Day 242 - Ultrasound. Again. And Again.

Rise & shine & lets have another look at your innards. Yup, another ultrasound today. Dr. Scott was the Physician doing the ultrasounds & to my amazement, some of the follicles were now TOO BIG! Oh no! I was a bit panicked when she said I should have had the retrieval done right away when it wasn't booked until Wednesday. Some of the follicles went from 1.6 to 2.2 in 24 hours! Great guns they're growing fast! Amazingly enough, the right ovary smartened up & grew a few more follicles. Incredible what a little shot of somethin' somethin' can make your body do some incredible things! I had a whopping 16 (SIXTEEN!) follicles today! Holy smokes! I was to have the final shots today & tonight & then a day off. After that, it was retrieval day!


I was given instructions on how to inject the 10,000 iu of HCG & away I went. I was meeting Al & Wilma for a visit. I was so excited to see them & hear all about their amazing journey from Africa to England. They had flown to Capetown & sailed up the western coast of Africa. Bottom to top! They were also stopping in Namibia where Jaco & I married/honeymooned. They are two of the most wonderful people I've met in my travels & how perfect they live in Calgary! We visited at the house for a bit & then Al had to run some errands, so Wilma & I headed over to the Calgary Winter Club for lunch. 


I had never been there before & it was quite impressive! It is a HUGE athletic facility, offering tennis, squash, curling, skating, badminton, swimming, along with a full service gym, personal trainers & physiotherapy! In fact, Christine, one of the girls from the Thursday night prayer group, works here. I couldn't remember where, but I knew she was a Personal Trainer somewhere in the city. Sure enough, when I walked into the gym & looked at their bios on the wall, there she was! Unfortunately she wasn't in at the moment, but neat nonetheless!


The restaurant had a delicious menu with many healthy options (yay!) & Wilma & I talked & talked about the trip & the people they met, the sights they saw & all the unique & far flung destinations the ship stopped at. 


I had to return to the Fertility Clinic before 1600, so we left the Winter Club & headed back to their house. I grabbed my med out of the fridge & said goodbye to Wilma. I'm looking forward to the next visit... I can't wait to see the photos from the trip! 


I picked up my last dose of Cetrotide & made my way home. I was happy to turn the car off & not have to drive it tomorrow. Finally! A day off! I've been in the city WAY TOO MUCH these past two weeks & it's starting wear on me! I putted around the house this evening, trying to tidy a few things up - and of course, looked forward to another sleep in tomorrow! My body seems to need some extra zzz's these days...


Sweet dream & see you tomorrow, but none too early!!! :o)
Maria & Valentina
xxxxx

The growing girls!

Day 241 - Ultrasound. Again.

Another early morning. I had an ultrasound & blood work at the Fertility Clinic again today. Thankfully it was a Sunday, so traffic was a breeze. I slept in an extra 15 minutes & still arrived early! Free parking too! Yay!


The waiting room was packed! There weren't even enough chairs! It was interesting to me to watch the behaviours of the couples. Some men gave their wives the chair, while others did not. Some men went with the wives for the ultrasound, some did not.


I had my blood work done promptly (ouch today) & then barely settled in when they called my name for the ultrasound. I was quite excited to see what was happening today, as the other day I had more follicles than I had expected. Dr. O'Keane was the Physician doing the ultrasound today. He was quite friendly, but swift. He didn't waste any time! 


I was becoming a bit apprehensive with the procedure, as when I had asked about the charges for the entire process, including the drugs, I thought when our drugs had been covered, they HAD BEEN COVERED. In the past week, it has cost an extra $900 for the additional drugs! Ouch! Adding to that, they mentioned another procedure in the beginning, but no one had brought it up again, so I assumed it wasn't necessary. Now, THREE DAYS before I am supposed to tie things up, they tell me we'll need a procedure costing an extra $1500! Argh! And they want me to take some more drugs ($$$)!!! I guess it wasn't all covered! These kids are already costing an arm & a leg & they're not even here yet!!! :o)


I'm pleased to say that Dr. O'Keane said I could come back tomorrow for an ultrasound, no bloods & then retrieval on Wednesday. Yay! The end is in sight! The follicles were almost the right size. They needed to be 1.8 & most of them were 1.4-1.6. It's all working marvellously! 


