Life presses on

How do I express the chaos? I wake up, feed the boys, make a smoothie, dress myself, dress the boys, drop them at school, drive to chino, work, leave, pick up boys, go to scheduled sports/or not, home, home work, dinner, shower, bed. What is missing from that rant? fun, exercise, meditation, yoga, reading, blogging, cleaning, dating, BIKING. Then of course there is that new category that must be addressed....the CANCER time...it supersedes other parts of the list because it is IMPORTANT. Then of course there is the other unexpected life stuff that is not on the list it kind of comes out of the blue.........something like Corbin breaking his arm at the skatepark.

That is correct Corbin in an attempt to master a "nose manual" on his scooter, managed to fall in such a way that he broke his radius and ulna. Now this is not my first child with broken bones as Mason fractured his wrist in August last year. Mason's break was a little more severe, but I was not "blogging" much then so the pseudo real time details are not available. So Sunday 2/12 I get a call from Steve saying I think Corbin broke his arm we are heading to the ER. Really??? I had spent all Friday afternoon at our lovely YRMC. Is it really necessary for me to spend a Sunday there on the same week? I show up and Corbin is in a wheel chair and he has worked himself up into a frenzy. Corbin loves Dr.'s and medical stuff just like I do. He has a pretty big knot on his arm and in quite a bit of pain. Mind you he broke it and Steve probably had him at the ER 20 minutes later...it might have been less. So poor Corbin is crying with Mason chiming in occasionally "I broke my are worse then that", apparently brothers don't let up when the injuries don't seem to be too severe. Corbin is so upset he won't let the nurse take his temperature orally. He can be a bit dramatic, so she puts it under his arm......totally breaking the rules, but it's not like he has the flu. Then he gets wheeled into the back and we wait. A tech comes from radiology and takes him back for an x-ray. He can barely move his arm for the x-ray, he whimpers through the entire thing. We are back in the room and we wait for the Dr. to read the results. It is broken, but it does not need to be "re-set". This means all they do is splint it up and refer you to an orthopedic specialist for a hard cast later in the week. Super fun way to spend a Sunday.

Great! at the time I get this news I figure what else do I need to do this week? Oh yeah schedule my first chemo, get a cast on Corbin, and the regular crap I do every day. The question is how much can you pile on a plate? How far do you bend the branch? How many needles break the camels back (that one may not make sense)? The answer is "IT WILL TAKE MORE THEN THIS".

I found out on Monday that Corbin's appointment would be Thursday. I was hoping (sort of) to start chemo on Thursday. Then I spoke with my oncologist and I asked her if it would be okay to start on Monday 2/20. I don't want to hurt my chemo odds by waiting to long, but really what is 4 more days at this point? I think it is 4 more smoothies and supplements to support my body and maybe I will be able to squeeze in a bike ride before the chemo show begins. I also need to have Corbin in a hard cast. So I breathe and let it all fall into place. Dr. Lindquist recommends a chemo that might need some extra approval Monday is going to be a good start. Kate is on board to take me for day 1 and Jen is on board for day 2 and slowly it is all coming into focus.

I will start chemo on Monday 2/20. My regiment will be a combination of etoposide and sysplatin given on day 1 and 2 of a 21 day cycle. In English that means I will be tapped in for approx 5 hours on Monday and Tuesday of the 1st week, with week 2 and 3 off. Then we will repeat the cycle 4 times. We will monitor how my cancer responds at that point and go from there. This regiment seems pretty manageable. I may need a neulasta shot on Wednesday's following treatment to boost my immune system but I will be able to have that administered in P.V.

So that IS IT after searching far and wide for the right Doc's and the drugs that I think are best for me this is where I have arrived. I don't know what the side effects will be. Probably much like my last treatment. Although all the natural herb and supplements will better support my body through this journey. I am sure I will know by next week.

Today is kind of a bitter sweet day, I received the confirmation for my Whiskey Off Road Race entry. I was able to squeeze in a quick hike at the Butte today but am not able to ride until my port heals up. I don't know if my body will be able to ride the race at the end of April..........I guess there is so much that is undetermined, and I can't get over how quickly things can change. Tomorrow I go for some kind of heart test to ensure that it has not been damaged by the prior chemotherapy. I guess that is important before I start treatment again.

I need to keep moving forward, loving, grateful, and blessed with so much goodness surrounding me and my family.

Drink water and breathe................