Thursday, May 19, 2011

I’m a monster!

No…! I’m a vampire… oh well, maybe a vampiry monster… who’s to know…

It was another round of tests in 2009. We just found out that the Interferon (chemo) did something with my eye sight and it needed testing.

 It was extremely frustrating for me to accept that when you (yes, you) get a little “auwie” (pain) somewhere, the doctor, husband, wife, kids, tell you to not be such a puss and get over it, where as I whenever I had a little “auwie”, little pain, rash, concern, or imaginative problem, I needed to be checked out completely, by different doctors multiple times!

So when I told the doctor that i thought my vision was getting a little blurry, guess what she told me to do…. Yep, get my buttocks into the best eye doctor’s office and have me checked out.

I had NEVER been to an eye doctor before. I didn’t need it. My vision was perfect and there was absolutely no reason to go there. So I was very surprised to see all the “tools”, huge chair and several interesting bottles on the desk. The eye doctor was a very sweet young man and asked me what the problem was. I told him about the cancer, chemo and blurry vision.

First we started with the eye test. Looking true a funny tool thingy and read the letters or numbers. I thought I did pretty good. Then he started to put my face in some kind of a cup holder and I needed to look true several little discs with holes in them and read some more numbers and letters. After the readings and me still thinking that I did pretty good, we started with the (incredibly nasty) light in the eyes.


While he was shinning that bright light in my eyes I needed to look up , down, right, left and again with the other eye… I figured this was gonna be it and he would tell me I would be fine and that I needed to be a little though and not be such a puss and then I would go home.

Well, the fun just started after that!

He put some drops of stuff out of those little bottles, in my eyes…. Red and yellow stuff and made me look true the little discs again. But this time it hurt! I did NOT sign up for this, yep the little puss came out!

The last drops were something “special”…

He put them in my eyes and told me to sit and wait until they had enlarged my pupils so he could look into the back of my eyes. “Okiedokie…”

About 15 minutes later I could NOT SEE ANYTHING up close anymore and only a little bit far off and the LIGHT! O MY GOSH, THAT LIGHT… I was pretty scared but apparently that‘s normal. He looked at the back of my eyes and found some “disturbing” things. Which was not funny but it was what we (as in the oncologist) found out later was expected to be a side effect of the chemo.

What was funny though was the fact that I was so HIGH AS A KITE of all the drugs they gave me and the fact that I had these HUGE pupils only made my mood even BETTER! We had to go to the hospital right after we got done at the eye doctor for chemo treatment and i really thought this was my day...

To every nurse, and yes I mean every nurse, doctor, patient, or whomever wanted to listen at the hospital I literally yelled; “I’M A MONSTER, I’M A MONSTER!!!”


And no, they didn’t get it… well, until they saw my eyes and understood my joke…
And then there were the ones that just thought I lost my mind, even after seeing my eyes…
And there was Bastiaan, pretty embarrassed to walk beside me, to make sure I didn’t run into any doors or walls…

Oh, it was a great day and I had one of the best chemo treatments ever! I’m pretty sure I fell asleep halfway true the treatment because of all the excitement and yelling but my gosh it was fun!


...

32 comments:

Unknown said...

Good grief! There are very few dull moments in your life; although, I rather think you would settle for fewer rather than more craziness. The best news is that you are telling this story looking back. You just have to do a small adjustment to shift your eyes and look forward to a wonderful future!

TexWisGirl said...

you must have been a handful that day!!!

so i guess your eyesight rallied and is okay again? (the damage from the chemo - not the drops and stuff...)

Clint said...

You are a brave woman. I can only imagine how you felt through all of this. Thank you for sharing.

Nancy said...

Must have been a pain in combination with the chemo. When it rains, it pours!

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

I hope your eyesight has come back fully! What a strong person you must be to go through all this poking and prodding....not that you really had a choice in the matter. As always, very inspiring to read your posts:)

Samantha said...

Girl, you absolutely crack me up..your sense of humor just amazes me, with all you've been through!

Unknown said...

