Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Day 80

Yesterday was very good! Nausea left me alone all day until half way through dinner. Fatigue only came calling when I tried to move too fast or use too much energy. I actually only took 2 tylenol all day and I actually stayed up until 10pm last night! That's really late for me now a days. lol

Yesterday was great and today is starting out the same. (My fingers are crossed)

Even though I know the Nuepogen and procrit shots are coming tonight....I can still enjoy the day. I'm always hopeful that they won't bring sides this time and ruin tomorrow, You just never know. Regardless of what tomorrow brings I am determined to enjoy this day.

Mentally I'm not sure if the A.D.'s that I have taken have had some effect on my mind but lately my anger hasn't been so severe.....at least I haven't wanted to yank any old ladies out of their cars in the past few days!


Well.... here's to my Ducky day

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Day 79

Yesterday dragged. I ate Tylenol all day and nausea stayed with me pretty much all day. I snack on crackers throughout the day to help the nausea. That seems to help a little. I carry the nausea pills with me to work but I have yet to take them while I'm there. I think I'd rather just visit the bathroom then to fall asleep at my desk. The pills cause me to become very drowsy.

The biggest problem with the nausea is that the top of my tongue and throat suffers from vomiting. (gross I know) The whole top of my tongue starts to heal and then the nausea and vomiting returns and makes my tongue relapse, so the top of it becomes painful and red. It's a big circle. I get it better with the "Magic Mouthwash" and then the nausea puts it right back to where it was. I will not take the Lexapro anymore....I know now that a lot of the nausea that I have is coming from it. I guess I'll have to try yet something else. I use to have a script for Xanax from my regular Doc. but that script ran out. I think I'll ask Hershey to refill it. It doesn't make me ill at all.

I went to bed early last night and other than a few really weird dreams, I slept pretty good.

This morning I woke up and I feel pretty good. (knock on wood) Maybe today will be good all day. Tuesday's and Wednesday's usually are my good days. Hopefully I can continue to have at least 3 good days a week.

I keep hearing that my body will get used to the drugs after a while......then again I've also heard that the last 24 weeks are the hardest. I think it may depend on the person. Me...I'm at week 11 and although the sides have been worst in the past I think that the only thing that has changed is that I'm on rescue drugs. Otherwise I don't think my body has gotten used to tx yet. Maybe soon....who knows.

Today is what matters.


Today I feel Ducky :)



Monday, April 28, 2008

Day 78

I spent yesterday on the couch. Sundays are ruff. Fatigue and nausea stayed with me all day.

I got up this morning and today is not much better. The little drummer boy is playing hell on my upper back and neck. I grabbed some tylenol and I'll take a hot shower and maybe he'll go away for the day. The fatigue is still holding on.

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work I go.....I hope the day gets better...

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Day 77

Surprisingly yesterday didn't turn out too bad! I was run down and I took tylenol all day, but I was still able to function.....that's not normal for a "day after a shot" day.

The kids are here for the weekend and they got the yard cleaned up for me complete with the garden beds ready for planting. They worked their butts off as the yard was a major mess from winter!

Amanda came over and spent the afternoon here with the baby. O.M.G. he's getting so big so fast! 6 months old and already he's a ladies man!

My daughter had an old friend spend the night. It was nice to see this kid because she hasn't been around for a long time. She's such a nice kid.

It was a busy house all day and Jimmy escaped to Atlantic City for the night where his son is having his Bachelor party! I expect that he'll be home later with a major hangover to show for his little venture. :)

Oh yeah! And I had another nice surprise yesterday.....a good friend of ours sent me a dozen roses with a card that said he misses me and hopes that I'm feeling better! It was soo nice! I tend to be a bit of a hermit since this has started, so I really don't get to see many people anymore. It's nice to know they still think about me! Hopefully I can find a day that I'm feeling good and I can stop downstairs at the bar to say hello and hang out for a little while.

I woke up this morning feeling that drugged feeling that usually visits after a shot day, but as I wake up it's turning more to a washed out feeling. At least the little drummer boy is leaving me alone so far. I have the feeling that today will be a couch day.

My oldest son will be here for dinner at 1pm and I may just order out. I don't think I'll have the strength for cooking a Sunday dinner. It's nice to know that he doesn't really come for the food anyway.

I restarted the Lexapro last night and so far my stomach seems to be handling it. My muscles don't seem to be tensing up like they did before....so maybe I did just need a gap between the Zoloft and the Lexapro. We'll see. I hope that feeling doesn't come back because I think I would rather deal with the mental problems then to make myself feel more like shit because of extra drugs. (I know that a few idiot drivers around here are praying that the A.D.'s work! lol)

Well it's couch potato day, as Sundays often are. I'm sure that later I'll have Jimmy's company! lol

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Day 76

Yesterday was pretty good until the end of the day. Nausea started to catch up to me but then I took a pill and ate supper along with my hand full of pills and it actually seemed to subside a bit.


