Hello one and all,
Well, a belated Memorial Day greetings to all of our military people especially our veterans. This past Thursday (May 30) Karen finished her second cycle of a six cycle chemotherapy treatment program. As you know, a cycle is when Karen receives her chemo treatment of Taxol three weeks in a row and then has a week off. Although the session which includes the pre-medications is supposed to last only an hour and a half, the sessions have been lasting almost three hours. Karen as well as the other patients have discovered that the hospital has made the process more time consuming. Even though Karen's appointment was at 3:00PM this past Thursday, the nurse did not call her name until after 3:30PM. The week prior Karen again waited a half hour after her appointed time and after she was prepared for everything, the nurse informed Karen that she (nurse) was waiting for the medications and the Taxol to be delivered from the hospital. The items eventually arrived almost thirty minutes later. Karen noticed the nurses seem more upset and not happy with the new procedures. Additionally, it is a new group of nurses so Karen is trying to get to know them better.
As far as side effects, Karen is only experiencing a little insomnia on the day of the chemo as one of the medications does cause temporary insomnia. Karen still has the neuropathy in her fingertips but takes glutamine and a B-complex to help with that issue. Karen is slowly losing (more like thinning) her hair again. Her blood counts are okay, however, her cancer marker was elevated after this last blood draw. Although Karen was not happy with that result, she is keeping a positive outlook and is enjoying doing some of her hobbies (yard work, woodworking, etc.). Anyhow, Karen and her mom want to thank everybody for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.
Tip of the Blog: Keep a smile on your face and say a little prayer for that special military person in your life (living or deceased).
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Hello to all "Chippers Journey" readers,
Well, Karen finished her first of six cycles of the Taxol chemo treatments this past Thursday (May2). She will not be receiving any treatment this week, which she is very happy about. Luckily, Karen's is not experiencing the harsh side effects like she did last year. She still has the neuropathy in her finger tips and the balls of the feet. One of the pre-meds she is given before the chemo has caused a little bit of insomnia, especially on the night of the treatment but Karen is dealing with it by sleeping in late the following day. Overall, Karen is feeling pretty well and has a very upbeat attitude regarding this new journey.
As reported in the last writing, the infusion center that Karen goes to will be under the auspices of the hospital. As such, there is more paperwork that must be completed by the cancer patients before the treatment can begin or services can be rendered. Yes, you guessed it. All of that information is then entered into the computer by the nurses and other staff personnel. To ensure that the computer system was operating correctly or accurately, Karen was selected, not by choice mind you, to test their computer equipment. Being the guinea pig for this project, the new protocol requires the cancer patient to wear a hospital wrist band. In addition to the patient's name, the band also has a bar code. The nurse, who was carrying a portable computer with a scanning port came over to test it. Standing by was their IT individual. After several attempts of trying to scan the band, you guessed it, it did not work. To say the least the IT guy was not happy. The nurse went back and retrieved a handheld scanner and tried again. After a couple of attempts and the sound of a beep, the nurse went back to the desk computer and replied, "You are now in the system." Karen remarked back, "Is that better than being on a LIST?" Of course everybody had a good chuckle except the IT guy, who was still trying to get the portable computer to work. Karen is praying that when she starts her second cycle, the system will run a little bit smoother and not appear so chaotic.
Lastly, Karen and her mom wanted to extend their heartfelt thanks to their East Coast cousin/niece, Jamie, who lives with her husband in North Carolina, for her participation in the Relay for Life event on May 3 and for honoring several family members (our grandmother, Jamie's father, an uncle and Karen's brother) who died of cancer. Thank you Jamie.
Tip of the Blog: Today and everyday, use your senses to re-discover the magnificent splendor of your life's blessings.
Well, Karen finished her first of six cycles of the Taxol chemo treatments this past Thursday (May2). She will not be receiving any treatment this week, which she is very happy about. Luckily, Karen's is not experiencing the harsh side effects like she did last year. She still has the neuropathy in her finger tips and the balls of the feet. One of the pre-meds she is given before the chemo has caused a little bit of insomnia, especially on the night of the treatment but Karen is dealing with it by sleeping in late the following day. Overall, Karen is feeling pretty well and has a very upbeat attitude regarding this new journey.
