Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Another October day

It is tuesday, October 21. It has been 5 days since the 4th chemo treatment and all is going as usual. Yesterday was the roughest for Darilyn as it always is on the 3rd day after the "nuelasta" shot that she gets to stimulate white blood cell production. It always kicks her butt but we now know what to expect. When she talked to the oncologist on thursday before the treatment, he said that she is doing very well. She is really only going through the lesser extents of the reactions that can happen from the medicines. All indications are that she is doing very well. She is a little anemic but who wouldn't be when you have all that poison put into your body to defeat the cancer cells. They are doing a blood test to determine if there is the presence of any antigens that can be released from different types of cancer cells. This is supposed to tell them something about the status of the cancer in her body. She will be getting a weekly shot of Procrit to help build up the red blood cells and fight the anemia.

She has lost most of her hair but with 7 wigs of different colors and styles, she is having a great time. There is an auburn one that is just her. The color is so great with her complexion and her eyes that it should be the color she gets from her hairdresser from now on. I vote for it.

I spent a few hours with Wade, his wife Kim, and his daughter Beatrice a short time ago. We went to the Gulfarium here in Fort Walton Beach. It is an interesting place to view some dolphins, sea lions, giant turtles and a few other forms of aquatic life. It was good to spend some time with my youngest grand daughter. I would also wish to spend a little time with my oldest granddaughter if I can ever get her to come visit. It has been too many years Erin. Bumpa would like to see you again as a young lady. I love you girl.

Nik, maybe you can send her a link to my blog so she can check in on the old man once in a while.

I am doing ok. I hope that things will break for me so that I may be able to unretire. I could use the money.

Well, it is going on 10:30 and I have to be at Wally World in the morning so I will bid you all adieu and go to bed.

Adieu

Saturday, October 4, 2008

October 4

I know. The title is not really imaginative.

Here I sit on a saturday evening. My sweet wife is visiting with her brother and her daughter right now and I am here watching. I see she is happy and I am glad. She has had a tough week. She has had her third treatment and it is different this time. Each time is different. Her white cell count is down again this time. That is another bad thing about this time. She is going to make it. I know that. But she has days that are not good. She has had difficulty eating this week. Her system will not process food. It goes straight through. But today, it seems that maybe we have gotten past that. I sure hope so. She also had a session where she was very despondent and needed to be reassured that all will be ok. IT will be OK. And I held her and told her. I sure hope she felt better.

On top of everything else, my meds needed to be changed as well. Two weeks ago, I woke up with a pain in my left chest unlike anything else I had experienced. I went to the ER and they checked me out. I did not have a heart attack and there was no indication of any heart damage so I got to go home. I saw my cardiologist 2 days later and that is where my meds got changed. But something has changed. I now have more prevelant angina. Mostly mild, but still I have it now where I did not have it very often before. I keep my nitroglycerin prescription handy as I may need it now. I am tired more often than before also. But I am still working my usual schedule. There is the need for the money and that never ceases. There is a chance of a contract job opening up in Atlanta soon. I hope it comes about because it would provide a great deal of help.

I guess I am running on a bit. There is a lot that I have not been able to admit that was on my mind and sometimes I get it out here. Then I can deal with it. So, dear blog, thank you for allowing me to use you as a release.

Enough for now.