Thursday, December 4, 2008

Who wants to be me?

Any takers? I didn't think so but apparently somewhere out there, there is someone. Yesterday we got my Sears Credit card bill with a charge for a leaf blower. I don't have a Sears credit card and did not buy any leaf blower on 11-6. Apparently someone equipped with my driver's license and social security number managed to open up a credit card in my name. Of course my driver's license is still in my wallet, I checked. I was on the phone 2 hours between police reports, fraud departments, credit reporting companies trying to assess the damage. My alter-ego did not try to open up anything else or buy anything else. I should check today with the Secretary of State if someone got a license with my name on it and is running up speeding tickets. How did this happen? I am thinking a low-level bank employee. Over the past 2 years, I have had numerous banks copy my license and they have my SS#, even when lots of these accounts were for my mom and my dad's estate so I could sign for them. So either the employee used it herself or sold lists of these. For now, they can't open up anything, nor can I without a phone call to me. Oh they have my correct phone number too but not the password. So my thieving alter-ego, you can have my cancer.
Do I need this? This was after being on the phone with Naomi's counsellor and special ed rep trying to straighten out that mess which is still needs to be fixed but Naomi was allowed to play last night.
And for more fun, the insurance company decided not to cover alot of my unspecified surgical supplies. I did give Steve permission to speak for me to try to straighten that out.

As for my symptoms, I didn't feel too bad yesterday. An achy stomach which has since gotten worse and the headache. The nurse Kenisha called to discuss my symptoms. I said that I am cutting out the steroids as I don't think they are necessary. Dr. Henry didn't like that and I got another call later. I said, I'd take a half dose.
I did find some energy to run and I did OK. It made me feel better. Also running and constipation are not compatible. Sometimes I've taken a break from running like to bike across the state with my kids for a week and I've learned that all exercise is not the same.
Steve managed to give me my dose of Neulasta in my belly. It made us both very nervous. One wrong move and $4000 goes squirting uselessly into the air. I don't have any symptoms from that yet.
So last night was the opening game of the season. Unbeknownst to me, at a team meeting the other day, with Naomi's permission, my situation was explained to the girls which gradually filtered to their parents. So now I have additional people to pray for me and help. S, who teaches full-time, runs a farm, has two high schoolers in high level sports plus does a lot of the bball parent stuff, offered to clean my house. I said maybe her daughter could drop Naomi home from practice as it is on the way.We played Salem-a team that we've had really bad luck with in the past (this school is my son-in-law's high school). But with our three new girls and a real center, we were very optimistic. Naomi did not start as the coach's policy for not keeping up with her schoolwork. Salem has three very good girls. They have a huge bench but only 7 girls maybe were rotated in. Their star center never left the game. Naomi had to guard her-apparently she sweats alot and Naomi was grossed out by that-she said it made her hands slippery from continually contacting her. We had a very rocky start. None of the new girls did squat. Kelcie, our center, couldn't block the Salem centers shots. Then her tooth was knocked out and she had to leave the game. Jasmine, who is huge, 6'1 and 220 lbs, took over the center but was useless against their big. Naomi went in as the post. In the past, Coach Steve knows she isn't a real center as she is only 5'10 and 160 lbs (sounds like a lot but she is pure muscle) and usually has her as a shooting forward but with all their guards, no more forwards with his new plan and I was afraid, no real function for her on the team. But she quickly scored three buckets driving through traffic which included Miss Toothbashing star center putting the River Rats ahead. (yes we are the Rats). She played the rest of the game. She was able to pester their center shutting her down despite the size differential and also allowing Tyler to do her usual magic unimpeded now by the big. So the three seniors did great and we won. Those new juniors will catch on-they have unbelievable potential, they just didn't show it last night. Naomi felt very proud of herself and her coach was thrilled with her performance. I hope I can make some of their games but S will make me a copy of the tapes. Every game is taped and they spend a lot of time analyzing what went wrong or right.

So the chemo is starting to do its poison. My belly hurts. I am not nauseous or fatigued but I don't feel right.

2 comments:

S. F. Heron said...

Sue, first the stomach. Please get a gentle laxative like Miralax and take it regularly. The constipation is the very worst part of this and it goes on for a week. Eat little meals with lots of fruits and veggies, popsicles (I like Edy's) and oatmeal and raisin bran. Stay away from the heavy meals even if your taste buds tell you different. You might feel your tummy growling for chum every 3 hours - listen to it. Even if it wakes you up. The anti-nausea pills slow down the intestines so much that the constipation can get ahead of you really quickly.

Your comfort is everything. Take a tub bath if you're allowed. It relaxes the upset tummy. And water - lots and lots of water. I find that drinking the water forces me to get up and feed my tummy too. I sleep probably 3-4 naps during the day during those first 5 days after chemo.

As for the girls and their parents now knowing about your BC, it's a good thing. What I've found with Steffie is that by setting up a support network at school, she calmed down and became another caregiver. She had other people teaching her about compassion, other people to lean on to remind her that she needs to help at home, but more importantly, that she needs to just be a kid when she's at school. Teen girls struggle with breast cancer in their mother's because it makes them face the issue at such a young age. Steffie is great now but she'll talk to anyone in her school openly who asks about me. I'm glad she feels good about expressing her feelings. We've also seen her get a better grip on studying and her grades as she's been more open. Let Naomi vent or set up a counseling session at her school - it might help all around. And ease your mind too.

Accept the help from any and all!!! I've retained my cleaning crew even though I can't afford it - it's something just for me. Some dear friends of Bill's signed us up for a PinkDish program to give us 4 meals to feed 6 people. We got accepted and it's just such a blessing. I won't eat it but at least I know the family will. I feel guilty (which is dumb cause Bill is here) but I have no energy at all to cook :) Good excuse ;)

Sorry for the novel length post. Remember that there are so many people praying for you. The best advice I got was to look at this one day at a time. It's been my mantra and it works.

-Sharon

Anonymous said...

I love your take on the identity-thief but hate that you have to deal with that on top of everything else.

Fiber One cereal is pretty good, the original kind that looks like twigs, not the flakes.

Take care of you,
K

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