Happy New Years Eve

It has been awhile since I have posted. I was released from the hospital and finished my treatment 10/31/2010 and went into the healing phase. Treatment phase was a piece of cake compared to that first week home. I must admit I don't think I was at all prepared for that first week. It was a toughie. But I got thru it with a little help from my friends and family and a reminder to take the medications. I am not sure why I was advoiding the pills but soon found that they were a neccesessity for comfort and healing.

The last two months have brought some remarkable changes. My body is pretty much healed. I feel strong and healthy again. The one left over is my thinning hair. I have stopped up the shower and sink drains several times this last month. I am hoping this will soon end get back to normal.

I have had a couple of doctors appointments with great news. One exam they could not feel or see the tumor. Yahoo!!!!!! All this was not for nothing. And then the radiologist released me from his care. I will have follow ups with the surgeon and the oconologist but I really feel that the treatment worked and I won't have any issues. I am very optimistic but I also know that tests and scans will be my best friend for the coming years.

So it is New Years Eve and a time to reflect. I see this past years in phases. The treatment phase, the healing phase and now I am entering the strengthening phase. So to help us with this phase, Ross and I went out today and had our feet measured and bought some great walking/running shoes. because of his knees and ankles he has been riding his bike. I have been walking with Tucker and getting ready to start training for the 5k run and walk in January. Amy and Danielle are running in it and I really want this to be my first 5k and share
the moment with the girls. So from now on you will see me blogging more about this new journey.

Active feet are happy feet. Push on!!!!!!!!

Boo!!!!

It's Halloween and the nurses have to have some fun too. They came dressed in costumes. They decided to go with the Alice in Wonderland theme. Great idea. They have long days, work hard and I am sure this kind of distraction is just what they need from time to time.

These are my gals for the day. They are wonderful and catered to all my needs. Kisses to all the nurses I have met and attended to me. I must say I was a pretty good patient too.

They sped up the drip on the IV so hopefully it won't be midnight when it is done. Ross is just waiting for the call. Kind of like the call for having a baby but this time I am going home. Home Sweet Home!!! and no baby.

It has been an amazing journey. Not one I ever want to do again but certainly one that has given me some time to pause and look around me and see how many blessings I have. My family is first and foremost. Ross is a great husband that I cherish with all my heart. He is my rock and companion and without him I wonder how I would ever survive the day. We have two very terrific boys that have been right with me all the way. Calling, writing, texting and checking up on their mother. Healing me with their humor and concern. They have great women in their lives that have supported me and sent their love daily.

Thank you God for all of them and your guidance.

Great Gals

It's Friday but not the weekend yet. At least not in my mind. I have until Sunday to finish the chemo so I need to keep focused on the end. It will be here soon but a couple more days. Have to hang in there. For the most part my spirits have been good. Again I can not say it enough, the support I have received has certainly made this possible and more bearable. Since it is Friday, Ross was able to get here around noon and share my lunch with me. There always seems something from my tray that he gets a taste of. He stayed until his two sisters and Mom arrived. He met them down stairs because they were bringing him a meal and he wanted to transfer it into the cooler. I heard it was beef bourguignon and more. I suggested (a bit selfish on my part) to freeze it and then we could have it when I get home. This blond is still thinking and not too much of a chem head yet. The ladies arrived. I should have taken a picture because they were colored coordinated. They each had a top or sweater with about the same color. Not just any color that would be easily dressed a liked. It was a sort of pea green. But even so, very attractive on all three of them. They never come emptied handed. There were roses and cards. And then great conversations. They received a treat also while they were visiting. Some of the nurses were going around serving candy and root beer floats. There were a few takers in the group. Not I but others did par take. Mom really enjoyed hers. I think she should have one every afternoon. If I was 92 and as healthy as she is, believe me I would be eating some hot fudge sundaes with lots of whip cream and cherries. It was a good day and a quiet night. What else could a gal ask for.

draft

Is my butt glowing?