7:30 and I took my shot #10. The injections are so much easier with Jimmy's help. I grab everything out and get it ready....but my mind is screaming not to do it. I hate the idea that it makes me sick and puts me down for the weekend. If it weren't for Jimmy helping me through it I just don't know what I would do. He makes me so much stronger.


This morning I woke up and everything aches. The little drummer boy has found my upper back and my neck muscles again. He's an evil little son of a bitch. I'll take some Tylenol as soon as I think my stomach can handle them.


Hopefully I start to snap out of the funk because today I really wanted to put the kids to work on my back yard cleaning it up from the Winter and getting the garden ready for planting. I may just wind up hanging out supervising. We'll see.....


I have to admit that I kind of stopped taking the A.D.'s for now. Even the Lexapro was causing my body to feel tense. It was tieing my stomach up into a knot.


I'm going to re-start it tonight. I had it in my mind that maybe it was making me feel lousy because I jumped right from Zolaft (that was making me feel like a living hell) to Lexapro without any break in between the 2 drugs.


I thought I'd give it a few days to get the Zoloft out of my system before starting the lexapro. We'll see if it helps by tomorrow after I restart it tonight. I know that I need something.....


Well it's the weekend and Ducky always deserts me every weekend! All I can hope for is that one of these weekends he'll stick around.













It was wonderful to hear from my Trial Buddies Dorene and Rose! :) They posted comments on day 75. It's inspiring to know that we are all still hanging in there! My heart goes out to them...

Emi....are you still around?

Friday, April 25, 2008

Day 75

Yesterday became ruff. I wound up late in the day with what I can only describe as bone pain. It went way past body aches. By last night I was popping too much Tylenol just to get it to let up.

After I went to bed I felt like I was up and down all night.

This morning the bone pain has gone back to body aches, so that's a plus. The underside of my upper arms seem to be ultra sensitive from my arm pits to my elbows. I'll grab some more Tylenol to take that away.

If the body aches go away I'll feel pretty good.

I'm in week #11 and the nausea has been easy on me this week.(knock on wood) Just a slight hit here and there but nothing like it has been. I hope that it stays that way as I really need to gain some weight back.

Shot #10 tonight. Yea haw! I really wish I could have a weekend to myself. The yard is a mess and I want to get the garden back up for the summer. Unless the kids give me a hand it just doesn't look like that's going to happen.

Maybe shot#10 will give me a break and allow me to do something more than just hang out on the couch!

We'll see....

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Day 74

Yesterday at work was a long day but I felt great for most of it! My boss bought Susan and I a nice basket full of plants and flowers for Administrative Asst's day. It's very pretty and thoughtful of him.

After work I went to my son's track meet and then home. By the time I got home fatigue was starting to get the best of me. I grabbed something to eat so that I could take my handful of pills, took my Nuepogen and Procrit shots (damn they sting) and I went to bed.

I woke up this morning feeling like I could sleep the day away. I was up and down all night long. The Nuepogen and Procrit have their own little side effects. Happily these sides don't last as long as the Interferon sides. These just hang out for about a day. They really just mess up my Thursday. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll feel better.....lol....just in time for the Interferon shot on Friday night.

I'll grab some Tylenol for the day to muddle through work. I hope it's a busy day so that I'm not sitting there concentrating on feeling like shit!

I still haven't heard from any of my trial buddies. I hope they're all doing well.

At least it's a beautiful day outside!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Day 73

What a day!! I felt pretty darned good and Terry made it here for his "Drinks on Obama" night.

It was so wonderful to be able to sit and talk with him. He's been through it all with this tx and he's coming out on the other end of it all looking fantastic!

It's really been a big boost for me to spend some time sitting and talking with Terry. This treatment is so brutle that it's very hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel. Sitting and talking with him has allowed me to see that even though there is a long way to go, there still is a "normal" life waiting for me at the other end.

Obama, on the other hand, didn't do as well. He lost PA. Hopefully he does better in Carolina and Indiana.

There where about 25-30 people who showed up for drinks and to watch the results come in. Terry was interviewed by the local News and Newspaper. The news coverage was awesome. He did a wonderful job being interviewed. If you'd like to see it, goto: http://www.samsonproductions.com/ssptvvod.php?vod=news

and click on the Wednesday miday report.

Terry and Jimmy got up early with me this morning and had coffee before I headed off to work. Jimmy had plans to take Terry down into Jim Thorpe and the Pocono's to show him the local sights (what there are of them) and then Terry was headed back to NY this afternoon.

