The eye's better

So, that headline says it all -- my red-eye injury is much better today, and I even wore contacts in both eyes!

There's still some red, but not as much, so it will probably be totally gone by the weekend (unless I do it again!) ...

So, yeah, this Saturday is my 18-year-old son's "Mother-Son Brunch" at a local country club. It starts at 10:30, with brunch at 11:00 and a speaker at noon. But, since I'll have "Fanny" -- and she needs to be disconnected around 12:00 to 12:30 -- Dylan and I are going to "eat and run," which I think is better than not going at all. But we'll stay as long as we can, and get our picture taken, and have some fun with the other mothers and sons, so I'm looking forward to it!

Until next time ...
P

Ol' Red Eye

OK, friends, I'm starting this off with a warning: If you get faint of heart at the sight of blood and freakish medical emergencies, DO NOT scroll down any farther! Just log off right now and go read the funnies or have a snack.

Here's why: This morning, as I was hurriedly getting dressed for work, I accidentally stuck my finger (not sure which one) IN MY EYE! Yeow! It was a freakish thing to do, I've never done it before, and I sure as heck hope to never do it again ...

But afterwards, my eye felt funny, not really painful, just a little pressure, so I went into the bathroom to look in the mirror and panicked because the white part of my right eye was BLEEDING! Yeah, bright red blood!

So, being the hypochondriac that I am, I fairly ran to the phone to call my eye doctor's office, and they said, "Get in here!" so I jumped in the car and drove like mad to get there before going blind (as I was sure would happen).

Well, my doc took a look at it with one of those big, impressive eye-examining scopes, and said, and I quote, "Looks like you took a CHUNK out of it, but it'll be OK." A chunk. Out of my eye. Sheesh. (See gross, disgusting photo at left.) Note to self: Do something soon about those wrinkles ...

Anyway, I got some antibiotic drops and have vowed to slow down from now on. No more rushing around in the morning. No more gouging out my own eyes. From here on out, I will breathe deeply and take ... it ... easy ...

So, some good advice for all of you out there: If you're going to rush around like crazy in the morning, trying to get dressed in record time, wear safety goggles ...

Until next time ...
P

All is well

It's Sunday, a rather dreary day in St. Louis, but all is well on the Ross homefront.

Since I didn't have much nausea Friday or Saturday, I didn't take the heavy-duty anti-nausea pills -- just the mild ones -- so I guess I'll save the big guns for next time.

We went to a family party Saturday (very nice, thanks Jona!) and fetched my 18-year-old son from the airport that night, where he had flown in from his spring-break adventure on the Florida panhandle/coast. I didn't realize how much we'd missed him, but he looked so good, so adorable, and it's wonderful to have him home once again.

Until next time ...
P

Chemo #3, check

If I've got "Fanny," this must be Thursday ... And I do, and it is ...

So, in short, a good Chemo Day, as usual. My saintly sister brought lunch and kept me company, so there I was, eating again ... But this time, I dragged my IV pole and drugs into the little dining room, where the two of us sat at a table and enjoyed our St. Louis Bread Co. sandwiches, chips, and cookies.

Prior to that, I saw Dr. W-G, my oncologist, who asked how I was after my last chemo, and I said, "Pretty good, same as the first time, a little nausea Friday and Saturday nights, but not bad." She responded, again, "That might be the worst it gets," so I hope she's right. But I'm doing fine so far (praise God and woo-hoo!).

I asked her if the chemo leaves my body during my 11-day break from the stuff, and she said, "Most of it, yes." So, as far as the cumulative effects of chemo building upon chemo -- making the side effects worse -- we'll just have to wait and see. It might get worse, and it might not.

However, I decided to get my hard-core anti-nausea prescription for granisetron filled, just so I have 'em handy -- yes, the prescription is for TWO pills, $118! (Must be damn good stuff! But because of my lovely insurance, I paid just $10.) I'm supposed to take one pill Friday, and one pill Saturday (the two worst nausea days), so I may try one tomorrow around late afternoon, about the time the nausea usually kicks in. I'd just like to see how good they are and how good I might be able to feel with 'em. We'll see.

And it was another warmish day out there, so my saintly sister and I walked our two-mile route, as usual. And now I'm up late, watching Obama on "The Tonight Show." And I'm working tomorrow. So, chemo? What chemo?

Until next time ...
P

Yes, mother, I'm eating

OK, so, even though I'm in the midst of my post-surgery chemo, I still have quite the "healthy appetite."

At right is my lunch today, St. Patrick's Day, at a local eating establishment -- really tender corned beef on top of really scrumptious cabbage, with a huge potato, a side helping of green beans, and three slices of crusty French bread, with butter. I also shared a dining companion's fruit salad! (Pretty soon, no one will want to sit by me, for fear that I'll steal their food!)

It's like I'm insatiable, perhaps because of the chemo, or perhaps because I've always been this way! Anyway, it was truly wonderful and I know that my mother, who worries about me (especially now), will be happy that I cleaned my plate!

Just in case anyone doesn't believe me, at left is the proof! (And, yes, mother, I also ate dinner, accompanied by a glass of red wine, which is OK 'cause Dr. W-G said I could.)

And, for those of you keeping track, I walked two-and-a-half miles today, since it was a gorgeous 77-degree, not-a-cloud-in-the-sky sunny day!

So thanks for checking on me! Chemo Day is coming Thursday, so I've gotta live it up while I can!

