Monday, August 22, 2011
A New Day Has Come
Today was my first day back at OSU!!! It felt so good to be back on campus, doing exactly what a 22-year-old should be doing. I'm ready to learn and grow and challenge myself. I'm ready for a hectic schedule that keeps my clinging for dear life to my little turquoise planner. I'm ready for late nights and study sessions and LOTS of coffee. This last year has really made me appreciate where I am right now and all that I have. It's taught me to take advantage of all opportunities, whether big or small. I dream big and I go for my dreams. Why? Because I can. I CAN! Ten months ago, my dream was simple: Beat cancer, and glorify God while doing so. Now, my dream is to live, right where I am, whatever that means, and glorify God while doing so. I am so thankful to Him for opening my eyes to all that I have--how very blessed I really am. My hope is that He continues to use me, bringing glory to His precious Name in all that I do. What a wonderful God we serve, people. So get up and get out! There is a big world out there with a lot of life in it. I don't know about you, but I'm more than ready to go live it.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
To Radiate, or Not To Radiate: That Is THE Question.
Well, here it is, folks...the words we've ALL been waiting for: I AM FINISHED WITH CHEMOTHERAPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The final two treatments were slightly rough to endure. With my two lasts came some firsts: first re-viewing of breakfast during treatment, first IV nausea medicine (I'd taken many pills, but never the really heavy stuff), and first refusal of my cold mouth routine during one of the medicines. Nonetheless, here I am standing on the other side of them, and stronger for it! I just really can't believe they are over. The realization didn't fully sink in until the next Tuesday, when I actually didn't have to go get poisoned. Yesterday marked the "one month" mark, and I'm feeling wonderful!!
So, the big question on everyone's mind now is, "What next?" Well, that has been a tough question to answer, but I will try to walk everyone through the sequence of events leading to the final decision.
Exactly one week after my 12th chemotherapy treatment, my family and I again made the journey to T-Town, where we met with my Oncologist, Dr. Keller, to discuss future plans. Ever since my first oncology appointment, there has been a question looming overhead, and that was of radiation. To radiate, or not to radiate: that is THE question. You would think that this would be a simple question with a simple answer, but in my case, it was not. I happen to lie right in the middle of the "radiation decision," meaning that my diagnosis qualified me for both "sides of the fence." We thought that Dr. Keller would give us an opinion, one way or the other, but he did not. He did refer us to a Radiation Oncologist, and we met with Dr. Clark on Tuesday of the following week.
In the meantime, I had another PET Scan scheduled for Monday (one day before my meeting with Dr. Clark). The scan went fine, and my family and I were actually able to spend an enjoyable day in Tulsa. The next day, we met with Dr. Clark in Stillwater (we didn't have to drive to Tulsa again!!!), and we were all excited about receiving a definite answer. Dr. Clark entered the examination room speaking as if I was definitely in need of radiation, which was a bit confusing. After we mentioned the existence of a second clear PET Scan, however, he seemed to change his mind. He told us that he wanted to take a closer look at all my scans (now a total of three), and he would get back to us. Needless to say, my family and I left the office just as baffled as ever.
Another week later, we got in touch with Dr. Clark to find out his opinion after checking all of my scan reports. Again, I thought I would get a definite answer, but he didn't seem to have a clear opinion. (At this point, I was getting frustrated, only because I wanted to know what was in front of me. I still respect and appreciate the thoroughness and honesty of both of my doctors in making this tough decision, and I do not blame them one bit for being hesitant in a final opinion.) It seemed to me that he was leaning against radiation, but he still couldn't say for sure. He then referred me back to Dr. Keller, in order to try and make sense of my case. So, I called and left a message for Dr. Keller last week, and he was to get back with me sometime this week, which brings us up to date.
