New Treatment Protocol

Well thank you Tim and Stacey, that’s the best Christmas present anybody could have given me! Here I thought I was just gabby.

OK, I have to continue the saga of yesterday because it just gets funnier… so after I quit typing I went down and kicked the heater, that didn’t work, so I did what you are supposed to do and hit the reset button which worked for 18 seconds. By this time my fingers are looking like candy canes which is festive but uncomfortable so I clomp up the stairs seething and call the emergency number for our heater-dude. I get the answering service and the first question she asked me was “can it wait until morning” and of course I answered as politely as possible “NO” at the top of my lungs, which woke up the entire house but got my point across. So eventually they reach a human who reaches another human who agrees to brave the freezing morning to come check out my heater – again – for the fourth time this month let me remind you. And it turns out it’s the SAME guy that has come all the other times. By this time we are on a first name basis, I ask about his kids, his Hummer (?????) and whatnot, and by the way he is at least 80.

Meanwhile, since I had a house full of people left over from band practice that I just woke up I start whipping up pancakes and bacon, coffee etc. And I’m still seething at the inconvenience etc. etc. Just as I finish cooking the heater-dude shows up and two seconds later my nurse shows up. Now we have grand central station in the kitchen with me getting treatment, band folks getting breakfast, the heater-guy getting coffee and so on. Entertaining when you are on Benedryl – I felt like I was watching a slow motion soap opera.

So while I’m getting poked and dripped, the boys are scattered eating and heater-dude is flying in and out of the house literally running back and forth to his truck to get parts and so on, and did I mention he is at least 80? He comes upstairs just as I’m heading into the kitchen for a piece of bacon and holds up this contraption to me – he says “wellllll honey, here’s your problem…. your things broke.” I’m sorry but I just lost it, I laughed so hard I almost peed all over myself. Then of course my husband cracked up because he knows where my mind went, and then my nurse, and the flute player start laughing and the poor heater-guy went beet red and scooted out the door so fast he left a trail of paper flying after him. :p There are a lot of ‘things’ broke on me… but fortunately none of them have icky wires hanging from them.

So after my one day of treatment I feel terrific as usual, it’s the second day that kills me and with this new schedule I won’t have anymore second days. My fingers even feel better, down to only a small patch of white. I’m so excited and happy I’m going to listen to George Winston all day and decorate the house… might as well since we’re in the middle of an ice storm. Keep your fingers crossed we don’t lose power, sure would be a bummer to get the heater fixed and then lose power. 😮

Stacey, hubby and band play stuff like Neil Young, CNSY, Dan Fogelburg, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton – stuff they have been playing together for the last 30 years. Some originals but mostly loud rock and roll – I don’t know what possessed me to get him the PA system… now I can hear them all the way inside the house when they are playing in the barn. :rolleyes: But as I tell him and his buddies – he could have worse hobbies. 🙂

Tim, I don’t mind the pokes because I have very little feeling in my left arm, I usually can’t even feel it when he puts the needle in at all. A small bonus, or silver-lining, courtesy of nerve damage.

Julie

Well I got busy drawing Christmas cards yesterday (ok, I’m a little late, I’ve been under the weather – remember? and I usually don’t do them but I’ve been guilted into it) ANYWAY I got busy and I actually FORGOT that I’d had treatment on Saturday. For as long as I can remember I have felt side effects from the IVIg for a week or more after treatment and all of a sudden I realized it was 5:00, I was still awake, my belly didn’t hurt, I was sitting in a real chair and had been for 2 hours and I didn’t feel like a duck sucked through a jet engine. I was so confused I got up and asked my husband if I’d really had treatment.

And TODAY I’m STILL doing just fine! And so is the heater, by the way… so far nothing else has broke on it or gotten clogged or just quit from being ornery. I’m not used to things being so good so I’m not quite sure what to do with myself… :p

Thank goodness the heater is working, for now, because it sure got cold and I think the wind has found every little draft place it can in our house. You’ll be walking along all nice and toasty and then POOF get hit with a tiny blast of 10 degree air, in random places too – like your eyelid, or the corner of your elbow – so unexpected, so chilling, so totally spooky too! My dog Harley completely lost it yesterday when he got hit with a microblast from our “really needs to be replaced” sliding glass door. He was looking around like somebody goosed him and stalked all the way across the room to snap at his brother, who was sound asleep on the couch where he shouldn’t have been. :rolleyes:

As for being a writer – I guess I’ve thought about it but not seriously because I have no ideas for stories and have a hard time sustaining a thought on some days. Plus I failed my freshman English class in college so that destroyed my confidence. 😉 If I keep you all entertained and not thinking about being sick well then that’s plenty for me. As long as I’m not boring you that’s enough for me too!

Have a fun day ya’ll!

Julie

Hey just a quick update since I’ve typed so much my fingers are numb… I’m still doing great on my single dose of IVIg. Thank you all so much for your kindness and compliments. I don’t think of myself as particularly funny because I compare myself with my husband all the time who is REALLY hilarious. It’s no wonder my stomach hurts all the time, it’s hard to stop laughing around him. But then again he says I’m the one who makes him think of all that funny stuff so I’m not sure what that says about me. :rolleyes:

Merry Christmas everyone! I’m going to go wake up the dogs and give them their Christmas bone!!!

Julie