Baltz, Brazil, and Bread with WHAT?!

I saw Dr. Baltz, my oncologist, today. I had a lot to process after that meeting. I went to the pool at Jadyn's apartment complex and had some good time alone with just God. I did a lot of praising. I did a lot of praying. I did a lot of processing. I did a lot of pampering in terms of simply resting.

Since April 20, everything has been on the verge of emergency, certainly urgent. From finding Elmer Fudge and having a near total bowel obstruction to surgery to permanently evict Elmer from my colon, everything had to happen quickly. Now I have time to exhale, and I took that time before telling anyone about my meeting with Dr. Baltz. I know that worried a few, but I trust that you will forgive me.

I really liked Dr. Baltz. He was factual and straight to the point while still being personable and compassionate. A lot of information was thrown my way, and I know I missed some things, but I will bullet point what I do know:

• Dr. Baltz said he is categorizing this a Stage 4 so he can get the chemo I need.

• He said I was about one month ahead of most of his patients because most come for their first appointment with him at least a month after surgery. My appointment was 10 days after mine. I thank God and Dr. Marotti for that.

• I have quite a blood loss. I want to say I'm down something like 5 units. So the first focus is building my body so I can take the chemo.

• I will see Dr. Baltz every week. Next Monday, I see him at noon and Dr. Marotti at 3:00 pm. Marotti's appointment will be a surgery follow-up and a consult to schedule getting a port.

• I will have 4-5 IV Iron treatments to help build my blood up.

• Scans in 4-6 weeks. Right now, I would just light up like NYC from the space station because of all of the inflammation from the surgery. My focus right now is healing from the surgery and building my body back up.

• Chemo is supposed to start around mid-June. I think he said it would be every 2 weeks. Did not catch the specific chemo I would have. He did not mention radiation.

• Once cleared from Marotti, I have to eat steak and lots of red meat. Those of you who know me know that I have never been a fan of red meat. I'm sure JT and Jean are laughing hysterically because I used to get so many spankings over not wanting to eat red meat.

• I will check in at Baltz's office then go to CHI for treatment.

Most importantly...

I HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO GO TO BRAZIL!!!!! Hearing that was the only time I've cried. I know a lot can happen between now and then, but at least right now--this moment--I have the green light to go, and I will fight to fulfill that. He said he was on vacation that week anyway, so I wouldn't have anything scheduled with him. But God...

I met my mom friends, DaMoms, at Panera Bread for supper. They had asked me where I wanted to go, and all I could think of was tomato soup and a turkey sandwich. I will do my best to capture the scene:

Wide-Eyed Child (I'll call her WEC): May I help you?

Me: I'd like a bowl of tomato soup and a plain turkey sandwich.

WEC: We don't have turkey sandwiches.

Me with a "DO WHAT?" look on my face: Excuse me? You don't have turkey?

WEC: We've got these two sandwiches with turkey.

Me: Ok, give me one of those and take off everything but turkey and mayo.

WEC: So the deli turkey?

Me: Yes that's fine. Just take off everything but turkey and mayo. I just want bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC: You don't want lettuce?

Me: No, I just had surgery and I can't eat any of that except bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC: What about tomato?

Me: No, just bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC: What kind of cheese?

Me: No cheese, just bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC: Do you want mustard?

Me: No. Let me see if I can explain this a bit better. I want a sandwich made with just bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC: Ok. (Hands me my little buzzer signal thingy)

I go sit at the table, and buzzer thingy goes off almost immediately.

I should have known something wasn't right when I got to the counter and there were 2 plates, 1 with my soup and 1 with my sandwich. "That's weird", I thought. WEC must have thought, "Hold my apron."

I get to the table.

Laura: What is that?!

Me, sitting down and not looking at the plates: Tomato soup and a turkey sandwich. Not sure why they put them on 2 plates.

Laura: Where's the turkey?!

OH MY STARS AND COMETS!!!! They had handed me 2 slices of bread with mayo and mustard and NOTHING ELSE!!!

So I walk up to the counter where I picked up the food (using the term loosely): Ummm, there's no turkey on my sandwich.

WEC2: The ticket didn't say to put turkey on it.

Me: Well, I'm pretty sure it didn't say a mayo and mustard sandwich either. I stated very specifically several times that all I wanted was a sandwich with bread, turkey, and mayo.

WEC2: So you want just a turkey sandwich with only bread and mayo?

Me: Yes!

WEC2: You don't want lettuce or tomato?

Me: NO!

WEC2: What about a pickle spear?

Me: Sure.

I stand there for 15 MINUTES watching 3 WECs exhaust every brain cell in their zero-critical-thinking-skills addled brains trying to figure out how to make a PLAIN TURKEY SANDWICH!!! It was painful!!! I almost just went back there and made it myself! At this point, I think they would have been grateful!

While I'm waiting, I hear one say to another customer: "We're out of bread."

Me screaming in my head: "WHAT?!!! Bread is in the name of your store!!!" but I just stood there and watched with sick fascination the fiasco that was taking place in front of my eyes. It was like coming across a train wreck that you really don't want to see but can't pull your eyes away from it.

Finally, after 15 minutes, I took my cold plain turkey sandwich, ate it with my now cold tomato soup, and had the best time with DaMoms. I love those women so much. What a Godly group of friends who absolutely know how to have fun, even at Panera "We Don't Have Any" Bread.