Throughout this entire journey, I have grown so much in my faith and in my relationship with God. He has carried me through all of this, and I would be nothing without Him. So, as much as I valued and trusted the opinions of my doctors, I also realized that only One Doctor knows everything there is to know about Kaila Sky Reeder. It was He, and only He, who could give me a completely accurate answer for where to go next with my life. That said, I also think that the analytical and thorough search my family and I made, by visiting various doctors, was a necessary step in following the will of God. He gives us free will, to make decisions based on the intelligence and resources He provides, and that is a big part of a relationship with Him.
Anyway, I have been praying for the last six months (and for the month after my last treatment) for guidance in making this decision. I knew that God would orchestrate everything to fit within His will for my life, and I trusted Him to lead me to the correct conclusion at the correct time. The difficult part in this was stiving to keep an unbiased mindset when meeting with doctors, as I "just knew" that radiation was not in my future. I have learned enough in the past year to know that with God, timing is everything. If I was not receiving a clear answer about radiation, it was for a reason. So I waited and prayed and layed everything in His Hands. I may never fully understand why this month of "waiting" was necessary, but I appreciate the thoroughness of my Lord in this decision, as well as that of my doctors. To sum this up, my decision had already been made in my heart; I just needed my doctors to reach the same decision, so that I could reach a decision in my head.
Today, I called Cancer Care, in hopes of talking to Dr. Keller's nurse. The receptionist transferred me back to what I was expecting would be an answering machine, but then she came back on the line. She told me that Dr. Keller actually wanted to talk to me. He came on the line, and asked me what I gathered from my meeting with Dr. Clark. I told him that it seemed as if Dr. Clark had not yet reached a certain decision, and that Dr. Clark wanted me to discuss things further with Dr. Keller. Dr. Keller then told me that Dr. Clark's written report to him seemed much more opinionated and definite, and that Dr. Keller agreed with the decision made by Dr. Clark. (Is anyone getting confused with the "Drs." yet?!) At this point, I'm getting really excited, as I know that I am about to hear an actual decision! Dr. Keller then gave me that definite answer:
NO RADIATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, everyone, for your concern in this matter. I apologize for not having an answer for you all sooner, but I hope you can see the reason for my lack of information. Thank you, also, for your continued prayers; you will never know how much your support has meant to me, and I thank God for placing such wonderful people in my life. Thank you so very much...
As I'm sure you've noticed by now, my posts are quite infrequent. This is largely due to the fact that I have had almost as many "good days" as "bad" throughout this process, which I consider an immense blessing. There have been vacations and hunting trips, as well as time with friends, which was all wonderful. Just feeling good was an incredible light, for which I can never thank God enough. For these past three weeks, the pattern has continued, as my dad and I have wrecked havoc on the lakes of Oklahoma! No fish alive stands a chance this spring! We've also enlightened a few turkeys to the presence of the Reeder pair!
Well, I think I've written plenty to get my fingers tired and to keep your eyes occupied for today. I do hope to write another post sometime soon, filled with pictures and stories of my outdoor adventures, thus far. If nothing else, it should be a nice break from your reading (and my writing) about nausea and poison! Until then, my love to you all.
The final two treatments were slightly rough to endure. With my two lasts came some firsts: first re-viewing of breakfast during treatment, first IV nausea medicine (I'd taken many pills, but never the really heavy stuff), and first refusal of my cold mouth routine during one of the medicines. Nonetheless, here I am standing on the other side of them, and stronger for it! I just really can't believe they are over. The realization didn't fully sink in until the next Tuesday, when I actually didn't have to go get poisoned. Yesterday marked the "one month" mark, and I'm feeling wonderful!!
So, the big question on everyone's mind now is, "What next?" Well, that has been a tough question to answer, but I will try to walk everyone through the sequence of events leading to the final decision.
