Saturday, June 4, 2016

Penultimate Chemo Session!

Celebratory Dessert!


Today, I had my penultimate chemo therapy session!  Number 11 of 12 treatments!
I celebrated with a diced peaches fruit cup garnished with whipped cream!  Oh, don't I know to celebrate in style?  I didn't want to put the diced peaches into a glass bowl because that'll just be another dish to wash!  I am doing my part to save water!  As the saying goes, "Every Drop Counts!"

My day got off to a good start.  I didn't fall asleep until about 3:00 a.m., but I woke up at 7:00 a.m. when the alarm went off.  Had a morning call from daughter, as she needed to wake up at 7:00 a.m., herself, to get to work by 8:00 a.m.

The visit to the clinic went very well.  My cousin got here at 8:00 a.m. to go with me to the clinic.  I drove us (we went in my car) in the morning and she drove us back afterwards.  She grabbed the parking ticket from where I had kept it in the car and said the parking ($8.00) was on her!  She wouldn't let me pay her back.  I really should have put it in my purse!

There wasn't as long a wait this time before I was called in and weighed etc.  I weighed in at 159 lbs. (down 1 lb. from last week).  Blood pressure was good, temperature was normal, my blood test results were good and I didn't need any immune booster injections, again.  The nurse practitioner saw me without delay and explained the radiation treatment procedures to me.  She put in the referral, today, for the radiation and also for a bone density scan (she said that very often, cancers tend to return in the bones).  She wants me to come in for hydration the Friday after my last chemo session (and to see how I am doing).  She also wants me to wait 2-3 weeks after the chemo ends to start radiation, to give me time to recover.  She said there might be some skin discoloration/pigmentation and pain.  Said to talk to the radiologist (there will be a consultation visit first, before actual treatment starts) about recommended creams to use. 

I felt fine during most of the treatment, today.  Just a bit sleepy towards the end - I dozed off a bit.  But I was awake during the drive home and didn't need a nap.  It's almost 2:00 a.m., now, and I am still not sleepy.

We got home around 2:00 p.m. and cousin left around 2:20 p.m.  I sent some egg salad and cookies for her mother.  Shortly after she left, my gardener friend came to do the garden.  He raked and tidied the front garden, today, and later in the evening, I watered.  It was 98F today and the garden was parched.

The back screen door handle, that one of my neighbors fixed, fell off, today (it had been loose for a few weeks). He used the shorter, 2-inch screws and I saw that only about 2 or 3 threads actually held the handle in place!  I used the longer 2.5 inch screws and used some nuts (as in nuts and bolts) to hold the screw in place.  One of the nuts is almost the right size - I should have used a washer to make it really fit.  The other nut is too small - I'll need to see if I have another, wider one or combine 2 nuts and/or washers.  Tomorrow.  The door handle will hold for now. 

In the evening, one of my friends called to see how I was doing and we had a nice long chat about this and that. 

I didn't do any cleaning today as I spent all afternoon and most of the evening working on office stuff.
However, I did find ten items to declutter:

June 3 Decluttering
I decluttered:

- 2 books, one on embroidery, one on cakes and cookies.  I have other embroidery books and cook books with cake/cookie recipes.
- 2 heart shaped lidless boxes; I had used them as St. Valentine's Day decor earlier this year, but I didn't feel like keeping them for next year.  However, now I am wondering if I can use them to make pin cushions!  I could stuff them with some fabric-covered foam and decorate them...hmm.  If I do keep them for a craft project, I will find and include 2 replacement items in tomorrow's decluttering!
- My old Texas Instruments scientific calculator from when I was in college!  And the charging cord.  It still works if plugged in!  The battery (original) doesn't charge anymore (but if a new battery was installed, it would probably hold a charge).  But I don't use it or need it anymore, so I really shouldn't keep it.
- 2 cell phone charging cords to phones we no longer have!
- 2 pairs of old reading glasses and their cases.
-1 old electric typewriter ribbon, in the box and cellophane wrapper it came in PLUS the original receipt!  

Dated June 22, 1998!
I no longer have the typewriter, so I don't know why I kept the ribbon!

Today, I had 1 1/2 egg salad sandwiches for brunch, the remaining 1/2 sandwich at tea time and some leftover pasta and shrimp for dinner.  Diced peaches fruit cup and whipped cream, pictured at the top, for dessert!  

June 3 spending log:

$60 for medical bill (difference between what the clinic charged for various treatments and insurance paid)
$15 co-pay for today's clinic visit
My medical spending has been higher than usual during this period as is to be expected.  Once all the treatments come to an end, I should be able to go back to allocating $100/month for medical (dr. visits, prescriptions, etc.)
$100 for gardener for the month (4 weeks; 4 visits)
 

How was your Friday?  What did you do?  What are your plans for the weekend?