I motored home with a few more needles & found Unka Jer & David just getting going. We sat outside & chatted for a bit. When we went inside, I made a comment about taking a photo of the 2 of them for the blog. David said he would prefer it if I didn't. Pardon? You don't take pictures & now you're not in them either?!? Dude. You're in a house where TWO Photographers live. It's part of the 'accommodation package'. No understanding at all, he did his best to sell me why. He claimed that he could remember a moment better by referring to the energy of the place & how he felt when he was there. I said a photograph is a great reminder of the moment & just seeing the image would bring back a flush of memories associated with that time & place. He asked me if I would be impeded in describing the memory to a blind man. I said of course not, the photograph would remind me of the memories associated with the event. Of course, my clever friends later asked me - 'Why didn't you ask him if he would be impaired describing the event to a deaf man?' I never think of these things at the time. Anyways... here's the description of David from my PHOTOGRAPHIC memory:


- British - Long curly brown hair with some grey - 40-ish - pierced ear (2x), lip & septum - 5'10-ish - medium build - kind eyes - goatee - few wrinkles - slightly crooked teeth - worn out 'Public Works' shirt from Burning Man - Green coloured canvas type work pants. 


Keeping with South Park Style, here is a composite of David:

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

aaaaaaaaaaa

Which brings me to my next case in point. The whole Burning Man Festival. I'd heard of it before. I didn't know a whole lot about it, but David was quite 'fired' up about it. He was soon making his way there to help set up. It was the highlight of his year. For those of you who don't know, http://www.burningman.com/ will get you started. I was pretty skeptical when he mentioned orgy, lesbians & 'stiffy lube' within the first 5 minutes of describing it.  Hmm. I haven't had much exposure to hitch hikers. I'm not sure if they are all like this, but I don't think I quite feel comfortable with it. He has no money, one back pack & that was it. I get that you're into 'energy' & how things 'feel' to guide you in life, but when you stop & talk excitedly about a festival that brings you free beer, orgy 'camps' & the mention of drugs... Not really 'feeling' that energy! Guess I'll stick to my photographs...

On that note, I took my usual Sunday stroll down to EVIC while Unka Jer & David left for Golden. Oh the drama at EVIC! They had a mouse! A brave, gutsy mouse! He scooted all over the place - right in front of the visitors! He even crawled up the wall! I had Valentina with me, but she was more interested in her ball than the mouse. Sigh. I offered some feline services for tomorrow. We'll see what ol' Adios can accomplish! Eeek! I don't enjoy mice in the least!!! I LOVE Adios though! 

Okidoki, that's it for today... Enough excitement for me! Sleep well! xxxx

Maria & Valentina

Growing like weeds! Yahoo!

Day 231 - Ultrasound! Finally!

Up & at it early again this morning, I had my first ultrasound & blood test at the fertility clinic. It was finally time to start the meds! We're making progress! I left Jenn at home with her little ones & made my way to the clinic. I arrived shortly after 0800 & took a seat. I had been told previously that ultrasounds would be done on a 'first come, first serve' basis, so I expected a wait, considering I was 5 minutes late & the waiting room was chokka block!


I occupied myself by playing on my iPod, looking through a magazine, napping while sitting, checking my emails on the free computer... Pretty soon it was 1030 & I still hadn't been called in! I looked around the waiting room & didn't recognize anyone! I asked the girl beside me if she was having an ultrasound & she said she was waiting for blood work & her ultrasound had already been done. She asked me what I was there for & I said the same, but I hadn't been called in yet. She looked shocked! She said I should ask, as it doesn't generally take longer than a 1/2 hour to get in. 


