4A Yay!

Approved for round 4A, this morning with neutrophil levels that tripled between Monday and today.  Woo hoo!  (Yeah...apparently it was my neutrophil levels that were low, not just my lymphocytes.  Still working on all of this fun terminology.)   Moving on though, we even managed to get in a bit early - Fridays are so much quieter there, wow!  We had a wonderful nurse, named Heather.  She and Heather-Heather (Schwar) would get confused as to who we were talking to; fun.

It seemed to go by very fast today.  We didn't even get in any games.  Just did a lot of talking and catching up, which was super-awesome.  I love hearing about everyone's lives and just chit-chatting.  Oh!  And Dena stopped by, which I always love, love, love.  She has such great advice and good things to say.  I think everyone could use a dietician to visit them occasionally!  Why do I never get a picture of Dena?!  Dena, we are doing this next time!

Here is a popsicle toast to my last FEC treatment (5-FU, Epirubicin, and Cytoxan - Yay!):

And because we finished earlier than usual, Matt and I decided to have some lunch at City Market.  Mmmmmm...  Dena, please pay particular attention to the many colors of the rainbow on my flatbread pizza.  Super good.

And, Matt had a really good-looking bacon avocado salad, which I didn't even get a chance to try.

You may notice the bracelet I am wearing in the picture of my pizza.  Carrie Kons sent me a beautiful Legacy bracelet many weeks ago.  After we got our family pictures back, I contacted them to see if they could add our family photo and they were so nice.  They did it for free!  I got it back yesterday and was excited to wear it today.  The receptionists both noticed it and took a look at it.  It was fun!  All of my children, nieces, nephews, siblings, parents, and parents-in-law, are pictured on the bracelet. It is really cool!

Finally, I received, at my head-shaving party, a beautiful necklace from my sister.  It says on it, "Look fear in the face and do the thing you think you cannot do."  Although, we agreed to change it in our heads to, "Look fear in the face and do the thing you do not want to do."

Then, just a few weeks ago, the Beck family (and I think Mrs. Beck, in particular?) sent me this beautiful necklace with several discs on it, all which have an encouraging word on them and a saying on the back. 

 

(For some reason, I cannot get this picture to rotate):

I placed all five discs on one necklace and wore it to the hospital today.  Our nurse noticed it and when I was finished with my treatment, she brought this to me:

Apparently, when you finish a course(?), round (?) of chemo, they give you this pendant!  Technically, I don't finish till Monday, when I do round 4B, but she was so excited when she saw my necklace that she wanted to give it to me.  How nice!!!!  So, now I can add Journey to my encouraging phrases!  So cool!

(Ugh, this one refuses to rotate as well!)

It seems so weird to say that you enjoyed a day that they pumped you full of toxic chemicals, but I did.  I am very blessed.

I am off to bed now.  This round kind of kicked my butt, like Thursdays normally do.  I am done in.  Good night!!!