A Crazy Week

This past week was one of those crazy weeks when life is busy and crazy and frantic. The kind of week that can't end soon enough.

Tuesday was a tremendously long day at the hospital. Wonderful Brenda picked me up at 5:30 a.m. for an early test, followed by another test, followed by waiting, followed by waiting, followed by another procedure. We arrived home at 6:30 in the evening. Exhausting!

Thursday morning, I was on the phone with my sister Kaki, on my way to KUMed. I was driving our 'new' car - '02 Passat wagon - and I decided to get off the phone as I was hitting the rush hour traffic and needed to pay attention. And good thing I did.

Right after I got off the phone with her, it felt like something hit the underside of the car and it started smoking. Luckily, there were very few cars around and I got off the highway and onto the shoulder immediately. I got out and looked underneath only to see oil pouring out of the engine and a big chunk of metal (a piece of the engine) sitting underneath the car. I looked back and you could see the path I took leaving the highway by the trail of oil I left.

We have only had this car for nine days and we haven't even registered it!!!! I called Richie immediately. Thankfully he had not made it all the way to Topeka yet and he reached me about 45 minutes later. He got me into KUMed and then turned around to meet the tow truck. Then he came back to pick me up.

We called the guy we bought the car from (without a warranty) and asked if he would be willing to come to terms with us. Neither one of us expected that he would - we knew we were buying a used car with no real history - it's the risk you take. Richie knows his stuff and this seemed like a great car. Much to our surprise he called back and offered to buy it back for 75% of what we paid for it. We decided this was the best route to go. Life is stressful enough and we don't need things to be any more complicated than they already are!

On Thursday we had good news, too. The results of the PTscan from Tuesday were clear. No cancer, nothing lit up, nothing new! I had had a CT scan on the 20th of July that showed a spot in my pelvis on the right side and my oncologist wanted to know what it was. So the tests on Tuesday included a PTscan, another CTscan and a pelvic under anesthsia. The results from the CT and pelvic on Tuesday are not in yet. and I haven't spoken with the oncologist so I do not have other details or test results yet.

Needless to say, we are very excited about these results. I was sure the cancer was back, even though I feel good, I hesitate to get too excited because this cancer has been so aggressive. I met with the Vit C doc today and she seems to think I am doing really well - and I am. But I am fatigued from the chemo and having some increased side effects in the way of skin rashes, but nothing more than that.

I also met with the urologist today and we set up a date for him to fix the vaginal/bladder fistula. The surgery is set for Sept 2. My mom is going to come up and stay for a week or so, or for however long she wants to. I will have to stay in the hospital overnight barring any complications that is. The urologist is confident that I will make it through this without any trouble, but there are always risks.

Richie has a business trip set for that weekend and I really want for him to go. His business trips are sometimes like vacations and this one definitely qualifies. He will be in Utah at the Bonneville salt flats for motorcycle racing. He has been invited to stay at the track, camp out with all the racers and their teams. We have family and friends around to help, but mom and I will probably just sit on the porch all weekend.

So, forgive my rambling, but I have had quite a week. I am exhausted from all the ups and downs. But my spirits rise when I realize that six months ago, I was feeling poorly and not very positive about the future. I am so much stronger now, both physically and mentally.

M and C go back to school next week. M starts at the high school and C in 8th grade. Time has gone too fast, it seems like they just started grade school a few years ago. Such a bittersweet time for parents.

Love to all and many thanks for all the good wishes,

Maggie