This Doesn't Have Anything To Do With Chemo

but I got my anniversary ring in the mail the other day and I wanted to show y'all a picture! It's the top ring with the ten little diamonds, one for each year of unmedicated bliss :D

This Morning

... woke up craving waffles. It was 5:30 a.m. So I made some waffle batter, and heated up the waffle iron and made waffles. Ate them, read the paper, did the dishes, then went back to bed. Everyone else got up and went to Target, and tho I had left the batter and waffle iron out, apparently they did not feel like waffles.
Had lunch today at an Indian restaurant with Elizabeth and Darcy, two ladies I know from church. Elizabeth is from India, and she'd wanted to cook for me, and I'd asked her to make sag paneer (an Indian dish with spinach and cheese, very yummy). She was afraid her recipe would be too spicy, so she just asked us out to lunch instead. Poor Darcy had never had Indian food before, and was a little overwhelmed by all the different tastes, I think. She tried everything, though. Except the goat. Pretty sure she skipped the goat. Intrepidity can only take you so far.
The girls and I left the restaurant and then went to 4 different bike stores so I could look at bikes. The girls had a great time tooling through each bike store on whichever kids' bike they could lay a hand on. I found three nice mom bikes that I like, so I'll go back in a couple of days and ride them again and pick one.

This N That

So I'm outside today, tidying the recycle bin, when this bird starts flying into the back yard and squacking fit to beat the band. I turn around, and my precious Mordecai kitty has A BIRD in his mouth. I am aghast. I run at him and do some squacking myself till he drops the bird and runs away. I chase him out of the yard, and go back to the bird who's just kind of standing there.
Me: You ok?
Bird: Yeah, I'm good. (flies off)

Then I step on a slug. Bleugh!

Feeling Better Today

Didn't have any insomnia last night, praise God. Have tidied the kitchen a bit, as it was very messy, and no one around here tidies except me, and if I don't feel good, it doesn't get done.
Still feel kind of weak and shaky. Will work a bit, then lie down and watch TV a bit. Am watching a DVD of "Hamish McBeth", a show set in Scotland. Sure wish it had subtitles....
My friend Lori is taking the girls to a movie and ice cream later, so they can have a chance to do something fun today.

Tonight

We went out to dinner around the corner, and then had the fabulous strawberry cake, and presents. I got 2 candles, some stickers, and "Thoroughly Modern Millie". Next week, we'll buy me a bike, so the girls and I can tool around the neighborhood. Nothing fancy, of course. I'm never going to ride in the MS150 like Dragana -- I just want a plain old mom bike.
Then Linda dropped by with another musical card! I love those things. The girls and I have been opening them and dancing to them. Robin's plays "Shake Your Groove Thing" and Linda's plays "Ladies Night", both fine examples of the best disco had to offer.
I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm going to go to bed now. Truly a great birthday, thanks to all of you who called and emailed and sent cards -- it ain't bad being 45 with friends like y'all!

HB To Me!

I turned 45 today! And I have always believed that birthdays are a Big Deal. Around our house, on your birthday, it is Your Day. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, that's what we'll do.
Accordingly, I have spent the day is Blatant Self Indulgence. I had brunch with Debbie, who gave me a gift card to Studio Movie Grill ( a movie theater/restaurant nearby), then I bought some used books, got a mani/pedi, and then went to Studio Movie Grill and spent the gift card seeing the new Bruce Willis movie, then bought myself some flowers.
Plus, my dear friend Dragana made me, from scratch, a strawberry cake with pistachios, and got me a scrapbook and some strawberry tea. My friend Robin got me some balloons and a musical card that plays "Shake Your Groove Thing", and I've gotten some nice phone calls and emails.
It's a good day.

I'll Readily Admit

..I should have been doing this more often, but I just checked my insurance coverage hoohah, and the little lab that's been testing my blood before each chemo? Not on my plan. No one SAID they weren't on my plan. They took my insurance card and didn't charge me a dime, which I guess should have been my first clue. So, $189 a pop. I'm so happy!

