Chemo Starts Tomorrow -- 2/28

Ok. Here we go. I go in tomorrow morning for a port-a-cath installation (different than a port-a-potty) and then chemo sometime later in the day. The first chemo session will take about four hours, they say. Then I go every three weeks, for eight sessions total. Not so bad. It's do-able, I surmise, because there are SO many ##@$&%*## people wandering around MDA doing it.

I will be more susceptible to infection, so guess what? I am not allowed to handle dog waste (!). Sorry, Chuck. Maybe in six months. Also need to be careful about being around sick people and need to wash my hands a lot. Other than that, no big problems. Everything they want me to do (eat several small, sensible meals daily, exercise, drink a lot of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages) are things I should be doing anyway.

Wish me luck!!

My new favorite t-shirt

Ok. Let's vote on the blonde one.

I'm liking this blonde look. Really different. Chuck calls it my karaoke hair, and Fred says it is so, "These Boots are Made for Walkin'." Whattya think?

I got my drain out!

I got my drain out! I got my drain out! I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!I got my drain out!

Drain's out! Have hole in side, and things are still achy. But anything beats that stupid drain. The intake nurse this morning looked at my numbers and said, "Let me see if they want to take it out today." I replied, "I'm not leaving with it. You guys decide how long you want me here." They took it out.

I'm going to work tomorrow -- about a half day. Can't decide which wig to wear. I don't need them yet, but it still might be fun.

Also went to the gym this afternoon for a ride on the treadmill. Ahhh. Nice. (Good God! I really typed that!) And, you know, when you're sweating on the treadmill and you have hot flashes, it's less of a big deal. "I'm sweating." "Whoo! I'm really sweating." "Now I'm just sweating." "Whoo! I'm really sweating." and etc.

My sister Carole went home this morning. For those of you who don't have loving, cheerful "I can do that for you" sisters, I recommend you get some. But you can't have mine. I wouldn't trade them for anything. In my freezer are five gorgeous little chicken pot pies and a meat loaf. She also brought jams for Chuck. AND, she let me beat her in our best of seven national Farkle series, Central vs West.

Oh. And here's the big news: Linda Walsh beat the "Wente Girls" in Scrabble on Sunday night. She danced around the living room until Casey barked.

I've changed my mind. I don't want to do this anymore.

I will start chemo on or around the 27th. HOWEVER, before that, I have to have a port (a portable catheter) installed. I was thinking it would work like "snap-on tools," or tupperware or something, but apparently I need to undergo anesthesia for this. Amy, did I spell that right?

Anyway, I'm bummed today. I'm achy and itchy. I still have a stupid surgical drain, and I gotta tell you, the novelty has worn off on that device as well.

It's noon. Chuck made a great waffle and sausage breakfast, and while perusing the morning paper, we read about Dole recalling canteloupes. We had just finished ours and are hopeful it was salmonella-free. Time will tell.

Carole and I are trying to find a reason to get dressed; we haven't come up with any really good ones yet. I am in pjs, with my hair sticking straight up, and a drain hanging from my waist. Carole is wearing her minkee caftan and slippers. We're still more formally attired, however, than most of the people who shop at TJ Maxx or Marshall's, so we could go over there WITHOUT having to change.

We have met the oncologist and he is . . . Ok.

Actually, he's the head-knocker breast oncologist (sorry for the pun) for MD Anderson, and I'm guessing he knows his stuff. His name is Vicente Valero, and if you google him, you get about as many hits as if you'd typed Anna + Nicole + dead. He's kinda famous, and I am very glad to have him driving my bus.

So, here's the drill. I start a round of chemo at the end of Feb. Every three weeks, about eight times, if I understood Dr. Valero correctly. I am trying to decide what my every-three-week reward to myself will be and I think it's a place setting of that Lynn Chase Monkey Business china that I have the hots for.

My plan is to get back to work by the 21st and get my desk cleared. After I've done some chemo I'll know how it affects me and how I can tailor my work schedule. I'm glad I have an indoor job with no heavy lifting involved.

About mid-summer we'll start the pool on "Pat's New Hair." Will it come back in curly? straight? brown? grey? red? blonde? thick? coarse? fine? sparse? Number of cowlicks? Get ready to place your bets.

Wonder Woman Trips Over Cape: Blames Dog

I had a nice visit to the emergency center at MD Anderson yesterday morning after my healthcare team (two sisters, Chuck, confused dog) decided that I was indeed swelling rather a bit. We read all of the information we'd been given and "swelling" was one of the things we were supposed to be concerned about. So, off we went.

Four hours later, I'd had lunch, visits from John and Amy Mata, and a cute, cute Brit surgery fellow who sounded a lot like Tony Blair to tell me that I was doing ok.

This morning we are in Nuclear Medicine. Chuck and I have comandeered the two computers in this waiting room. We are doing some more tests in advance of the meeting with the oncologist at 1:30 today.

