Days 103 & 104 - Cheez Whiz Adds PERSONALITY!

Hello Everyone! 


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First of all... Please, if you have a spare prayer! Glen is now in Palliative Care & is in a lot of pain. Any prayers or healing energy sent his way would be fantastic! He is a wonderful man!

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Well, I'm still in bed & still in the pj's I wore to the hospital this morning... They were well worth it, as the first patient I saw said, 'Love the pants!' :o)


Before I get too heavy into today (it wasn't that exciting), let's back up to yesterday. (It wasn't that exciting either!) Anyhow, yesterday I had to go to Cochrane for an INR test (blood clotting). I hadn't heard from Cody & Kelsy regarding the photo shoot, so away I went. I decided to take my used syringes & vials with me to dispose of them properly & I figured a lab would most certainly have the proper bins! Hmpf.


Now, here's a bit of additional background information. When I went to see Jessica, she told me a lot about myself that I was most likely aware of, but certainly not focusing on it daily! If you remember, she told me I was a b****h, I hold grudges, & I need to find an outlet for my anger! What I had forgotten until I left Cochrane, was that she also told me that I think, in general, most people are stupid. When she said that, I had to giggle, as when I worked on the ship, my then boyfriend bought me a t-shirt that read: I see dumb people. Okay, guilty as charged, but how could I not, dealing with all those passengers on the ship??!! Here's a sampling (I apologize for being so sarcastic & generalizing. I'm sure they're all really nice people, but I hope I will continue to think before I speak. Maybe I should think before I type too!) ;o) Anyhow:
1. Passenger-Are these pictures from this cruise? 
Jill-No. We're trying to pawn off last cruise's photos on you. (Of course they're from this cruise!!!)
2. P-BATHROOM! (The only word shouted by the Passenger)
J-Hi there. Can I help you? (Um, how about a greeting & then a full sentence before shouting one random word?)
3. P-CASINO!
J-BANANA! (Is this a game? I like games! I can shout random words too!)


Anyhow, I won't bore you with all my stories, but I hope you'll have an inkling of my jaded past! 


...Meanwhile, back at the lab...
I take a number & sit down. The lab tech calls my number. She asks for my Alberta Health Card, which says my full name & date of birth. Then she asks me for my full name & date of birth. Uh, okay. She then sends me around the corner to the booth where they'll take the sample.


As I'm sitting waiting for her, I see a sharps bin right in front of me. I could literally reach it with my left hand, it was that close. I think to myself, I'll be polite & see if I should use this bin or if they have another one so I don't fill this one up too much. 


The lab tech shows up. It's the same gal who checked me in. She sits down on her stool & I tell her I need the left arm done & then proceed to ask about my sharps disposal. She tells me they can't accept them there (?!) & I need to take them to the Fire Department. Are you serious? Apparently she is. I contemplate putting them in the bin when she walks away, but I would feel too guilty about that! I leave it at that & then she says, 'Spell you last name for me.' Being cheeky, I say (proudly), '*-*-*-*-*-*', knowing full well that my health card has ****** on it. :o) Yes, I'm a brat. Hey, she just asked me 2 minutes ago. Does she think I've had a sudden lapse of memory?!? Bewildered, she says, 'Uh, what? Your last name isn't ******?' 
'Well, yes, but I got married.'
'So which is it?'
'It's both.'
'What is it legally?'
'It's both.' (My government records read 'JILL ******* OR ***** ')
Annoyed, she then asks for my date of birth. I give the correct date of birth to her & she carries on with her test, satisfied that I know who I am. Is identity fraud really a problem at blood labs? I mean, if someone is going to snag in on someone else's test, I'm sure they've got a few more issues to worry about than just their last name & DOB!!!


So, I finish the test & march down the stairs to the medical clinic to see if they will take my sharps. Nope, but I can take them to the pharmacy, which is directly across from the lab. Ugh! Why didn't the lab tell me that?!? So, up the stairs I go. I walk into the pharmacy & the Pharmacist asks me if she can help me. I say, 'Yes, where is your sharps disposal?'
'What do you have?'
'Syringes & vials'
'You'll probably need a bin this size. It's $7.99'
'WHAT?! You want me to buy a bin to throw away my used needles?'
'Yes.'
'You're serious?'
'Yes.'
'Never mind, I'll just pitch them in the bin!'
'I wouldn't do that if I was you!'
Muttering to myself, 'Well I'm certainly not paying to pitch my garbage!' I walk out, completely annoyed. What is this system??? I try to make the effort to safely dispose of my biohazardous waste & they make it this difficult! Ridiculous! I march down the stairs & pitch the bag into the garbage bin outside the medical centre, making sure it THUDS nice & loud. Grrrr! 