As reported in the last writing, the infusion center that Karen goes to will be under the auspices of the hospital. As such, there is more paperwork that must be completed by the cancer patients before the treatment can begin or services can be rendered. Yes, you guessed it. All of that information is then entered into the computer by the nurses and other staff personnel. To ensure that the computer system was operating correctly or accurately, Karen was selected, not by choice mind you, to test their computer equipment. Being the guinea pig for this project, the new protocol requires the cancer patient to wear a hospital wrist band. In addition to the patient's name, the band also has a bar code. The nurse, who was carrying a portable computer with a scanning port came over to test it. Standing by was their IT individual. After several attempts of trying to scan the band, you guessed it, it did not work. To say the least the IT guy was not happy. The nurse went back and retrieved a handheld scanner and tried again. After a couple of attempts and the sound of a beep, the nurse went back to the desk computer and replied, "You are now in the system." Karen remarked back, "Is that better than being on a LIST?" Of course everybody had a good chuckle except the IT guy, who was still trying to get the portable computer to work. Karen is praying that when she starts her second cycle, the system will run a little bit smoother and not appear so chaotic.
Lastly, Karen and her mom wanted to extend their heartfelt thanks to their East Coast cousin/niece, Jamie, who lives with her husband in North Carolina, for her participation in the Relay for Life event on May 3 and for honoring several family members (our grandmother, Jamie's father, an uncle and Karen's brother) who died of cancer. Thank you Jamie.
Tip of the Blog: Today and everyday, use your senses to re-discover the magnificent splendor of your life's blessings.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Hello one and all,
Karen had her second chemotherapy treatment of Taxol yesterday (04/25). Her blood results were well within the acceptable ranges so the treatment went ahead as scheduled. Karen is delighted that the only medication she receives is the pre-meds prior to the chemo and the monthly Xgeva shot. Karen is not experiencing any side effects from the chemo but she still has the neuropathy in her fingertips and the balls of her feet. Karen is happy with the fact that the chemo session is only an hour and a half long.
As of today, the oncology department where Karen receives her treatments and shots will become part of the Sutter Hospital Medical Group. As such, the nurses and other staff members will be undergoing some orientation and training. Although the staff members are reassuring the patients that there will be minimal disruption during this transition period, Karen was told that her second set of chemo and shot appointments will be scheduled but they, the nurses, could not do it yet. Additionally, Karen will have to go in the day before her chemo treatment to have the blood drawn because the blood tests must be conducted by the hospital. In the past, the blood samples/results were completed in the oncology department and the patient had the information within 5 minutes. If Karen has her blood drawn on the day of the chemo, the nurse explained to Karen that there was a possibility of waiting 2 hours before her blood results could be completed and before the chemo could be administered. Oh well, hopefully the hospital will get their act together, but it sure seems that some bureaucracy has mandated this takeover. Even though Karen was under the influence of Benadryl and has only a half a brain cell to comprehend ("Scooby-Doo" look) what the nurse was telling her, it appeared to Karen that the oncology department went from highly efficient to a bureaucratic nightmare. Only time will tell the story on this transition.
Anyhow, Karen, her mom and all of the family want to thank you for keeping them in your prayers and thoughts and for reading this blog.
Tip of the blog: Remember, when you have angelic friends, you are never alone.
Karen had her second chemotherapy treatment of Taxol yesterday (04/25). Her blood results were well within the acceptable ranges so the treatment went ahead as scheduled. Karen is delighted that the only medication she receives is the pre-meds prior to the chemo and the monthly Xgeva shot. Karen is not experiencing any side effects from the chemo but she still has the neuropathy in her fingertips and the balls of her feet. Karen is happy with the fact that the chemo session is only an hour and a half long.
As of today, the oncology department where Karen receives her treatments and shots will become part of the Sutter Hospital Medical Group. As such, the nurses and other staff members will be undergoing some orientation and training. Although the staff members are reassuring the patients that there will be minimal disruption during this transition period, Karen was told that her second set of chemo and shot appointments will be scheduled but they, the nurses, could not do it yet. Additionally, Karen will have to go in the day before her chemo treatment to have the blood drawn because the blood tests must be conducted by the hospital. In the past, the blood samples/results were completed in the oncology department and the patient had the information within 5 minutes. If Karen has her blood drawn on the day of the chemo, the nurse explained to Karen that there was a possibility of waiting 2 hours before her blood results could be completed and before the chemo could be administered. Oh well, hopefully the hospital will get their act together, but it sure seems that some bureaucracy has mandated this takeover. Even though Karen was under the influence of Benadryl and has only a half a brain cell to comprehend ("Scooby-Doo" look) what the nurse was telling her, it appeared to Karen that the oncology department went from highly efficient to a bureaucratic nightmare. Only time will tell the story on this transition.