Today was a mile maker. 25 radiation treatments were completed today. I did them all. I don't think the Doctors thought I could do it but they didin't know how tough this Hoosier gal can be. Yeah!!!! Yipee!!! Thank Goodness!!!

Since I was ill one day last week and missed a treatment, the radiation treatment was finished today on a Saturday. Which is not the norm. But the radiation doctor decided that we would go ahead and complete it instead of me coming back in on Monday as an out patient. I was sooooooo grateful. The team had to come in just for me and fire that machine up just for little ole me. I could kiss all of them. They were all wonderful throughout this whole thing. Concerned about how I was feeling and how my caboose was doing. Made me feel like a real person and not a no nothing on a cold slab. I said it before but there are some great angles all around me.

Ross came by after he had done some chores. We enjoyed lunch again together. I was brave today and ordered items that had been starring at me since I came here. Like French fires and chicken nuggets. Tasted great at the time but in retrospect might not have been the smartest. I think my system needs some more healing time before I can tackle these things again.

I am looking forward to a hamburger and a chocolate doughnut. These are on my wish list when the time is right.

The count down is officially on. They hung the last bag of Chemo. Doctor came in and wrote the orders for me to be released on Sunday. So after the the last drip goes in I am out of here. It may be late but I am leaving Sunday evening when this is done. Yeah again!!! Less than 24 hours and this part of the journey is a memory.

Visitors

Today was a normal day in my routine for being in the hospital and receiving this treatment. The nurses have been great. The food is good. I think I am eating way too much but when you can choose anything from a menu, they deliver it and I don't have to cook or clean up.... why not take advantage of the room service. Ross is worried we may receive this huge bill at the end of this saying the insurance won't pay for all the food. Eeck!!!!

I had two visitors. It is always good to have them as long as you feel up to it. Amy stopped by before lunch. She was having lunch with a hair dressers client's daughter from the shop she works in. She was picking her up from a school that is very close to the hospital and taking her out to lunch to Chick-fil-A . This by the way was the the little girls idea. She was so excited to have this time with Amy. Amy is a kid magnet and a great gal.

Then before dinner, an old good friend (she is younger than me) stopped by and we had a great time catching up and making fun of things and people. She came bearing gifts. A candle and some spray. Green tea and ginger that is for calming. All the nurses are so impressed with the great smells in my room. I am so glad that I am known for that then something else. Even the cleaning lady was wondering what I was spraying in here. I suggested to her she should carry some with her when she cleans the room. I would!!!! It was so great to catch up with Kathy and make plans and discuss the camping trip that is planned in March. We had such a great time last year and can't wait to do a repeat and spend even more time at Blue Springs.

Ross decided to pass coming by. He had a hard day and said he was pretty dirty. The dirty part was the selling point. Since I had had two visitors already, I enjoyed my quiet dinner and watched the great view from my room. I also had some reading to do. I had started reading Eat, Pray. Love when my treatment began and I had asked others to read it along with me. Ross' Mom took me up on it (she was one of many) and I heard she had finished it. Since she was coming for a visit tomorrow and was eager to discuss it, I had my home work for the night. Luckily I had some available time throughout the night and I did finish it. Enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to seeing the movie.

Throughout this I have been so impressed by the concern, prayers and out poor of love from friends, family and acquaintances. They have been so generous with their time and thoughts. Paying it forward is going to keep me quite busy.

Stay Calm

Today was a lesson for staying calm. We had the plan and Ross stayed home to take me and get me admitted. Before we left the house at 8:30 AM, the hospital called and informed me that did not have a bed available and not to come to the hospital, they would call when one was available. Ugh again and so early.

So we saw, Di. He wrote the orders and then went to radiation treatment. It is in the hospital so I had them call up and see if by chance something was ready. No luck. So Ross and I decided to have some us time and have breakfast at the same time.

Down the road there is a little restaurant called "Alice's Restaurant". It was a pretty warm morning but breezy so we decided to sit outside and enjoy the nice morning. Ordered the specials. Can't go wrong with the breakfast special. I must have been hungry because I believe I cleaned my plate. Thank goodness for the meds to keep my stomach calm. I think they also helped keeping me calm thru this whole process and trying to get admitted.

