Got Harpooned Today and Almost Eaten by a Giant Armadillo Last NIght!

Today was my day to go get my monthly "harpooning" at MD Anderson.  No, it's not a new sport!  It's my monthly Zoladex shot.  I've often mentioned my monthly Zoladex shot in my Caringbridge postings but have never really gone into detail about it.  All I have to say is that you know it's gonna be a bad shot when MDA won't give you the shot until you have had lidocane cream on for at least 15 minutes and if you didn't happen to bring any cream with you they are more than happy to give you a sample.  What?  I thought MDA DOESN'T DO SAMPLES!!!  I guess they make an exception for Zoladex shots.  I have to have these shots every month to put me into menopause.  Why do I have to be in menopause?  One of the drugs I am on in the clinical trial (Arimidex) is an aromatase inhibitor and can only be given to post menopausal women...this is where the Zoladex come in handy.  Anyway, it's not really a shot but more like an implant.  Think of the movie Matrix, people.  The Zoladex comes in a handy dandy spring-action, pre-filled syringe and has an 18 gauge needle, which is a huge needle!  The funny thing is that I've had many different nurses give me the shot and they ALL (with the exception of 1) tell me how they don't really like to give Zoladex injections.  GREAT!!!!  Just what a girl wants to hear!  They probably see me on the schedule and have a rock, paper, scissors contest to see who gets the honor of "harpooning" me.  Here's some pics of the lovely syringe! Oh, and it's given sub-q in my stomach.  Thank God not in my a$$!

Last night I got to take my Connecticut friends, Suzanne and her husband David, out to eat BBQ at Goode Company.  They were in town for Suzanne's monthly MDA clinical trial visit and for a LIVER BIOPSY!  Suzanne was really nervous about the biopsy - she had already had one done at Sloan Kettering last year.  Thankfully, it went very well with no pain... just a little soreness afterwards.  Things are going well for her so far on Arimidex and Afinitor.  She has two more months before her first CT scan.  Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  We had a great time hanging out at Goode Company and afterwards we just had to walk across the street to Armadillo Palace for a photo op with the giant red-eyed armadillo!!!  Sorry, Seger - next time I'll get a photo with you and the armadillo too!

Finally, I want to leave you all with a quote that I picked up at a store... yes, it's one of those quotable magnets.  I'm a little late to the game.


Happiness is like a butterfly;
the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, 
but if you turn your attention to other things,
it will come and sit softly on your shoulder...
(Thoureau)


Christin, I know we always talk about happiness and it made me think of you!!  


It also made me think of an old friend that I heard from this week, that I haven't heard from in what seems like forever.  Friend, I'm dedicating this quote to you. I hope you find happiness that seems to elude you or is just out of your reach.  Actually, I think happiness is all around you, but you are just too busy to enjoy or even notice it.  I wish you so much happiness, my friend!


I wish you ALL much happiness!