New New New

So it's been an eventful couple of months. I've been feeling like a million times better. I am off the Vorinostat and am in the middle of my second cycle of British MOPP. It finally got to the point where I couldn't handle Vorinostat's side effects. I was always tired, fatigued, nauseous, not eating, cold, getting muscle cramps, needing blood transfusions.... I was generally unhappy. I took Vorinostat for about 5 months and my results had started to plateau so it was time to start something else. British MOPP is a combination of pills and an IV chemo injection. Physically and emotionally I feel much better. I have the energy to do things and not just that but the desire to want to do things. I'm eating better and have happily put on some weight (thanks to the Prednisone). Sometimes I'm a little too hyper (again the Predisone) and it's a little weird because I feel like I could literally bounce off the walls, I prefer it to the listlessness I had with Vorinostat. The biggest drawback: no cheese! When I'm on the 2 week pill cycle I can't have cheese, smoked foods, yogurt, bananas, and alcohol. Something about how my body can't break down something in those foods. Thanks goodness it's not all the time but 3 weeks out of the month. It's easier than I thought it would be but still terrible when a Dorito or pizza craving hits. Or when I can picture how good lasagna would be right about the time I can't have it.

The only problem now is hoping that it will work at continuing to chip away at my Hodgkin's. I mean I feel great.... Doesn't necessarily mean I'm doing great. More like doing well. Not great, just well. Not any worse, not any better. Kinda sucks because there's no foreseeable end. Just gotta keep on truckin.

So, I've created a little family. It's me, Clay, the fish, and a new kitten!!! Yes I brought her to Clay's a little under 2 weeks ago. One day I decided I was getting a kitten and that was that. I got her from a shelter and she's tiger stripped with black and brown. Unfortunately she's not fixed yet because she had a little cold she had to get over first and the vet at the shelter told me to bring her back at the end of the month when the cold is gone and she's gained a little more weight. She's doing really well. Of course she was scared of us at first and would hide under the futon but she's pretty affectionate now. She loves perching on our shoulders and sleeping with us on the bed. She's too cute!!! We are having a naming issue. Clay keeps calling her Dougie Meowzer and Catten. I wanted to name her Kiki but it doesn't seem like it's going to stick. Anyways she's going to be staying at Clay's because it's the only way I can ensure Snub won't get her. My immune system is still weak so I shouldn't really have gotten her but she's made me so happy. Clay feeds her and I wear gloves and a mask when I clean her litter box. I'll try to be as careful as I can so that I don't get sick. But yes we're one big happy family now!

Clay decided he wants to buy a house so we had been house hunting the last several weeks. The thing is that he found some he likes and he's made some offers but they haven't worked out. The goal is to buy a house by next year. We'll see how that plays out. I had been holding my breath but I think I'll just breathe and see what happens. I'm thinking about moving in with him by the end of this year. I guess it's time to just take that step. I had been really apprehensive, mostly because I was scared of vulnerability. But if not now then when? I'm actually looking forward to it a little. The 2 of us. Might be nice.

I ended up getting a new laptop. It's a Dell and I'm happy to have a working laptop. The only thing, I don't like the new Internet Explorer. It's so slow so I've started using Mozilla Firefox instead.

Things are going well. I've spent a little too much money lately but everything I've bought has made me so happy! A new sweater, scarf (purple, my new favorite color), shirt, boots, bag..... My favorite is a Marc Jacobs gold bag I bought on Ebay. Yes it was gently used and I don't care. It was a bag I always wanted that is no longer available and I still got it for less than 50% of its original retail value. I took it to a handbag repair place and they cleaned the lining and touched up the corners and now it looks brand new.

I went to a wedding a month ago as well. It was my friend Jorge and Michelle's wedding. It was really beautiful and it was great seeing my old college friends. We had an unfortunate incident with some ostriches but we were able to walk away unscathed. Basically they looked at me like they wanted to eat me and they stole my feeding pail out of my hand. I'm never getting near ostriches again. Other than that, it was a beautiful ceremony. That's 2 down now! Adri and Jorge. Actually it's 4, if I include Iris and Karyna. Everyone's started to marry off.......

My friend Adri is pregnant and I am so happy for her. She's gonna be a mama! I think maybe I'll get her lots of little baby socks one day. Or a diaper cake like on Sex In The City.

So for Halloween Clay dressed up as crazy Britney Spears (complete with half shaven wig) and I was preggers Lynne Spears (complete with prego belly and blond wig). We went to one of my co-worker's party where yes I had a lot of fun and yes I had too much to drink. Still lots of fun.

Work is going well too. The Holiday Season is coming up! It's an exciting time in retail. It's been a little slow so I'm hoping people will start shopping again soon.

So it was Clay's birthday yesterday. I got last weekend off and his friend Dustin and his girlfriend Diana came down from Fresno. On Saturday Diego came over to Clay's for a carne asada and he, Clay, Dustin, and I went to the USC vs. Cal game (Diana came the following day). Of course USC won so we enjoyed the game. The next day we went to Roscoe's for lunch and Korean BBQ for dinner. Now I just want to say that the last several Sundays I've made Clay take me to either Roscoe's for fried chicken and waffles or La Taquiza for tacos. For those who've never had Roscoe's, you don't know the joy! Anyways, it was a nice little weekend with his friends. Yesterday I gave him USC Alumni license plates and dinner at Arnie Morton's Steakhouse. It was delicious. We had a day of running errands and then walked to the restaurant for dinner. It was just so normal. I hope he enjoyed his day.

So yes Obama will be our new prez! I have to admit, I got emotional when it was announced. I didn't think I would but the tears just kinda welled up. I was a history major so I think it affected me in that historical significance sense. The image of Colin Powell looking like he's ready to sob was also striking. It was great, just great.

Anyways, so yes that's what's been going on. Lots of newness. New chemo, new cat, new bag, new shoes, new clothes, new energy.

The only thing that will suck about moving in with Clay is that I have so many address labels with my current address. I would have to throw them all away. These are my charity address labels too. I would have to start all over again. And I saved the nice ones too.

I forgot to mention, British MOPP doesn't make my hair fall out! So it's growing in all lush and curly. Way too curly. The best thing that's happened is that I feel normal again. Well, as normal as I'm going to get that is.