What a difficult challenge! I hope it comes back in full force.

Oak Creek Ranch said...

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Julia said...

Did your eye sight came back normal after chemo? I had veins burned on my left arm by the chemo. I was told that the chemo was so strong that if it got on my skin that it would leave a scar. I can see ridges on my arm where my veins used to be. You are a great story teller. JB

It's me said...

What a story !! happy weekend....love Ria....xxx...

Tammy said...

My Mom just finished 6 months of Chemo. She will have her bone marrow checked again next month. She has some funny stories of her own. It is good to find humor when you can. I think it is a sign of being a SURVIVOR! I will have to tell her about your blog.

Lori Skoog said...

Leontien...I just caught up with your posts! Have to say that I loved the wedding "saga" and the beautiful photographs of you two at the end. A very beautiful bride. I think I wrote to you before about our daughter, who had a double mastectomy at age 37...is about to be 41 and doing very well! You sound fantastic!

Dawson Cattle Company said...

Your humor! You make me smile...I hope that your eyesight is back to normal.. I assume you are saving that for anothe tidbit of "your story" keep them coming. have a great weekend!

Buttons Thoughts said...

You hang in there you are doing great. I absolutely think your sense of humour will get you through this tough time. Looking at Brad Pitt works for me. Take care and keep laughing OK. B

MadSnapper said...

well we all know you can still see and write and type so this means a happy ever after ending of which i am a big fan. you described the process perfectly. most people the big eyes go away in 3 hours, my system is very slow so mine last about 8 hours, i make my appointment once a year at 4 pm so i can sleep with the eyes big and wake up NOT a monster. enjoyed your yelling

A Work In Progress said...

You have such a great sense of humor, I laughed out loud at "I'm a monster!"!

I have never been to an eye doctor, and now I know I never want to go to one. What torture!

Out on the prairie said...

I hate the drops, but then they give you sunglasses that don't really help.

Alica said...

I've been enjoying catching up with your posts. Your sense of humor must have helped you through some of those not-so-fun times!

Larkrise garden girl said...

Leontien, Eye doctors are always fun to see especially when that bright light comes toward you. As always I am in awe hearing about how you face one battle after another deflecting negitive emotions and trying to have a good attitude. You could be a super hero. Because of your spirit of courage and spunk. Cheri

bon bon said...

your ability to joke through all the torture you go through, just amazes me. the fact that you had chemo afterwards and it was really no big deal, makes me think i have no right to say "ouch" when i stub a toe! :oD

It's me said...

Geen geheimpjes hier hoor...gewoon jezelf zijn net als jij.....liefs van mij...xxx...

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lindy said...

Stopped by to return the follow and came across this blog. You had me at Brad Pit :P Love your ability to laugh through the hard times, God Bless.

Nicole weaver said...

Hey! You are so very strong! You are my hero. I will pray for you. I am returning the love by following you back! You ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nicole Weaver
Trilingual Children's Author
http://mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com

Mama on a Green Mission said...

I'm your newest follower and I want to invite you to link up to our Super Stalker Sunday blog hop - the linky just opened so you can get a good spot if you link up this evening! :)

Have a great night!

April
http://greenmissionmama.blogspot.com

interestingplaces said...

Following you back,thanks
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Kathy said...

hello,
visiting a friend and saw your comment - glad I stopped by - you have an amazing story - and quite a way with words and a sense of humor!
Kathy

Lois Evensen said...

Great post - AND, you have reminded me that I need to have an eye exam - I'm long past time.

:),
Lois

lovinangels said...

I gotta share this. Do you mind?

Cherished Handmade Treasures said...

Hope things are looking up for you. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Sandy~ Cherished Handmade Treasures

MommyDigger.com said...

You have a wonderful sense of humor!

I'm a new follower from the Weekend Blog Hop!
Please stop on by and follow me at http://www.mommydigger.com and say hello :)

Mariah @ FormulaMom.com said...

I'm stopping by from this week's Super Stalker Sunday hop! Thanks for participating! I hope you'll join us again next week!

Mariah, Formula Mom