February 7, 2010

This is a layout I made for Austin this weekend. He has a letter he wrote to Santa and a letter Santa wrote to him. There is a pocket on each page to add these letters. Nothing really fancy, but how else do you showcase letters? The Santa stamp is one I got at Patti's shop in Prato. It is made by Improne D' Autore in Milano. The other stamp of the toys is from a Stampin Up set called A Merry Little Christmas.

Sorry I have been away from the blog. Between the blog, work and chemo cycles I have been rushed. This chemo cycle on Wednesday, did not go well. The first needle into my IV port hurt something terrible. The 2nd needle did not hurt as much. Then I got sent over for an X-ray. Well the X-ray shows everything is in place. So off to the chemo lab I went. Ginger, my nurse, started the saline drip IV and I started having problems. There was a heavy burning right under the skin around the IV Port. So it looks like I have a leak somewhere. Saline burns if it gets in the skin. Ugh.... now we have to have a IV Port study with a radiologist. Ginger put an IV in my arm and away we went with the chemo treatment.

I experienced alot of nausea this time. Mostly of the roller coaster variety, but I feel like I have wasted 3 days at home doing nothing. You know me, I want to do something and fill my time while I am off work. I am simply not a good sitter. I have to be busy. Well I was busy alright, but with my nausea drugs instead. This layout took me 3 days to complete. Something unheard of for me. I could only do a bit at a time. An hour and then back to bed. Several hours later I was up and tried a bit more. Ugh.So far today, the nausea is low key. Let's

hope it stays that way. I have laundry to be done and dishes in the sink that need my attention. Plus I have another layout I need to do for Sandy.

This will be a short week at work. The students are there only Monday through Thursday. And on Thursday, we are going to the Area 10 Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, which is 75 miles away. On Friday we have CAP conferences, where the students/parents help decide what courses to take the following school year. No students at school that day. On Monday, the students and teachers are off for President's Day (It used to be Mid-Winter Break). I have oodles of CAP conferences to do, 2 IEP conferences and then got to get my portfolio's completed! Time is flying by.

I go back to see Dr. Baltz on Feb. 24th for my 3 month scan of the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis as well as a full body Bone Destiny scan. Then I have chemo afterwards. Every 3 months I get the scans to show if I remain in remission or not. The following chemo cycle will occur during my Spring Break, so my poor paycheck can get a rest. I get 3 days taken out of it each time I have a chemo cycle. I ran out of sick days back in November, so this is getting a bit high in cost.

Lucia, if you are reading this, I sent a box for Zio yesterday. It should arrive in 7 to 10 days. Jenny took me to the post office since driving was really not a good idea for me to be doing while I have so much nausea.

Have a good weekend, or at least what is remaining of it,

Arlene