New Cancer Hospital

Check out the new cancer hospital opening at UNC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7UoC0ey6Bc&feature=channel

Wow, what a great time to have cancer…ok, no time is a great time, but believe me this is a great improvement over the old space where I was treated the first time! I used to imagine how to design a state of the art infusion center (where the chemotherapy is given) and then I’d donate it to UNC if I ever won the lottery! Well, I didn’t win the lottery, but UNC cancer patients all did! The hospital opens August 17th and my next appointment is September 3rd so I get to use the new facility right away!!

Some interesting side effects of either the Zometa or the Aromisine is that I’m hot and cold all at the same time. Not hot in part of my body and cold in another, I’ve been like that for years (kick cover off feet, pull tight around shoulders, back on to the feet, off shoulders, repeat every few minutes….) but I was trying to isolate the cold and hot and couldn’t, it was both at the same time in all parts of my body. Really, really odd. Also my hands and feet hurt. You know when your hands or feet are really cold and it hurts right down to the bones? Well it’s like that but without the cold, so warming them up doesn’t do anything. And forget sleeping! I’m tired and think I am ready to close my eyes and drift off, but as soon as I close my eyes, my mind starts in on me. Man, am I a nag! Either I’m thinking of all I need to do, of an idea I want to do, or, understandably, I think about the cancer. So I pick up a book, which if it is a good book, I don’t realize how long I’ve been reading until I look at the clock and it is already 4 AM. Or I surf the web from my iThingy, reading news, surfing for new free apps or playing solitaire. I’ve mastered one game so I actually don’t like it when I win because it takes all the fun out of it to keep having the cards stack so nicely! Then I think I am ready to fall asleep but decided to check my email and news just one last time, and bam, I’m wide awake again! The last time I had cancer I took sleeping pills. However, taking them for the 6 or so months that I needed them took me over 3 years to get off them, so I’d really like to avoid them. Probably getting up and moving during the day might be a good solution, if only I weren’t so tired from not sleeping. Can you say “vicious circle?”

Did I tell you about the ducks? We live on a wonderful little creek where I can walk down to our dock and feed the fish and turtles in the evening. Most of my turtles have moved on since a wild gang of mullet have taken over. These guys are like sharks, swarming and circling and having a feeding frenzy. Well, the fact that they are madly attaching cheerios takes away some of the adventure, but it is interesting nonetheless! Anyway, several months ago a pair of the Muscovy ducks came down stream and discovered the free snacks we were giving out. Muscovy ducks come from Brazil and are the size of geese. They are also ugly as sin with large bumpy red skin covering most of their face and head. A large group of them live on our creek, mostly up stream away from our alligator. Muskovys are also very assertive and used to come up the hill to our drive way looking for handouts. We have tried to avoid feeding them because of this and the dogs have helped kept them distrustful of us for most of the time we’ve been here. However, our cheerios and pond food must have been just too good to pass up.

Have you ever watched ducks mating? It is very violent. The male chases the female and then grabs the back of her neck in his beak. Then, he holds her head under water, only bringing it up occasionally so she can breathe. The first time we saw this we tried to ‘rescue’ the female by yelling at the male thinking he was trying to kill her! This time I had my camera, so we just watched and videotaped (is there is a market for duck porn?). Now the interesting part is that, well, male ducks have corkscrew penises. I mean like curly cue pasta, and I have tape to prove it! Wow, what they didn’t teach me in biology class! Anyway, the female duck started waiting at the dock for us in the evening when we’d go out to feed the fish and turtles. Figuring she was pregnant, I made sure she got her fair share before the fish pushed her out the way. Last week, she was there as usual, but this time she was accompanied by eight, itzy bitsy little balls of fluff! They were so cute, trailing behind mama swimming as fast as they little web feet could go. She guided them along the shore so they could nibble up whatever goodies little ducks nibble on, while she waited patiently swimming off to the side. Sometimes she’d move on and the little ones would scamper to catch up to her, the littlest one bringing up the rear! After a while she brought them over to the dock. She let them gobble up the cheerios for a moment before moving them on to a spit of alligator weed along the shore, I guess so could eat their vegetables and not fill up on treats! Such a sensible mama duck! Of course my dogs just couldn’t believe all those wonderfully chase-able little creatures coming right up to the dock and no way to run after them. And yes, just in case, both little dogs wear life jackets! So far none of them have tried to jump in, but Mattie has run off the dock onto the creek bank trying to get them. Now she gets her own cheerio if she sits still and just watches them. I love our creek!