Apparently I need a job. I never know what day of the week I'm in and that's a sure sign of the unemployed.
We went to the casino in Marksville yesterday. After losing my six dollars, I found a table in a cafe there and surfed the internet on my WiFi. I was amazed that they allowed patrons inside the casino to be distracted by the internet. The hotel there offers WiFi but usually casinos require a password and of course nobody is going to give it to you. You're there to lose your money to help pay their light bill and their employees. Dropping money into the one armed bandits is not my cup of tea.
Right now I'm watching the tornado that is down on the ground and moving toward Oklahoma City. The northern part of the USA and Canada needs to warm up. Their cold air meeting our warm air is playing havoc with the midwestern states. The devastation caused in Moore, Oklahoma last week and now another one they may change direction and hit them again, my heart hurts for them.
Carrie is spending the weekend with her paternal grandparents and her dad. We miss her. Wednesday she spent most of the day and evening with us. Her Poppy found a website with cartoon drawings and with pen and paper in hand she drew from them. Her first ones were a disappointment to her and she voiced her displeasure.
"One word, Carrie," I said to her..."PRACTICE!"
4 drawings later, a major improvement was noted. By the time she was on her 10th cartoon, she had it down. Eye to hand coordination, she was able to reproduce what she was seeing, her left brain was in use. She is not quite ready to do a portrait but she is close.
I like to expose Carrie to as many activities as possible. She will eventually find her way in what she likes and wants to persue.
It's barely 1900 hrs here and I could crawl into bed and fall asleep. I won't do that as I'm sitting here with one eye on the weather being reported on MSNBC. The storm chasers are reporting as it moves from city to city and even from street to street as it approaches the southern end of Oklahoma City. Live feed pictures are being broadcast. Amazing. Cars are being abandoned as people rush to find a place to hide.
I'll be on my sofa watching the weather and keeping my fingers crossed for a good outcome and no injuries on this latest storm.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Oh! Happy Happy Birthday Teddy
There is a birthday balloon floating in the air above his car attached to the door handle. He will find it when he leaves the house.
We marched into his bedroom at 0830 and rousted him out of bed. It took some time as I'm sure he and his friend had been up all night playing the XBox games. He isn't scheduled to work today so he wasn't in a hurry to get out of bed. I used the magic words that everyone in April's house knows to come to attention when those words are heard.
Ted, it would "behoove" you to get out of bed and open your gifts. One eye popped open but only for a few seconds. He shifted position in bed and pulled the sheet up a little higher. Carrie, April and I were standing at his bedside. We weren't leaving.
He peeked out again and sighed. Flipping back the sheet, he swung his legs to the floor and staggered from his room. He is still asleep but at least he is on his feet.
We made it to the kitchen table where his gifts were stacked. He collected his clothing and his money and said goodnight to us and headed back to his bedroom. I'm sure a few more hours of sleep and he will bound from that bedroom in his usual busy social self. I wanted to make sure his clothes fit in the event they might have to be returned, I had the sales slip. I think we are going to Galveston for one day and night to go to the big water park. We'll do Destin later. It's going to be difficult to get everybody off work at the same time for the Destin trip.
Now for us. The husband just asked what I wanted to do today. I'm clueless but I know I would like to get out of the house. Maybe we will just get in the truck and drive for a while. Maybe head to Baton Rouge or to the casino for a few hours.
Have I mentioned I have my own personal hot spot? Sounds "x" rated doesn't it? I can imagine sharing that information with someone, oh say, 20 yrs ago. It would either be construed as an open invitation or caused a red faced reaction and avoidance for my crudeness.
Texting is just not my thing so I had it blocked on our cell phones. The problem is, I couldn't send pictures to people that requested them because, believe this or NOT, these people did not have the Internet at their homes so I could email them pictures. Also, I realized that sometimes a text message is necessary. Should the husband be somewhere that disallows phone calls, I could always text him with a message. I know there was a few other reasons I justified going down to the AT&T store to get this added to our phones but right now I can't remember them. I was pleased to find, with this upgrade, which will cost us 20.00 extra a month for both phones (10.00 each), I will have now 4 gigs of Internet or data service! WOW!!
I usually don't use my cell phone for data transfer and had only 250 mgs of data allowed so it was too little to really do much with. Adding text message and checking my service, the salesmen informed me that I could change plans for no extra charge and have unlimited texting, calling AND a personal hot spot. I so wanted to make a wise crack about the "personal hot spot" thing but considering my age, he would have thought I was serious. Young men tend to look at a 64 yr old woman and assume they are not tech savvy. Those whippersnappers think we dined on dinosaur eggs and a side of dinobacon when we were their age.
He was a very pleasant young man and never condescending and I didn't want to give him any reason to think he needed to talk slowly and c l e a r l y to me.
You know how that goes. I always feel as though they think I'm mentally challenged when they start using that slow cadence and heavy emphasis on enunciation.
I can now turn on the "hot spot" option when I'm away from Wi Fi and get on the internet anyway. I'll be then using my 4 gigs of data transfer but I'll only turn it on when I'm away from a hotspot for Wi Fi. The kicker to this is...I can turn it on to my phone and then synch my iPad to it and get online with my iPad. My iPad isn't a 4G which means it is just one that you have to find a Wifi ( hot spot) to use it. I use it at home with my Wi Fi (hot spot) or at McDonalds and now there are endless places that I can sign on with it. Many fast food places have WiFi (hotspot) and I can even park in Lowe's parking lot and get online with my iPad. Now I won't have to pull over or find a hot spot. I have my own..my very own.
With my PERSONAL hot spot, I can cruise down the highway with my husband and be on the internet. Can I even begin t tell you how excited I am???? I'm having hot spots just thinking about it. I love technology. I can use my iPhone OR my iPad for a GPS. How kewl is that???
I'm more excited about the personal hot spot thing then I am about texting.
I'm out of here. We are going to go gypsy travel for a while.
Have a grand ole day everyone. I plan on it.
We marched into his bedroom at 0830 and rousted him out of bed. It took some time as I'm sure he and his friend had been up all night playing the XBox games. He isn't scheduled to work today so he wasn't in a hurry to get out of bed. I used the magic words that everyone in April's house knows to come to attention when those words are heard.
Ted, it would "behoove" you to get out of bed and open your gifts. One eye popped open but only for a few seconds. He shifted position in bed and pulled the sheet up a little higher. Carrie, April and I were standing at his bedside. We weren't leaving.
He peeked out again and sighed. Flipping back the sheet, he swung his legs to the floor and staggered from his room. He is still asleep but at least he is on his feet.
We made it to the kitchen table where his gifts were stacked. He collected his clothing and his money and said goodnight to us and headed back to his bedroom. I'm sure a few more hours of sleep and he will bound from that bedroom in his usual busy social self. I wanted to make sure his clothes fit in the event they might have to be returned, I had the sales slip. I think we are going to Galveston for one day and night to go to the big water park. We'll do Destin later. It's going to be difficult to get everybody off work at the same time for the Destin trip.
