Waiting for Other Shoe to Drop

I took the bus to NYC Wednesday and subwayed to my friends house in Brooklyn. I took the subway for two days and I'll just say it was grueling exercise. We then walked over a mile to our friends' house for dinner. Fortunately, that was highly restorative, Yuet made squid salad, steamed mussels in coconut milk and spices, steamed salmon and shrimp pad Thai, washed down with various Asian beers. We took a taxi home because I was half-dead.

Thursday, I went to see my oncologist and dermatologist. Even though I had a bad reaction to the Decadron, it did clear up the skin on my legs. I'm now trying a quarter of the original dose once a week. I started it Friday and so far I feel like myself, maybe even a little more peppy than usual. My poor dermatologist looked at my legs and said, "Patricia, I don't think there's much more I can do for you."

In between my two appointments, I walked 10 blocks (and back) to have a manicure and pedicure at my favorite place near where I used to live. When I walk in, the Korean owners fawn all over me, treating me like royalty. They also feel sorry for me a little bit, which is fine. I can be pathetic. Since I can't reach my feet, this was more about the nail-clipping than the toe color. Winter isn't a time to show off your pretty pink toes.

I took a taxi to Port Authority to catch the bus back to Monticello. There's really no convenient subway from my dermatologist's office. It was worth every penny. 

Half a Purple Mustache

My blogging friend in Massachusetts, who's also knee-deep in snow, knows how challenging lots of snow with veneers of ice can be for the unsteady. It's so easy to go down, and for me so hard to get up.

Thursday I went early to get my chemo injection and then across the street for a tooth extraction. The snow was just starting to build up and get slippery. All went well (only one nurse at the Infusion Center and the dentist and his assistant came to work) and I made it home safely. My gum didn't hurt much but the next day I saw a faint reddish spot near my lip. On no, gvh on my face, I worried.

Overnight it had snowed 12 inches. Time to shovel snow. I managed to make a path to the street but there was a snow bank 3 feet high. I had a brilliant idea. I needed to get my car out anyway so I began to wade through the snow. That's when I fell over. No damage to me but I quickly realized I couldn't get  up. With a combination of flailing and scootching on my rear, I made it to the door where I was able to reach the handle and crawl inside. A chair was my salvation as I was able to use it to get up. I guess I was going to miss my final injection.Throughout the day, it snowed another 6 inches, but Marty came around 7:30 pm to save the me. The next morning he dug out everything in a very short time. What a hunk! And no heart attack!

The gvh near my lip, which resembled half a grape mustache, was I realized, from the dental work. I have a very small mouth and that's where the assistant kept the suction device, also using it to pry it open a little more. I bruise easily, what can I say?

Injections, Extractions, Manipulations

Hey ho. Friday I had a cortisone shot in my shoulder. So far, my arm is still useless, but the doc said it could take a week to kick in. Today I started my week of Vidaza injections which I now get in the belly area because there's flesh there. Tomorrow I'll go to occupational and physical therapy for torture to my shoulder, arm and hand. Thursday I'll have another worthless tooth extracted.

The good news is that I feel muy bueno in general. I went to yoga Saturday and today after a 3-week absence. I only fell over once.

It's All Medical

I had an inlay put in a tooth today to replace an old filling that had fallen out. Another tooth (hopefully the last) will be yanked next week.

I drove across the street and had my blood drawn before the appointment with my local oncologist. I've been trying to wrangle in my herd of doctors so I don't have to drive so much.  Don't worry, I won't allow Dr. Strangelove and Nurse Rachet into my inner circle.

My darling healthcare company said they had to send my labs out, so I didn't get results STAT. But I know my blood is fine since I had labs in NYC last week.

Let it snow!