A sense of humour would do you good.

What a day.

Lanette and I were up "early" and were at the Cancer Clinic for our Chemo Classes.  I was wrong, I won't be able to give Chemo now that the class is done, but rather I can receive it.

We were the last ones to arrive at the very tiny conference room, Lanette says to me, let's play a game.  Let's try to figure out who is having chemo and who is the caregiver.  I am in.  We were given coffee and tea--took our seats....and then it started.

The volunteer states, "Horie?"

At the exact same time Lanette and I say, "We're here."  You see, we didn't want to give our position--chemo or caregiver, just in case someone else was playing our game.  The weird thing is--we didn't discuss this strategy.  We are winning already!

The woman starts the class, as everyone leans in.  She is talking SO quietly, none of us can really hear her.  Then she says, "does anyone have any questions?"

I thought, "yes, can you repeat that?"

Lanette says, "I have a question, can you turn off the fan?"

Above us, somewhere a fan was overly squeaky, noisy and disruptive.  It was completely distracting me.  I had figured the two people across from me a woman in pink and a man in black were chemo patients, without caregivers....I was right, but the fan was annoying--it was definitely throwing off my game.

I look over and Lanette is taking diligent notes.  I looked around the room and each person there looked like they were sucking on lemons.  I understand this is tough, I get it, but if you don't have a sense of humour this is going to be a really tough time.

My Medical Oncologist told Kent and me, keep laughing.  So we plan on it.

Then the volunteer is getting a DVD ready.  They have the DVD on, TV on, but we couldn't hear anything -- then the jackhammer started on the wall behind us.  OK, at this point, Lanette and I snickering....

Then a woman stands up and walks over to the TV and turns up the volume.

Again, stifled laughter from the Fricker girls.

The man in black across the table says, "I like you--you have spunk."

Ya, it's a family trait.

So the DVD is enlightening.  The nurse informative.  Then the volunteer is back--we were wishing for a volume button on her.

She took us for a tour.  When she takes us to the chemo room.  She states, only the patients can go in, Lanette, not wanting to give her position in our twosome away and the fact that she has come all this way -- she isn't going home without a peek.

So the volunteer takes us in, I whisper to Lanette, "patient confidentiality." We were staring at a room full of  patients, all looking at each other--I am thinking WHAT?  Next thing I know my sweater is being pulled and the volunteer is pulling me back.  She was whispering No, no, no, don't go in there....well, if someone could hear her...they wouldn't go in there!  She said take a peek, I was!

Next she took us to see the woman who does hair.  She wasn't there, but Lanette and I are not to be deterred we went in for another peek.

The amazing thing about the BC Cancer Agency in Victoria, the staff has been amazing.  Kind, considerate, compassionate.  Except for the wig lady.

She was irritated, condescending, rude, and intolerate.  Now, I would love to say that I am full of patience and tolerance...but when she got all snotty I do what I do best.  I asked more questions.  I am not sure if Lanette had the same attitude as I did, but I was there JUST to irritate her.  I really believe my sister wanted information.....I wanted to annoy her.

When we left the Cancer Agency Lanette said to me, let's shake that off.  She was right.  We needed to rid ourselves of her attitude.

As we were walking to the car, I moaned.  I saw a parking ticket on my car.  Then, we got to the car and realized not just one parking ticket but two!

Arghh!

That called for coffee downtown at Mirage....and a cookie.

The afternoon we had an appointment for an injection for the shingles vaccine.  It seems to me that I get one appointment done the Doctors add one more.  Today was the same.  Now I have an appointment this next week for a heart test called and ejection fracture.  The Medical Oncologist wants to make sure my heart can handle the chemo, and have a baseline for my continued treatment.  With that done, I was done.

We came home, and made dinner, we have debriefed Kent about the day.

Tomorrow Lanette leaves, probably the last time I will see her until the summer.  I am not sure I will be able to go to Edmonton to help her with medical stuff Chris is facing.  That's a huge disappointment for me.  I loved the trip to Edmonton, I liked being the Auntie that made the effort to see her niece and nephew.  I know that I will see them in the summer--and that we will all be able to relax together.

That is a consolation.