Exactly one week after my 12th chemotherapy treatment, my family and I again made the journey to T-Town, where we met with my Oncologist, Dr. Keller, to discuss future plans. Ever since my first oncology appointment, there has been a question looming overhead, and that was of radiation. To radiate, or not to radiate: that is THE question. You would think that this would be a simple question with a simple answer, but in my case, it was not. I happen to lie right in the middle of the "radiation decision," meaning that my diagnosis qualified me for both "sides of the fence." We thought that Dr. Keller would give us an opinion, one way or the other, but he did not. He did refer us to a Radiation Oncologist, and we met with Dr. Clark on Tuesday of the following week.
In the meantime, I had another PET Scan scheduled for Monday (one day before my meeting with Dr. Clark). The scan went fine, and my family and I were actually able to spend an enjoyable day in Tulsa. The next day, we met with Dr. Clark in Stillwater (we didn't have to drive to Tulsa again!!!), and we were all excited about receiving a definite answer. Dr. Clark entered the examination room speaking as if I was definitely in need of radiation, which was a bit confusing. After we mentioned the existence of a second clear PET Scan, however, he seemed to change his mind. He told us that he wanted to take a closer look at all my scans (now a total of three), and he would get back to us. Needless to say, my family and I left the office just as baffled as ever.
Another week later, we got in touch with Dr. Clark to find out his opinion after checking all of my scan reports. Again, I thought I would get a definite answer, but he didn't seem to have a clear opinion. (At this point, I was getting frustrated, only because I wanted to know what was in front of me. I still respect and appreciate the thoroughness and honesty of both of my doctors in making this tough decision, and I do not blame them one bit for being hesitant in a final opinion.) It seemed to me that he was leaning against radiation, but he still couldn't say for sure. He then referred me back to Dr. Keller, in order to try and make sense of my case. So, I called and left a message for Dr. Keller last week, and he was to get back with me sometime this week, which brings us up to date.
Throughout this entire journey, I have grown so much in my faith and in my relationship with God. He has carried me through all of this, and I would be nothing without Him. So, as much as I valued and trusted the opinions of my doctors, I also realized that only One Doctor knows everything there is to know about Kaila Sky Reeder. It was He, and only He, who could give me a completely accurate answer for where to go next with my life. That said, I also think that the analytical and thorough search my family and I made, by visiting various doctors, was a necessary step in following the will of God. He gives us free will, to make decisions based on the intelligence and resources He provides, and that is a big part of a relationship with Him.
Anyway, I have been praying for the last six months (and for the month after my last treatment) for guidance in making this decision. I knew that God would orchestrate everything to fit within His will for my life, and I trusted Him to lead me to the correct conclusion at the correct time. The difficult part in this was stiving to keep an unbiased mindset when meeting with doctors, as I "just knew" that radiation was not in my future. I have learned enough in the past year to know that with God, timing is everything. If I was not receiving a clear answer about radiation, it was for a reason. So I waited and prayed and layed everything in His Hands. I may never fully understand why this month of "waiting" was necessary, but I appreciate the thoroughness of my Lord in this decision, as well as that of my doctors. To sum this up, my decision had already been made in my heart; I just needed my doctors to reach the same decision, so that I could reach a decision in my head.
Today, I called Cancer Care, in hopes of talking to Dr. Keller's nurse. The receptionist transferred me back to what I was expecting would be an answering machine, but then she came back on the line. She told me that Dr. Keller actually wanted to talk to me. He came on the line, and asked me what I gathered from my meeting with Dr. Clark. I told him that it seemed as if Dr. Clark had not yet reached a certain decision, and that Dr. Clark wanted me to discuss things further with Dr. Keller. Dr. Keller then told me that Dr. Clark's written report to him seemed much more opinionated and definite, and that Dr. Keller agreed with the decision made by Dr. Clark. (Is anyone getting confused with the "Drs." yet?!) At this point, I'm getting really excited, as I know that I am about to hear an actual decision! Dr. Keller then gave me that definite answer:
NO RADIATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, everyone, for your concern in this matter. I apologize for not having an answer for you all sooner, but I hope you can see the reason for my lack of information. Thank you, also, for your continued prayers; you will never know how much your support has meant to me, and I thank God for placing such wonderful people in my life. Thank you so very much...