Thank you Terry for the awesome time.

I woke up this morning still feeling very good. This afternoon is starting to hit me a bit but I'm getting through the day.

Tonight is Procrit and Nuepogen shot night. I hope I don't start feeling like shit again tomorrow. I'd love to have at least 3 days in a row with Ducky.

We'll see....

Hey M,
We really missed you!!! I hope you're feeling better!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Day 72

Today is Pennsylvania's Primary Election Day!

Mr. Terry has traveled all the way from California just to throw a little "Drinks on Obama" night here at the Roads End! What makes it even more special is that he's having this little rally right in Hillary's own back yard. lol

The Obama Campaign is setting up their camp here for the occasion to watch the votes come in. They've already alerted the press so Terry should be getting a very warm welcome. :)

So exciting! I can't wait to see Terry. I met him and his girlfriend M in N.Y. with Teah and Iris this last December. He's been such a great support while I've been going through tx. He's given me so many tips on how to deal with all of this....I just don't know what this would have been like without him. He's made me feel like I'm not alone...he's been through all of this and he's come out on the other end of 48 weeks strong and doing great! He's been a great inspiration!

I'm very excited to see him again! I wish his beautiful M was coming with him.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty darned Ducky! I'm hoping that I continue to stay this way all day. My fingers are crossed.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Day 71

Yesterday was a washout. I didn't make it to my future Daughter-in-Laws Bridal shower. I just didn't have enough in me to leave the house much less my couch. I was so fatigued that I was dizzy. I hate that I missed it...but I would have put a damper on it had I gone and I would have wound up leaving early having to get Jimmy to pick me up or Amanda to take me home. It was just best that I skipped it all together. I hope she understands.

After spending the weekend on the couch I woke up feeling much better today. I slept 11 hours so I should feel better! I'm just a little washed out, hopefully that goes away as the day goes on.

I've made a few friends here who are on the same trial. Rose who is having a bit of a ruff time with it hopefully has gotten her Doc. to give her some rescue drugs. I haven't heard yet. I hope she is starting to do better.

But I wonder about the rest of the group. I haven't heard from them for a little while now. Dorene and Emi....how are you doing? Rose, are you doing any better?

My thoughts are with you all.

Hopefully Ducky is here to stay for the day.....my fingers are crossed.












Sunday, April 20, 2008

Day 69 & 70

Friday was a pretty good day until evening when fatigue decided to creep in with vengeance. All day it played back and forth....a little fatigue here and there until I got home and then it pretty much put me on the couch. All and all it wasn't a bad day.

I really think that the Wednesday night Procrit and Nuepogen shots wipe me out on Thursday and Fridays. I start to recuperate by Friday and then I have to take the Inerferon.

Friday night was shot #9. Yesterday (Saturday) I spent most of the day laying down in between short little tasks. I felt a bit wiped out but not as bad as I have with some of the past shots. I was able to get my torch half way set up and I cooked dinner, complete with washing the dishes. That's a lot to do on the day after a shot.

This morning I'm a little worried. I woke up with that extra washed out feeling, ears ringing louder than usual and my face is pale. I'm hoping that my bloods aren't dropping again.

Maybe I'm just having a delayed reaction to the shot from Friday night. There's just no planning on how you'll feel week to week. Once you think you've found a pattern to how the sides are going to hit you....everything changes. There's really no rhyme or reason to it. The sides do what they please when they please.

Hopefully I start to feel better as the morning goes on. I want to get my house cleaned up before my friend Terry comes from California. Athena (who usually comes to clean for me) has a cold this week and couldn't make it.

Poor Jimmy is down with the same cold and is suffering his own little battle. He's starting to get over it but he's still having to push through the day. I hope he wakes up feeling better today. I really hate to see him sick.

Today is good day to hang around the house. It's very foggy and windy out. I have a Bridal Shower for my future Daughter-in-law to go to at 2pm. I hope I can make it.

Hopefully I'll find Ducky as the morning goes on.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Day 68

Yesterday turned into a very long and hard day. Fatigue and nausea came back full force and I spent the day at work watching the hours move very slowly. All I wanted was my bed.

When I got home I ate what I had to in order to take the pills and I went to bed.

Poor Jimmy isn't doing much better than I am right now. He's come down with a mean cold and he wound up in bed with me.

I hope today is better. So far waking up is slow going, but at least I'm not nauseous yet.

I am getting so sick of being sick. This has to get better right? I mean sooner or later my body will just give in to the drugs and I'll get used to them.... right?

I hope so because I have a very long way to go yet.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Day 67

The day remained nice to me yesterday. I was pretty Ducky all day.

