Details tomorrow

Busy busy

     I love clean sheets...no wrinkles, fresh smell, NO CAT HAIR!  Charlie is being a spaz again.  Jumped up on the bed on top of Jeremy's face.  Not a pleasant way to wake up.  That was about 5am...didn't really get back to sleep after that.

     I've been keeping busy this week...dry cleaners, laundromat, staples, Joanns, CVS, etc. My dear friend, Shelley is coming down from South Carolina tonight.  She has to leave Sunday.  She is going to spend 14 hours driving to spend a little more than 24 hours with me.  I wish she could stay longer but such is life.  I can't wait to see her.

     I should be going in next week for treatment number 9.  My platelets were too low yesterday so we will see what they look like Tuesday.  It would have messed up my weekend plans anyways.  My white count is good so I can eat care free this weekend.  My nurse forgot to call admitting to let them know.  Admitting called at 10:30pm to see if I still wanted to come in...are you kidding!  That would mean maybe I would be checked in by midnight.  When would they start chemo? That just seems ridiculous to me.  I guess admitting doesn't know what goes on upstairs.  Who got discharged late enough that the room wasn't available until 10:30?  Either way it's lame.

     Helped some friends move today.  It was nice getting a little exercise that has a purpose.     Not that exercise for your health in a gym doesn't have a great purpose but it's nice to see something tangible at the end of it and not just a bunch of numbers on a screen (which are inaccurate most of the time).  It was also nice seeing people I haven't seen in too long and meeting some new folks too!

     When Jeremy got home he decided we should go out to eat.  We went to a new Mexican place nearby.  The fish tracks were delicious.  Jeremy's burrito...ridiculously huge!  He ate maybe half of it.  We also had drinks.  It was 2 for 1...bad idea.  I finished both dangerous but it has been a long time since I've had that much alcohol in one sitting.

     Howl o scream starts this weekend.  Good luck to all my BG peeps this season.  I hope I make it out one of the nights.  Shelley is almost here so I'm signing off.  good night:)

Love to all my family and friends back home.  Miss you all very much!

    I had a nice surprise yesterday.  Early yesterday, at the hospital, the doctor came in and told me my white blood count wasn't good enough to be sent home and they may need to keep me a few more days.  This was day 3 so I'm pretty ready to go home.  A couple hours later, the doc comes in again and asks 'how would you like to go home today'.  I said 'that would be swell'.  Turns out she was looking at my counts from the day before.  A friend of a friend is a pharmacist for the hospital and she caught it.  I am so glad someone on the inside is watching out for me.  There are a lot of patients and I understand things get overlooked (hopefully not the major stuff).  I got out pretty fast too.  From the time the doc said I could go and when I actually walked out the door was only a few hours.

     So here is how it went down...Thursday checked into the DRC at 8pm.  I was told they could not move me upstairs because they did not have a bed.  This was not a problem for me as I was quite comfortable in the bed they had in the DRC.  Plus my night nurse was cool.  Jeff was from Detroit, likes Led Zeppelin and had a tell it like it is attitude and did not take forever getting the meds I needed.  So the next morning they say they are just waiting for a bed upstairs again.  This doesn't happen, which is still fine with me.  My day nurse is cool.  Jorge gave me this pill that immediately made me nauseous, which has never happened before.  I told him how I felt and he gave me another medicine that immediately made the nausea disappear and put me to sleep.  That was a bonus because you don't really sleep well in a hospital at night.  I was so surprised by how quickly everything came on and went away.  As he was saying this may make you sleepy, I was falling asleep.  I was also trying to text a friend at the time.  It took forever to finish the message because I kept closing my eyes.  The message never did send.  Apparently, there is a lot of lead on the main floor and it ruins cell signal.  I had to email Jeremy with my kindle on the hospitals wifi to reach him.  I could receive messages, just couldn't reply.  Anyways, I spend the day in the same little room.  About 2 am some nurses come in to move me.  I thought it was more like 5am but I had trouble reading the clock that early and quickly from sleeping.  I still don't understand how this happened.  Was someone really released in the middle of the night?  Either way, per protocol, the nurse had to ask me a gazillion questions to check me into the floor.  She felt bad about having to keep me up but I didn't really care.  I found the constant apologies more annoying then just getting down to business.  Everyone was really sweet though.  I had another nurse, Julie that has taken care of a coworker a few years ago and her daughter goes to our summer camps.  Next year I'm going to try to help her with doing an overnight camp.  This kid sounds really interested in animal behavior and not just cute animals.  Those are the good ones.  They see past the cute and cuddly and have a genuine interest in learning the nature of it.  Julie sat with me the whole time I was getting platelets just shooting the poop.  I don't know if she has to stay during transfusion but I enjoyed our conversation and at the end of it I ended up getting released so pretty cool.

     Keeping it low key the rest of the weekend.  I'm still low and my treatment next week will probably be pushed back a week.  Just the way it goes now.

well fudge

     It seems no matter how careful I am, sometimes bad things are bound to happen.  Last night my temp was highish but not go to the ER high.  With that information I laid around all day today and drank lots of fluids and ate soup.  Before my bath I checked my temp and it was high enough to call but I knew they would tell me to come in so I took my bath.  I was hoping it would go down but it did not, so I called and here I am.  Probably have to stay 2 nights as usual.  I'm pretty annoyed but what are you going to do...not a darn thing.  There are just some things we have no control over.

