have a little more then I did before!
 

fwan

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I am thankful for alot of things,

Firstly My TCS friends, they know who they are who have helped me in the hardest part of my life.

I also am very thankful for the new friends who i have made in the recent months and have stuck by me through my mental breakdowns.

I am also thankful for my sweety in Australia who is moving all the way to Germany to look after me.

I am also thankful my furbabies, I love them to bits.
 
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barbb

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I too am thankful for my TCS friends! The support here is just incredible and so much caring. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for hearing so many kind wishes. It makes so much sense when I realize we are all about loving kitties too. I think the vibes must have helped because I felt a whole lot better today.


I was scared to tell my story on this forum because somehow telling it made it more real to me too and also I didn't know what anyone would say. And it is somehow easier when I don't look at the whole thing, and I just do the proverbial one day at a time. And I am still conflicted about recognizing that some big things have happened to me. Sometimes I think I shouldn't make a big deal or say anything because there is worse in the world. So during those times I lay low at my house and sometimes just hold things in and work on stuff that needs to be done.

My recovery has been so strange and yet I've heard people say this is how it is. One day I feel great, and the next day I am so wiped out, I have to take lots of naps. I think I expected to be further along by now, especially when I have some really good days.

When there is a bad day, I worry that the cancer is still around somewhere. My final pathology report said my lymph nodes were not affected, but there was a caveat- the report also said the cancer had lymphatic and vascular permeation. So it got into the beginning of the canal but not to the nodes.

I know that if the doctors were concerned they would be more aggressive. But also they are not gods. For example, the tumor that was biopsied was "well differentiated, grade one" and they set my surgery for 3 weeks later because it is slow growing. They even said I could have HRT after the surgery most likely. They did not know there was a grade 3 tumor in there as well, mean and nasty and aggressive. It was very unusual and yet there it was. Now there is no talk about HRT. I think about those things on a bad day.

My mom died on her 60th birthday after a 20 year battle with breast cancer, so everyone in my family, me included, think as long as it is not a death sentence, great!

But the reality of what is involved in a radiation implant, I have to admit, when the radiation oncologist went into the detail, I started to get nauseous and light headed. On the one hand you are alive and ecstatic, and on the other you are walking into procedures like the radiation that will leave permanent scarring. You are losing parts of yourself and it takes time to assimilate it all. I am usually really good at pushing through stuff, so my wimping out in these last few areas is a surprise to me.

I am up at this ungodly hour because I had to take a ton of Prednizone and Benadryl for the scan (since I had an anaphalactoid reaction the last time I had the dye), anyhow those pills made me wired. The test was poorly managed, it took 4 hours, they did not prepare me for what was to happen (like, 2 huge bottles of barium to drink in addition to the dye!) This is the first time I've had a negative experience at this hospital- I've been so lucky- I hope it does not happen again.

I have loved reading all the things people are thankful for and I hope people keep putting things on here. Like others have said about their plants growing -I really love it too when I see a new tomato on my plant (LOL) and this year since I don't have my job anymore, there is a silver lining - I started some plants from seeds and I get so excited when the shoots come up. I also bought flowers and herbs that butterflies are attracted to. So I am really excited when I see caterpillars and butterflies using the plants I got for them.


I hope everyone will still post what they are thankful for. I am really soaking up all the positive energy!! Thank you!!!!!
I am glad you all are able to feel good vibes too. Now I want to send some back! zzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!
 

kerry'n'ben

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First of all i hope all goes well with your tests and things
It seems like you have had a really bad run of things lately and it can be hard to keep positive but you seem to be doing very well so be proud of yourself
i am thankful for my partner, my kitten, my family, my friends, my university grades (and that i only have 1 more year to go before i qualify), my life and my loves!

Sending lots of keep well wishes
and indie sends his love too!
 
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barbb

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Aww thanks for the good wishes. All I need today is another 3 hours of sleep and I will be thankful for that, after my long post in the middle of the nite LOL
.

That is another thing I love about this forum, it is a 24 hour lifeline
 

trouts mom

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Originally Posted by BarbB

Aww thanks for the good wishes. All I need today is another 3 hours of sleep and I will be thankful for that, after my long post in the middle of the nite LOL
.

That is another thing I love about this forum, it is a 24 hour lifeline
Awwwww
and what an amazing lifeline it is



I am thankful for my health, my baby Trout, having food, shelter and a car..and having friends that love me.
 

momofmany

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Hi Barb! Just caught up with this thread (on vacation and working around the house these last few days).

I'm thankful that I wake up every morning with a couple of fuzzy babies sleeping with me / on me. It is usually my 4 biggest red boys: Stumpy, Spanky, Pinky and Oscar. They bring a smile to my face first thing every day.

I'm thankful that my DH does most of the care giving for our dogs.

I'm thankful for my creativity, my intelligence, and my love of natural things.

I'm thankful for the friends I come across in my life.

I'm thankful for the events in my life that have made me the person that I am today, whether those were good or bad at the moment they occurred. Each one has taught me valuable life lessons.

I'm thankful for the roof over my head, the food in my pantry and the critters that share their lives with me.

And I'm thankful that you have made it this far with your recovery, and you are feeling good enough to talk about it.

 
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