Anyhow, Karen, her mom and all of the family want to thank you for keeping them in your prayers and thoughts and for reading this blog.
Tip of the blog: Remember, when you have angelic friends, you are never alone.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Good evening to all the readers of this blog,
Well, Karen underwent her first chemotherapy treatment (Taxol) today. She was given four pre-medications (Aloxi, Decadron, Benadryl and Pepcid) to assist her with any allergic reaction or nausea issues associated with the Taxol. Although Karen drove her Mom and older sister, Anne, to the infusion center, Anne drove them home as Karen was very tired with the Benadryl. Karen is not experiencing any negative reactions to the Taxol, which is a good thing. As always, Karen has blood drawn before the above can occur. Her blood results were well within the standard ranges. The nurse, Lucia, who attended to Karen today, is expecting a little girl in June. She and her husband are so excited but are still deciding on the little girl's name which will begin with the letter "M". The entire process took just under 2 hours.
As you know, Karen always a little a bit humor when she goes for her treatment. Even though this is her second journey, she was able to make her mom, sister and other people laugh. When Karen, her mom and her sister entered the elevator to go up one floor, there was an elderly couple who got on also. Ironically, they too were headed to the infusion center. As Karen pushed the floor number 2, Karen looked at the elderly man and said, "Oh we're going to the second floor. Ladies lingerie." He smiled and said, "Do they also have jewelry?" Karen smiled and laughed back saying, "Absolutely. Jewelry goes great with lingerie." All of them in the elevator had a good laugh.
After Karen had the pre-medications administered and it was now time for the Taxol. Lucia, the nurse, asked Karen one of those mentally challenging question. "Is your date of birth mm/dd/year?"
Because Karen was under the influence of drugs and also only operates with a half of brain cell, she sat there in her chair looking up at the nurse with a blank stare. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, Karen turned to her Mom and asked her, "When was I born?" Luckily, Karen's mom vouched for Karen's birth. What a relief that was for all and good laugh. Ha ha ha.........
Take care everyone and we will let you know how Karen's second treatment (4/25/13) goes.
Tip of the blog: Keep a happy thought throughout your busy day and smile constantly.
Well, Karen underwent her first chemotherapy treatment (Taxol) today. She was given four pre-medications (Aloxi, Decadron, Benadryl and Pepcid) to assist her with any allergic reaction or nausea issues associated with the Taxol. Although Karen drove her Mom and older sister, Anne, to the infusion center, Anne drove them home as Karen was very tired with the Benadryl. Karen is not experiencing any negative reactions to the Taxol, which is a good thing. As always, Karen has blood drawn before the above can occur. Her blood results were well within the standard ranges. The nurse, Lucia, who attended to Karen today, is expecting a little girl in June. She and her husband are so excited but are still deciding on the little girl's name which will begin with the letter "M". The entire process took just under 2 hours.
As you know, Karen always a little a bit humor when she goes for her treatment. Even though this is her second journey, she was able to make her mom, sister and other people laugh. When Karen, her mom and her sister entered the elevator to go up one floor, there was an elderly couple who got on also. Ironically, they too were headed to the infusion center. As Karen pushed the floor number 2, Karen looked at the elderly man and said, "Oh we're going to the second floor. Ladies lingerie." He smiled and said, "Do they also have jewelry?" Karen smiled and laughed back saying, "Absolutely. Jewelry goes great with lingerie." All of them in the elevator had a good laugh.
After Karen had the pre-medications administered and it was now time for the Taxol. Lucia, the nurse, asked Karen one of those mentally challenging question. "Is your date of birth mm/dd/year?"
Because Karen was under the influence of drugs and also only operates with a half of brain cell, she sat there in her chair looking up at the nurse with a blank stare. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, Karen turned to her Mom and asked her, "When was I born?" Luckily, Karen's mom vouched for Karen's birth. What a relief that was for all and good laugh. Ha ha ha.........
Take care everyone and we will let you know how Karen's second treatment (4/25/13) goes.
