Day 523 - At Sea

Hmm. A fairly uneventful day. Did laundry. Packed a little. Tanned a little. Uncooked a little. That about sums it up!

I packed up the seeds & spices. I’m not sure how on Earth we’ll get them to SA just yet. It’s a fairly hefty weight! We’ll see! I washed the scuba gear for the last time & it’s drying out as I type.

I washed three loads of laundry, so there will only be a few things left to wash come Sunday.

Up on deck for one hour today, I found it quite windy. After I settled onto the only free lounger at the back of the ship, I tried to read. It was too windy & blew the pages all over. I tried to write postcards, but they were bent out of shape by the wind. I then resorted to playing solitaire on my iPod. When I finished, I looked up at the sky & my eyes were playing tricks on me. The moving clouds in the sky made the railing of the ship look like the back end of the ship was moving up, up, up into the sky! Maybe you had to be there, but it was pretty weird!

Lastly, I made walnut tacos tonight for dinner. Jaco likes the taco ‘meat’, so we both enjoyed a nice meal. I used the raw sundried olives & they gave a nice ‘cheese’ texture to the tacos. Shredded purple cabbage, sliced red peppers & sunflower sprouts all rolled up in a butter lettuce leaf. They were delicious! I was quite pleased with the flavor of the taco meat that I took it to the Medical Centre & Rebecca & Becky both tried it & gave it thumbs up! Becky is quite picky, so I was impressed that she actually liked it! Rebecca even had a second spoonful!

Tomorrow is Tortola & I’ll attempt to travel over to Virgin Gorda again to see the Baths. Here’s hoping I can find the ferry in time!

xxxxMaria

Day 502 - At Sea

Hmm… I’m afraid not too much to report. I tended to my sprouts today, did some hand washing in the tub & tidied up the cabin. I must say, I’m very grateful for the tub. It’s not that I bathe a lot (I shower – just for the cleanliness records!), but I certainly use the tub to rinse off scuba gear, wash dishes, do laundry, rinse veggies & sprouts, etc, etc. It’s quite handy, especially since I have the water filter attached to the shower.

Tonight was the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party, which Jaco is supposed to attend & give a little wave when he’s introduced, but he was busy in the clinic. That suited me fine, as I didn’t have to get dolled up & could carry on tidying & sorting out my sprouts.

It’s quite intimidating to try & figure out how long to soak which sprouts for what, sprout them for how long, green them, plant them, etc, etc. I think I’ve got it figured out!

I also made a makeshift raw pad thai tonight. I picked up some mung bean sprouts in Barbados, so I figured I better use them up before they expire. I also had some leftover purple cabbage. I made the dressing – almond butter, garlic, ginger, red pepper, cayenne, kelp powder, lemon juice & water – and then SAFELY used the mandoline slicer to slice the cabbage. I chopped some dehydrated almonds & threw it all in a bowl. I mixed it up & although I had too much cabbage, I took it to Jaco in the Medical Centre & he LOVED it! He ate half the bowl! I was thrilled! I’m sure his belly was too! There is enough left over for one more day or night. The dressing was really nice – it wasn’t too garlicky & the ginger gave it a lighter taste. Success!

Okay, I’m done for the day. (un)Cooking, cleaning & laundry. Does that make me a successful house, er, cabinwife on a cruise ship? At least for one day!

xxxxMaria

Day 367 - Hello Home & Laundry!

Wow. That was one comfy bed. A great mattress & a fabulous duvet. It was like a little taste of heaven. Can you tell I'm sleep deprived? How do these Mom's do it? Ugh. I'm exhausted & I don't even have a kid!  Let alone 2 or 3 of them!

This morning we had a delicious breakfast of bacon & pancakes, along with toasted walnut tea (two thumbs up!). We packed up our things, helped tidy up the house & away we went!

Thankfully the roads were clear all the way home. Much to our surprise, there was hardly a speck of snow when we pulled into the yard! I was expecting a good six inches!

