ECG results

As noted in an earlier post, I was recently sent to Lion's Gate Hospital for an ECG. The test (or alternatively a MUGA scan) is performed about every three months in order to gauge whether the chemo drugs I'm taking have done any damage to my heart. Regular readers of this blog will remember how amazed I was re the technology of the test - the closest thing I'll ever come to seeing an ultrasound of something inside of me. Well, turns out I not only have a heart but one that functions quite nicely, thank you very much. Yes sir, that's my baby!

Life Bites

... Literally. Actually as the accompanying photo illustrates, it is likely a spider or a tick that had a nibble near my knee. The bruising around the swollen red core is especially becoming, yes? The bite came yesterday, but I wasn't overly concerned until the bruising started to show up this afternoon. Beetled on over to see Dr. J who couldn't say for certain whether it was a spider or a tick that did the dirty deed. Given my compromised health situation, he opted for an antibiotic that would work in either case (as he said, I really don't want to add Lymne Disease to my increasing list of ailments - apparently this is something he saw several times while working in South Africa). So for the next two weeks, I will be enjoying some Doxycycline. Lovely shade of blue the pills are.

Dream Train

One of the more entertaining side effects of my drug regime is the effect it has on my dreams. Some night visions are downright bizarre, others so funny I find myself laughing as I climb out of slumber. Last night I had a very neat dream that I can only wish to be true. In the dream, I was catching the Skytrain via the Granville Street station which is located in the basement of The Bay in downtown Vancouver. When I stepped on board the train, however, I was surprised to find myself in a VIA railcar rather than the Skytrain. The next and every other stop was another VIA station which, handily enough, was also located in the basement of a Bay store but in a different city somewhere across Canada - some locations, like Woodstock, NB, are not even served by VIA or The Bay. I soon found that, if I got off at more than one stop, I could easily shop my way across the country in an afternoon. Better yet, I could step outside each Bay store to explore the surrounding area! Wouldn't that be a gas?! If nothing else, it would make visiting family and friends so much easier and less expensive. Perhaps I'll write to VIA officials suggesting they implement such a service.

Eeee! See G.

Despite the efforts of BC Ferries, I managed to get to my ECG appointment at Lion's Gate Hospital last Thursday. Momzy was to have joined Penny and me on the trip but opted out due to a scheduling conflict. Good thing as the one-hour+ we had planned to have for pre-ECG lunch vanished in a fog of frustration and ferry fatigue. Yes, I know it's summer and that ferry runs at this time of year are almost always an overload situation. However, I fail to understand how said tub can arrive at Langdale on time yet managed to depart more than 40 minutes late. But I digress.

You, gentle reader, may remember my last adventure at Lion's Gate Hospital. Without going into the gory (gooey?) details, suffice it to say that it involved one rogue container of yogurt. I had hoped to have enough time prior to the ECG appointment to casually glance at the ceiling of the radiology department to see if the offending pink ooze continued to drip or otherwise show itself, but time didn't allow for diversions.

Immediately upon my arrival, I was whisked into an examining room. The great thing about an ECG vs a MUGA scan is that there was no special prep for the procedure. No fasting. No slowing. No needle in. No needle out. As this was my first such exam, I was eager to see how my heart appeared "on camera". I was informed by the nice but humourless tech that I could most certainly watch the procedure as it was being informed. Then she had me lie on my side with my back to the monitor. I am not entirely certain she managed to capture all the necessary information because upon completion of the test she asked if I had any questions about what I had seen (I wasn't allowed to talk at all during the procedure). I pointed out that it was rather hard to view the monitor from the back of my head (although when I was teaching my students often swore I had eyes in the back of my head). That tidbit of information seemed to puzzle the tech, but she did offer to do a little show-and-tell for my entertainment. What I saw was amazing! I have never been blessed with children, so have never had cause to undergone an ultrasound of that sort before. The monitor gave an very clear view of my heart, with each of the four chambers showing up quite nicely. I could also make out the valves as they opened and closed as is their way. The tech also showed me a from-the-bottom-up view. Fascinating! I was so taken by the experience that I felt the need to share with the tech my musing re what it must be like for an expectant mother to catch the first glimpse of her child via that method. I could hear the wheels grinding in the tech's head as she tried to comprehend what I was driveling on about. Sadly, she didn't offer to take a screen shot - even after I said, in reference to my heart, "Yes sir, that's my baby!"

So, while I lack any form of photographic evidence with which to prove the point, it's nice to know that I have a heart. And it appeared (to my untrained eye at least) to be functioning just fine.

Wish I could say today's PAP test was as much fun. And, no, there will be no photos of that event either.

Under My Skin

Given that I've been at this cancer game for the better part of three years now, you'd think I would have it all figured out by now. How naive of me.

