Check up with Oncologist today and as promised my continuing saga with my neighbors

Okay, so today I go in to get my blood drawn and to see my Oncologist and talk about how my first chemotherapy session went.

I have a few questions for the Dr. re's: I am having pain in the bottom of my rib cage area, started off a few days ago kind of bad (had me crying) and then easing off till it's barely noticeable now.  I thought it might be gas (embarrassing admission here ~ have had bad gas off and on since my colectomy in Sep 2008, it embarrasses me to no end when I am with Tom and it just happens.  He tries to make me feel at ease and even will get me laughing and push on my stomach to make it continue (yeah we are silly like that but it's wonderful to be with someone such as he that can make me laugh even in the middle of being embarrassed) but I want to ask my Dr. about that also. I also have been having coughing spells really bad and maybe that is what is making my ribs hurt?

Have a little bit of a sore throat way in the back of my throat and been sneezing and blowing my nose lately so maybe I have a touch of a cold?  All Dr's questions for today.

Side effects of the chemotherapy?  Almost none, except for a bit of fatigue, the nausea and vomiting the first night (my fault I think for gorging) and a touch of nausea a day or so in between last Monday and today, and the very slightest of tingles when I touched or drank something cold that went away fast yes I can even get in the cold pool (just up to my waist in concern for my almost healed port and neck wound) with no tingles or anything and no pain in my hands or feet or loss of feeling, a bit of diarrhea once in a while but other than that  there has been nothing so I am very hopeful this will continue although I know the 2nd and 3rd treatments from other peoples experiences have really been when the side effects kick in.

Okay so on to my neighbors.

I met and moved in with Tom February 8th of this year.  He is a big bear of a man with a heart of gold and is seperated from his wife (his story to tell not mine but not his fault, not her fault, just happened).  We live in a small apartment complex and he was friends with an elderly lady (JoAnn) and a guy who has diabetes, and all kind of other problems (Lonnie) about my age.

We had a habit of going downstairs to JoAnns to have coffee and read the paper and generally shoot the chit for a few hours each day.  I made the mistake of thinking that his friends could be my friends.  I was friendly, open, honest, genuinely concerned about them (there were also others that came over to JoAnns': Rich & Shanna and Bryan & Kathy)

Well everything was going fine so I thought, one day something happened and I got a bit insecure and started drinking just for that day (I used to drink a lot but not anymore in fact it's truly once in a blue moon I have even one drink) ended up telling a bit more of Tom's and my business than I should have but nothing that would make someone hate me or anything.  (Tom forgave me for my insecurity and "lapse" and truly we have never had an argument or a cross word between us, he is such a wonderful man he makes my life wonderful.  He is a buddhist and I try to follow his examples and his mindset of karma and such.)

Fast forward a couple of weeks and one of the girls in the complex came to me and told me that JoAnn and the "crowd" had made the statement that Tom deserved better than me and why in the world was he with me. (He was dating very beautiful and thin women before but they were users, me okay 49, a bit overweight but still I am not ugly! DUH! and I am definitely not a user, I want to make Tom's life better, happier and easier and I feel and hope that I do so in all areas, He always says He is happy with me and to me that is all that counts) this hurt my feelings and I confronted JoAnn. 

Because I had the "AUDACITY" to call the old biddy on her statement and make her tell the truth about them instead of "Oh I would never say that" then talk about me behind my back.  She went to the Apt. Manager and made all kinds of complaints about me (okay so when I first moved in I didn't have a bathing suit and went in the pool in a tshirt with no bra (sue me) and yes we had a key to JoAnn's place and I would bring her soda cans (she recycles) and if she was sleeping I would open the door and put them just inside her door, and yes Tom and I kiss and hug in the pool but DAMN PEOPLE come on!!!!)  Tom got a letter and he confronted her and so did I.

From that day to this day JoAnn, Rich & Shanna, Bryan & Kathy go out of their way to shun me, to talk about me not to my face but behind my back but loudly enough for me to hear, and to tell everyone else to stay away from me.  Lonnie talks to me and Tom and has coffee with us down by the pool in the morning but he is still friends with the others and although I would never ask him to stop being friends with them, this little feeling, you know the one, the one that knows the truth even when you would rather ignore it? tells me that he tells them any and everything Tom and I say and gossips with them about me also.

AND lately I was told blatantly that everyone thought I was lying when I said I had cancer! Why would I lie about something like that????? I just don't know about people.

I have never done anything to anyone of them except stand up to a malicious, gossipy old biddy and I get this treatment, it used to hurt and still does once in awhile especially when I hear "why doesn't she just die already?"  But ..................... I have something they will never have, my love of my life, the greatest love of my life, the one who has mended me and made me a better woman, Tom.  And that is all I ever need.

Okay will post more when I get back from the Dr's, have a great day everyone ..........................