I am absolutely exhausted, as for the rest of the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning, I unpacked, cleaned, tidied & did laundry. (And now I'm trying to catch up on 2 weeks of missed blogging!)

The dogs are happy to be home & so am I, even if I have to jet back into the city tomorrow for my acupuncture appointment. I'm actually looking forward to a few down days to recover from chemo & from trucking all over the place!

I did my neupogen shot tonight. I think I nicked a blood vessel or something, as blood came gushing out when I withdrew the needle & my leg hurt like the dickens after I was done. Whoopsy. I know, I know. Jaco was busy, so I did it myself.

Jaco is peacefully sleeping while I type this in the light of the laptop screen. I think I'll join him, as you don't really need to know how many missing socks I have, nor which items I most likely shrunk (either from the dryer or too much ice cream!). Lekker slaap & see you tomorrow!!!

xxxxMaria

Day 297 - Laundry & Shauna

This morning, after a night of tossing & turning, I woke up to a rather thunderous stomping happening in the kitchen, along with the infectious giggles of a small child. Yup, Rayna was up. Her & Valentina were having the times of their lives. Rayna had donned our T-Rex head & Valentina decided it was a game. Rayna chased & chased & chased Valentina around the living room & kitchen until they were both out of breath! It was quite the sight to see! Valentina absolutely loves children & I think the feeling is mutual, especially in this case!


They were off to Calaway Park for the day. Mom decided to 'go along for the ride'(s). :oP I don't think I've been to Calaway Park since I was about 8 years old when I went with Jamee & her sister, Joleen! Yes, it's been a long time! Mom told me Rayna wasn't too happy when they got there, so Jamee knelt down & looked Rayna in the eye & said, 'Do you remember your choices? You can be miserable or you can be...' Rayna replied enthusiastically, 'HAPPY!' Jamee said, 'That's right. So what will you choose?' Rayna replied even more enthusiastically, 'HAPPY!!!' And away they went...


Jaco & I had a 'happy' day of laundry. I cleaned the kitchen, he vacuumed the floors & then we shaved each other's heads. What? Isn't that part of the domestic duties? :oP  So now we look like twins. I'm just waiting for the next 'Sir' comment! Although Jaco is a bit sad, as I have more hair than he does & mine is falling out! I keep assuring him that soon enough he'll have more than I do! Much more! 


It was a stunner of a day! Thank the Good Lord for sunshine & a little heat! I'll take every summer day I can get! We walked down to EVIC to visit Shauna & see how her course went. She was pretty excited about the entire weekend! Hopefully we can get together once we get settled & have a nice dinner. Today was her 7 year wedding anniversary, although her hubby was away on work. Jaco & I have a lot of years to go to catch up! I will volunteer with Shauna on the 6th of September, so I'm looking forward to working a day with her.


I spoke to Granny today & she seems to be doing well. If all goes well, we'll make a trip to see her in the next few weeks. She's only met Jaco once & we were only there for 1/2 a day, as I had to drive back for work last time. Hopefully this time we can stay a little longer & she can believe that I've made a good choice! She's already told me he better treat me well or he'll have to deal with her! And believe me, you don't want to mess with this 95 year old Granny! She's tough! 


She told me awhile ago about a situation in the Senior's Home where she stays. There was an old man who kept making passes at her. He grabbed her arm one day as they were wheeling past each other & told her he'd like to get to know her better. The next night she woke up & he was sitting on the end of her bed in her room! He said he missed the gentle touch of a woman. (!) She called the Nurse & they took him away. This happened a few more times. Finally, after the 3rd or 4th night, Granny told him he'd better get out & never come back. When he didn't respond, she took her cane & whacked him between the legs & told him 'There's more where that came from!' Even at 95 she's still got it! What a gal! 


