And it ain't mine.
Today The Old Boot and I headed out of the house at 8 AM to get to CancerCare in time for my 9 AM appointment. I am always amazed at the amount of traffic headed into the downtown; it makes me nervous and I get rather snippy with The Old Boot because he insists on driving my car and I am not a good passenger in my own car. I am much better if I'm driving. The traffic doesn't bother me anywhere near as much.
After a tense drive over the CancerCare, it was a relief to get to a parking spot, walk to CancerCare, and find the clinic where my appointment was.
When we checked in, the receptionist couldn't find my paperwork, so we were asked to sit down. In a few minutes, a nurse comes out and, after apologizing, tells us there has been a mistake and that the doctor I am to see isn't even in the office today. Well, consarn it all anyhow!
Having worked in medical offices, I know that once in a while, someone falls between the cracks, especially when you have doctors that work at more than one location, such as the oncologist I was to see. It is just the way things go; no matter how careful people are there are sometimes miscommunications between the offices, and there is simply no point in getting worked up and angry about it. So I was gracious, told the nurse it was not a problem, and she promised to get us booked in again as soon as possible.
The time at HSC was not totally wasted; I took a thank-you card up to the staff on GH-3 where I recovered from surgery, and we popped in to visit The Old Boot's aunt who works at HSC.
Once we got home, mom had already had a call from the doctor's office rebooking my appointment to next Thursday, November 6, same time, same place - one more week to find out what the next steps will be.
-- Lori
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Just a Few Thoughts . . .
On Monday mom and I went shopping, I to get my new cell phone activated and she to have a browse in the bookstore for recipe books aimed at feeding a cancer survivor well. She found a book called Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor, by Kris Carr. It's the second of two books and is sort of a workbook for the first, the first being Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips. Well, the highly twisted, demented and irreverent sense of humor of the book matches my own so I just had to go back yesterday and buy the first book!
Most of yesterday I spent reading Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (I was kind of tired out from the play Monday night and needed a lazy day). I laughed, I cried, I thought deep thoughts, I plumbed some personal depths that haven't been plumbed in years. I have definitely found a resource that will help me plan out some of the next steps of my cancer journey, a resource that is lighthearted but serious, as opposed to one book I started to read that was kind of doom and gloom, do-this-or-you-die heavy. Yuck. Don't need that in my life. Never finished that book.
Tomorrow is the big day, the preliminary meeting with my oncologist at CancerCare. I woke up at about 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep so I did some research on the commonly used chemotherapy drugs used for pancreatic cancer. I don't do this research to scare myself, although that sometimes happens. I do it so I can ask intelligent questions of the doctors and nurses, so I have some background knowledge as a framework for moving forward with my medical posse.
I even did one of the things we patients are always told to do: I made a list of questions to ask the doctor. So sometime after the appointment tomorrow, I'll hopefully be posting some more news about the next steps on my path.
Stay tuned!
-- L
Most of yesterday I spent reading Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (I was kind of tired out from the play Monday night and needed a lazy day). I laughed, I cried, I thought deep thoughts, I plumbed some personal depths that haven't been plumbed in years. I have definitely found a resource that will help me plan out some of the next steps of my cancer journey, a resource that is lighthearted but serious, as opposed to one book I started to read that was kind of doom and gloom, do-this-or-you-die heavy. Yuck. Don't need that in my life. Never finished that book.
Tomorrow is the big day, the preliminary meeting with my oncologist at CancerCare. I woke up at about 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep so I did some research on the commonly used chemotherapy drugs used for pancreatic cancer. I don't do this research to scare myself, although that sometimes happens. I do it so I can ask intelligent questions of the doctors and nurses, so I have some background knowledge as a framework for moving forward with my medical posse.
I even did one of the things we patients are always told to do: I made a list of questions to ask the doctor. So sometime after the appointment tomorrow, I'll hopefully be posting some more news about the next steps on my path.
Stay tuned!
-- L
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
And Now For Something Completely Different . . .
Last night, my mom and I had a rare treat - we went to a play!