Sure enough, there was a malfunction on the computer & they thought I hadn't shown up. They had been frantically calling my house looking for me, meanwhile I was napping in the waiting room! They were very apologetic, but I told them not to worry, it was fine. A parking donation would have been great, but anyways...


It was quite interesting to see the ultrasound. Modern technology is quite fascinating! Normally a woman produces only one follicle per cycle. With the puny little shots I would be doing, say 2 ml/day of drugs, it would stimulate my body to produce 8-20 follicles! Crazy what a little amount of chemical can do to a person! 


All done & dusted with the first ultrasound, I sped home to wait for the phone call from the nurse regarding my blood tests & my drug schedule. Bad news, I have too much estrogen. I'm not 100% sure what that means, but they like quiet ovaries & apparently mine aren't too quiet... Ironic... even my ovaries tend to babble on... 


They decided to start me on treatment anyways, as I don't really have the luxury of humming & hawing around anymore. So, 1 shot of Luveris & 1 shot of Gonal F starting tomorrow at 1300. Tuesday, the 15th, would see me in for my next ultrasound, which they assured me I would be 1st in line for!! :o)


I rounded up the wedding decorations & headed to Cochrane to pick up Valentina. I had left her with Jenn & the kidlets for the morning. Harrison liked to play with 'Tina', as he calls her. I was completely beat, but I didn't have time for a nap. I ate a quite bite & hit the road again. This time I had to drive to Shawnessy & meet my potential Kijiji buyer. 


Thank goodness she bought it all! I was so happy to get rid of the decorations. I loved the lanterns & would love to put them up somewhere permanently, but seeing as I don't have a place to do so right now, they were just taking up space. I could have sold them many times over! No one wanted the other stuff... They only wanted the lanterns. Luckily the gal I met today was willing to take the wanted with the unwanted. I felt like I lost 10 pounds on the spot! Ahhhh! Sigh of relief! One less thing to worry about!


I felt bad for Jenn having to miss a day of work & so I stopped at Shopper's Drug Mart & picked up a couple of tins of baby formula for Heidi. It doesn't make up for a full day's wage, but hopefully it would help! After that, it was home time! I found the kids in bed & Jenn watching the tail end of Precious. Oh my. What a sad & disturbing show. I suppose people need to be aware of things like this that really do exist, but for most of us, it's certainly NOT our reality. I pray for the people who suffer through things like that. If you haven't watched it, well, be brave, but prepare yourself. 


Jenn & I had a wonderful heart-to-heart talk about life & all its crazy twists & turns. I'm so happy that she's close by. Having her in Texas was just not the same. I have no idea where Jaco & I will end up, but it's great to have her near for this year! 


Alas, we were both tired, so we went to bed relatively early - 2300-ish. I think I beat Valentina to the snoring phase! Here's to a good sleep & surviving Day 2 of Supernanny! (I think I've got it under control now!)


Lekker slaap,
Maria & Valentina & Harrison & Heidi & Jenn
xxxxx

Looking at the Foothills Hospital & the Tom Baker Cancer Centre from the Fertility Clinic

Almost ready for the ultrasound

A nice black & white picture.

Like Mama, like Son - they were both playing on iPod/iPhones!

Day 230 - Okay, So I'm A LITTLE Tired...

Holy cow. How do Mom's do it? I couldn't settle in to sleep until 0100. The alarm went off at 0630. I have heard of this hour before, but I didn't want to believe that it existed! I had heard crying & movement around 0330 & then again at 0530. Oh boy, I have a lot to learn!


Jenn left for work at 0645 & both kids were wide awake. At least 2 of the 3 of us were. Harrison is 2 & Heidi is 5 months. I won't bore you with too many details. Well, maybe I will. Heidi is a beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed, smiling & content little girl. Harrison is a brown haired, brown eyed, little gentleman. They are incredibly well behaved - Mama & Papa must be doing something right!


