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 238 - Overachiever & Achievements!

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit, I've been quite slack about keeping you up to speed! I'm now sitting a week+ behind & racking my brain to remember the past X number of days! Bear with me!


This morning was another ultrasound. I'm pleased to say that I'm no longer in the bottom of the pile for follicles! Yay! This morning found 12 follicles! Whoo hoo! It's working! I am to keep up with my shots for the next three days & come back on Sunday. Lucky me, human pin-cushion continues!


I motored home & realized that I had left Mom's cell at home. I was supposed to call Ilo when I was leaving the city, so she could meet me & follow me back to the ranch. Whoopsie! I called her as soon as I got home & to my dismay, I had the wrong number!!! The answering message that picked up was some young kid named Jordan! Oh no! I facebooked her & sent her an email, with no idea of whether or not she would actually be able to access either message! 


I laid down for a nap, waiting for the phone to ring. It didn't! I woke up & hit the shower. When I got out, there was Ilo! She found us! I quickly got ready & she decided to accompany me to my Oncology appointments. Since it was a rainy day, Shasta & Valentina came along for the ride. The first stop was blood work. It was late in the day, so the clinic wasn't busy & I made sure I didn't get the same gal who murdered my vein last time! 


Our next stop was the Social Worker. She was able to help me out with the prescription coverage application & we applied for Blue Cross coverage, but it takes 4 months to kick in! My EI benefits end this weekend & if I can qualify for sick benefits, it will only cover me for 15 weeks! Yikes! I'm feeling the pinch! It could be an interesting 6 months in so many more ways than I had imagined! 


Okay, the appointment I'm sure you're all anxious to know about. My big meeting with Dr. Daly. I had my binder of studies & tests & trials & questions (19). There he sat with his matching shirt & socks, pants pressed with a razor sharp crease & a flawless haircut. I was so nervous. I was so relieved that Ilo had come along to bring me back to reality from time to time. I started with the questions. Finally it came time to tell him about the Bleomycin omission. 


He asked me to tell him more about it, so I explained the study I'd found, what the results were & the Doctor who had done it. I told him that I'd phoned the Harvard Doctor who conducted the study. To my shock, Dr. Daly says, 'Yes, George?' He knows him! Very good! So, after I explain my reasoning, Dr. Daly says, 'Well, you sound like you're making an informed decision & as long as you're aware of the risks, that's fine with me.'


WHAT?!?! No fight? No argument? No tie me to the chair until I give in?!? Wow! That was so easy! Phew! I've just lost 10 pounds! Fantastic!


Next up, Peter Lougheed for treatments? Sure! CT scan? Well, I compromised & it will only be my neck & chest - NO ABDOMEN OR PELVIS!!!! This is turning into a breeze!


I asked about sunshine & if I could have vitamin D. He said to cover up & use sunscreen, especially if I'm going to be out all day - like if I'm doing a hike. What?!? You mean I'll feel well enough to hike?? He tells me it's much easier than I've painted in my mind. I hope he's right! I really, really do!


I also asked about the substitute Oncologist while he's away. It turns out, he's only gone for 2 weeks, so it's not such a big deal. I mentioned that I had wanted Dr. Lategan & I also mentioned that his receptionist was quite the gal. He immediately asked about HIS receptionist & was she nice. She was better than Dr. Lategan's, but she wasn't winning any gold stars... I told Dr. Daly that she was alright - he instantly poked me in the knee & roared laughing - 'Good! Because it's the same one!' Ha ha ha! Ilo, the Nurse, Deb, & Dr. Daly were all roaring. I hardly found it funny. I do now, but she was still wicked to me! Looks like we'll have to have a chat before I start visiting her every 2 weeks! :oP


With that, we finished up. I left feeling relief of some kind. My 1st chemo date is booked for June 30th. Less than 2 weeks to go. The pit in my stomach is already whirling. CT scan will be either the 28th or 29th. 


Ilo & I stopped for a Jugo Juice & some groceries from Safeway. She made a yummy sweet potato appetizer & I made (kind of) coconut french toast. We were so full from our smoothies we hardly ate anything! The highlight of the day was the photo frenzy Ilo shared with me. She spent a year in Kenya a few years ago volunteering with Global Vision. Her photographs were AMAZING. WOW! I can't wait to go there! The sunsets, the dolphins, the cheetahs, the people... Beautiful! What an experience. 


We walked the dogs for awhile in the rain. It was hilarious to watch Shasta bolt ahead & Valentina try to keep up with her short little legs! They had a blast playing! Shasta is so well behaved & she is the cutest Golden Retriever I've ever seen. She has a cute little turned up nose & beautiful eyes that know exactly what's on your mind.


We were both pretty tired, so we got ready for bed... Before we hit the hay, Ilo tried on a few wigs. It's interesting how a different hairstyle changes your look SO MUCH! I'll be anxious to see how many of my friends walk past me when I sport the wigs! :o)


Until then... Lekker slaap...
xxxxx
Maria, Valentina, Ilo & Shasta

Waiting to see Dr. Daly

Playtime!