My Last Day of Being 44...

...has been a quiet one so far, as I really don't feel good. Watched TV, read ("The Speed of Darkness" -- a science fiction novel) ate a bit of salad and edamame.
Ran three errands this afternoon. I had others to do, but 3 was all I could handle. Picked up some onion rings. Really wanted those onion rings. They did not taste good. Dang it.
My friend Barbara watched the girls today, as she has all week. They made cookies, swam, made stuff out of clay -- much more than they would have done here at home. AND she cooked supper for us tonight! As always, I am surrounded by Fabulous People.

Woke Up Grumpy Today

...which is unusual. Usually it takes a while for the grumpiness to rise to the top during a bad chemo week. Don't feel good, tired of not feeling good. Hungry, but nothing tastes good.

Went to the onc yesterday. He said if my cancer were to come back, it would probably come back in the next 5 years, and if it didn't come back in the next 5 years, then I probably wouldn't have a recurrence. So, that's something.

Life Without the Internet

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. DH tried to put more RAM in his computer, and messed it up, and since I have a wireless connection to the I'net that depends on his computer being functional, I was out of luck.
Not much to report, except I realized how much I count on being able to access the Internet whenever I want.
Feel yucky today. Not much energy. Hungry, but nothing tastes good. Yadayada, you've heard it all before.

Lazy Day

Have just rested today. I sorted thru coupons, and tossed out the expired ones. That's about all I have accomplished, besides watching all the stored-up TV on the DVR and all my Netflix movies.

Insomnia, Insomnia

Was up for about 3 hours last night. The puppy appreciated the compnay.
Had a rehearsal at church for 224, a quarterly marriage event that I produce. Had to go to the grocery store and get sandwiches, chips and fruit for everyone to eat. Luckily, I'd asked my friend Mark to be my chauffeur/helper boy, 'cause I wasn't up for much. The band, actors, sound and lighting guys and I had lunch, a production meeting, and then we had the rehearsal, where I basically just sat there and told Mark what to do.
Rehearsal went well, then, after we packed up, Mark swung me by La Madeleine so I could get a(nother) spinach salad. Came home, ate my salad, watched tv, fell asleep.

Tonight

No slushie, but he did heat some soup and make grilled cheese sandwiches for supper. Then he made sugar cookies with the girls. I watched TV and folded towels. It's an exciting life we lead. That, and cleaning up puppy poop.

Friday

Girls went to day camp. I lazed around the house. Picked up a little bit, washed some towels and dumped them on the sofa. Had soup and salad for lunch. Played with the puppy. Watched TV. Am hoping DH comes home with a slushie.

Insomnia Strikes Again

Went to a 224 (a quarterly marriage event at church I produce) drama rehearsal this evening. Deloris drove me. Came home about 9:30, played with the puppy a bit and then went to bed. Woke up about an hour ago, checked email and Ebay. Drank some chocolate milk and took some pills as my stomach's a bit queasy.
I called the Nioxin people earlier today. Nioxin is a hair product that a lot of post-chemo ladies swear by --one lady's hair was shoulder length a year after chemo ended.
Me: Hi, I'm about to end chemo treatment, and I want to start using your products. Which one should I use?
Guy at Nioxin: Is your hair fine, medium, or coarse?
Me: Um, medium.
GAN: Is your hair chemically treated?
Me: I don't HAVE any hair. I'm a chemo patient.
GAN: Oh. You're bald?
Me: Yes.
GAN: Then you want #2. Be sure to use the follicle stimulator.
Me: OK.

He was obviously reading from a script and paid no attention at all to what I said at the outset.

This Afternoon

Deanna picked me up ~ 11:30, we went to Rockfish to eat because I wanted some of their jalapeno cream soup, got soaked in the parking lot due to torrential rain. Had to stop and go potty on the way to the onc's ofc. Neulasta shot didn't take that long, maybe 30 minutes. Had to stop and go potty on the way home.
Irony (or whatever, Amy :) I just checked my email, and there's coupon that Rockfish sent me this morning for $10 off my bill....whoops! Should have checked my email before I left!

