I have kept journals since I was eight or nine years old, most of which were filled with mundane and unimportant misspelled information about whatever was on my mind that day. Forgetful disinterest created voids of missing entries, but, overall, I did keep it updated. After diagnosis, I kept secondary journals for things that I deemed special enough to warrant their own small books. One of these was my "Jessica's 14 day visit" journal, dating August 9th- 22nd, 1988.
Jessica O. was a friend I was born to have, as our mothers have been best friends since they were twelve years old. About three years before the visit, there was a time that she, her mother, and brothers lived with us. We were young and would argue about which of our 45 lb bodies had less room in the full-sized posted bed we shared, inching ourselves closer to the edge until three more girls our size could have laid in between us! We would also spy on our brothers and giggle until I got the hiccups. It is safe to say that she and I shared a special bond and her 14 day visit did, indeed, demand its own journal!
I found "Jessica's 14 day visit" with another one that my mom kept at the time. My handwriting was shaky from the prednisone I was on at the time and my spelling was horrible, but I will enter it was written. Below, my entries are in black, with notes of interest in blue, and my mom's are in green. (I should also note that my little brother William, aka "Billy" in these entries, was in OH visiting family for most of those 2 weeks.)
8-9-88 "First Day"
We picked Jessica up from the airport at 1:40pm. We went to Vanderbuild medical center for some radiation treatment. Then we came home. Jessica and I had dinner and played a wail and went to bed.
8-10-88 "Secound Day"
We got up. We got prepared for a visit to the clinic. We had a long day at the clinic. I had radiation and cytoxyn and a unit of blood. Yuck! That took almost 10 hours. We stayed their from 9:00am-5:45pm. We went to dinner at Misses Winners. Then we went home. We got prepared for bed. Then went to bed. I had a hard night. I threw up almost every 10 minnuts all night. Manly cause I couldn't take my medicine to later.
The girls and I came to clinic early. Beth had counts taken, Red count too low (16) so she had to have RBC transfusion. But absolute neutrophil count and platelets are ok to get cytoxin...really didn't expect it already. Went to radiology - had IV already to start hydration before the cytoxin. They gave the cytoxin, then the blood; we were at the clinic from 9am-5:40pm! Beth had thrown up even before we left, it was the beginning of a very rough night. Even with the anti nausea and vomiting medicine at one point Beth was vomiting every 10 minutes. I slept in the recliner, Beth on the couch so we wouldn't wake up Jessica and Mark.
(It was one of those nights that I remember entirely too well- and another reason why the "c" word (aka, cytoxin) is considered a bad word amongst those of us treated with it! Talk about a long day for someone not accustomed to the long chemo days, though - Jessica was a trouper and made that horrid day more fun!)
8-11-88 "Third day"
We went to Vanderbuilt to get a spinal tab and to run me threw with flouds. OW! That spinal hert! Then I got radiation. Then we went home. We played a while. We ate supper and played some more and went to bed. (I believe this is where the infamous story of how Jessica got upset watching the spinal and I told Ann, the nurse, that Jessica had her mother's tender heart - or something of the likes. :))
We called Ann in the morning and she said to come on into the clinic for some IV fluids before her spinal. So we left before 8am and had fluids, spinal, and radiation - left about 12:30 or 1pm and went to Mrs. Winners for lunch, then went to Hickory Hollow Mall; Beth felt much better. The girls bought themselves an Island skipper, I bought...them each a porcelain doll.
8-12-88 "Forth Day"
We got up and went to Vanderbuilt for a quick radiation. Then we went to dad's work. Dad, mom, Jessica, and I all went out to pizza hut! Then we met aunt Susan and went to Opreland! And boy did we have fun! We watched some shows and rode lots of rides. We came home it was around 10:30 when we got back. We went strait to the sheets!
We went to radiation then Opryland for the afternoon and evening with Susan. Ate lunch with Mark at Pizza Hut - was crowded...
(This was a wonderful day - last day of the ten radiation treatments and the start of a four day break from clinic! For whatever reason, another vivid memory of that day is of Mom and Jessica, on the other side of the glass in radiology, telling the tech. that we were getting to go to Opryland that afternoon. :))
8-13-88 "Fith Day"
Saturday me-o-my. Dad watched me and Jessica, mom went to work. Dad went on a bike ride and to get some wood. Me and Jessica stayed home. Dad brout the wood back and made me and Jessica some lunch. Me and Jessica cleaned up. We got Billy's room ready for painting. Mom came home and was sirprized! We had supper. Then we played some. We went to bed. (Mom was in barber college - I called it "work," but it was actually school.)
Sat- School for me. Mark put shelves up in Beth and Billy's closets.
