Last Chemo of 2011

Steve had his last chemo of 2011 today.  He doesn't have to go back until Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012.  His labs were good today.  His sugar was up a little, but that is to be expected.  We saw Faith.  Let me tell you how much we love this woman.  She is so personable.  She spends time with us.  We discuss kids, grandkids, vacations, holidays...you get the picture.  Steve will see Faith two more times before his next scan results.  We told Faith about his terrible headaches.  His last one was Christmas night.  It really got him down.  It hit suddenly.  He could hardly walk from the chair to the kitchen.  I had to help him from the kitchen to the bedroom.  It lasted about an hour.  Faith suggested we do a head scan just to make sure the headaches are nothing more than migraines.  He has that test on Jan. 5th.  Chemo went rather quickly today.  They have switched nausea medicines.  I can't remember the names, but it went from a 20 minute drip to a simple shot.  That knocked off some time.  They were also running early this morning so we got done way before we thought we would.  After chemo, we went to IHOP for breakfast.  Steve chowed on biscuits and gravy.  He ate almost the whole plate full.  At home, he rested most of the day.  He did venture downstairs and outside on the side patio to watch Aubree on her new trampoline.  She was doing her MIZZOU flips and TIGER jumps.  It is a huge tramp with a safety net.  She loves it except when she snaps her head or bonks her nose.  She jumped all afternoon, but she put on a special show for Opa.

Oh, I must report on my friend Lorene.  She and Tom were at chemo with us today.  We were finished before she actually started her treatment.  She looked wonderful.  Her mood was so cheery and bright.  Their son and his kids came for Christmas, and they were so happy telling us about that.  She started a new medicine today.  She has four more treatments before they let her rest for a month and then do surgery.  Tom told Steve about an auction in Joplin on Sunday.  Some pawn shop is having a big auction.  It is indoors at the convention center.  I think Steve is planning on going if he feels well enough.  I know Tom is going.  It will be nice since it is inside.  I'll let you know if he goes.

I have been moving some of the rooms around.  I moved Koleen's things to the upstairs bedroom so I could use her old room as a sewing room.  I am so excited to finally have a place of my own to sew and craft.  I am painting the old sewing desk and shelf to give my room a brighter look.  Aubree helped me put on the first coat.  She is quite the painter.  I am very lucky to always have a little helper.  After she helped me, I watched her jump.  I was in the Man Cave so I opened the garage door and could she her bopping around.  I think the two items will look nice after I add several more coats of paint.  I am not doing anything special;  I am just painting them a semi gloss white.  This is my first sanding or scraping off the old paint project.  WEEE me.  I still have some moving and organizing to do, but hopefully I will get it done and ready to work in by Monday.  Well,  at least that is my goal.

I went to Combat Fit again tonight.  I must confess that I did go to the gym this afternoon to stretch out my upper thighs.  They were so sore from Tues. class, that I could hardly go up and down stairs or sit down.  The stretching and light weights did help out quite a bit.  Tonight at CF, it was HELL.  It was a cardio night, which means we ran for 30 minutes straight.  Up and back, back and up the gym floor.  We skipped, high knee kicked, butt kicked, ran backwards, bear walked, lunge walked, and many more I have simply blocked out of my memory.  I did ok.  I ran all except two times.  Of course, I don't quite have the techniques to do a graceful bear walk or lunge jump, but I really tried.  At the end of class, I was the fat sweaty blob sitting on the bench trying to catch my breath.  I think I need to enroll in the special education CF class.  I know I need and  IEP... you know extended time to finish the task, one on one help, or exemption from the task.  I might find success.  Right now there is no such thing as No Child Left Behind in my class because I was always left behind.  :)  My plans are to go again tomorrow night.  There's no way Drew would do a totally running class again is there?

We are watching the Florida State and Notre Dame game.  As I have told you before, I hate ND, so of course, I am rooting for Florida State. There is only 1:07 left with FS ahead, ND with no time outs, and FS has the ball.  Things are looking good for me.  We are actually waiting for the Baylor/Washington game, which comes on next.  We like RGIII.  We watched Baylor play a couple times this year and if you remember, we wanted him to win the Heisman.  Sorry, WA fans.  I know my friend Yudy is really thrilled that the Huskies are in a bowl game. Tomorrow there are a ton of games on.  I think they just showed 4 will be on.  It is a little ridiculous that the bowls go until Jan. 9.  I remember the days when the bowls were over before we went back to school after Christmas break.  It seems that they just keep adding bowls, and they keep getting later and later in Jan.  I think I figured out that there are 30 or so bowls total;  that means over 60 teams get post-season play.  Because there are so many bowls, they have lost some of the special meanings.  I mean remember when the Rose Bowl was a huge thing?  When at the Missouri games they threw oranges on the field for the Orange Bowl?  Now it is just craziness..Holiday, Tangerine, Bridgepoint, Alamo, Champs Sports, Rose, Fiesta, Pinstripe, Music City, Insight, Meineke Car Care, Hyundai, Kraft Fight Hunger, Liberty, and Chick-fil-a. (Some of my favorite commercials because of the sound spelling the cows use.  It reminds me of reading some of my first graders' writings.  The only thing that bothers me about their commercials is they use dairy cows instead of beef cows.  Doesn't really make sense, but maybe most people relate to the black and whites.  In fact, I think the commercials started about the time cows became part of the modern decor in most country homes.) Those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head.  I'm not sure if that is pathetic or good.  :)