Fear of Needles

Let me tell you something.  If you ever get cancer and have a fear of needles, you'll be getting over that real quick.

I have blood drawn at least once a week, plus more on the weeks where I have PET scans, MUGA scans, or pulmonary function tests (PFT).  In addition to all of that crap, I also have to get my chemo put in through my port every other week.

So, on average, that comes to at least 6 pokes a month.

More than I'd probably had in my entire life combined--prior to marriage.

I had chemo this morning and in the process of being injected with my four drugs and two anti-nausea drugs, I managed to find it in myself to take a picture of the most peculiar looking one: adriamycin.

This is the one that is SUPPOSED TO make my hair fall out.

It's failing.

I still have quite a bit of hair.  You can tell that it has thinned out, but... I've been mentally prepared to look like a lab rat and I'm a checklist person and it bothers me that it won't just fall out so I can check it off my list and deal with it.

Back to the needles....

Last time I had to get my PET, MUGA, and PFT I hadn't become accustomed to being poked every week and was so nervous about them drawing my blood for all of these tests.  I can say with confidence now that it doesn't even phase me.  It wouldn't even bother me if I had to get it drawn every day--which hopefully won't happen because I'm doing what I can to avoid Type II Diabetes... but you never know!

Also, Isaac got a Playstation move from his parents for his 24th birthday, which is on Friday.  He's like a little kid with it.  All I hear when he's playing it is, "oh man..." "POW! GOT 'EM!" and other various sound effects.  It truly is like I have an eight year old boy living here now--but, in the words of Ledisi, "it's alright."  Beautiful singer.

I played him in bocce ball, disc golf, and volleyball for the last three hours...

I'm sad to say that I lost in everything except disc golf.  Yes, I lost volleyball....  even after being on the varsity team from sophomore to senior year and still playing over the past few years in Beyer hall with the crew.  I'm blaming it on the controllers... and the area in which you have to play.

Isaac understood that you don't actually have to move to play the game, so he was stationary, while, when I had a ball going toward the sideline, I was shuffling across the living room floor to sprawl out and dive but by then, the "eye" couldn't see my controller anymore and so my girl just stood there.  LAME.

However, it was a really good workout and by the time it was done, I was sweating like crazy while Isaac was barely warm.  That's my reward for pretending it's real.

Oh--and for those of you who are wondering what I am doing to be proactive about NOT getting constipated this time... I started taking stool softeners today and I will be taking a laxative before bed tonight to get things moving along.

I really would like to avoid that situation happening again if possible!!!!