As I'm sure you've noticed by now, my posts are quite infrequent. This is largely due to the fact that I have had almost as many "good days" as "bad" throughout this process, which I consider an immense blessing. There have been vacations and hunting trips, as well as time with friends, which was all wonderful. Just feeling good was an incredible light, for which I can never thank God enough. For these past three weeks, the pattern has continued, as my dad and I have wrecked havoc on the lakes of Oklahoma! No fish alive stands a chance this spring! We've also enlightened a few turkeys to the presence of the Reeder pair!
Well, I think I've written plenty to get my fingers tired and to keep your eyes occupied for today. I do hope to write another post sometime soon, filled with pictures and stories of my outdoor adventures, thus far. If nothing else, it should be a nice break from your reading (and my writing) about nausea and poison! Until then, my love to you all.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Snowmageddon............s!!!
I can't believe I haven't updated this thing in so long! I guess I just got in a cycle--go to treatments, be sick, get better, enjoy a week--and I blogging just slipped my mind. Also, my ninth treatment was one that I didn't really want to think about for a while, so I guess I'm just now getting to it..............
In all honesty, nothing too exciting (except the infamous ninth) has happened since my last post. Like I said above, this has pretty much become the norm for my family and I, although we are very ready for a new standard! Anyway, I will delve into the epic that was my 9th treatment, if for no other reason than it makes a really good story!
Two weeks after my eighth treatment, I was "ready" to go back for my ninth (only one way to get to the finish line)..................The weather, however, seemed to have other plans. Snowmageddon #1 hit on Monday night, and all of Tulsa closed down for an entire week! Needless to say, I received an extra week of feeling well. What is more is that I got to spend such a week in the snow!! By the next Tuesday, the snow had ebbed enough that a trip to Tulsa looked promising; trying to catch up from all of the missed appointments, Cancer Care scheduled my Treatment #9 for Thursday morning. My family and I were slightly concerned, however, as I was already a week behind. We called the poor office back (they were completely flooded with phone calls, due to the previous bad weather and the impending storm, scheduled to hit that very Tuesday night), and they decided that the Reeders should make a hasty dash toward Tulsa, in an attempt to out-run Snowmageddon #2. So, about to brack a blizzard, my dad and I loaded up Old White (our affectionate name for the hunting truck--an '80 Chevy box-front, complete with a cable winch on the front) with tools and blankets and clothes and boots and food...Grapes of Wrath, anyone?????
Dad and I arrived in Tulsa around 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon. We dashed into Cancer Care, my port was accessed and blood was drawn, and we went back to see Dr. Keller. As my treatment lasts for a full three hours, and the office closes at 5:00 pm, Dr. Keller made arrangements for me to receive my #9 at the adjacent hospital, St. Francis. I was all for this, due to my involuntary sickness caused by the treatment center smell. After I received the "all clear" from Keller, the Reeder duo headed next door to get this treatment and get back on the road.
I was placed in a room on the Oncology floor around 4:50 pm; we were excited, as it looked like we might beat the storm back to Stillwater! 5:30 came and went, and I hadn't been hooked up to anything. I didn't really mind, however, as there was a marathon on of Law & Order: SVU. By 6:30, I was beginning to get a little fidgety; Dad and I needed to get back on the road, if we were ever to make it home safely. At 8:00, I was still not even hooked up to my pre-meds, and Dad was beginning to loose his patients (honestly, he handled these first three hours quite remarkably!) He finally decided to go find out what was wrong, and after a little investigating, I was hooked up to my pre-meds around 9:00 pm..........miraculously, it was only just beginning to snow in Stilly!
