Hands free!

attempt #3

     Okay people...mom and I are sitting in the waiting room, waiting for the moment of truth.  If we are a go today my infusion will start at 11am, which means I should be done by 5 or 6pm.  I like that better than 9 or 10pm.  I have some laundry that needs to be done.  Funny how someone with all the time in the world still puts off doing laundry.  It's not that I don't want to do it, I just forget it's there.  I also don't like to do it.  My co-workers can attest to that:/.  There are just so many more important things to do before laundry (at work at least) until we have no blankets or towels for the babies...then it's important.  At home I really don't have anything more important to do so I have no excuse.

     Jeremy and I joined a wellness centre yesterday.  We have not enjoyed it yet and if I get treatment today I won't be able to for 2 days at least.  For 2 days after chemo no one can be in contact with my fluids.  I have to flush the toilet twice.  If I throw up, whoever cleans it has to use gloves.  It's almost like I'm a villain and if you make me mad, I'll spray you with chemo saliva like a viper sprays his venom (I think it's vipers that can do that...been out of the game too long).  I could be a hero and only spray bad people.  Honestly, the only people that make me mad are bad people, but then who am I to judge?  I digress.  The wellness centre.  It has an indoor walking track, an indoor lap pool (salt water) and an indoor hot pool and sauna.  Those are the things this place has that the Y next to our home does not.  It is a further drive but monthly is only $10 more than the Y and I don't have to worry about swimming in the sun.  Plus it's a quieter crowd.  I just hope my doc says it's ok to use the pools and sauna.  They also have a bunch of classes (yoga, tai chi, etc).  For some reason I can not find the motivation to do yoga at home.  Once I am home by myself, getting up to go to the wellness centre will be my job.  The nice thing is I can take my time.  I can spend hours there.  I don't have to worry about rushing to get to work after my workout.  After that, I will work out a plan for dinner and cook a fresh meal.  I feel like one of those new tampa women that don't work outside of the home.  I just drive around in a less expensive car.  When I was working, my day was broken down in hours and depending on the day exercise would get squeezed out.  Get up at 6 to work at 7, get off at 3:30ish and then work out and shower and then figure out dinner.  Unless we had social plans.  In that case the gym gets the axe and I go straight home to clean up and get cute.

     Okay, any minute now the doc is gonna come in...(9:11am)

11:00am...infusion centre is on schedule. It's going to be a good day.

    Yay! We made it.  I get my own room this time.  Usually I'm in an alcove with another person with just a curtain between us.  Last time I was here I met Nate and his mom.  High school kid.  I can't remember what he was in for...I blame the chemo.  So my counts are good.  My liver is good.  We are backing off of the drugs that affect my kidneys.  It will still be effective and serve its purpose but be less taxing on my kidney.  The doc also said I am good to go with the pools and sauna at the gym so that's awesome.

     Alright, time to hunker down and watch some movies.

It's been awhile

     We've had a busy week!  We go out in the early afternoon and get home by 7 and I am pooped! Wednesday we met up with our friend Michelle and explored the Henry B Plant museum and had lunch.  It was actually really cool.  Super old hotel that had a bunch of items from around the world.  The couple that created this place had way too much money and time but it really is a neat place full of history.  Definitely worth a visit.

plaque telling of proper etiquette of the time

Look, I go on forever.  I would have moved the vase out of the picture but they don't like you to touch things.

I want one when I have a garden.  They were placed all around the gardens and people sat on them.  Not too comfortable but was anything comfortable back then?

A super cool piano

     Thursday, we drove to St Pete for the day.  We had lunch with with friends and then went to the Holocaust Museum.  We didn't quite get through everything in the 2 hours we had until they closed and they kicked us out.  They had so much information and pieces donated from people that had actually lived it.  It was a perfect day to walk around outside.  Not too sunny, a light breeze.  We went to a coffee shop and later an ice cream shop.  I could definitely spend more time down there.  One of these days we will go back and see the sunken gardens and maybe some other museums.  I'd like to see what is on the pier too. 

