Sept 8 Blood work and resting and hairdos

I had blood taken on Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) so the results could be back for my Dr. Brooks visit on Tuesday. I went in at 11:00 for the appointment, only to find out that the appointment had been at 9:15 that morning. I called Bob to say, never mind, don't come, go back to work. I had put 11 down in my handy calendar in my cell phone, and as Mary was trying to find another place for me, I all of a sudden could picture in my mind the reminder card she had written for me, which read Sept 5, 9:15. I have no idea where the 11:00 came in. We decided it would be better to wait until Thursday morning to see the Dr. instead of trying to be pushed into a nonexistent spot and make everyone after me late. So Thursday morning at 9:00 (I got there at about 8:35, I was so worried) I walked up to the building, and there was Mary, telling everyone to go home, there was no electricity, and TEP said it would be 4 or 5 hours to get it back on. I called Bob to say never mind, go back to work. She would call me. I went home and about 45 minutes later, Mary called and said the electricity is back on, come on back in. I called Bob to say - come ahead, again. As I walked up the steps to go into the building, my phone rang. Dr. Brooks said, "We got your results back and I can talk to you about them now". I told him I was walking into the building, and I'd be upstairs in 2 minutes. OK. So, we finally got to sit and talk with him. All the tests came out great, he said. The one that sticks in my mind, because of the acheys was the white count. It was 41,6000. Or 41.6. The normal is 13 or so I think. So I have lots of good stuff to fight any infection. Platelets were very good and red blood cell count was very good. (I have the numbers here somewhere -- somewhere else than on the bed where I am right now) So - all is good with the Dr. I will go the next three times for the blood draw on the Saturday before my chemo on Monday, and therefore only have to make one trip. Then only one more a week after the last chemo.
I am trying to follow everyone's reminders to "rest and take it easy and save your strength". I had a big wake up call about this when I went shopping at Costco on Thursday. I went in for lint rollers and laundry soap, you know, really quickly? I came out with a cart weighing 300 pounds, I swear. I could hardly push it around the corners of the aisles at the end of the trip, partly because of all the weight, and partly because of the tiredness after pushing all that weight. I asked at the checkout for help pushing it to the front, after paying, then to my car, which I pulled up and then they helped me load it into my car. The guy was not very gracious about helping me -- I looked just fit and fine to him, I guess. I finally said something about "the doctors told me I would become fatigued after I began Chemotherapy, but I didn't realize it would be this soon." He just said "Oh." and began helping a little faster and with a little less animosity.
Bob came home for lunch and helped unload it all, too. It was a lot of stuff!! All but 4 items were food and laundry products. I'm hoping I won't have to go again till just before Thanksgiving, and then I'll be staying away till after the holidays are over. Too many people all in one spot for me.
I have really cut down on my work hours, and have been going home for a few hours in the middle on the day on Friday, so I can have a rest before the evening. I also am off today - Saturday - for the first time in I don't know when. My schedule is to work the 1st and the 3rd Saturday mornings, but when it gets too fun I just don't want to stay home.
Thursday, Helen, my friend and coworker of almost 23 years, did one of the hair color/styles we wanted to do before all my hair went away. At the doctor earlier, I asked exactly when am I going to lose all the hair, because I am a hairstylist and I have several colors and styles to try out before it is all gone, and we must plan accordingly. He said "a couple of weeks after the beginning of chemo". So that would be soon, so I knew Helen and I would have to really start cracking.
Therefore - my first color change is a very bright(?) strong(?) red red auburn with pale strawberry gold highlights throughout. I love it. Helen and I were both very surprised to like it so much. Now I know what I want to do later when it grows back. My final do is going to be bleached as light as we can go without it melting off my head, then cutting it really, really short with clippers - maybe 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Remember Susan Powter - the exercise woman Move More Eat Less book. That way I will hardly know when it is going, or gone.
Except .......last night it started. Just a few hairs more than usual .. or maybe a few more than a few more. A few more than the usual 80 to 100 that is the average daily hair loss. So I think next week might get to be the week of the blond - I don't really know how quickly it will go, once it begins. Any guesses? Oh Oh Oh Another contest? Who wants to place a bet?
This morning I told Helen what was happening with my hair and that I didn't think it would be for a couple weeks more. Then I said "I just made that up". She said I know you did - I know you don't have any idea.
That is the whole thing with all of this. No one can tell you when anything is going to happen, exactly, or what is going to happen, exactly.
Sara and Bob are in the process of pasting up the wallpaper mural of the forest and beautiful waterfall cascading down into a small river (big stream?) and then we will begin to move some of her stuff back into her room. Sandra - are you coming over, soon? My friend Helen, and her daughter Renee, both tell us we need to get rid of 2/3 of the stuff - in our house, not just her room. It is very hard. You all know the generations of pack rats before us. I'm trying to work on it.

Please all of you think healing thoughts and pray for my nephew and his wife and their 3rd baby born last night at 26 weeks. Natalie Carol is 1 lb and 2 oz and 11 1/4 inches long. The baby and daddy were airlifted to Wichita and my sister and her husband are picking up mommy and driving on to Wichita from western Kansas. It is going to be a long hard fight. They are saying she is a little fighter. Please keep Nicholas, Cassy and Natalie in your thoughts and prayers. (and the big brothers Ryan and Brandon) Thank you all.

I'm still reading and reading and doing crosswords when my brain will work. I've even tried Bob and Sara's favorite - Sudoku. I hate them. I cannot remember where that number might work, long enough to do the whole thing. I'll bet chess people are good at Sudoku - don't they have to figure out all these moves and what ifs long before it is known? I write the maybe numbers into the maybe spaces, and maybe I can get it done till the last few, then it all blows up in my face, and so you just have to start all over again! Not me. I don't - I quit. You knew that, didn't you Richard, Cindy - all my family who has tricked me into trying some new puzzle that they knew I'd try it and then throw it back down on the counter!! (They always left one out for me to find after I'd drive up and get settled in the house) (It worked every time)
Cheers everyone - Happy Days (Margie) and I'll write again soon. Maybe when I get work. I hope you all know when I'm being silly and when I'm not really a crazy little old lady. I'm not a little old lady yet.

Love and hugs and kisses to all of you all!! Patty OXOXOXOX : )