Rocket Dog Molly

Well, since I have been chastised by my daughter today for my lack of communication, here I am!!  Have spent a good portion of the day memorizing the bathroom wallpaper and savoring the taste of chicken broth and jello.  Oh my.  I have to confess the Wendy’s cheeseburger that was consumed in my presence earlier today was extremely tempting.  I found myself looking longingly at all the fast food signs on the highway!  Well, tomorrow is the big day.  The hospital called this afternoon to let me know that the surgery has been moved up to 9:00 so will need to be there at 6:00.  This is a good thing – less time to sit and reflect on everything in the morning.  Please forgive the short note -  am having a difficult time staying in front of the computer long enough to type more than 1/2 sentence at a time.  Will be back on the “air” as soon as I am feeling up to it.  Goodnight my girls – I will call later before you go to bed!

November 22

Hello everyone! Thank you for all the thoughts and messages! We are home, it is 12:45 am and I am struggling to settle in, stop the whirlwind and go to bed. Easier said than done. We made it through the communication orchestrations, the insurance infidelities (the infidels!) and all the joys of needles et al. Actually, I sell the needles a bit short – did get the fluid removed oh hallelujah! The radiologist was rather I kind soul. He did everything in his power to make room for one extra slice of turkey tomorrow. I told him one slice of turkey and one piece of pie (with rather a lot of whipped cream – it is light and fluffy you know) would suffice just fine!
This be the plan – surgery will be Tuesday, 3 to 5 day stay post-op and chemo starts in two weeks. Now the rabbit in the hat will be to find someone a little this side of St. Louis that does the intra-abdominal chemo. Does anyone have a black market contact? I have every intention of doing the insurance tango, but I strongly suspect we are going to be wearing treadmarks into the highway between here and Barnes for the long haul. This, my friends, is all that I know at this moment. I was somewhat dismayed to find that there is no provision for internet access during my stay at the hospital, but I will resume postings as soon as I am home and I will make sure that Rube keeps everyone posted while I am there. Hope you all have a good Thanksgiving. Will probably send one more post before departure just for posterity.

Love you All,
Lisa

P.S.
I wore the plaid rocket dog shoes today. Just for luck. Just because.

Nov 21, 2006
Getting ready to head out in a few minutes. All I have left to pack is the music, which actually requires the most thought for me. Needs to be therapeutic. Seems like the clothes portion of the packing process is extremely low maintenance. Definitely low maintenance for hair care products. May be a good thing that is what I am accustomed to huh? I’m ready in that department anyway! Well, I am going to take a deep breath now and hope that I am ready for whatever gets thrown at me in the next 24 hours. It helps that I feel all your collective presence with me. Kind of like having a full bar on the cell phone. Sort of. Anyway – must go now. I am thinking of all of you and gathering my resolve.

Love,
Lisa

November 20, 2006

OK – This will probably be the shortest entry in history (am making up for my first entry) but what the hey! Have one day left to wait to find out what is ahead and am finding it increasingly difficult to do so. Am anxious to just find out what the demon is, what the battle is and what I get to fight it with. Somehow that sounds like a video game. I just hope it comes with extra lives! Anyway, I am thinking that having this information will at least be an advantage over where I am at now. By the way – Thanks Jess, Courtney, Kayleigh and of course, Brenna for the funnies – every bit helps ya know!! Dad and Barbara – I will call as soon as I can to let you know where we go from here. Alrighty then – I guess tomorrow it’s off to St. Louis. Wish me luck!! Love You All!
Lisa

Welcome to Wontstopme.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

November 18, 2006 

Okay.  Well alrighty then.  This is entry #1, provided I have figured out what I am doing.  Kudos to the computer illiterate of  the world!  For those of you who are thinking what the heck is up with the name of the web page, please let me illuminate.  For those who know me well, you also know my penchance for amusing myself with odd funny little things, be it a quirky cartoon, wry musings on events of the day, and occasionally, funky rocket dog shoes. It helps take the edge off of all the big, not-so-funny things that happen in this world and usually keeps me light-spirited and young at heart (mostly).  Sometimes it just leads people to think I am odd – hopefully in an amusing way.  At any rate, when I considered the reason this site is being created, I felt the need to resort to my usual survival tactic and try to make it something that would make me smile when I log on.  The thought of the funky shoes I recently purchased, that my teenage daughter hijacks whenever possible and that her social studies teacher is convinced is a sign of teen rebellion in me seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  Anyway, hence the name!!  For the time being, I do not have too much to report – my first appointment with the specialist is this coming Wednesday, Nov 22.  At that time, I am sure there will be more information than I am truly prepared to digest.  I am finding already that this means of communication will be not only comforting, but a release as well.  Please do not take my attempts at humor as a lack of regard for the seriousness of what is to come.  It is simply a means of survival I learned during my many years of employment in an emergency department where the only way to process some of the things we bore witness to was a somewhat cavalier approach, at least on casual inspection.  I am sure, as the weeks unfold, that there will be entries that are not so light as this one seems.  I guess the thing I want to communicate most in this first entry is how much Rube, the girls and I appreciate all the prayers, love and support that are being sent our way.  It is an amazing blanket of strength and hope and we send our love to all of you.  My first thought at the onset of this was “Oh God, my girls”.  I have found over the last few days that, while I was worried how they would handle what I am being told is to come and a possibly lengthy separation, I now find that their grandmother may have to claim stake to her time with them as there have been so many offers to come stay at the house with them, for them to come stay at other’s homes and assurances that homework will get done, activities will continue and that they WILL TAKE BATHS (HINT, HINT). Kind of like “Clean up your room!!” I somehow think they will probably listen to all of you better than they do me! Anyway – I just want to say I am eternally grateful for your assurances and generosity!
I think I will close for now – for not having much to report, I am waxing rather long-winded. Perhaps I am making up for future entries where I may not be as forthcoming, positive or energetic. My sincere thanks to Jeremy for making this possible – bless you for giving your time and energy to provide a warm place for so many.

Lisa