We had breakfast, changed the diaper, bottle fed, coloured, sang songs (shhh, don't tell anyone!), watched Bob the Builder, played with Valentina & then Heidi went down for a nap. She slept for 2.5 hrs. In the meantime, Harrison, who is recently potty trained, had accident after accident. Me, not knowing the foggiest thing about childhood behaviour, figured it was simply because Daddy was away, Mama was away & here is this strange lady singing to me with her funny little dog... ?? We had a couple of #2 accidents. The first one, no biggie. The second one... Let me enlighten you...


After the first pair of wet undies, I couldn't find any pants for Harrison. As it was raining out & we would be indoors, I grabbed a pair of shorts. Then another pair. Then I finally noticed the basket of clean clothes in the living room. When I asked him if he was dry & he said 'No', but I could see the front of his pants told me otherwise, I thought, well, let's just change him in the living room. WRONG.


As I pulled down his undies to change them, didn't I just get an extra bonus falling out of his shorts. He was upset that he'd messed in his pants, so he was crying. When bonus #1 hit the carpet & I could see bonus #2 on its way down, I thought we better dash for the bathroom. Before I could pick him up, he stepped in bonus #1. As I picked him up, my hand cupping bonus #2 & his poor little bottom, Valentina makes a dash for bonus #1. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! We head downstairs, with the dog shortly behind. I put Harrison in the tub for a good wash & try my best to scrape the mud pie off of my hand, meanwhile I'm gagging & wretching with my back to the poor little toddler crying in the tub. We get scrubbed up & clean clothes on. 


I was really baffled, as he managed to finally pee in the toilet, but as I go to pull up his shorts, they're wet! We change them. No kidding, 10 minutes later he's wet again! Then another 20 minutes after that! I give up! Even the gummy bear 'treat' incentive isn't working! Well, Mama gets home & when I tell her the happenings of the morning, she said he's NEVER done that & she's never heard him so upset. (I'm thinking, oh my, I've scarred the poor child for life!) It turns out today was the day his 2 year molars decided to make  themselves known. Lucky me! 


After I knew that poor Harrison wasn't traumatized forever & he was happy to be with Mama again, I made a dash home & picked up my drugs, as it was time to start. I had to go for my ultrasound tomorrow morning. Unfortunately this meant I had to be in the city in the morning. Jenn had to work. Sadly, I couldn't convince my Mom or any of my friends to help me or Jenn out for a few hours. It was pretty disappointing, as Jenn's family really needs every penny possible! By the end of the night, she had to phone work & say that she couldn't come to work the next day. I felt terrible!


I decided to have a shower while I was at home, but before I even got in, I fell asleep on the bed! I woke up 2 hours later. Guess this Nanny thing is hard work! I drove back to Jenn's, but before I went there, I stopped at Safeway to pick up some Freezies for Harrison - just in case his teeth were bothering him again. Once I was back at Jenn's, we finished watching Alice In Wonderland. It was really good! I was so amazed by the creativity & imagination that went into it! Wow! By the time 1100 rolled around, I was beat. 


I hit the hay & that was that.
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Peek-a-boo!

Valentina enjoys the house!

Saying 'Cheese' while playing the cars game on my iPod. Kindergarten.com has some brilliant apps to teach kids animals, transportation, fruits, veggies... It's a great distraction from boredom in Ikea, at home, wherever... :o)

My little action man!

Miss Heidi quite content!

Day 149 - Recycling, A Baby Boy & A PUPPY!!!!

OMGOSH!!!!


Today was a fairly exciting day when I stop to think about it! Of course I slept late after last night's 'bar scene' & the tummy ache. I am pleased to report that the chills, aches & belly ache are long gone! 