Still no call so I had the brilliant idea to go to Rooms to Go and look at couches that we had been talking about and had decided we needed desperately and get them in the house before Thanksgiving. So we went shopping and found what we wanted. Signed the papers and we were out of there.

Still no call so back home and wait. There were several calls fro the hospital but still bed no available and would be probably not til Wednesday Am. So Ross decided to go back to work. Not an hour goes by and they call again and they wanted me to check in today and get ready so I would be available to start everything in the morning. I also had requested one of the two rooms that had a shower and it was a available but no guarantees it would be there in the morning. No problem, my bags were packed and in the car. So I drove myself to the hospital. Hauled my for computer, purse, make up bag and suitcase up to the third floor and waited some more because the room was not clean. Ross was amazed I was able to truck all my stiull up there all by myself. I am very resourceful when I need be.

There is a family room on this floor so I patiently waited. In the room also was a family grieving and waiting for a love one to pass over. It didn't seem like it would be long but I felt such sorrow for them, knowing what they were going thru and not really being able to say much since I was the intruder in the room.

There also was a call for security during this time. Three policemen showed up. Not sure what happened but they handled it quietly and very professional. So I was very glad in deed to get to my private room, with a view of the river and a shower. I was a happy lady.

Since they couldn't do an IV's until tomorrow I was a free women for the night and could move around freely. Not that I like trekking up and down the hall ways in my pajamas. Just not my thing.

Ross came after work. Had a little dinner with me and a good conversation before he needed to go and get some rest and take care of the pups. Good night my sweet prince.

Before I forget. Today Is Carl's 32nd birthday. He was home on Monday, baked his own cake and found a recipe for butter cream frosting. I told him this was what I used for icing all the time before canned icing came out. Sounds like I am dating myself. It is what it is and he is a gem. Hugs and Kisses to the birthday boy!!!

Hiccups

This week I had a few hiccups. Tuesday morning was the start of it. I woke early like 4:00 AM. When I wake that early my body is usually telling me something is wrong. I was cold for one thing and not just another blanket cold. This was one of those internal colds. I asked for a blanket, hot tea and then the heating pad to see if this would help. It just didn't seem to cut the mustard. I took all the meds I could think of to help but again not much relief. I was concerned that I would have some nausea and sure enough it did happen. My fresh ginger candy, tea and meds was not handling it. So the inevitable did happen and several times. Nothing much I could do about it.

I was suppose to go in for my usual radiation treatment at 9:30 AM and I knew that wasn't going to happen. The technician did call to see where I was and then had the radiation nurse called me to see what they could do. They called in another anti nausea medicine. Ross ran to pharmacy and soon I was feeling much better. Thank god for modern medicine. Things turned around quickly and became better since I could take in nourishment and keep it.

I was concerned about missing the treatment but again there wasn't much I could do about it. I just didn't want to prolong anything. I wanted to stay with the schedule and finish. They reassured me that even starting treatment on Tuesday we still could get it all finish and not have to prolong to another week. Such a relief. I am so close to the finish line. I want to cross over it soon!!!!

I spoke to Dr G during the week and asked what was going to happen and get some answers for the next week since it needed to be coordinated with the oncologist and be done in the hospital. Well here was hiccup #2.

The oncologist was out of town on Thursday and Friday of this week so he could not write up the orders. The plan was to have radiation treatment Monday morning like usual, see Dr G and then Dr I and get the orders signed. Well I did the radiation on Monday and saw Dr G but found out Dr I's plane was delayed, actually he was bumped, on Sunday and he was not back in town. Ugh!!!!

So Plan C I think. Monday, Dr I was able to phone in the orders, went to pre admit and then had plan for Tuesday. I was going to see Dr I at another office Tuesday Am, go to radiation and then check into hospital. Good. Great. All the plans were finally made and I was going to get my treatment this week and fisnish this journey.