AnnieM's Stuff

Busy week. Tuesday I went to Meriden and met cousin Barbara and her husband Harvey. Interestingly, we pulled into the parking lot beside each other at the same time. We went out to have lunch and Barbara brought lots of pictures of the family, including pictures of my great grandparents in Sweden, pictures of the island where they lived, their house, and all of my grandfather's sisters! It was so cool, seeing those pictures.

It was especially cool seeing the pictures of the family home, which we visited when I went to Sweden, but the house itself wasn't there any more. We had our picture taken (Lilian, Birgitta and I) standing next to the where the well was...and I saw the well in one of the pictures Barbara had!

We went to the convalescent home to visit Jerry and Ruth, Barbara's brother and sister. We took Ruth out for dinner and then they dropped me back at the hotel to get my car, I was starting to fade.

I stayed up too late (excited I guess) and I was absolutely ill when I finally went to bed around midnight. But it was all worth it to meet Barbara, Harvey, Ruth and Jerry....what a day! They are wonderful people and it felt so comfortable being with them, just as I felt comfortable when I was with Birgitta and Mats and Lilian.

Yesterday we slept late...YAY! Got up, had breakfast around 11:30 and then it was off to pick up Pixie and take her to the airport. Dropped her off and took a nap when I got home...everything was catching up to me. Got up and went to the SNEAK meeting at the barn with Sandy. We brought Rocky, who had a great time socializing with everyone and their dogs. He was soooooo happy to see Patty and Todd, I thought he would wiggle right out of his skin!

Today we went to Providence to see Dr. Lachance...got there and found out that he wasn't there! They had messed up in scheduling me for the appt. So, I saw Wendy the nurse practitioner who has been working with him. She did a pelvic exam on me and said she can't feel anything that would be a concern. I asked her about my last CT scan...it came out clean as a whistle! YAY!

Then I asked about the value of having another surgery to have the rest of my "works" removed, prophalactically (Sp?) She called Dr. DiSilvestro in and he explained to us that studies have found no redeeming value in doing further surgery. If, down the road, there is some reason for concern, then, yes, it may be good to do the surgery, but it is not necessary now.

Before he came in the room Wendy said something to the effect "you will get this again" meaning the cancer, "and when you do, it will be treatable, we know what you respond to". I know the odds are very high that I will get it again, but it's still a shock for me to hear that. I have to continue to remind myself that I am not "home free" yet. I can never say that I am cured completely...unless in the coming years they find a sure-proof cure.

I know that I will have to go for frequent checks and this doesn't bother me at all. But each time I will have to prepare myself that the news may not be good. I do feel confident though, due to how I responded to chemo, that if I do get it again, I will be able to 'beat it" again.

Then, Dr. DiSilvestro says something about Dr. Lachance "flying the coop" and first I think he means he's going on vacation, but I slowly realize he means for good! Yep, Jason is leaving tomorrow to go work in Portland Maine! I can't believe it...the last surgeon I had who was fabulous, Dr. Hemholtz, also "left me" to go to Maine...and Sandy thinks he went to Portland too! This is the second wonderful surgeon I have lost to Portland...I'm thinking there is a conspiracy here!

So, hopefully I will see Jason tomorrow and get to say good-bye and thank him once again for saving my life. I'm going to bring my camera so we can get another picture taken of him and me.....me with my new hair.

I will really miss him, but I like Dr. DiSilvestro too and I trust him as I trust Jason. I am so lucky that things worked out the way they did and I got Jason as my doctor when I needed him most.

Tomorrow Lynne reports here at 8am and we head off to Providence...the fourth time since Saturday that I have been to Providence! Chemo and then we come home.

Sandy is at agility class now and she brought Rocky. He will be going home with Patty tonight, getting x-rayed tomorrow and if all looks good, she will take the pins out of his leg tomorrow when she has free time between calls. I'll go get him if he's done by midnight, after that, Sandy will pick him up on her way home from work.

I miss the little guy already...he is such a sweetheart. It will be interesting to see how Bubbles acts with Rocky gone and how she will react when he comes back.

Gotta check the Sox game....

Nighty night!