Now that I stopped the Zoloft my stomach is getting much better. I get those small waves of nausea but then they pass. I can deal with that! They where hanging on to me all day long and not giving me any breaks. It's so hard to function like that.
Along with the small waves of nausea I got small waves of fatigue. Again I can deal with that! It's just my bodies way of saying that it's time for a break. It seems that my body is training me well to listen. Either pay attention or I pay the price of feeling like hell.....I pay attention!

Doc. changed my script from Zoloft to Lexapro. I don't know how this will work yet as I took one before going to bed last night because the bottle says "May cause drowsiness". I didn't want to take it during the day if it does. We'll see how it goes.

I woke up this morning with a bit more of an achy feeling. I'm starting to wonder if maybe the Procrit or Nuepogen have side effects of their own. I take those shots on Wed. nights and I wake up on Thursday mornings feeling more achy than usual. I also have a little more trouble on Thursday waking up.

I'll take the good ole Tylenol for the aches and I'll go slow today.


Hopefully Ducky doesn't desert me.




Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Day 66

Yesterday was great! I felt better and better as the day went on. By mid morning even the nausea gave me a break.

I didn't take the Zoloft so I know that had to help. I did call Sandy and she said she'd call in a new script, but I guess she didn't get around to it yet. Maybe today. I know that I have to go back on an A.D., I don't like the frustration and anger that comes out of no where because of these drugs. It's just not me.

Zoloft is just not the answer! I hope the next script will do the trick without the added sides.

Work was even better yesterday. I'm actually almost caught up again. It's so much easier to play catch up when I'm feeling better. Even though some fatigue was still there, my mind wasn't clouded by nausea and body aches. I zoomed through loads of work and the day was so nice!
Today I have to tackle the patch panel for the network. I'm not looking forward to it. I hope I continue to feel good and that I do ok without the aid of A.D.'s . Mostly I hope that I don't smash the damned thing! lol
Wednesday....it's Procrit and Nuepogen shot night. So many drugs.....




For now I think Ducky has come back home.....
I hear that his twin brother has taken a trip to California to visit Terry!
I don't think I want my Ducky to know....lol....the weather is so much nicer out there! lol
You Go Terry! :)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Day 65

I woke up late this morning. It's hard to get out of bed.

Yesterday turned to shit. I spent most of the day nauseous and spent a few times running for the bathroom. I hate that at work because I never know if people can hear me! lol

Today Nurse Sandy should be back in the office. I'll call her to get a different script for A.D.'s

Today is going to be better....damn it! I wake up every morning with the outlook that the day will get better. It doesn't usually work....but I keep waking up and trying. I know it could be worst. It's been worst.

So much work at trying to be positive. It's getting hard when there are so many days of feeling this way.

I paste the stupid smile on my face and try to pretend that everything is just ducky, even though Ducky has deserted me lately.

I hate living in a world of Nausea and Fatigue. I'm still hoping that my body will adjust to all of these drugs a little bit better. It's just very hard.

Other than still feeling a bit washed out and wanting to sleep a couple more hours, waking up this morning I don't feel too terrible. It's funny how I wind up taking inventory of what is bothering me when I wake up. I should just throw that out the window because everything changes from one hour to the other.

Take yesterday for instance, I woke up feeling almost like I do right now. As the morning went on I became more and more nauseous and fatigued. Back and forth to the bathroom. By the time I got home I wound up in the bathroom one more time and then began feeling better. By 7pm I started feeling very good.

It's just too unpredictable.

Yet I still wake up this morning and cling to the positive.

Today will be a good day.

Today I will feel good all day.

My fingers are crossed.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Day 64

The weekend was waisted. The torch is still not set up. I spent most of my time on the couch except for doing some laundry and a few dishes.

I woke up this morning and still there is no energy. Hopefully my cup of coffee and a shower will help somehow.

Our friend Terry is coming to PA to be at the Obama Pre-election Primary Party that he's sponsoring!

I'm so glad that he's going to make it! The Obama Campain is setting up camp at the Roads End and with Terry there, it'll be a blow out! He's inviting all voters regardless of who your voting for to stop by!

With people like Terry at Obama's side, he's bound to win! The man is traveling all the way from California to PA to throw a rally party for him! Now that's dedication! (not to mention that he'll be throwing the party in Hillarys own back yard! ya gotta love it)

Well hopefully I find some energy this morning soon. Time to get ready for work.

Have an awesome day!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Day 63

Yep....I spent the day on the couch. It's frustrating because it just seem to be such a waist of weekends. I'm so glad that we had Vegas. With all of the weekends shot to hell that little vacation will have to hold me over for a few months.

I think to myself that maybe I'll feel better later in the day, but better doesn't come.