Now for us. The husband just asked what I wanted to do today. I'm clueless but I know I would like to get out of the house. Maybe we will just get in the truck and drive for a while. Maybe head to Baton Rouge or to the casino for a few hours.
Have I mentioned I have my own personal hot spot? Sounds "x" rated doesn't it? I can imagine sharing that information with someone, oh say, 20 yrs ago. It would either be construed as an open invitation or caused a red faced reaction and avoidance for my crudeness.
Texting is just not my thing so I had it blocked on our cell phones. The problem is, I couldn't send pictures to people that requested them because, believe this or NOT, these people did not have the Internet at their homes so I could email them pictures. Also, I realized that sometimes a text message is necessary. Should the husband be somewhere that disallows phone calls, I could always text him with a message. I know there was a few other reasons I justified going down to the AT&T store to get this added to our phones but right now I can't remember them. I was pleased to find, with this upgrade, which will cost us 20.00 extra a month for both phones (10.00 each), I will have now 4 gigs of Internet or data service! WOW!!
I usually don't use my cell phone for data transfer and had only 250 mgs of data allowed so it was too little to really do much with. Adding text message and checking my service, the salesmen informed me that I could change plans for no extra charge and have unlimited texting, calling AND a personal hot spot. I so wanted to make a wise crack about the "personal hot spot" thing but considering my age, he would have thought I was serious. Young men tend to look at a 64 yr old woman and assume they are not tech savvy. Those whippersnappers think we dined on dinosaur eggs and a side of dinobacon when we were their age.
He was a very pleasant young man and never condescending and I didn't want to give him any reason to think he needed to talk slowly and c l e a r l y to me.
You know how that goes. I always feel as though they think I'm mentally challenged when they start using that slow cadence and heavy emphasis on enunciation.
I can now turn on the "hot spot" option when I'm away from Wi Fi and get on the internet anyway. I'll be then using my 4 gigs of data transfer but I'll only turn it on when I'm away from a hotspot for Wi Fi. The kicker to this is...I can turn it on to my phone and then synch my iPad to it and get online with my iPad. My iPad isn't a 4G which means it is just one that you have to find a Wifi ( hot spot) to use it. I use it at home with my Wi Fi (hot spot) or at McDonalds and now there are endless places that I can sign on with it. Many fast food places have WiFi (hotspot) and I can even park in Lowe's parking lot and get online with my iPad. Now I won't have to pull over or find a hot spot. I have my own..my very own.
With my PERSONAL hot spot, I can cruise down the highway with my husband and be on the internet. Can I even begin t tell you how excited I am???? I'm having hot spots just thinking about it. I love technology. I can use my iPhone OR my iPad for a GPS. How kewl is that???
I'm more excited about the personal hot spot thing then I am about texting.
I'm out of here. We are going to go gypsy travel for a while.
Have a grand ole day everyone. I plan on it.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Wednesday and The Tedster will be 20yrs old tomorrow.
Sipping my coffee, I watched HLN for some news. I scrolled around the channels for different takes on the news. I usually try to get as much information and viewpoints as possible and then I surf the net for the foreign viewpoint on the happenings in the USA. Aljazeera News was banned for a while and only could only be viewed through a mirror site.
Don't be frightened...it's just another source of news and it helps to have a well rounded source of information.
Tomorrow is Ted's birthday. Oh my, how time flies. I can still see him in his diaper, shirtless and standing in front of the TV dancing to Lion King. He could watch it endlessly. When the "hula" part came on, he would leap to his feet and shake his butt. The cutest thing he was and now he's grown and probably wouldn't appreciated this story.
Usually we make a trip to Galveston and go to The Schliterbahm (sp). It's never ON his birthday but somewhere a few weeks later. This year I want to go to Destin for 3 or 5 days. It's more difficult now to go as he has a job and we can't just take off on the spur of the moment. We have to plan it.
Elise and Kristen want to go and there is another hitch to going. They will have to beg time off to go. I'll have to check with them to see how much lead time they will need to notify their jobs of their wishes.
I'm off to go see where Carrie has disappeared to. I know she is outside with her Poppy.
I'm gone for the day. Much to pretty to be inside and the weather here is perfect!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
You've Done This, I know You Have
Your child breaks a rule, destroys something your husband treasures, or does something that you know he will have to face the husband's wrath and who is more of a strict disciplinarian so the punishment might be more severe then you are comfortable with.
So, what do you do? You don't mention it. You apply the discipline and stick with it but you just neglect to tell the husband unless of course it was some major infraction. The little things are left unsaid. We've all done it. Think back.
We are in the process of "touching up" stuff around here. The husband has been doing minor house repairs and his latest project is painting the patio. The columns and the doors were in dire need of some attention. He paints until he gets tired of it at which point he washes out his brush and puts his supplies away until the urge hits him again.
I have been doing some of the same but on the inside of the house. Mine is more organizing and cleaning. This is where I have discovered something I don't want to share with the husband.
It's about Bugsy. She would be in so much trouble if she were here but since she isn't, I will be the one to take the brunt of the assault. I can just hear it now.
"That damn rabbit caused more damage then she is worth!"
"Why did you let her hang out in the dining room? She had a hutch and a run."
We have all the door facings in this house replaced from the cheap builder's trim to the nice fluted facings with the decorative blocks in each corner. There are 15 doors in this house with the decorative trim on each side. It took a lot of time and money to remove all the ugly trim and replace with the fancy door moldings.
In my cleaning spree, I looked down to about a foot up from floor level and noted the fluted door trim had been gnawed. About 5 inches of the trim is missing paint and it's sharp edge. It took only a few seconds for my brain to realize the work of Bugsy.
I plan on getting out the white paint and touching up the raw wood. I won't mention Bugsy's indiscretions. She might need to come back and live here some day. I would like to think she is welcome. I also won't mention the drapes in the dining room with all the holes chewed along the hem.
Bugsy wasn't being destructive. She has to gnaw on wood to keep her teeth from growing too long. I had no idea they would chew on everything. I've learned more about rabbits in this year then I ever thought I needed to know.
Bugsy now lives at the daughter's house in her own condo and private run. Everything plastic has been removed from her house and she has been supplied with chew sticks to keep her teeth at the right length.
Excuse me why I find a paint brush and a bit of white paint. I'll return later.
So, what do you do? You don't mention it. You apply the discipline and stick with it but you just neglect to tell the husband unless of course it was some major infraction. The little things are left unsaid. We've all done it. Think back.
We are in the process of "touching up" stuff around here. The husband has been doing minor house repairs and his latest project is painting the patio. The columns and the doors were in dire need of some attention. He paints until he gets tired of it at which point he washes out his brush and puts his supplies away until the urge hits him again.
I have been doing some of the same but on the inside of the house. Mine is more organizing and cleaning. This is where I have discovered something I don't want to share with the husband.
It's about Bugsy. She would be in so much trouble if she were here but since she isn't, I will be the one to take the brunt of the assault. I can just hear it now.
"That damn rabbit caused more damage then she is worth!"
"Why did you let her hang out in the dining room? She had a hutch and a run."
