Well, I always intended to post another blog after my follow-up colonoscopy and seeing my oncologist. This just isn't what I thought I would be writing about.
My colonoscopy turned out fine. There was one small polyp that would not normally be sent out for biopsy but because of my history, it was. It turned out not to be cancer. I had a CT scan at the end of December. I was feeling great. I am starting to get back my energy and feel like my old self. I have been exercising and doing what I should be doing.
I met with my oncologist last Thursday. It seems like there are now multiple mets to my liver. Because there are multiple spots, I am not a candidate for surgery. She tried to get me in a study but I am not eligible because it came back so quickly. The liver does not react well to radiation so the only thing left is chemo. I will be on the same regiment but with a different medication. I am working until 2/1 and begin treatment on 2/13. I guess it's a good thing I didn't have my port taken out.
Josh, Angie and the girls will move in with me. Getting this 4 bedroom house is really looking like a blessing. They will use the rooms downstairs and I will keep my room upstairs unless it comes to a point where I can't manage the stairs. There is a nice, big balcony upstairs where I can go to sit outside in nice weather. Of course, that's also where I fell and broke my wrist in December (but it was raining and the tile was slippery). My family, as always, has been amazing! They are so supportive. Also, Chuck was supposed to go to Phoenix on Thursday but for some reason, when the trip came through, the pick up wasn't until Friday morning. So he got to come home on Thursday night and I was able to tell him face to face. It really wasn't something I would have wanted to tell him over the phone! Then, the delivery wasn't due until last night so he got to spend the weekend with me and we were able to get all of these plans in motion. Also, the ward I am in now is awesome! I feel like I have so much support there. I really feel like God's hand guided me getting this house. And my landlord is a coworker so she has also been very supportive of having another 4 people move in.
I am still pretty numb about the news but I just ask for all of your prayers for my strength and to guide the doctors. I am so thankful for all of you in my life and it is truly a blessing to feel your love, support, and prayers. I will be blogging again soon.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monday, November 12, 2012
November 12, 2012
Well, I am back to work. It was great to see all of my students. So many of last year's 5th graders came up to me to welcome me back. As the word got out that I had returned, students who had moved on to middle school also came back to see me and welcome me. Last Thursday night was our parent meeting about camp. Many of my parents from last year were there and were also very welcoming. And of course, the staff was amazing. It feels good to be back at work although I was grateful for the 3 day weekend this week.
I have done well with both the move and being back to work. I realize that I am tired out much more easily so I try to remember not to push myself. I have gone to bed early each night and do very little once I get home from work. On the weekends,
Last weekend, Pat and Ray came to go to their grandchildren's games. Ric also came with his kids. I spent my Saturday going to games. Ella happened to be playing near my Dad's so I picked him up to go watch Ella's game. After taking him home, I went to see Alisa play softball and then to Robert's football playoff. I ended my afternoon by going to Hannah's soccer game. When all the games were done, we all met up for pizza. The grandkids (both mine and Pat's) had a great time together. It is always so fun to spend time with any of my family.
This weekend, I got to see Ella score her first goal for this season. The best part was that her team won the game, 1-0. They will be going to playoffs on December 1. Hannah also had a game.The pee wees are always fun to watch. They just love playi8ng and really don't care about the score.
My house is coming along. I have not touched the scrapbooking boxes at all and don't plan to for a while. But my room is completely put together and the kitchen is done except for finishing up the desk. My legs are getting used to the stairs and I am remembering to take everything either up or down with me so that I don't have to make a lot of extra trips. The neighbors are very nice. At first, only Einstein would go up or down the stairs in the house. It took Newton about 4 days to figure it out. Neither dog would use the stairs from the balcony to the yard. Newton mastered those first and I had to take Einstein up and down a few times before he would go alone. That has made it easier because before I had to put them on their leashes and take them out the driveway to the yard. They seem to be adjusting well to the new surroundings.
I have done well with both the move and being back to work. I realize that I am tired out much more easily so I try to remember not to push myself. I have gone to bed early each night and do very little once I get home from work. On the weekends,
Last weekend, Pat and Ray came to go to their grandchildren's games. Ric also came with his kids. I spent my Saturday going to games. Ella happened to be playing near my Dad's so I picked him up to go watch Ella's game. After taking him home, I went to see Alisa play softball and then to Robert's football playoff. I ended my afternoon by going to Hannah's soccer game. When all the games were done, we all met up for pizza. The grandkids (both mine and Pat's) had a great time together. It is always so fun to spend time with any of my family.
