No hair up there

Sorry it's been so long since the last blog. I am glad that everyone appreciated the bathing humor. Justin pondered after that blog, "Is it possible to reveal too much?" I argue, no, at least not if you don't post pictures.

Anyways, I had a big week last week, and a big week coming up, so I had best get to it. To begin, I feel compelled to post that I love my new microwave that Dad bought me while he was here. J and I had been without one for a year or so since our 15+ year old microwave had busted, and had learned to do without. Did you know that you can heat water in 2 minutes? Genius. Dad insisted on buying the thing for us, claiming that we would want and need it. And, as much as it pains me, Dad was right. There. I posted it on the internet so that he can use it into posterity.

A lot of things happened this week, including me surviving my 2nd round of ICE chemo, my hair falling out and shaving my head, and I survived another bone marrow sample. Let me say this. If any of you can avoid ever having to give a bone marrow sample, I would highly recommend it. I have now had two which officially makes me a bad a**. Forgive the language, but there is no other way to describe it. Let me describe it to you and you can decide whether or not the term is apropos. First, you lay on your stomach, and the doctor finds a nice spot on your pelvis. Then you are prepped and the doctor uses novacaine to numb your skin. After that, he makes a small incision with the scalpel and puts a needle to your bone and tries to novacaine the bone. Once your bone has been "numbed", he does three things. First, he scrapes the bone. Second, the removes a small piece of your bone, and then finally he inserts a needle inside your bone and removes bone marrow. It only takes 2 minutes or so total, but 2 minutes of excruciating pain seem to last a long time. See. I'm a bad a**.

However, to be fair, it was much less shocking the second time around though no less painful. And I am proud of myself that they didn't have to sedate me. Go me.

Also, Justin earned his big boy nursing badge this week. The nurses taught him how to flush my pic line with heparin and to clean and change the bandages. And he finally FINALLY shaved my head, which I've been begging him to do for the entire week. He wanted to wait and see if the hair was really going to fall out. However, when by Friday all the surfaces of our condo were so covered with hair that one would think we had a golden retriever shedding his winter coat, Justin finally conceded. (Forgive the repetition of metaphor from last blog. I usually try for more creativity, but if it ain't broke....)

See how much has been going on? And this week holds in store some interesting stuff too. For my prayer warriors, you should know that I have some big tests this week which will determine if I can have the stem cell transplant. All day Monday I will be being poked and prodded and tested at UCLA, so keep me in your prayers. On Friday there is, perhaps, the biggest one. I will have a PET scan which will tell us if the chemo is working, and we most desperately want it to be working. The results of this week's tests are crucial, so please remember us. I hope to be able to give very good news very soon, and we can rejoice together.

Until then......