84/365 Freedom

A crappy cell phone pic to celebrate the day I don't have to return here. My numbers are even better, no more infusions for me!

55/365 waiting

Soon to be my turn to get a cleaning.

41/365 Pink

Waiting for visiting to begin.

202/365 Infusions no more

Well, at least for the next 6 months. My numbers remain good and I just hope once those 6 months have passed I'll hear the same.

195\365 Hot, Hot, Hot

Weds July 14, 2010

193\365 I thought this day was a fail

I swore I was doing this daily but I couldn't find any image taken for the 12th so I posted an I failed entry and just went on. Today my crappy cell saved me. Bored because I'd forgotten my book I found myself going through the images on my phone while waiting for L's speech to be finished, and that is when I found this. Score! Oddly I remember pulling this out of my wallet to throw away then deciding to take a pic of it, but I don't know why I did. A very Dara moment for sure.



Goodbye to Movie Gallery. I, like so many others, hardly ever used you, and now you are gone. I do appreciate the ridiculously cheap movies I've scored in your going out of business sales, especially the blu-rays. Knowing me one day I'll be taking a picture of those.

176/365 Hot

Pictures like these





just don't portray the misery of this



plus humidity.

145/365 Luck, I had it today

It went from a hard rain, to this, to nothing, just as the bus pulled up.

113/365 Friday Infusion

It was supposed to be on Tuesday, and on that Tuesday I showed up in plenty of time for my appointment. The place was packed, it was hard to find a parking spot and there was a long wait for check in, and then there were no chairs available for the infusion. I was sent back out into the outer waiting room where I sat and sat. A woman came out and said there wouldn't be another chair open for an hour and there was a waiting list. That was it for me, I had to be home by a certain time and knowing when I finally did get back there it was going to take 4 hours once the meds actually started, I rescheduled. I heard "Tuesdays are always so crazy! This one is the worst yet!" I wish I had been bold enough to tell the scheduler if they didn't overbook it wouldn't be like this. She was all *dramatic sigh* "I don't understand why it's always this way."

Today things went well. I was there about 5 hours total, and I'm hoping it's my last. I go for a lab next Friday, then I see the Dr. the following Monday to find out the results and if I need more.

Just crappy cell phone pics today.

View from my chair.



Counting down to freedom.

110/365 Waiting

With my awesome, can carry everything, bag to keep me company.



Yes, crappy cell phone pic.

63/365 Another Infed Infusion

Thankfully there was no crazy long wait to see the doctor today, so everything went much smoother. In at 11:20am, out at 3:50pm, and only one stick this time. I had Toni again, and she doesn't freak out over my difficult veins, she doesn't freak when she unintentionally hurts me, she just gets the job done. I like that. Anytime someone sticks me with a needle and I see blood it's a cause for celebration. The only thing she did I didn't like was try to scold V for not holding my hand. I told her no, he knows what he's doing. I have my own little things I do to handle things I don't like and that might hurt, and that doesn't involve someone holding my hand.

There was a brownie, candle, and a happy birthday song, and a brownie, candle, and a happy last chemo day song. The woman who was having last chemo day had her husband take a ton of pictures for her caringbridge page, which made me feel okay about pulling out my own camera and taking a couple of pictures. Much better than the crappy cell phone.

See, crappy cell phone! Told you. Here it is with the other things keeping me company during all that stuck in the chair time. It feels like I'm never going to finish this book, it is an insanely easy read but there is nothing there that makes me want to keep reading. The DS is for Brain Age games, but I do terrible when I am in a place where people are talking, and there is the noise of a TV, so I don't know why I bother bringing it with me.



bag of the good stuff



Okay, I admit it, the really good stuff is the Benadryl because I love that floaty feeling when it hits. Yes, the cell camera did get used.



I go back in 3 weeks and see where I'm at, with another to follow unless my numbers are just stellar.

53/365 Six hours of my Monday

My appointment with the hematologist was at 9:20, but he was late and there was much waiting before I saw him for all of 2 seconds. He quickly showed me labs then sent me on my way to my first iron infusion to battle the ongoing anemia I am dealing with. I'd attempted to have this done once in a past, but after 3 unsuccessful and painful sticks that involved a lot of digging, and the second girl to work on me just shaking her head and sighing, I'd said enough. Today was better. One bad jab, one successful, and no pain like last time. I know who to ask for now, at least, and who to avoid.

First came steroids, then Benadryl, then the test dose and to see if I would have an anaphylactic-type reaction. Cheery thought.

I read until the Benadryl made me too drowsy, then I just talked with Vaughn. He sat there getting me things as I needed them, making me laugh over silly stuff.

When I didn't attempt to die on them they gave me the big bag. (crappy cell phone pic)


This was my stylish pink wrap to keep my IV secure.


This took place at one of the local cancer centers where outpatient IV chemotherapy services are given. There was a display with wigs and hats, and people came and went, some of which were obviously very, very ill. Most patients who walked in there looked at everyone of us sitting in those recliners and gave each a smile. I returned all smiles and head nods, and said a little prayer for them for whatever battle they were fighting, even if it was just anemia like me. A fearful little part of me fretted this was my introduction to this place and I'd be seeing much more of it. I wish my mind didn't work like that but it does. I didn't dwell on that or let it get me down, I had a bad book to read and a silly husband to chat with, and I'd be damned if I was going to worry over myself there, of all places.

I do go back for at least one more treatment next Thursday, then the doctor will decide if I need more based on labs. I'm hoping this will fix me.