I was disappointed to have missed Jaco's call in the morning. I turn the ringers off at night because some of Mom's friends & family call VERY EARLY in the morning. I was a little bit paranoid that I was going to sleep too late & miss my ultrasound date!


I checked my emails & luckily there was an email from UC Baby notifying me of the password & username. I had one hour to go! I was so excited! I got a little breakfast ready & then prepped the computer for the show. I set up my little camera to record the video cast & Oh My Gosh! There it was! I could hear Ross & Krystle talking and I recognized her sister & her Mom's voices. It was so amazing to see the little baby moving about! Krystle had eaten a chocolate bar shortly before, so the baby was pretty wired! It was moving all over the place, waving it's arms around, sucking it's thumb, smiling, kicking, rolling around - it was brilliant! Ross' family lives in the UK, so it was pretty special that they could be a part of the pregnancy from so far away! The technician waited until everyone was online & we had all had a good look at the baby before he told us... IT'S A BABY BOY!!! I was crying like a baby! I was so excited for them! They are the most wonderful couple & I am so thrilled at the happiness they have found in each other!


The other exciting news was that her sister is having a baby too! Only 2 months after Krystle is due! How fun! A playmate already! Krystle & Ross are off to Mexico for 2 weeks for a 'Babymoon' - they haven't officially had a honeymoon yet, but now they're expecting, so a Babymoon it is.


Krystle & Ross met on ships & I'm a sap for a happy ending. They married last summer & it was by far the picture perfect wedding I've ever been to! Down to the tiniest detail, it was spectacular! Ross & Krystle are both photographers & Krystle shoots weddings when she's not busy being the most creative person I know! http://www.krystleimages.com shows a little of her creativity! I can't wait to meet the little fellow!


I had no sooner left the 3D ultrasound when the phone rang. It was Janis & they were on their way home from Banff. I made arrangements to meet them in Bragg Creek for a cup of tea. 


We met at the Cinnamon Spoon for juice & smoothies & conversation. They had been snowboarding in Banff for a few days & I was fortunate enough to catch a visit. Dustin entertained Caleb & their dogs while Janis & I had a quick chat. We always have a great time, but man, the world is small & it is crazy. 


Janis starts telling me about Dustin's friend from Calgary who has tickets to the World Cup in South Africa this summer. He's going by himself, but he has extra tickets & is wanting to trade them for accommodations. Since Janis knows I have a few links to South Africa, she wanted to know if I would be willing to help Dustin's friend out. Of course I would! But the funny thing is, the gal I met last night, Bronwyn, told me how she REALLY wanted to go to South Africa for the World Cup, but didn't have anyone to go with & didn't really feel comfortable going alone. I couldn't help but smile and the mysterious & marvelous way the world works! Unfortunately Bronwyn hadn't given me her details, so I had to do a little Facebook sleuthing, NOT stalking, to find her... We'll see if I get a P.S. bar or Grenadilla Twist this summer or not! :o)


I said goodbye to Janis, Dustin & Caleb & headed home to pick up the recycling. I thought I would stop by Jenn & Mike's for a quick visit while I picked up groceries & did my bit to help Mother Earth. I pulled into the recycling depot just as the fellow was closing the gate. THANK GOODNESS he let me in! One cardboard paper cut later, I was on my way to the Burnett's. 


Jenn has begun training for her first triathlon & I heard her make mention of a particular book she was interested in to help her out. I was in Costco on Thursday, saw the book & thought it would be good encouragement for her. I also wanted to share my yoga DVD's with her, as she was inquiring about those too. She was thrilled to receive her very own copy of Jillian Michaels 'Master Your Metabolism'! Yay! I'm so proud of Jenn for taking action to make this dream a reality! Her triathlon is August 8th & I'll do my best to be there to cheer her across the finish line!