Until next time ...
P (which stands for Miss Piggy)

The good life

So, in the midst of the follow-up chemo treatments -- and the e-mails and photos from my "Psycho Sister" who is "taunting me" by living the good life down in warm, sunny, palm-tree-laden Florida -- I realized I have "frequent-flier" miles that are burning a hole in my pocket. So why don't I use 'em before I lose 'em?

Hmmm, where could I fly? How about FLORIDA? So I begged and begged my Psycho Sis if I could come visit and she gave in to my incessant whining (OK, OK, she actually loved the idea right away 'cause she is just that kind of "there-for-you" friend).

So I'm flying down for four glorious days in April, a Tuesday through Friday (I would've stayed until Saturday, but people who actually use their frequent-flyer miles only get certain "options" when they redeem them, such as certain days and certain flights, which means that even though there are nonstop flights I can't get one and even though the planes do come back to St. Louis from Tampa on Saturday, I'm not allowed to board that day).

But who's complaining? I am SO darn excited to be getting away for a little siesta in the sun, a little bongo on the beach, a little lounging in (on?) the lanai, that I really don't care if I have to take two flights each way and come back a day early. It will be enough.

So, thanks in advance to my Psycho Sissy-Lou (and her hubby too) for their hospitality -- it was SO nice of you to buy me (and your other friends and family) a cool little Florida house. We absolutely love it!

And thanks, too, to my family, who urged me to go and "have fun!"

Until next time ...
P

Quick update

So, how about a little haiku?

Today is Sunday.
Fanny's been unhooked from me,
And I'm feeling fine.

Until next time ...
P

Today's lesson

OK, boys and girls, today's lesson is all about surviving in a tough economy. Excuse me, not just "surviving," but let's change that to thriving ...

Let's say you have a sick friend and you want to send her a get-well card. Do you need to get in the car, drive to the store and purchase a ready-made card? Read my lips: NO! All you need is paper and pen, girls and boys, and a little imagination, and you can make the best darn card ever!

Case in point: At right is a card I just received from my nephew, Justin, and his wife, Julie, who live in Indianapolis. The last time I saw them was at Thanksgiving, when they came to St. Louis to visit Justin's mom, my saintly sister who lives up the street.

Anyway, the Friday after Thanksgiving my sis and I went Christmas shopping (as we do every year) and took Julie along. Of course, I had my "list" of stores to hit and gifts to buy, with little boxes drawn to the left, much like the card above. (I don't know, there's something so precise about checking a box -- it comforts me or something.) And of course, my sister teased me mercilessly -- not just because I had a list, but mostly because of the LITTLE BOXES on my list. She finds it amusing that I truly enjoy checking off those little boxes rather than just scratching off the items as I go (so, of course, I sometimes ask her to check them off for me if I'm driving, just to set her off).

So that's our "inside joke" and that's why the card Julie made (above) is so darn dear to me! Inside she wrote "Paula, you sure have come a long way! (I'll let you check the boxes.)" and other sentiments. Very cute. Made me laugh and feel good. Still does.

So, there you have it, boys and girls -- don't worry about having no money in today's economy, just become a do-it-yourselfer! Just put on your thinking cap, put pen to paper, and voila! Your card will be treasured for years to come!

Until next time ...
P

Chemo #2, check

So, yeah, "Manny's" back ... I actually forgot to bring a fannypack for my chemo session today, so I called my daughter, who was planning to come visit me, and asked her to bring along "Manny," the huge albatross of a fannypack because I was too chicken to show up with "Fanny," my old, dainty one. I was afraid I'd get in trouble for not using the "new, improved, much-more-padded" bag. Sheesh, I'm hopeless.

Anyway, come tomorrow morning, I'm switching them. (Yes, she is mild-mannered but what a REBEL!) In case you don't remember, after I get my two hours of chemo in the "chemo chair," they hook me up to a battery-operated pump and little two-day supply of chemo that I leave with in a fannypack. A nurse comes to my house on Saturday and disconnects it. So I'm actually getting 48 hours of chemo every other week.

But today went fine. Just like the first time two weeks ago. I spent it in my "usual" chemo chair by the window, and ate my way through the treatment, ha!, just like before! As I wolfed down a ham and cheese sandwich, Cheetos, a Rice Krispies treat, some fruit snacks, and a few Oreos (all in about 3 hours), I looked around at everyone else -- none of whom was eating! They're going to start calling me "that woman who eats" if I don't slow down ...

Today I did something a little different -- I watched a movie. The hospital has little DVD players, and a bunch of movies to pick from, but I had brought along "Funny Girl" with Barbra Streisand that I'd bought for $5 somewhere so that's what I watched (half of it anyway). Plus I read a little of my new book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner; chatted with Hannah and the guy sitting next to me; and took two phone calls.

During my visit with Dr. W-G, the oncologist, I found out that I may not ever need to use the hard-core anti-nausea meds, but might be able to get by on the milder ones for the whole four to six months! So far, I feel fine. But, like before, the mild nausea will probably hit me Friday and Saturday nights, so we'll see how it goes.

When I got home, it was so darn nice out (in the 70s, I'm thinking) that my saintly sister and I took a two-mile walk. Yes, TWO MILES. ON CHEMO DAY. (Picture me singing, "I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman" here ...)

But anyway, it's been a long day -- and I'm working tomorrow -- so I think "Manny" and I are gonna go snuggle ...

Thanks for checking on me and good night my loves ...
P