Week 1 of Cycle 2 of new course of chemotherapy finished today

Karla Jennings, writer, Mom of 2 14 year old twins, and friend and all around very generous person immediately offered to drive me today when I contacted her looking for volunteers. Based on my apparently faulty memory of last time around...I assured her we would be home by 2 pm even stopping for lunch en route. I was wrong. The first week of each cycle i get 2 drugs instead of one (for details see similar posts from 2009. They go into great detail about the drugs and so on). Since this was the first day of chemo period every thing went slower than usual and we had to take care of additional paperwork and housekeeping items. Also, i realized about 7 Am that this was the day the ladies come to clean. They are not fond of large hounds. So when Karla arrived instead of heading directly to Gainesville she had to drive us to Petsmart where Balsam goes for daycare when someone is working in the house whose efforts will not be aided by the presence of a large friendly and curious hound. On another day putting him into the fenced back yard would have been an option, but as we left it was in the 20s (rare in Atlanta in November) and the high for the day was predicted to be in the 30s, possibly not rising above freezing. So that was not an option today. Balsam was very fond of Karla. Maybe it was the beagle/terrior aroma wafting off her shoes invisible to human noses. Karla was a very good sport. Gaining Balsam's affections is not always a good thing. Fortunately she had not started driving yet when he decided to insert his face between her head and the window and deliver several large slurpy signs of affection with his wet sloppy tongue. Fortunately when it was clear we were running critically late Karla was able to get hold of her husband who managed to make arrangements to meet the first twin arriving by bus at 4 pm. We got home at 4:15 just in time for Karla to drop me and catch the second twin, arriving at 5 pm. After a quick dinner (we missed lunch) i had my next adventure ... driving again for the first time since surgery. I had to pick up perscriptions called into my local drug store (to prevent nausea which should not manifest before tomorrow AM but I will feel better taking the first pill at bedtime tonight. Easier to prevent vomiting than to interrupt it.) And to pick Balsam up from boarding. The place was loaded with dogs today - and among them more than the usual number of hungting breeds rather than the tiny little urban breeds. I suspect it was a noisy day at the Dogging Daycare division. Balsam came home happy, excited and tired. sleeping on his bed under the piano as I type. Tomorrow another day of bill paying and other paperwork organizing in preparation for the upcoming 6 months of declining function. Thursday I have to drive myself back to Gainesville for lab draws - glad I had opportunity to practice today before that longer drive. All went well so far. I am grateful for all the support both given and offered. And I am looking forward to a visit from Mary Lou Solbring - passing through Atlanta en route to visit friends - on Saturday night and the arrival of my brother and sister in law John and Debbie on Monday. Louisa