Approaching an Anniversary

It's February.  One month from today is a grim anniversary for me.  One month from today is the day when I got the call with the results of my biopsy.  A lot has happened in the past year.  This isn't a cancerversary post, though.  It just crossed my mind as I was doing my PT stretches this morning.

Physical therapy is going well.  That perky little therapist puts the hurt on me every Tuesday and Thursday, but I can really tell that it's working.  She told me that she is impressed with my progress and can really tell that I'm doing my work at home because my range of motion is improved already.  The hard ridge of muscle that was so visibly apparent in front of my shoulder is disappearing.

After last week's travel, it's nice to have a lazy Saturday morning.  Monica and I watched ABC Family movies and relaxed all morning.  That's my idea of paradise.  All of this while Kevin worked a half day for some OT.  I love his job and I love his willingness to put in a few extra hours to help with bills.  Truth be told, though, his OT today is probably directly related to an event that is happening next weekend.

In the mean time, I'm going to relax, maybe do some laundry, visit my parents, and watch silly movies.  Yup.  This is my kind of weekend.  The no-pressure kind.

Weekends, Appointments, and Eating Healthy

I feel like we've really made the most of this weekend.  I always like it when, as a weekend comes to a close, I can think of so many things that we accomplished.  Monica got her hair colored, we got groceries and Wal-Mart necessities, the house is clean, we visited my folks, and we got an estimate on fixing our roof.  PHEW!

I went to the radiologist on Friday.  Although I waited 17 minutes to spend 2 minutes and 20 seconds with him, it was a successful appointment.  I wanted to be all done with him, but he wants to see me one more time in six months.  Why?  I have no idea.  For the insurance money, probably.  He did seem quite pleasantly surprised by how good my skin looks.  You seriously can't even tell I ever had radiation.

Kevin and I jumped on the diet bandwagon.  We've done it before and we know what it takes.  Many people see an overweight person and assume that we just don't know how to eat healthy.   That's not true in the least.  We know how, we just don't do it.

Kevin is doing a low carb diet, but I can't do that.  That is too much meat for me.  I'm just cutting calories, exercising, and tracking everything on My Fitness Pal.  Although I've dieted successfully before, I feel a lot more resolve this time.  My chance of a recurrence of cancer drops significantly the healthier I am.  I don't ever want a repeat of this year.

Ever.

Teen Drama

I know I haven't posted for a while.  Busy season is kicking my butt.  On Friday morning, though, it will all be over.  And then I get two 4-day weekends in a row.  Woo Hoo!  No medical information to report because I haven't had any appointments lately.  I have both a radiation follow-up and a plastic surgeon consult in January.  Then, nothing until March.

Monica has an ex-friend who contacted me anonymously (from another friend's phone) to report that Monica has been smoking cigarettes and pot and sneaking out to be with a man that is 6 years or so older than her.  She finally confessed who she was when Kevin and I started calling that number to find out who it was.  I no longer smoke, so I would smell smoke on her if she had been smoking, and I know that this ex-friend does most of the things she accused Monica of.

I contacted her mom and suggested that they come over to hash things out and move on with their lives, and that Monica was willing to take a drug test so we should test them both.  She agreed to be here today at 2.  I brought the test home yesterday and Monica took it.  Nothing.  (I'm not the least bit surprised.)  Today, they called to ask if they could postpone.  Eh.  Whatever.  I like this lady and have no beef with her at all, so if they ever come over, that's fine.  If not though, it'll be no skin off my nose.

The allegations of Monica sneaking out prompted me to ask when this supposedly happened last.  Ex-friend said that it was on Monica's birthday.  Umm, if you are going to make things up, make up a random date.  Don't pick one so easy for us to remember.  Monica was with me all evening.  We were laughing about the stupidity of a guy who was sending stupid texts to her.  We stayed up late that night.

This other girl just thrives on drama.  I know that all teens have some drama, but this one is over the top.  She tried trash-talking about me to Monica, and that was the last straw.  This family has had enough drama in the past year without some immature little girl making up stories.  Also, being faced with my mortality has made my children pretty dang protective of me.  We're content to just be happy together.

So, with the afternoon free, we cleaned house and I made a big pot of chili.  Time for some football and a nap.  I love weekends.

Keepin' On

After tomorrow morning's treatment, I'll be 1/3 of the way through radiation.  I keep making little milestones like so it'll go faster.  It seems to be working.  I feel like this leg of my treatment is moving along more quickly.  It helps that I don't feel like crap for a week out of every two.  I often leave work, get half undressed, get radiated, get dressed, and get back to work, all within an hour.  The most it takes is an hour and 15 minutes.

I'm still not liking my radiology oncologist very well, but I'm hoping I'll change my mind about him.  I wait for 10 minutes for him to spend 30 seconds with me.  I had to find out online that I shouldn't wear deodorant, and when I asked his nurse about it, she confirmed that I should not.  Thanks.  That would have been good to know.  I can wear the organic stuff, though, so I bought some of that.

I have a little irritation on that side, but it feels more like the top of my rib cage than it does my skin.  I'll ask about that on Wednesday, but I don't expect him to have much to say about it.  He certainly doesn't spend the time and ask the questions like my medical oncologist does.  She even asks about my mental state and how I'm doing with working during treatment, etc.  Maybe she's spoiled me.