     Today, I don't know what we are going to do.  I might find someone to give me a foot massage or go sit by the pool and read for hours.  I do know I have all day to decide :)

Well it looks like I get another week off :/.  My neutrophils are to low and there is nothing I can do to help them increase.  Those are the little bits that, when they are low, means I should stay away from crowds and sick people or else I end up in the hospital.  So we wait another week and hope I'm up enough next time to get this ball rolling again.

So today, we are going to see Jeff and the moose.  I already checked it with the doc.  She just can't kick me or scratch me and I can make that happen.  Then we are going to find a library so I can get a card again to borrow books on my kindle.  We might come back to the hospital later to do some silk painting.  And that's all I have for today.

     Had a nice weekend.  I got to see some friends at trivia on Thursday.  We did not win.  I'm not very good at trivia.  Even if I know the answer, as soon as they ask the question I forget the answer and start over thinking it.  This is the same thing that happens when I take tests...not that I've had any tests to take in the past 10 years.

     Friday, I had a movie night with my friend Krissy.  We watched Warm Bodies.  I never really got into the whole zombie craze and it was a movie I was on the fence about setting.  I highly recommend watching this movie.  It was really good/funny.   Loved it!    

    Saturday was full of errands and then cooking some delicious chicken.  Today, we finally went to a produce stand we always pass when we go to whole foods.  Excellent prices on a variety of produce.  Mom helped me make a delicious dinner.

Things I learned today

     Today, I learned I can make delicious pancakes all by myself without making a huge mess.  Almond milk makes tomato soup taste funny and my taste buds do not like it.  White Kraft singles are not as good on a grilled cheese as the yellow ones.  The last thing I learned today...I cook a mean stir fry!

     I have decided that almost everyday I am going to go to Publix to and just get what I need to make dinner.  This may sound crazy to people who make one weekly trip to the grocery store however I have time and need something more to do with it.  Those who know me, which you wouldn't be reading this if you didn't, know I don't cook well.  I'm going to change that.  I was going to learn Spanish but I think cooking might be easier.  I guess I could try to do both.

Anybody have an old Rosetta Stone laying around?

phooey

     Jeremy and I went to my doctor this morning as scheduled.  My labs came back showing my counts still too low which means no chemo for me today.  We are going to try again in a week.  This is the longest I've gone between treatments.  I do not like going off schedule but no matter how good I feel the numbers don't lie.  So keeping it low key until next week.

meow

A great weekend

We had a really nice weekend!  Saturday, we discovered a really cool place to eat/hang out (thanks to groupon).  It has a regular bar feel with a nice outside tiki area and the menu was really interesting.  I had a chicken sandwich with brie and green apples on it and yummy sweet potato fries.  We will definitely be taking people there as they come to visit.  

Sunday, we met up with family and went down to St Pete.  I have not been there in probably a year.  It's such a cool place.  Lots of little shops and cool places to hang out.  A friend of ours is opening a brewery and he gave us the grand tour.  I can't wait until they open.  They have a great spot and they are taking the time and money to do it up right.  We ended up eating at Brews and BBQ...delicious!  We got home around 5 and that was it.  Food coma rendered us useless for doing anything else.  It was a good day.

Today, I'm just putzing around...maybe go to the store, get stuff together to see my doctor tomorrow, maybe trivia tonight.  We shall see.  Right now though...it's price is right!

Charlie watches with me :)

home

I got home around 4 today.  What do you do after being cooped up in a small room for 3 days...dinner and a movie at home with kitties.  My counts are up but not so up I would chance crowds.  it's nice to be home.

