Retail Therapy and the Chemo Ball

Wow, the past two days have been crazy and hectic and tiring all rolled into one. On Thursday Shea and I went for a little bit of 'retail therapy'. We figured it was time to get a few things to make this journey an easier one. Shea bought some cute, flat comfy shoes and some adorable sweats. We met some dear friends for lunch and then headed up to the Moran Eye Center for an eye exam and some glasses. She was put through all the typical eye doctor paces....eye dye to check for glaucoma...which is best? 1 or 2....eye dilation, etc. etc. Her eyes are healthy and wonderful...not to mention gorgeous (her doctor announced her the winner of the "Longest Eyelashes of the Day" award), so we are happy about that. However, she needs glasses to help her eyes focus better when she is tired or not feeling well...which happens alot. So, we happily marched down to chose a pair of glasses for her. Those of you who wear glasses can imagine what happens next. When your eyes are dilated, you can't really see a thing. So there is Shea trying on glasses and asking me "Do they look good? What color are they? What do you think?" Really, when it comes to glasses, I am utterly useless....I always ended up wearing the most hideous things throughout my eye wear days. I THOUGHT I looked good, but after they were purchased, I realized that what I had chosen was downright butt-ugly. So talk about pressure! Thank goodness the eye technician and the other workers had some good ideas on how to help us choose a good pair. They are tortoise-shell with some funky designs on the earpieces in a turquoise blue (try spelling turquoise and tortoise in the same sentence without spell check and 6 hours of sleep...that's a trip) Any way, they are handmade in France, so they are either going to be incredibly fabulous or they are going to stink....either way, they will be frightfully expensive hahaha. I think she looks adorable in them. After the Moran, we headed to the salon for an eyebrow 'threading'. For those of you who don't know, this consists of a woman and some thread. She twists the thread in her hands and it pulls out any unwanted hair. It is supposed to last longer than a wax and be less painful. Yea right, just like when the nurse says to you "It won't hurt" and then it is agonizing pain. (I can still feel the 'zing' from 5 years ago whenever anyone says the word catheter) This was positively the most brutal thing I have seen Shea endure in the last two weeks. All of the pokes and prods that she has been subjected to, and I start to bawl over an eyebrow threading. Shea and I laughed/cried over that fact. I was going to get my eyebrows, and upper lip done, but no way after that! I'll grow a mustache and beard and rock the full-facial hair look before I willingly ask for that little procedure. So....I have decided that I have a new list....this is my "List of People Who Should be Forced to Endure a 'Brazilian' Threading"....and it starts with the girl who threaded Shea's brows, followed by a few other choice names. Don't worry...if you are reading this, you are probably not on my list. Friday we were up bright and early to arrive at the Huntsman by 8 in the morning. The team of doctors pronounced Shea fit and ready to take on chemotherapy. We were escorted to a room with a beautiful view of the mountains and Shea was snuggled into a large electronic chair. She was hooked up to an IV that accessed the port on her chest and the fun began....2 hours for that drip, 4 hours for this one, one hour for that, etc. etc. etc. There were 5 other chairs in the room with little curtains that separate each family. The nurse stated the chemo drip for the sweet lady next to us and had just got Shea's started , when the nice lady began to have an allergic reaction to the drugs. After a seizure and some very long and scary minutes, she was okay. Shea and I kept looking at each other waiting to see if Shea was next. Thankfully, the chemo went without incident and we were able to survive the 10 hour day at Huntsman and the hour long drive home. Needless to say, we are still exhausted. We met this morning with the home health care nurse, so we are all up and running on this end of things. The doctors are still worried about her low iron counts and that the fact the chemo makes you so susceptible to things that they are asking that no one comes to visit for the next few days....so we are hunkered in for the battle. Our foxhole is full of movies, blankies and a bunch of nuts (and I'm not talking about the kind you eat) so it should be an interesting and hopefully entertaining couple of days. Thanks to all the wonderful people we have met who are helping to guide us along. We know that you will become great friends of Shea and our family. Once again, thanks for all the kind gifts, gestures, prayers and outpouring of love that we have been the beneficiaries of. We love each of you so very much and you are so appreciated. And...one word of advice....skip the threading.