The Keeper Is Still In Heaven . . .

"It isn't what you have or who you are

or where you are or what you are doing

that makes you happy or unhappy.

It is what you think about it."

- Dale Carnegie

I sincerely apologize for not updating as I should

and unnecessarily making you all worried about me.

You shouldn't be.

As you can see from some of the snippets above

I have the usual routine:

Talk to Sweepy, my superdog.

Talk to Troy, the lizard

who wanted a kiss and I roll my eyes

and tell him for the umpteenth time 

"that's not gonna happen!" . . .

. . . talk to Petrocelli, our adopted cat, on the roof,

splurge on pizza for my sister Loyd's 65th birthday,

link with all the hounds every day,

watched GaryV's concert and had a healing session,

(Gary's Pastor Jeric and team prayed over me 

and my boss Bambi after the concert, bless them!)

tried to finish all my painting workshop sessions with kids,

kiss and play with our pup Babur,

eat/work/laugh with people at work,

met with curators, artists, friends,

and got my "eulogy" haha!

I have willingly embraced my fate

and told everyone that if there's anything 

they wanted to say when I die

I'd rather hear them now

since I refused wakes, funerals and burials.

I already told my family that if I die

that I wanted cremation immediately.

I am not out to shock people out of their wits.

I am just being my usual honest, quirky self.

I love life and it will never stop

should my body fail.

Also, I would love to react and respond

to all the funny, emotional, loving tributes now

than when I am gone and can not

hug, kiss, tell them I love them back,

or thank them for their loving thoughts and wishes,

or reminisce good times we had,

and laugh ourselves silly

wondering what all the fuss we have of dying. . . 

Well, I am not dying.

I had cancer and my thyroidectomy removed most of it. 

My scheduled RAI this coming September 30 

will help remove whatever cancer were left over from surgery.

People were comforting me.

I received a lot of prayers and advise:

Stay away from softdrinks (I don't drink it), desserts (yikes, no!!!!), don't have dogs (oh-oh ;-( a curator said this when she found out my throat swells whenever one of my dogs die), resume your yoga (I am), eat healthy (well I always try to do that), eat brown rice (I'm doing it), remain funny and loving, marry me (I can't), pray everyday (I do), go to Europe (maybe next year), have my own art exhibit (will try), take a leave (well, when I have my RAI I have no choice but go on leave), write a book (ok, will try to finish several on my work desks), take it easy and slow . . . . .

It's been a month since my last thyroxine tablet.

Since I have my thyroids removed

I have to take maintenance tablets for life.

But since I am scheduled for RAI

I have to flush out traces of this tablets taken after surgery

to make the radioactive iodine work.

My nuclear medicine doctor, Dr. Cruz,

told me my metabolism will slow down

and my memory and focus might get affected.

Well, my energy level is still high

although I always remind myself to slow down.

Walk slow, talk slowly, take my time . . .

But my memory goes awry most days

it is almost laughably dangerous ;-)

I am counting the days until my RAI

where I will be isolated in my room for 4 days.

I can receive visitors but they have to stay for an hour only

and stay two meters away, haha!

I hope to survive my isolation by painting,

writing, yoga, dancing, singing, 

well, ok, watch TV,

and sleep a lot . . .

I am OK, 

embracing life

reveling in all your prayers

and good wishes

and hilarious and loving emails

(keep them coming, love them!!!)

and if there's wifi in my hospital suite

I will probably blog too ;-)

But what I mean to say is

I love all of you, my friends and family,

the nameless, the faceless, the creatures,

the bloggers, the seekers, the masters,

the generous supporters, the eternal travelers . . .

thank you for taking the journey with me.

It will never be as meaningful and delightful

without any of you in it.

I promised to be back.

And if I have the energy

I hope to visit all of you

and respond to all your emails . . .

;-)