A Week of Fun & Appointments

Hi everyone

Well, this will be a long one, as it is a weeks worth of information and pictures!!

Last Thursday, my girlfriend Sandy and I drove out to Fort Langley to wander around - we had been trying to do this for about 6 months! We found a perfect parking spot in the shade and then began our attempt to find just the right place to go for lunch! The first store we looked into was a candle store - it was great - Old Candle Factory Ltd. I bought a couple of pairs of tapers that looks very interesting. And you can make your own candles there. So, we thought it might be interesting to get some of the gals that we go out for dinner with there and make some candles and then go out for lunch. And I am thinking about getting my girls and going there and doing the same. We wandered up and down Glover Road to see what was interesting for lunch. There were several and one that we thought would be fun didn't open till 4:30 - so you know what that means - we have to go back. But we found one that was so cute - the house was built as a family home in 1923. It is called Beatniks Bistro! They had more seating on the deck compared to inside. We sat on the deck and enjoyed a wonderful lunch and some wine of course. And I will go back for sure, good food, wine, prices and staff! We then wandered around and just snooped in stores to see what was there. But we had to go into Roxanne's Hats as I needed to find a red hat - will explain that one in another blog!!! We were allowed to take only one picture in there - fear of us taking pictures and then designing our own - have you seen my craft work!!! But I did manage to find one I liked - even if "some" people laugh at it. We did manage to find a funky 50's diner up the street and had to go in for some ice cream! They even had the little gizmos at each table with pages of songs in them to play - and we did! But realized that we knew almost every single song and the words that went with the song!!!

Combined lunches - Sandy had a wonderful salad & I had the ussels in a creamy white

sauce

Friday - what a blast - Meghan, Ryan, Patrick and I went to the Reiffel Bird Sancturay in Ladner - we has so much fun. Ryan did too - feeding the ducks and talking to them as well. We had a goose follow us for about half the trail - he walked right up by Meghan and if he decided to nibble on food, he would run to catch up with us. I think he thought Ryan was another goose, they were about the same height!!! Not sure who was more tired, us or Ryan!!! He eventually fell asleep in the van on the long ride home - traffic was a mess!

Ok, that was a good day - now for the weekend!

On Sunday, we had a surprise baby shower for Meghan. We had a lot of fun - about 25 friends and family were there. And "Madelynn" sure got a lot of very nice things - lots of pretty pink outfits. Meghan and Corey won't have to do laundry for a while! It was great to see old neighbours, new neighbours, and freinds and family from both sides. And lots of good food too - especially the Guacamole made by Dwayne - mmmmm was so good! And the beautiful cake made by Kim H for Meghan - looked so cute and tasted very good. There were 4 little ones - Linnea 5, Sophie 2, Ryan 2 and Alexus 13 months. They all played so well together and later Alexus and Ryan were an item - holding hands (she started it) and hugging - so very cute. We used a bit of a mean ruse to get Meghan here, but all in all she was ok with it - once her blood pressure went back down and she gave the culprits the evil eye!!! The young guys (Dwayne, Corey and Patrick) did a great job of getting all the tables and chairs from the deck to the lawn and then brought them all back up again. Decorating team of Tamara, Pat and Lindsay did an awesome job of putting up the balloons and streamers. And then the phone call for Meghan from Maui - her Dad and Chantal are there and unfortunately missed the shower, but they called during it and it sure brought a smile to Meghan's face. A good time was had by all - nice to have gatherings like this - and especially when you can still do it outside at the end of September!

On Monday, Meghan and I went to the cancer clinic for the Stress Reduction Series put on by the CCS. We got there for 1:30.... knocked on the door several times. No one was answering the door. Went to the receptionist and asked and she wasn't sure what was going on. Then read the sign and got the extention of the gal who had called me. She said it had been cancelled due to the instructor being sick. She said she had left a message for me at home - well I was at home at 11 and she didn't call the land line! She had called the cell which was off (which it is when I am home!). So, we went shopping instead!!! I had told her and Corey that Brian and I would by the play pen or play yards are they are called now! So we went to Wal-Mart - and there was one that had everything she needed and at a really good price. It came home with us - and Meghan being Meghan - put it together immediately!! And put all of the stuff she got from the shower into it till she is able to put them in the baby room once Ryan moves out!