Mom made us a stir fry tonight & Jaco had his first taste of Quinoa (keen-wah) tonight. He quite liked it, until he found out it was more carb than protein. It will be the challenge of my life to get that man to eat a healthy, well-rounded, BALANCED diet. In any case, he enjoyed it until he knew otherwise. ;o)


Tomorrow was supposed to be Body Worlds, but I think that we'll hold off another day. My energy is not quite there...yet! Have a great night & see you tomorrow!


xxxxxx
Maria, Jaco & Valentina

Headless T-Rex (Rayna) chases Valentina

Rayna helps Mom make fresh juice

The happy matching couple!

Valentina digs for the ball in Papa's shorts! 

Puddle or no puddle, she'll get the ball!

Day 233 - Finally! The Sun Shines!

Tonight's cup of tea (Yogi - Lemon & Ginger) had a bag tag. It read: "Don't take pride in taking. Give & you will be given virtues." I think I drink the tea partially because I like the element of surprise every time I open up the packet of tea! (Hey, it's the small things!)


Sweet sleep, oh, how I have missed you! I had a nice lie-in, mildly interrupted by Valentina's wet & cold nose & by my Mother coming in to study her appearance in the full-length mirror. I suppose it could have been worse. I piddled away on the laptop for a bit & tried to figure out in my head how on earth I was going to juggle all my pills. It's tough! I've only added 3 more, but it's a struggle to get it all in!


Here's the schedule:
a.m. - 5x EMPower (Super Multi-Vitamin), 1x Thymune, 2x Curcumin, 1x Green Tea, 1x Beta-Glucan, 2x Probiotic, 1x Garlic, 1x Quercitin, 2x Fibre, 2x Graviola, 1 tsp of Vitamin C, 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda, 1 tsp of Hoxsey


mid-a.m. - 2 BMD (Calcium/Boron), 3x Wobenzym


Noon - 5x EMPower, 2x Curcumin, 1x Beta-Glucan, 2x Graviola, 1 tsp of Hoxsey


mid-Afternoon - 2 BMD, 3x Wobenzym


Supper - 5x EMPower (Super Multi-Vitamin), 1x Thymune, 2x Curcumin, 1x Green Tea, 1x Beta-Glucan, 1x Quercitin, 2x Graviola, 1 tsp of Hoxsey


Bedtime - 2 BMD, 3x Wobenzym


What's the big deal? Well, I have to take the EMPower & Hoxsey with food & the calcium & Wobenzym without. The antibiotics from the fertility clinic are taken morning & night & have to taken WITH FOOD, but nothing with CALCIUM or IRON. Add in 2 shots at 1300 hrs & it's a full day! Eat, pills, wait. Eat, pills, wait. It will be a happy day when the antibiotics are finished! (The needles are a laughing matter after my 10 ml shots!)


I finished up my 7 loads of laundry, seeing as I've been home so little, it's really added up! Thank goodness I bought 35 new pair of undies when I was in San Diego the first time! :o) 


Valentina & I had a stroll out back & it was rather short lived. Her short legs & the number of fallen trees & massive mud puddles & bogs to trek through has us back home in a 1/2 hour! Oh well. I bought her a new bouncy ball & we had a blast playing fetch in the yard.