Bleh

I feel bleh today. Got up, got the girls off to day camp (which is a production in and of itself: pack lunch, snacks, water bottle, swimsuits, towels, get them dressed and teeth brushed, haird combed, shoes on.....), talked to my mom, looked at email. Now I'm going to go back to bed.
My friend Deanna is going to pick me up at 11:30 to go get my Neulasta shot. Any bets as to how long it'll take?

Tuesday

Just realized I didn't post yesterday. Steve TTG and his wife Mindy came over and did handyman stuff in the morning, then I took them out for lunch at On the Border, using the gift card my cousin Gail sent me.
Then ran errands, picked up mediterranean food for the swim team coaches, who were steadfastly cheerful at the prospect of eating food they had never even heard of before ("Baba Gha...what?")
Picked the girls up at day camp, went to the Y pool so they could swim while I finished my romance novel. Went to Fudd's for supper, and looked at miniblinds at Lowe's. Came home, and DH started giving me a backrub (yay!) So, of course I fell asleep (in my contacts) and didn't wake up till ~7 this morning.

Chemo #5

Dropped the girls off at day camp, ordered tile for the fireplace, picked up rx and groceries, ran home, packed my chemo bag and then started off for the east side of town with Dragana, my Chemo Chauffeur.

We ate at an Indian buffet, where she made me try goat meat for the first time in my whole life. Tasted like frog.

Showed up at chemo. waited ~ 40 minutes for a room, but it was a private room with a tv, so that was good. And! Grumpy Nurse is no longer with them, so I had Serious Nurse today, who actually cracked a smile or two. This may be due in large part to the homemade cherry chocolate brownies that Dragana brought for the nurses. I had two, and boy howdy, they were good.

It may have been because I didn't take the steroid and the anti-emetic till lunch time, but I was so sleepy. I slept most of the time we were there. We got into the room around 1ish and left close to 5.

Came home, and my lovely SIL sent me an early birthday gift! An iced tea machine, as I have decided I am going to try to wean myself from my Coke addiction and drink iced tea, and this machine will make tea from loose leaf or from bags, so I can have green tea, or herbal tea, or peach tea, whatever. I finally figured out that I don't like hot tea. DH would bring me home hot green tea from Aromas, a nearby coffee house, and I would drink like 3 sips and then ignore it. But the iced tea I'll slurp down like nobody's business.

Oh, one more thing. I go to pick up one of my rx, and the pharmacy tech tells me the insurance company refused to pay for it. Now, my normal co-pay is $10, and full price was $13.36, so, woo-hoo, I went ahead and paid full price because I needed to take it this morning. But I called the lady at DH's work, and she said because I had had it filled 4x now, the ins company has decided I need to get the rx thru the mail order option.
This is ten pills, that I take for 5 days at every chemo. Not an on-going kind of a hoohah. So, gee, get another rx from the onc and mail it in in enough time to get in back in time for my next chemo, or pay $13.36 again? Hmmmm, that's a toughie.....

Today

..was "run around getting all your errands done before chemo on Wednesday" day. Tomorrow is Steve TTG day, where Steve comes over and does handyman stuff around here. And I won't have that much time Wednesday morning before Dragana and I have to go to the Red Oak office.
One of my errands was going to Target to get new razor blades for DH. He tried shaving with one of my razors today, and his whole scalp is sore.

Today

Picked up breakfast for DH today, and then he opened his gifts: a koala and a Shrek that the girls made for him at BuildaBear, a new briefcase since a can of Coke exploded in his old one, and a basket to grill vegetables in on the barbecue grill. The Shrek was dressed as a Viking, and the koala as a Cincinnati Red.

Went to church today for the first time in who knows how long. I forgot, however, that although outside it is summer:mid-eighties and humid, inside the sanctuary it is mid-fall: 50 degrees at most. I didn't wear a hat or hair and my head got cold. I wore a sundress, so my arms got cold, too.