11 comments:

  1. You seem to be coming through the chemo with flying colours! Well done with the decluttering as well, I hope it is helping.

    Ill health is expensive. Sending hugs and good vibes. x

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    1. Thank you, Lyssa. :) Yes, the decluttering is helping. I haven't even made a dent, yet. I am sentimental and hold onto things for longer than I should. But, eventually, I'll get things under control, again.

      Hope all is well with you and Bear.

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  2. I want to celebrate with you so I'll be having a little treat later on myself! Way to go! You're doing so well with all your tests, it's so good to hear all this, Bless.

    I laughed at your receipt from 1998! Up until a couple of years ago I had receipts in envelopes from back years (you never know what you might need!) but I finally shredded them. Are you donating all that stuff? I'm sure there are people who could use the items, yes, even the typewriter ribbon. You might be able to see it on eBay or something (donate it to a museum?! LOL)

    I'm glad you weren't locked out of the house with that handle falling off like that. I'm sure you have the right bolt somewhere in the house. Maybe you'll find it while you're decluttering today.

    Well, I'm off to go fishing with Greg this morning. Well, he'll fish and I'll read my book and take photos of interesting flowers. It should be hot today. I don't expect we'll catch anything but it'll be nice going out again. Daughter is taking the SAT for the 2nd time to improve her score (she should be starting as we speak) and our son is probably going to be sleeping until noon!

    Tomorrow my daughter and I are planning on drive back to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive so I can take better pictures of the birds and other animals we might see and she'll do the driving.

    Otherwise, we don't have plans. I need to finish my squirrel sign.

    Have a great day today, I hope it's not as hot as it was yesterday for you. 98F! Our official high was 93F but it probably ended up being much higher with the humidity (which was 79% at 7:45 a.m. yesterday). Our official high today should be 92F but the humidity at 8 a.m. is already 88% so it's going to be another muggy day. Ah, Florida, how we love it. My mom was lamenting the heat for me, she has forgotten that we have central AC and I was explaining to her that no one (save the tourists!) goes outside for any length of time, usually. We go from our AC homes to our AC cars to AC workplaces or stores... We are so spoiled! But the electric bill in the summer is not one that I'll complain about. Sure, it's high, but it beats not having AC.

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    1. Good luck to your daughter on her 2nd SATs. I hope she does even better than she did before, although she got some pretty good scores the 1st time.

      Sounds like you have some good plans for the day. Fishing, relaxing with a book, some fresh air and nature, and spending time with your husband. That is all good. Stay cool and hydrated. Humidity really gets to me, these days.

      Have a lovely day, Nathalie. Have fun.

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  3. Well done on the continued decluttering - and so pleased you have just one treatment to go. I suspect that we have a few calculators lurking in boxes which ought to be chucked. Maybe I will climb up into the loft this afternoon and sort out another box...or maybe i will just sit and do some knitting...have a blessed weekend, dear friend x

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    1. Thank you, Angela. Treatments are going well; I'll be happy when they are over, though!

      You inspired me to declutter when you did the 100 items declutter in May! I might try doing the other method of decluttering (1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2, etc.) in June or July. I'm sure I'll still have plenty to declutter after I finish with May's efforts!

      I hope you have a lovely day and weekend, what ever you decide to do - declutter more or knit. Thank you again for the Bible verses you sent me earlier. I read them all the time and draw strength and comfort from them.

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  5. Yummy... you do know, how to celebrate..Peaches are my favorite fruit and adding the whipped cream, just made it perfect.. SO proud you only have one more chemo treatment to go. Praying the radiation will go smoothly and you will be through with all of it real soon. How many radiations do you have to take?
    Great job on the decluttering.. I am working on it too.
    We didn't do much today [Saturday].. I decluttered some, mopped and fixed supper.. Daughter came over, and visited with us.. Hope you have a good Sunday..

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    1. Thank you, Judy. I will have 6 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week (M-F). Each session is supposed to be about 10 minutes long, although driving to the hospital and back, waiting until it is my turn, being positioned, etc. will take some time.

      Sounds like you had a good Saturday. I did some mopping, myself! Glad your daughter came over for a visit.

      Have a blessed Sunday, Judy.

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    2. OH. I am so sorry you have to do it every day.. Know that will be difficult , having to go every day.. Will you be able to drive yourself? Or will you have some one to help you? Praying.

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    3. Judy, I really don't know; but I am hoping I will be able to drive myself. My daughter is hoping to be able to come down for the 1st couple of days and I've a cousin who has offered to drive me some days. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

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