At 12:30, Dad and I clamored back into Old White, tired and slightly ruffled, but braced for the trip ahead of us. The roads in Tulsa were white, and the wind was howling. We drove slowly and were met with very little traffic; it's surprising how much a city shuts down with a little snow! The scariest part of the journey was our trip over Keystone. The wind was whipping through the gap made by the hills at either end of the bridge, and our stout truck was shaking in its tracks, along with both passengers inside!!! Surprisingly enough, we were able to make it all of the way to the Stilly on-ramp before Dad had to get out and lock the hubs. We slipped and slid our way into Stilly, and we were never happier to see 1118 W. Newman! It was a trip for the nerves, that's for sure.
Even though the trip was...ahem, memorable...there were many good things about that ninth treatment. For one, as I mentioned earlier, I didn't have to endure the treatment center, which makes me almost as sick as the chemo. Secondly, the worst of the storm held off until Dad and I got home...literally. It seemed like the snowfall substantially picked up as soon as we walked through the door. My mom said she was watching the storm on the television, and the entire thing was hovering just above Stilly...you call it what you want to, but I call it the power of my beautiful God. Despite all odds, he made a way for me to get Treatment #9, which gets me that much closer to the finish line.
So, I head off to Treatment #11 this morning!! So close to being finished...after today, I can hold up one finger, for there will only be one left! I will try to be better about posting and post a little later in the week...just don't hold me to anything, as this is Oklahoma, and I'm sure Snowmageddon #3 looms somewhere in the future, near or far! :)
As always, I love you all, and thank you so much for your prayers and continued support! Mwah!
In all honesty, nothing too exciting (except the infamous ninth) has happened since my last post. Like I said above, this has pretty much become the norm for my family and I, although we are very ready for a new standard! Anyway, I will delve into the epic that was my 9th treatment, if for no other reason than it makes a really good story!
Two weeks after my eighth treatment, I was "ready" to go back for my ninth (only one way to get to the finish line)..................The weather, however, seemed to have other plans. Snowmageddon #1 hit on Monday night, and all of Tulsa closed down for an entire week! Needless to say, I received an extra week of feeling well. What is more is that I got to spend such a week in the snow!! By the next Tuesday, the snow had ebbed enough that a trip to Tulsa looked promising; trying to catch up from all of the missed appointments, Cancer Care scheduled my Treatment #9 for Thursday morning. My family and I were slightly concerned, however, as I was already a week behind. We called the poor office back (they were completely flooded with phone calls, due to the previous bad weather and the impending storm, scheduled to hit that very Tuesday night), and they decided that the Reeders should make a hasty dash toward Tulsa, in an attempt to out-run Snowmageddon #2. So, about to brack a blizzard, my dad and I loaded up Old White (our affectionate name for the hunting truck--an '80 Chevy box-front, complete with a cable winch on the front) with tools and blankets and clothes and boots and food...Grapes of Wrath, anyone?????
Dad and I arrived in Tulsa around 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon. We dashed into Cancer Care, my port was accessed and blood was drawn, and we went back to see Dr. Keller. As my treatment lasts for a full three hours, and the office closes at 5:00 pm, Dr. Keller made arrangements for me to receive my #9 at the adjacent hospital, St. Francis. I was all for this, due to my involuntary sickness caused by the treatment center smell. After I received the "all clear" from Keller, the Reeder duo headed next door to get this treatment and get back on the road.
I was placed in a room on the Oncology floor around 4:50 pm; we were excited, as it looked like we might beat the storm back to Stillwater! 5:30 came and went, and I hadn't been hooked up to anything. I didn't really mind, however, as there was a marathon on of Law & Order: SVU. By 6:30, I was beginning to get a little fidgety; Dad and I needed to get back on the road, if we were ever to make it home safely. At 8:00, I was still not even hooked up to my pre-meds, and Dad was beginning to loose his patients (honestly, he handled these first three hours quite remarkably!) He finally decided to go find out what was wrong, and after a little investigating, I was hooked up to my pre-meds around 9:00 pm..........miraculously, it was only just beginning to snow in Stilly!