Afternoon so far has been spent napping, reading and playing with the puppy.

Cara Bella

Shortly after DD1 and I got home from the rained-out swim meet, DH and DD2 came home. DH poked his head around the back door and told me to sit on the couch and close my eyes. He'd already brought home some anniversary flowers and chocolates, so I had no idea what was in store.
And he put a puppy on my lap. A six-week-old Boston Terrier puppy. They were selling puppies by the side of the road, and he stopped to look, and found her, and he couldn't resist.
I let DH name her, since I named all three of the cats. He gave me the choice of Pica or Bella. In his mind, "Pica" would be short for "Pikachu", but to my mind and its trove of esoteric facts, "Pica" is the name of the medical condition when pregnant women eat dirt, so "Bella" it is.

The cats are not threatened by her, but they are not pleased, either. They sniff my hands, which smell like puppy, and stalk off, as if I am a traitor, as if I have gone over to The Dark Side.

DH had the good sense to get a handheld carpet cleaner today as well. I think all puppies should come with a handheld carpet cleaner included.

Glub, Glub

Had the final swim meet of the season today, at a subdivision called Cole's Crossing. I worked as a scribe through event 40. I didn't have to, but I felt guilty at showing up late for set-up this morning. I arrived at the only Cole's Crossing pool I knew of, and no one was there. I asked the cop in the parking lot, and he led me to the tennis courts. Thanks! I asked a nearby jogger, and he directed me to the SECOND Cole's Crossing pool. Who knew?
Right around event 45, it started to rain, and thunder, and lightning. The rules say we have to wait 15 minutes after thunder or lightning. But it kept on raining, and thundering, and lightning. So we left. Soaked to the skin.

Friday

Ate Indian food for lunch, went to Lowe's and bought drawer pulls for the bathroom, as Steve TTG is coming over Monday to do handyman stuff around the house. He took pity on us, as neither DH nor I are handy. The last time DH and I tried to be handy, we installed Elfa shelving in the girls' closets. Of course, we hit a water pipe with the drill. And yes, the plumber's bill was more expensive than the shelving had been....
DD2 and I went to a birthday party in the afternoon at the Bridgeland subdivision pool. They have a fabulous pool. Our subdivision pool is just a pool: water and 2 diving boards. This pool complex has two pools, waterfalls, a volleyball net, and two water slides. I went down the slides like 4 times. Whee!

Another SE!

It's a weird thing, but a lot of the ways my body is reacting to the chemo mirrors that of when I was pregnant. On good chemo days, I'm hungry about every two hours, and I have insomnia for a couple hours every night -- just like when I was preggers.
Now my feet have started swelling! I compared feet with Julie the Pregnant Wonder yesterday, and yeah, they looked pretty much the same.

More Medical Messiness

I got a call from my regular doctor tonight, who just found out about my diagnosis. I'd gone in yesterday with DD2, who had an earache. My Dr. wasn't in, but I guess they all told her about it when she walked in today. I told her that I'd instructed my surgeon to send on my records, and she said back in March she'd gotten a report from him saying [my name], 21-year-old female, had a pimple on her leg that turned out to be benign.
Wow. Someone got all messed up there, 'cause I haven't seen 21 since Reagan was prez. And I would much rather have a pimple on my leg than cancer....

Sigh

The onc's ofc calls today.

Iris: Yes, we're having drug distribution problems, so we're going to have to move your chemo and Neulasta shot to the Red Oak office.
Me: Excuse me?
Iris: We're having drug distribution problems, so we're going to have to move your chemo and Neulasta shot to the Red Oak office.
Me: So, if you don't have the drugs at the Cypress office, and you do at the Red Oak office, why can't someone just throw the drugs in the back seat of their car and drive them to the Cypress office?
Iris: I don't know, I'm just telling you what I was told. What time would you like to schedule your chemo. Ten?
Me: Ha! Ha! No, last time it was scheduled for ten, I didn't actually start the chemo until 1.
Iris: How about eight?
Me: In the morning? N0.
Iris: How about noon then?
Me: (sigh) OK.

