Turned lemons into lemonade

After a horrible morning (see previous post) at Northridge Hospital, Mom and I stopped for breakfast on the way home from the hospital and decided we'd go home, take a nap, and then when the sitter leaves mid-afternoon we would take Cooper to the pool and just unwind. We spent a couple of really relaxing hours at the pool, watching Cooper putter around in his floatie in the baby pool which is so shallow that Cooper can touch the bottom with his feet while in the floatie. It's fun to watch him as he realizes he can move about all on his own without mom or grandma holding onto him. He wore himself out doing this and then proceeded to take a 2 hour nap from 4-6pm so of course we had to wear him out again this evening to get him tired enough for bed. Cooper is my pride and joy - my best reason for winning this fight. I love him so much. While relaxing at the pool my mom pointed out that this morning's mishap and the new procedure team/date gives me some time to breathe before the next procedure and treatment starting. Every week I've had something done which has brought more and different types of discomfort and that could be the pattern throughout the treatment as I discover which side effects I will experience. But between now and the 10th of July I won't be poked, yanked on, cut into, or injected. I can actually focus on healing more, on spending quality time with my family before things get even crazier. I was concerned that the earliest date I could get the port placement scheduled with the UCLA surgeon is just a couple days before chemo would start because I had read it should be placed 1-2 weeks ahead of time but the surgeon's assistant told me that was not true and that it could be placed and used for treatment as early as the same day. I will call the oncologist to verify that tomorrow but if that's indeed the case then I'm glad I didn't get it today, mishap or not. Next series of procedures now includes expander inflation on the 10th, port installation on the 13th, chemo starting on either 14th or 16th. It's a lot, so I'm glad to have this little break between now and then.