From Cousin Toni Jackson

Hi pals... just sharing,

Yesterday we had an earlier appt. than usual at OHSU, started at 8:15 am so thought we'd be getting out of there & back home early, but as it happened we didn't get to leave OHSU until 4:30 pm, so didn't get home until dark... hard rain the whole day.

Altho' my 3 scans last chemo visit never showed anything in my leg, I have been complaining about pain in my legs, in back of my knee & down my calf, for months & now it looks swollen & different so had them check it & the nurse pract. ordered an ultra sound of my lower left leg.  Unfortunately it showed a DVT (deep vein thrombosis or blood clot) about 6-8 inches long & it has to be treated by me giving myself 2 injections per day, in my belly, for months or even indefinitely.  That med allows the body to try & break or dissolve the clot before it travels to my heart, lungs or brain, thereby causing death.

The hard part is that the shot has to be given EXACTLY 12 hours apart & no times seem to be easy... my first choice would have been at 4 am & 4 pm cause I'm always home at those times, but that wouldn't work well to wake up Craig at that hour as he prolly wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for another hour, so I did it this morning at 6 am & we'll just have to do a 6 pm from wherever we are... out to dinner? to an early gig? (sometimes starts at 6) not convenient at any time, plus you know how much I'll love giving myself shots in my abdomen, above the waist, which means I have to be near a long mirror because I can't SEE that part of my body... boobs are in the way, ya know.

Craig gave me the shot yesterday, at the hospital, because with no mirror I couldn't see.  I got a huge bruise from that one, but I did my own this morning with no bruise.... hurt some tho'. And because this med is a blood thinner, like coumiden, they said I'd bleed easily if I fall or something, and no alcohol again (darn!).

I'm obviously not happy about having another thing to worry about, (cancer, kidney disease, various infections caused by the chemo, severe sleep apnea, exposed tooth socket, etc.) to treat... and OH YEAH our co-pay for this stuff is almost $1800 per mo. otherwise, without my Rx ins. it would be $4400!  So much for me bragging that cancer has not really cost us any money.

Note to Kris & Kelly... since I invited 51 gals to my Cookie Lee party and only TWO attended, I did not get any credit, or if I did Craig spent it on me as he arrived home during the party & picked out about 4-5 things for me that HE liked.  Kelly I may be able to get you something you had picked out of the catalog.  If we win the lottery, I'll get them all, LOL.... with $540 million on the line, we have about $20 bucks worth of tickets.  Wouldn't that be fun to share!  Gotta get busy while I still feel ok... the river is rising again & is supposed to be high all week, close to flood stage, hopefully not TOO close! I can only stand so much stress!

Hugs to all, Toni