Harrison played with Valentina again & I tried my best to get Mike & Jenn pumped about a trip to the Mediterranean for next year! Jenn has always dreamed of Italy & seeing as it's my favourite country, I take it on as my personal mission to see her in Italy! :o) 


I left them just before supper & came home to another missed call from Jaco! Darn! If only I could call him back! I had also missed a call from Roxie, the lady I got Valentina from. I called her back & I asked her a little bit about the puppies. I had decided if the puppy wasn't TOO expensive, I'd try to find a way to make it happen. Roxie told me the one pup would be perfect for Mom, as she's cuddly & very pretty. She's not dappled, but black & tan. Okay, so far so good. I ask the price & Roxie tells me 'Your Mom can have her'. I am thinking, 'Have her for what? How much?' Roxie tells me, 'For free.' 'WHAT?! Are you serious?' 


Roxie told me that she was so happy that Valentina ended up in such a good home, she would love to see this puppy end up in the same loving hands. WOW! I was so excited! Wait until Mom hears this! I told Roxie I'd call her back tomorrow after I had a chance to talk to Mom & make arrangements to collect the puppy! Little Annie was coming home!


How much did my bubble burst when Mom wasn't elated!? She didn't know what she'd do with her when she had a photo shoot all day. Hello, excuse please? You take her with you & put her in a big kennel in the back of the truck or you leave her at home with pee pads for her. Problem solved! How many ALL DAY shoots do you have a year? 3? Just think of the unconditional love you'll get! Every single day! Without falter! Annie will never wake up & be mad at you! She'll always love you! No matter how bad your breath stinks or how crazy your hair looks or how much you burnt dinner (not that my Mother does any of these, just for example! Seriously!) So little effort for so much in return. Everyone should experience the unconditional love of a Dachshund. Mom wanted to think about it overnight, so here's hoping she wakes up in the morning with a warm heart & a desire for a cold nose.


What a day it has been! Babies, puppies, triathlons, I can't take much more action! I'm tired just thinking about what tomorrow will bring! :o) Not really, I'm excited!


Love & hugs,
Maria & Valentina & hopefully ANNIE!
xxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxxoxx

Janis, Dustin & Caleb on their way back from the Snow Trip!

Day 147 - Nodular Sclerosing Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage 2B

Yes, it's official. Today was the day I received the pathology report stating that yes, you do indeed have those nasty little cells in your body we like to call 'Cancer'. 


I started the day off by having a little jaunt on the treadmill & I even managed to run for 10 minutes of my 30 minutes! Mom was impressed at how long I could run for. I didn't think 5 minutes at a time was much to write home about, er, much to write on the blog about, but here I am! My brother showed up half way through the workout & commented on how I wasn't getting anywhere. Ha ha. He was impressed when I put Valentina on the treadmill & he watched her trot away...


Jeff came over to help Mom with one of her new projects. They chit chatted while I did my best to get ready. I'm so not used to this. How do 'normal' people do it? I workout, get food ready, get supplements ready, shower & it takes me 4 hours! And no, I didn't even talk on the phone!


Of course, the battery was dead in Contemplate, so Mom went to get the booster cables. She has boosted the car 3 times now, but still struggles to know which one goes on first, etc,etc. Hey, don't look at me! Red's hot, black's not! She was getting mad because the handles are really tough to squeeze & she couldn't get it wide enough to go onto the post. Yeah, sure... I even surprised myself! I did it! No problem! Must be all that raw food! Ha! 


Contemplate was back in action & Valentina & I were enroute for Tom Baker Centre. Our first stop was blood work. The Lab Tech was surprised to see my black bag moving, until she saw little eyes looking back at her! After Valentina was finished charming the techs, we walked through the corridor to Foothills Hospital. 


Neil, who hosts our weekly prayer group, met a lovely young lady named Alma, by chance one day. It turned out that Alma had Uterine Cancer & she had her surgery on Tuesday. I had never met her, but I did leave her some serrapeptase. I also left her some Winalite pads to get her going. 


