Surgery and Duke's Chapel

On Thursday, December 1,  I had surgery to check my nodes and to excise more tissue surrounding my anterior margin, which was positive on my September 30 surgery.  However, I won't have any answers until this Friday, December 9, but I'm still praying NO CA IN NODES.  I was happy to wake up from surgery to find no drain tube and little pain!  YAY!!  The surgeon removed the sentinel node plus two more nodes that were stuck together.  Yesterday my arm was achy.  The pain meds made me nauseous, so I opted for 500 mgms of Tylenol and it worked, thank goodness!  Today I feel much better and actually got to take a shower.

On Friday, before we left Duke, my daughter wanted to see Duke's Chapel.  So, we made our way there.  Unfortunately, parking is limited, so Alan dropped us off and drove in circles until we came back out.  On our walk up to the Chapel, I fell.  I stepped off the stone walkway and down I went.  My daughter was horrified, but thankfully, I didn't break anything -- hurt my pride more than anything.  I did scrape my knee and it jar'd me and gave me a headache.  But, we pushed on to the chapel, which is beautiful.

We didn't expect to see "Occupy Duke," but there it was as we made our way to the Chapel.

Nobody was around -- they had abandoned their post, probably for class.  

When James B. Duke selected the site for Duke University's West Campus in 1925, he chose to locate the Chapel on the site's highest ridge.  The Chapel was the first building planned for the new campus, but the last one to be completed.  Construction started in 1930, was completed in 1935, and cost nearly $2.3 million.  Although the Chapel was inspired by other buildings, including English cathedrals and chapels of other American universities, it is not a copy of any other specific building.

The architect was Julian Abele, chief designer with the Horace Trumbauer firm of Philadelphia, and was widely acclaimed and highly honored.

This was a very quick trip to the Chapel.  I'm sure we will have plenty of time to explore the Chapel and surrounding areas, as I move into treatment mode.  Our plan is to move the Motorhome to the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.  Don't know when this will happen -- I meet with the Oncologist on Tuesday, the 13th.  Campground options are limited.  There is a state park -- Falls Lake -- but their sites are 30 amp, no sewer, $25 a day.  The fairgrounds are full hookups with 50 amp, $25. It is 23 miles from Duke, interstate all the way, so we've decided that is our best option.  


Thanks to everyone for your prayers -- it means a lot to know people are praying for me and I felt those prayers on Thursday.  God bless!