Thursday, April 23, 2009

So, it is a week later

and I have less than a week to go. I am almost four weeks out of chemo and I can EAT ICE CREAM AGAIN. Not great for my ever growing butt, but I am throwing caution to the wind. I have been frantically "getting ready" for not being able to do anything around the house for three weeks. Bills, cleaning out my inbox, making all my insurance phone calls, preregistering for surgery, talking to nurses, coordinately childcare for the next three weeks, etc. etc. etc. It is exhausting getting ready!!! Oh, and get this, I carried Nolan from one end of Southcenter Mall to the other. Wow - I couldn't have done that two weeks ago. Chemo sucks! Okay, couple good stories.....last weekend, we went with two other families to Great Wolf Lodge. It is a ridiculously huge indoor water park and lodge that you must stay at to go to the water park. All I can say is, IT WAS REALLY FUN!!!! We played hard on Friday night, and the morning of Saturday. When my family went for nap, I told everyone else we would be back around 2:30. Well, at 2:30, I was trying to get Nolan up and he was having NONE OF IT. I did everything this side of shake his head and say, "WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!" Mason said, "It is still rest time and I need to watch some TV." Grant probably saw the utter confusion in my face and said, "Why don't you go and we will meet you later." So, I went - don't have to ask me twice. I went on all the big slides with my girlfriends, with their kids, heck with pretty much anyone that would have me. I looked for my family, still not there, went to the "bar" got a drink with my girlfriends (Malibu Rum is 21% - just my speed) and said, "Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am the cancer patient." Finally, I went and got my family at 4:30. WHATEVER!!!! We had a great evening, had a pizza party in on of my girlfriends rooms, and fell into bed only to be awaken by Mason puking. Yep, that was fun. And he was too tired to go to the toilet or even move his head over the trash, so it was all over him. We had three twin beds, so we changed beds until that one got covered. Then we called the front desk, they got more sheets, remade both beds and very kindly said, "This happens - don't worry about it." I then got up every time he coughed to put his head over the trash. In the end, we were on the road with a puking child at 8:30am on Sunday. As soon as we got home (at 9:30 am) and I made some pedilite, he settled down and slowly started coming out of it. Thank goodness he didn't get sick on Friday night! Okay, next one.....on Tuesday I had a lung function test to see if my lungs were strong enough for this surgery, if I can survive it, etc. So, I show up and the guy takes me back to this room and puts me in a Plexiglas box and has me do all kinds of breathing, panting, holding my breath, etc. I told him that Grant told me I was going to get light headed. He said, "Maybe. We will see." A real orator that one. I was prepared for this to last 2 hours (as they told me). I was out in 20 mins. As soon as I realized that they had "predictions" on how I would perform (which he told me), I asked how the predictions were arrived at. He said, "They are based on formulas that take your weight, age, health, etc. all into consideration." MMMMM. I replied with, "So, how am I doing?" (This is after the first 3 minutes.) He said, "You are right on." Well, that wasn't good enough, so I thought - GAME ON. I spanked test after test....exceeding predictions. If there is an opportunity to compete, BRING IT ON. So, I didn't get light headed, my "capillaries are functioning at a normal level" and everything that chemo was supposed to hinder, didn't. So, after dealing with me, the gentleman said, "You are not the competitive type are you? So, are you going to go home and tell your husband he is a wimp?" I smiled and replied, "Good judge of character are you?? I am going to do much worse and you tell that surgeon that I spanked this. So, much for their formulas. Cancer rules don't apply to me." And I bounced away back to my life. HA. Happy Thursday, Ang

5 comments:

Daria said...

Things are really looking up ... good for you.

leslie kendall said...

You're my hero!!!

Anonymous said...

YOU GO GIRL!

We just did the Great Wolf too -we'll have to compare Tornado stories!

Good luck - Postive thoughts and prayers are with you!
MC

Haley said...

i love you girl! i love reading your writing because its EXACTLY how you talk! :) happy to hear good news (except the part about mason puking). ;)

Unknown said...

Dear Angie, Not only do Cancer Rules NOT apply to you. NO rules have ever applied to you. One more the many things I love about you. Elaine