I used the clothes shaver on my lulu lemon duds. They look like new! De-pilling could be my new obsession! I sat outside in the glorious sunshine & de-pilled. I also finished a book by Katrina Bos. She's a Canadian author with an interesting family history of cancer. The book is entitled 'What if you could skip the cancer?'. Funnily enough, my friend, Jenn, told me about it & I ended up finding it in Superstore. It's been an insightful book. It discusses the personality traits of people who get cancer & helpful ways to overcome it & move your life in a positive forward direction. She discusses the challenges of change & I couldn't agree more! :o) I'll be making my best efforts to heed her advice. Here is a quote from the book I enjoyed:
Chapter 15 - Becoming Who You Really Are
Katrina was looking for guidance & she had begun to read the Bible, after much resistance. She shared this:
"One time, I was reading the parable of the talents. It is a story about a master who goes on a journey & so he entrusts his property to his servants. He gives a number of 'talents' to three of his servants, according to their abilities: five to one, two to another & one to another. While he's gone, the first two use these talents & make more money for their master. But the third one digs a hole & hides his talent to keep it safe. 
   When the master comes back, he is thrilled with the first two servants. But he is furious with the third. In fact, he even takes away the talent that he had given him & gives it to one of the other servants. 
   Well, I had read that story before. But on that day, it completely took my breath away. I was that third servant! I had been given talents & had chosen to hide them away. I had been given talents! But because I was choosing to live as someone else's second-in-command, I was not using them.
   But I couldn't blame anyone else. It was me who didn't have the courage to use them. I didn't want to cause a stir, although deep down, I probably would have loved to cause a stir - to be the centre of attention for my talents. But that just didn't fit into what I could imagine at that point.
   So now that I had buried my talents, was I in jeopardy of having them taken away? Or had they already been taken away? I supposed that it was a moot point because I wasn't using them anyway.
   It was time for me to become who I actually was. It was time to unearth those talents & start honing them & using them. No more hiding. No more pretending to be less than I am. 
   It was time to truly become me."


These words resonated with me. I had just been having a talk with Jenn, the friend who recommended the book, about what I wanted to do with my life & how I felt stagnant in my creative life. And I will be the first to admit that I have buried my talents FAR, FAR away, as I am PETRIFIED at the thought of criticism, failure, rejection... all those yummy things.


So, I paged through my jewelry design catalogs, picked out a name for the company, also inspired by Katrina's book, listed my old camera for sale on Kijiji & hopefully the gear will sell & I can get crackin' on being creative. I've also read here (scroll to bottom of page) about the lymphatic system being emotionally related to one's creativity: 


"Sometimes we get stuck in a particular pattern of stress that reduces our capacity to make positive changes. Your lymph can become blocked when you are feeling stuck or unable to express yourself. Remember that your life, too, is a progression, and “our biography becomes our biology.” If you find the same situations arising over and over, you may want to take a closer look. You may find that as your lymph system unbinds, so does your spirit."


Makes sense to me!


So, it was a big day! Now it's just to put it to action!


I have had the realization today, also through the help of Katrina's book & recent events in my life, that ultimately, I am alone in this whole ordeal. No matter who I think is supporting me, they will inevitably let me down. I can not count on anyone to be here 100% for me. I suppose that would be asking too much of anyone anyhow. Regardless of the percentage, it's no one else's Game of Life, but my own. A big depressing & a LOT disappointing, but this is the reality of it all.


On that bright shiny note, I'm going to finish my cup of tea & go fold 7 loads of laundry. :o) Sweet dreams & see you tomorrow...


xxxxx
Maria & Valentina

Okay, so despite the rubbish, I always like this little patch of grass...

One of Valentina's obstacles that I thought was pretty.

Another obstacle that neither of us cared to conquer! Reverse! Short legs in bog... not a good idea!

Pretty trees, pretty pathway.

 A little surprise clematis

Moss growing on the ?? side of the tree

Little Miss

Every day is a winding road...

Day 232 - Supernanny Rides Again... & Then Sleeps!

Oh happy day! I slept in until 0745! I was loving every minute of my sweet, sweet slumber past 0630! Harrison was awake before Heidi, but not by much - Heidi woke up around 0800. 


We had a great morning together. Heidi had a bottle, diaper change & went to sleep around 1000. Harrison & I coloured, read books & I sang him a few songs. I don't think I could come up with anymore farm animal noises for Old McDonald's Farm if I had to! Harrison is by far, the first & only human being to enjoy my singing. I wonder if he's had his hearing checked... either before or after! I bought him a Toy Story book & we read it about 6 times. It was a one sentence per page kinda book, so I became quite adept at elaborating!


I filled his water table with warm water & he played with his cars & tractors for awhile, but he was quite concerned about 'Tina' & if she was going to come out & play with him. We had some snacks & Gold Star for Harrison - we made it to the potty every time! Yay! 


