Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear Forum members!
It wasn't too bad. It was a LONG day, intake questions, blood tests, another consult with the doctor, got there at 9:30 and the IV drips didn't start until 11:15 and didn't end until 3 PM! I ate something on the way home -- steroids make one ravenous, don't they?! -- and then took a 3-1/2 hour nap! And then, I watched a comedy: "Hitch." I was told by more than one person to keep laughter in my life as much as possible.
Aude/Denise -- You will not believe it! One of the ladies in the chemo room comes from Bergen County! Graduated from Riverdell High School. We had a pleasant walk down memory lane. She won't be back for more remission-prolonging drugs until December, so it was very curious that we had our childhoods in NJ in common. Thanks for all your input, also, I will definitely phone you THIS weekend. Promise!
Robyn -- I feel a little bashful about it, but I think I would appreciate a vigil. Thank you for suggesting it. Probably Thursday evening would be best, since Thursdays will be my chemo days. I will continue to have Reiki before treatments, but it would be nice to have the love and energy post-treatment as well.
My face and neck are flushed, and while I had good appetite yesterday and most of today, I am beginning to feel nauseous now. Even water tastes funny. I napped for an hour and a half this afternoon after running some errands this morning. Then I made a bunch of phone calls to get repairs and yardwork done around here, so we can get on with the sale of the house despite my breast cancer.
After signing off JWD yesterday morning, I did go to meditate and ground myself after a good cry. I put on a positive attitude, remembering that medicine has come a long way and that I didn't have to hide my condition or be hopeless because of it. Also, that there is more to me than just the physical me.
There is so much good advice and love on this thread that I shall have to spend the weekend reading back over it and visiting the suggested websites and finding out more about the suggested reading.
Thanks to those who don't know me very well but were moved to comment and encourage anyway. And thanks to those who PM'd me. I am humbled by the outpouring of concern.
Thanks to all for making this a safe place to vent my fears, sorrows and self-pity on occasion.
outnfree / Brenda