This weekend, I got to see Ella score her first goal for this season. The best part was that her team won the game, 1-0. They will be going to playoffs on December 1. Hannah also had a game.The pee wees are always fun to watch. They just love playi8ng and really don't care about the score.
My house is coming along. I have not touched the scrapbooking boxes at all and don't plan to for a while. But my room is completely put together and the kitchen is done except for finishing up the desk. My legs are getting used to the stairs and I am remembering to take everything either up or down with me so that I don't have to make a lot of extra trips. The neighbors are very nice. At first, only Einstein would go up or down the stairs in the house. It took Newton about 4 days to figure it out. Neither dog would use the stairs from the balcony to the yard. Newton mastered those first and I had to take Einstein up and down a few times before he would go alone. That has made it easier because before I had to put them on their leashes and take them out the driveway to the yard. They seem to be adjusting well to the new surroundings.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
October 21, 2012
Well, I'm going back to work! I'm excited and anxious at the same time. I'm excited to have clearance to go back and excited to get my life back to normal but I know it is going to be tiring. I'm excited to see my students again. I have missed them. I have 8 students from last year and then I will get to meet a whole new group as well. I will go back to work on November 1. We also have a 6th grade camp meeting that night so I will also get to see some of the parents.
As far as my cancer goes, I am free of cancer at this time. Of course, I will have to be monitored for the next 5 years to be considered cancer free. I will repeat the colonoscopy in December and have another CT scan in January. I will follow u with blood work and seeing the oncologist every 3 months. Right now, my bloo9d work was good. My count for fighting infections was very good so I was happy to hear that. I've had my pneumonia vaccine and my flu shot so hopefully I will stay healthy. I am also getting monthly B12 shots to boost my energy. Because my cancer was stage 4 I am at greater risk for it to return (although I have great faith that it won't) so I have to leave my port in "for a while." When I asked how long a while is, the doctor told me as long as possible. Because of leaving it in, I have to go get it flushed every month. She said that if it starts clotting, we will have to remove it but she wants to leave it as long as possible. At least the people in the infusion lab are nice and kind so i won't mind seeing them. And it is something that I can do around my work so I won't have to miss days for it (nice, since have been out of sick days for a while).
I got to have my 3 oldest grandchildren for a visit 2 weeks ago. They have a fall break in Arizona so they came and stayed with me for the week. Although the drive to pick them up was tiring, I had a great time with them. We went ice skating and to the drive-in movie. Of course, Ella and Hannah went with us and we had a big sleepover on Saturday night before I met Jessica to return them.
I also got to see 3 of my 4 sisters last week. One of my cousins passed away from breast cancer so Rhonda, Pat, my dad, and I went to the memorial. It had also been a while since I had seen my cousins so I was glad to see them,though I wish it had been under different circumstances. Then Diana and her husband came to visit Dad so Ronda and I joined them for lunch one day. We enjoyed the visit. I wish we all lived closer so that I could see my sisters more often. But I know they are always there for me and I appreciate them so much! I am so lucky to have such wonderful family.
I also got to see Jennifer and her children, including the newest grandso9n! Maddie and Kinsey are getting so big and it's nice to have another baby in the family. Jackson is so cute and seems to be a very good baby (Jennifer says he is, too). We enjoyed our visit with them. (Chuck was home the day they came to visit)
My other big news is that I am moving tomorrow. I really was having a difficult time packing. We have had so many days over 90 degrees that it was too hot to do anything and I was getting really worn out. I am also having a lot of problems from the nueropathy. I am finding it difficult to hold things and my hands and feet always hurt. So I decided to take the money I would have spent to go to Hawaii for a week and spend it on movers I found a company that will come pack up everything, move it to the new house, unpack and put away everything. I felt like that was a better use of my money right now. Hawaii will always be there (although my sister-in-law won't) and I won't be worn out. Now that I know I am going back to work it seems like an even better decision. I will have plenty of room for visitors if anyone ever needs a place to stay! Also, we signed an offer on our house so hopefully everything will go through without any problems. I will miss my neighbors but I won't miss being on this corner! My new neighborhood is very nice. It's off all busy streets and I am looking forward to meeting all my new neighbors. My old neighbors have all told me I have to come back for our annual 4th of July block party and I am sure my grandchildren will all want to. At least it's close enough that it will be easy to come3 visit. Cole has some good friends in my neighborhood that he is sad to leave so I promised him we could come back when he's here to visit them.