Pretty soon it was time for lunch & then a nap. I've never seen a toddler so well behaved. When I said it was time for a nap, he literally RAN downstairs & crawled into his bed (with my help, of course). He picked out 2 books, we read them both, he asked to go potty, we did & then he laid down, turned his head onto his pillow & said, 'Bye!'. Wow! I was impressed! No crying, no fuss, no muss! I knew that Jenn & Mike kept both the kids on a regular routine & it pays off! They are by far the most well behaved kids I've met! Harrison & Heidi are pretty good too! :oP Sorry, couldn't resist that one! I know where to go for parenting advice when the day comes!


Heidi had woken up about an hour before Harrison laid down for his nap. By 1245, she was getting antsy. I knew Jenn wanted to leave right after she was finished work, so I had packed up all of my things & cleaned up the toys & dishes. All I had left to do was my shot. Today was my first day of fertility injections & they had to be done at 1300. I didn't want to hold Jenn up, so here I was in the kitchen, pants around my ankles & a crying baby who wouldn't quit unless I held her. Like I need any more pressure when I'm about to stab myself in the leg! Bless Heidi's little heart - she hung in there while I did my thing. A few hot flashes later, I was cleaned up & keeping Mama's youngest happy & quiet! 


Mom came home shortly thereafter & we loaded everyone up in their respective vehicles & we were off! I survived my first 3 days, well, 2 days as Supernanny! Hooray! 


Okay, I'm exhausted. Can I go home now? Valentina & I made our way home & I unpacked & prepared my laundry. 7 loads! Yes, it had been awhile! I started washing & drying & folding & sorting & nope, it's not going to be finished tonight! I'm pooped! Again, how do these Mothers do it? I'm in awe...


Sweet dreams of sleeping babies & smiles & laughter...
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Harrison played & played & played some more.

He was such a good little boy - at lunch time, I said, 'Okay, your lunch is ready. Can you sit at your table please?' He literally RAN to his table & sat down & waited patiently for me to give him his lunch! What a Superstar!!!

Their nifty little video monitor to tell what baby is doing. Note the clippers in the background. Harrison came upstairs with them & was putting them through his hair & my hair. I didn't think they worked, but Jenn later reassured me they did indeed! Thank goodness Harrison didn't find the right button - my head shaving party would have been much earlier!!! :o)

Day 164 - Holy S**t!!!! It's An Earthquake!

Today was a wonderful day. I slept in! I thought I might go out for a bit, but in the end, I stayed put. I slept until 1100 & took my time getting rolling. I cleaned the new blender & made a yummy green smoothie - spinach, mint, mango, banana & pineapple. 


I rolled out my yoga mat with good intentions. I lasted 8 minutes in a 43 minute routine. Pooh. Well, here's to 10 minutes next time! I then decided to wash a few things by hand. 


Valentina had wee'd on the new pillow cover I put in her kennel. Argh. I put her on her pad every 15-20 minutes & then she goes in her kennel! So, I decided to wash the cover, along with my clothes, along with Valentina & then me! 


I had washed the dark clothes & was in the middle of washing the lights, squatting in the tub, naked as a jaybird, ready for my shower, scrubbing a shirt, when I felt like I was rocking back & forth. I steadied myself in the tub, but then I realized the tub was rocking! OH MY GOSH! IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE! CRAP! WHAT DO I DO?


I've never been in an earthquake! I ran out into the passage way & just stood there, feeling the entire hotel room rock back & forth. What do I do? Where do I go? I shouldn't stand here - what if the roof falls on me? Maybe I should hide under something - but what if it collapses? Maybe I should go outside - clothes! Clothes would be good! I could see the curtains swaying back & forth in the room - I went to the curtains & peeked out the window. People were standing by the fence next to the pool. The waves in the pool were splashing over the edges. Sheesh! This is crazy! When I didn't see the people by the pool panicking, I thought I didn't need to either! I'm guessing it lasted about a minute or so before I couldn't notice it anymore. I shakily entered a Facebook status about the quake. I certainly didn't think today would be the day I would experience an earthquake. I guess I never thought I would experience one! The epicentre was 108 miles away from San Diego near Mexicali, Mexico. It registered 7.2 on the Richter scale. 


