"The Stupids"

After dropping Robby at school, every day this week I've been driving directly to the hospital for an injection in preparation for the bone marrow donation on Friday. Before I began the regiment, I tried to research the side effects of the medication that has been prescribed. Unfortunately I uncovered little information about what might be in store. I was surprised that all of the donor testimonials that I found touted the intrinsic joy of providing the gift of bone marrow but no references to the preparation process. The absence of information began to concern me as I wondered why donors didn't chronicle their experiences.

The donation coordinator warned me that I could experience "muscle and joint pain, discomfort at the injection site and sluggish cognitive processing" as a result of the injections. My mind was instantly eased by her words. After all, I've been through far worse!  It has been several days, and I can attest that I now feel like an 85 year old woman with a sore bum and a severe case of what my family and friends have lovingly dubbed "the stupids."  My inability to think clearly is, without doubt, the most inconvenient side effect!

Tuesday morning I baked Mr. Bill a plate of cookies and went over to his house to deliver them. Mr. Bill looked confused when he answered the door asking me if I ate the cookies on the walk over to his house. D'oh! I had left the plate of cookies on my kitchen counter.

In the afternoon I became lost on my way home from work. When I finally got home I became frantic because I couldn't locate my car keys. When I finally found the spare keys, I grabbed a Hershey Kiss and headed out the door to pick up Robby. I was half way through my chocolate treat before I realized I had forgotten to unwrap it!

Stumbling out to the kitchen yesterday morning in search of my first cup of coffee, I quickly became irate when my Keurig wasn't working. I kept pressing the button but nothing was happening. I even pulled out the machine and unplugged it from the wall, allowing time for it to reset. Despite my attempted fixes, I wasn't getting any coffee. Finally, I had a eureka moment. I pressed the power button, turning the machine on.

I dug through Robby's closet to find his outfit for school. It was only after he was dressed and heading out the door that he nonchalantly asked why he was wearing his Valentine's Day shirt since his party wasn't until Thursday. I quickly changed his shirt and we headed to school.

Knowing that I was forgetful, I kept reminding myself all day about a weekly 3:00 conference call and was was proud of myself when I dutifully called in at the assigned time. Nobody ever picked up on the other end. I kept the receiver to my ear for 10 minutes before I realized that it was still Wednesday. My weekly conference call doesn't happen until Thursday.

After my conference call snafu, I decided that it was time to sit down and regroup. Sitting in my favorite chair, I put my feet up on the couch and became comfortable. That is when I realized how I was dressed for work.

Thankfully, the bone marrow harvesting takes place tomorrow so I only have another few days of "the stupids." For my own safety, I am keeping my activities to a minimum. The only thing I have to do today is attend Robby's Valentine's Day party at school (his shirt is already picked out) and a conference call (I already have the number programmed into my phone.) Scott is joking about putting the child safety locks on the oven so I don't get hurt while he's at work. Although I know he is kidding, part of me realizes that I might not be able to figure out the lock!

**Before I forget (which could occur at any time) I wanted to wish everybody a Happy Valentine's Day!**