I guess that's all my news for now. It may be a while before I blog again since I will be working. I want to again express my thanks all of my friends and family who have helped me through this past year. Your love, support, and prayers have made a difference.I truly appreciate every one of you!
As far as my cancer goes, I am free of cancer at this time. Of course, I will have to be monitored for the next 5 years to be considered cancer free. I will repeat the colonoscopy in December and have another CT scan in January. I will follow u with blood work and seeing the oncologist every 3 months. Right now, my bloo9d work was good. My count for fighting infections was very good so I was happy to hear that. I've had my pneumonia vaccine and my flu shot so hopefully I will stay healthy. I am also getting monthly B12 shots to boost my energy. Because my cancer was stage 4 I am at greater risk for it to return (although I have great faith that it won't) so I have to leave my port in "for a while." When I asked how long a while is, the doctor told me as long as possible. Because of leaving it in, I have to go get it flushed every month. She said that if it starts clotting, we will have to remove it but she wants to leave it as long as possible. At least the people in the infusion lab are nice and kind so i won't mind seeing them. And it is something that I can do around my work so I won't have to miss days for it (nice, since have been out of sick days for a while).
I got to have my 3 oldest grandchildren for a visit 2 weeks ago. They have a fall break in Arizona so they came and stayed with me for the week. Although the drive to pick them up was tiring, I had a great time with them. We went ice skating and to the drive-in movie. Of course, Ella and Hannah went with us and we had a big sleepover on Saturday night before I met Jessica to return them.
I also got to see 3 of my 4 sisters last week. One of my cousins passed away from breast cancer so Rhonda, Pat, my dad, and I went to the memorial. It had also been a while since I had seen my cousins so I was glad to see them,though I wish it had been under different circumstances. Then Diana and her husband came to visit Dad so Ronda and I joined them for lunch one day. We enjoyed the visit. I wish we all lived closer so that I could see my sisters more often. But I know they are always there for me and I appreciate them so much! I am so lucky to have such wonderful family.
I also got to see Jennifer and her children, including the newest grandso9n! Maddie and Kinsey are getting so big and it's nice to have another baby in the family. Jackson is so cute and seems to be a very good baby (Jennifer says he is, too). We enjoyed our visit with them. (Chuck was home the day they came to visit)
My other big news is that I am moving tomorrow. I really was having a difficult time packing. We have had so many days over 90 degrees that it was too hot to do anything and I was getting really worn out. I am also having a lot of problems from the nueropathy. I am finding it difficult to hold things and my hands and feet always hurt. So I decided to take the money I would have spent to go to Hawaii for a week and spend it on movers I found a company that will come pack up everything, move it to the new house, unpack and put away everything. I felt like that was a better use of my money right now. Hawaii will always be there (although my sister-in-law won't) and I won't be worn out. Now that I know I am going back to work it seems like an even better decision. I will have plenty of room for visitors if anyone ever needs a place to stay! Also, we signed an offer on our house so hopefully everything will go through without any problems. I will miss my neighbors but I won't miss being on this corner! My new neighborhood is very nice. It's off all busy streets and I am looking forward to meeting all my new neighbors. My old neighbors have all told me I have to come back for our annual 4th of July block party and I am sure my grandchildren will all want to. At least it's close enough that it will be easy to come3 visit. Cole has some good friends in my neighborhood that he is sad to leave so I promised him we could come back when he's here to visit them.
I guess that's all my news for now. It may be a while before I blog again since I will be working. I want to again express my thanks all of my friends and family who have helped me through this past year. Your love, support, and prayers have made a difference.I truly appreciate every one of you!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Well, I finally did it! I had my last chemo treatment yesterday. All I have to do now is get my pump disconnected tomorrow. My sister, pat, came from Blythe (actually, she was in San Diego babysitti8ng grandkids) to help me celebrate. My niece, Cami, works in an oncology office in Virginia. They celebrate every patient's last round so she gave her mom the idea. The button was actually a Mickey Mouse button and my other niece, Brandi, decorated it for my last round. I was the center of attention in the chemo room! All the nurses thought it was so cute. I plan to wear everything again tomorrow when i get the pump disconnected. Michael, the receptionist in the infusion lab, will really get a kick out of it!
