This
morning we headed for the hospital for my very last test. This one was to
measure my lung function and would serve as important benchmark to ensure that
as we did the treatment there was no damage being done to my lungs. It is one
of the more possible and severe of the side effects I could face. The test itself
was long and frustrating. It involved me sitting in a box breathing into a tube
in strange patterns. The technician would shout at me to breath in, breath out,
pant and hold my breath in strange patterns. She kept telling me that I needed
to give it my very best effort or I would half to repeat it. This meant that
every time I had to repeat something I felt like I was failing.
I haven't
been this frustrated the entire process, but for some reason the combination of
early morning, the length of the test, and the difficulty I had with some of it
served to make me hate everything about the tests. Chase was trying very hard
not to laugh at me, but every time the technician turned around I gave him a
very disgruntled face. Even when we were done it left a bitter taste in my
mouth. I know I will have to repeat the test at some point but until then I am
just going to try to forget it even happened.
Once
the tests were over I was done with all the medial things I had to do that week.
With the rest of the day free I decided that it was probably a good idea to go
back to work. I had taken the whole week of spring break off, and hadn't been
in the rest of the week after either. As much as I wanted to pretend it wasn't
true, I was going to have to find a way to live with cancer as well as live my
normal life. The guys at work teased me for my extended vacation, not knowing
what had been going on. I had email my boss, but he was traveling and hadn’t
shared my news with the entire team. After a slightly awkward conversation I explained
what was going on. They were all very sorry for me, and offered to help me with
whatever I needed.
It was
rather difficult to concentrate at work that day, and I was very excited to get
a text from Briana. She was in town and wanted to stop by and see me. She even
came to the parking lot at work. We hung out in her car for a while and sipped
on our Jamba Juice while she listened to all my gripes from my week. It is so wonderful
to talk to her and she has been a great supporter through this whole progress,
fainting or no fainting.
The
rest of that day I ran a few more errands and scheduled a follow-up appointment
with the fertility clinic. This meant another drive to Salt Lake for an
ultrasound, but it was nice to know we wouldn't have to drive down until then.
I also scheduled a hair appointment. I wasn't going to be able to avoid chemo,
so I decided that is was better to just get it cut short, before it starts falling out.
That
night Tiffany and I threw a baby shower for one of the sisters we visit teach.
It was so much fun to do something happy, girly, and not cancer related. There
wasn't a lot of people there, but they were all good friends and we were able
to enjoy eating delicious treats and playing fun games.
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