No Chemo

Headed for the end of treatment, slow and not so steady...

I was originally scheduled for chemo on November 20. White counts were too low. I don't feel any more tired or sick when my counts are low. Actually I was really surprised when the doc told me. So now I am rescheduled for November 26. All my chemo dates have changed again. (I have updated the dates on the side bar.)

I am trying not to be upset or annoyed, since last time this happened it totally worked out for the better. I think the annoyance part comes more from the change in "the plan" than being upset about the white counts. I mean really, I have to change all the dates in my palm and on my calendar, I have let work know about the date changes, etc, etc. What a pain! Again, I am trying to remember it will all work out for the better.

Matt's folks are here to help with the house and hang out for Thanksgiving. The way things happen when they're around, we may just be in the house by next weekend.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving.

Peace, MEA

Sealed Your Fate

Back by popular demand...
The People have spoken - more people like the Gracie videos than not.
Yea!!!!!
I must keep the masses happy!

Peace, MEA

Judy's Wild Adventures in Paradise

Mom's visit was great.

After a crazy flight here (she went back and forth between Seattle and Portland a number of times before finally setting out over the Pacific for Hawaii), I finally got to pick her up around 9pm.

It was just her and I for 10 days straight. She unfortunately missed Matt entirely, yet she baked cookies for him everyday, so if he did happen to make it home that he would have warm cookies.

Luckily she liked Gracie, and Gracie loved her. They were practically inseperable while she was her. Go figure - I feed her every day, yet she wants to sleep and snuggle with my mom.

Mom also got to meet my oncology nurse, Patty, when I had to go get my white blood cells checked after the shot. Patty said she thought mom was great even though mom is a republican nurse.

We went to the beach, where we laughed and laughed at the weightlessness and pull of the water.

I got her to dress up as a hippy with me for Halloween - she even flashed a peace sign. After having a few friends over, we walked out to the main strip in Waikiki and watched all the people dressed up. We agreed that our favorite moment, even though it was a bit startling, was when the two guys who were dressed as gorillas started freaking out and ran straight passed us to a guy dressed as a 7 ft banana.

Mom agrees that we should not cut the crooked tree in front of our house. After praying through the house she could not help but make an archway out of a few stray branches. I thought it framed her quite well in this picture.

I am trying to get Matt to blog about his trip, so be sure to bug him about it when you talk to him.

Hope this finds you well.

Peace, MEA

Half Way!!! Hooray!!!

Lori, Alicia, Tanoa, Linda, Me, Shannon*

Today was my 4th chemo treatment. That means I am half way!
Still set to be done with chemo the last week of December, then on to a few weeks of radiation.
My white blood cell count was good. No shot to increase them this week. Cool!
Still reacting good to the treatment. No lunches lost yet!
Matt should be home tonight (my friend Linda took me today) at like 4 am.
So I think the best way to celebrate is to play some volleyball with the girls then go to dinner.
Hope this finds you well.
Peace, MEA
*Tini - do you recognize the ball you guys gave me?

Some live action of the girls playing, while I caught my breath between games. I would turn off the volume, bc I am very loud (go figure) and am not really saying anything important (again not a stretch for me), but just yelling the girls names.

Stupid Pet Tricks

The honeymoon is over. A 1000 square feet of living space is not enough room to escape the smell of a litter box. Gracie is well fed, over her surgery and becoming more spivy by the day. Her full name has shown itself: Gracie T.B. Poopsalots (call me if you want to know what the "T.B." stands for, not really appropriate for the blog).
Here are some videos to get to know her better.
Peace, MEA

Bed Jumping #1

Bed Jumping #2

Box Herding