What a wacky day

I guess the chemo sleep effects only are for a couple days because I was not tired again last night. I watched 190 North and then the Sister Wives special - Sunday night tv is bad. I still wasn't tired and put on some bad movie and sort of dozed on the couch - I went up around 2:30. It was dark this morning and the wacky weather began pretty much as soon as we got out of bed. The sky really turned dark and then the huge thunder claps and lightening and then the rain. We had breakfast and I got clothes out for the kids - bizarre to think they could be in short sleeves without a coat the week of Thanksgiving.
I decided to drive Ellie to school because I don't like her waiting out for the bus in pouring rain and especially when the lightening is pretty steady. We ran out to the car and we were soaked - of course it down poured every time I needed to get the kids to/from school today. Nick and I came back and we got ready for him to go to school - thankfully the rain slowed down a bit when we needed to get out of the car to go into school. For the first time in a few weeks Nick played "shy" boy and walked behind me into school and cried and didn't want me to leave once we got into school. I was able to pry myself away and he quickly was whisked into activity by one of the girls.
I had a bit of time before my appointment with Dr. Muldoon and the rain had really slowed down - so I stopped into Constructive Playthings to see if I could accomplish any Christmas shopping. It was so nice to go there without the constant plea of a child wanting this or that carnival prize. I hit the clearance aisle and found a couple games and some advent items - Mom and Dad have this advent house they do for the kids every year and Mom and I have been collecting treats for the past couple weeks and we really thought we had 24 treats but Mom counted and was 8 treats shy. I found ice cream holders that spin - they are like a plastic cone but spinning. I found some party goods that were reduced and would work and then I found the end cap of Dinosaur Train toys - this was what Jo had suggested might be a good thing for Tony for Christmas.
I checked out and was on my way to the hospital. I checked in and my vitals were taken and then I was taken to an exam room. Dr. Muldoon wasn't running too far behind today and I was pleasantly surprised that he only checked out my surgical incisions. My next appointment with him will be scheduled after I finish chemotherapy and we will plan Scarlett's departure. Obviously, a much less complex surgery and a 2-4 day hospital stay. He did use the catch phrase of being down hill and I did inform him that maybe collectively all doctors might need to adjust his assessment when they are talking to a younger person with young children because I definitely don't feel down hill I feel cross country. To me, each of these phases have been pretty even as far as emotional and physical stress to my body. Certainly this first round of chemo went surprisingly well and I can only hope they continue to go this smooth but if they don't I don't think they will be very down hill-ish.
I had arranged for Mom and Dad to pick Nick up from school just in case Dr. Muldoon was running late and we had planned to meet up at our house. Mom called me on their way here to place Nick's order for hot chocolate so I got to work on that. We picked up lunch and ate together - Nick originally said he wasn't hungry but Gramps could get him a hot dog and french fries. We had an afternoon of cleaning up and organizing - the theme for the week, I guess. My ebay auctions ended today - not bad a bit over $100 for 8 items and an hour worth of time. I still have a goal for about 10 items a week - after all those rubbermaids are blocking all our Christmas decorations for inside the house.
Dad and Ellie walked down to get Ellie - it had just begun to drizzle. It is nice - our school pairs conferences with Thanksgiving break so this was Ellie's last day of school for the week. This afternoon was Ellie's GOTR post-season party so I packed her popcorn and cookies to take with her to the party. I ran her back to school and the rain was steadily coming down - Mom and Dad nicely stayed so I could drop and pick Ellie back up from school without having to take Nick out in the rain. Mom and I changed Scarlett out - I am excited that I think she is her permanent size and I can order pre-cut wafers next time and it will save us a little bit of time. When I ran back to get Ellie it was down right pouring again - I was able to double park in front and wave to Ms. Doolas and Ellie ran out to the car.
Mom and Dad left in the worst deluge of the day - I offered an umbrella but they said they didn't need it - Mom let out little screams as she made her way to the car - apparently wet enough to ring the water from their clothes. Rob came home and the kids played for a while - Ellie read her library books she had checked out today. I made dinner and we had dinner together - Nick made a weird combo of peach yogurt with apple cranberry sauce infused - what can I say - he ate it all. I got Ellie set up for a shower while Nick played with his trains. Rob hopped in after Ellie and then Nick took a bath.
We dried Ellie's hair and then we quietly went out the back door to go for Ellie's conference at school. I know it is a parent teacher conference but I like having Ellie there in case something comes up that she could comment on - unfortunately this year there were probably lots of things adults needed to comment on. Mrs. Kelly - another 3rd grade teacher came over and asked Ellie if she would like to come into her room to play on the computer and Ellie gladly took her up on her offer. Mrs. Bart went over all the mumbo jumbo tests - hey Rob and I were both average learners and had our share of learning troubles so I would be terribly surprised if our genetic code didn't transfer down. We discussed all the academic things and then moved onto the emotional things. Ellie is still very anxious in school which somehow gets worked out by either cleaning or organizing or helping out - which we could get those effect to come home with her. I talked to Mrs. Bart about the hormonal migraine issue and she did say last week was quite a week - I also talked about how it was my first infusion and we were working with a bucket full of un-knowns - which isn't Ellie's strong suit. Luckily, Ms. Doolas is well aware of the situation and there is a standing arrangement for Ellie to be able to go help the pre-school teacher. I left realizing I need to let Ellie be Ellie and I need to zap some of the stress out of her life. Ellie was so thrilled when she saw a commercial for Winter Wipeout - probably just what she needs.
We came home from school and Rob had already had Nick asleep - we shared Ellie's conference folder with Rob (and Ellie). We are proud of our Ellie. I did a mini manicure on her nails and we worked on her big toes callus. We watched the last part of Dancing with the Stars and then the first couple minutes of Skating - not my thing. Rob took Ellie up to bed and here I am. I got a call from Margaret this evening checking in to see how I did last week. Although tylenol should be my drug of choice she said I could occasionally take advil. I asked her about liver cleaning since that is really one of the areas the chemo attacks and she said we can talk about organ cleaning and de-tox after chemo is finished - for right now we are going to let the chemo fully attack my body.
I did find out tongued that my Dinosaur Train buy this morning wasn't such a good buy - I will be returning - I re-bought the same and a couple more cars for the same price online. I am so excited about tomorrow - Mom, Dad, Ellie, Nick and I are going downtown to see the windows and have lunch in the Walnut room and the kids mail their postcards to Santa in Macy's huge red mailbox. Visualising my healthy and continually recovering body, a nice week and the new normal me - whomever that shall be, Tree