Tip of the blog: Keep a happy thought throughout your busy day and smile constantly.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Hello one and all,
We know that it was January 28, 2013, since we lasted updated this blog. First of all, a belated Happy Easter to one and all. Now to the news. Karen is still receiving her monthly Xgeva shot and has her blood tests conducted. Her blood results (i.e. red blood count, white blood counts, etc.) are well within the established limits. However, Karen's cancer markers have increased from 135 in Nov. 2012 to 189 in Mar. 2013. As a result of the increase in these readings, Karen had a PET scan on March 25, 2013. Karen saw her oncologist on April 8, 2013, and found out that her cancer has returned. Luckily for Karen it is not affecting her lungs nor any vital organs. Additionally, it is not as widespread as it was last year. The oncologist, who was more disappointed than Karen, advised Karen that she will undergo chemo treatments again but it will not be as aggressive as it was last year. The chemo will be Taxol and will be administered every week for three weeks and one week off. Karen will undergo this treatment for a six month period. Anyhow, Karen is very upbeat and is looking forward to this new journey. Karen did ask her oncologist if there was a likelihood of her losing her hair again. Sure enough the oncologist gave her an affirmative nod. Of course Karen told her oncologist that losing her hair was not a problem. Maybe this time the good Lord will give Karen brown and wavy hair instead of white and straight. Karen will tell you that bald-headed people are beautiful and the look is definitely "fashionable." The doctor's office is acquiring approval from Karen's health insurance provider. Once that is approved, they will provide Karen with her chemotherapy schedule. The oncologist would like the treatment to start sometime next week or the week after. We will update the blog once the chemo treatments began. Please take care and thanks to all the family members and friends who are keeping Karen and her Mom in their thoughts and prayers.
Tip of the Blog: Angels fly above us for one reason so they can always watch over us.
We know that it was January 28, 2013, since we lasted updated this blog. First of all, a belated Happy Easter to one and all. Now to the news. Karen is still receiving her monthly Xgeva shot and has her blood tests conducted. Her blood results (i.e. red blood count, white blood counts, etc.) are well within the established limits. However, Karen's cancer markers have increased from 135 in Nov. 2012 to 189 in Mar. 2013. As a result of the increase in these readings, Karen had a PET scan on March 25, 2013. Karen saw her oncologist on April 8, 2013, and found out that her cancer has returned. Luckily for Karen it is not affecting her lungs nor any vital organs. Additionally, it is not as widespread as it was last year. The oncologist, who was more disappointed than Karen, advised Karen that she will undergo chemo treatments again but it will not be as aggressive as it was last year. The chemo will be Taxol and will be administered every week for three weeks and one week off. Karen will undergo this treatment for a six month period. Anyhow, Karen is very upbeat and is looking forward to this new journey. Karen did ask her oncologist if there was a likelihood of her losing her hair again. Sure enough the oncologist gave her an affirmative nod. Of course Karen told her oncologist that losing her hair was not a problem. Maybe this time the good Lord will give Karen brown and wavy hair instead of white and straight. Karen will tell you that bald-headed people are beautiful and the look is definitely "fashionable." The doctor's office is acquiring approval from Karen's health insurance provider. Once that is approved, they will provide Karen with her chemotherapy schedule. The oncologist would like the treatment to start sometime next week or the week after. We will update the blog once the chemo treatments began. Please take care and thanks to all the family members and friends who are keeping Karen and her Mom in their thoughts and prayers.
Tip of the Blog: Angels fly above us for one reason so they can always watch over us.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Good evening one and all,
The authors of this blog realize that it has been about two months since the last writing. Karen had her monthly Xgeva shot, port cleaning and blood tests conducted on the last Friday of December and January. Karen's blood results were well within the acceptable limits and she is improving each day. Although Karen had asked the nurse for her cancer marker readings for November and December, the nurse seemed pre-occupied with other pending issues in the infusion center that the information was not provided. Karen is not worry about these readings but will try to acquire them in February.
As written in some of the previous blogs, one of the nurses retired at the end of December. Karen surprised the nurse (Kathy) on her last day of work in December by giving her a handcrafted Heart Wreath (made from walnut), a bouquet of Origami flowers and big Thank You card. Contrary to popular belief, Karen made the wreath, some holiday hangings for the wreath and the Origami flowers even though Karen is still battling with the neuropathy in her hands. Kathy was truly surprised and very thankful for the gifts. Some of the other nurses have asked Karen to make them a Heart Wreath. Karen is thinking about it.
