Only 2 more to go!!

Consider the postage stamp:  its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.  ~Josh Billings

It feels so good to be able to say ONLY 2 MORE CHEMO SESSIONS AND I’M DONE!!  Yippee ki yay!!  Or however you spell that!  Yup, I had Taxotere #10 today – preceded by a not-so-great blood draw and a nice visit with Dr. Sprawls.  There was a lot of waiting involved, so it was a long day.  Took ‘em half an hour to call me back for the vitals and blood draw and then it took 2 phlebotomists and 3 sticks, finally resorting to the back of the hand, to get some blood.  But they finally got enough for a CBC.  Then it was another hour and 20 minute wait to see Dr. Sprawls.  And then a 20-minute wait up in the chemo suite before they got the drip started.  So, I left the RV at 1030 and arrived back home at 1550.  My initial plan was to come home and finish the transcription I didn’t finish this morning, even though I got up at 0445 and started working.  However, I was too wiped out by 1600 to even think about working.  I take that back.  The office called me with a STAT (a report they needed right away), so I did that one for them and got it right back to them.  And that was the end of my energy.

My white count was 8.29 today, which was VERY exciting!  Highest I’ve seen it in a LONG time! 

I had a plethora of questions for Dr. Sprawls today because it was my last scheduled appointment with him for awhile (I don’t have to see a provider next week, I see the nurse practitioner the following week, and then I’m done with chemo, take a vacation, and come back to radiation).  I asked him if we could leave on our RV trip immediately following my Neupogen injection on September 30^th.  Sure thing.  (Actually, I ended up changing the Neupogen injection to 9/29 so we can get an earlier start on 9/30……not that we ever get an early start).  I had quite a few radiation questions since that is next on the agenda.  He answered some of them but deferred most of them to the radiation department.  I also asked him what happens after radiation.  What’s next?  Do I have PET scans or anything to see if all this “crap” did anything?!  He’s not a believer in all the testing and scanning, etc., which I was actually happy to hear.  He told me about various studies that have shown the scans didn’t add anything to the survival rate.  He said when I come back in and see him in 10 years he’ll let me know how things are going.  I liked that!  I could envision the 10-year appointment, which was a very positive feeling.  (There will actually be quite a few appointments between now and then – something like every 3 months for a year, then every 6 months for 2 years…..blah, blah, blah……).  But I just wanted to focus on being alive and well in 10 years……and beyond!  He also told me that 3 things will greatly enhance my survival rate and reduce the chances of recurrence – alcohol reduction, exercise…….and, for the life of me, I cannot remember what the 3^rd thing was!!  Can you believe it??  I’m drawing a complete blank.  But I WILL find out because it’s very important to incorporate the 3 things into my life.  And he’s talking lifestyle changes…..as in forever…..not just while I’m undergoing treatment.  I asked him “reduce alcohol to what?”  He said “half a glass of wine a day.”  I balked and said he told me one glass of wine a day last time we discussed it.  He went into another study of some sort and finally conceded to ½ to 1 glass of wine a day.  There are many days that I don’t drink at all.  I didn’t think to ask him if I went 7 days without drinking, could I have 7 glasses of wine at the end of the week??  Just kidding.  I got his drift.  Alcohol is bad.  Exercise is good.  And the 3^rd thing…..well, I’ll just have to get back to you on that one. 

I’ll also be doing hormone therapy after the radiation – pills for 5 years, I think.  Not excited about that, but since I’m already sucked into this vortex, I might as well “go with the flow” and finish the plan. 

As for our trip, Dr. Sprawls implied that we could have 3 weeks because the radiation was really supposed to be started within 6 months of the surgery (we’re already beyond that).  However, in talking to the radiation nurse, she said they like to wait 4-6 weeks after the completion of chemo before starting radiation – to give the body ample time to heal/recover.  I LIKED that!  That meant we could take the full month for our trip.  I do have to be back October 31^st to be “tattooed and molded,” and then I will start rads a week later on November 7^th.  The tattoos are to mark the areas that need to be specifically targeted.  The mold is specifically made for my body so that I will be in the same position each time I go for radiation.  Perhaps I’ve already talked about all this on another post……can’t remember.  Anyway, the bottom line is that I’m so excited we will get a full month away from this place and everything associated with it.  Well, that doesn’t sound right.  We will miss our friends dearly.  And this campground has been great.  But life has kind of sucked since February, generally speaking, and it will just be so nice to go someplace different and get away from doctor’s appointments, blood draws, chemo drips, etc. etc……to take a road trip, see new places, experience different things, enjoy some cooler weather…..   SOOOOO looking forward to it……..

Been feeling good for the most part.  Another weekend without abdominal pain.  Had a lot of mental pain because I spent the entire weekend (and then some) working on our 2010 taxes – what a nightmare!  I have never been so disorganized in my life.  Trying to recreate things from early 2010 was just awful (this included selling some stock certificates and having to come up with the cost basis of stock purchased in the 80s).  I would have been pulling my hair out…..if I had any….   But I think I finally got it all together.  We’ll find out on Monday when we meet with the accountant.  Good thing he filed an extension for us.

After spending all weekend working on the dreaded taxes, it was so nice to meet our friends, Barbara and Brian, at Rusty’s Seafood in Port Canaveral for dinner Sunday night.  Rusty’s had just opened their new waterfront deck, which was really nice, so we sat out there and listened to some good live music, watched one of the Disney ships depart on a cruise, had a nice dinner, and a great visit with good friends.  Totally relaxing.

On Monday, I went down to the AAA office in Melbourne to get maps and tour books for our trip.  On the way home I decided to stop at Beall’s, one of my favorite stores, for some retail therapy!  I hadn’t been shopping in ages, and I just needed that retail therapy fix.  As usual, they were having some great sales, so I found a couple of new outfits – 2 skirts and 5 tops!  And it really cheered me up!  Now, usually when I do that, I’m temporarily cheered up.  Then I go home and try everything on again, come to my senses, and return it all!!  But this time I tried everything on again, and I still liked them…..and so did Kenny (or so he said…..).  So I think they’re keepers.  At least the ones I’ve already taken the tags off and worn.  (see photo below for one new outfit, except the hat and shoes).  Felt a little like I had stepped back into my “hippie days.” 

Once again, I think I’ve forgotten some of the things I wanted to write about.  And, once again, I’ve rambled on and on.  The cool thing is that if you get bored with the rambling……stop reading.   I guess you’ve all figured that out by now.  Until next time………

You know you’re a cancer patient……when you search the whole house frantically looking for your purse because you are running late, and the entire time it's been hanging off your shoulder.
Or looking for your "lost" phone…..while TALKING on the phone. 

Or “lost” glasses and they’re on your head!

Is this just a cancer patient thing (chemotardedness), or does it happen to other people??!!  

After some retail therapy......