Dose One - second half

Well, the second half of dose one is in and now I wait and see how I feel. So far so good. I was tired yesterday, which is normal, since they always give Benadryl to stave off any potential allergic reactions and leaves me terribly sleepy. I dozed awhile at the cancer center and again yesterday afternoon and then tried to get to bed early, but again had a hard time sleeping. I am contemplating taking an additional ambien, but I hate to have to take more then one, what if I never wake up? I have my issues about sleeping anyway and to take an additional pill just is too much, so I lay there and listen to the sounds of the night and think of what I need to do the following day and about my friends and my family. About how all this works within my life and what my future holds for me. Eventually I doze back off and when the alarm goes off…well let’s just say I’m sleeping find by then!!

I am once again, waiting for the cable people. It has not been a stellar Charter Communications week. I have been waiting for charter every day for one issue or another. They really got a piece off my mind yesterday when we waited all day, made sure someone was here all day, even during my chemotherapy, and no one showed up! I won’t go through the whole story, but Supervisor Steve from North Caroline got the entire story from start to finish and received the full ire of my frustration. I apologized ahead of time and told him, I am one very very dissatisfied customer and you are going to get to hear why and please do not take it personally, I know this is not your fault, it is your company’s fault, but he had to hear from start to finish to truly understand why I was so frustrated. I have to say, Supervisor Steve from North Carolina, you did good. He listened attentively and completely all the way through and then he did everything he could to solve the problem. So today, between 8-12… let’s see if Steve can make it happen.

Like I said, chemotherapy was uneventful except for the fact that my platelets are below where they should be to allow me to have chemo. They are supposed to be at a minimum of 100 and they are at 89. But we went ahead with it fully aware that we need to watch my platelets closely and may have to delay the next round by a week or so. That is okay. The rest of my counts are holding steady. I’m a little anemic, but my immune system seems to be staying strong which is incredible news. No neutropenic shots yet!! Yea!! Means I can continue to have visitors, continue to go out to eat and shop and be social.

So Deana, my friend from Hermiston stopped by to brighten my day yesterday. Always such a joy to visit with Deana. You might remember her, she is the one we thought had ovarian cancer about a year ago and a miracle happened and she ended up being cancer free! She continues to be free from this heinous disease and one of my greatest supporters and prayer warriors.

Donna, Janice and I wanted to go see Sex and the City II last night but it isn’t in the movies anymore! Bummer! I normally feel fine the first day of chemo (except with the Ixempra, of course) so it’s a nice night to do something. There are so many anti-whatever meds in me that I’m pretty safe going out. So we went to PF Changs instead which was very enjoyable. Then I came home, complained to Steve, watched a movie (Blindside) and went to bed.

I did get to talk to Peyton yesterday and she is having a wonderful time in Canada. We talked for about 45 minutes, thank goodness I added the international plan which makes the cost .20 per minute, so its not too bad to talk for that long. She really seemed to need to talk and hear what was happening and how I was doing and how the chemo was going and reconnect with her world down here. And reconnect we did, I do love and miss that girl, it simply isn’t the same here without her and she feels the same way. And I think that is hard when you are 18. You want to be running away from your home and to your new life, your new found freedom and adulthood, but she is still so firmly locked here with me, which I guess, isn’t a bad thing either. We just need each other right now. We are the anchors in each other’s storms, and an anchor is a great thing to have when life is tossing you willy nilly across the sea. She also took the time to call her grandparents, she is missing them also. If I am her anchor, they are her lifeline. She knows with unwavering certainty that they will never let go of that lifeline and if the anchor fails, they will pull her in without hesitation. She will be safe. Safe is an even better place to be. So for .20 per minute, she can talk all she wants. My baby is safe and having a wonderful time in Canada.

My goal today is to run a few errands with my mother. She is feeling better and wants to get out of the house for awhile and I’m feeling up to it, so a mommy-daughter morning is planned with an outing to Heritage Home for their sidewalk sale, Kohls, Cantor Diamond, Bed Bath and Beyond and if we are up to it…a quick trip to the mall. The last few stops are all only if mom’s leg holds up. But her physical therapist said that getting out and moving is a good thing and mom and I really haven’t had any alone time together so I am really looking forward to this outing. Mom and daughter time is always special in my world.

Tonight I have a date with Mike and I am so excited. I am wearing a wig and makeup and everything just like a normal woman going out on the town with her wonderful man. We are having dinner with out good friends Tina and Gary, so a great time will be had with my love on my arm and hopefully, he’ll be proud to have me there. I will do all I can to look beautiful. Its tough, but beauty is a state of mind and I’ll radiate it from the inside out! Its been so long, I am sure I’ll remember though!

Tomorrow, I’m off to the coast with Jessie. I can’t wait. I am concerned about being tired, but Houston and Elena both know that if I get too tired and have to stop and nap, then its okay. My plan is to ride in the back seat with Jessie and watch DVD’s the entire time. My dad has a portable DVD player that draws off a cigarette lighter in the car, so that will be perfect. Saturday is Elena’s birthday, so we are going to have a fire at the beach and roast weenies and make smores over a campfire. Sunday we are going to take Jessie up to the aquarium in Newport then on Monday we are going to drive to Portland and take him to the Zoo. Monday night, Jessie and I are staying in the room to watch movies and order room service so that Houston and Elena can have a romantic evening out and then we come home on Tuesday. It should be an awesome time. I can’t wait to see my grandson see the vastness of the ocean. The anticipation of his reaction makes me smile and bubbly to overflowing! Its going to be a moment to remember. A moment forever.

All for now. I don’t know if I have internet access at the beach, so if not, my faithful friends, please keep me high on the prayer list. The chemo is in, let it do its job with a minimal amount of side effects.