Tuesday - visit with Dr. P - to get the results of the CT scan and to just talk about the current treatment. Some of the larger tumours have shrunk - wahooo and that is a promising feeling. Though will still hold off till the next CT to get really excited. I had several questions for him - why my tumour markers have gone up so high - they were 374. He said that they do go up and down - depending on how the chemo is going, so nothing to really worry about. I was happy to see that my weight had gone down a kilo from the last visit - every woman's dream!!! He listened to my heart and lungs and said they sounded good. He is a little concerned over me being winded so easily - so along with the liver ultrasound he is going to book, he is also booking a heart ultrasound. Hopefully these will get done before I see him again. He also said depending as to what happens on Thursday, he may space out the weeks between treatments - say 4 or5 weeks between in order to give my body time to recoup and get the numbers up a little higher. Hopefully Thursday will be a good day and have great numbers!!!

Then it was time to go to Meghan's appointment with her OBGYN - a very nice doctor. She is doing well - even if Madelynn is growing like a sprout. Dr. Ho said that it would be fine for her to have the baby at any time and Meghan was just fine with that. So lots of walking for her the next while.....LOL! Let's get this baby here - we all want to meet her. Afterwards, went to Sears to check out strollers. Holy crap some of them are so damned expensive - over $500 for some. It is a stroller already! But she found one on sale and then got an additional 10% off, so brought the price down considerably. And as per usual, she put it all together last night!

Thursday - chemo day! Shannon came with me this time - now for those of you who know Shannon, she is not a friend of needles or blood - so when they accessed the port and such - she looked the other way - same as in chemo when they checked the blood flow - she looked the other way! Phil was my nurse today and I got to take a picture of him. My numbers were awesome! Ok, some were still low, but better then what they have been for a long time. Maybe there is hope yet!!! White count was 4.3, Red count 2.85, HB was 98 (down 1 from last time) and Neutrophilis 1.9 - way up from the last time! Not sure what the tumour markers were, didn't get that sheet. It went along smoothly which is so nice for a change!! Have some questions to call into the office about tomorrow - wrong times for blood work and not sure why I am being sent to another doctor. And also to check as to why not the heart ultrasound - sending me for and ECG and I phoned and checked with Meghan to see if she had heard the same thing as me - ultrasound - and the woman said it back to me to try and get them on the same day. Possibly they are doing the ultrasound and the ECG. Booked into November now - holy crap! Ok - got the dates and doctors straightened around. Have the Echocardiogram done on the 22nd - good, one down and one to go. Got Dr. P booked for Oct 27 and not the other doctor the unit clerk booked me with. Cher will call me with the date of the liver ultrasound and she is hoping to try and book it for the same day as the heart ultrasound, wishful thinking. And got the blood work back to the same day as chemo. Whew!

That is all for now.... lots to absorb, I know.

Hugz to everyone. Call me or email me or comment here! Gets very boring when I hear from no one - ok, there are one or two who contact me - that is it! I love hearing from people - no matter what way.... I can only read so much or be in the hot tub so much! Or come for a visit or we can always go out for a cup of coffee or tea; a glass of wine or two; a funky drink! A walk along the sea wall - long as I take breaks!!

Roni

Numbers stunk.....

Hi everyone

Well - started out a busy week!

Monday, went to the Medical Day Care to get cross-matched for my transfusion - piece of cake! The nurse accessed the port and left it in - less chance of infection. Was driven to and from the appointment by a volunteer driver from the Canadian Cancer Society - she was a very nice and chatty lady!

Wednesday, the transfusion - talk about a long boring day...... over 4 hours and no one other than me under the age of 70! At least the nurses were fun and Meghan came for part of it which was great - even if she did spill my bag of Ritz.... And again, had a volunteer driver take me to the cancer clinic and then home again. By the time though I had finished getting the transfusion (2 pints), I was so tired - poor heart was saying "hey, you are only supposed to have 6 pints of blood in your system and you are making me now pump 8!".

