chemo number 3

Well, today was a monumental occasion...chemo number three is officially OVER! So far so good but I am still hopped up on 'roids so check back with me this weekend to see how I'm doing. Kiddos are out of school (wonderful timing, Ozark!) so I made a rush trip up and back today. My friend Little T drove us and our friend Stoney went with us (wink, wink, nod, nod Rita Ballou!) OMG those two are a riot. We used to all work together (although I don't think all three of us have ever been at the bedside in the same unit at the same time, which is probably good for the hospital noise level). Little T's the only one who still does bedside nursing, Stoney has moved on to an ancillary procedure nurse type job and I had too until I was wrongly fired because of a lying you-know-what...but I digress! Anyhoo, I worked with Stoney and I worked with Little T and they see each other at work a lot and are neighbors...but I don't think I've ever hung out with both of them at the same time. It was like the Three Musketeers swashbuckling cancer. Or the Three Stooges poking cancer in the eyes. Woo woo woo. Or maybe the Three Blind Mice wandering around the 7th floor of Siteman Cancer Center...in any case, if you have to have cancer and get chemo, they are definitely a fun pair to bring with you.

Little T promptly showed up at my house at 5 and then we picked up Stoney in town and headed northeast. It was a relatively uneventful trip...couple of coffee stops, 3 losing dollar scratchers, bathroom break. We got there way early to check in for my lab draw so we had time for breakfast at St. Louis Bread Company before my boob fill appointment. By then we were on to our third cup of coffee each (Little T's 4th!) Yeah, we were starting to get a little silly. But the spinach/artichoke souffles were AWESOME!! Stoney said they could have been twice as big and I have to say I agree. Although when I had to weigh in at the doctor's office the scale would have to disagree! I've gained eight pounds in the past three weeks! I guess I need to lay off the Sonic cream slushes four afternoons a week...

Yep that's right I said I got another boob fill! I know I will do at least one more because they said I had to go at least one fill bigger than the final product so they droop a little and have a natural teardrop shape. That's probably good, because right now, they look anything BUT natural! They are sitting high and tight! I'm contemplating low cut shirts! They are also in the way and because they have to stretch the skin you can bounce a quarter off them. That will go down some in the next few weeks...for once I'm thankful for gravity. Little T went in with me to watch the boob fill...I tell you, nurses are just...weird. We are fascinated by the grossest things! Dr. B's nurse has the best nursing stories and she is so funny. She's been a nurse for over 30 years but she looks like she must have started when she was about 7. I realize she works for a plastic surgeon but she does not look like she's had work done...so he's either THAT good or she's just aged gracefully. I'm guessing it's a combination. Anyway somehow we got to talking about douchebag medical product/drug reps and bariatric patients...a non-nurse would have been alternately laughing and puking in the corner.

After the boob fill it was time for Dr. M, my oncologist. It was another fun visit, till we started talking about my labs. Seems my liver functions are higher than they were last time...not as high as they were the first time. My doctor was puzzling over why they would be elevated and started talking about doing a liver ultrasound and hepatitis panel...till Stoney spoke up and said, "Maybe it's all the beer you drank this weekend?" Ummm, yeah. He threw me under the bus! I mean, Little T and I were THINKING that, but we didn't say it!! Oh, well, it got me off the hook for the ultrasound, but I'm thinking I'm going to lay off until I'm done with chemo. And it wasn't THAT much beer, for those keeping score at home. Four on Saturday spread over 10 hours and three on Halloween. Doesn't chocolate increase your LFTs too? I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere...

This time I got checked in and back into chemo only 30 minutes late, so we actually got out of there around 3. With the late breakfast and all the caffeine, I was only hungry maybe the last hour, so a late lunch was just perfect. Today they were enforcing the only one visitor rule (I really think it depends on the nurse) so Stoney hung out in the waiting room and took a nap. Little T and I were in rare form creeping on Facebook pages and looking at friends of friends who didn't have their photo albums blocked...then one of my newest friends started IMing me. It was obvious English was not his first language, but Little T just could not understand what he was saying! I was cracking up at her cracking up at him. "What does he mean by that?" Geez! Hilarious! I enjoyed talking to him though...he was very nice...mutual friend of my lovely little sis-in-law.

I can't believe they didn't kick us out! Seriously I was completely expecting a nurse to come over and tell us to keep it down, there were sick people around. Or make me trade out Little T for the sleeping friend in the waiting room. Or to take my pump and finish my chemo in the parking lot! But they were so cool...I am impressed every time I go up there. Totally worth the drive and hotel expense (not worth it if I have to stay in the Barnes Lodge...shudder!!)

After chemo, we hit up Zio's in the Hill before we headed home. The food, in a word, was AMAZING. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some wine. My brain said yes but my liver said no...and I listened to my liver. And my supercool friends did not drink any either...although after spending the day with me and in a health-care facility on their day off they probably could have polished off a bottle apiece. I had this spectacular mostaccioli dish with veggies, chicken, prosciutto, and a white sauce, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and baked. Unbelievable! I could only eat half! And I was so looking forward to my leftovers tomorrow but...I forgot them in Little T's car! Can you believe that? I blame the chemo for screwing up my brain! Oh, well, maybe I'll have to make a trip to SpringVegas tomorrow and raid Little T's fridge!

Driving home was a little tricky since we had the combination of carb coma plus afternoon traffic, but after ANOTHER cup of coffee (for me and Little T, once she handed off the keys to Stoney...that makes sense, huh?) we made it uneventfully. I bet we saw 10 cops between the outskirts of St. Louis and the turn off to 65. Fortunately Stoney doesn't have a lead foot and they all pretty much had other people pulled over anyway.

My friend Crazy Irish Niece brought over dinner for my chillens tonight. We had some left over so I'll get to try it tomorrow. It looks and smells good. Sadly, I came home to BabyBoy having a fever. I hope he feels better tomorrow because a) I want all of us to do something fun and 2) I don't want to catch whatever he has. So I gave him some medicine, read him a story and put him to bed. Poor baby.

The kids have a four day weekend and NumberOneSon did great with the little ones as usual. And they didn't trash the house...I'm very, very proud of me. I have such good kids...good friends...good family...good health care providers...I'm the most fortunate cancer patient in the world.

And now, in spite of the caffeine, chocolate and Decadron, I'm actually sleepy so I'm gonna hit my fluffy bed! Nighty night!