Whoops

Did a load of fine washables today -- you know, the clothes that don't go in the dryer. Made the mistake of putting my fuschia broom skirt in there. The fuschia broom skirt that had never been washed before.
I am now the proud owner of several pink bras.

Insert Funny Title Here

I shaved my head today. I was tired of the one hundred or so little stubbles that stubbornly refused to leave my scalp, so I threw caution to the winds and used DH's 4-bladed wonder to shave it smooth. Now I just keep rubbing my nice smooth head....

Nothing especially funny or cancer/chemo-related happened yesterday. The girls went to VBS, chauffeured by Lori the Wonderful, who also fed them and brought them home around 1. I was busy a) tidying the house so the house cleaner could clean, and b) finishing re-writing the VBS scripts for Thursday and Friday. The VBS curriculum includes little 4-minute sketches to be performed at the beginning of the day in front of all the kids in the Worship Center. The problem is, they tend to not be as funny as they could be, IMHO. So the teenage drama team at church always asks me to re-write them.

Me: Did you see a little play this morning?
DD1: Yes.
Me: I wrote that.
DD1: About the kid who got the new softball mitt?
Me: Yes.
DD1: Tell me what's going to happen tomorrow!

She was duly impressed. This was the first time she'd seen a play that I wrote.
I write funny little articles for our subdivision's newsletter, and I was writing a couple on Saturday (One on Men and Clutter, and the other on Swim Meets). When I got done, she wanted to write something, too.
Here's what she came up with:

The Garden
by DD1

Once there was a good family!
They lived in a MAGIC garden.
Their names were Rose, Daizy, Lilly, Snapdragon! There was 100000% of pollen.

The end.

Dinner yesterday was provided by Candito the Magnificent. It was food from La Madeleine, since Candito moved to Atlanta about six years ago. Their spinach salad is now my favorite thing on the menu. I ate lunch late, so I wasn't really hungry when the food arrived. I ate 1/3 of the salad. Then an hour later, I ate another third. Ate the final 1/3 around 11 pm, sopping up the vinaigrette with a bit of baguette....

A Note About Yesterday

DD1 was so excited to go to the beach, that when I told her we would leave in 38 minutes, she got a card, put 38 tick marks on it, and watched the clock. Every time the minute changed, she'd erase a tick mark....

The Beach!

Went to the beach today for the second time in the 13 years I have lived in Houston. It was very nice. There was a constant breeze blowing off the water, so it wasn't hot at all, and the water was warm. I sat in a canvas chair and read "The Inn At Lake Devine" and kept an eagle eye on my kids, especially DD1, whose middle name is "intrepid". She kept wanting to go farther and farther out, and ride on other people's boogie boards, etc.

Of course, we brought lots and lots of the beach home with us in the van, but hey, what are hand vacs for, anyway?

Yesterday

DD1 had a swim meet. I did not have to be there, as she is more interested in playing with her friends than hanging out with me. So, I drop her off at 6:45, and then go back home and rest, as I had been up since 3:30 due to insomnia. I came back at 9:30, watched her swim in her 1st and second events, and then left again to go home and rest. Came back at 1, and watched her swim in her 3rd and 4th events, and then we left (around 2). Yes, a swim meet can be a loooong day.
Went to a fondue restaurant last night with a couple of other BC survivors. It was fun, tho I ate far too much.
Today, we are going to the beach. DD1 is asking me every 8 minutes if it's time to go yet.

You Could Almost Set Your Watch By It

It's been a week and a half since chemo #4, and I feel better. Yay!

My set-up job for swim meet consisted of pouring marinade into ziplock bags full of chicken breasts, and then putting the bags into the fridge. I was in and out of there in twenty minutes. I think I have found my new favorite parent job.

A(nother) Funny Thing Happened....

...on the way to the hair salon. DD1 has decided that, given the choice between combing all the tangles out of her hair every day, or cutting it short, that she would choose the latter. So, off we went to Great Clips.

