May 1, 2009

• Surprise! Surprise!

  First of all:  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL WHO PRAYED FOR ME YESTERDAY!!!!  YOUR FERVENT PRAYERS HAVE BEEN EFFECTUAL!!!!

  I'm doing VERY well today.  The oncologist said what I experienced last time would probably be similar this time except a little more "Whee-ee" (she liked that phrase and asked how I spelled it).  She was glad to hear I had no nausea or vomiting and only a few odors bothered me; but, she was pleased that I had forced myself to eat, even if I wasn't hungry, and drink copious amounts of water that tasted like nothing.  The other stuff that had made me sick in the bathroom that one horrible night and the spinning and shaking I felt was (as I had said) most likely due to surgery followed by chemo the next day - a bit much on ANYone's body.  She said it sounded like I was easily winded and had no stamina doing things I did before.  I guess my "whew-ee" is really called "winded."  We talked about diet and eletrolytes and my low blood sugar.  She felt I had a really good awareness and handle on my body; and, trying to cure side effects by dietary changes was an excellent idea.  She said I had an excellent background in medicine and my "take on things" happening to me was accurate.  Jesse and I had her laughing so hard.  She said we were quickly becoming one of her favorite couples.

  We didn't do it, but told her we had considered holding our dress/shirt up over our noses and mouths when she walked in the exam room and telling her (with our deepest Okie twang), "We done killed all our pigs and buried 'em.  We don't want none of that new pig disease that's goin' around.  You reckon there's a shot or something' we can get from you?"  She laughed till her sides ached.  And, as is the usual reaction to me acting that silly, she commented she never would have thought me such a jokster.  

                      

  She (and her nurse) answered lots of my questions (I had 9 of them) and she cut my decadron in half to avoid the speeding thoughts and the speeding/shaking physical movements I had experienced last time.  So far, so good.  She also said the blurred vision when typing or writing was from dry eyes from the decadron.  She wanted me to let her know if I started seeing double things side bye side, or on top of each other.  We asked about a handicapped parking permit and she readily produced one and said that was excellent for me to TRY to walk, but not to spend my energy on walking from the far end of a parking lot - where I have always chosen to park to get the girls and me walking. 

  She reiterated with Jesse that, although they joke about, "chemo brain" - it is very, VERY real.  AND, my snippiness and lack of patience is my frustration with myself and things I can't do or retain in my memory.  She ALSO told him of the hot flashes.  I told her I'd been feeling warm 24/7 for the past 2 years (she checked my hormones and said I wasn't close to menopause, so I don't know why my other doctor told me I was close 18 months ago, unless my blood sample was taken at a low estrogren time of the month); and,  she told Jesse that the chemo "hotness" was much more magnified and intense and  Jesse HAD to believe me.  He teased her (again) and asked if there was chemo discount with the electric company, since we would have to make the house colder this summer.  His question produced another belly laugh from her.
  
   

  When we got home, he called the electric company to get on a monthly average before the summer months hit us.  Our highest bill in the summers of past has exceeded $450.  The monthly average will be $206 a month.  The gas company told us to not average yet (since their bill goes down in the summer) and to ask for a monthly average from them as the colder wheather approached - usually in October. 

  I took a bath last night and literally got hot sitting in the tub.  I asked JoAnn to turn on the bathroom's ceiling fan (on high) and the air on my wet skin felt wonderful.  I was still hot when I went to bed and was wearing a very light weight cotton gown.  Everything was damp and I was miserable.  Jesse turned up the bedroom ceiling fan (which I normally don't like) and I slept on top of the sheets and blankets most of the night with Chirper behind the bend in my knees.  I got up once and used the restroom and crawled back in bed with the sheet covering only my legs.  I was worried I wouldn't fall back asleep - but I did after about 15 minutes.  YAY for good sleep!
  
                                   

  As you can see, my backyard rose bushes are trying hard to grow and reestablish buds and blooms.  They are so tiny - like little babies, right now.  By summer, they will grow beautifully.  And, they do it without much attention from me.  I used to have such a green thumb and now possess a "killer black, blight thumb" - a talent that has gone by the wayside!  I can arrange flowers, but I'm not good at growing them.  Maybe I don't have enough time since I'm growing girls, instead!

                                     
                                                     See the ittsy, bittsy rose buds trying to open?

  I have to go for my shot this afternoon (the build 'em up white blood cells shot") and I guess JoAnn will take the girls to their therapy session and then drive me over for the shot and them come back and pick up the girls.  The girls are there for roughly 2 hours and my shot takes 2 minutes, but Jesse has forbidden me to go into any crowds, especially doctor's office waiting rooms, when my resistance is knocked down.  I concur, that's playing it smart.

  I caught early wake up morning pictures of everyone.

     
  Annamarie                                                                          Rissy

   
  Luci                                                                                  JoAnn (Auntie JoJo)

  Fair is only fair with morning pictures!  I had Rissy take some of my hair.  I am definitely losing all of the platinum first.  It's weird.  I have lots of platinum hair clipped together on a closet shelf and the hair that is still brown-ish is still on my head.  Werid, huh?
   
  There is still plenty of platinum mixed in, but you can see all the dark har on top of my head and at my neck.  That's why the wig with the dark roots seemed a good match.

  And what would a blog from me be without posting pet pictures?
  
      
  
  Stormy and Sampson were hiding this morning!

  Rissy and JoAnn had some "alone time" yesterday.  They went to Wal-Mart and came home with a surprise bouquet of flowers for me.  I just adore spring garden variety flowers.

                   

                                      
                                                              Three different angles. 

  I'll have to get in there today and rearrange them and clip the stems.  I didn't feel up to last night - a little shaky after the treatment.  I was able to still use some greenery and those dried purple flowers from my birthday arragnements!  I can tend to them and make them last forever, only after someone else has grown them!

  Imagine my delight when I found a wad of $50 bills on my desk this morning.  Jesse asked me what I was taking a picture of and I showed him.  He quickly changed my flush desk to a less than flush desk.

                                   

  Scratching my head and wondering, "Whassup????"  It's not like I have to go anywhere, but those $50 bills sure looked lovely, and I had already pictured them in my wallet.  But . . . guess it wasn't meant to be!

  Last night before we went to sleep, I got up to go the rest room and had to sit on the edge of the bed a while and then stand a while while holding my bookcase to keep from getting dizzy.  Jesse started laughing (I thought at me) until he was able to say, "Look how Sushi is sleeping!"  I did and grabbed my camera.

  
  Her head is wedged between the wall and the 6" space between Jesse's nightstand.  She looked up after one camera flash and went back to the head wedged between the wall and nightstand position.  Maybe the TV was too bright for her??????!!!!!

  Today's To Do List:
  *  Get dressed
  *  Get the girls ready to go to therapy
  *  Scour our bathroom sinks (the girls and JoAnn did almost all else yesterday)
  *  Maybe read
  *  Fix dinner?????

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 11:42 am
  • 10 Comments