Cheesburgers, Chemo and Drive-ins...Oh My!

The port placement surgery really was pretty much a non-event. I was told repeatedly that I was the "healthiest person they had seen all day", you know, besides the CANCER!! In fact, the doctors' only real concern was the fact that I had a bag of snacks with me, I think they thought I was going to tuck in before surgery as I kept hearing, "Now, you know you can't eat any of that right?!". I had to keep explaining that I brought my own snacks because we {yes, WE, the husband starved with me for solidarity} hadn't eaten anything all day and I was certainly going to eat as soon as I got the okay!

I handled the anesthesia well, which was really my biggest concern. I am curious to know what {if anything} I said to the people in the operating room between the last thing I remember saying {something about a friend's fiance being a pediatric anesthesiologist} and waking up in the OR {with the blue surgery paper stuff still covering my face!!}. I am sure if there was conversation going on, it was pretty hilarious.

The procedure actually took a bit longer than expected due to the fact that Dr. Mc was completely done and then had to MOVE the port because my weak little pec muscles weren't holding it in place, ummmm, I guess that means I need to do more push-ups!? Even though it took a bit longer, I came out of anesthesia quickly and felt back to my normal self almost immediately. So much so that I actually moved myself from the surgery table to the recovery gurney. I didn't know that wasn't the norm until the nurse were like, "ummm, people generally don't move themselves." Oops! We did have to wait around for quite a while after getting a chest x-ray to check the port's placement as the doctor and the radiologists had apparently all gone home for the day. However, we did eventually get outta there and I GOT MY CHEESEBURGER, well, patty melt, but still.

A bit greasy and insane looking, but I'll take it!

The next morning, we headed off to chemo, which I received through my new fancy schmancy port. I need to take a picture without the bandages, you seriously can't really see the thing, I guess I didn't know what to expect. Chemo went well, except that I was SUPER tired. I didn't sleep well the night before due to fear of rolling over on the port. I was also really nauseous because I made the ridiculously stupid decision to take my percocet on an empty stomach at the same time as taking my normal vitamins and such. That was a bad choice. Seriously, bad choice. I was a bit disappointed when I saw my lab numbers. I knew that my blood counts would drop, but I just didn't think they would drop that quickly. All of my red counts were a bit low and my whites had also dropped {but were not low}. It seriously put me in a funk. I am just really afraid of the counts getting too low and missing a dose and/ or getting sick. So, if you want to direct some energy somewhere this week, please direct them to my counts staying within the normal range. I also FINALLY met with the nutritionist on Friday, which I had been excited about, but I honestly wish I never did - that's all I am going to say about that. Well, and this, I think I partly believe that I caused this cancer to happen because I like candy and sweets or something. We eat healthy most of the time, but I just can't convince myself that I didn't cause this to happen, somehow. Sigh.

I refuse to end this on that kind of downer note. So, instead I will end with this. Saturday was spent with family and friends celebrating my sweet nephew's 3rd birthday party. It was hot out, but it was fun and the cake was yummy. That night hubs, the boys and I headed out to the drive-in. Monster's University was showing and it was PACKED!! I know the cars look different now and the people aren't quite the same, but I can't help but feel a real sense of Americana at the drive-in. It's just families and friends gathered together, eating food, drinking lemonade, playing cards, throwing rocks in the creek and watching a movie while cuddled in the car. I love it. I look around and I am just happy that something so simple still exists to share with my family.

The view from the top of the "rock throwin" hill.