Its a bright cold day here in SE Michigan....I'm in Day 8 of a 10 day pull at work and I'm feeling it a little bit. But glad to have the job and am looking forward to going back today.
3rd week of chemo has been a real nightmare even with hydration. Lori has 2 active infections and our old friend from the first round,C-dif,is also back. But when you throw in a fistula,its just almost beyond words.
The hydration has worked wonders,in fact,we're going to be doing two treatments for the last three chemo sessions,this has allowed Lori to eat faster and drink a lot more this round.
But she has lost 26 pounds and while that is awesome,its not awesome when its chemo driven. Trying to find something she can eat is hard enough but the fistula is only making it that much harder. Now with the C-dif back...we're sort of lost.
We ended up making a non-scheduled run to Ann Arbor last Saturday because of the C-dif,they ran some tests and gave us some medications that is supposed to help.Yesterday was our normal appointment and Dr. Johnston is recommending a blood transfusion and I just got off the phone trying to set that up for tomorrow morning at the infusion clinic.
I think Lori will be staying home for the last three chemo treatments,she really needs the rest and relaxation and try to stay stress free. I'll be going into full work mode as far as finding another job,working the one I have the full 40 hours. Now,can anyone teach me to cook like an Iron Chef?
Next week is Christmas....and I'm so sorry I didn't anytime to write and send cards out to a lot of my friends,I barely had time to shop for Lori with our hectic schedules. But I'm pretty jazzed with what I got her and also so blessed to have my brother Phil agree to give my gift to Lori this year as well.
Last year he called me for ideas as to what to give her....we went with the first 2 seasons of the 70's classic "Mary Tyler Moore Show"
That turned out to be a BIG hit so this year,we're doing the 3rd through 5th seasons for Christmas. Talk about perfect timing,with her most likely being homebound for the next 9-12 weeks,this should help pass the time away.
Christmas is funny for me....the older I get,the less I know how to give suggestions to shop for myself. I mean,I love to shop for Lori,that to me is the real pleasure of Christmas. Trying to find the perfect gift or something I think she needs (like new cookie sheets this year) is what makes this such a great holiday. Of course I still can't wrap for poo and I have a secret elf help me everywhere....one year it was a All-American volleyball player from Madonna University!
Its now 12 noon on a Wednesday.....
We're in Ann Arbor and just starting our blood transfusion. We got here at 8 am for labs and then had to wait until 10 am for the lab results and the orders for the blood. While we thought we would get a pint,her blood levels were too low so we are getting a full two pints of blood.
This process takes 3-4 hours plus a 30 minute observation period. We won't get the effects until tomorrow and she should be getting stronger and feeling much better then.
We did take our Christmas cards with us and after I finish typing this entry,I'll be headed back to finish writing them up so we can drop them in the mail today.
Funny how during this journey we have run into people who have helped us,my manager at my job is another case in point. He is also a cancer survivor,he battled leukemia many years ago and won. He was able to answer my questions about blood transfusions and said how benefitual they are. He said how much better he felt the day after and had so much more energy. This is what I needed to hear,he also said if I needed any time off,it would be no problem. Fact is,its the oppsitite,I need MORE hours at work...he also agreed with that point as well. I asked him for any possible overtime and he said he would try,OT is rather frowned upon at my job..
Our ASM came down and used the computer a couple into my shift,she needed to plug in a person because of a call off. She just shook her head and wondered how people feel so casual about doing that...I had to agree....
Not that we don't do this already but I am making it a personal goal in 2013 to do one random act of kindness a day for someone. We have really lost our way in this country in regards to this. Instead of arming ourselves to the teeth because of what "might" happen...maybe if we did more acts on a daily basis,we could lower the level of stress among our fellow citizens.
I really try and do this in my daily life....open a door,provide extra help at my job to customers even when its not called for,give a co-worker a ride home without expecting anything in return....small acts like that.
This country is teetering on the brink of full blown hell on earth with all the talk of having 50 guns and 100,000 rounds of ammo in the house. People I know and respect....it breaks my heart seeing them so distrustful of people and the system that they rather embrace a bullet instead of a hand.
Its just another example of how far away this nation has fallen from God,yet people still try and insist this is a "Christian" nation....
Next week is the Military Bowl and the 24th ranked Spartans of San Jose State will be playing without Coach Mike McIntyre. Coach Mac decided to to take the job at Colorado and while I can understand it as far as the money is concerned,I'm lost as to why he would take a step DOWN because Colorado has become a dark hole as far as its football team. I know what you're going to say...SJSU was 1-12 in Mac's first year but Colorado went 1-11 this year including a loss to Sacramento State!! The difference between SJSU and Colorado is the Buffs are supposed to have much better players then SJSU! Yet they still got crushed....Coach Hawkins from Boise State took the Colorado job after a monster run at Boise and he couldn't get the job done ....if a coach like that can't change the losing culture,then its not the coach,its the school. And with coaches getting the hook after 2 years instead of the 3-4 years it takes to establish a footprint for a new coach,will Coach Mac even get a chance if he goes 6-19 like he did the first years at SJSU? I personally think he should have stayed another year or if he had waited a little longer he may have landed a real gem like Gary Andersen of Utah State in hetting the Wisconsin job! Now that was a real coup....
SJSU needs to start filling up the seats and making more money so it can afford to actually pay a coaching staff. Until this happens,SJSU will continue to be a place a young coach comes to cut his teeth and then head on to greener pastures. There will be no real team unity because the coaching staff can change at any time.
Has anyone seen "The Hobbit" yet? How is it? Drop a comment below if you have seen and share your opinion...
Okay,that is it for now....I'll be back on Friday....
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