We have all the door facings in this house replaced from the cheap builder's trim to the nice fluted facings with the decorative blocks in each corner. There are 15 doors in this house with the decorative trim on each side. It took a lot of time and money to remove all the ugly trim and replace with the fancy door moldings.
In my cleaning spree, I looked down to about a foot up from floor level and noted the fluted door trim had been gnawed. About 5 inches of the trim is missing paint and it's sharp edge. It took only a few seconds for my brain to realize the work of Bugsy.
I plan on getting out the white paint and touching up the raw wood. I won't mention Bugsy's indiscretions. She might need to come back and live here some day. I would like to think she is welcome. I also won't mention the drapes in the dining room with all the holes chewed along the hem.
Bugsy wasn't being destructive. She has to gnaw on wood to keep her teeth from growing too long. I had no idea they would chew on everything. I've learned more about rabbits in this year then I ever thought I needed to know.
Bugsy now lives at the daughter's house in her own condo and private run. Everything plastic has been removed from her house and she has been supplied with chew sticks to keep her teeth at the right length.
Excuse me why I find a paint brush and a bit of white paint. I'll return later.
Locked Down
I have decided to lock down this blog. It may be temporary or it may be permanent. I have my reasons.
I had a major meltdown yesterday. After the horrendous, voice stripping wailing, I went in to the soul ripping crying.
They can't "fix" me. I've known this all along but I wasn't ready to hear everything. I finally went in search of information on the Internet. I have Stage 3 colon cancer. With treatment, I may have 5 years. Maybe less. Oh, 5 yrs you say? Sit down and think about the last 5 yrs of your life and how fast it went. Sit down and imagine you know what your life span is. We aren't afforded that information when we are handed a new baby. It would cause most of us to go insane if we were tagged at birth with exactly how many years we had on this earth.
Suppose someone read your palm and said "hey buddy, tough news. looks like 4 yrs for you and your daughter's looks like about 3 years and months in change.
The doctors tell me about all the changes in cancer since I worked the oncology unit. Now I just nod and ignore them. Things haven't changed that much. There is no cure just an extension. That's the same thing we offered when I worked those floors.
I'm still taking the chemo,both infusion and oral. I still have the breast surgery in my future and I wonder why do all this. Why? Because like everyone else, I want to live as long as possible. I have no reason to rush off. To where?
Me and the devout are still at odds on how they can believe or at least espouse to believe in the afterlife and their love of God and how they fight and scream all the way to the grave. How much of a believer in those glorious promises made to them by their minister do they really believe. Shouldn't they be embracing the fact that they are going to meet their maker, dance with their friends and reunite with their loved ones?
I don't get it. I will have another visit with the oncologist next week for another infusion. I want to see the pathologist report on the colon tumor and see the grading on it. The P.A. said it was only staged at at 3 because of it's size. Does that mean there wasn't any lymph node involvement? Where does that put it on the grading system. I know it is staged at a 3 but they do staging AND grading. I've never been told what the grade is.
I try to move along with my life as though everything is normal. The treatment so far hasn't been intolerable. I can tell I have chemicals in my body as I'm very sensitive to anything I ingest. The squeamish stomach, at times gives me pause but all in all, I don't exhibit any outward signs of what is going on inside my body.
I usually brush off any inquiries about my condition. I don't want to have people uncomfortable around me and the big "C" word is not the way to brighten a conversation.
I'm going to try to catch another couple hours of sleep. This shouldn't be posted for public viewing. The lock down should prevent that. I'll be checking to make sure it's now a private blog.
I had a major meltdown yesterday. After the horrendous, voice stripping wailing, I went in to the soul ripping crying.
They can't "fix" me. I've known this all along but I wasn't ready to hear everything. I finally went in search of information on the Internet. I have Stage 3 colon cancer. With treatment, I may have 5 years. Maybe less. Oh, 5 yrs you say? Sit down and think about the last 5 yrs of your life and how fast it went. Sit down and imagine you know what your life span is. We aren't afforded that information when we are handed a new baby. It would cause most of us to go insane if we were tagged at birth with exactly how many years we had on this earth.
Suppose someone read your palm and said "hey buddy, tough news. looks like 4 yrs for you and your daughter's looks like about 3 years and months in change.
The doctors tell me about all the changes in cancer since I worked the oncology unit. Now I just nod and ignore them. Things haven't changed that much. There is no cure just an extension. That's the same thing we offered when I worked those floors.
I'm still taking the chemo,both infusion and oral. I still have the breast surgery in my future and I wonder why do all this. Why? Because like everyone else, I want to live as long as possible. I have no reason to rush off. To where?
Me and the devout are still at odds on how they can believe or at least espouse to believe in the afterlife and their love of God and how they fight and scream all the way to the grave. How much of a believer in those glorious promises made to them by their minister do they really believe. Shouldn't they be embracing the fact that they are going to meet their maker, dance with their friends and reunite with their loved ones?
I don't get it. I will have another visit with the oncologist next week for another infusion. I want to see the pathologist report on the colon tumor and see the grading on it. The P.A. said it was only staged at at 3 because of it's size. Does that mean there wasn't any lymph node involvement? Where does that put it on the grading system. I know it is staged at a 3 but they do staging AND grading. I've never been told what the grade is.
I try to move along with my life as though everything is normal. The treatment so far hasn't been intolerable. I can tell I have chemicals in my body as I'm very sensitive to anything I ingest. The squeamish stomach, at times gives me pause but all in all, I don't exhibit any outward signs of what is going on inside my body.
I usually brush off any inquiries about my condition. I don't want to have people uncomfortable around me and the big "C" word is not the way to brighten a conversation.
I'm going to try to catch another couple hours of sleep. This shouldn't be posted for public viewing. The lock down should prevent that. I'll be checking to make sure it's now a private blog.
Monday, May 27, 2013
We Have Been Too Busy for The Internet
It's the end of the school year and it seems that it signals the end of other endeavors. We went to Carrie's dance recital and the days leading up to it were hectic. Her school had awards day today and we were up early and to the school to be there for her.
Her reading level is 3rd grade 9 months. Carrie can read! She is but a 1st grader but her reading skills granted her a document and a metal. She received other awards along with her peers. Her sister and Kristen showed up along with Maw Kathy, April and myself.
Shane gifted us with tickets to a live theatre performance and yesterday (Sunday) we were at Angelle Hall at the University to watch a live performance of The Little Mermaid. I have mixed feeling about live theatre. I get too distracted by off stage doings; I can't lose myself in it and make myself believe in what is happening on stage. Even the voices used appear to be too loud and too unnatural. Film has ruined me for live performances. I do enjoy ballet and any form of live dance performances. Strange, I know but I can appreciate the difficulty of what the dancers are doing much the same way watching skaters or professional athletes exhibit their skills.
Last year we went to see Beauty and The Beast. We all enjoyed it. This year, the Mermaids looked a bit ridiculous and too unbelievable as they rolled across the stage in their heelies (those shoes with wheels on the heels) while their mermaid tails sprouted from their hips. Ariel was the same girl that performed the lead in Beauty and The Beast. Her voice is beautiful. This is her last year in this group. She is majoring in theatre and is off to LSU next year.