It was pretty crazy going to the hospital with my dog, to see someone I've never met before, who has just had intense surgery & just popping in to say hi! In any case, I found Alma's room & WOW! She is drop dead gorgeous! How anyone can look that stunning after having surgery & being confined to a bed, is beyond me! She was in good spirits & anxious to get on with life & heal. She showed me her stitches. Wow! Poor thing! I've never seen such an incision. (I haven't seen many) She is 34 & desperately wanted to be a Mom. They removed her Uterus & Cervix, but left her ovaries. She told me the only way she could have a baby would be through a surrogate mother. If you know anyone!!!!!! :o) Seriously! I look forward to getting to know Alma better & sharing our roads to health & vitality! She enjoyed Valentina & of course, Valentina was happy to have the attention!


Soon it was time for my appointment. My regular Oncologist was away, so I had the 'Substitute Teacher' today. She was nice. She kind of reminded me of Sarah Jessica Parker in a curly haired, slim, fit, same nose kind of way. 


My blood work actually looked really good! Slight anemia, but most everything else was normal. Even my WBC is normal! I'm thinking that is due to the fact that what I'm doing is working! :o) 


The Doc told me I'm up for ABVD. That means my ticker takes a lickin' & my lungs bid Adieu to their scuba adventures. We talked about BEACOPP & CHOP & many other acronyms. She was very patient & answered all of my questions as best she could. 


We all know how I feel about chemo. Well. She told me 6 months of chemo, every 2 weeks. I asked about a scan & she said they would scan me at about 3-4 months. However, she said that the lumps would be gone after the 1st or 2nd round of chemo. ???? Isn't that a bit of overkill? Of course, they want to be sure they have got it all. But then she added, they are doing tests now to see if they can actually shorten the duration of the dosages. Pardon my ignorance, but why would I take 5 more months of chemo if the first month gets it? And then there are the side effects. The metal taste in my mouth - gee, nothing to do with the toxic garbage you've just pumped in? The hair loss - no biggie, please, take the stuff on my legs, arms & face first! And keep it! The nausea - more drugs for that. The dead taste buds, the tingling in my fingers - possibly permanent... the list goes on. I could drone on, but you'll get bored regardless of what you believe. 


They want me to come back in a week. I'm still processing. Don't panic. Don't stress. Don't worry. I'll be just fine. Nothing will change, just because they found a few cells they didn't like. I'm still feeling great & there are no new problems! RELAX! I'll keep you posted!


After I paid $12.25 in parking... in change... The poor kid at the booth knows me well by now. He laughed & asked if I wanted a receipt too! It was mostly dimes today. If I have to keep going there I'll go broke on parking alone! Can you imagine? I would have to go Thursday for bloodwork & Friday's for treatments... That's a killing in parking fees! I'm in the wrong industry! :o)


My next stop was the Apple Store. I dug out my old wireless keyboard & hooked it up. I can sit back & blog... but it's a bummer to have to move & use the trackpad. So, Magic Mouse... it's a pleasure to meet you! I love MAC! The folks at the store are so helpful & friendly. I chatted with the fellow about several different Mac products. Obviously my budget doesn't allow anything more than a mouse, but a girl can dream! I told him about my photography & he even arranged a session with one of their trainers to help me out & learn how to make the most out of my Mac for my business!!! Once you go Mac, you never go back! :o)


Next stop: Community Natural Foods - Downtown - Where I don't get accused of shoplifting! Supplements & groceries... Ouch! Painful bill! But they were having an info-session on green smoothies... Interesting!


Next Stop: Fishman's Dry Cleaning. Again. I'm in the wrong business. $225 to clean my gown & put it in a box. Not just any box! An airtight preservation box. I told them to clean it first & see if it's worth preserving! 


Next Stop: Costco - returning the blender I bought last week. I didn't even open it, as I decided to get a slightly better one. No, not a Vita-Mix, but a nice Oster one. It reverses. I like that idea. I wandered around Costco, as one does, and end up with things I didn't have on my list, but can still use! Like the MEGA bag of Whiskas cat food for Adios. Saves me a few trips, I suppose! 