I did manage to get up and tool around every couple of hours for about 10-15 minutes at a shot....but then I get drawn back to the couch as though it's a big ole magnet sitting in my living room.

I wanted so badly to get my workspace set up in the studio for my new torch. Between the little shots of getting up yesterday, I'm about half way through setting it up. That's pretty sorry considering there's only about an hours worth of work to do....but I'm not pushing.

I think I'm starting to feel somewhat better today, but it's too hard to tell until I start moving around. Body aches a little and I have that washed out feeling going on.....but not as bad as yesterday. Maybe I'll actually get the torch up and going today.

I do wish that my mouth would get better. I've had a sore mouth ever since my bloods dropped. Doc gave me "Magic Mouthwash". It seems to help but it just doesn't take it all the way away. Vomiting has not helped the situation at all. One good thing that it does do is numb my mouth when it bothers me the most.

These drugs have the worst side effects. It's never ending and you never know how you'll feel from one day to the other. Hell, you never know how you'll feel from one hour to the other.

While the Zoloft has given me more crap to deal with, at least my anger is calming down. I wonder if after a week it's starting to work or are the side effects just side tracking my mind into something other than getting angry.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow on my way to work. That's when the anger is the worst. I really think that every old lady driver in the world see's my yellow Mustang and say's to themselves "Let me pull out in front of her and see how much I can piss her off!".

The road that I take to go to work in the morning has about 24 blocks of houses and maybe 5 stop signs. On my worst mornings I get that old lady in front of me who feels she needs to stop at every block regardless of weather or not there's a stop sign! 10-15 miles an hour in a 25 mile an hour spead zone stopping at every block! I can't even get out of 2 gear.

Last week she just didn't know how close she came to my getting out of the car, walking up to her window (which I could have done while she was driving!) and letting the Riba-rage fly all over her ugly ass Lincoln!

Yep! Hope the Zoloft is helping! lol

Well compared to yesterday I think today should be better. We'll see as the hours go along.








I wish that Ducky would stop playing hide and seek!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Day 62

Shot #8 down and out of the way!

I woke up with that washed out feeling this morning. Thank God the Drummer boy was squashed at 3 am by Tylenol because I couldn't stand waking up to his thumping this morning. I hate headaches more than any of the rest of the side effects!

My house is like a Hospital right now. My son is staying over with his broken collar bone (which will not be reset until Monday! Ouch!). My youngest son threw his back out at school during track and then there's me and wonderful tx with shot #8!

Because we live over the top of our Bar and it's called the Roads End Pub, we've renamed our home for the weekend and we're calling it "The Roads End General Hospital"! LOL Not the place that you want to be for next couple of days.

Poor Jimmy! I'm sure he'll find lot's of work at the bar today! :)

Terry and Jimmy have decided to throw a little rally at the Roads End for the Obama Election. Terry started it and Jimmy is defiantly taking the ball and running! He contacted the Obama Campaign camp to fill them in and they've decided to set up their camp here on Election night! It's getting very exciting! I'll have lot's of pictures to post after Election Night! I just wish Terry could be here for this little rally that he started. :)

I just know Obama will win the ticket and knock Hillary on her ass!

Well, hopefully I'll get to feeling better as the day goes on....I think I'll skip the Zoloft today as I think I already met my quota for feeling like crap.

Have an awesome Saturday!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Day 61

Yesterday was a very ruff day. It didn't start out too bad. I wasn't feeling the best but at least I felt like the day was do-able. I was swamped with work, which is a good thing because the day goes by faster.

The hard part started with my waiting to take the Zoloft at noon. I thought that maybe my taking it along with all of the rest of the drugs in the morning was making my nauseous. So I held off on it until noon. After taking it I found out that it really doesn't matter, it made me feel like hell. It seems to tense my body up and I find myself clenching my jaw.

By 4:00 the office is empty except for me and thank god for that because I wound up spending a while back and forth into the bathroom with what finally became dry heaves by the 3rd or 4th trip. What the hell do I do now? Do I continue to take it hoping that that mellows out?

My Doc is in Florida until Monday and she has someone covering for her but I think I'd rather wait until she's back to call.

I'm going to skip taking it today and maybe I'll just cut it in half on tomorrow and see how I do with that. I'll call her on Monday.
Last night was ruff too. I came home from work and went right to the couch. Started falling to sleep when the phone rang. My oldest son was riding his quad and recked. Took him to the hospital to find out that he has a concussion and he broke his collar bone into 3 pieces. Poor kid! He has to go this morning to have it set. ouch!

We didn't get home from the hospital until midnight....so here I am this morning trying to wake up again. I'm really beginning to feel the fatigue and I'm ever so thank full that today is Friday even though it's shot day. I need the weekend to sleep and rest.

