Chemo Cycle 7 is History!!

It seems surreal that I will only visit the chemo chair one more time!! If I were a pessimist - which I'm not - I could say "one more time" this time around. However, I've ALWAYS been an optimist, and I will steadfastly remain one.

Over the past week, I randomly encountered two women - one old and one young - who had stories to tell that could have easily gotten me down in the dumps. The first, a lovely older woman in a washroom in Quesnel's Super Store, took one look at me in the mirror while we washed our hands side-by-side, and stated, "Chemo! I've been through that twice, and my husband, once." We went on to have a frightening lovely conversation (there's that instant camaraderie again), ending with her wishing me the best and me feeling like I just passed through a whirlwind. I WILL REMAIN AN OPTIMIST! On Wednesday, while shopping with Esther between doctor visits in Kamloops, a young cashier asked the same "Chemo, right?" question.  She went on to relay how she has been her mom's support system while she endured chemo three times.  I WILL REMAIN AN OPTIMIST!

Arriving a few minutes after my 9:00 a.m. appointment because of the mandatory McDonald's coffee stop (many of you will get this "joke" ... LOL), I got all hooked up about 9:15.  Big surprise ahead ... wait for it ... wait for it ... NOPE ... NO BLOOD!! At least the nurses know to go straight for the vial of Alteplace now, they don't waste time with all the contortionist positions and get me to cough my lungs out (making all the other patients run for their surgical masks).

Trying to save me time by not waiting the full 60 minutes, my nurse, Jacquie, checked for blood return at 15 minutes ... nothing.  30 minutes ... nothing.  60 minutes ... BINGO!  None of the professionals can determine why a clot buster helps with what appears to be a positional problem, but hey, let's not ask "why" as long as it works.

An aside:  On my long list of appointments and trips in the last post, I forgot to mention that Dr. Proctor wants my port out ASAP.  Therefore, add another surgery to the list sometime after Cycle 8. I was really hoping it could wait until my reconstruction surgery, getting a "2-for-1 deal".  However, the only reason patients have a port left in is in anticipation of more chemo.  If I ever need chemo again ... I WILL REMAIN AN OPTIMIST ... apparently, no one in their right  mind would ever use this port!

Finally, I was hooked up to the first pre-med just before 11 a.m.  David, very impatient by this time, is tapping his foot uncontrollably and asking if Kate and Esther are ever going to arrive (his permission to leave!)  Reminding him that he had now spent a grand total of 2-1/2 hours with me at chemo, and this was Cycle 7, he needed to remain cognizant of the fact that Kate had spent upwards of 15 hours with me so far at chemo. "Suck it up, buttercup!!" When I got a text that the girls were just looking for a parking spot (an impossible feat at the Kamloops Hospital), I gave David permission to vacate the premises.

By this time, I was hooked up to Benadryl and fighting to keep my eyes open.  However, I didn't want to be Sleeping Beauty right when the girls arrived, so I soldiered on, propping my eyes open with some nearby toothpicks (oh ... that must have been in my drug-induced dreams).  I'm looking a bit "Out there in La La Land" in this photo as a result :) In the first 5 pictures Kate tried, I thought I was smiling, but no smile appeared in the photo.

The girls thought I was looking rather angelic with the sun streaming in the window behind me.

The three hours hooked up to Taxol were uneventful.  The print-off of my blood results indicated that my numbers have never been better (God answers prayer!).  After a quick stop at the Safeway Pharmacy for more Neupogen -- to keep my aches coming on Sunday AND keep my neutrophils high -- we were on our way home to Ashcroft.

Another one under my belt ... and only ...

ONE MORE TO GO!!!!!