8-14-88 "Sixth day"
We got up and waited for mom to get back from church. She got back and made lunch. Then mom and dad painted. Me and Jessica spied! We got to paint a little. Mom finished painting it Blue. We ate dinner. We talked about Dolly parten's pumpkins, Laura Ingalls apples, and chaka will shock ya! We played some more and went to bed. (I believe that only Dad, Mom, Jessica, and I completely get this reference - if I ever wondered what dinner conversation initiated this infamous joke, here it is on Aug 14th of 1988!)
Sun- painted Billy's room and closet.
8-15-88 "Seventh day"
We got up and ate brefest. Me and Jessica spied on Mom. We made two great clubs. It was so much fun. Then we went to regester for school. I can't wait to start. Then we went to Kelly's b'day party. It was a big bore! We went home and ate. And I threw up because of my pill! We went to bed. (We made our secret spy club, folder and all, that day. I have it somewhere in storage. We took it very seriously and kept it up in the years to come - secret spies! I also remember the birthday party - it was at some restaurant and no one really knew how to act around me. There were all these little 10 year old girls who had no idea what to say (or not say) to a balding girl their age - all chubby from steroids and not really looking like the friend they remembered. I do remember Jessica and I stifling giggles about this or that. It was boring, though! I should also add something else about Jessica - she never treated me differently than before. I wasn't an alien or some mis-formed oddity to either gawk at or be wary around, I was just Beth. She brought me a much needed normalcy, making those two weeks even more special!)
8-16-88 "Eighth day"
We got up and played a while. We got prepared for a big day with the Japanesses. I desided to take my pills in the morning. And I desided to take the liquid. We went to Mrs. Okoto. It was so much fun. We ran some arends. Then we came home and ate some dinner. Then we watched Never Ending Story. We went to bed. (I really don't know why taking my pills in the morning would have been such a big deal, but I guess it was. I do remember what we had for lunch that day - Octopus soup! I think Jessica and I filled up on tea more than the soup, though.)
8-17-88 "Ninth Day"
We got up and went to clinic. I had a spinal tab and OW! It hurt worse than ever. Then we went to show biz. We went to sears and I almost fainted and I started geting noseated. We went to K-mart and I threw up. I kept it up a while. Mom gave me some Benidrill. I felt better. We watched Retern of the Jedi and Billy came home. We went to bed.
Clinic- Beth had a spinal and Ara-C. Needs blood (RBCs) but will wait till Friday AM. Went to showbiz for lunch then to sears to see about bedspread for Billy. 105 degrees sunny, HOT, Beth nearly passed out. felt sick, left as quick as possible. Went to K-mart to get Beth's Rx (slept in the car there). She threw up in Kmart - was so sick. I felt so bad for her - home, she napped - threw up again. Billy came home tonight.
(I remember that spinal tap - I really do think it hurt worse than any other one I have ever had. I did think of this day somewhat recently, though - not because of the spinal tap, but because of throwing up into a plastic shopping bag from K-mart! I had a Target bag in our trunk en route home from a recent trip. When my eldest got a little car sick, I got it out and gave it to her - told her that I had used one like it when I was her age.)
8-18-88 "Tenth day"
We got up . We didn't do much that day. We slept in a tent it was great. (I obviously wrote this the next day or something of the likes. :) It must not have been eventful, as mom also didn't journal that day.)
8-19-88 "Eleventh day"
We got up and went to the clinic. I got a unit of blood. Then we went to comberland musium it was great. It was so much fun. We went home and prepared for Wellers coming. We had a great time with the baby. We went to bed and slept great. (I am guessing this was the unit of RBCs that Mom said that I would need Friday. I remember having fun with that cute little baby girl.)
Blood transfusion.
8-20-88 "Twelth Day"
Gosh today's Saturday. Mom said dad would do something fun, wrong....but we did get something acomplished. We got my closet painted. That night we went out to eat with Mcgarthars. We had a fun time and great sleep.
School - Mark painted Beth's closet.
8-21-88 Thirteenth Day"
We got up and watched two movies. Three on the run. Blue yonder. They were great then we went to the open house. It was fun. We packed up. We had to get to bed early because tomorrow Jessica leaves. We slept fine. (It really must have been a slow day to watch two movies! I know I was already bummed because Jessica was leaving! It also marked 2 months since the day I was diagnosed!)
8-22-88 "Forteenth Day"
We got up and waved goodby it was fun to have Jessica. We will miss her. We went to by school stuff. I sure miss Jess. Well I was able to sleep fine, but I'm nervos about school. (This was a Monday and the next day was a half day of school - I did have a good reason to be nervous about school, but that is another blog story.)
Jessica went home.
I think I might have to dig out other journals from that summer - but those two weeks were, by far, that summer's best! Thank you, Jessica O.
