Wow, has the last 4 months flown! I remember when I was looking at 16 weeks of chemo and thinking that seemed like a long time. Now, after today’s treatment, it’s over already!
This last chemo appointment was scheduled the earliest in the day of all of the treatments – 8:30 AM lab, 9:00 Dr. Appt, 9:30-1:30 chemo – which was good, because Cheryl had to be at the airport for a 3:30 PM flight back to CA. We decided that she would come with me to the lab, Dr. appt, and to see me get started on the chemo – just so she would have a better picture of what this is all about. So she was able to meet Dr. B – they chatted briefly about what a great place San Diego is to live (although Cher lives in Oceanside, she tells people she lives in San Diego since it’s more likely they know where that is).
Anyway, Dr. B gave me a gift – since my blood cell levels have been so strong throughout the chemo process, he decided I did not need a shot this time. AND I do not need to continue to come in every Monday for weekly labs. That was nice to hear. I’m hoping the absence of the shot will mean higher energy levels and less foot/leg pain. We’ll see.
So after Cher met Michelle, my chemo technician, and I got hooked up to my IV, she took her leave to go back home, finish packing, maybe get in a nap before she had to come pick me up again. She said she felt guilty about leaving, but I explained to her that I was looking forward to four hours of reading.
Cher came back around 12:30 – I thought I’d be done by then, but it took another 45 minutes for the drip to finish, even with Michelle periodically cranking it up. We said goodbye, and headed for the airport. Of course, my chemo brain took over. I brought her to the wrong Terminal (even though I knew she was flying Sun Country, as she always does). She still had plenty of time, though.
After I dropped her off, I headed back to the shop. Even though I had posted a sign saying we’d be closed all day, I needed all the time I could get to prep the shop for Thursday’s Soiree. A moment here about the Soiree:
Back in May or June, I made the conscious decision to pull all my ad dollars out of the various places that weren’t really producing verifiable business – like Chaska Herald ads, the Villager Tower, map ads, restaurant ad boards, and other things we’ve tried (not that there’s anything wrong with these advertisements; it’s just that I have never had anyone come in to the shop saying “I saw your ad in the Herald.”) – and devote nearly all ad revenues for the subsequent 12 months to Savvy.MN magazine (also published by SW Newspapers). That’s turned out to be a good decision, because nearly every month I get customers asking to see the item I advertised in Savvy.MN. And I get people coming in to pick up the monthly magazine.
Anyway, at that time (June) I also decided to partner with Savvy.MN on one of their monthly Soirees (they provide publicity, some refreshments and some door prizes; I provide an educational event, a promotion for the night, some refreshments and some door prizes). All good – except that in June, I didn’t know I had cancer; and I didn’t know the date I picked for the Soiree (Dec. 2) would be three days after my final chemo treatment.
So now I’m looking at three days until the Soiree, and there’s SO MUCH to be done!
No comments:
Post a Comment