I am so grateful for all of the support and love I have had from all of my family, friends, and even people I didn't know before all of this. It is definitely what has gotten me through this last year. I am now resigned to the fact that my health is going to dictate when I can return to work. My doctor is having me get B12 injections now to try to help the numbness and tingling in my hands and feet and also to increase my energy level. Right now, the numbness is not going away at all. It used to go away about 5 days after I got the pump disconnected,. Now it is constant. I can't drink anything cold (which has been hard with our heat wave) and I can't get things out of the refrigerator or freezer without using a towel or hot pads. It is also making it difficult to pack. My reactions are much slower when typing because of it. But i know that I have actually been very luck about my side effects.
I have learned many lessons throughout this journey. First of all, if you are at the age to get a colonoscopy, do it! Don't put it off. Colon cancer can be very aggressive. Recently my primary care physician tested me for diabetes. It runs in our family and I have the body type for it. I have never tested that I have it but because of the steroids I guess it becomes more of a risk. My tests came back that I still don't have it but I am now consciously working on losing more weight and exercising more to keep from getting it. My blood pressure has been excellent throughout the journey, probably because I'm not working, but also, I have lost weight and I'm not in pain any longer. I am so glad I listened to my body and that I had doctors that listened, really listened, to me.
I wasn't going to do it yet, but I got a second dog. I went in to the same adoption place to look at another Shih Tzu but she growled at Hannah and at Einstein so I knew they weren't a good fit. Well, there was a cute terrier there, too. He and Einstein get along well and he liked the kids. I named him Sir Isaac newton but we call him Newton. He is one year old and loves to be in your lap. He will take a toy or treat right from Einstein and most of the time Einstein will just let him. I have to say, I wish I had thought about the fact that 1 year old is still a puppy. He loves to chew! He got one pair of my sandals so I have gotten better about putting my shoes up.He will grab socks left laying around but just takes them to other places in the house. The most frustrating is that he chews on all the boxes I have packed and also the empty ones waiting to be packed. He even got into one box of books and I caught him chewing up one of my books. He is a sweet dog, though, and he and Einstein play together well.
As far as our house and move go, our house has not sold yet. We are waiting on the new house to move but that should be happening soon. It gives me something to do right now so that is helpful. I'm also going to Ella and Hannah's soccer games each week and Jessica's kids have fall break coming up in October so they may come stay with me. I am looking forward to being well enough to do something with them when they are here this time!
I am so grateful for all of the support and love I have had from all of my family, friends, and even people I didn't know before all of this. It is definitely what has gotten me through this last year. I am now resigned to the fact that my health is going to dictate when I can return to work. My doctor is having me get B12 injections now to try to help the numbness and tingling in my hands and feet and also to increase my energy level. Right now, the numbness is not going away at all. It used to go away about 5 days after I got the pump disconnected,. Now it is constant. I can't drink anything cold (which has been hard with our heat wave) and I can't get things out of the refrigerator or freezer without using a towel or hot pads. It is also making it difficult to pack. My reactions are much slower when typing because of it. But i know that I have actually been very luck about my side effects.
I have learned many lessons throughout this journey. First of all, if you are at the age to get a colonoscopy, do it! Don't put it off. Colon cancer can be very aggressive. Recently my primary care physician tested me for diabetes. It runs in our family and I have the body type for it. I have never tested that I have it but because of the steroids I guess it becomes more of a risk. My tests came back that I still don't have it but I am now consciously working on losing more weight and exercising more to keep from getting it. My blood pressure has been excellent throughout the journey, probably because I'm not working, but also, I have lost weight and I'm not in pain any longer. I am so glad I listened to my body and that I had doctors that listened, really listened, to me.
