My appointment was for 9:15 a.m. I was up by 7:30 a.m. and on the road by 8:00 a.m. I was at the clinic by 9:10 a.m. I was weighed (up 1 lb. since Wednesday), had my temperature checked (normal), blood pressure checked (very good readings), etc. Then, saw the oncologist who said my white blood cell count was good, but I'll need to take two more injections next week after today's chemo. I was hooked up to the IV at 10:30 a.m. and it ended at 12:30 p.m. I read my prayer book, knitted (finished knitting the back of the top and started on the front), and listened to some of the conversations going on around me. Some of those patients have really bad side effects on the Taxol. I am SO grateful that I have relatively mild side effects in comparison. One lady is undergoing radiation, as well, as she showed where her skin has been burned from it. It looked very painful.
By the time the IV was disconnected, the port was flushed, I had gone to the restroom, paid my co-payment for the visit, and walked to the car park, it was 1:00 p.m. I got home at 1:45 p.m.
One of my cousins called shortly thereafter to see how it went and to gently chide me for not calling her for a ride. But she had hosted two sets of visitors from overseas, recently, and when I asked her how she was feeling she admitted to feeling tired, so I was glad I didn't get her to drive me and add to her tiredness. It would have been a long morning for her and I just didn't want to impose on her. Especially since I knew, from previous Taxol chemo sessions, that I felt OK afterwards. If I had experienced any bad side effects like nausea immediately afterwards on the previous sessions, I would have asked her for a ride.
I finished my office work assignment and sent it off to my colleague (with a copy to my supervisor so that she's kept in the loop, too), before the end of the work day, today.
My gardener came to do the garden today and he weeded the front parkway for me:
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| The Weeded Parkway |
The parkway, for those who might not know, is a strip of land between the road and the sidewalk/pavement. It is owned by the City, but maintained by the homeowners. Normally, this area has grass and maybe a tree (which belongs to and maintained by the City). The neighbor next door to me has a typical grass and tree parkway (to the top of the picture). I used to have a nice big tree in my parkway, but the City cut it down several years ago because the roots of the tree were damaging the sidewalk, and I could never get the grass to grow well. So I've planted flowers in this area for several years. The drought has made this a bit of a challenge, though.
The gardener and I planted African daisies in the parkway, earlier (last year?) but most of the plants died over the summer. Then, earlier this year, after the rains, I noticed that some of the plants had self-seeded themselves and small seedlings were coming up. Then the weeds took over!
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| Some of the Seedlings |
I am hoping that these seedlings will grow and establish themselves. I might also transplant some other African daisy seedlings from other areas of the garden to help cover more ground.
The plants are more established at the other end of the parkway:
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| The More Established African Daisies |
If the African daisies don't establish themselves, I will transplant some gazanias there. Gazanias are more drought tolerant than the African daisies, I think. This parkway gets the full summer afternoon sun. Or maybe it's time to plant succulents in this area.
Daughter doesn't have a fever anymore but she says she feels very tired. She slept-in this morning and took an afternoon nap, as well.
I received several calls from family and friends, today, which was nice. :)
Today, I am grateful for:
- Daughter is recovering
- I was able to drive myself to chemo and back
- Chemo session #5 completed without any problems
- No side effects so far
- Phone calls from family and friends
It's Friday night now and I am relaxing, video chatting with daughter while I type this post. She's telling me what her grocery list is for tomorrow (bread, radishes, bagged salad or lettuce, cucumber and carrots, broccoli or Brussels sprouts, sesame oil, milk, bananas and maybe any other fruit that is on sale).
How was your Friday? What are your plans for the weekend?
I sort of like the idea of a parkway - extra space for flowers but more maintenance. You have a beautiful eye for flowers. I'm glad that the consultation went well, and fingers crossed that it keeps on going! x
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe parkways are public property and people must be able to step on them to access/exit their cars when parked along the street, etc. For the longest time, only grass, City planted trees and certain shrubs could be planted and residents had to pay for a permit to be allowed to plant other approved ornamental plants. However, last year, at the urging of some residents, the City approved an ordinance to allow the growing of certain edible plants along the parkways, without a paid permit (fruit trees still need a permit). I think it's a marvelous idea.
hi, delighted you've completed 5 of 12 sessions of Taxol and that DD is no longer ill. Perhaps she should wear a mask as so much virus floats in the air on campus :) What's worse is touching bannisters or door handles and then touching face without realizing it!
ReplyDeleteIf DD plans to work in Berkley, I hope she choses an apartment within reasonable distance from the job site to eliminate transportation headaches. I recall your hour commute on normal days and if anything goes wrong on the freeway it gets worse!
I wonder if Rosemary cutting you're currently rooting would thrive planted at your parkway. [We use the word boulevard up here] We likewise are challenged by salted gravel thrown up all winter from the roads adjacent to homes.
It's distressing to hear someone was burned during their radiation treatment. It means that the technician was not being mindful during the treatment process. That translates to abdicating an essential role. You might read up on the process in advance of your sessions. Radiation certainly zaps energy but that and the tiny tattoo should be the only side affects.
Lovely to learn you are taking some walks, it's an excellent excercise so important to your over all health. There is a new quilting show here on PBS. I watched the initial show and was totally overwhelmed by the new, complicated techniques. Each 4" x 4" square results from 12 pieces, 3 being pieced triangles. The resulting product was beautiful but co ordinating the colors on a graph paper grid in advance of buying the fabric looked to me like a job for an architect. What are you knitting these days? Perhaps share photos? Will you work on some new summer garments for yourself? Do you still have a remarkable fabric stash? Perhaps DD will need items for the working world...
Hi Honour, yes, I have suggested to daughter that she should wear a mask; currently, she's resisting the suggestion, saying she finds it hard to breathe through it.
ReplyDeleteYes, she's keeping commute times in mind in her search for apartments. Ideally, less than an hour long commute! :)
I thought of the rosemary cuttings, myself. They will be another good plant for the parkway and should thrive.
I read up a bit about the radiation, but I'll read up more, closer to the time. Hopefully, the side effects will be minimal.
The new quilting techniques seem overly complicated. Almost all my quilts are scrap pieced from leftovers from other sewing projects. Very little color coordinating, etc. And yes, I still have my fabric stash! Really need to sit and sew more.
I am knitting myself a summer top from some cotton-like yarn I had in my stash. Will take some photos and post one of these days.
How are things going with you and your health issues? Is everything OK? Wish you all the best.