Thursday -
I'm going to gloss over Thursday, because it involved a trip to the DMV, which no one wants to hear about. We also drove back up to Hershey to get an echo cardiogram (cool!) and an EKG (boring) as baseline measures before starting chemo.

Friday -
Cass and I woke up before the sun to get to Hershey for our 6am surgery call for my port installation. My port is a little plastic device that sits right under my skin below my clavicle on the left. It has a little sort of reservoir thing you inject into, and then a little tube that runs through a vein (when the doctor said which vein, I thought "oh, I've heard of that one," but now I can't remember which it is) and empties out right into my heart. RIght into my heart!! That's crazy! They said I would be awake for the procedure, but this was totally a lie. Maybe I'm sensitive to anesthesia or something, but I was dead asleep through the whole thing. I do remember that they put a little hood over my face, ostensibly so I couldn't see them putting a tube into my heart, but then I feel asleep, so I wouldn't have seen anyway. Once I'd woken up, eaten my graham crackers, and had a delicious full-sugar soda, I asked the nurse for some tylenol (having already been told that tylenol would be enough to kill the pain...yet another lie). She asked, "Do you have a headache?" I was all, "No lady, you just installed a little plastic tube in my heart and it hurts." I should have known that was the time to demand the good stuff, but I was groggy and didn't have my full wits about me. I was given a box lunch (which did not include a cookie!) and discharged. On the plus side, I did get to watch some cable TV while waiting for the anesthesia to wear off, and I got to complain a lot about how sore my port was when I got home. I would like at add an additional amendment to the healthcare bill called, "If you have to have anesthesia, you get a vicodin."

One other note about the port - I'm not supposed to shower until Wednesday, so if you see me, keep your distance.

So, that's the news from this week. I start chemo on Tuesday, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to that adventure. I bought a few cute new hats to wear once I'm bald. I've been considering shaving my head before starting the treatment, because everyone says it's a good idea. But, in typically stubborn HM fashion, I'm convinced that if I do that, I will be the one patient who doesn't lose her hair and then will be stuck with a superfluous buzz cut. So, the hair stays at least through next weekend.

I'm still in a great mood, helped by the news about being a postmenopausal woman, the scan results, and getting to spend a couple nights with my good friend Becca (seriously, if anyone wants to see some cute twins, she's got them). I'm sure the prophylactic antidepressants that my oncologist prescribed (they are good for hot flashes and the blues) are helping, too.

As always, feel free to share this news with whomever you like, and let me know if you don't want these updates (I promise I won't judge). One final note - One thing about having traumatic news is that you get an increase in personal communication. I LOVE THIS! I've been so touched by the love that I've received during this time, and I wanted to make sure that you all know that! If I don't respond to you right away, please, please, please don't think that I don't appreciate and adore your support. Calling doctors and going to appointments has been pretty much a full time job at this point, so I'm way behind on pretty much everything else.