Yes, we have been busy. I had to get a new washing machine and it was delivered today and in a few days, the people from Lowe's will be here to take this one away and leave me with another. I can do a cold wash and a hot wash but NOT a warm wash. I want all the functions of the machine to operate as they should. Is that demanding too much of a new machine? In this day, maybe so.
We checked Carrie out of school today after the awards and signed a paper saying she wouldn't be there tomorrow. I think the teachers are urging everyone to sign those papers. The teachers will still have to go to finish up their paperwork but they won't have to deal with children. I don't blame them for wanting some quiet time to get their work done.
Carrie is having a pool party tomorrow and I plan on being there. Summer has arrived. Hopefully we can all make a trip to Destin for a few days in a condo on the beach. We plan on combining this as a birthday trip for Ted and Carrie. Usually we go to Galveston for Ted's birthday. This year we are going to try for Florida instead. I want some white sand beaches and some CLEAR blue waters.
I'm off here to catch a quick shower and find some pajamas.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
We Have a Clean Machine
or at least we will on Monday morning. I hate being without a washing machine. I'm feeling a bit insecure. I'm one of "those" people that can't stand a laundry hamper that is but 1/2 full. I'll gather the dirty clothes up and make my trip to the laundry room.
April went with me today to get a new washer. I'm hoping it's not a lemon. This evening I pulled out the clothes rack and the laundry basket, the step ladder and the scales from the laundry room so I could shove the big upright freezer from it's location in the laundry room. The old washing machine would never have enough clearance to get around the freezer so it had to be shoved in front of the dryer. I picked up the rugs and mopped the floor and wiped down the baseboards. I'm ready for the old washer to be removed and the new one to come in.
That will happen on Monday morning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else decides to give up and quit.
I visited the husband's garden today and was just amazed. Just three days ago I had rounded the corner of the house with a friend to visit it and today everything in it has doubled in size. How could those plants have grown that much in three days?
Squash and peppers and tomatoes are hanging on their vines needing a few more days to ripen. My mouth waters thinking of a fresh warm tomato right out of the garden. I don't want them put in the fridge. I want them warm and from the garden to my mouth.
It's Ambien time for me. I'm gone.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Me and PF
If you don't know what PF is then you just aren't "with it" these days. I know this because my nephew mentions it on his FB and he visited one when he was here in Louisiana cause you can do that with a 20.00/per month black key membership. I think it's called a Black Key or Black Card maybe?
Anyway, I was out and about today and since I was in the vicinity I stopped in for a visit. I got the ten cent tour; the staff was very nice. We walked among the machines and the clients going nowhere very fast on the tread mill. I inquired if there was a slower speed on them and was assured that "hauling ass" wasn't the only level of exercise on them. Each tread mill has a wire that plugs in to your iPod and iPhone, another remote with headphones that key into the televisions directly in front of you, each one tuned to a different channel. The recumbent bikes and the other ones that look like a normal bike, the step machines which they call elliptical and an area that specifically works the upper body while another area works the lower body. They even have a self induced iron man sort of thing where you push the start button, the green light goes on and you have so many minutes to work on one machine before the light alerts you to halt and then move on to the next machine.
A certain amount of time, that I neglected to remember during Brian's introduction to this, is allotted to get you through the whole course. I won't be attempting this anytime soon but I will proudly inform you when I think I am ready for this. I hope your vision is still good enough to read this blog and you're physically able to get your computers turned on.
The member holding the Black Key/Card is allowed to bring a guest each day. I immediately called April and she said she would love to attend with me. I can't imagine our schedules for exercise will mesh. We will give it a try though.
A personal trainer will for free set you up with a training schedule depending on what you want to do.
The member can also use any PF in any town they visit. Just show your card and you're good to go. What else? Oh. The tanning beds. All the free melanoma inducing ultraviolet rays your little heart and skin desires is included. I might have to write this off as not one of the things I desire. I remember when tans were so "in". People are wiser now and sunscreen 45 is your best friend.
A family member suffers right now from melanoma that has spread to her brain. The melanoma was on her leg and was removed but not before it had spread. She had no indication until she had blurred vision one day and thought she was having a stroke.
Sun burns and sun tans scare me now.
I'm off to watch some TV. There is so much going on this weekend around town. I might have to talk to the husband about getting out and about.
I'm done here. It's TV time!
Anyway, I was out and about today and since I was in the vicinity I stopped in for a visit. I got the ten cent tour; the staff was very nice. We walked among the machines and the clients going nowhere very fast on the tread mill. I inquired if there was a slower speed on them and was assured that "hauling ass" wasn't the only level of exercise on them. Each tread mill has a wire that plugs in to your iPod and iPhone, another remote with headphones that key into the televisions directly in front of you, each one tuned to a different channel. The recumbent bikes and the other ones that look like a normal bike, the step machines which they call elliptical and an area that specifically works the upper body while another area works the lower body. They even have a self induced iron man sort of thing where you push the start button, the green light goes on and you have so many minutes to work on one machine before the light alerts you to halt and then move on to the next machine.
A certain amount of time, that I neglected to remember during Brian's introduction to this, is allotted to get you through the whole course. I won't be attempting this anytime soon but I will proudly inform you when I think I am ready for this. I hope your vision is still good enough to read this blog and you're physically able to get your computers turned on.
The member holding the Black Key/Card is allowed to bring a guest each day. I immediately called April and she said she would love to attend with me. I can't imagine our schedules for exercise will mesh. We will give it a try though.
A personal trainer will for free set you up with a training schedule depending on what you want to do.
The member can also use any PF in any town they visit. Just show your card and you're good to go. What else? Oh. The tanning beds. All the free melanoma inducing ultraviolet rays your little heart and skin desires is included. I might have to write this off as not one of the things I desire. I remember when tans were so "in". People are wiser now and sunscreen 45 is your best friend.
A family member suffers right now from melanoma that has spread to her brain. The melanoma was on her leg and was removed but not before it had spread. She had no indication until she had blurred vision one day and thought she was having a stroke.
Sun burns and sun tans scare me now.
I'm off to watch some TV. There is so much going on this weekend around town. I might have to talk to the husband about getting out and about.
I'm done here. It's TV time!
Shopped Out
I started to leave the house in what I had on....a pair of painted stained cotton capris and a t shirt that must have been worn at the same paint party the capris had attended. On second thought, I took the time to slip into the shower, get dressed, use some eyeliner and a bit of lipstick. I took the blow dryer and sprayed my hair to give it some lift and then sprayed it with some hair spray, sandals found and I was out the door.
Steins, Home Depot, and McDonald's I visited. McDonald's doesn't sell wash machines but by the time I had finished with Stein's and Home Depot, I opted for a breakfast and coffee stop. My car was running on fumes so I swung by Walmart to fill it up and 50.00 later I'm on my way to Lowe's.
I think I have made a decision. A top loading Maytag..or maybe an Amana or maybe a Whirlpool. All the mentioned brands are made by Whirlpool. It seems that Whirlpool has been doing well enough to buy out all the other brands. I went online and looked at the consumer's reviews which makes it even more difficult as some of them give glowing reports and some claim the product as crap. I'll just hold my breath and bring something home.