I wasn't going to do it yet, but I got a second dog. I went in to the same adoption place to look at another Shih Tzu but she growled at Hannah and at Einstein so I knew they weren't a good fit. Well, there was a cute terrier there, too. He and Einstein get along well and he liked the kids. I named him Sir Isaac newton but we call him Newton. He is one year old and loves to be in your lap. He will take a toy or treat right from Einstein and most of the time Einstein will just let him. I have to say, I wish I had thought about the fact that 1 year old is still a puppy. He loves to chew! He got one pair of my sandals so I have gotten better about putting my shoes up.He will grab socks left laying around but just takes them to other places in the house. The most frustrating is that he chews on all the boxes I have packed and also the empty ones waiting to be packed. He even got into one box of books and I caught him chewing up one of my books. He is a sweet dog, though, and he and Einstein play together well.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
August 30. 2012
Chemo session #11 in the books! Only one more session to go. In just 15 days (hopefully) I will have done my last session and get my pump disconnected for the last time! It seems like it's been a long time coming but at least now i really see the light at the end of the tunnel. I asked the oncologist what the plan will be after session #12. I will have a follow up with her 2 weeks later to check my blood work and then I will follow up every 3 months with her and do blood work. In December, I will have another colonoscopy.
Jason had a family gathering here in So. California last weekend. He brought the girls with him but Cole had come down with strep throat so he and Jessica stayed home. I didn't get to see much of them, but I enjoyed a sleepover with Baily, Lindsay, Ella, and Hannah on Friday night. Then on Saturday, we joined Jason's parents on Saturday night. Bailey turned 13 on Tuesday. I can't believe I have a teenage granddaughter.
On August 19, our 9th grandchild arrived. Jackson Robert (called JR) was born to Jennifer and Chad. He was 6 lbs. 4 oz. and only 18 3/4" long. We are hoping to get to see him soon.
Chuck is going to become a driver trainer for new employees who just graduate from trucking school. He will get a truck upgrade. He has to go to a training and we are hoping it will be in Phoenix so that I can join him. That will give us a chance to meet JR and see his sisters.
I am doing well on my own so far. I have been busy packing. Our house is officially on the market and we've had an open house already. The new house isn't ready for us to move into yet but it is coming along beautifully.
I did get to go to Randi's first day of school. She was so excited! The teacher called on her as an example of how to sit at your desk, push your chair in, and how to put your finished papers in the box.She thought she was really important. Her class is a K/1 combo.I know she is going to have a great year.
I also have met with friends several times this week. On Sunday, I got to shop with 2 former Ramona teachers at the outlet mall in Camarillo. On Monday I met some retired Ramona teachers and a former Ramona teacher for coffee. Then I met some Las Flores teacher friends for lunch. On Wednesday, after che3mo, I met with 4 of my cohorts from Ramona. I also found out that the sub who is going to start my class is one of my favorite subs. She is the daughter of our case manager wh0o used to be my aide. I have known Sidney since she was just a little girl. I am excited for her to be starting my class for me.
I am going to try to go visit my sister-in-law in Hawaii in October if my health permits. (Dinah, if you're reading this, sorry I haven't let you know yet). She is moving back to California in November so I figured it would be fun to go relax there while I still have a place to stay. I need to be sure I am up to the five hour flight and I won't be able to do as much as I usually do, but it will be a good way to prepare for going back to the classroom.
I still appreciate all of the prayers, phone calls, cards and messages I get from all of you. I would not have made it through these past 8 months without all of the support. Please continue to pray that I will get my last treatment on schedule and that all of my test results will come back showing that this has worked.
Jason had a family gathering here in So. California last weekend. He brought the girls with him but Cole had come down with strep throat so he and Jessica stayed home. I didn't get to see much of them, but I enjoyed a sleepover with Baily, Lindsay, Ella, and Hannah on Friday night. Then on Saturday, we joined Jason's parents on Saturday night. Bailey turned 13 on Tuesday. I can't believe I have a teenage granddaughter.
On August 19, our 9th grandchild arrived. Jackson Robert (called JR) was born to Jennifer and Chad. He was 6 lbs. 4 oz. and only 18 3/4" long. We are hoping to get to see him soon.
Chuck is going to become a driver trainer for new employees who just graduate from trucking school. He will get a truck upgrade. He has to go to a training and we are hoping it will be in Phoenix so that I can join him. That will give us a chance to meet JR and see his sisters.
I am doing well on my own so far. I have been busy packing. Our house is officially on the market and we've had an open house already. The new house isn't ready for us to move into yet but it is coming along beautifully.