At 12:30, Dad and I clamored back into Old White, tired and slightly ruffled, but braced for the trip ahead of us. The roads in Tulsa were white, and the wind was howling. We drove slowly and were met with very little traffic; it's surprising how much a city shuts down with a little snow! The scariest part of the journey was our trip over Keystone. The wind was whipping through the gap made by the hills at either end of the bridge, and our stout truck was shaking in its tracks, along with both passengers inside!!! Surprisingly enough, we were able to make it all of the way to the Stilly on-ramp before Dad had to get out and lock the hubs. We slipped and slid our way into Stilly, and we were never happier to see 1118 W. Newman! It was a trip for the nerves, that's for sure.
Even though the trip was...ahem, memorable...there were many good things about that ninth treatment. For one, as I mentioned earlier, I didn't have to endure the treatment center, which makes me almost as sick as the chemo. Secondly, the worst of the storm held off until Dad and I got home...literally. It seemed like the snowfall substantially picked up as soon as we walked through the door. My mom said she was watching the storm on the television, and the entire thing was hovering just above Stilly...you call it what you want to, but I call it the power of my beautiful God. Despite all odds, he made a way for me to get Treatment #9, which gets me that much closer to the finish line.
So, I head off to Treatment #11 this morning!! So close to being finished...after today, I can hold up one finger, for there will only be one left! I will try to be better about posting and post a little later in the week...just don't hold me to anything, as this is Oklahoma, and I'm sure Snowmageddon #3 looms somewhere in the future, near or far! :)
As always, I love you all, and thank you so much for your prayers and continued support! Mwah!
Monday, January 17, 2011
It Was Just the Tequilla Talkin'
I know this post is a little late, but I thought I should update everyone on my last treatment before I have my next one...as in, tomorrow...
Anyways, Treatment #7 actually went fairly well, as far as the side-effects go (I'll get to where things went bad in a sec). I was able to keep the smell of the treatment center at bay, thus keeping the nausea from getting too bad. Someone told me of a trick that really works! Just apply Vic's to the inside of a surgical mask, place another mask over that one (to keep from having a Vic's face bath), and wear! It really did work in keeping me less nauseated, which was great! I was just really tired for a few days, but for the most part, it wasn't very bad at all (PRAISE GOD!!). Also, I got some new nausea medication...actually, it's technically the same medicine, but a different method of delivery. The first kind was meant to dissolve on my tongue, but it tasted SOOOOO BAD! I didn't want to take the medicine because it almost made me even more nauseous. I was able to get the same medicine in a swallowing form, and that helped tremendously.
So, everything was going fine after treatment...that is, until my family and I decided to go out to dinner on Friday night (day 3 after my poisoning). I was feeling pretty well, considering it was my first day out of the house in 3 days. I decided that Mexican food sounded really good (I've been on a salt kick...my lifetime of being a chocoholic has been cured!!! Thanks, Chemo! lol). We ended up going to El Vaquero, where we met 4 of our friends. My parents and our 4 friends ordered a pitcher of margaritas. I was very content with my quesadilla, until I noticed an empty and unused margarita glass sitting on the table. I decided that one glass...one...would not hurt me, so I poured myself a glass...MISTAKE!!! Not 3 minutes after I drank the killer drink, I was headed for the bathroom. The tequila made me slightly dizzy, and it was just enough to re-instate my nausea, and I spent the next 15 minutes in the bathroom (the great part was my mother standing behind me, saying over and over again, "Try not to touch the toilet...") When I noticed that I wasn't getting any better, I told my mom to just get me home. She grabbed a clean trash sack out of the trash can, and my sister and my mom flanked me and steered me out of there. It was really great to walk through a restaurant, my face as pale as a ghost, with my mom (holding a trash sack) and my sister holding me up...every eye in the place turned, and I could almost hear what they were all thinking: "What on earth did she order???!" When I got in the car, I grabbed the sack from my mom, and I was finally able to...um...say hello to my quesadilla again, which made me feel better. Anyways, long story short, I learned a valuable lesson: Tequila 3 days after Chemo is not the best idea in the world...duly noted!
