cancer update

this is a cancer blog, so i suppose i should let you know what's up with that.

i told dr. mck. today that i've been so preoccupied with this stupid shower project that i almost forgot about cancer. almost.

i was quickly reminded when i walked into the cancer clinic and got stuck with needles.

but, it was all good news today:

- PT/INR is perfect (2.4)!

- they tell me my numbers each week and what my coumadin dosage should be, then paul and i decide on my actual dosage.

- any time they are in charge of it, it gets screwed up. any time we are in charge of it, it's right in range. you can't argue with success.

- the only variables are when i'm on xeloda and/or when i drink, either of those can mess with my numbers. we try to factor that in to our equation.

- tumor marker is DOWN!

- this is a good thing. the lower the number, the better.

- here are my numbers:

06/09/08 - 65 (began chemo break)
09/15/08 - 89 (still on break...but not for long)
10/15/08 - 88 (after 1 taxotere treatment)
11/10/08 - 119 (after 3 taxotere treatments)
12/15/08 - 123 (happy b-day to me!)
01/07/09 - 140 (after 5 taxotere treaments)
02/09/09 - 151 (after 1 xeloda round)
03/16/09 - 140 (after 3 xeloda rounds)
04/27/09 - ??? (after 5 xeloda rounds)

- so, we want to keep that downward trend going.

- i want this drug to work, i like that i'm feeling better than i did on taxotere. if anything it's a nice break before i have to switch to and/or add another drug.

- since the number is down and i am still not experiencing any major side effects, we decided to keep my dose where it is for now.

- i get tested again on 4/27 and see dr. mck. again on 5/11.

- shower is almost done, still needs some more grout and caulk...but it's looking pretty good. getting closer to being done and it's better than it was anyway.

- there are a few spots that i am not totally happy with, but as two very wise women reminded me....it's just a shower.

- i just want it to work, look decent, and not leak anywhere.

- i haven't taken any pictures of it since saturday when paul was working on/breaking the window. will add some later if/when i get time to snap some pics and download them.

- i spent a good part of saturday morning razoring off old paint. i told paul that i wouldn't have bothered with that one pane if i had known it was going to be broken into a billion pieces a few hours later.

before either of us got to it

- he was trying to take off that old rusted handle. he got it to come off, but then the breakage happened to the pane right above the handle.

- honestly, i couldn't even get mad at him because it's exactly the kind of thing i do all the time.

- sorry i haven't returned calls and/or e-mails to many of you.

- believe me, it's nothing personal...this shower thing is driving me crazy. braver souls than the one i possess can handle complete home renovations or build a home.

- something in my nature just doesn't do well with upheaval in my safe cozy haven. i know this about myself, which is why i procrastinated on this project for so long.

- i've been cooking up some music for ya....just a hodge-podge of stuff i have heard/discovered/re-discovered/enjoyed lately.