Final pathology is in. All cancer taken care of. Lymph nodes clean. It was indeed garden-variety breast cancer with nothing tricky. The oncologist will discuss treatment options with us. Most likely some chemo. More later.

You all can't know how much I appreciate the visits to my blog and the posts. I feel like I have a fan club!

So Much for Invincibility

Well, Dr. McCabe cut the party short last night. I appeared to be bleeding heavier through the drain and we didn't get to go to Spanish Village or anything fun like that. We called the on-call drs and they said I might want to come in, but they were wrong. I didn't.

So I just settled down. Chuck thinks I was doing too much, trying to keep up with the Big Girls. But I also got jumped on by the dog yesterday afternoon. Then after that, I said something funny (below), and laughed quite heartily at my marvelous joke. Could have dislodged something then. Whatever. I'm fine, but have dialed back the activity.

Ok, here's the funny line: I walked into the guest room and Amy was asking Carole, "Have you watched the knitting TV show?" Carole replied, "I've watched a few times but it's kind of boring." I burst out laughing, "Imagine that!"

Perhaps you had to be there, but it was a real howler.

Still tethered

Drs appt went well but I'm still attached to a surgical drain. Ick. BUT, I am cleared for gym! Probably will go in Saturday!!! Oh my goodness -- did I just type that??

Both Sisters!

As of last night, I now have BOTH of my big sisters here. This is pretty wonderful. Their first project is to get some fabric to make me a "minkee" robe. I LOVE being taken care of by my big sisters.

Chuck is working away in his office -- oblivious to the chatter and the shouting up and down the hall. Casey shows off for Amy and does everything she tells him to do.

We are fine. And the flowers keep coming!

Update. All is well, thus far.

I'm having experiences I never thought I'd have: 1) Going to those shops down by the med center that are for people who have had this kind of surgery, looking at weird, weird undergarments. 2) BUYING weird, weird undergarments. 3) Chatting with strangers about surgical drains and where the pocket looks best (answer: it doesn't look good anywhere). 4) Trying on wigs!

That was FUN! I'm going for the Uma Thurman look in those violent Travolta movies that I've never watched. Perhaps I should watch before adopting the look.

Amy and I are enjoying ourselves, and Chuck is doing well, too. I go to the plastic surgeon tomorrow to see about the drain, but I bet I'm not able to ditch it yet. A consolation is that Anna has brought me Law & Order Season 1, and if I have to stay on the sofa a few more days, then at least I am thoroughly entertained.

I am fine. Hope everyone is ok, too.

Hello, everyone! Pat's on the blog!

I can hardly WAIT until my next major surgery! This blog thing is FUN! But I'm at home now, and the party continues. At least on my end. LOTS of lovely flowers from people and cards and phone calls, etc. Chuck and Claire and now Tim Wilson, Claire's boyfriend, are here taking care of me. Tim has extended the airport range in the house, so I can now sit here in my bedroom, Mac on my lap, watch some trashy murder movie on TNT, and blog away.

They are downstairs vacuuming dog hair, an endless task, but I salute them for it just the same. Casey is kind of wild right now, with all of the changes in his schedule, extra people in the house, and whatever other excuse I can come up with to explain away his horrid behavior. He's developed a serious crush on one of the special pillows that Ann Taylor's mom made and sent to me. He takes any opportunity to remove it from its intended place and take it to his own lair. Weird dog. Weird dog.

I slept well last night, and I'm doing ok today, but I continue to be surprised that I don't feel perfect already. I can get dressed and go downstairs and then just a little while later, I feel like it's time for a nap. I know that my body is healing itself, and that's going to take some time. I guess I was a little premature in thinking that we'd be able to hit Spanish Village tonight.

The next few days will go like this, I think: I'll loll around. My sister Amy is on her way today; Carole arrives Wednesday. I have my first appt with the plastic surgeon on Thursday to hopefully remove the surgical drain. That will be a great improvement and will assist mobility. We meet with the other surgeon on the 12th I think to learn how the surgery went and what the next steps are.

I am so happy to have such a marvelous family and such caring friends.

Home safe

Hi, it's Claire,

Mission accomplished - she's home, she's home! Trying to put herself to sleep with a crossword puzzle in bed..ok, just checked, and it worked!

Anna did such a great job taking care of everything at the hospital, so now Dad and I have to keep up the good service. Dad made some nice meatballs for dinner. Casey is totally behaving himself and guarding her bed. I'm picking up my boyfriend Tim at the airport in a couple hours, and Amy should be arriving tomorrow.

Pam, she loves the flowers and note from you.

Thanks everyone for all the well wishes on the blog!

It's good to have her home.

It's alive!

Hi, folks. It's me. All is well. Loving the morphine, but difficult to type -- or maybe it's the IV in my hand. Thank you for the good wishes, fun stuff, and love. More later.

Love, pwent