Now, I did get a little lecture from my husband about the repercussions of my actions. I know it wasn't the smartest or safest thing to do. I always cap the covers back on the needles nice & tight, I don't have AIDS or Hep whatever letter you want, and the drug I've used the needles for won't harm anyone. Yes, if someone gets pricked, they will have to have tests & it will be a big hassle to sort out & probably cost a lot of money to do the tests to make sure he or she is okay. Probably a lot more than $7.99, but that's besides the point. They won't help me to administer the needle & they won't help me to dispose of the used needles! I give up! This system is backwards!


My next stop was Safeway for cat food & it all went well until I dropped a penny & the clerk didn't give a glance to see where it went. When I began to look for it & couldn't find it & she still didn't look sideways... sure enough. It was 6" from her left foot. Argh! Time to go home & wake up on the other side of the bed! I was about 2 minutes on the road when I heard Jessica's voice, 'You don't like stupid people. You have very little tolerance!' So, yes, I'm guilty as charged & I am working on my patience & deep breathing. :o)


I also spent a fair bit of time on the phone trying to reach the Chemofit people in Toronto. I even called their lab in New York. No answer. I faxed & left messages... Emailed. Nothing. I eventually got a call from Toronto & she said it was too late to ship a collection kit & nothing could be done. To make matters that much worse, she told me the test, which usually costs $2500-$3000, was being covered by a grant the company had recently received from the government. Pooh.


So there you have it. A day of, well, I am not really sure what the day was. Bizarre. 


I took my MCP Pina Colada at 2300 & set the alarm for 0415 to get up & have another one. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink 4 hours before the biopsy, so I wanted to be sure & get another dose of MCP in my body before they got their paws on me. I woke up at 0400 before my alarm, drank my MCP, reset the alarm for 0615 & forgot to TURN THE ALARM ON. If I had any doubts about wearing my pj's to the biopsy, it was certain when Mom woke me up at 0700 with 15 minutes to departure! Whoops!


It was very foggy on the way in. Matched my brain at that hour! But thankfully, the people who conducted the procedure were great! I didn't have a Surgeon, but a Radiologist instead. AND HE HAD A PERSONALITY!!!!! HOORAY!!!! I told the technicians that I had asked for a Surgeon with personality & they got quite a chuckle out of that! I had several comments on my pj's & also on the toque I wore. The enjoyed the story of 'The Doctor I First Saw About The Lump Is Now My Husband' :o) 


Unfortunately the fun stopped there. The procedure was certainly better than an actual surgery, but icky nonetheless. The Radiologist used a lot of freezing, so I didn't feel any pain, but for when he injected the freezing. I did feel some pressure & the whole procedure was rather gross. He did an ultrasound of my neck to pick his favourite node & then decided to do a Fine Needle Aspiration & 2 Core Needle Biopsies. My poor node! My neck was so puffy when I changed back into my clothes! 'What have I done??!!' was the first thing that went through my mind! He wanted to do 3 Core Needle Biopsies, but I started to feel faint & nauseous, so luckily he called it quits! 


The CNB needle wasn't nearly as large as I had been imagining. It certainly wasn't the Mount Rushmore giant souvenir pencil I had been expecting! It was relatively thin, but they had this archaic contraption, well, not that archaic because it was made of plastic, but still! It made a big THUNK or CLACK when the Radiologist decided that was the spot to take the sample from. Then, disgustingly enough, I see him with the needle, dumping my tumour into a vial full of pink liquid. The tumor is sticking to the end of the needle like a gross little booger. No wonder I felt nauseous shortly thereafter! Sorry for making you read that. But now you know! Blech! 


After I felt my tummy return to its normal spot, I got dressed & went to call Mom to come & pick me up. I dial her number. She answers, but doesn't say hello. I do. 
'Hello?'
I hear her talking to this guy, who just keeps on talking & talking & talking. 
'HELLO?'
Still talking away.
'MOM! HELLO!'
People start to look at me funny. (Now I'm the one who looks stupid!)
Nothing from Mom's end. The guy is still talking. So I hang up. I dial again. This time she answers. I ask her what she's doing & who on earth is she talking to. I told her I could hear her conversation & why didn't she answer me? She laughs & says she didn't realize she'd answered the phone & she'd be right there to pick me up. Oh bother. :o)


