What a gorgeous day, huh? Ronnie and I plan on taking Jameson and Guinness on a walk once it's a little cooler out. All is well here--it was a bit of an eventful weekend (not in a fun way though, unfortunately! :) ). We got to the hospital Saturday a little after 8 PM, they drew some blood and then we waited (for the lab to type and cross the blood---each time, they have to draw blood to make absolutely sure they give you the correct blood type). By the time everything was processed and my nurse hung the blood, it was 11:30. It was really nice though because they were able to get me a private room on the oncology floor instead of having to send me to short stay. My nurse was great, and I felt well-cared for. I was just annoyed by the leukemia in general for ruining my evening (among other things!), and the whole process for getting blood (even though I completely understand), as well as the time of day that I had to go to the hospital, but other than that, everything was good. ("Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?!!")  :) My mom always says this, and it cracks me up. Anyway, Laura and my dad stopped over to visit and brought dinner with them! That was a really nice treat, and it was deeeeelish! I'm having some leftovers tonight, and I'm looking forward to it.
Now here's where it gets interesting: sometime in the middle of the night, the nurse's assistant came in to tell her there was a bat in the hallway...yup, you read right--a bat!!! Apparently it was flying down the hallway, although it did go into one patient's room four times (don't worry...it wasn't me, thank goodness!!)...that poor patient. Can you imagine? Another patient's family members caught the bat in a sheet and took it outside squealing all the way (the bat, not the family members). My mom really made me feel a lot better during the whole ordeal when she said "I hope that bat doesn't flatten itself and sneak under the door because they can get into really small spaces, you know". Thanks, Mom. That makes me feel really good! No one knows how the bat got in there, but I'm guessing maybe he was looking for some blood too! :) hahahaha
I didn't sleep much at the hospital, and we got home around 5 AM Sunday. At 11, I had to be at my doctor's office, so there wasn't much time to rest. I tossed and turned and had horrible nightmares in rapid succession: all the doctors and nurses were mean to me in Seattle, there was a gigantic copperhead trying to attack me in my mom's truck, and the rest I can't remember, but they were awful nightmares. When we got to my doctor's office, I was starting to feel nauseous, so I took a Compazine. They drew my blood, gave me my shot of Neupogen, and I met with the doctor, but the nausea just got worse until finally I threw up. I felt so miserable, and I sat there thinking, "I really don't want to feel like this...I can't believe I have so much left in the months ahead."  I know I'm lucky because I haven't been nauseated much either time I've been sick (the only time I threw up in '05 was the same night my fever hit 106.8), but it's not much comfort when you are actually feeling nauseous.  I was worried that my new pill, Lexapro, caused it because I took it for the first time yesterday, but I didn't have any problems this morning.  As Tiso said yesterday, it would be more depressing to be throwing up every day (Lexapro is the antidepressant I mentioned in a previous post)!  

After getting sick, I felt much better.  I had requested a wheelchair for my mom to take me down to the lobby of the doctor's office before I threw up because I felt so blah.  This is only the second time I've requested one during both treatments (the other one was that same night of the 106.8 fever).  It feels strange to ask for one when I want to always try to push through any discomfort, but at the same time I have learned the limitations of my body.  The nurse still wheeled me down which was nice of her.  Everyone at the office is so kind, and I feel stronger having them on my team.  

I know this is a long one tonight, but hey, I've got stuff to share with you!  Let's see...what else...oh--when I got in Ronnie's car this afternoon to go to the doctor, there was a card sitting on the seat.  Let me preface this by explaining that there is one card that many people sent me in '05 because they know I love dogs...on the front, it's a picture of a Golden Retriever and it reads "As they say in obedience school", and on the inside, "Heal".  Ronnie was always cracking up that I got so many of these (I haven't counted, but there are lots!), so he started giving me this very card for my birthday, Christmas, and random occasions.  Anyhooo, I opened the card today and guess what?!---a totally different card!  haha just kidding...wouldn't it be funny though if I told you that whole story about the card and it had nothing to do with anything?! On the inside he'd written:  "Please don't throw up in my car".  And that's what I love about my family and friends--always able to find the funny in a not-so-fun situation!!  I'll have to count how many of these cards I have and get back to you.

OK, I guess that's enough for tonight!  You still reading or did you nod off?  :)  Oh!  I know...one more thing!  I have, drum roll please, .001 neutrophils today!!!  Woohoo!  OK, so it's not much, but it's something!  I get more platelets tomorrow morning...thanks again to all you blood and platelet donors out there!!!  I feel so lucky to have them available when I need them.  

Hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful Monday!