Life is good.......

If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell.    

~Lance Armstrong

Kenny and I just got back from a nice walk along the river -- about a mile round trip -- and it was no problem at all, which makes me very happy.

I called Home Health first thing this morning and very nicely requested that Linda not return to see me again.  I said I didn't want to hurt her feelings but she stressed me out too much.  I explained that I’m not usually a complainer and consider myself very tolerant and positive and upbeat, but she was just a real downer.  My apologies, but I don’t have room in my life for real downers at the moment.  Even Kenny said she's gotta go.   She kept wanting to harp on how bad her day had been and how everything had gone wrong from equipment failures to patients cancelling to filling in for sick nurses, etc. etc.  She must have mentioned her “bad day” at least 3 or 4 times.  I really wanted to say to her, “Lady, I’ve had a bad month and a bad year (so far), and I would give anything to trade places with you and have your 'bad day,' so quit complaining."  She even asked me yesterday what stage my cancer was, and I told her the surgeon made a rough guess of stage IIIA based on the initial biopsy.  She said, "Oh WOW!  You know stage IV is the worst, right?"……implying that I’m not too far from it…..  “Thanks for emphasizing that, idiot!  Take your tact and stress someplace else please; I prefer to remain positive and upbeat, and you're not helping me." 

Fortunately, they sent somebody different today, and she was very nice.  She also happens to be a cancer survivor (colon cancer) and can relate to the cancer woes, etc.  I told her about my encounter yesterday with "Nurse Ratched," and she said that not many people like her, and most people don't want her back a second time.  That woman needs to find a new career.  I don't know why she still has a job there, but I think maybe they only use her when they're desperate (they had 4 people out yesterday). 

I guess I don't really have much other news today.  The drains are draining less, which is a good thing, but they're still a gigantic pain in the neck....or chest......  I'm taking fewer pain pills -- about one every 10 hours, although I can take 2 every 4 hours if I want to.  I prefer not to. 

Still enjoying "down time" from work.  Being lazy and reading books is suiting me just fine, although I'll probably start doing some transcription again on Thursday or Friday.