A slightly Manic Monday

Another sleepless night last night. I should really just give up going to bed and take up bartending, or something more sensible with my time.

Do you still call it "getting up early" if you never went to sleep?  I was up early this morning to take my sedative and get ready for radiation day two. I wasn't really sure what it would bring as I am hugely swollen and my neck doesn't really move.

We got down to the cancer center and Richie was one of my helpers today. He did all my sessions back in 2008. At that time, he wore hearing aides. I couldn't talk and he couldn't hear, so we made an interesting pair. He must have had cohclear implants or surgery or something because his hearing is much better and I don't see any hearing aides. I can't talk at all, so I guess it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

I tried. I gave it my best shot. My head would not go back all the way into the plastic stand. When they lifted the mask over and attempted to put it down, it immediately shut down my airway. We had already spoken to them about what they said at ER.  We all decided this wasn't going to happen until a trach went in so I could breathe.

We headed home for just long enough to eat and gather a few things. Then we headed back to the cancer center to meet with the chemo doctor. I know, poor organization on our part. He went over all the options, which surprisingly haven't changed much since 2008.  He recommended and we agreed to a lower dosage/more doses of chemo.These two particular meds do not have permanent hearing damage often seen in the other two, but it does cause hair thinning/loss. I guess I'll need to find some more scarves to hide the big ugly bump on my head. I'd rather lose my hair than my hearing. Of course I'd rather loose my breasts than my tongue, but no one asked me then, did they?

Left the chemo doctor and headed to, Mia. It was a rough appointment because even with the special creation she made, I was still having trouble breathing.  The last third I just sat up and she worked my aching shoulders.

When we left Mia, I know you won't believe it, we went to Verizon. Kelly actually broke down and got smart phones. He really didn't want to, but with having to be out of the office so much for all of my treatments, it was the most effective way to stay as close to in the loop as he can get. I love my durable little flip phone. It has served me very well for almost eight years. I wouldn't even care about upgrading except for GPS (for the perpetually lost person who can no longer ask directions), and my Dynavox needs an Andriod phone to tablet talk with. Next thing you know he'll be replacing the 20+ year old TVs, or the 15 year old stereo that shuts itself of randomly. Or not.

We got home to whoop, whoop, whoop, and craziness at home when Karissa needs to be getting out the door to riding. And, just then, Dr. Andersen calls.  Sounds like they better not wait any longer on that trach. He can fit me in at 1 pm tomorrow. Yay! Oxygen! Yay! Sleep! He will use a local, but I'll be sedated. I don't even care. I am so tired of gasping for breath.

If we have nothing else organized, we have got this handing off Karissa thing down. Fortunately for us, this is finals week for Karina. When she is finished Wednesday, she is done until spring break is over. Yay!

It certainly isn't the spring break we had envisioned, somewhere warm and sunny. Maybe it will be warm. Well, I'll be warm, anyway. We'll all be together. That is what matters.

So tomorrow afternoon I get to breathe and he'll have a look-see around in there while he's at it. Maybe. I'm not sure he knows how spectacular the swelling is.

Until tomorrow...