Tweet Pea sleeps on my lap the entire way home. I head straight back to bed. My neck is already stiff & sore & the bruising is settling in nicely. I slept until 1230, got up for 5 minutes to turn the ringers off on the phones & went back to bed. Feeling rather crummy & sore, I can't sleep. So, I pick up the latest book I've started. I was on page 130. I read 210 pages today. That's a record for me. Oh, what book? Confessions of a Shopaholic. I watched the movie & the other day I found the book in a bin Mom was going to chuck. So I decided to read it & yes, I agree, it was written for me. It's a very cute book about a 20-something girl who has a SERIOUS shopping problem. Luckily I'm (somewhat) reformed! I haven't even been to Lulu since I've been back. And I've been home for 3 weeks! :o) Anyhow, I finished the book today. It hurts to talk & it hurts to eat, so I'm the strong, silent type today! Well, at least silent, I don't know how strong! :o)


Jaco phoned & we had a lovely visit. We were discussing South Africa's President. I read him an excerpt from one of their newspapers. Did you know that their current President, Jacob Zuma, has 5 wives & has fathered 20 children? Apparently polygamy is legal in South Africa. Anyhow, the article was written by his political party saying, essentially, that what the President does beyond his job is nobody's business (as he recently fathered a child with his buddy's daughter). Now, what would Clinton have to say about that? Anyhow, it's entertaining to say the least & quite tragic to say the most. It makes Obama look like a Saint &, as some of the comments suggested, perhaps Zuma & Tiger Woods should take a few rehabilitation classes together! Here's a link to the article if you feel so inclined:
Zuma's Preposterous Presidency 


Oh & by the way, if you think your tax dollars aren't going where they should, the South African taxpayers are paying for ALL FIVE OF ZUMA'S WIVES - they each get a personal assistant, air travel, medical expenses, and security coverage. The cost of the personal assistants alone is roughly $20,000 USD. How do you like them apples? 


Moving on to a much more respectable South African & man of completely different calibre, I have learned that my former boyfriend, Nico, which some of you have met, has been medically disembarked from the ship him & his girlfriend are currently working on. His is having his appendix removed in Tortola, of all places! The trouble is, while he's recovering, there isn't a short term fill-in. Which means, him & his girlfriend may be placed on different ships. I know what it's like to be without the one you love the most - NOT FUN! If you have a spare prayer, please pray for his speedy healing & that the two of them can be reunited shortly. Hang in there buddy!


And now for some positive news... You didn't think it would all be hum-drum did you??? Lil' Miss V is mastering her new trick of Stenditi! She will now take the blanket in her mouth & roll over onto her back. Her timing is slightly off, but she's getting there! Mom & I also taught her to 'Salta' or jump last night. We tied my scarf to the leg of the chair & held it low for her to jump over. She did awesome! I started to work on having her bring me the phone, what's that? A useful trick? Why, yes! She brought the phone half way, but then dropped it, as it was quite heavy. I'll need to find a longer string for her to pull it. She's such a clever girl! I'm such a proud Mama!


My Dad also phoned last night. His girlfriend is in Mexico for a few months & he is trying to figure out how to use Skype so they can talk. He's phoned a lot since I've been back. I'm guessing the house is lonely! :o) I don't mind. We don't chat that regularly, so I will gladly take it! He's off to Mexico for a week to visit her & he's paranoid that some 'Bandito' is going to leave him piled on top of a cactus in the middle of nowhere! I'll be anxious for him to return & tell me just how much he loved Mexico! Yarriba! 


Speaking of phone calls, I heard back from the Chemofit folks. At 0930 this morning. One hour after I had the biopsy. Thanks. Ah well. I suppose it wasn't meant to be! 


Mom returned about 1900 this evening & made French toast with cinnamon apples & maple syrup for us. I'm so blessed to have such a great Mom. And another Mom at that! Having a healthy relationship with all 3 of my parents makes me feel healthy too. Lord knows it has been tumultuous at times, as life is, but when it's good, it's great! I am very grateful for this pleasant & peaceful time.


Alright, so I think that's it for the past 2 days. Tomorrow is acupuncture & prayers. I had a bunch more typed, but the computer completely froze on me & I lost a 1/2 hour of typing! Argh! I've tried to recollect what I'd said... The brain is a bit sluggish today! Perhaps there's still a little freezing up there! :o)


Sleep well & here's to a wonderful rest of the week!
Maria & Valentina
xxooxxooxxooxxoo

The old gas station in Bragg Creek

The chunk of land I always wanted to buy & put a house on. I didn't have the $750,000 for the land, so someone beat me to it! Stunning place though! Only 3.5 kms from our house.

No, I didn't end up backstage at some shwanky show... It's at the hospital! :o)

Oh the fashionable gowns just waiting to be worn!

Lay's - Valentina proves, that after all, betcha can't eat just one! I think she's more like Maxwell House - Good to the last drop! (or lick) Man, this dog makes me laugh so hard!