I went back to washing & I had no sooner bathed Valentina, cleaned her ears & teeth, when I left the bathroom to get something. I returned to the bathroom to find her having pee'd all over the bath mat. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? ARGH! Well, now I was going to have to go out. I needed stain remover or bleach! Or both!


I took Valentina outside with her pad with the hopes that she would do #2 on the pad. After a failed first attempt, I managed to catch her half way through the act & picked her up & put her on the pad. I look over & there were two ladies from the clinic in their car, watching me praise my dog as she pooped on a piece of astro-turf. 


Okay, so the earthquake was strange for this foreigner, but I'm sure what they just saw, was just as strange for them! They offered to take me to the grocery store, so I jumped at the chance to get my stain remover! 


I've never used bleach before, so I was very happy when the towels looked 'white' again! 


I managed to catch up on the blog, while I watched some crazy American TV. Have you ever seen America's Worst Drivers? I was literally choking I was laughing so hard! They were terrible! How did they even get their license? Too funny! Then I saw a bit of a show called something like 'Rehab Room' or something like that. A bunch of crazy addicts just out of rehab - including Dennis Rodman. It was pretty pathetic. Then I managed to see Jessica Simpson in India doing some Aruvedic spa treatments. She & her friends did a neti pot, hot oil treatments & then drank a herbal tea to get rid of excess gases in the body. Needless to say, I've never heard belching like that before! It was pretty funny too! Maybe I'll ask around for some! :o) Then they helped a girl get a cleft pallet operation. In India 1 in 5 children are born with a cleft pallet! If you go to Smiles for Smiles, they will donate $1 for every smile photo received towards the surgeries! I did it & it only takes 30 seconds!


Anyhow, I'm off to bed... It's been a big day! Shake, rattle & roll... Shaken, not stirred... Just roll with it... :o)


Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Tweet Pea naps.

The drying rack!

Day 134 - It's Like Cuddling With A Cactus.

Well, I certainly wouldn't consider today one of my favourite days. Waking up at 0600 to go to a hospital & have big fat needles shoved into your neck. Yeah, not so much. Please note - My mother asked me at 0630 if there was anything else I wanted to wash with Valentina's bed. No, just leave it until I come home - was my reply. Remember this for later, folks.


I get to the hospital & say goodbye to Mom & Valentina. I make my way down to the same spot as last time. This time I took off my toque, but left my Uggs on. They called me in shortly after I'd changed. It was the same gal as before - Jude or Judy, I'm not sure. We went to the same room in the back. They have really tacky curtains, btw. Really old floral prints. Big flowers. Think 1980's or early 1990's. I asked if it was the same surgeon. Nope. Great. Here's hoping!


It was really quite bizarre. Dr. Preet gave me the low-down on my procedure while we waited for the Radiologist. Dr. Preet tells me they are doing a FNA (WRONG - Core Needle) on my Thyroid (WRONG - It's a lymph node). I'm thinking silently to myself, 'Oh buddy, you're really nice & all, but I think a few more years of school are in order.' My next thought was, 'Oh dear, please don't let him be the one who stabs me with a needle!'


The next bit that made me laugh was after the Radiologist had come in & started to prep things, the nurses/technicians said, 'She won't sign the consent form until she talks to you.' Um, hello? What else would I do? Sign it before I know what body parts you're removing?!? Especially after the last guy said they were poking around my Thyroid?!? Oh man, this is turning out to be a real gas!


I can't remember the Radiologist's name, but he was good. He had one of the gals phone the Pathologist's office to find out SPECIFICALLY what they needed to get a diagnosis. The gal that got the directions wasn't too swift at relaying exactly what was said. She cost me another needle!!! Grrr.