And, just as a reminder, I look like this.

DD1 looks like this:

So, we walk in to Great Clips.

Me:

And DD1:

And the lady says, "Who's getting their hair cut today?"

Did Too Much

Went to lunch with Anne and her cute baby yesterday. Picked DD2 up at day camp, (DD1 stayed home as she was Too Sick To Go To Camp, Mommy), went to allergy dr for DD1, got the girls' hair cut, went to Target so DD2 could spend some bday money -- she found a DVD set with 11 hours of Pokemon and that was all she wrote, honey -- and got slushes for the three of us. And I was done. I had to sit on an end cap in Target while DD2 looked at toys, I was so tired. I predict another day of sloth today, especially as the swim team assignments have me helping with set-up tonight. Ha! This may be a job for DH and his manly muscles.

A Surfeit of Riches

The Amazing Courtney came by today to pick up the girls for day camp. She also dropped off spaghetti, 2 kinds of sauce, macncheese, bread, salad, a cobbler warm from the oven, and a worship CD. wow! i am not worthy....

The result of this surfeit of riches is that I had to clean out the fridge to make room. And by "clean out the fridge", I mean "take out all the food and swipe the shelves with a wet towel one time." No scrubbing was involved. I will scrub in August. Or September, maybe. October's looking good for scrubbing.

Anyway, it was a bit scary the food I found. Bits of Lori's lasagna. A cup of Marlisa's soup. Yogurt that expired in April. And so on.

A Short Journey

You may have ascertained that Chemo Girl has turned into a Big Spoiled Brat. Yes, it was a short journey.
For instance, usually for lunch these days, there is one thing I want. It changes from day to day, but that one thing is all I can, well, stomach.
Yesterday, it was a creamy seafood soup. Today, it is the same thing.* Tuesday, it was crepes from La Madeleine.
DH has figured out his role in all of this is to say, "OK", to wit:

Me: I'm going to get crepes from La Madeleine for lunch.
DH: OK.
Me: (ten minutes after picking at the crepes, because they were full of lumps of chicken and potato, and they didn't taste good against my throat) I'm going to get a slushy.
DH: OK.

The poor thing just has his sights set on August, when by God's grace I'll be feeling better on a more permanent basis, as I understand from my friend Anne-in-Houston that rads just tire you out. Tired I can deal with. I've been tired my whole life. Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go lie down...






*I know, it is 7:30 a.m. and I have already planned out what I'm eating for lunch. See earlier post regarding How Much I Love Food.

A Funny Thing Happened

So, I decided to have the quiche yesterday night, and leave the pot pie for today. But! When I took the foil off the pie pan, the quiche had miraculously transformed itself into a chocolate pie! Why doesn't this happen more often?! Why can't more things spontaneously turn into chocolate pie?
A question for the ages.....

So, we opted for the chicken pot pie, tho the girls were vociferous in their arguments that chocolate pie could indeed be an acceptable alternative for supper. Pot pie was quickly demolished, tho, as the girls each had seconds.

[Donna brought over the quiche later. She has three kids, and is trying to get ready to go out of state, and has a lot of things going on, so she accidentally picked up the wrong pie tin. And then, she APOLOGIZED for how the chocolate pie looked! Heh. Looked fine to me, on the way to my stomach. Chemo Girl and crew care not for aesthetics. We care for taste, and it tasted mighty fine indeed.]

I Really Am Blessed

OK, it's been a week since chemo #4, and I am slowly coming out of the grumps. Part of this is due to the realization of how much I am blessed. I think I told you one of the other ladies on the breastcancer.org discussion thread complained one time becuz a friend had said she'd cook for her, and never showed up.
This is not my situation at all.
Today, 12:27. Phone rings.
Me: Hello?
Julie Long the pregnant wonder: Hi, Terri, I'm cooking for you today. I'll bring by chicken pot pie and chocolate chip cookies around 5, ok?
Me: OK, great! Thanks!

