I have a lot of catching up to do, since a lot has happened since I last wrote about my treatments, etc. First off though, I must say that I did get to go to one of Brody's soccer games on the 10th of September. It was one of those warm days and the game was at 11:30 a.m., so mostly Brant and I sat in the shade of a big tree and watched what was going on from there. Jeff came and got me, we got lunch after the game, and then Jeff brought me back home again. It was a great day!
As I said, I started my first chemo treatment on the 12th of September. I did end up with some mouth sores by the end of the week, so I asked for a prescription for magic mouthwash the next week. I also had some vomiting, but Dr. H thought those were too far away from the treatment to be a side effect ?!? Probably just me and my sensitive stomach. On the "off" weeks I have to go get bloodwork done, so I did that on September 19. I did the second chemo treatment on September 26 . . . and the only side effect that I had after that was a sensitivity to cold in my hands. This is a very strange feeling! I have a feeling that this winter I may have to carry my gloves ALL the time and may have to keep some hand warmers on me too. I also have to be careful about drinking anything too cold, as it makes my throat feel a little strange.
On a side note - we have a couple of friends that are also going through chemo treatments now - and our prayers continue to go out to Carole and Brian.
Normally GOTRA has hosted an open the first weekend in October - the Cornhusker Vintage Nationals - where we invite all different types of cars to come and have a fun weekend at US30 Speedway in Columbus, NE (our home track). 2011 would have been the 9th Annual Cornhusker Vintage Nationals. This has been a pretty big deal - normally between 50 and 75 cars plus the people that come with the cars, plus the people in the grandstands, so we have to deal with registrations, t-shirts, hats, organizing the different types of cars into their own heats, typing up info for the announcer, pit gates, food, etc. etc. - we get a lot of our group participating, but also people from all over the United States. We usually did an informal get-together on Friday night, a free Swap Meet on Saturday morning, with races in the afternoon and evening - donuts and coffee in the morning and lunch and dinner for the participants. Then on Sunday an informal worship service in the grandstands with continental breakfast and then races in the afternoon. So in early August I decided that with not knowing at all how I would be able to handle, or react to the chemo, I would not be able to do what I had normally done for this event. So in mid-August we notified everyone that had participated previously that it would not be happening "because of circumstances beyond our control". This was a disappointment to all of us, but it was very heart warming when people found out the reason that we couldn't do it AND what a response we got - people offered their support, their help with sponsorship, and their help for next year, etc. etc.
Now because of canceling - this gave us a free weekend. Our friend Bruce H. who normally comes to the CVN decided that he would still make the trip to Fremont that weekend to come and visit. So he and his friend Sally spent the morning with us visiting and then we went out for lunch. Two of Carrie & Justin's best friends had set their wedding date for October 1 - Carrie was the Matron of Honor and Justin was the Best Man. Well when we first found out about the date, we thought we would be in Columbus and wouldn't be able to attend - but because of the way things turned out we could go. The wedding and reception were at the Double Tree in Omaha, and we got to congratulate Joey & Monika and their parents and daughter, and also got to spend the evening with Justin & Carrie and all of the Rehder's (Kathy & Jeff, Rach & Jake, Katie & Ty) plus a few other friends! We had a great time. But by the time 8:30 rolled around I was ready to go, I also knew that we had made the right decision to cancel the CVN - I wouldn't have been able to handle it. The Arlington Community Church was holding their fourth annual fundraiser that Sunday and they always have a Car Show in the afternoon - GOTRA has sponsored plaques for the Car Show, but we had never been able to attend. So this year, John & Jeff took their stock cars over to put on display for some PR for the group. Brody spent the afternoon with Dad & Papa and Brant spent the afternoon with Grandma!
Again on the 3rd of October I had bloodwork done - including the bloodwork that was needed for my pre-op physical. (I had the bright idea that I could do all of the bloodwork through the port instead of having to get poked - and I could!) Each time I go in either for a treatment or for the bloodwork, they check my blood pressure. We were keeping track of it from the 26th of September (it was very low on that day) to October 3 to October 5. I also had a day that I had light headedness and jelly knees - so once again I was taken off my blood pressure medication. Dr. S and I will keep a handle on this! On Wednesday, October 5 I had my pre-op physical done for the surgery on the 10th. I also got both my flu shot and my pneumonia shot that day - and boy did I have a sore arm the next morning!
Jeff brought Brody to town on the 9th of October - so that he could help Grandma get out her Halloween stuff and spend the night. As always, we had a great time! Fun decorating, a little outside time, and then some movie, snuggling time. We didn't get up in time to make it to Sunday School the next morning, but we did go to 11:00 a.m. church - and Carrie and Justin met us there. There was a Congregational Meeting after worship for the Election of Officers - our Elders and Deacons for the next three year term. Carrie was elected as a Deacon for the Class of 2014!
We had to be at Methodist Hospital at 9:00 a.m. on the morning of Monday, October 10 - John and I, Carrie and Jeff met with Dr. Bill for a visit and a prayer before I checked in, which was a very pleasant surprise! My surgery was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. The surgery only lasted an hour (they expected two), I'm not even sure how long I spent in recovery. I ended up in room 603 bed 1 - with a roommate in bed 2. There was little or no contact with this roommate (who was recovering from gallbladder surgery) or her mother who was there with her (roommate was about 40, mom was about 60). She got to go home on Tuesday morning. SO I moved to bed 2 by the window - which is the better of the two beds by the way! My second roommate came in Tuesday afternoon - she had bowel obstruction surgery. This roommate was very chatty, and we found out we had a lot of things in common. She was so sweet, she sent home a red rose that she had been given by a hospital volunteer home with me. I had calls and visits from my family, my grandsons and other people, but I had a couple of special visits on Wednesday - fellow staff member Paul Valla came for a visit and brought some beautiful mums, and then my cousin Curtis and his wife Barb from Colorado came for a visit and brought a beautiful basket of pansies and decorative plants (that I will be able to plant outside next spring)! Curt & Barb were in NE because unfortunately my uncle Calvin had just been back in Methodist Hospital - as a matter of fact, he was being checked out on Monday about the time my surgery was getting over! Please keep my uncle and aunt and their family in your prayers too! Many of the nurses and aides had been the same ones that had been there in June so that was fun to get reacquainted. Even met a nurses aide that has been friends with the Rehder's for years! We had talked on Thursday that things were going so well that I probably would get to go home on Friday - and when Dr. B came in Friday morning she couldn't see any reason that I shouldn't go home - WOO HOO! My roommate was checked out just a few minutes before I was on Friday. This surgery was so much easier than the first - I only had one vomiting episode very early on (but that's me!). Had no problems when they took the catheter out this time. Having a room with only one bathroom and two people using it was sometimes a problem! But for the most part everything went exactly as expected. I came home with no prescriptions and had to have no tests while I was there - now that's a great hospital stay!! Plus only 5 days in the hospital is much better than 11 days. The recup at home has been much better this time than last too, believe me. I am getting a lot of exercise going back and forth to the bathroom - and my 15 month old grandson and I have a lot in common these days with our underwear choices. lol And may I also say that I don't miss that ilesotomy bag one little bit - I'll take the Depends over it any day! Dr. B thought I would need a couple of weeks recup in order to get my body back in sync with what it is supposed to do, rather than what it has been doing from the 20th of June through the 10th of October. I will see her in about three weeks to see how things are going.
One more thing - keep my sis Denise in your prayers too - she couldn't come and stay with me during this hospital stay cos she's been fighting some back problems. Hopefully she will find out soon what they can do to take care of the pain that she has been having!
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