April Fool's Day!

Dancer cat played an April Fool's joke on me!  He had regurgitated his dry food on my bathroom mat for me to find first thing in the morning!  He does this at times - he eats too fast and then brings it all back out.  But he seemed OK and ate the soft food I gave him for breakfast.  However, later, in the afternoon, he went under my bed and regurgitated some more!  He's shedding like crazy and it's possible he's got a furball he's trying to get out.  And although he meowed for his soft food for dinner, he didn't eat it.  And now, he's sleeping on daughter's bed.  I've been checking in on him and he seems OK.  Probably not feeling quite 100%.  Hopefully, he'll be fine in the morning; if not, we'll have to call the vet's clinic and take him.  Glad daughter is home this weekend - she can take him if needed!

Today, I went for my 3rd weekly chemo session.  3 down; 9 more to go!  The visit to the clinic went well.  I was seen by the nurse practitioner, this time.  I told her about the side effects, including insomnia and the aches and pains.  The insomnia was due to the steroids I am given, so, she halved the dosage in order to avoid the insomnia.  I think I'll sleep OK, tonight.

According to yesterday's blood test lab report, my white blood cell count was quite high.  It was the production of all those new white blood cells that caused the aches and pains I experienced.  Today, it was decided that I will  take the blood test next Wednesday, and based on the results, I will have an injection on Friday, if needed.  So that should minimize my aches and pains, this time around.  The nurse practitioner also suggested I take ibuprofen instead of Tylenol, if I have aches and pains.  So, I shall try that.

We were at the clinic till almost 1:00 p.m.  I had taken along a new knitting project to work on during the chemo session.  I know I said I didn't want to start something new until I finished my "works in progress", but most of those projects are a bit complicated and I wanted something very simple and straight forward to do.  So, using some cotton-like yarn I had in the stash (bought on sale for $.50 a ball), I started to knit a blouse for myself:

New Project - Blouse

I cast on 70 stitches on US#7 needles and did a knit 1 purl 1 ribbing for about 2 inches (I didn't have a measuring tape with me - I knitted until it looked enough; I measured it just now and it is almost 2 inches - another row would have made it 2 inches).  After the rib, I continued with the #7 needles (normally the ribbing is done with needles that are 2 sizes smaller than what are used for the body, so the ribbed area fits snugly, but I don't have any US#5 needles and my US#4 needles are being used for another project!) and knitted in what is known as stockinette stitch (knit on one side; purl on the other side).  I managed to knit about 6 inches while I was having treatment.

I am planning to make it a short sleeved blouse.  The yarn being cotton-like, it will make a good item to wear during the summer, especially in the air conditioned office.  The yarn is a strand of black twisted with a strand of green which also has some mustard flecks.

Close Up of the Knitting, Showing the Colors

After I came home I submitted my office work for this week, etc.   Also this afternoon, my gardener friend came to do the garden.  He tidied up the back garden a little more and did some weeding.

Daughter went out in the afternoon with one of her friends since middle school.  She has now gone out to dinner with our neighbor's daughters, whom she's known all her life.  I am so glad she has such long-time friends.

We've had a bit of good news today!  Daughter received notification that she passed the written portion of her thesis!  She had been a bit anxious about it and was very happy with her results.  This means she does not need to revise the thesis and resubmit it!  She just has to prepare for the oral presentation and question session at the end of this month.  I don't think she'll have any problems with that. 

I also received news of the passing of two extended family members from my parents' generation.  One had been in his 90s and the other in her 80s, and both had been in ill health for some time, so their passing was to be expected.  I made some phone calls to members of their immediate families to extend my condolences.  It's sad when the older generation passes away and we become the older generation!

Today, I am grateful for:

- Daughter's good news!

- One more chemo session behind me!

- Daughter's friends.

- Phone calls with cousins.

- Yarn in the stash for a new project

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?