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We got to Oklahoma about 7PM Tuesday evening and that's good enough for us! It was however, even better to pull-up in the driveway and walk in the door.

Yesterday held one awful disappointment. When Martha went to have her Hickman removed, the nurse told her that they did not want to do it before she was through having treatments. She said this so casually, we thought she was joking - when I realized she wasn't joking, there was hell to pay. Ultimately, Dr. Kasow was called over to the surgical clinic and she consulted with Martha and me and the surgical technician who was advising against the removal. The decision came down to Martha (since she's an adult) and Martha decided to leave the line in until July 13th when she has her last dose of chemotherapy. The technician said there could be times when Martha's veins are too hard to access for an IV and that occasionally the Propofol (which is the drug that sedates you) will burn when being administered in a peripheral vein.

You can be assured that I LET THEM HAVE IT! Martha had been really "sweatin'-it" for the previous five days knowing that they were going to pull the line. It takes a lot of energy to focus on mind over matter and prepare to have a tube that is approximately 12 inches long pulled-out from inside your chest while you are completely awake and aware of what's happening. I can't say Martha is disappointed, because she negotiated a deal that allows them to pull the line at the end of her last procedure before she is fully awake. That way she won't really be aware of the procedure happening. My biggest problem with this situation is that it is absolutely WRONG for one department of the hospital to be unable to communicate with a physician prior to the day of the procedure (it was scheduled 5 days before she went to have it removed). The PATIENT has too many disappointments that arise because of the disease alone, lack of communication between caregivers should never add to their disappointments. ARRGHH!

Well we're home now, and we might go back next week for her next treatment, but before that there are two formals to attend, Mexican food to eat and people to see. So WATCH THIS SITE!