I'M STRESSING OVER THE TITLE - SO THIS IS IT :)

Melissa's birthday celebration!

Since I last posted on Tuesday a few things have happened.  I'll begin with Wednesday.  It was a mostly good day.  Valerie had some nausea and reflux burning in her esophagus.  However, unlike past times... she ate 3 meals and took all of her supplements.  And those supplements are what the doctors say will make the cancer in her bones go away and will keep her healthy.

During the day, Sara took the car to get new tires.  It had been driving really weird - shaking and shimmying on the freeway.  It does NOT do that anymore!!  I was worried about driving to Mexico with a car that felt like mexican jumping beans under the hood.  Thank you Sara!

Sara saying goodbye

Wednesday night we ordered in from the pizza place and had a semi birthday celebration for Melissa.  Melissa's birthday is Monday but Valerie and her mom threw together what was left of the banana bread and a bunch of matches shoved in as candles for a birthday cake.  Valerie had really wanted to go out because it was her sister Sara's last night here (she left EARLY the next morning).  Valerie had tried to do as much as she could to spend time with Sara and make her time here enjoyable, but she was SO wiped out by Wednesday night (from going to the DMV, working all day, going up to her work in North Hollywood, going to the movies, etc.) that she couldn't go out.  Take out was delicious and I think it was just as enjoyable.  (But you'll see from the pictures that Sara was dressed and ready to go out.)

Sara's last night here

Thursday was a full day starting with Melissa's workout and a blood draw from the home health nurse.  Valerie again ate 3 meals and took all of her supplements.  Valerie's mom joked that Valerie had fired her personal chef because Valerie actually fended for herself for lunch.  I came home to meet a tile guy about tiling in our shower (one of the last BIG things that needs to be done).  We've had plastic nailed up all around so that we can use it, but it's not a completed shower yet.  The guy is going to come next week while we are in Mexico to tile in our shower.  WOO HOO!!!  I don't think people realize how aesthetics impact their emotional well being.  (and I realize how privileged I am to talk about the impact of aesthetics)

Dr. Peck - he put the central line in
He REALLY reminded me of Alex P. Keaton's
father from Family Ties

During one of Valerie's trips to the doctor that involved getting stuck for an IV, she had started wondering if a central line would be a better option than getting stuck so many times in Mexico and then here for treatment too.  After calling her brother and talking to the oncologist, we were actually able to schedule it for Friday afternoon.  It's considered minor surgery, so it would end up taking 5-6 hours.  For those that don't know (and we didn't until a day or two ago), the central line that she got (a port-a-cath) is implanted up by your collar bone and it feeds right in to one of your 4 main veins.  There's a port right under her skin now.  What that means practically, is that next week in Mexico, they will stick her once in the port and ALL of her blood draws and IVs will do directly in there.  She will not have to be stuck every day or so in the arm.  ALL of it can go right into the central line.  And because it feeds right into a LARGE vein, she will hardly feel any of it.  You can see how excited she is about this from the video.  :)

Friday, Valerie ate an early breakfast of boiled eggs and toast (her regular lately) and then she was unable to eat or drink the rest of the day in anticipation of her surgery.  I left for work.  A particularly good day for me.  A kid that I have been working with for the past 4 years whom we have always thought was innocent of his charges, was let go and his charges dismissed.  Talk about better late than never.  This guy came into the juvenile justice system as a kid and left as a young man.  It was good to be there on they day he FINALLY received justice.

Melissa saying goodbye

I got back in time to take Valerie to the hospital for her surgery.  There was a long waiting period before and after, but other than that, it went VERY smoothly and successfully.  Once we were home, she ate a HUGE salad, visited with her family and went to bed.

Today (Saturday), she has had some tenderness where the port is.  She put ice on it several times today and she rested most of the day.  This morning, she spent some time with her niece Melissa, who flew home today.  Then later this afternoon, her sister, Michelle, read to her for awhile and then they walked to the beach and back.  She looks and feels good.  She's more relaxed about going to Mexico now that she has the port in and we'll be driving to the border tomorrow.

More from Mexico...