My new washer will not have all the bells and whistles. IF appliances only have a 6 to 8 yr life, then I'll make sure I spend as little as possible. Memorial Day sales start tomorrow ...state tax voided and free delivery so I'll have to go back and pay for something.
The husband cooked tonight and tomorrow we may be looking for a garbage disposal. He tossed the nesting measuring spoons into the garbage disposal and I went in and hit the switch. The noise as the garbage disposal chewed up those small metal measuring spoons cause me to freeze for a few seconds. I turned off the switch and then proceeded to get it working again. Of course we tried all the usual things; the reset button and then spinning the grinding wheel counter clockwise and still no success.
I think it's toast but the dinner was great.
Have a safe Memorial Day and enjoy those burgers and hotdogs.
Breaking News:..the garbage disposal is now operable.....whew.
Steins, Home Depot, and McDonald's I visited. McDonald's doesn't sell wash machines but by the time I had finished with Stein's and Home Depot, I opted for a breakfast and coffee stop. My car was running on fumes so I swung by Walmart to fill it up and 50.00 later I'm on my way to Lowe's.
I think I have made a decision. A top loading Maytag..or maybe an Amana or maybe a Whirlpool. All the mentioned brands are made by Whirlpool. It seems that Whirlpool has been doing well enough to buy out all the other brands. I went online and looked at the consumer's reviews which makes it even more difficult as some of them give glowing reports and some claim the product as crap. I'll just hold my breath and bring something home.
My new washer will not have all the bells and whistles. IF appliances only have a 6 to 8 yr life, then I'll make sure I spend as little as possible. Memorial Day sales start tomorrow ...state tax voided and free delivery so I'll have to go back and pay for something.
The husband cooked tonight and tomorrow we may be looking for a garbage disposal. He tossed the nesting measuring spoons into the garbage disposal and I went in and hit the switch. The noise as the garbage disposal chewed up those small metal measuring spoons cause me to freeze for a few seconds. I turned off the switch and then proceeded to get it working again. Of course we tried all the usual things; the reset button and then spinning the grinding wheel counter clockwise and still no success.
I think it's toast but the dinner was great.
Have a safe Memorial Day and enjoy those burgers and hotdogs.
Breaking News:..the garbage disposal is now operable.....whew.
More Rain
Awake at 0300 hrs, I switched on the television, kept the lights off in the hopes I might drift back into sleep.
I have to go shopping today. A new washer is in my future. The repair man said he owned the same washer as the one I have and the same thing happened to it. I will try something other then a Sears Kenmore this time. I'm going to Home Depot and Lowe's today. I won't be buying a top of the line washing machine. The life expectancy of an appliance these days is 7 to 8 years. That goes for "top of the line" appliances; why waste my money. I'll buy a top loader this time and one with few bells and whistles. Another thing most people don't use is all the bells and whistles.
Another storm blew through here last night and while I sat on the patio and watched the action, chill bumps covered my arms. I was amazed that this was happening at the end of May in this area of the country. It's downright frightening. Usually a storm brings more heat and humidity. You think maybe global climate change might in fact be a real thing?
We have been predicted to have more hurricanes this year and more severe ones. There's that pesky ole global climate change once again.
I've been watching people thank God for surviving that storm in Oklahoma. I sit here and wonder why "God" even allowed a storm to strike that city and take those lives and make so many people miserable. I'll never understand the reasoning of the devout.
Another woman posted on FB about someone being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and after a few more tests, it's not evident and apparently she considered this a miracle. Doesn't she watch the news and how many people are diagnosed "false positive" on cancer? We would get blood test results back that were questionable and have to rerun the tests. Many times, the machines were off or the blood had sat too long or there wasn't enough discarded before drawing the sample. I feel people are desperate for some indication to prove their belief in their God. Let's not even get into the zealots. Zeal.....zealots. I can barely tolerate the continued postings back to back of what a friend calls "too churchy". I usually "unfollow" which leaves the person still a "friend" but you must then go to their wall to read anything they post. It cleans up my wall from all the stuff they have signed up for and is automatically plastered on their page on a daily basis. Thank you Facebook for this option. It's just a wonderful thing.
By golly, I do believe my eyelids are getting a bit heavy. I'm going to take a nap...and it's a barely 0600 hrs!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
A Few More Days
One more day this week and three days next week and Carrie will no longer be chauffeured to school. We have only been doing this for a month and already we are ready for it to end.
This morning I drove the roadster to school. The children exit the cars on the left directly onto the sidewalk to the school. Usually Carrie sits in the back seat in the Marquis, the teacher opens the door and Carrie exits and walks into the school. Since the roadster doesn't have a back seat, she rides up front with me and is on the RIGHT side of the car. Her exit hasn't been a problem until this morning. The teacher usually just walks around the front of the roadster, opens Carrie's door and Carrie walks with her back around the front of the car and onto the sidewalk in front of the school.
This morning, a teacher said "Oh, you will have to pull up to the end of the driveway and have her climb over and into the driver's seat so she can exit on the left."
Are you kidding me? The traffic moving in front of that school is less the 5mph. Everybody is creeping along to let their child/children exit their vehicles.
I pulled ahead, got OUT of the car, walked around to Carrie's side and opened her door, took her by the hand and walked her around the front of the car to the sidewalk where she walked back to the entrance of the school. There was no danger of being hit..nobody moving.
Tomorrow morning I have a plan. I will wait until most of the cars have dropped off their charges and I plan on backing the roadster around the circle, thereby putting Carrie on the left side so her door can be opened and she can get onto the sidewalk. I didn't see a sign anywhere that says the car has to be facing forward to enter the circle.
In the afternoon, I have never had a problem with picking her up in the roadster. The teacher walks around to her side and delivers her into the car with never a problem.
I remember the days when we rode the school bus and the driver got off the bus and flagged us across the street to our homes. Now they have that metal arm that swings out that is supposed to be a replacement. Last year a little child was dragged to death with that metal arm.
When Carrie rode the bus, we made sure we watched her climb the stairs and get seated on that bus.
I'm still amazed as I write this that the teacher standing there thought her instructions made any sense. Sometimes education does not equal common sense.
Hopefully this is not a prelude to what my day is going to be like.
I'm hoping the rains have ceased. I want to wash both the cars today and do a little shopping.
I have to go to the pet store and get Bugsy something to put her food in. I was ignorant of the fact that rabbits shouldn't have anything plastic in their area. She has nibbled the plastic feeder that was put in her run. It will be removed today and a metal one will replace it. She also needs a mineral wheel to gnaw on. The Sun Shades placed yesterday are working well for her. She had shade now when the sun dips down over her hutch around 1430 hrs.
I have stuff to do..I'm moving on.