My skin has been changing a lot of late. The drugs cause me to bruise easily, contact dermatitis takes much longer to clear up. Also notice that my mole collection is drying up and some are flaking off. Asked my GP if this was a common side effect, and he seemed to think so. However, he doesn't like the look of a couple (large, dark, and irregular edges), so I have an appt with a surgeon to have them removed. Of course, they will undergo biopsies to ensure nothing unsavory is going on. That bit of news got me thinking. I haven't had a mammogram or a PAP test in over a year - figured I'm on chemo so neither would be necessary. GP was very concerned, and explained that while the chemo was controlling the known cancer, it might not be the right drug cocktail for attacking anything growing at other sites. The mammogram and PAP would help indicate whether the cancer was present in those sites. Sigh. On the up side, I don't have radiation burns any longer to make the mammogram any less pleasant than it already will be. And if something is detected, it can be dealt with before things get too far out of hand. Confess I'm getting a tad tired of being sick and tired.

Not a feller nor a Rocky, but...

Had an exciting day today. I've formally put in motion plans to realize a long-held dream - to help someone realize their own long-held dream. I trust the outcome of my humble effort will have more life-altering results than my dream-fulfillment gestures of the past (e.g. Donna's celebratory motorcycle ride). The really exciting part is I have no idea who will be touched by today's events.

What I've done is establish an educational endowment at SFU. No, I don't have the resources of a Rockerfeller or a Gates, but I've recently learned there is a way to give more upon my passing than I could ever afford to give during my lifetime. All I had to do was include the name of my chosen charity/charities as benefactor(s) of my life insurance policy.

I decided to focus this gift on a single parent entering SFU's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the same faculty that awarded me a BA in '87 (English major/Education minor). Why a single parent? Well, I was never blessed with children of my own and, if I had (given my less-than-stellar track record for picking potential partners) there is a very good chance I would have ended up a single parent myself. In addition, there were enough single parents among fellow students throughout my post-secondary studies to draw my attention to the unique difficulties many of them face. Interesting that most other awards established for single parents studying at SFU are for those in third or fourth year studies - next to nothing is available for those embarking on their academic journey. Makes getting through those first two years even harder.)

The way my endowment has been set up, awards will be drawn from the interest paid on the donated gift (which the SFU awards committee will invest on my behalf in perpetuity). This means that more than one student entering the university in more than one year can benefit from the donation. None of my friends or family members need bother themselves with the administration of the award as the university takes care of that, too. Of course, if anyone wishes to add to the fund once it's operating (which will happen once my will is settled and the insurance policy paid out) they would be more than welcome to do so.

I have some ideas re what to do with the rest of the insurance funds, but those plans aren't as well developed or worked through as this one. More about all that in the days, weeks, months (years?) to come.

One of the advantages of knowing my time in this life is limited is taking the opportunity to determine what sort of legacy I want to leave behind.

Under the Microscope

T'will be a different sort of day re the ol' chemo program. I "donated" my blood as usual yesterday, but the lab forgot to check my white cell count so I have to provide another sample before getting chemo. Oh joy, more needles! I don't blame the lab staff. The hospital has implemented a new patient/chart tracking system and everyone is having to cope with a rather steep learning curve. On top of that, the other patients waiting for attention from the lab staff yesterday were generally in very surly moods - there was even one hospital board member who thought she could jump the cue because she didn't have breakfast before visiting the lab! Another poor dear felt she would be given speedier service because she was trying to catch the ferry. Kick me if I ever feel such a sense of entitlement. Of course, I have cause to be so smug and self-righteous. I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere, and I had brought along my knitting. Today's lesson: never go anywhere without something to read or knit/crochet or spin (if you happen to prefer a wee drop spindle). But enough of the holier than thou attitude.  The vampires await. Sign me, Pokey.

Out with the old

The night before last I entered a new energized phase. I know this because I found myself staring at the clock every 1/2 hr to 1 hour for no apparent reason. Tried reading, warm milk, different pillows, light exercises ... Nothing seemed to help. Finally ventured out of bed at 7am yesterday and didn't need to return to bed until 11pm last night. Finding lots to do to keep me busy during the daylight hours. For example, I finally got 'round to doing some much overdue mending, cleaned out the sewing area at the back of my laundry room (I can actually use my sewing machine now that I have liberated it from a stack of abandoned projects, workshop samples, and ephemera), and tossed expired medications and other crap from the bathroom. I'm sure my heirs will appreciate not having to deal with all the flotsam of my little life. In the meantime, I can enjoy my space so much more and can actually find what I want when I want it. What a concept. Today's project: picking trailing blackberries for jam. If there are enough blackcurrants, they'll be batch number two. On the other hand, I see a refreshing nap in my near future. Z is fast becoming my favourite letter of the alphabet.