I get my port out on November 8.  I thought that was the day after my last treatment, but now that I'm checking the calendar, it's the Thursday before.  After I get it out, I have 4 more treatments.  They'll take it out during my office visit.  I find that odd.  I'll be glad to have rid of it, even though it really hasn't caused me any real problems.  It sometimes irritates me a bit, but from some horror stories I've heard, I've been quite fortunate.

I haven't gotten sick, even though I have no white cells fighting for me.  I've been pretty strict about avoiding sick people.  I noticed today that my eye was irritated, and by afternoon, it felt like I was getting a stye.  By the time we got home from mom's, the bump had developed.  Yup.  I have a stye.  I'm a bit concerned, since that's an infection, so I'll call my doctor's office tomorrow and ask them if I should just let it go (which I've always done in the past...styes take care of themselves in a few days) or if they want me to take antibiotic.

It was a good weekend, all in all.  I was happy to get to hang out at Dad's, see aunt Rena, and even visit a bit with a couple of uncles that I rarely see.  I've avoided Mom and Dad's place for two weeks, because Dad and aunt Rena had been sick.  They got better, so we got back to our weekend routine of going out there.

I feel pretty good, and from what I've heard and read, I'll keep getting better, bit by bit.  Although I'm really tired at the end of each day, and exhausted at the end of the week, it still beats the heck out of chemo.  There are times I feel almost normal.  My hair is slowly starting to grow, too.  it's just barely there right now, and it doesn't have any color yet, but I hope it will speed up soon.  I am also curious to see what color it is when the color returns.  I'm a walking science experiment.

Saturday Morning

I think I'm happy that my chemo schedule has my most painful two days landing on the weekend.  Sure, nobody would plan to spend their days off in a chair hurting, but at least it's not cutting into my paycheck!  I started the day with my pain meds, Claritin (which is supposed to help with the bone pain but doesn't seem to) and Prevacid.  Let's get this party goin'.

Kevin is working a half-day today.  Thank goodness for his OT right now.  Yesterday, it was $400 shelled out to fix the air conditioner.  Who knows what it will be tomorrow, but I'm thankful we were able to get it fixed.  As is typical, though, we got it fixed yesterday and do not need it today.  I have the windows open and need a lap blanket.  LOL  It'll be there next week when we're back in the high 80s, though.

Yesterday was the first high school football game here in our little town.  The girls are both playing in marching band, and I was hoping to make at least the first half, but couldn't do it.  The game hadn't been going very long when one of our players was seriously hurt (ankle, I believe) as reported by Monica via text message.  It makes me sick to my stomach and my family is praying for a speedy recovery for him.

I was asleep by the time the girls came home at half-time, and our Tigers were winning 42-0.  LOL  I haven't heard the final score, but sheesh.  Our offense must have been getting tired.  The next couple of games are away, I believe, so maybe I'll feel better in time for the next home game.  If so, I'll go grab Mom and take her with me.  Unless we can lure dad there with false promises of tractors.

I'm out of nonsense to bore you with, now.  Carry on with your weekend.  If you need me, I won't be hard to find.  Check the recliner.

So Much for 40 Hours

This is the week I was going to work 40 hours.  All I had to do today was seven hours and 45 minutes.  No biggie.  I've felt fine most of this week, and I got in early, so it should have been smooth sailing.  Should have been.

About an hour in, my nose just started gushing blood with no warning.  Well, what an interesting development.  And I was glad I had a spare shirt in my car.  It took over ten minutes to get it to stop, and the whole time I was thinking, "I think this is on the list."   There is a list of side effects that, if they  happen, I am to call any time, day or night.  When I finally got it stopped, I checked the list.

Yup.  It's on the list.  I didn't call right away, though.  I knew the office would be open in less than an hour, and it had stopped bleeding, so I waited until the office opened at eight and called.  I had to leave a message, but I got a call back in under five minutes.  The told me to come in for a blood draw.  I may need a platelet transfusion.  Shit.

They flushed my port, drew the blood, and left the port accessed, just in case they needed to do something, and then the wait started.  The nurse, whom I love, told me they'd put a "stat request" on the blood work with the lab.  I had electronics to entertain me, so I was fine.  After 30 minutes, I heard her ripping into someone in the lab.  It was funny.  She is grandmotherly and sweet and it was funny to hear that side of her.,

After 45 minutes, the results came back and she said all was OK.  I went back to work, knowing I could still get that 40 hours I was seeking.  I worked about an hour and a half and started feeling kinda crummy.  My headache was a bit worse, and then my face felt hot.  I checked my temp and it was 99, so I decided that it wasn't in the cards to get 40 hours this week.  I left at the 38 hour mark.

Now I'm home, in the recliner again, and just tired.  I hope I feel better for the weekend, since this process starts all over again on Wednesday.  I am relieved to know that my blood counts are in an acceptable range. That will make me feel better if any other weirdness pops up this weekend.

(Just so there is no confusion, nobody but me is pushing for 40 hours.  My employer is being amazing about letting me work whatever I can, and Kevin can't believe I'm getting in the number of hours that I am.  I just want to do 40 on the off week, since I'll always be short on the chemo weeks.)