This morning I drove the roadster to school. The children exit the cars on the left directly onto the sidewalk to the school. Usually Carrie sits in the back seat in the Marquis, the teacher opens the door and Carrie exits and walks into the school. Since the roadster doesn't have a back seat, she rides up front with me and is on the RIGHT side of the car. Her exit hasn't been a problem until this morning. The teacher usually just walks around the front of the roadster, opens Carrie's door and Carrie walks with her back around the front of the car and onto the sidewalk in front of the school.
This morning, a teacher said "Oh, you will have to pull up to the end of the driveway and have her climb over and into the driver's seat so she can exit on the left."
Are you kidding me? The traffic moving in front of that school is less the 5mph. Everybody is creeping along to let their child/children exit their vehicles.
I pulled ahead, got OUT of the car, walked around to Carrie's side and opened her door, took her by the hand and walked her around the front of the car to the sidewalk where she walked back to the entrance of the school. There was no danger of being hit..nobody moving.
Tomorrow morning I have a plan. I will wait until most of the cars have dropped off their charges and I plan on backing the roadster around the circle, thereby putting Carrie on the left side so her door can be opened and she can get onto the sidewalk. I didn't see a sign anywhere that says the car has to be facing forward to enter the circle.
In the afternoon, I have never had a problem with picking her up in the roadster. The teacher walks around to her side and delivers her into the car with never a problem.
I remember the days when we rode the school bus and the driver got off the bus and flagged us across the street to our homes. Now they have that metal arm that swings out that is supposed to be a replacement. Last year a little child was dragged to death with that metal arm.
When Carrie rode the bus, we made sure we watched her climb the stairs and get seated on that bus.
I'm still amazed as I write this that the teacher standing there thought her instructions made any sense. Sometimes education does not equal common sense.
Hopefully this is not a prelude to what my day is going to be like.
I'm hoping the rains have ceased. I want to wash both the cars today and do a little shopping.
I have to go to the pet store and get Bugsy something to put her food in. I was ignorant of the fact that rabbits shouldn't have anything plastic in their area. She has nibbled the plastic feeder that was put in her run. It will be removed today and a metal one will replace it. She also needs a mineral wheel to gnaw on. The Sun Shades placed yesterday are working well for her. She had shade now when the sun dips down over her hutch around 1430 hrs.
I have stuff to do..I'm moving on.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
It's A Rabbit for Pete's Sake
It's dark and some might say dreary today but I love days like this. The sky is dark and filled with moisture that comes down in a soft rain. The wind is making the leafs on the trees dance. The branches swoop down and then into an arc, the leafs showing their underbellies in a silvery shade.
I have turned on the lamps in the living room and the softness of the lamps leaves dark corners of the room hidden and mysterious. I'll enjoy this for a few days and then I'll be looking forward to the sunshine that, I believe, has therapeutic benefits to our mental well being. I don't believe I could live in Oregon where rain and cloudy days are their norm.
Carrie and I shared a ride to school. She stayed; I got to come home. I've been worried about Bugsy lately. You remember the rabbit? She lived with me for a while until she moved to the daughter's house so she could be close to Carrie. She has a nice condo initially but that wasn't enough. I wanted her to have her own "run" or her own 'yard' so we took the 'run' that the husband had built for her and transferred it to her yard. She can now hop, skip and run in her own space.
Summer has arrived and the sun beats down. Bugsy's home is mostly in the shade until the late afternoon. At that time she must go into her condo where she has a sliver of shade to hide in. I visited her yesterday and viewed her shade OR lack of it. Something had to be done. I had mentioned to the daughter about putting a tarp over the top of her run. The daughter didn't think it would work nor was it necessary.
Today on my journey home from the school, I stopped at the Dollar Store. I was looking for a tarp. The Dollar Store doesn't carry that item so I strolled the aisles with an open mind on what might be used. The first thing I saw that might work was a vinyl tablecloth. My mind went into drive on how this might be attached to the top of her run. Zip ties. I could punch holes in it and use zip ties to attach it. It would be waterproof and large enough to cover her entire run. The next thing I spied was those reflective windshield sun guards to keep the sun from heating up the steering wheel and the seats in your car. BINGO! I ditched the vinyl table cloth and headed for the register with the Sun Guard. For 3.50 cents, I had a partial shade area for Bugsy. I rushed to her house and attached it to the top of her run. The reflective shield will work much better then the thin vinyl tablecloth. I was so excited about this idea. I used part of the metal pieces that had been cut to fit around her condo to spear through the Sun Guard, bent them over to make them secure and now she has 1/2 of her run protected from the sun. A little later today I will make another trip to The Dollar Store and pick up another one. I'll have to have zip ties (which are already in my purse) so I can attach the Sun Guard to the part of the run farthest from her condo. There is no metal that has been cut to leave spears to attach it. The zip ties will have to be used. This is not pretty. I don't care. It's all about comfort. Sorta like wearing your favorite pair of worn out, full of holes pajamas that you can't quite relinquish.
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This may not be as exciting to you as it is to me but I have such an empathy for animals and their comfort as I do for little children that need protection.
I will make a visit to Bugsy when this weather passes and the sun is once again bright and hot. I want to see where we might need to tweak her area for shade. I am determined that Bugsy will be comfortable this summer though she refuses to give up that beautiful white fur coat she insists on wearing 24/7. We had a little talk about her coat. Her pink eyes rolled up, she blinked and turned away from me. I took this as a definite refusal. I let it be. It's her clothing choice and as long as she doesn't appear some day with tattoos or piercings, I will let her dress as she pleases. That's all I ask of the grandchildren so what's good enough for them should be good enough for Bugsy.
Have I gone to far? After all..she's just a rabbit. I love that silly rabbit!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
A Lot of Action
What happened? It seems that everyone is suddenly busy. The husband decided since the temperatures outside were enough to dry rain drops on contact with the concrete, he would start house repairs. He has been a busy man around here. From the yard work and his garden and now to house repairs, he is hardly ever indoors. The fascia board on the front and the back of the house needed replaced. He started on the back today to make sure he had the procedure down.
While he was busy on the house, the daughter was setting up her pool. This is a new one and it's huge. Ted was helping and when I arrived to take a peek, the water hose was gushing forth at full force. It's going to take a while to get it filled.
And you might ask, what kept me busy? Jeff called to tell me he had his computer back and could not get it online. I swung by his house and spent time getting him online and finding his websites that were deleted in the scrub of the hard drive.
Everyone had something to do that kept them busy most of the day. I tried to make sure my activities were ones that kept me indoors and cool.
I'm headed for a shower. This wasn't a boring day but recalling it here makes for a boring post. I'm done and I'm out of here!
The Last Week
Carrie spent the night. Part of it wasn't pleasant. We had a disagreement and since I was the biggest, I won. I hate winning because I'm the "biggest". It makes me feel like the bully on the playground. I had to go into the bedroom and try to fix it. Explaining in a normal tone of voice is all that was required. Carrie is a smart little lady but she is also your typical 7 yr old and of course they will test limits and try to get "by".
I seldom raise my voice to her nor do I have to. We hugged and kissed and made up and I don't know about her but I felt much better.
This morning she rolled out of bed, made her bathroom stop and then sang out "I'm going to go hang out with Poppy for a while!"
