Pastor's Message

December 28, 2009

Dear Friends,

This note is coming to you from Buffalo, NY where we are visiting our son and his family for a couple of days. The snow has been gusting off Lake Erie all day and winter is definitely in charge. However, here they take it all in stride. We will be back on Wednesday (a day the forecast is for clear skies) so that I can have my herceptyn infusion on Thursday since even certain hospital departments are closed for the holidays.

As most of you know, I have had my first round of chemo. The second one is scheduled for January 5. If the pattern of the first holds (and they say that it will) the following Thursday - Monday will not be good days. However, I plan to be in church on January 10. In the lectionary it is the Baptism of Jesus and we are scheduled to baptize Ivy Massicotte who was the baby Jesus in the live nativity this year. If you watch closely, you may see her mother dancing with her while we sing the hymns.

The rest of the days are up and down, some easier than others with no way that I know of to predict which will be which. The neulasta shots that I get the day after chemo in order to make my bone marrow create a lot of white blood cells do create bone and joint pain. They have tended to settle at the site of my skull fracture from when I fell a year ago and in my knees (which relates to the vertigo from the concussion.). So . . . if you see me with a cane, it's because I am feeling very unsteady. I try not to use it because I don't like to - but then we all have to do things we don't like sometimes. By the way, the herceptyn infusions are weekly but do not seem to have any side effects.

An important reminder: the Congregational Meeting is scheduled January 24 following church. Please save the time to attend. We will have an update from the Search Committee who have been working really well together. And we have a very important amendment to the Constitution to consider. Very briefly: church committee is recommending that committee membership (in most cases) be dropped from 9 to 6 in order to make our functioning more efficient and more effective. Rich Ives will be available to talk after church during the next Sundays for any of you who have questions. He has been working on this proposal for a year and has thought it through very carefully and thoroughly.

As we enter this new year together with all the twists, turns, and surprises that we have shared together, I give thanks for all of you, for the care, prayer and support you have given me and for the new life that is emerging among you,

Mary Lou

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