19 September 2013

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 . . .

;-)


8 comments:

Lisa Gordon said...

You, my dear friend, have the most wonderful spirit, and with that, you can't go wrong.

I will surely be here, whenever you are, and when you're not, I will still be praying for you. I know you're going to be just fine.

Sending you big hugs, and some extra ones to share with my big handsome fella. xo.

DeniseinVA said...

Thank you for the update my sweet friend. I wanted to tell you that I wrote your name in a small chapel I visited in the Grand Tetons. I said, "please pray for my dear friend Lui in the Phillipines." So you see, you have prayers heading your way not only from your blogging friends everywhere, but people we don't even know in the Grand Tetons. With love, Denise xox

january said...

lui, i've been waiting for this much better update. :) we'll continue to pray for you.

just let yourself feel whatever you need to feel while going through the process. there are no wrong feelings, only honest feelings.

Viola said...

Dear Lui,

I'm glad you are so cheerful, and I admire your courage! :) You are a very lovely and beautiful lady!
I still have you in my prayers, and I will! Until I see you've recovered your life among the hounds and cat and lizard and all the life in your heaven! :)
I know you are strong. and you will make it! You will hear from me again!

Love to you
from Viola and Pusa! :) ^^)

Viola said...

So lovely to watch the pictures in the collage! :)
Beautiful!

The Chair Speaks said...

Our human love your honesty and approach to life! Purrs!

Sweepy said...

Hurry back.
And leave the toxins behind!

Connie Smiley said...

So good to hear your update, Lui. I know you have plenty of creativity to keep you occupied during your isolation. You're in my prayers, my friend.