5 minutes later. Phone rings.
Me: Hello?
Donna: Hi, Terri, it's Donna. I'm cooking for you today. I'm going to bring by quiche, watermelon, and key lime pie cheesecake in about twenty minutes, OK?
Me: Uh, ok.

So I called Deanna, who is the my Official Neighborhood Meal Coordinator, and told her that there was a mixup, and we might not have next Wednesday covered. She said, no, next week was covered, but someone may have gotten confused because last week, there was a last-minute opening, and she got a lot of emails volunteering to cook.

wow! so, we are covered for food!

speaking of food. i actually enjoyed a meal today. i KNOW. it was a nice change of pace, rather than just mechanically chewing and swallowing something to get nutrition into my body.

anyway. i had a bowl of crawfish bisque from Pappadeaux today and it was awesome. smooth and creamy. i also had 1/2 a dinner salad, and the inside of a slice of french bread slathered with butter.

Tuesday

Same old, same old. Pain, discomfort, fatigue.

Went to La Madeleine to pick up lunch, but couldn't eat very much of it due to my sore throat. Plus, it didn't taste good.

That's the thing. I LOVE food. Many times my first thought of the day is, "What can I eat today?" And chemo just robs that joy.

This is probably why I haven't lost a lot of weight. I lose it in the first part of chemo, and then when things start tasting good again, I'm so happy that I eat more than I should -- "Yes, I'm full, but this tastes GOOD!"

Grump, Grump, Grump

I'm in the grumpy phase. I don't feel good. I get stir crazy just being around the house all day, but I don't have enough energy to really do anything, so I feel useless.

I'm turning into a cat: just eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom.

Here's what I accomplished today: unloaded and loaded and ran the dishwasher.
wiped down the kitchen table and counters
tidied the living room
put a poster up in DD2's room

other than that, just read and slept and ate and watched tv

Grumpy Day Today

DD1 is grumpy because she doesn't feel good. She didn't want to finish her breakfast, so DH made her sit at the table till she finished. She came crying in to me because she doesn't want to be the only blond in our family any more....
DD2 is grumpy because DH is making her write thank you notes for her birthday presents.
DH is reactive- grumpy.

I sent them all to the pool.

A Conundrum

So, while I was visiting with my onc the other day, I mentioned to him that these hot flashes were really a pain. They wake me up in the middle of the night several times a night, I'm covered in sweat, blablabla. Just uncomfortable. So I asked him if there was anything I could do to counteract them, and he gave me an rx for Effexor XR, a mild anti-depressant, which he said was the best thing for them.

So, fine. DH goes to the pharmacy to get the pills, and then I look at the fine print.

Ahem. And here are the potential side effects of Effexor XR.

1. constipation
2. dizziness
3. dry mouth
4. insomnia
5. loss of appetite
6. nausea
7. nervousness
8. sexual side effects
9. sleepiness
10. sweating
11. weakness
12. agitation
13. confusion
14. hallucination
15. fever
16. diarrhea
17. flushing
18. headache
19. vomiting
20. flushing

Also, I am to contact my dr if I experience bizarre behavior, chest pain, confusion, anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, aggression, hostility, seizures, or suicidal thoughts or attempts.

You may notice that some of these potential SEs I ALREADY HAVE due to the chemo. And I know that I wouldn't experience all of those, or maybe any of them, but still.

Let's recap, shall we?

Hot Flashes
1. sweating
2. flushing

Efflexor XR
1. sweating
2. flushing
3. dry mouth
4. insomnia
5. loss of appetite
6. nausea
7. nervousness
8. sexual side effects
9. sleepiness
10. constipation
11. weakness
12. agitation
13. confusion
14. hallucination
15. fever
16. diarrhea
17. flushing
18. headache
19. vomiting
20. dizziness
21. potential aggression, hostility or suicidal attempts

Needless to say, this is one of those instances when the cure might prove to be worse than the disease..... so, I am just going to stick with my nice, comfortable hot flashes, and let Efflexor XR gather dust in the medicine cabinet.