Well - today was blood work and chemo day. My friend Cris came with me - she of needle fear!! Got the blood work done and then went to lunch - Swiss Chalet - was yummy! Went back to the Chemo Room and Andrea was my nurse again - but not with good news. First my blood work was late getting to them. And then being told that my numbers were low. Which ones I asked? My white count was 1.1 and my hemoglobin was 99. But my neuts were 0.03 - in my boots. She called Gary and he said that there would be no chemo for me today and to just come and see him as planned on the 29th and have chemo on the 1st. I am to be careful being around people, check my temperature and to ensure that I wash the hands well - which I do. And I have a bottle of Purel in my purse.

I had an appointment planned for 3 with a counsellor just to chat about stuff - and we went up to see if she would take me early - 1:20. She said no problem and had a great session with her and got some good ideas on how to reduce stress and how to sleep better. I am going to an innovative group for relaxation on the 28th at the clinic - Stress Reduction Series - so will let you know how that goes. And Cris was a sweetie and waited around for me even though I had planned for Meghan to come and get me!

So that was about it.... was a little disappointing not to get the chemo - but what can you do. Seems this round has not been good to my body but hoping it is kicking the crap out of the tumours!

I go on the 24th for the CT scan and will get the results when I see Gary on the 24th.

Ciao for now.... keep in touch!!

Roni

V8 has nothing on what I need....

Hi everyone!

Just once, I would love to go to a chemo and have the chemo and no issues around it!!!

Saw Dr. P on the 9th - he had been on holiday and was well rested!!! Meghan came with me as my second set of ears. I asked him that if this round of chemo didn't work - what would be next - more chemo was the reply, either via an IV or an oral drug. So, it is a wait and see. I also found out that I wasn't using my pain meds correctly. I would take them when the legs were painful. Nope - should be taking the two meds on an ongoing basis - never thought of that! Also spoke to him about "alternative" therapies. Not that they are against it - that is how chemo started - using a few trees. They do tell you to be careful - and I have to agree - with some of the "natural" products, you do need to check and see what is in etc - and amounts. So, for the moment, will stick with chemo!!! I took a list of questions and he answered them all. And also, included side effects. I did ask him about the white count boosters - again he is not wanting me to do them - expensive (some of them are $2500 a session and one is $6000 a month). And he feels that they won't make all that much of a difference. (think the threat of them made my white count go up!)

Now - chemo day!!! I had Trace again - he is so much fun (unfortunately, I didn't get a good pix of him today, as he was attending to a new patient). And he is a walking chemo expert. I sat in the chair and he said well..... my hemoglobin counts were very low - we are talking 79 - they were 120 around August 20, my white count was great - 1.6 - wahooo. So, looks like transfusion time. Trace called Dr. P and explained - the cold hands, going up the stairs and feeling tired, the white inside of eyelids and me feeling cold when everyone else is warm. We thought it might happen today - that would have been a hell of a chemo session! (transfusions take about 2.5 hours per pint and you get two). Gary told Trace for me to come and see him in the North Clinic - to sign the paperwork for the transfusion. Should be Monday or Tuesday - two pints, same place that draws my blood etc - I love my port. And also, Gary gave the ok to go ahead with the chemo. Which progressed as it should.

Claudia came with me today -we used to work together. Told her it would be boring, but think she may have learned something today - you always do at chemo. Each time I go, I learn something new. And we had a lot of fun - she took some good pictures! Should have told her that I want to be in her luggage on November when she goes on another cruise! Will sure miss her whenever I go back to work!

So, I have chemo on Sept 17th. CT on Sept 24 (will be using the Cancer Car for this). Dr. P on Sept 29 and then chemo on Oct 1 and ct 8. Any other appointments - well, will just have them and depending on what they are, will be reported here!

Well, now that you know all about the visit with Dr. P, lab work, the chemo session and the time for the blood transfusion, time for me to just add some words on me.