Still working on going home

     Turns out the doctors like you to have a normal temp for 24 hours before they let you go.    We shall see what happens.  My temp was 99.7 last night so...yikes.  I feel good though and my counts are up.  I kind of slept well.  I pulled my sleeping beanie down over my eyes to hide the laser light show that goes off in my room.  Once you turn off the lights you see the green light from the vitals machine that the nurses decided to leave in my room rather outside.  At the end of the bed there is an alternating red and green flash that lights up the entire wall.  Then I turned on my head phones to drown out the noise outside my room.  I love seeing or hearing people enjoy what they do but these techs have got to know we can hear everything in our rooms and laughing and carrying on from 1am to 5am is not cool.  Also, something is periodically "placed" against the wall just outside my room.  From inside my room it sounds more like someone is punching the wall.  This made me jump the first 10 times which causes me pain in certain regions.  My nurse gave me a pain pill for that.  It helped me relax but did not take away the pain.  So between the pill, headphones and beanie eye cover I got 4 good hours of sleep in 2 hour increments.  When I get home I'm going to update my mp3 player with some relaxing sleepy time music.  The most soothing option I had was Alice in Chains.

by all that is holy, save me from this monster on my plate

I can not identify some of the food items on this plate.  It is a good thing breakfast was normal and I ate a decent amount.  The description of today's lunch would imply that I am looking at meatloaf with gravy, baked potato (I recognized that one), fresh braised greens, wheat roll and gelatin orange creamsicle.

Another thing about moffit that is better...choices! They bring you a menu and you fill out what you want.  You could even write in hamburger or pizza.

The doctor here is going to get in touch with my doctor there to see if he wants them to administer my chemo since I'm here...not going to happen on my watch.  I understand that I am not the only patient here but I have very little trust in a place that loses samples quicker then I can give them, takes 5 hours to get me a dose of miralax and a B vitamin (after talking to 4 different people about it) and doesn't already know my blood type from the 4 other times they have taken it in the past 24 hours.  The nurse just left at 12:58.  He informed me at that time he will need to draw blood for typing because the doctor ordered blood to be given to me (that doc came at 11am to talk to me).  I shall post when he comes back to take blood and when the transfusion starts (which will take 8 hours).


So the chef stopped by to see how everything was going...perfect timing.  I told him I can not have fresh fruit or raw vegetables (my braised greens are cold) and that meatloaf is not my favorite.  Apparently, when the people come to take my tray they are supposed to ask me what I want for my next meal.  My breakfast tray sat here until 12 when they brought in my lunch tray so it was too late to put in an order. This leads me to believe the lunch ladies don't care what food I would prefer to eat.  Tonight, we are having turkey and I am sure it will be covered in gravy just like the meatloaf and the chicken I had for dinner yesterday.  The meat could never stand on its own so the gravy is a must but I don't like gravy.

Another doctor just left...the computers are locked up so they can't do anything with the blood until it's fixed.  They would have had to request the blood type specifically which is a different code than what they did for the labs so that is why they don't already have my type. It is now 1:30.  Still waiting on the miralax and vitamin.  They probably can't do anything with that because the system is locked up.  You just can't trust hospitals to have your best interest in mind.  Am I allowed to walk out?

 5:54 the nurse is going down to get my blood but they have to take a sample of mine to do a culture first. I forgot to watch the time but a few hours ago he came in to get the blood for typing. Still waiting on the miralax. "The guy" finally called him back and its ready. Next time I'll bring that from home.

6:49 blood is up and flowing.  3 hours each, 2 bags...guess I'm not going home tonight.  They didn't really want me to go home anyways.  Where is the money in that.  Still waiting on miralax.

ER

So spending the night at the hospital.  Just a low grade fever but it's enough to send me to the ER.  Hopefully I will get to go home tomorrow and stay on track with my chemo this week.

So when you walk into the ER you go to one booth to put your name on a list and grab a mask.  They then call you to get your story and vitals.  Then you get another call to go to registration.  After that, you get called to another tech to tell your story again and get a urine sample.  Lastly, you get called to the back where you get a bed.  There are also no signs telling you where all these different booths are.  There seemed to be no order to the madness.