I did get to go to Randi's first day of school. She was so excited! The teacher called on her as an example of how to sit at your desk, push your chair in, and how to put your finished papers in the box.She thought she was really important. Her class is a K/1 combo.I know she is going to have a great year.
I also have met with friends several times this week. On Sunday, I got to shop with 2 former Ramona teachers at the outlet mall in Camarillo. On Monday I met some retired Ramona teachers and a former Ramona teacher for coffee. Then I met some Las Flores teacher friends for lunch. On Wednesday, after che3mo, I met with 4 of my cohorts from Ramona. I also found out that the sub who is going to start my class is one of my favorite subs. She is the daughter of our case manager wh0o used to be my aide. I have known Sidney since she was just a little girl. I am excited for her to be starting my class for me.
I am going to try to go visit my sister-in-law in Hawaii in October if my health permits. (Dinah, if you're reading this, sorry I haven't let you know yet). She is moving back to California in November so I figured it would be fun to go relax there while I still have a place to stay. I need to be sure I am up to the five hour flight and I won't be able to do as much as I usually do, but it will be a good way to prepare for going back to the classroom.
I still appreciate all of the prayers, phone calls, cards and messages I get from all of you. I would not have made it through these past 8 months without all of the support. Please continue to pray that I will get my last treatment on schedule and that all of my test results will come back showing that this has worked.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
August 18, 2012
Well, all I can say is that it's a good thing that I only have 2 more treatments to go. The nausea has been so bad these last two times that I don't know that I could take it if I wasn't so close to the end. I did have chemo this week. Thursday started out pretty well. I even felt well enough to go meet Chuck in Chatsworth where he was waiting for a run. That's a story in itself which I will go into in a while. But Thursday night became pretty bad. I also saw my primary care physician on Wednesday so my day at Kaiser was pretty full. But at least i didn't have to make a separate trip up there!
Chuck was home last week on the 7th. He was due to go back to work on the 12th. He recently got a "new" truck and it needed some work. So he checked it into the shop before heading home. On the 11th, they finally took the truck into the shop to start repairs. Needless to say, it wasn't ready when he was supposed to report at 9 AM. They said it would be ready about 5 PM. He headed out there, got his truck (it was done) and started out of the yard. The truck started emitting smoke and making noises so he took it right back to the shop. They had it fixed by Tuesday night and he had to make a pick up in Chatsworth Wednesday morning. He got to the loading dock to pick up his load. When he went to pull away from the dock, the truck wouldn't start! And, he was blocking the company's loading dock. They sent a mechanic out after having Chuck check all the fuses. It was finally fixed Wednesday evening but now he was stuck where he was till he had hours again. That's when I decided to meet him and maybe go to lunch. I knew if I did, he'd get a run and sure enough, after being there about 10 minutes, he did. But it was to pick up in Santa Ana Friday morning so he got to come home for another night. It has been nice having him here. We signed papers to list our house and even started packing some things.
We will be moving later this month or the beginning of September. We are just moving about 3/4 of a mile from where we are now but we won't be on the corner lot on the main street! I am looking forward to that. I know that I will feel a lot safer. It's a bigger house, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room. For most of the time, it will be big but when family come to visit it will be nice. When Jessica's kids were here last month for a week, it was awfully crowded. The older the kids get, the more crowded it becomes!
Einstein is doing great! He misses all the commotion with Jordan, Amity, Randi and their dogs but he loves to follow me everywhere. He's even getting pretty good at chasing a ball. I am going to get a second dog to keep him company before I go back to work.
I am going out to Jordan's new place tomorrow to see it. I will spend the night and get to go with Randi to her first day of school. She is really excited and can't wait to show me her school. They have had fires this past week and some people had to evacuate but they were ok. They are expecting some more lightning strikes this weekend so we are praying for no more fire!
I am obviously not thinking too well right now so I think I'll end this. Thanks again for all the prayers, love and support. It really does help!