While I fixed her breakfast and packed her lunch she cuddled with her Poppy. The morning was quiet and pleasant. I called out to her "Hey, your breakfast is ready."
I could hear her padding down the hallway in her bare feet.
Dressed and out the door, we kept to our schedule.
She had one request. "Nana, could you pick me up from school?" When I asked why, she said "Cause you get there early and I don't have to wait so long."
I didn't promise and I told her I didn't know what I would be doing this afternoon. I never make a promise to a child if there is a small doubt that I can't keep it. She understood and didn't plead, beg or argue.
She called over her shoulder as she walked into the school, "Nana, you know I love you huh?"
I promise to not be the "biggest" to win another argument when all it would have taken was to just be the adult.
Oh..I almost forgot. This is her last week of school!
I seldom raise my voice to her nor do I have to. We hugged and kissed and made up and I don't know about her but I felt much better.
This morning she rolled out of bed, made her bathroom stop and then sang out "I'm going to go hang out with Poppy for a while!"
While I fixed her breakfast and packed her lunch she cuddled with her Poppy. The morning was quiet and pleasant. I called out to her "Hey, your breakfast is ready."
I could hear her padding down the hallway in her bare feet.
Dressed and out the door, we kept to our schedule.
She had one request. "Nana, could you pick me up from school?" When I asked why, she said "Cause you get there early and I don't have to wait so long."
I didn't promise and I told her I didn't know what I would be doing this afternoon. I never make a promise to a child if there is a small doubt that I can't keep it. She understood and didn't plead, beg or argue.
She called over her shoulder as she walked into the school, "Nana, you know I love you huh?"
I promise to not be the "biggest" to win another argument when all it would have taken was to just be the adult.
Oh..I almost forgot. This is her last week of school!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Carrie is Toasted
Carrie is a car rider. She no longer rides the bus. It was too choatic for her so we decided to take her "to and from" school. She gets to sleep in a bit longer now and either her mom or me share the responsiblity of driving. Sometimes April rides with me and we get to chat a bit but as soon as April returns home she gets right back to the business of sleeping. I only wish I could get into that habit, but then again I would be afraid of missing something if I slept that much.
Carrie returned home from her weekend in Lydia a bit scorched. Her little face and back and arms were toasted a bright angry red. That about describes her attitude this morning too. I gave her a couple of ibuprofen to numb the pain, wiped her tears and sent her off to school. I have promised her she can come to my house this afternoon after school. She has only one week left and I'm thrilled. I intend on taking her with me on trips when I can go with the husband. She can spend lots of time in the pool which she loves. Zoos, movies and pools and a little shopping, Ms Carrie will be a happy traveler.
The husband is mowing the lawn and I'm trying to keep busy here inside the house. It's hot and I don't like hot. I would rather be inside cleaning house then outside sweating.
In anticipation of Carrie's visit this afternoon, I'm cooking. Baked Steak and gravy over rice which is her very favorite food. I have a huge skillet simmering it's way to tenderness. I'll package some of it up in individual portions and freeze it for her for later after she has her meal this afternoon.
It's shower time and it's also court time on the Jodi Arias trial. Today might be the last day for this marathon trial event. I can't help but think of the almost two million dollars spent on her defense. Amazing!
Carrie returned home from her weekend in Lydia a bit scorched. Her little face and back and arms were toasted a bright angry red. That about describes her attitude this morning too. I gave her a couple of ibuprofen to numb the pain, wiped her tears and sent her off to school. I have promised her she can come to my house this afternoon after school. She has only one week left and I'm thrilled. I intend on taking her with me on trips when I can go with the husband. She can spend lots of time in the pool which she loves. Zoos, movies and pools and a little shopping, Ms Carrie will be a happy traveler.
The husband is mowing the lawn and I'm trying to keep busy here inside the house. It's hot and I don't like hot. I would rather be inside cleaning house then outside sweating.
In anticipation of Carrie's visit this afternoon, I'm cooking. Baked Steak and gravy over rice which is her very favorite food. I have a huge skillet simmering it's way to tenderness. I'll package some of it up in individual portions and freeze it for her for later after she has her meal this afternoon.
It's shower time and it's also court time on the Jodi Arias trial. Today might be the last day for this marathon trial event. I can't help but think of the almost two million dollars spent on her defense. Amazing!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Planet Fitness and Unfit
Thus far Planet Fitness has only been an idea. I haven't acted upon it yet. The location is to be considered. It's open 24 hrs. a day so a time would have to be selected that would miss rush hour.
I'm usually up at 0400 hrs or 0500 hrs. The problem with this is not the timing for myself but for the daughter. I would treat her to the cost for her to go but her usual time of awakening is around noon.
Maybe I should start without her for a couple of months. That would give me time to build up some strength enabling me to stay longer when she accompanies me. I haven't mentioned this to her yet so her first notice might be when she reads this.
There is a fitness center close to the house but you have to sign a membership. I want to try a "pay as you go" type lest I be like so many others that sign a membership only to go faithfully for a few months then taper off and finally quit altogether.
Doing some online research into Planet Fitness is on my "to do" list. I'll get to it as soon as I finish this typing.
I have air in the tires on my beach cruiser. Maybe I'll make a couple of miles on it in the subdivision before the sun comes up. It's HOT here now. We haven't hit the 90s yet but it's on the way If I do anything outside it will have to be before sunrise.
I'm off to do some research.
I'm back again. There is a membership fee...minimal ...and there are package deals. I perused their web page. Before I sign on any dotted line, I'll make it a point to visit the place.
Maybe I'll go tomorrow. Maybe....
I'm usually up at 0400 hrs or 0500 hrs. The problem with this is not the timing for myself but for the daughter. I would treat her to the cost for her to go but her usual time of awakening is around noon.
Maybe I should start without her for a couple of months. That would give me time to build up some strength enabling me to stay longer when she accompanies me. I haven't mentioned this to her yet so her first notice might be when she reads this.
There is a fitness center close to the house but you have to sign a membership. I want to try a "pay as you go" type lest I be like so many others that sign a membership only to go faithfully for a few months then taper off and finally quit altogether.
Doing some online research into Planet Fitness is on my "to do" list. I'll get to it as soon as I finish this typing.
I have air in the tires on my beach cruiser. Maybe I'll make a couple of miles on it in the subdivision before the sun comes up. It's HOT here now. We haven't hit the 90s yet but it's on the way If I do anything outside it will have to be before sunrise.
I'm off to do some research.
I'm back again. There is a membership fee...minimal ...and there are package deals. I perused their web page. Before I sign on any dotted line, I'll make it a point to visit the place.
Maybe I'll go tomorrow. Maybe....
Post Tuesday, Clinical Update
This is a report on my condition and progress that might offer some information to another person with a multiple diagnosis of breast cancer and colon cancer, both primaries.
My second run of Oxalaplatin has been completed. This leaves me with 4 more runs which are done every three weeks. That puts me somewhere in September to be finished with this part of it and the Xeloda pills should finish up at the same time. An Ultrasound on the breast will be done; she was a bit vague but it seemed as though it might be around the time I finish with the two above mentioned chemos. Another chemo will be started that will specifically target the breast, and all the while, I will continue to take the little yellow pill, Femara. That one will continue for 5 years after all the other treatments have been completed. She said it would be a long haul.
