Checklist

I like lists. There is a certain satisfaction in the whole process. But sometimes the satisfaction is just the added bonus in the daunting task of trying to keep your life organized. Right now I feel like I am swirling in a pool of lists--wedding lists, work lists, doctors lists. Circles upon circles upon circles. I keep trying to keep up...I'm not running, but I am walking. Let's just see if I can keep up (sleep will help!).

Wedding planning is coming along really nicely. It helps that I have a mother and and aunt who've been waiting for this since my birth 33 years ago. It also helps that my soon to be mother-in-law is also amazing at getting things done!!! The wedding is a bright ball of sunshine every time I think about it. It all seems to be falling together so nicely despite the weeks of uncertainty.

Before going to the oncologist yesterday I convinced myself that I would start treatment before the wedding. Chemo is once every 15 days. I figured I'd get one in before, and the second directly after. My thought was--- spacing would leave me feeling okay for the wedding, and would see me on my way to recovery. My mom talked to a nurse practitioner at Emory, my aunt Sandy talked to her doctor friend, and my own oncologist also thought that waiting for treatment until after the wedding would be okay. I also talked to a colleague at work. His wife waited 6 weeks from diagnosis until treatment to start. So I have all these people saying it is okay to wait. To enjoy the wedding without feeling sick, and without having to show a port in all my wedding photos. So I keep thinking, yes...this will be okay. But why do I keep thinking that I want to get started?? Maybe because I feel it, I feel the tumors, and each time I do I have to brace myself for the reality of what that means. Ahhh...but it sure would be nice to celebrate love and happiness without complication.

SO, on to lists....

Before I can start I need to:

• Get full body CT scans--done
• Get a Pet Scan--done
  
• Get a MUGA scan for the heart--done
  
• Schedule a pulmonary function test. My heart test looked GREAT! They have to check my lungs too as the chemo can ruin lungs and heart. Not these ones though!
• Get pulmonary function test
• Schedule an appointment with the Radiation Oncologist--done
• Meet with the Radiation oncologist
• Schedule an appointment to get a port put in--done although this prompted an additional scheduling with the nurse practitioner to go over health history and get valium.
• Get the port put in
• Get flu shots
• Talk with the chemotherapy nurses to determine the schedule. I get the port put in on Tuesday, October 6th, and hope to start chemo the 7th.
• Draw blood for all baseline Metametrix tests, and genetic testing
• Send all bloodwork since the dawn of Metametrix time to Becky Murray who is gracioulsy helping me through this with our type of medicine.
  
• Schedule bone marrow biopsy--done. Wednesday...yikes. I am scared about this.
• Get bone marrow biopsy
• Set up appointment with Progressive Medical's oncologist to discuss alternative therapies such as vitamin IV's.
• Find the best support team a girl could ask for--DONE!!!!!
  

I can't tell you how much your outpouring of love and support help through this scary time.

photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingu1963/3429078646/