Fiddler on the roof

It’s been a while since I posted anything on here. The reason? I’ve been feeling crappy. I’m not sure whether I caught Jude’s stomach flu or whether Chemo II (the revenge) wrought some revenge for the ease of Chemo I but it’s been a couple of days of nausea, knackeredness and the weak sipping of yoghurt based beverages.

Still all now seems fine as I sail I into the coldest weekend of the year bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready for the Barney’s Warehouse sale. Of course I still have clothes from 2 years ago that are still too tight for me – trousers that create the dreaded ‘muffin top’ effect around my hips but I’m telling myself that I’ve lost SOME weight and that new clothes and good health are conceptual bedfellows.

My ability to spend of course has been hampered somewhat by the medical bills that come in daily – another $700 demanded for some random treatment yesterday – and the fear of what my co-pay per chemo session will be (I still haven’t seen a bill). I’m reckoning that I have to be close to my deductibles (the amount I have to pay before insurance kicks in) but that’s complicated by treatments that started in December. You see deductibles run the calendar year – so I have $2000 for 2005 and $2000 for 2006. What this means is that I end up paying $4000 for treatment rather than the $2k it would have cost had I gotten sick in say Feb and had all of the hospital care in a single calendar year.

Handy hint – get sick at the start of the year

Mind I find that I’m spending less on treatment than I used to on lunch. I’d easily go through $25 dollars a day when I was at work each day – on lunch, the Starbuck’s run and then a supposedly healthful smoothie; and when I needed company for lunch you could double that. So I’m saving about $200 a week on food and coffee alone.

Enough though about the US medical system, things here are good.

I’m not coughing, the stairs are no problems anymore, the dog is looking better exercised, I have a fresh perspective on work, a clear perspective on what needs to be done there and I’ve discovered that our friends here are very cool people. What more can you need?

Ah - that's better

So after a couple of days during which I felt as though I was being routinely tortured by an invisible hand inside my guts I woke up this morning with a passing fancy for a banana. And some toast. And a cup of tea.

The sense of smell is no longer turned up to 'bloodhound' either; which is a blessed relief as EVERYTHING made me feel like throwing up - from the smell of coffee through to the shampoo they used on the dog.

It's a good feeling.. sitting here, tea in hand, dog at feet, nausea pills in cabinet... so good I may even sing a little... la-la-laaahhhh

Yup - that good

Bleurgh

Not a great day today - spent 99% of the time feeling like I was going to vomit and 1% of the time vomitting.

Will check in with the hospital tomorrow re. meds that I should be taking but it's not been fun

Let's see what tomorrow brings

A quickie

Chemo II (the revenge) went very well. Of course the 'red stuff' made me throw up my cookies again but I was expecting it this time. Other than that all was smooth - took 6 hrs instead of the 10 and a half the first time and no real side effects yet. In fact not nuch of anything yet - yes I feel slightly queasy, yes I'm burping and belching for England (a disgusting thing to be doing) but more of a worry than anything right now is the snow that's falling at a rapid rate outside. We're looking at 18 inches by the end of the day.

Why is snow a worry? Well I love TiVo - it's a great system that manages to record every show I love and introduce me to some I didn't know I loved. There are other systems but none are as easy to use or as intuitive. Of course TiVo is only available on Satellite - so whilst the rest of the building gets their TV from underground cable I'm reliant on the satellite dish on the roof - and that dish can get buried in snow. Leaving me with no TV - on a Sunday. The day of America's Funniest Home Videos, Desperate Housewives, The L Word and best of all the finale of the Gray's Anatomy bomb in a man's chest cliffhanger.

So keep your fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed as we pray for clearer skies here