Funny Story 2

Since I have written about my first chemo treatment this week, I guess it is the appropriate time to tell my second funny story, about what happened after my first chemo.

As I have said before, I went through chemo at New Mexico Oncology and Hematology Consultants (now the New Mexico Cancer Center), which is located about 30 miles north of Los Chavez, NM, where my parents live. As I said before, Marshall came in that weekend for my first chemo, and rented an SUV to get around. We learned quickly that I could not get in and out of lower vehicles, due to my increasing weakness in arms and legs.

After 6 hours of being infused, and multiple trips to the bathroom, I was pretty zonked out. Marshall drove mom and I in that morning, and was driving us home that late afternoon. I was sitting in the front seat, mom in the back, probably listening to the radio, and letting all that we had been through soak in. We had gotten south of Albuquerque on Interstate-25, north of Los Lunas. All of a sudden, from out of nowhere, this tire comes flying off the road, rolls up the hood of the car, rolls over the side, and takes out the passenger side view mirror! All the while Marshall is driving probably 80 miles an hour (the speed limit there is 75). Talk about waking you up!

We all composed ourselves (still while Marshall was driving) and headed down the road. I'm surprised I seriously didn't have a heart attack! We made it home safely, but unfortunately, the rental cars side view mirror was toast. Cracked glass, kind of tilted to the side in an unnatural manor. If my first chemo wasn't memorable enough, we will never forget that day.

Damage to side view mirror from "flying" tire

We now have a running joke when driving south on I-25: "Watch out for flying tires!"

Funny Story 1

Each week I will tell a funny story, and while they may not seem exactly funny, I chose to look at them as funny, as a way to help me cope. (Actually, most of them are quite funny, after the fact.)

Right after I was diagnosed, I recieved tons of flowers and stuffed animals to keep me company in the hospital. My sister gave me this little purple hippo. He was so cute, and fit perfectly up by my head on the top of the hospital bed. One particularly bad night (that I have some memories of, but not all), I was talking in my sleep. Not so weird, since I do this all the time. My mom's best friend, my "Aunt" Vicki was staying with me that night, so Mom could get a good night's sleep. Poor Vicki wasn't as lucky. In my cancer-related stupor, I was so concerned that my purple hippo was trying to EAT Vicki. I guess I must have been really convincing, because Vicki went and got a nurse, who proceeded to tell her that nightmares and talking was normal. I do have a hazy memory I her saying something like listen to her, and the nurse conceeding that maybe it I wasn't acting exactly normal. I do remember being told by the nurse that he was giving me some Demoral, and to try to not fighting it. I then had a really restfull night.

While you may not be thinking WOW! That WAS funny! Just picture a stuffed, purple hippo, about the size of a football. He was so cute. And I am okay sharing this story with you, to show that even prior to chemo brain, some crazy stuff went down.