It's Been One Week Since ...

I know, I know. I'm slacking off on writing on the blog. My sister said so. If she said so, it must be true. She is, after all, my older and wiser sister. This one's for you, Jamie. Lots to report. I must confess I'm currently watching the US Open and Nadal is playing, so I'm a bit distracted, but I'll do my best. Here goes:

INR Level
I must have some incredibly stubborn blood. After one week on higher doses of Coumadin, my INR didn't budge. Not one percentage. Not one tenth of percentage. Nada. Zip. Zilch. So now I'm back on Arixtra injections for 3 days. UGH! Big time UGH! I'm so not looking forward to injections again. What I'm learning about getting the right INR number with Coumadin is one step forward, two steps back. It's hard not to get discouraged when I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. No dark, leafy greens. No cranberries. Cut back on mayo. And the kicker is each time I do chemo I need to adjust my Coumadin levels yet again because the chemo drugs and/or the drugs they give me beforehand are blood thinners. So it feels like it's virtually back to square 1 every 3 weeks. Lord, please give me patience with this because I'm running out of it.

Halloween
I've been thinking about Halloween costumes for Benjamin, and then thinking about what I could be for Halloween. So I'm taking a poll and would love any input. Here are the ideas:

1) Uncle Fester. I've got the shaved head and cloak and light bulb.
2) A pirate. Aaarrrrggghhh. I've got the head coverings for it and can come up with a sword and swashbuckling clothes and eyepatch.
3) Mrs. Clean (Phil could be Mr. Clean. This idea was given to me by my brother, Ron). Just have to roll up the sleeves on my t-shirt and put on an earring. I've already got the shaved head, as does Phil.

C'mon folks, don't be shy about your input!

The Brewers Game
This Sunday was the annual Steelhead family outing to the Brewers game in Milwaukee. It was my biggest outing yet since surgery. I totally paid for it on Monday, but it was completely worth it! We started with a couple hours of tailgating. Think brats, drinks (no, I didn't imbibe because I'm on blood thinners. Stupid blood thinners), snacks, dessert, etc. Think baggo game and football throwing. It was great fun. Then we headed into the Brewers game. They were playing San Francisco. Benjamin was a champ for the whole game. I was the reason we needed to leave at the top of the 7th because I was getting tired. That being said, I'll still note that Benjamin was asleep before we got out of the parking lot. Big day for a little guy. Big day for a big gal. I took a nap when we got home, and then on Monday I was pretty useless and tired. But, again, it was totally worth it. And it was good to see some fellow Steelhead hockey wives and kids again, too. It even felt like life was somewhat normal again. Except for having no hair.

Life in General
A good time was had by all while Erik and Kim et al were here. The kids played so well together. Sometimes it was parallel play, but sometimes they actually did play together. Benjamin was a bit sad when he woke up from his nap and realized Connor and Grae were not around. Nor McGraw or Reba. Nor Kim and Erik. Talk about ripping a boy's world out from under him. He was consoled by the fact that his grandparents were arriving later that day.

That evening (Saturday) Grandma and Grandpa Parker arrived. We're all so grateful they're here. They brought with them the restored tricycle that everyone in the family has used and Benjamin LOVES it. It's about 60+ years old. They don't make bikes that last like that anymore. B is not quite tall enough for the pedals, but almost. That fact doesn't seem to bother him as he's on it every chance he can get.

So life here continues on. We're taking each day as it comes. Not much else you can do. Wow, that sounds much more Eeyore-ish than was intended. Phil's getting more and more into the school routine, and we're trying to get more into a normal routine here at home.

What do I need prayers for? That I can tolerate the IP chemo well this next round. That's the biggest thing right now. And I'm still struggling with sugar. There are a few more song parodies kicking around in my head, but I'll spare you for now.

Get out there and ENJOY LIFE! And let the small stuff roll off your back. It's not worth getting stressed over. Love to all, Sandy