Today was, for a better choice of words - my 1 year anniversary of chemo. I started on Sept 10 last year. It is Shannon's birthday - she is 27 today and also CW & Leina's 3rd anniversary!!! I was going to dye my hair pink, but I could not find colouring anywhere.... oh, well, the thought was there!

For those of you who have been following the blog and those that are around me, you have noticed that I am always upbeat and happy etc. For the most part, I am, but for a lot of it, I am not - I tend to do this for others more than me. One can only keep so much inside and I guess I am in overflow mode! People ask if I am scared - hell yes - I am scared to death as to what is going to happen, when the counts go way down or the chemo doesn't work. I have no control of my life right now and that drives me crazy. What happens if this chemo doesn't work, what else is out there - and I try and think positive, but within me there is a voice that says what "she" thinks. I hate gut feelings. The tears have been coming a lot more often of late; sleep has been harder - mind won't shut off and it has nothing to do with the cancer. Meds help sometimes and sometimes not. Brian mentioned this and maybe I need to talk to someone, and I am so glad that he did. So I told Gary and he spoke with the counselor for the cancer agency. She called me this morning - while I am having a hot and wonderful, lavender bubble bath - complete with candles! There is just too much stuff going on and it is affecting me both emotionally and physicaly than I had expected - trying to always being upbeat when you feel crappy! I will see Maureen (counsellor) more than likely next Thursday. I have my will in place as well as the important one, the Living Will (and everyone should have this and their will in place). You feel scared, doing a living will, it is talking about reality, pulling the plug (for lack of better words) - and this will be hard for Brian to do as well as my kids.

I have noticed over the months, that less and less people make comments on the blog, I know you are reading them - I have a counter, and I have made it easier to comment as well. I told Brian the other day, I hear from no one.... and that hurts. I know that for a lot of people they don't know what to say – and you have your own life to lead. Hell, tell me how your garden is doing, your quilting, you kids or grand kids. Come over for a glass of wine or a cuppa coffee or tea. What I don't like, is when people saying they will come over and then don't show. Please don't do that - it hurts - I look forward to company. A good friend called me the other day, and I said thank you for calling, have not heard from anyone for almost 2 weeks – and she felt guilty – she didn't call as she thought I might be sleeping. Call - it doesn't matter if I am sleeping.... probably time for me to get up anyhow!

So, please, be there for me - and I know it sounds selfish,, but I need my friends. I need the physical contact wth people. Seems like everyone has fallen off the face of the earth. And I know, yes, you are all busy people, work and your friends and family. But I need you too!

So, call me and let's go for a coffee somewhere, a walk (on the level please!), glass of wine, talk about gardening and I know there are a few of you out there! (I will be planting a bunch of bulbs soon, subtle hint!)

I am very excited about the upcoming birth of my 4th grandchild - Madelynn Sierra! All the cute clothing that is out for girls. I don't understand why not equal amounts for little boys! Gammie has bought a few outfits (joys of clearance racks), We are all excited about her birth - maybe we should do a pool to guess her weight - long as she is smaller then what Ryan weighed at birth!!!

Patrick is in the last stages of signing up for the military - he is going Navy! His father and I are both very proud of him. Once all the paperwork has been approved, he will be sworn in, and I plan on being there for that - as is Brian, Rick (Patrick's Dad) and Chantal. Yes, it means he will be away - but hell, there is this lovely thing called the Internet and also good excuse to see the Maritimes!

I know that Shannon has been very busy with work and the fall campaign. She works too long if you ask me - but she is very passionate about her work and how it can help so many people!! Very proud for what she is doing. Hard to believe she is 27 now - I can remember (ok, only some of it - stop laughing Ardene and Rick!!) when she was born - having this tiny child in my arms to look after for life - amazing for sure.

Brian is now at work and has been for 2 weeks - guess they really start next week to work on the vehicles for VANOC - 2010 - wonder if he can score some good tickets - just kidding.

If I have made some of you cry - and I know there will be a few - I am glad - it means you are alive and feeling what I am talking about - and it is good to cry once in a while - cleans out the eyeballs and the soul!!

There you have it - good stuff - and it is all good. Means I am alive and surviving! And that is what is important!

Hugz to you all!

Roni