I got a pleasant surprise this morning. I could open my iPad with my right thumbprint! It’s amazing what a small thing like that can do to improve the mood. A good sign that I’m starting to normalize. This cycle I did not lose the skin on my finger tips, so that part of my body has started to mend and that must mean that more cells are healing. I am so close to reaching my first summit.

I’m pretty anemic so I’m still quite tired. I’m also constantly hungry. That’s a challenging combination with not having a big appetite. I’ve had three days where food and drink has gone straight through me – which is opposite from before where it completely stopped. I’m not sure what I prefer. When it stops I at least get nutrition. Some Imodium and Pepto Bismol got me back on track yesterday and today my biggest task is to fill up with food and water. And that has been easier than expected. Anine brought over a wonderful bolognese yesterday and Emily is brining us homemade pizza today –  very preferred over the frozen pizza we otherwise would have had (why is it so hard to get a hold of a decent frozen pizza?). Thank you both!!! Highly appreciated. I’m still overwhelmed by how lucky we are to have such caring and nurturing friends close by.

In two days is Norway’s constitution day and we are planning on a get-together with our Norwegian friends here in Carlsbad. We will bring out Norwegian flags, marching band music, pølse (wiener hot dogs), cake and mimosas – and the two families will stay safely on opposite sides of our front yard. Not only is this the Norwegian constitution day – but I have decided to mark that day as the day where I have reached my first summit and the day that this part of my treatment is over. I can’t wait. And today I am going to have my first small glass of red wine in almost four months – skål!