As stated above Karen is making milestones each day. She has been doing some little woodworking projects, yardwork with her Mom and oh yes, she even got up on the rooftop in the month of December. While Karen was working on the woodworking project (Heart Wreath) in December, she noticed a leak in the ceiling in the garage. Being the trained investigator, she immediately notified her Mom to verify if that was indeed a leak in the ceiling. After a few minutes of discussion it was determined to be a leak. Karen and her Mom decided to pull the ladders out to check the rain gutters. Needless to say, it wasn't the rain gutters so Karen ventured onto the rooftop to discover that the valleys and flashing on the rooftop were clogged by leaves and dirt. Karen spent, according to her Mom, at least 3 to 4 hours cleaning the roof of the clumps of leaves and dirt. Of course, the day was cold and Karen's Mom stood down below on the front lawn looking up at the roof and at times could not see Karen. Karen's Mom could only imagine what the neighbors thought of her while she stood there looking up at the roof. To say the least, Karen and her Mom became the talk of the neighborhood. Karen ended up with four bags of trash from the roof. The funny or sad part about this story is their property has no trees on it. The leaves are constantly blowing in from their neighbors' homes. And yes, the cleaning on the rooftop did in fact stop the leak from expanding.
Anyhow, thank you for keeping Karen and all of her family in your prayers and thoughts. Karen and her Mom want to wish all of you a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.
Tip of the Blog: What Cancer Cannot Do.
Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple Love. It cannot shatter Hope. It cannot corrode Faith. It cannot destroy Peace. It cannot kill Friendship. It cannot suppress Memories. It cannot silence Courage. It cannot invade the Soul. It cannot steal eternal Life. It cannot conquer the Spirit.
Author Unknown
The authors of this blog realize that it has been about two months since the last writing. Karen had her monthly Xgeva shot, port cleaning and blood tests conducted on the last Friday of December and January. Karen's blood results were well within the acceptable limits and she is improving each day. Although Karen had asked the nurse for her cancer marker readings for November and December, the nurse seemed pre-occupied with other pending issues in the infusion center that the information was not provided. Karen is not worry about these readings but will try to acquire them in February.
As written in some of the previous blogs, one of the nurses retired at the end of December. Karen surprised the nurse (Kathy) on her last day of work in December by giving her a handcrafted Heart Wreath (made from walnut), a bouquet of Origami flowers and big Thank You card. Contrary to popular belief, Karen made the wreath, some holiday hangings for the wreath and the Origami flowers even though Karen is still battling with the neuropathy in her hands. Kathy was truly surprised and very thankful for the gifts. Some of the other nurses have asked Karen to make them a Heart Wreath. Karen is thinking about it.
As stated above Karen is making milestones each day. She has been doing some little woodworking projects, yardwork with her Mom and oh yes, she even got up on the rooftop in the month of December. While Karen was working on the woodworking project (Heart Wreath) in December, she noticed a leak in the ceiling in the garage. Being the trained investigator, she immediately notified her Mom to verify if that was indeed a leak in the ceiling. After a few minutes of discussion it was determined to be a leak. Karen and her Mom decided to pull the ladders out to check the rain gutters. Needless to say, it wasn't the rain gutters so Karen ventured onto the rooftop to discover that the valleys and flashing on the rooftop were clogged by leaves and dirt. Karen spent, according to her Mom, at least 3 to 4 hours cleaning the roof of the clumps of leaves and dirt. Of course, the day was cold and Karen's Mom stood down below on the front lawn looking up at the roof and at times could not see Karen. Karen's Mom could only imagine what the neighbors thought of her while she stood there looking up at the roof. To say the least, Karen and her Mom became the talk of the neighborhood. Karen ended up with four bags of trash from the roof. The funny or sad part about this story is their property has no trees on it. The leaves are constantly blowing in from their neighbors' homes. And yes, the cleaning on the rooftop did in fact stop the leak from expanding.
Anyhow, thank you for keeping Karen and all of her family in your prayers and thoughts. Karen and her Mom want to wish all of you a very Happy and Peaceful New Year.
Tip of the Blog: What Cancer Cannot Do.
Cancer is so limited. It cannot cripple Love. It cannot shatter Hope. It cannot corrode Faith. It cannot destroy Peace. It cannot kill Friendship. It cannot suppress Memories. It cannot silence Courage. It cannot invade the Soul. It cannot steal eternal Life. It cannot conquer the Spirit.