Something exciting happened during these past 2 weeks! I got 2 new lab puppies that I absolutely ADORE!!! They are brothers from the same litter, and they are both precious. Only one of them has a name, though (as of about 6:00 tonight), and his name is Ross. The other one is still a work in progress...
So, I go in tomorrow for Treatment #8...66.666666666666666667%!!!!!!!!!!! As always, I'm not really jumping up and down about going back;, however, I know that the only way to get finished is to get #8, then #9...then #12!!!
Thank you, everyone, for all of your prayers!!! I love you all and I would be lost without your kindness to my family and me. I will definitely keep you all posted if my doc tells me anything new. Until my next post, I will be licking my wounds and enjoying puppy breath and cute lab puppy faces!
Anyways, Treatment #7 actually went fairly well, as far as the side-effects go (I'll get to where things went bad in a sec). I was able to keep the smell of the treatment center at bay, thus keeping the nausea from getting too bad. Someone told me of a trick that really works! Just apply Vic's to the inside of a surgical mask, place another mask over that one (to keep from having a Vic's face bath), and wear! It really did work in keeping me less nauseated, which was great! I was just really tired for a few days, but for the most part, it wasn't very bad at all (PRAISE GOD!!). Also, I got some new nausea medication...actually, it's technically the same medicine, but a different method of delivery. The first kind was meant to dissolve on my tongue, but it tasted SOOOOO BAD! I didn't want to take the medicine because it almost made me even more nauseous. I was able to get the same medicine in a swallowing form, and that helped tremendously.
So, everything was going fine after treatment...that is, until my family and I decided to go out to dinner on Friday night (day 3 after my poisoning). I was feeling pretty well, considering it was my first day out of the house in 3 days. I decided that Mexican food sounded really good (I've been on a salt kick...my lifetime of being a chocoholic has been cured!!! Thanks, Chemo! lol). We ended up going to El Vaquero, where we met 4 of our friends. My parents and our 4 friends ordered a pitcher of margaritas. I was very content with my quesadilla, until I noticed an empty and unused margarita glass sitting on the table. I decided that one glass...one...would not hurt me, so I poured myself a glass...MISTAKE!!! Not 3 minutes after I drank the killer drink, I was headed for the bathroom. The tequila made me slightly dizzy, and it was just enough to re-instate my nausea, and I spent the next 15 minutes in the bathroom (the great part was my mother standing behind me, saying over and over again, "Try not to touch the toilet...") When I noticed that I wasn't getting any better, I told my mom to just get me home. She grabbed a clean trash sack out of the trash can, and my sister and my mom flanked me and steered me out of there. It was really great to walk through a restaurant, my face as pale as a ghost, with my mom (holding a trash sack) and my sister holding me up...every eye in the place turned, and I could almost hear what they were all thinking: "What on earth did she order???!" When I got in the car, I grabbed the sack from my mom, and I was finally able to...um...say hello to my quesadilla again, which made me feel better. Anyways, long story short, I learned a valuable lesson: Tequila 3 days after Chemo is not the best idea in the world...duly noted!
Something exciting happened during these past 2 weeks! I got 2 new lab puppies that I absolutely ADORE!!! They are brothers from the same litter, and they are both precious. Only one of them has a name, though (as of about 6:00 tonight), and his name is Ross. The other one is still a work in progress...
So, I go in tomorrow for Treatment #8...66.666666666666666667%!!!!!!!!!!! As always, I'm not really jumping up and down about going back;, however, I know that the only way to get finished is to get #8, then #9...then #12!!!
Thank you, everyone, for all of your prayers!!! I love you all and I would be lost without your kindness to my family and me. I will definitely keep you all posted if my doc tells me anything new. Until my next post, I will be licking my wounds and enjoying puppy breath and cute lab puppy faces!
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