So previously, in my neck needle history, it went like this:
1. 3 Fine Needle Aspirations (FNA) in February 2008 - Sydney, Australia
2. 3 FNA's under Ultrasound in March 2008 - Sydney, Australia
3. 3 FNA's in June 2008 - Medicine Hat, AB by a horrible Surgeon who didn't listen.
4. 1 FNA, 2 Core Needle Biopsies - Calgary, AB by Dr. Cochrane


Well, today was a record breaking needle day. I kept my cool. I didn't feel nauseous, although I was really hoping I could start about half way through the procedure! The Radiologist was okay with my Chemo Fit collection, although Jude made it sound like I was asking him to give me a boob job at the same time - 'I don't know anything about it. You'll have to discuss it with him!' Once he had okayed it, I gathered I would need one extra needle, putting me at, gulp, 4 needles. 


Yeah, I counted the number of times that plastic contraption slammed into my neck. I stopped counting at 5. They told me they ONLY did it 10 times, but I'm sure it was closer to 12. Yup. 10 (for sure) 18 gauge needles slammed into my poor little (large) lymph node. I can't believe I lasted that long. I said after the 5th slam, 'Okay, that's enough now, right? We're done?' 'Nope, just 3 more.' 'THREE MORE?!?' 'Yep.'


When we were done, the Radiologist tells me I was the best patient ever. Yeah, no doubt. Who else tolerates 10 chunks ripped out of their neck? But I will give him credit. It was an awkward place to try & maneuver that contraption & use the ultrasound 'wand'. He was quite verbal about his frustrations - 'What a dumba** contraption! Who invented this thing? Gosh, isn't there an easier way to do this?' At least he made me laugh. At one point, his Resident was helping him hold the contraption. The Radiologist says, 'Move that. No that. With that.' I would have been going insane, had it been me helping him! What's that? With what?!?! :o) The Radiologist also commented on my Uggs. He bought a pair when he was in Australia & he told me one of the funniest things he ever saw was a girl on the beach in Hawaii, wearing Uggs. 


So, I finished up & they wanted me to sit on a bed in the hallway for 1/2 an hour. Was this the 'recovery bed' the Oncologist's nurse was referring to when I couldn't get in any sooner for the biopsy because they needed a recovery bed? While I was sitting there, I felt the back of my neck. Yep, there was blood all over the back of it. Nothing like cleaning a gal up before you boot her back into the real world! I asked for a washcloth to wipe it off & the nurse brings me a dry washcloth! Thanks!


I realized later they had put the needle into the same spot all ten times. The freezing hadn't been as thorough as the previous time. I didn't feel great pain, but I could certainly feel discomfort & pressure during each needle. At one point, the needle went in & I could feel a twinge in a nerve that went up the side of my neck to the base of my head. Not cool! After that needle, he gave me more anaesthesia, which I felt tingling instantly down my left arm, all the way to my elbow! 


I chugged my MCP Pina Colada, changed my clothes, wet the washcloth & finished the job! I called Mom to come & collect me & we began our hunt for a courier to ship the collection off.


We went to Market Mall, thinking they would have a UPS Store we could post it from. No UPS Store. But lo & behold, there was a UPS & a Fed-Ex parking outside the mall. I stalked the UPS driver to ask him of the nearest location, but he told me they couldn't send Biohazard material. He suggested Fed-Ex. So I waited 3 minutes for the Fed-Ex guy & he sent me to a shop about 5 minutes away. We followed his directions, but couldn't find the store. I stopped at the bank to take care of that & then asked one of the gals for directions to the store. She was so nice! She looked it up online, called & made sure they were still at that location... What a nice lady! I love the TD Bank! 


