The Latest

It's blurry, but it's still cute!

   We made it to see Santa at Willowbrook Mall- the kids were so dang cute!  Mykelle was talking to Santa from the line, trying to tell him what she wanted before she even sat on his lap.  When it was finally her turn, she ran up to his lap and told him she wanted a baby Cinderella doll for Christmas and that she's been good!  I sure hope Santa was listening... she'll be heartbroken if she doesn't get that doll!  Evan was good sitting on his lap, but still hasn't got down the asking for a present thing.  He was just happy to see Santa.  

   I've had further updates on the cancer and chemo front, but haven't felt like writing for a while.  Things have been busy and I've been kind of down because I have to be in the hospital for most of Christmas.  But as I keep getting told, it's all so I can experience many more Christmases with my family in the future!  I was able to have another CT scan and a PET/CT scan that came back showing "dramatic" response to the chemo, but there still being some "residual disease" left.  I have yet to hear if the doc will require an extra session of chemo before I go through the stem-cell transplant.  Currently I am in the hospital receiving chemotherapy to bring down my blood count so that I can rebuild it up with twice daily Neupogen shots after which they'll remove my stem cells to freeze for the later transplant, date TBA.  Make sense? :)

   So I'm in the hospital now on my third day of chemo.  Should be out tomorrow evening some time.  It's not been too much fun this time around, though today is a good day.  When I first came in (after a fun morning at the mall seeing Santa) it took the chemo 8 hours to start getting administered to me which meant pushing back when I get out of the hospital.  I was also under the misunderstanding (because the doctors told me wrong) that I'd be getting out Christmas Eve- nope.  Christmas day.  Then, I had a roommate that was "anti-social" as her mom put it.  I guess that means being completely rude to people around her and being whiny and grumpy?  She also kept the heat up to 80 which was almost unbearable!  I asked for a room transfer in the morning after she'd been on the phone griping about her roommate situation  and after she'd slammed the door on me... I guess it pays to complain once in a while- I got transfered to a private room with a view! 

   The same day as the transfer I was scheduled to get a catheter put in my chest where I'll be getting the stem cells removed.  While getting wheeled down on a bed to the OR the guy steering me rammed into the wall- hard!  It was kind of funny until we realized I was leaking chemo all over the floor!  They had to send people down in blue suits and gloves with masks to clean it up- and to think, that stuff they are so scared to touch is going into my veins!   The doc was great though, he played Michael Jackson for us while I was getting the surgery (my request).  When I woke, I was in intense pain so I received morphine and oxycodone- I felt like neither was working and I just had to wait it out.  To top everything off, I threw up- my first time actually throwing up since this whole thing started, so not too bad I guess!  

   I'm feeling much better today- I've been watching movies (thanks Mimi) and was even able to paint my toenails!  Things are looking up, probably since I'll be heading out soon enough.  We've decided to do Christmas for our family another day- probably Monday or Tuesday so we can be all be together.  It's a good thing our kids don't know how to read a calendar yet!

   Once again, I need to thank everyone for their support.  I'm reminded daily how blessed I am to have such caring friends and family rooting for me.  I was sent this quote by C.S. Lewis and thought it would be nice to share-

   "Imagine yourself as a living house.  God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking that house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense.  What on earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of -- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."