Author Unknown
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Hello everyone,
First of all, the Clarks and Karen specifically wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Since the last writing, Karen continues to receive her monthly Xgeva shot and has her port cleaned as well as blood withdrawn to monitor her blood levels. On December 4, 2012, Karen saw her oncologist and he was delighted with her blood results as they have been well within the acceptable limits. He did advise Karen that her cancer marker went up a few points, but he was not concerned about it. Additionally, he advised Karen that she would have another PET scan in February 2013. Karen was not particularly happy about another PET scan but knows that it is necessary.
When Karen received her Xgeva shot in November, one of the infusion nurse (K) told Karen that she was retiring at the end of the year. In fact, this particular nurse, who Karen has labeled as the "troublemaker," last day will be on December 28 and she told Karen that she would make it a point to handle Karen's issues (Xgeva shot, port cleaning, etc) that day. Karen was concerned that the shot will probably be given in the buttock instead of the usual place, the arm. As in the previous writings on this blog, this particular nurse (K) was given some socks by Karen, her mom and me. When Karen went in for her shot in November, this nurse (K) was wearing a different sock on her feet. Nurse K was so excited that she proudly came over, held her pant legs up and showed them to Karen and her mom. Karen started laughing and told nurse K that she had an identical pair like them at home. To say the least, not only were the nurses laughing but so were some of the other patients and their caregivers. Although Karen kept her laughter somewhat muffled, you guessed it, the head nurse came out and gave her stern look at Karen. Oh well, Karen can hardly wait to see what happens at the end of this month when she goes in for her shot. Maybe the head nurse will be on a Christmas vacation.
For those of you wanting to know if the nurses keep items that they receive from their patients in the infusion center and the doctors' office, they most certainly do. The artificial bouquets of flowers crafted by me and Karen in the latter part of June are still proudly displayed in the center and the doctors' office.
Everyday Karen is making progress. Her hair is slowly growing back. Karen is riding her stationary bike everyday except on Sunday. She is able to do yard work (cutting the lawn, picking up leaves, etc), washed her vehicles after 10 months, and do some minor woodworking. In fact, she is making a woodworking project for nurse K for her retirement. Anyhow, Karen and her Mom are living one day at a time and thank God for their simple lives and most definitely their family and friends.
Tip of the Blog: Remember to face each day with certainty and sleep without fear as one of God's angel is standing near you.
First of all, the Clarks and Karen specifically wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Since the last writing, Karen continues to receive her monthly Xgeva shot and has her port cleaned as well as blood withdrawn to monitor her blood levels. On December 4, 2012, Karen saw her oncologist and he was delighted with her blood results as they have been well within the acceptable limits. He did advise Karen that her cancer marker went up a few points, but he was not concerned about it. Additionally, he advised Karen that she would have another PET scan in February 2013. Karen was not particularly happy about another PET scan but knows that it is necessary.
When Karen received her Xgeva shot in November, one of the infusion nurse (K) told Karen that she was retiring at the end of the year. In fact, this particular nurse, who Karen has labeled as the "troublemaker," last day will be on December 28 and she told Karen that she would make it a point to handle Karen's issues (Xgeva shot, port cleaning, etc) that day. Karen was concerned that the shot will probably be given in the buttock instead of the usual place, the arm. As in the previous writings on this blog, this particular nurse (K) was given some socks by Karen, her mom and me. When Karen went in for her shot in November, this nurse (K) was wearing a different sock on her feet. Nurse K was so excited that she proudly came over, held her pant legs up and showed them to Karen and her mom. Karen started laughing and told nurse K that she had an identical pair like them at home. To say the least, not only were the nurses laughing but so were some of the other patients and their caregivers. Although Karen kept her laughter somewhat muffled, you guessed it, the head nurse came out and gave her stern look at Karen. Oh well, Karen can hardly wait to see what happens at the end of this month when she goes in for her shot. Maybe the head nurse will be on a Christmas vacation.
For those of you wanting to know if the nurses keep items that they receive from their patients in the infusion center and the doctors' office, they most certainly do. The artificial bouquets of flowers crafted by me and Karen in the latter part of June are still proudly displayed in the center and the doctors' office.
Everyday Karen is making progress. Her hair is slowly growing back. Karen is riding her stationary bike everyday except on Sunday. She is able to do yard work (cutting the lawn, picking up leaves, etc), washed her vehicles after 10 months, and do some minor woodworking. In fact, she is making a woodworking project for nurse K for her retirement. Anyhow, Karen and her Mom are living one day at a time and thank God for their simple lives and most definitely their family and friends.
Tip of the Blog: Remember to face each day with certainty and sleep without fear as one of God's angel is standing near you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)