Hi Everyone......I'm back!

Wow, Labor Day weekend was not so good this year. No Canfield Fair, lots of fatigue, Friday was full of nausea/vomiting, aches, pains-yuk! After spending about 24 hours in bed, I started to regain some strength. Yay! This morning, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. coughing up blood. Alan, who is now my nurse (how's that for role reversal?), brought me some cough medicine, told me to relax, take deep breaths, and propped me up on several pillows. I got a bit of sleep, then we had to be back at UPMC Cancer Center before 8:00. (My second home.) A hugely busy day for them as they had to fit all of Monday's patients in today since they were closed on Labor Day. I was apprehensive about my new port, but my beautiful nurses took my hand and held it, said take a deep breath, you'll feel a pinch and they were in! Yes! God bless Dr. Smith! They drew the blood work from the mediport, the counts were fine, I got my pre-medication, got my chemo, saline flush, and I was done. Now, it was off to radiation, into the linear accelerator where they resimmed images and whatever else they did, zapped the nasties and then I had an appointment with my radiation oncologist. We had a good appointment although I think the Dr. was fishing around trying to see if I went to the Fair. I said, "Of course not, I am a very compliant patient!" He just looked at me and laughed. Now, Alan & I were on this high that occcurs when days kinda work out. That doesn't happen too often. I had lost more weight which they monitor intensely. I was actually feeling hungry. Alan stopped to get me a milkshake at McDonald's and his burger smelled good so he went back in & got me a cheeseburger & fries. (There's some healthy eating for ya'. I haven't had fast food in 10 years.) Then we surprised Kara at preschool -meeting up with her to see how Mackenzie's first day of school went. I went shopping with her to Kohl's. I think she was quite happy-a bit of normalcy in a life gone wild. Now, I'm just hanging out on the couch. Kara brought over dinner-she's an angel. Thank you all for your continuous support & concern. What a bunch of beautiful people I have in my life. I am so lucky, Linda