Here we go again

Right now I am sitting in the Infusion Clinic waiting room (mmm, stale coffee smells intermingling with rubbing alcohol smells...). Phil is in getting stuck for his blood tests. Then we are off to radiology (up a floor) for his CT scan. Then back down for his Dr. appointment. After that, we are back to infusion for his chemo. We are hopeful for good news today (although I always have to brace myself for not good news so that it doesn't come as a shock - is that lacking faith?).

Our RS president came early this morning to stay with Eden. I hope Eden wasn't too surprised or upset to wake up to her. Later both of my YW counselors are taking a shift. Good women, I'm so glad to have willing friends to help. I'm also grateful that Eden is pretty adaptable and hasn't had much "separation anxiety" (yet).

I'll post more as the day continues.

Ok, it is four hours later and he is finally in infusion (receiving chemo). We waited for three hours at the Oncologist's office. She is still on maternity leave but after three hours the nurse practitioner finally came in. She is a very nice girl (she looks about 18) but she was a bit insensitive. She first told us how busy she'd been and that it had been a crazy morning with scans that showed unexpected/bad information. Then she said, "oh, but your scan looks great! I was really glad because as I opened it I said to myself that I sure hoped it was good news because I couldn't take more bad news today." (Not, because I really care about you and hoped for good news for you!) Anyway, we are thrilled (for us as well as for her) that the CT scan was clean or "unremarkable" as they say. He will still have two more rounds of chemo (a round is two treatments). He starts a round today and will have the second part of this round on July 24 (happy birthday to him!). Then he will have a treatment while we are in Utah and his last (we hope for forever!) treatment back here at the end of August.

Poor guy, he was nauseated before things even began. The nurse said it is "anticipatory nausea." She said, you know you have it bad when you see your nurse at the mall and have to throw up. Indeed.

The report on Eden is that she is doing well. Because we are so far behind, I fear it will be bedtime before we get home. Poor kid, she wakes up and we are gone and then we get home and she's in bed. Let's be honest, she's probably fine with it, it is me that suffers separation anxiety! I miss that kid. While we were waiting for the CT scan there was a small child somewhere down the hall who was making Eden-like noises. I could barely stand it. Yeah, I like her quite a bit.

While we were waiting in the Onc. office I kept daring Phil to do obnoxious things. Here is a list of dares he DIDN'T accept:

"I dare you to mark OB-GYN related side effects on the form."

"I dare you to breathe deep like Darth Vader when she checks your breathing."

"I dare you to chew that Triscuit just before she checks your throat." (They don't even check his throat, but that would be funny!)

"I dare you to list 'annoying people' on the line for allergies."

I suppose we are glad that he didn't accept my dares but we got some nice (distracting) giggles out of the process.