Chemo Round 2 #6

Thought I better publish a little update while I am sitting in the chemo recliner. OK, I will tell you all the truth why I couldn't have chemo two days ago. I FORGOT to start taking my chemo premeds last Sat. I thought of it on Sunday night and when I told them that on Tues. they said it is just TOO dangerous because of the reaction I have to the Carboplatin too give it without taking it for the full 3 days. They have had to rush people to the hospital because of reactions. SOOOOO, it was a wasted trip to GR, I was mad at myself, but I will give you my excuse. I was so busy thinking about going to work on Sat. am, to teach expectant parent classes, and thinking about feeling good and normal, that it totally slipped my mind to start premedicating myself. Don't you think it is partly my Dr's fault?? because he wanted me to go back to work and try to feel "normal"??   No?? They didn't buy it at chemo either.

So I wait two days, take ALL the pre meds, and here I am. It feels wierd to be here on a Thursday, because I have always been here on a Monday or Tues. It is a whole different set of patients. But, you learn from them. One girl has been doing this for 6 years and she was told she had only months to live also. She had 4 years of "remission", but then her CT scan showed spots of cancer had come back. Her CA-125 didn't go up, so they don't even use that as a test for her. First time I had heard that.

I forgot to mention in my last post that I will be having a CT scan in Sept. They will finally send my CA-125 in today, so hopefully will get those results tomorrow to know if only two more of these chemos.(this round).

We will be up north for a long weekend. My parents will be at their log home, and all the kids should be up there for a part of the weekend. Should be fun and nice and hot.  It will probably be the last weekend for floating around in my blow up raft chair with the cupholder. I might even fill it with something fun! It is always beautiful around the water, with a breeze usually and stays nice and cool in the house.

Guess what I did yesterday? I played 9 holes of golf with my friend Karen. I never would have gone had she not encouraged it. It was a beautiful day, sunny with a nice breeze. I hits some good shots, many bad ones. We didn't keep score (after the mulligans). So that took all the pressure off. We will hopefully try it again this fall.

The past few weeks I have had fun doing some shopping with my friend Deb S. who organizes the Honduras mission trips that Mieke and I have gone on. We got to go to Spectrum Health's warehouse and pick out LOTS of wonderful large items for the surgery center in Gracias, Honduras and the work that they do in the villages. I also helped sort and pack in boxes lots of donated drugs that they give out. This all had to be done before Labor Day when they send out a large shipping container over there. To go on another brigade with this group with the Luke's Society is definitely on my bucket list!

Some of you know the following because you follow Facebook, but I will  update those who don't use that.
1st -Ross won an audition and is now the second chair trumpet for the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.
       He beat out 9 others, who he said were all very good players, and at the end a woman (from U of
       M). He was very glad to have an official position, it means regular work, you get calls for other
       and hopefully more students for lessons. They don't have as many concerts as the Grand Rapids
       Symphony, so he will be able to play with them also. He is scheduled already for their first  
       classical concert in Sept.
        He is also going to go on tour for 3 wks. in Nov. with a National Touring Broadway tour of
       Fiddler on the roof. He is subbing for a trumpet player who needed the 3 wks off. You can go
       on their website and find out where he will be playing, starting Nov. 14. We are going to try and
       go when they are in Muskegon. He ends up in Florida and then they fly him home.  He will be
       gone over Thanksgiving and he offered to have the family over for a Thanksgiving meal early
       at HIS house before he leaves. (I put this in writing, so he won't forget his offer...)

2nd- Mieke has excepted a full time job at Park Elementary School in Hudsonville. She will be     
        working as a para pro in Kindergarten in the morning and 5th grade in the afternoon. She loves
        this school, the principal, the teachers, etc. They hire most of their teachers through their para
        pros, so this is what she is hoping will happen (sooner than later).  She did get offered a teaching
        job in Niles, but did not except it. She and Aaron are happy to stay living in Holland.  She was
        asked to start working the day she excepted the job by going to a Kindergarten open house , so
        she could meet all the kids, their parents and all the teachers. Of course she was wishing she
        was the"teacher" , but that is only natural, she will learn so much this year, and there will not
        be all the pressure and work at home every night and weekends to make lesson plans, etc.

 3rd- Aaron is going to start a full time job selling at Michigan Air Specialties in GR. He has benefits
        so that took the pressure off Mieke to except the teaching job that she didn't feel was a "good
        fit". He is very excited to start this new position next Tues.

      I have to admit I am thrilled to have them stay around for a while.  I am thankful, and thank       
      God for all three of these new jobs!!

Sorry this is so long. We will be up north for the long weekend and hopefully all the kids will be
there for some part of the weekend.  Next weekend we will all be going downtown Detroit and stay at a hotel in Greektown. We will be attending my nephew Kyle and his new wife Richenda's wedding celebration party at the Detroit Yacht Club on Bell Isle.  They live in Australia, and  their wedding was the one we went to in Hawaii in January. This reception is for the friends and relatives who
were not as fortunate to go to that wedding in Hawaii. Can't wait to see everyone again. My niece and her boyfriend from Chile will also be there.

Just got a call from Ross, and guess what? I get to tell you that one more of my kids got a new job!!
Rumy is now going to be working at Albion College as an accompanist for students. Ross has students there and they can go in together. So good to have on her resume and the added income!!

What is going on with the Tigers loosing?? No good. Hope they do better this weekend. Have a
wonderful Labor Day weekend!! Next chemo Sept.24, would you do me a favor? If you see me, please remind me on Sept.20 to start taking my pre meds. OK? The nurse said it happens usually once to patients on premeds, but what it tells her is that people are living their lives and not just thinking about the big "C".