Patty's epic adventure

  4/13/23 This might be a rough update.  I can barely see what I'm typing, so please forgive all my errors.  We are leaving in the morning for our cruise and will be home on 4/27, late afternoon.  I'm very disappointed that my vision is going to be such an issue on our trip.  My vision has been getting worse since my surgery.  I'm one week out with my left eye, and two weeks out with my right.  My vision should be much better by now, however, now I can barely see to drive properly and would not pass the driving test.  I can no longer read road signs and only drive locally where I know my way around easily.  I cannot help David drive to Dallas tomorrow, nor read anything on the way.  I can't even see Google maps on my phone.  They tested my vision today, along with a lot of other tests, and the tech said not to expect to be able to read the chart very well with my eyes dilated.  I said they're not.  She looked at me and the...

  4/4/23 Three evenings ago, I was working at my desk in my office, and I noticed a dead June bug laying on top of my desk, near the front.  I studied it, but decide it was dead and upside down.  Ok, no cause for alarm.  No worries about a June bug flying into my hair.  They're the stupidest bugs on the planet and I've had plenty land there, so this could be a real issue.  I'm satisfied it's dead, and resolve to pick it up and toss it into the garbage as soon as I'm finished with my task at hand.  However, I continue to take peeks at it over the next hour or so, just to ensure it hasn't moved, because I don't trust it.  I keep worrying about that stupid bug rolling back over and taking wing.  It's horrible when they land in your hair - especially hair like mine.  Thick and curly.  They entangle themselves and just go in deeper and deeper.  It's just plain creepy.  At one point, I was obsessed with that bug, but never got t...

  3/29/23  It's Wednesday.  I picked up our taxes today.  Ugh.  At least they're done.  I had my brain MRI this afternoon and I already got my results.  The tech was not used to inserting IVs.  He said almost all his patients are in-patients and already have IVs.  That explains why his first attempt blew out my vein.  Bad start.  He had to call in someone else after the 3rd stick and that guy got me on the first try.  My arm is so dang sore.  I honestly can't remember an IV hurting this much after being in so short a time.  I was in for 25 minutes, then they took me out to put the IV in.  They put me back in for another 15 minutes and then pulled me out.  I had no idea how they were going to do this.  I figured it was just like any other MRI.  I was wrong.  They put the ear plugs on me, then I laid my head in a headrest thingy.  Then they put something beside each ear to kind of lock me i...

  3 /27/23  It's Monday.  I'm happy about my haircut.  Apparently, she didn't cut enough off to remove all the curls.  It'll take some getting used to and when it grows out a bit more, I'll cut more chemo hair off.  I took my neighbor to a church concert last night.  It was wonderful.  Turns out, I knew the singer.  He's my podiatrist.  He also has his own band and they sing mostly country/western.  David and I follow them so we can dance.  He doesn't look the same in church as he does on the stage.  I never knew he was even in the band!  He gave me a cd when the show was over.  I barely made it to the concert in time.  I was helping a friend and the time slipped away from me.   I spent a good portion of the day today trying on summer clothes, swimsuits, etc.  I had no idea what still fit and what didn't.  I started laying out stuff in the spare bedroom and making lists.  I won't be ...

  3/23/23 The date is cool today, isn't it?  I left David for a few days and he did just fine without me, but it was time for me to come home.  I changed his bandage after his first shower and he felt like a new man.  Smelled new, too......  I take him back to the surgeon tomorrow morning for his one week checkup.  I have physical therapy after that.  I missed therapy on Wednesday.  My eye appointment turned out to be 2-1/2 hours long.  I figured on 1-1/2, so I called and cancelled at the last minute.  I'd already told her it was a possibility, tho.  I met with the eye surgeon and had lots of tests done.  They dilated my eyes and told me they would stay that way for 2-3 hours.  Ten hours later, I still couldn't read anything.  Gads.  What a day that turned out to be!  I went back again today to have measurements taken.  Four different machines for that, but I was out in an hour.  I'm going to have ...

  3/18/23 Holy Cow.  I haven't updated this thing for awhile.  I reckon it's because Courtney and Warren came to visit over spring break, and 2 girls (and families) came into town last weekend to run with David in the Fresh 15.  Guess what?  I didn't run.  Big surprise, right?  I held down the home fort.  I fed them when they got home and then did their sweaty laundry while they showered.  I did my part. I've been going to PT twice a week, every week.  I've been 17 times now and I'm still not done.  Good grief.  Soon, they say.  Soon.  I'm tired of driving into town.  It's 1/2 hour to the center, so that's an hour a day on the road.  It's like going to friggin' work.  I see the eye surgeon on Wednesday and then go straight to PT.  I see the ENT guy on Thursday and then PT again on Friday.  Geez.  I'm still having earaches and will have my brain MRI the next week.  That oughta be load...

  3/6/23 Monday.  I thought I studied enough for my tests today, but apparently, not hard enough.  Poop.  Ok, here goes..... I have a sebaceous cyst under my right arm that's caused by radiation.  It's a pain in the butt (or arm, as it may be), but she called in some stuff to try and kill it.  I have new spots on my chest that are raised and spreading.  Apparently cause by radiation.  the Rx she called in should help these, also.  The scar tissue seems to be getting a bit worse - apparently also caused by radiation.  Who knew that radiation would still be tormenting me after all this time?!? She said my upcoming cataract surgery would be fine to have.  That's about the only good part of my visit today. She's sending me back to my cardiologist and the appointment has already been made.  Geez.  That was fast.  She agrees with my decision to wait until August to have another MRI at MD Anderson to take a peek at the tumor...