Hardest Bones ever.......

2014.02.25

I was so looking forward to today to get some answers and get going on getting this cancer out of me!

Early to rise in anticipation of all these really fun (not) tests and answers from the doctors.

All the wonderful -thinking of you- messages I received this morning were heartwarming and gave me the energy and focus to get it done today! LOVE.

 

Dale, a fantastic person and friend volunteered to be with me today! What a hero! She drove and we found the right department of Hematology and met the doctor. No info on the stage or level because all the tests are not done yet. It looks like based on what they know that it will be R-CHOP treatment to start with. They will have a doctor conference next Tuesday and discuss the options and then I get to meet the doctor on the 5th of March to know the exact level and extent and then Chemo starts on the 6th of March at 9 am. Yippee!!!!  .......

Of course this plan is all contingent on the tumor not growing so fast that it makes breathing more difficult or hard to swallow. Then I get to start chemo as soon as I check into the emergency room.

The most fun part of the day was definitely the bone marrow biopsy! I won (if there was a contest) hardest bones they had ever seen. Shall I paint the picture?
Come into the room, meet the nurse and doctor to perform this procedure. Lay on my stomach, put my headphones in one ear so I can still hear the doctor and put on the song Brave.  Oh yea, they took my eyeglasses so now I can not hear that well.

I told Dale not to watch but she couldn't resist and now she can't get this experience out of her mind.  OK, so first it is local anesthesia on the left side -not so bad. Then it is the pressure not so bad as she put the real needle in to get out the bone marrow. She can't get past the bone. She gives it another try. Then calls in the heavy artillery - another doctor who bends over and puts her face next to mine and scares me and says "I am Olga and I will give it a try."

Well, boy did she. She pushed as hard as she could,  I almost lost my breath.  This she tried at least three times on the left side. Not enough success. OK- local anesthesia on the right side. Repeat process of pushing like there is no tomorrow. Dale is watching the whole thing and squeezing my arm tighter as she sees Olga doing her thing. She was definitely a Russian Bear and I was mauled. She only got about half the fluid she needed but the nurse said it should be enough. Keep your fingers crossed that it was.

Unfortunately we did not get to meet him. It would have been music to my ears!

Dale and Me

Then it was 3 hours of fasting before the cat scan for the whole body. That was easy compared to my meeting with Olga!

Thanks all of you that keep in touch with me. It was reassuring during the bone marrow biopsy when my phone pinged in my ear to notify me of an incoming text. LOVE.

Home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers from work. I really miss my work mates and all the kids that I had each week for LEGO class. LOVE.

Time for some more painkillers and to take a rest. Luckily the kids have their computers and something to occupy themselves while I sleep!

Tomorrow and Thursday are more tests and they should be bearable as long as I do not have to meet Olga again.

LOVED. PAIN. ONE STEP CLOSER