Shot day.....number 8 tonight. Maybe it's just that I'm so tired....but this already feels never ending. Too many drugs.

Doc was going to raise my Interferon back up to full strength if my blood work came back good enough. I guess the blood work came back ok but not good enough to raise the interferon back up. They called to tell me to hold it at 75 units and not to go back to the full 100 yet. That's ok with me, I feel bad enough already.

I must be in a miserable mood this morning because I feel like all I'm doing is whining.....another side effect of tx! I get tired of feeling like shit and then I get tired of hearing myself say I feel like shit!

This is never ending.....


I think that Ducky has even deserted me. lol

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Day 60

CONGRATULATIONS TERRY !! YOU MADE IT!

My dear friend Terry finally hit Day 336 of 336 days! He's done! All that's left is the 6 month waiting game to find out that he's cleared.....He will be! I know he will be! ((BIG HUGS TERRY!))
Congratulations!

For me, I have 39 more weeks togo with shot #8 tomorrow. Jeez I hate drugs!


I'm not too sure about the Zoloft. For 2 days I've taken it and for 2 nights I've had insomnia. It has to be the Zoloft. Nothing like feeling fatigue and not being able to sleep. My body cries for it, but my head just won't let it come.



To top it off yesterday was a major nausea day. So all that I wanted to do last night was lay down and just go to sleep.



We went to Hershey. Good news is that my Viral Load is still undetectable. My blood levels are holding. My WBC is still a little low but nothing like it was. A few other things are a little Topsy tervy but nothing too out of whack.


We're waiting for yesterdays blood work to come back before they raise my interferon back up to full strength. That's ok because I'm in no hurry! lol


We stopped on the way home from Hershey and bought a propane and oxygen tanks for my torch. I now have everything that I need to get set up. I just have to work at rearranging the studio now to accommodate my new work space. That's a very big task! I'll do a little at a time.


I haven't posted a picture of my new Hairdo yet because I haven't taken a picture of it that I like yet. lol....I'll have Jimmy take one so that I can post it. I'm still not a 100% sure that I like the cut.


For now, here are some more Vegas pics.






Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Day 59

Yesterday was long, very long. Some fatigued, but all and all I didn't feel too bad.

ahhhhh, thank God I don't have to go to work today! I woke up this morning feeling aweful as hell. Is this day 4 after the shot? It is isn't it. Why is this day soooo hard? I got out of bed this morning, but an hour later I still can't wake up. Do I feel even worst because I started the zoloft last night or is everything just simply catching up.

Body aches, Nausea and major fatigue are kicking my butt.
It's off to Hershey today.

Some Vegas Pictures.....













































Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Day 58

Well we're home. Made it back at around 12:30 am. Just in case anyone is making flight reservations....Do Not Fly Delta! They Suck!

We usually fly US Air or United and they can be bad enough, but when your gate is changed, your flight is delay for no real apparent reason other than Delta doesn't have enough personnel working at the airport to handle the work load and then you have to sit on the plane at the gate for an additional hour because a maintenance crew has to duck tape and wire tie rig a seat on the air plane (that no one is sitting in)...I'd say Delta is at the bottom of my list for worst airlines to fly on!

Anyway, we made it home and on a quick check of our suit cases it looks like my torch and glass rods made the flight in one piece!

Woke up this morning and grabbed a cup of coffee. This will be the hard part of my vacation....going to work with a lack of sleep and a little jet lag. I should of taken today off too but I have to go to Hershey tomorrow and I have too much work to get done for the week.

I also have my Procrit and Nuepogen being delivered at work today....so I pretty much have to be there.

Waking up this morning is very ruff. I hope the coffee kicks in without hitting my stomach too hard.

My cats are going nuts about us being home! the little one won't stop poking and nudging me and the other 2 follow me where ever I go. I missed my boys.

If I can get some sleep tonight I'll find time to post the pics from our trip tomorrow morning.

No Ducky around today. Maybe tomorrow.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Day 57

The day started out great. We took a stroll through the exhibit area and almost bought a Kiln. Decided not to once we found out how much it would cost to ship it back to PA. I did find a couple of books and some new tools. I also got a few really cool ideas from other peoples work.

After strolling for a while we went to the charity auction. The auction was to benefit Opportunity Village. (Handicapped and Mentally challenged Adults and Children.)

Jimmy bought a raffle ticket for a $1300 work station/bench. When we sat down to hear the raffle I told him that he was going to win it. When they called his name all I could say was "I Knew It!" lol.

He donated the station back to the charity to auction off. The final bidder paid $675 for it.

I love my Husband.