We crossed the main road & found the shop. It was the fullest shop I have ever seen. You could hardly walk anywhere & set anything down, it was chokka block with stuff. Apparently they were moving. Apparently they were so busy moving the fellow running the shop didn't have time for a shower. For a long time. Ugh. I know I smell, but at least I wash my hair! Eew. His wife helped me, who didn't smell, and assured me that the package would be there by noon tomorrow. I paid $107 for shipping. Not bad for a $3000 test! Thank you Government of the USA for the grant!


We motored back to Market Mall & I picked up Apple Care for my Mac. I wanted to also stop at the Professional Building to find a holistic Doctor working there. I had told Jaco about my troubles with my needles - my right leg is pretty much toast - and he suggested I try an IV. I thought I'd see if they could put a port in for a few days to give my leg a rest. The trouble was I couldn't remember the Doctor's name. Some friends of mine had told me about him & all I could remember was that he was cocky & had red hair. 


I asked around some of the offices for a holistic Doctor, but no one knew anything. Fine. There are only 2 floors, I'll just go from door to door until I find the Doctor. Half way around the 2nd floor, I find the office. Everyone else was a Dentist & this one said something about 'Orthomolecular' medicine or something. This had to be it! I walked in & looked around. The receptionist asked if she could help me & I replied, 'Is the Doctor who works here red haired & cocky?' She laughed & said, 'That would be Dr. Johnson, yes.' 


I explained what I was after & she said I'd have to talk to his assistant, who came over briefly & the receptionist told her I was waiting to talk to her. When the assistant left, the receptionist whispered over the counter to me, 'That's his wife, so maybe don't tell her you think he's cocky!' My eyes widened & I thanked her for the tip!


I talked to his wife briefly about my situation & apparently they had recently been to Tijuana & toured some of the clinics! They were really up on IPT, but Dr. Johnson has a waiting list & is booked until June! 


While I had been waiting, a gentleman slipped me a piece of paper under the counter & said he'd like to talk to me & would wait outside for me. Um, okay. Sounds kinda fishy. 


Sure enough, he was waiting for me. He didn't want to sell me anything or feed me religion, he just wanted to share his ideals. He seemed genuine enough, so I grabbed Mom from the truck & we walked over to the food court to chat. 


He is from Germany & shared a lot of information with us. Some of it I knew, some of it was new to me. It put an interesting twist on things. About half way through our chat, my fatigue hit. It was time to go home. One more stop at the bankruptcy place & we made our way home. 


Mom had some where to go, so she left shortly thereafter. I went to bed & woke up a little later on. I was talking to a girlfriend, when I remembered Valentina's bed was in the wash. I went to take it out when I saw 'it'. I was horrified. 


My toque. My beloved Swedish toque. My beloved boiled WOOL Swedish toque that I paid way too much for & no one else on the planet has one like it. Shrunk. So small it barely fits my dog & makes her look like Marvin the Martian with a big tail. I was filled with rage, a few expletives, and then sorrow. How would I ever get back to Sweden to replace my toque? 


I was so angry! Why on EARTH did my Mother have to do laundry at 0630? And why didn't she check to see what was in there? I immediately went online & googled the Swedish Tourism Board to see if they could put me in touch with the shop. I knew where it was in Gamla Stan, but I didn't know the name of it. 


My friend I was talking to at the time of the toque discovery was telling me about her child's potting training & how well it was going... All of a sudden I start yelling & cursing... She was pretty confused at how excited I was about her son's toilet triumphs! 


Speaking of excited, er, stoked, tomorrow is the Level 3 of the Yuen Method. I'm pumped to learn more & cement in the method. Wish me luck! 


Love & hugs & healing & happy toque dreams,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Just another day at the office.

One of these times I'll get lucky & it will be Brad Pitt's dressing room or Michael Buble's...

It's somebody's life & I hope it all ends well!

'The Recovery Room'

The entrance... I should have shot the floral curtains! No, there isn't a 'Next Time!'

The trucks of the drivers I stalked to find a shop!

Wahhhh! My beloved Swedish Toque.

Now what?

While I type this, I think I just realized that the body of the toque shrunk, but the tail didn't!