Chuck was home last week on the 7th. He was due to go back to work on the 12th. He recently got a "new" truck and it needed some work. So he checked it into the shop before heading home. On the 11th, they finally took the truck into the shop to start repairs. Needless to say, it wasn't ready when he was supposed to report at 9 AM. They said it would be ready about 5 PM. He headed out there, got his truck (it was done) and started out of the yard. The truck started emitting smoke and making noises so he took it right back to the shop. They had it fixed by Tuesday night and he had to make a pick up in Chatsworth Wednesday morning. He got to the loading dock to pick up his load. When he went to pull away from the dock, the truck wouldn't start! And, he was blocking the company's loading dock. They sent a mechanic out after having Chuck check all the fuses. It was finally fixed Wednesday evening but now he was stuck where he was till he had hours again. That's when I decided to meet him and maybe go to lunch. I knew if I did, he'd get a run and sure enough, after being there about 10 minutes, he did. But it was to pick up in Santa Ana Friday morning so he got to come home for another night. It has been nice having him here. We signed papers to list our house and even started packing some things.
We will be moving later this month or the beginning of September. We are just moving about 3/4 of a mile from where we are now but we won't be on the corner lot on the main street! I am looking forward to that. I know that I will feel a lot safer. It's a bigger house, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, family room. For most of the time, it will be big but when family come to visit it will be nice. When Jessica's kids were here last month for a week, it was awfully crowded. The older the kids get, the more crowded it becomes!
Einstein is doing great! He misses all the commotion with Jordan, Amity, Randi and their dogs but he loves to follow me everywhere. He's even getting pretty good at chasing a ball. I am going to get a second dog to keep him company before I go back to work.
I am going out to Jordan's new place tomorrow to see it. I will spend the night and get to go with Randi to her first day of school. She is really excited and can't wait to show me her school. They have had fires this past week and some people had to evacuate but they were ok. They are expecting some more lightning strikes this weekend so we are praying for no more fire!
I am obviously not thinking too well right now so I think I'll end this. Thanks again for all the prayers, love and support. It really does help!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
August 8, 2012
As you may be able to tell from the time of this post, I am not able to get chemo this week. My counts are low again and my protein is also low. However, my hemoglobin is staying stable so that means so transfusion. I had said over the weekend that my energy level was low and I didn't think I would be able to get chemo so aat least I wasn't totally disappointed. Also, Chuck is home so that means I don't have to give up my whole week to chemo while he is here.
I spent 5 hours at kaiser yesterday. The nurse had difficulty with my port again. She called the doctor to get the ok to declot but by the time she got approval, her shift was over. When another nurse took over, I asked her if we could try one more time. This time, it worked. But the doctor had decided that I needed to be hydrated. So I received IV fluids over the next two hours. In the meantime, Chuck had a delivery to make so he left me there to finish.
Now that I know I will not be starting the school year, my goal has become to improve my immune system so that I don't have to miss any more time when I do return. After this last postponement, November 1 is not looking unreasonable. Ala in all, my side effects seem to be lasting longer as I get further along in the process. This last 2 weeks, I have had side effects for 10 days or so.
Jordan, Amity, and Randi have moved back to the Temecula area. It is very quiet around here without them. Even Einstein misses them and their dogs. He has created a new game to entertain himself. He takes one of his toys and drops it in the basket that I have for grandkids to put their things when they come over. The problem is, he isn't tall enough to get his toy back out. So then he barks, just once, for me to get it for him. Of course I do and the whole process starts over. I am looking forward to seeing their new place and going out for Randi's first day of kindergarten.
I spent 5 hours at kaiser yesterday. The nurse had difficulty with my port again. She called the doctor to get the ok to declot but by the time she got approval, her shift was over. When another nurse took over, I asked her if we could try one more time. This time, it worked. But the doctor had decided that I needed to be hydrated. So I received IV fluids over the next two hours. In the meantime, Chuck had a delivery to make so he left me there to finish.
Now that I know I will not be starting the school year, my goal has become to improve my immune system so that I don't have to miss any more time when I do return. After this last postponement, November 1 is not looking unreasonable. Ala in all, my side effects seem to be lasting longer as I get further along in the process. This last 2 weeks, I have had side effects for 10 days or so.
Jordan, Amity, and Randi have moved back to the Temecula area. It is very quiet around here without them. Even Einstein misses them and their dogs. He has created a new game to entertain himself. He takes one of his toys and drops it in the basket that I have for grandkids to put their things when they come over. The problem is, he isn't tall enough to get his toy back out. So then he barks, just once, for me to get it for him. Of course I do and the whole process starts over. I am looking forward to seeing their new place and going out for Randi's first day of kindergarten.
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