After the auction we headed Downtown. It's the section of Vegas that I most like. It looks like Vegas. The strip is great to visit, but I love the history of the old original casino's. Walking from one casino to the other is just a matter of going next door and not a 1/4 mile hike. Plus, I've been here 3 times now and I've never had the chance to catch the light show, even though I've stayed downtown before.

So off we went to hang out and wait for the show under the canopy. We stopped for a bite to eat, stopped at a cigar shop for Jimmy and then made our way back to the Golden Nugget.

Jimmy played Craps and I hit a slot machine or two. He lost $300 at the table and came looking for me but I was still playing a slot when he found me, so he stuck $20 in the machine next to me and hit $390 right off the bat. Took it down to $380 and cashed out.

Me....well I won $10 which I put back in the machine when we got back to South Point.

All in all we broke even.

Every time Jimmy comes to Vegas he goes to the Golden Nugget for the Shrimp Cocktail. I don't know....it's some kind of ritual. The line is usually long and I think half of Vegas has the same ritual. While waiting at a table for him while he was in line for his "Good Luck" shrimp, I began to feel Really bad. The smell of the shrimp in the warm casino wasn't helping anything at all. By the time he made it to the table I was running for the bathroom. The people in the bathroom must have thought I was drunk because I was so sick. I was in no mood for the side way stares that I got when I came out of the stall from the bathroom attendant. (I should have puked on the damned toilet seat!) I wanted to explain to her that it wasn't self inflicted....but in the end I just figured "screw her".

The light show was half an hour away when I came outside but I couldn't make it. Every time I get that fatigued and sick I get what I call the tremors. I shake as though I'm freezing...but I'm not cold. There I sat on a garbage can shaking like crazy and it wasn't going to go away until I laid down. So we left before the light show and grabbed a taxi back.

I'll catch the light show next year.....

Today we fly home. I feel like hell. Tx is knocking on my door and I think I sleep most of the flight back. Hopefully my stomach will hang in there.

By the way.....the day is beautiful out.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Day 55

Yesterday wasn't too bad! Just goes to show you that you can't predict what you'll feel like from one day to the other. Or is it that after a while you just lower your expectations of what feeling good is all about?

I woke up aching and tired but after I popped Tylenol I didn't feel too bad. Nausea even left me alone for most of the day....that's rare.

Jimmy had a class that he thought was very boring and just couldn't get into to, so he bugged out early. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the exhibit area. Walking around for long periods of time wears me down quickly but luckily they had chairs everywhere that I could find for a break. In the mean time I spent way too much money on tools, glass rods and a book for my torch work.

While Jimmy was still in class I had my hair chopped. The stylist did a nice job I think. She didn't chop it too short and she kept it in long layers so that I can still pull it back if I want to. I can also wear it straight and look like a business woman or I can wear it curly and have a more sassy look. I guess that if I had to have it chopped, this is the best cut I could have gotten.....so she did good. I'll have to post a pic when I get home.

Today's our last day in Vegas. Tomorrow we fly. :( I wish we could stay one more week but I have to go to Hershey on Wed. and to work on Tues. Soon we'll be back to life.

But for today we still have the Mountains and desert to enjoy. It's only 6:30 here and I've managed to see the sun rise each morning. It's beautiful!

Woke up this morning with nausea that's finally passing. I'll grab a Tylenol for the achy body and I hope I'll be set for another day. We'll head down to the exhibit floor to pick up my new torch and maybe some stained glass frames that Jimmy wants to buy so that he can make new stained glass sconces for the bar.

Then with my fingers crossed, I'm hoping to make it Downtown tonight to see the Canopy lit up. I've been here 3 times now and I have yet to see it lit. We'll take it easy and try to go slow so that I can make it.

So here's to hoping for a wonderful last day in Vegas!

Hopefully Ducky stays close by because if ever I wanted him....it would be today!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Day 53-54

Thursday was a washout day for me. Jimmy had classes and I had big plans to take the shuttle down to the strip. I thought I'd also find a place to get my hair cut. None of that happened. All of the drugs won the day over and I spent Thursday in bed with a beautiful view of the Mountains. After Jimmy's class we ordered up room service and back to bed I went.

Friday was pretty cool. I felt somewhat better and I made it through my class. I took a Torch work class. Lampwork - turning glass rods into ornaments and sculptures. It's really cool stuff! I have to say that even while I felt like shit and I had never worked on a torch before, I was the best in the class! lol

After the class we took a stroll through the exhibit floor and wound up buying the torch that I had been working with. Man is it cool!

So I guess I'm hooked on a new art. We'll see how good I can get at it.