Mushrooms & cow patty!

Catch me if you can...

Didn't think so!

You can totally rock it girl! It's Jade from America's Next Top Model!

Day 236 - Ultrasound #2

Yawn. I'm such a Garfield. I wasn't meant for early mornings. A late night & an early morning appointment left me sleeping paranoid that I was going to miss my alarm & then the ultrasound. I woke up at 0430 thinking I'd overslept. I was surprisingly alert, but quickly came to my senses & went back to bed. When the alarm did finally go off at 0600, I certainly wasn't ready for it! I hit snooze until 0640 (yes, I did) & then rolled out of bed, rushing around. 


I left for the city just as the rain began to fall. It poured & spit & quit & then repeated itself on the way in. I managed to find a 2 hour free parking spot near the clinic. Oh the small things in life! I met with the Psychologist first. I'm thinking I shocked her out of her morning routine, as I was the first patient she saw. I think most of her patients are couples with emotional issues about infertility. Husband blames wife, wife blames husband, baggage from the past, etc, etc. In I waltz. Cancer. Husband from another country. No job. Living with Mom. Chemo on the horizon. And who said I didn't like to stir the pot??!! :o) We had a wonderful visit & she was very friendly & comforting. We talked a lot about Italy. Glad I'm not alone in my love of Italia!


Next up was a bit of blood work. I've been taking baby Aspirin to help thin my blood & it's definitely working. My arm looks like it never has before from the needle. Nice purple spot. (My injection sites are also looking a little 'funkier' than usual) 


I sat in the waiting room for awhile again & after it had been about a 1/2 hour, I thought I better check again. The receptionist said she'd check & see what was going on & I hadn't even sunk my butt into the chair when they called my name! Impressive! Apparently the ultrasound machine was giving them some hassles today.


I'm pleased to report that I have 9 follicles. Always dreaming of being an Overachiever, I was hoping for 12, but 9 is fine. I have no idea if they look good or not, but I guess we won't really know for a few more days. I am to return in 2 days time & take an additional shot in the evenings for the next 2 nights. 


The nurse came in to talk to me about my new prescription & it turns out her daughter just joined the Island Princess as a Dancer! How fun! I did my best to reassure Mom that her daughter would be fine & in good hands... She'll have the time of her life! It brings me great joy when I hear of young people venturing abroad at a young age to experience more of life than just university & marriage & mortgage & kids... I believe that travel is the best education money can buy. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fantastic to earn a degree & become educated in a field you love. But what if that field you love is in the south of France & full of lavender? :o) 


I picked up a Jugo Juice & a zebra print shower curtain & headed for home. I was planning on heading straight to bed, well, after a quick detour to see if the wigs were here. They weren't. But, I did get a lovely letter from a collection agency. Are you kidding me? I declared bankruptcy! I've been discharged! The cheeky sods at the Royal Bank have only NOW sent my 'account' to a collection agency. I didn't hear a peep from them while I was in bankruptcy... a friend reckons they are trying to double dip & get more from me! Good luck! I called the collection agency & the guy was pretty aggressive. When I told him to contact Meyers Norris Penny, he said it wasn't up to him to contact them & I 'better get used to a lot of phone calls'! Ha! I'll email MNP tomorrow... 


I was headed for bed & the phone rang twice. I just got nestled under the covers & it rang again. 10 minutes of sleep. Another ring. Argh! Okay, fine! I'll get up & deal with a few things. 


I never did make it back to bed before midnight. I worked on my Oncology notes & questions for Thursday's appointment, filled out a 9 page questionnaire for my Naturopath appointment tomorrow, completed my 3rd shot of the day and played with the dogs for a bit. I was supposed to edit Mom's day planner, but her computer was on vacation. 


My evening shot was a bit of a drama. I pulled out the supplies & the directions. As I'm reading, it says to administer the injection in your stomach. Nothing about the thighs. I'm not a belly shot kinda girl (just ask my photog friends for THAT story!), so I was pretty worried. I called the Health Link number & the gal on the other end couldn't really say. I called the Medicine/Herbal/Poison Control Centre. After being on hold for 10 minutes, I hung up. I was supposed to do the shot at 2000, it's now 2015. I call the IVF number & of course, they are closed. But their message says to call Foothills switchboard & have the Fertility Doctor paged, if it's an emergency. Well, I'm not really an emergency, but is there a nurse available? Nope. Next thing I know, Dr. Wong calls me back! He said I was fine to do the shot in my legs, as long as I get it in somehow! Phew! Good stuff! I apologize for troubling him & head to the loo to do the shot. If these shots were tequila, I'd be plastered by the end of the day!!! :o)


I'm not sure what I did this time, but again, I got a nice big lump at my injection site. I'm just not meant to give myself needles... Anyhow, it's done & dusted & only a few more days of these needles. Then it's back to the big one! Yikes!


I'm off to bed... Have a peaceful sleep...
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

My dog who hates to have her photo taken.

Playing shy

Tolerating a kiss or two...