Through the kindness of friends, we were given two tickets to see Pride and Prejudice at the Manitoba Theatre. So away we went. The Old Boot was kind enough to drop us off and pick us up so we didn't need to worry about parking and then getting into a cold car to get home. The play ran from 8 PM to about 10:40. By the middle, I was getting sleepy because I have been hitting the hay at about 9 PM, but a couple of times I rested my head on mom's shoulders for a bit, closed my eyes, had a mininap, and managed to stay for the whole thing.
If you're a Jane Austen fan, especially if you love Pride and Prejudice, then you're probably like me and are rather sceptical of any production that tries to stuff all the action of the book into two and a half hours. But the playwright did not too bad a job and got all the important bits in. I did miss some of the characters and scenes that were left out, though. I guess I'm a purist at heart.
Anyway, if you have an inkling you'd like to see the play, I can tell you that it is enjoyable and rather humorous.
-- Lori
Through the kindness of friends, we were given two tickets to see Pride and Prejudice at the Manitoba Theatre. So away we went. The Old Boot was kind enough to drop us off and pick us up so we didn't need to worry about parking and then getting into a cold car to get home. The play ran from 8 PM to about 10:40. By the middle, I was getting sleepy because I have been hitting the hay at about 9 PM, but a couple of times I rested my head on mom's shoulders for a bit, closed my eyes, had a mininap, and managed to stay for the whole thing.
If you're a Jane Austen fan, especially if you love Pride and Prejudice, then you're probably like me and are rather sceptical of any production that tries to stuff all the action of the book into two and a half hours. But the playwright did not too bad a job and got all the important bits in. I did miss some of the characters and scenes that were left out, though. I guess I'm a purist at heart.
Anyway, if you have an inkling you'd like to see the play, I can tell you that it is enjoyable and rather humorous.
-- Lori
Saturday, October 25, 2008
CancerCare Continued . . .
Once again I am impressed with how quickly the medical system is working for me.
I got a call from CancerCare Manitoba yesterday saying they had an opening on Thursday, October 30, at 9 AM, and would that be convenient for me? Heck yeah, of course!
How's that for quick? We went from waiting for weeks to waiting for days! Yippee!
Having never been through this process before, I am not sure what to expect from the first visit, but I am hoping that the doctor will be able to lay out a treatment plan for us, give us information on the chemo drugs they will be using, the side effects I can expect, the schedule for appointments, and all that interesting and important stuff. I just hope I am recovered enough from the surgery to be able to start the chemo soon. I will of course be taking along my Rock, The Old Boot, to the appointment, and will of course update this blog to keep all of you dear readers in the know.
-- Lori
I got a call from CancerCare Manitoba yesterday saying they had an opening on Thursday, October 30, at 9 AM, and would that be convenient for me? Heck yeah, of course!
How's that for quick? We went from waiting for weeks to waiting for days! Yippee!
Having never been through this process before, I am not sure what to expect from the first visit, but I am hoping that the doctor will be able to lay out a treatment plan for us, give us information on the chemo drugs they will be using, the side effects I can expect, the schedule for appointments, and all that interesting and important stuff. I just hope I am recovered enough from the surgery to be able to start the chemo soon. I will of course be taking along my Rock, The Old Boot, to the appointment, and will of course update this blog to keep all of you dear readers in the know.
-- Lori
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
CancerCare Manitoba . . .
I have finally heard from CancerCare. Got a call from the referrals clerk yesterday to let me know they had received the referral and my file, and that a doctor will be reviewing the file and then an appointment will be arranged for me.
When I asked how long that would take, the clerk said it usually took weeks, but that in my case she thought they would hurry things up a bit.
Here's hoping I won't have to wait too long.
-- Lori
When I asked how long that would take, the clerk said it usually took weeks, but that in my case she thought they would hurry things up a bit.
Here's hoping I won't have to wait too long.
-- Lori
Monday, October 20, 2008
Readjusting . . .
Good morning, folks!