On a not so good note I think Riba rage is finding me more and more now. I'm getting periods of time that everything is pissing me off. It happens mostly when I'm getting tired and uncomfortable. I feel like shit and then all of a sudden I start to feel like a caged cat and every little thing starts to really aggravate me. I feel like I can explode at the next person who bumps into me and keeps going. I scream in my head. But for now I think that I'm controlling it. I think I am. On the outside I probably look like a real bitch!

I'm starting the Zoloft when I get home. Now I know that I need it.

We came back to the room last night and ordered room service again. The restaurants where all packed and the waiting was not anything that I could handle.

Took my Inerferon and zonked right out.

Woke up this morning and I know that this will have to be a slow moving day. My body aches and fatigue will be at my side all day. I might make it downstairs for my hair cut today and maybe a slow stroll through the exhibit center. Other than that I'll be here in the room enjoying the Mountains again. Jimmy has a class until 4:00, so maybe if I can rest up we can do something this evening.

Well, that's it for now. I don't feel too Ducky but at least I'm in a very nice place while I feel like hell!

Maybe tomorrow will bring me more strength for our last day here.

We fly home on Monday....

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Day 52

Boy I wish I could post pictures from Jimmy's Laptop! The Grand Canyon was Beautiful! The helicopter ride into it was breath taking and the boat ride on the Colorado was awesome! I'll have to post the pictures when I get home.

I was exhausted by the time we got back to the room last night. I really didn't "do" anything all day except ride....but somehow it beat me up. It was nice to climb into bed last night. Took my Procrit and Nuepogen shots and that was it for the night.

Jimmy's in class for most of the day and I was going to go down to the strip but I'm just too wiped out. I think I'll just hang out here for the afternoon then maybe later I'll go in search of my haircut down at the spa.

Rest and relaxation!

:)

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Day 51

Yesterday was one of those days where all the little things went wrong but the big things turned out ok.

We made it to Vegas....but the trip was aggravating.

What went right:
I didn't have any problem at security getting my meds. on the plane.
We didn't miss our connecting flight.
We landed in Vegas and had little trouble finding our shuttle to South point resort.


What went wrong:
We sat on the tar mat in Atlanta for half an hour in front of our gate waiting to pull up. Then we had rush to the next gate on the other side of the airport to catch our connecting flight. (me rush....no I can not walk fast! I do not have the energy anymore!)

Our 4 hour flight included a family sitting behind us with very young children who were very excited to be going to "Sin City"!

Why would you take your young children to Vegas for a vacation? Not to mention that the Father was pretty drunk by the time we landed.

"Yep kiddies...over there is the bar and the slot machines....and oh don't mind that lady walking down the strip looking for johns, it's just her job." I mean come on! The Father kept saying "Sin City! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" and the kids had a blast repeating that as we landed.

To add to the family of future degenerates we had the company of a woman who traveled with 2 full grown cats crammed in a small carrier designed for one cat.

For an entire 4 hour flight the cats meowed and screeched behind us.

The flight had those individual screens attached to the back of the chair in front of you....and yep mine didn't work!

I ordered a salad for lunch ....and nope they ran out of them before they got to me!

Got to the resort with my meds still cold enough in my little Roche cooler and we had no fridge in the room.

Not to mention that we reserved a smoking room and got a non smoking room!

It's the little things that are pissing me off and if there is a day that for the first time since starting tx that I now know that I'm taking Ribavirin, yesterday was the day! I usually do pretty good with patience.....but yesterday I was fit to be tied! That is until we went down to the casino after dropping our bags off and I put a 20 in a slot machine and won a $120 back!

Ok.....I feel better! LOL....Yesterday is gone and I won money! lol

Enough bitching now. We're in Vegas!

Woke up this morning at 5am....it's 8am at home. I'm feeling yesterdays little adventure pretty good. Sore all over. I'll grab Tylenol and take care of the aches and pains.

We meet the limo downstairs at 7:30 to head out to the Grand Canyon. I'm like a little girl on Christmas morning!

I've been pretty much all over this country but never to the Grand Canyon. It's the one place that I swore I would go one day. I just never did it. I can't wait!

On the home front, my daughter is on the front page of the paper. I found out via phone call from her father at 4:30 this morning. I went online and downloaded it but Jimmy's laptop won't let me post it here. I'll have to post it when I get home.

It's a picture of Crystal with the High School Band just after they played for Hillary Clinton. Hillary must be talking about the kids because she's pointing at them in the picture.

My Daughter is 18 and can vote....That Greedy Manipulative little Bitch had better get away from my Daughter!

I will however save the picture because I do like the idea that my Daughter has had her picture taken with the "Former First Lady".

Well that's it for now. The sun will be up soon and I'm going for a shower. ..maybe that'll help the aches and pains.

I'm still feeling somewhat ducky....it's just a sore and tired ducky is all.

Have a Great Day!
:)