Third Roommate

Thursday October 10, 1991

My new roommate Shelly is a big baby. Big deal when she has to give blood. She's young and Jewish--that explains it. She's nice. She's 9-1/2 weeks pregnant and having unexplained pains.

They took the tube out this morning but still no food until tomorrow. Frank called--he's going to his folks to fix a few things.

I continue to tolerate the pain quite well. This third day should have been a bad day but I didn't feel a difference. Maybe gas pains would have made a difference but still no gas pains, only belching. I'm walking more and more and walking quite straight now.

Cathy Murphy comes to visit a couple of hours. She brings a beautiful arrangement of flowers. I receive another beautiful arrangement from Myra, Jeannie and Linda. They were supposed to visit today but didn't make it.

Gary, Maria, boys and Frank visit this evening, then they go out to eat.

Way to add insult to injury! Mom is starving and has not had a bite of food for several days. Now her family is going out to a restaurant without her. At least she finally got that damn feeding tube removed today!

So her new roommmate Shelly is Jewish and that's why she doesn't like to have her blood drawn? I don't see the connection. What I am wondering is how this woman is going to make it through the pain of childbirth if she can't stand needles!

So Tired Lately

Monday September 9, 1991

Gene's actual birthday today!

Frank gets up early by the alarm and heads for Lemona. I sleep in til 8:30. Don't know why I'm so tired lately. It's starting to bug me. I seem to need 10-11 hours of sleep of late. Can't stay awake much past 9 p.m. Tonight is the first class for square dancing where we'll be "Angels". We're looking forward to it. Marty and Cathy and Robbie and Dolores will be there. It should be great fun!

I stay home today to wash and clean. It's nice not going to the valley.

My hair is so thin I can hardly manage it today. Seems like it's getting worse. Some thinning is chemo. Breakage and short hairs are probably perms and bleaching. No perms for awhile. Hopefully it will get better now that chemo is finished.

I can see why mom would be tired keeping up with her fast past while undergoing chemotherapy. I'm glad to see she's finally getting some sleep. If she is managing to go square dancing she can't be all that weak!

I have the same hair as Mom, thin, baby fine, and straight as a stick! Mom gave me perms from the time I was a toddler to give me some body and curls, and I continued to get perms well into my 40s, but found I could never perm and color, as there was just too much breakage. In fact, I remember the last time mom gave me a perm my hair broke off where the bands came in contact with my hair and it took months for the damaged broken hair to grow out. Now I keep it short, unpermed and highlighted with blonde and copper highlights. I remember Mom spending 30 minutes on her hair every morning while we visited in the huge master bathroom of her Simi Valley home. She would use a curling iron all over her head, then backcomb to give it some lift and finally spray with loads of hairspray that made us both cough. Sometimes I wonder if all those hydrocarbons she breathed every day for years are what gave her cancer. Even when we were camping, she put on makeup and fixed her hair every day.