I thought I had better post something today to let you all know that things are going pretty well. I am eating a little better every day, gaining a little more strength and stamina every day, and am generally on the mend.
However, I am having some difficulty readjusting to life at home, mainly because I have to behave so differently. At home, I'm used to doing this, doing that, cleaning, cooking, etc., but I find myself unable to do much. So I am struggling (weakly) to just let others take care of me and not get too wound up when I can't do something that I ordinarily would do.
In hospital, it was easy to let others do everything - the setting is so different. All you have to do is relax, do as you're told, and trust in the people around you to help you get well. The hospital has its own rhythm, and that also helps because after a few days, you know when bloodwork is done, when you'll get your Heparin shot, when breakfast, lunch and supper are served. You just rely on the hospital rhythm to choreograph your day.
At home, I find I want to fall into my old rhythm but I can't, because I'm an "invalid". So I am working toward building a different rhythm for this time: several short walks a day, regular meal times, naps in the afternoon, that kind of thing. But it's hard.
-- Lori
I thought I had better post something today to let you all know that things are going pretty well. I am eating a little better every day, gaining a little more strength and stamina every day, and am generally on the mend.
However, I am having some difficulty readjusting to life at home, mainly because I have to behave so differently. At home, I'm used to doing this, doing that, cleaning, cooking, etc., but I find myself unable to do much. So I am struggling (weakly) to just let others take care of me and not get too wound up when I can't do something that I ordinarily would do.
In hospital, it was easy to let others do everything - the setting is so different. All you have to do is relax, do as you're told, and trust in the people around you to help you get well. The hospital has its own rhythm, and that also helps because after a few days, you know when bloodwork is done, when you'll get your Heparin shot, when breakfast, lunch and supper are served. You just rely on the hospital rhythm to choreograph your day.
At home, I find I want to fall into my old rhythm but I can't, because I'm an "invalid". So I am working toward building a different rhythm for this time: several short walks a day, regular meal times, naps in the afternoon, that kind of thing. But it's hard.
-- Lori
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I'm Home!
Even though Tara already wrote a post to let everyone know I got sprung from the hospital today, I have to write my own to say a few things:
1. Man, am I glad to be disconnected from the pumps and the hoses and the monitors! I can walk around without dragging any machinery! I no longer have people asking me about my urine, gas and stool output. (Sorry, I know this is a bit graphic, but it gets tiresome having nurses ask when was the last time you peed. Every time I saw a nurse, s/he was sure to ask about some bodily function or other.)
2. Man, am I glad to be home! Just to bask in quietness after the continuous background roar of hospital noises is a treat. Plus, I got home to a very unexpected surprise: The Spice Moms and a couple of friends in cahoots with my mother had redone my bedroom - repainted, recurtained, rearranged and really nicely done. The bathroom was redone too; not too sure about purple in the bathroom but it will grow on me, I'm sure.
3. Man, am I glad I have so many friends! So many came to visit in the hospital, so many sent cards or gifts or flowers, so many sent messages of hope and good cheer, that my spirits were always buoyed up. I feel such gratitude for all of this support. Thank you, everyone.
-- Lori
1. Man, am I glad to be disconnected from the pumps and the hoses and the monitors! I can walk around without dragging any machinery! I no longer have people asking me about my urine, gas and stool output. (Sorry, I know this is a bit graphic, but it gets tiresome having nurses ask when was the last time you peed. Every time I saw a nurse, s/he was sure to ask about some bodily function or other.)
2. Man, am I glad to be home! Just to bask in quietness after the continuous background roar of hospital noises is a treat. Plus, I got home to a very unexpected surprise: The Spice Moms and a couple of friends in cahoots with my mother had redone my bedroom - repainted, recurtained, rearranged and really nicely done. The bathroom was redone too; not too sure about purple in the bathroom but it will grow on me, I'm sure.
3. Man, am I glad I have so many friends! So many came to visit in the hospital, so many sent cards or gifts or flowers, so many sent messages of hope and good cheer, that my spirits were always buoyed up. I feel such gratitude for all of this support. Thank you, everyone.
-- Lori
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