     Last night Mr Kitty was screwing around in the bathroom and knocked something over.  Today before running my bath I checked the tub for particles...I have to have a clean tub always and sometimes the cats get litter or fluff in it.  The tub looked spotless so I proceeded.  Once in I see something small floating.  It was definitely a section of an insect. Upon closer examination I found 2 tiny wings, 3 tiny legs, another unidentifiable section and what looked like a mosquito.  I was totally grossed out but remained in the tub placing all the pieces on the side of the tub.  I guess I know what Kitty was doing...eating and dismembering some type of bug.  yuck!

    Sitting in the big chair, getting some blood.  It only takes 2 hours when you are not in for treatment.  When you are in it takes twice as long, if not longer.  The person next to me is getting arsenic.  That's crazy!  I am trying to avoid the chaplain by wearing headphones but not listening to anything.  She asks if you would like to talk and I would just feel rude saying not really.  But I really don't want to.  I know how the conversation would go and it just doesn't interest me at the moment.  She is gone.  I'd love to take a nap but the conditions are not good and I have to pee.

The day after

     I happily did nothing today after the long, eventful weekend.  Tomorrow I will be more productive.  I watched Young Victoria that a friend sent me in the "fun box"...loved it!  

What a weekend!

     85 people were treated today for heat related illness at the concert...I was not one of them!  I had sun protective clothing, sunscreen, a big floppy hat, water spritzing fan and chilly towel.  Chilly towel is amazing.  I don't understand how it's possible but it turns warm water really cold for a long time.  I lasted all day and felt fine...not even close to over heating.

     The bands today were great.  We heard yesterday that Fun had cancelled.  I was not heart broken.  The replacement for Fun...John Fogerty!  Are you kidding? Best replacement ever!  I'm not sure who I enjoyed more, Fogerty or Mumford and sons.  No, I enjoyed Fogerty more.  While I love Mumford lyrics and instrumentals and feel like they are the first group in a long time worth listening to (they are actually talented, unlike most of what is on the radio nowadays), their music live is not on the same level as Fogerty.  It made me miss going to concerts like I used to back in the day.

    I'm so glad this weekend worked out.  It would have only been improved upon if Jeremy came with.  We have to come back though and see the town.  So much history and cool stuff to do.  Also want to mention how awesome my friends are.  They really looked out for me and did more than was necessary.  I'm a lucky girl:)

Excellent day

     Yesterday was awesome.  It was a little hot but we found a place in the shade and laid our towels down.  The music was good, the people watching was great, good food, good prices (except for the margaritas).  I had no idea some of the fashion that's in right now.  I saw one person last night with the flower ring around her head that was old enough to actually have been a hippy back in the 70s.  Everyone else...short shorts with heavy/tall boots(way too hot for all that nonsense).  That was the majority.  I saw one punk rocker.  Also a crazy hoola hoop girl totally wacked like 3 people in her expressive art form of dancing with a hoop.  How are blankets not allowed but giant hoola hoops are?  My phone died early so I have no pictures.

     More to come...stayed tuned (my phone is fully charged!)

It's concert time!

I am so excited for this weekend.  I am not even packed yet, so this is gonna be short and sweet.  I'm just listening to tomorrow nights line up...I like them all!  Doesn't start until 6 so shouldn't be super hot.  Saturday there are twice as many bands and a high of 85.  Not too bad.  I go in the morning to see where my numbers are at and then it's a 3 hour drive to St Augustine.

J and I saw a Barred Owl fly to a tree right in front of us.  I tried to make a mating call but the owl wasn't impressed.

Treatment 8 went smoothly.  I painted while waiting for my infusion appointment...should have gotten something to eat.  the lunch they give you is two slices of white bread with Turkey in the middle.  My packed lunch in elementary school was more interesting.  Also, a bag of lays potato chips...not at all healthy.  It does come with a banana and a water.  We took photos for the new art brochure.  now it is time for bed. 

It's been awhile

     So the latest news...I was scheduled for treatment number 8 on Tuesday but my platelets were too low.  My white count is good though.  What this means is I get a week off not having to worry about what I eat or being around crowds.  That is always nice, however, this puts me behind another week.  So my last treatment will be the second week of December.  Also, I have a concert coming up that I have been waiting all year for.  I bought the tickets before I knew I had to go through treatment and I have considered not going.  I've talked with my doctor and it should be ok.  If I have treatment the Tuesday before, my wbc should still be ok to be around crowds (I'm going to have labs done before I go to be sure) and then my only concern is being in the sun and staying hydrated.   Each person is allowed one sealed container of water...So technically I could bring a gallon.  That might be a bit much to carry around.  Shade is the other concern.  From photos, there doesn't appear to be any.  I'm waiting on a call back to see what my options are.  The FAQ states it is ADA accessible and I feel I fall under that.  They say there is a viewing area ADA.  You can not bring umbrellas, which is typical, but it also says no blankets...That was one of my shade options.  I do not understand the no blanket rule.  what are people supposed to sit on?  It is a two day festival...people are not going to stand for two days.  I guess you sit on the dirt.  Chairs are prohibited, which is not uncommon.  I'm looking into uv protective clothing but then there is the over heating issue.  I should just write Mumford and ask if I can sit with them ;) I better learn their names first...that would be rude to ask favours and not know their names.

     Having a good weekend so far.  Some friends came over for a movie night yesterday, met another friend for breakfast this morning.  Had lunch with more friends and went to the gym.  I felt like I was able to give a little more without exhausting myself, so that's good.