Next Stop: Marlboro Mall: Sears. I phoned on Tuesday & it was a task & a half. I called 4 different Sears stores & after no answers, hang ups, disconnects, poor customer service, lack of skill/knowledge, I FINALLY found my blender! And it doesn't go on sale until Saturday, but they gave me 10% off anyways! Thank you very much! I'm so excited to use it!!!


Next Stop: Gas &... Don't shoot me... It was a bad day... Fast food joint. I will be paying for it in so many more ways than just cash. I paid cash. I ate it. I got a headache. My tummy didn't appreciate the garbage. Fair enough. I deserved it. But... The worst punishment - I bought Valentina a hamburger patty. When I gave it to her, she dropped it in between the seat & the console. I can't get it & neither can she. Oh is that going to be rank come mid-July. Gross, gag, puke. So, I hang my head in shame & disgust. 


Next Stop: Home. I pull up to the house & see something moving under the deck. And then the stench hits me. It's a little Pepe le Pew! A little skunk is snooping around under the deck. Hmm. Small problem! How do I get inside? He's not too fussed about high tailing, er, hopefully not! Getting out of the way! I call Mom inside the house & she doesn't answer. I call again. What's a girl to do? It's not as though I can hop out & holler at it & chase it away. And you thought I smelled bad from taking DMSO! We're talking about a whole new level of stinking! :o) I call Mom again & about the time she answers, Pepe scurries from under the steps around the backside of the house. I tell Mom of our friendly visitor & make my way inside. Even unloading the car was potent. I think Pepe must have left us a memory on the deck, as it was a mighty bit strong! Thank goodness Valentina didn't make an encounter... I can't even imagine! Actually I can, last year my cat, Adios, made friends with Pepe. Got him right on his face. 


Have you ever bathed a cat? Poor Adios took it fairly well. The woeful yowls were sounds I've never heard from him before! 


Today was also the 1st anniversary for Jaco & I. Mom bought 'us' a dozen roses & gave us a card. The card was perfect. It had 2 wiener dogs on the front - dog + dog = heart. It made me smile! Jaco - I love you more today than I did yesterday & all the days before & you have made me the luckiest girl I know. Really. I love you & I miss you & I can't wait to see you again! Soon! Very soon!


I had news of a wonderful friend from ships. Sadly her mother was killed while riding a bike. The mother died on the exact same day as the father 13 years earlier. If you have a moment to send some love & healing for her & her sister's poor broken hearts, that would be appreciated. My heart breaks at their untimely loss.


Lastly, as I'm about to go cross-eyed from typing three blog posts in one night... My dear friends, Dave & Michele, got engaged! In Namibia! We think under the same tree where Jaco & I got married! How crazy is that!? I'm so excited for them both! I can't wait to hear all about it! And... my dear friends, Krystle & Ross, who were Bridesmaid & Groomsman, are having a baby is August & on Saturday, they have an ultrasound to find out the baby's sex. They have invited me to go online & see it with them! I'm smiling like a goofy girl right now, but I feel so honoured to be included in their magical moment! Thank you for making me feel special! 


What a day! I'm beat! I'm crawling into bed with my little girl & I will see you tomorrow! 
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Blood work about to happen. Note the armband on the floor. Ew. At least the Technician was friendly & she liked my dog! :o)

Dr. Owen's waiting area. I thought the African Elephant was slightly depressing considering it was our 1st anniversary when we married in Africa & here I am, FAR AWAY from my wonderful husband & about to receive the crummiest diagnosis thus far. (Yeah, my pity party is long since over!)

The card & roses Mom gave Jaco & I for our first anniversary. The card had 2 wiener dogs on the cover & said something about the longer couples are together the more alike they begin to look!

Pretty Roses!