Angels Watching Over Us

I was at work last night when the phone rang and I answered it. It was Jeddy . I couldn't hear him  at first--there was a lot of background noise. When repeated, it sounded like he was laughing, but it sounded like he said he had wrecked my car. I asked him not to joke about things like that. He got frustrated and raised his voice and said again he had been in an accident and my car was totaled..... the rest is a blur.

He had been T-boned. He was fine, he thought, but Delaney had been knocked unconscious. She was conscious by then, but would have to go by ambulance to the hospital. He said that his fellow band members and their parents were on the scene. He said another car had run the red light and hit him.

I stayed at work. He was in good hands and I had no way to get from Joy Junction to Paseo del Norte. Dr. Reynalds, the CEO and founder of Joy Junction showed up at the shelter--he comes in at random. I told him what happened and said I didn't have a ride home. He said, "Its taken care of." One the shuttle drivers got me home from work. I told Jeddy to go to the ER once he was released from the accident scene.

Jeddy has a sprained neck and Delaney a concussion and whiplash. Yet, they are alive. The car was hit hard and the damage was bad, but there are no broken bones or lacerations. They will heal. I know that there were angels protecting them.

Muga Scan & Bone Scan

I can do this. Two of the imaging type tests I needed to have done before I meet with the surgeon again have been completed.

My camera died on December 22nd and I grieved for it during each imaging session. I was constantly seeing fotos as I went thru these. I am a photographer. I see thru snapshots that I compose in my mind and I do want to tell this story, not only thru written words, but especially thru my photography. I owe it to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Bras  to tell my personal story both visually and orally. Right now, however, I have a few obstacles to overcome.

I do have ideas about how to accomplish the telling of my story and other issues and I will share those soon.

On January 2nd I went to the Nuclear Medicine Department at UNMH and had a MUGA scan. A MUGA scan looks at the heart to determine if I can handle specific types of chemo therapy. They drew some of my blood, took it and did something magical to it :-) and then put it back into my veins. Then using this complicated machine they took pictures of my heart. All I had to do was lie there, remaining fairly still for about 40-minutes. The staff there were wonderful They made sure that I was comfortable and answered all of my questions.

On January 3rd at 10am I went back to Nuclear Medicine and we performed a bone scan. This time they injected something into me and sent me home for three hours. After I came back, they did a scan of my bones. This took around 30-minutes. At the beginning, I was lying on this narrow table/bed like thing and part of the imaging equipment was arranged as close to my face as possible without touching me. During the process the equipment moves down the length of my body as it scans my bones.  Only a few minutes into the procedure, I had to cough. The equipment was still over my face. I did not know if I had to lie still like you do with an MRI, or if a little movement would be OK. SO, I held the cough in for as long as I could. I knew that once I coughed, it might be hard to stop. As I struggled to hold in the cough, my eyes began to water. Eventually, I coughed. The natural reflex to cover your mouth, but my face was still covered by the imager and I needed to keep my arms at my sides. I had to cough three more times before I was through.

Again, the staff at Nuclear Medicine was kind and helpful and this procedure went well.

I wish I had a foto to place with this thread, but I don't.

So much to do

Finally got the CT, MRI, Bone Scan and Muga scheduled. Actually, they had scheduled them already and each department just needed to let me know when. All four were scheduled on days I am working. Which would have meant asking for all four days off..... I managed to get each one scheduled during hours I am not working. WHEW.....

I wish I did not have to work during this journey.

I wish I had someone to help me thru this period of my life.

I wish I had someone to hold me and tell me that I will be alright.

If I started taking pictures of bras as away of tracking my own journey--long before I had breast cancer, then today this is how I am feeling :-(

Normally, I carry a few of the Sisters in the trunk of my car, just in case I see a good location to get photos. Today, however, this foto op found me, sort of. My camera died a few days before Christmas. When I saw this bra, I knew I had to go back to get the foto. El Jay had a cheap little camera and I can use it.  It was kind of dreary looking out. A bit windy. I really, really wished I had my camera, but.... I am at that place in life where i simply have to make do with the resources i have. Yes? I added contrast and upped the saturation and I kind of like the results.

Meeting With Oncologist

I guess I am finally getting somewhere. I met with the specialist today. I like her. I have a bunch of tests to take before I can meet with the surgeon.

The UNM Cancer Center is an amazing building and I missed my camera. I would have liked to document this stage of my journey. I did use my cell phone camera, but I have no idea how to download those pictures.

When I arrived and was checking in I was given this handy dandy bag to keep all of my important paperwork into. I look at it as my absolute favorite Christmas gift and I will cherish it. Everyone needs a UNM Cancer Center tote bag. Yes? Yes, I am being sarcastic.

I took this using Logan's camera and i included the other garbage from this appointment ;-)

Trudging Thru the Snow

Today. Biopsy.

I'll come back and update this later.

Yes, Mammagram

Today I had a mammogram and an ultrasound.

They found a lump and a swollen lymph node. They scheduled me for a biopsy on Dec 5th.

I took a couple of the Sisters for support.

Hmmmmm?

I had a diabetes check today with my regular doctor and told her about the lump and wanted to know if I had been scheduled yet for a mammo.

I do NOT like my regular doctor because she always makes me feel like.... my complaints are not valid. She brushes me off and rushes me thru.

Turns out the form for the mammo had never been faxed to the mammography place. She wasn't concerned. She gave me the speech about not needing to have a mammo every year--just every other year. And not needing an annual pap smear any more and, hey, while we are at it.... you do not need to do self breast exams either.

Oh... and just be patient, They'd FAX the form for the mammo and it would be scheduled.

And now... more waiting....

 A pink pachyderm.  The ABQ Zoo has a new baby.