Getting closer

We enjoyed our anniversary and have gotten off to a good start on our 22nd year. We went out for dinner Thursday night to celebrate, then had dinner with friends both Friday night and Sunday night. You would think I'd be gaining weight with all this eating out -- not to mention the 10" cheesecake Ed bought me for our anniversary. Unfortunately, I'm not. Ed's goal -- and the goal of a few other friends -- has been to fatten me up prior to surgery, but it's simply not happening. I'm sure it's partly because of nerves. I've got a twitchy stomach these days, and trying to interest it in food is not going too well. I'm hopeful that after the surgery, once I'm done with the pain medications, my appetite will come roaring back. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

I'm trying to wrap up some loose ends around here before next week. I've arranged to have my nodules (let's assume they are LMS tumors) sent out for molecular profiling to see to which chemotherapy agents my cancer is resistant or sensitive. The chemo-resistant profiling is considered fairly accurate, while the chemo-sensitivity is less so. However, this should help us and Dr. K determine what agent(s) to try next, since Gemcitabine no longer works and we already know that Doxil didn't help.

My surgery has been authorized by the insurance company, and I found out that most of the molecular profiling will be covered as well. While I'm in the hospital, I'm going to arrange for a visiting nurse to come to the house at least the day after I get home to make sure everything is okay (dressing, pain meds, etc.). I'm going out Saturday to pick up a few things: new slippers for the hospital, a bed tray, and button front pjs. My friend Kay gave me that last hint, and while I have flannel pjs that button up the front, I think it's not quite cold enough yet for them. I'm going to look for some cotton ones, and the button front should make it much easier to get in and out with the stitches and dressings.

Ed, who you may know is not a computer wizard, will nevertheless attempt to send out a group e-mail either Monday evening or Tuesday morning to let you know how the surgery went. I wish I could teach him how to send it out as a BCC so your e-mail addresses wouldn't show, but I think that's beyond his grasp. If you don't want an e-mail, please let me know and I'll take you off the list. I don't know when I'll be up to e-mailing again, and I wanted to make certain you were up-to-date in some way. Maybe I can convince him to send an update later in the week. We'll see.

Other than trying very hard to quell my anxiety, there is not too much going on here. The weather for the next four days is supposed to be terrible -- rain, wind, and temperatures in the upper 40s for highs!!! Is this really mid-October?? It's our first nor'easter of the season, and I'm very happy I'm not commuting in this weather.

I hope that the skies are sunnier wherever you are!