I would have preferred to be at moffit.  So far, my urine sample has been lost and my blood wasn't properly handled so those things had to be redone.  I'm pretty sure they forgot about me outside the ct scan room.  And right now.  The nurse was going to be right in to hook me back up about an hour ago.  Maybe she is waiting until 10 to do my antibiotic as well.  

game night

Jeremy says I should blog before I leave for game night so it's going to be a quicky.  This whole weekend has been great.  Jeremy made me dinner yesterday and breakfast again this morning!  I really do need to help out more with the cooking but I tend to do dumb things and ruin stuff.  I'm really good at doing the dishes though.  This morning I was scrubbing the dishes as he was cooking (I hate doing a pile of dishes, so I do then as they come).  I actually felt short of breathe from scrubbing (I also over scrub because I don't believe I can get them clean enough...that is not chemo related, I've always been like that).  That is one thing I do not miss about work.  A huge sink pulling over with dishes.  I would take gutting small mammals over a sink full of dishes any day!

Looking forward to seeing a bunch of friends tonight and playing some board games! Have to go get ready.  Here is my new scarf

summertime

     Today, we went down to the pool.  I sat in the shade of course and stayed out of the pool.  There were a ton of kids! They were loud and boisterous.  I didn't mind so much though.  I just sat and read my book.  They didn't splash me so we were all good.  They reminded me of when I was a kid.  We had a pool in our backyard and all the kids and cousins would come over.  We were loud and obnoxious too.  We had so much fun!  Jumping off the garage roof into the pool, running around the outside and jumping over the wall (the pool was above ground and round), jumping off the railing, etc.  There was the grumpy old man, Cass, next door.  We were also not allowed to splash mom.  I am now the grumpy old neighbor and lady who does not want to be splashed (I'm less grumpy though...Cass was just an ass).

     I have rediscovered the bubble bath which is quickly becoming one of my favorite "events".  I say event because that is how my life works right now.  Since I no longer have the routine of work, life's pace has slowed way down.  I mark my days by things done outside of the house or some days just off the couch.  Before, a bath would have to be planned into the day.  Not the case anymore.  It takes forever to fill up the tub though but at least we don't run out of hot water before it's done.  I forego the wine at this point.  I'm not trying to cause my liver additional strain...chemo is enough.  I hear Jeremy making something in the kitchen so I may be getting some sort of treat...me thinks coconut milk based.  Water is done...peace out!

     

Happy Independence Day

No big plans today for us.  My counts are going down so we are keeping it low key.  Jeremy made breakfast...delicious.  We watched a documentary one evening in the hospital and it got him looking at some new recipes.  He made scrambled eggs with sweet potato hash browns.  Tomorrow we will add sausage to the mix and toss it in the oven.  I love breakfast.

We did a bit of running around which was good.  As long as I'm not carrying anything I don't get too tired and walking leaves me almost feeling energized.  The climb up the stairs is a different story.  Phew!

It is time to find a movie and some dinner.  Hope everyone had a nice fourth of July.

I'm home!

     This was a good one.  It seemed to go fairly quick and without incident.  They actually got me out when my mesna was done and not 3 hours after.  My discharge nurse was most informative and I learned some new things that other nurses would deem unnecessary information.  I like to know the ins and outs and appreciate having too much information.

     Mom and I enjoyed a nice lunch at Olive Garden, complete with salad.  Then we went to a matinee.  We saw The Heat.  It had some good parts but I felt like the best parts they already teased you with in the previews and then when you saw them in the film, there was nothing more to them.  The funniest parts were exactly what you saw in the previews.  After that, even though I was not hungry we stopped at Dairy Queen and I got the tiniest m&m blizzard.  Now we are home doing laundry and getting settled back in.  Mr Kitty is cleaning and Charles is hiding in the back room.  He is very vocal and affectionate when you go back to him but he rarely comes out to the common area for pets.

     Having labs done today and seeing the actual numbers to know I'm not neutropenic means I have a normal immune system and can eat restaurant salad and ice cream from a machine.  Tomorrow my numbers will probably be fine but eventually they will dip down and I will be susceptible to infection before my next appt.  It's better to be safe than sorry so I will be going back to the rules tomorrow but today I got to cheat without repercussion.  Of course I still might pay later for it just in a normal way :/.