Rearranging the Kitchen

Cheryl, my daughter came to Massachusetts from Tucson, Arizona, the last week of February to oversee my well-being and recovery from leukemia.  Melissa, her younger sister, and Dean, her older brother had covered the 26 days I spent in Tufts Medical Center on the oncology unit.  My oldest son, Chuck, who lives in Emporia, Kansas, teaches at a juvenile detention facility year round, has faithfully called almost every evening to check-in on my status and to tell me that he loves me.  Missy spent her spring vacation with me, and Dean, a colonel in the Army, had taken leave time to be with me.  I am very grateful for the time and attention they have given me.  It has been an overwhelming reponse to a medical condition that I never suspected having! 

I wish that I was organized enough to write about my experiences as they happened.  I'm not, but I have kept a list of all the things I want to blog about.  And I hope that the readers of my blog will be able to understand and make a coherent whole from the many pieces.  Today I want to blog about the reorganization of my kitchen by my daughter Cheryl!  It is an overwhelming undertaking!

I think some background information is necessary.  I have completed my initial treatment and did very well.  Since then I have had my first "consolidation," a six day period of chemotherapy.  I did well but predictably my white blood cell count faltered.  I was given two infusions and rallied.  Once again I was pronounced as doing well and my second "consolidation" is scheduled for June 4th.  I became 78 years old on my birthday, 24th April 2012.  Although I am doing very well, I tire easily and my sense of balance is frequently a problem.  I am most frustrated by the phenomenon known as "chemo-brain"!  The inability to remember certain words, names, and information.  I forgot the name of a friend and fellow church-goer whom I have known for nearlly 30 years!  It took two days before I recalled it!  The condition is supposed to improve with time.  So age and chemo-brain conspire to reduce me to complete helplessness at times. 

Admittedly my kitchen was a mess.  I live in a small condo and there isn't much room.  Cheryl decided to move all of the food items to the kitchen and make space for them by moving all of the pots and pans paraphanalia to the landing on the way to the basement.  In the process of empytying
nearly all the shelves to the middle of the floor, it was discovered that I not only have an excess of food but also have an excess of kitchen utensils and appliances!  And I do not remember buying most of them!  It's as if I've been in a black-out for years!  Do I laugh or do I cry?  I felt like doing both!  We have three piles: things to keep, things to be thrown away and things to be taken to a thrift shop.  I have read about older persons tending to hang onto food items long past their expiration date but buying appliances when you already have them must be a sign of something very unpleasant.  It was humiliating!

The kitchen is taking shape once again and all the excess will soon be removed.  It has taken two days to finish the project!  I think the prayer of the day will be to keep it simple and to not duplicate.  And to remember that my daughter has rescued me from a mess that I could not have cleaned up.