Another Boring Post Chemo Day

Yesterday, I had to drive myself to the YMCA Day Camp to administer some antihistaimine and cough syrup to DD1, who has begun coughing incessantly w/o it. You're supposed to take it every 4 hours as needed, and as sure as shootin', 3.5 hours after her last dosage, she starts coughing again.
Told DD1 I would go across the street and eat, and then come back, and if she didn't feel better, I would take her home. So off I went to Fazoli's, that post-chemo favorite, as they feature bland, watery spaghetti. Yum!
Went back to the Y, and DD1 was fine. Went to check on DD2, as it was her bday, and I wanted to make sure they at least sang to her. There she was, sitting with her group, drinking a bottle of water while everyone else ate their lunch.
Counselor: Your daughter says you didn't pack a lunch for her today.
Me: No, because I paid for her to eat pizza today.
C: She's not on the list.
Me: Would you like to see the duplicate of the check I wrote Wednesday night to pay for the pizza?
C: I'm not in charge of that.

So, what were they going to do, just let her starve? Anyway, she'd been put on the 5 year-old list for pizza, rather than the 6-year-old list, so she got to eat, and all was well. Sure glad I went by, tho....Chemo Girl doesn't like it when her girls have to go without food. Chemo Girl doesn't like it when anyone has to go without food.

Rested the remainder of the day. DH picked up the girls from day camp, and then I took DD2 to pick out a small birthday cake. She picked out one that had those little candy bars on it, as her grandma (Gaga) had let her eat a bunch of those while we were visiting in Wichita last week (Gaga rules!), and the candy bars reminded her of Gaga. Awwww.

She wanted mac and cheese for her bday dinner, so I swung by KFC and picked us up some food. She suggested we cook some mac and cheese at home, an idea which I quickly shot down, as neither DH or I was up to cooking. Or cleaning.

Dinner, cake, presents. Her favorite presents were the Pokemon presents, as she has conceived an unwavering passion for all things Pokemon...

Didn't sleep well last night, due to steroids, DH's snoring, and DD1's coughing.

So, today has consisted of napping, reading, and watching old episodes of Monk. Another exciting day in chemoland....

Today

DD2 is 6 today! Her dad let her open one gift - a blue stuffed dragon, and I let her open one gift -- a pair of Pokemon tennis shoes -- this morning, so she was very happy. My friend Deanna is driving them to day camp today, and I gave her money for a donut run, so the breakfast could be special.
Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so I'm tired. And I'm having to stay close to a potty. Thank heaven for Cottonelle wipes.

Wonder of Wonder, Miracle of Miracles*

Thursday, Linda drove me to the onc for my neulasta shot and a checkup. Got there at ten, was out of there by 10:40. Forty minutes! I'd already prepared. I had a blanket and a pillow and two books with me -- I was ready to hunker down and spend the better part of the morning waiting either on the couch in the waiting room, or the examination table in the examination room. But, psych! They got me in there right away! I hope this is a portent of things to come!

Linda picked up some stuff at Walgreen's for me while I was at the onc's -- poor thing, I'd told her to go to CVS, but was thinking of Walgreen's, (chemo brain strikes again!) so she drove around and around looking for a CVS where I'd told her it would be. She finally gave up and just went to Walgreen's, and came back to the onc's just as I was checking out. So that worked out well.

In the afternoon, Becky Marshall and her faithful intern Amanda came over and helped with laundry and dishes, as I was not up to dealing with it at all. And Courtney Suddath (who, it turns out, Amanda used to babysit for!) picked up DD1 from day camp for me, since DD1 was not feeling well. Courtney also picked up the standard post-chemo chocolate shake. DD1 got a cookies and cream shake. She said it would make her feel better...

Thursday was DH's and my 10th anniversary. It was lower than low key. I sent him flowers and chocolates at work. He's going to pick out flowers for me today, he said. He's already agreed to paying for an anniversary ring I'm having made to go on the top of my engagement ring, so that was fine with me. Diamonds last longer than flowers.



*Two points for you if you can name the allusion of the title.