The Reglan and Zofran are taken the following three days after the infusion. I do continue taking the Reglan to combat that acid feeling I get. I'm attributing this to the Femara that I take on a daily basis.
The day of the infusion is what I want to note here. That is the worst day so far. My nerves are on edge, I'm snappy and really quite the bitch. Thankfully my friend Kathy understands and the first thing she said when she saw me shaking was "Where is your Klonopin! Take some." That's exactly what I did.
As soon as my nails became loosened from the ceiling,(visual here of a cat stuck to a ceiling) I eased back a little and was able to relax enough to get a nap. I'm not as sensitive to cold as I was the last time. I still get the tingles in my fingers if I touch something cold and my feet have to be covered in socks to walk on the cold tile floors but an air conditioned room doesn't cause my throat to constrict and the parotid glands don't clench up as much when I drink or eat something that might be a bit colder then room temperature.
I'm jittery and tired that first day of getting the infusion. The second day, I refused to sit around. We washed all the automobiles.
When we returned from the infusion on Tuesday, the daughter always accompanies me, she had errands to run. I came home with all my nervousness and eventually took Kathy's advice and ate a Klonopin. Soon April appeared with Carrie and spent hours with me. When she left, the other granddaughter, Elise appeared. She stayed with me for hours and we talked and laughed and had a good time. Later that night when the grandson got off from work, he showed up and spent the night with me. These young adults are busy with their lives, school and work so having them around this much is uncommon.
He said he was here to fix breakfast for me in the morning. I let him sleep in as long as he liked. I was busy on his car, cleaning and polishing. When he got his sleep out, he came outside and helped.
Around 1400 hrs he retired to the kitchen with instructions for me to stay "out".
A few minutes later he appeared with my breakfast on a tray served while I sat on the sofa. He had scrambled three eggs and arranged them into a smiley face with the bacon strips used as a mouth! I giggled as I scarfed down the "eyes, nose and mouth" of my food.
I know my family appeared on my "day of chemo" for a reason. They didn't want me to be alone and also they wanted to watch over me after that chemo run. They had heard about my reaction to the first one and were concerned.
I am so very grateful for them in my life. They make me very proud of the young caring adults they have become.
Wednesday afternoon, after the marathon car cleaning, I loaded up the roadster and though I was tired I drove to Baton Rouge to spend some time relaxing at the Holiday Inn with the husband. I didn't realize until I saw the pool, that I would not be doing any swimming. I'm sure the pool was not room temperature although it was an indoor one. I'll have to wait until I'm 8 days out from that chemo infusion before I can go swimming or have a Coke Icee.
I'm posting this as I think that is all the information I can offer right now on my diagnosis.
My second run of Oxalaplatin has been completed. This leaves me with 4 more runs which are done every three weeks. That puts me somewhere in September to be finished with this part of it and the Xeloda pills should finish up at the same time. An Ultrasound on the breast will be done; she was a bit vague but it seemed as though it might be around the time I finish with the two above mentioned chemos. Another chemo will be started that will specifically target the breast, and all the while, I will continue to take the little yellow pill, Femara. That one will continue for 5 years after all the other treatments have been completed. She said it would be a long haul.
The Reglan and Zofran are taken the following three days after the infusion. I do continue taking the Reglan to combat that acid feeling I get. I'm attributing this to the Femara that I take on a daily basis.
The day of the infusion is what I want to note here. That is the worst day so far. My nerves are on edge, I'm snappy and really quite the bitch. Thankfully my friend Kathy understands and the first thing she said when she saw me shaking was "Where is your Klonopin! Take some." That's exactly what I did.
As soon as my nails became loosened from the ceiling,(visual here of a cat stuck to a ceiling) I eased back a little and was able to relax enough to get a nap. I'm not as sensitive to cold as I was the last time. I still get the tingles in my fingers if I touch something cold and my feet have to be covered in socks to walk on the cold tile floors but an air conditioned room doesn't cause my throat to constrict and the parotid glands don't clench up as much when I drink or eat something that might be a bit colder then room temperature.
I'm jittery and tired that first day of getting the infusion. The second day, I refused to sit around. We washed all the automobiles.
When we returned from the infusion on Tuesday, the daughter always accompanies me, she had errands to run. I came home with all my nervousness and eventually took Kathy's advice and ate a Klonopin. Soon April appeared with Carrie and spent hours with me. When she left, the other granddaughter, Elise appeared. She stayed with me for hours and we talked and laughed and had a good time. Later that night when the grandson got off from work, he showed up and spent the night with me. These young adults are busy with their lives, school and work so having them around this much is uncommon.
He said he was here to fix breakfast for me in the morning. I let him sleep in as long as he liked. I was busy on his car, cleaning and polishing. When he got his sleep out, he came outside and helped.
Around 1400 hrs he retired to the kitchen with instructions for me to stay "out".
A few minutes later he appeared with my breakfast on a tray served while I sat on the sofa. He had scrambled three eggs and arranged them into a smiley face with the bacon strips used as a mouth! I giggled as I scarfed down the "eyes, nose and mouth" of my food.
I know my family appeared on my "day of chemo" for a reason. They didn't want me to be alone and also they wanted to watch over me after that chemo run. They had heard about my reaction to the first one and were concerned.
I am so very grateful for them in my life. They make me very proud of the young caring adults they have become.
Wednesday afternoon, after the marathon car cleaning, I loaded up the roadster and though I was tired I drove to Baton Rouge to spend some time relaxing at the Holiday Inn with the husband. I didn't realize until I saw the pool, that I would not be doing any swimming. I'm sure the pool was not room temperature although it was an indoor one. I'll have to wait until I'm 8 days out from that chemo infusion before I can go swimming or have a Coke Icee.
I'm posting this as I think that is all the information I can offer right now on my diagnosis.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Waiting and Waiting
0430 hrs found me awake and anxious. Once I wake up, there is nothing for me to do but get out of bed. My brain kicks into overdrive and going back to sleep is not an option.
I slipped out of the room and headed for the media room where I signed on to Facebook. Next stop, the coffee pot and some brew. Soon the attendant showed up to start putting out all the breakfast food. A bowl of grits and a couple slices of toast and I'm ready for my day.
The husband has to go to the rig this morning to bill the client and tag all the tools that must be shipped back to the shop. The remainder of the day will be ours and we plan on hanging out in Baton Rouge today. I've mentioned Tiger Mike? Well of course I have. I have mentioned and mentioned and mentioned him to the point where I'm sure everyone has had enough of that cat. I still want to find him and get some pictures.
The LSU campus is huge. Fields of cattle, crops and ancillary buildings sprawl over the landscape around the stadium. It's a premier school and the largest in the state of Louisiana and we all know about the football program they maintain.
I'm ready to slip back into the room and check to see if the husband is awake and ready to make his trip to the rig. I'm packed and ready to move out as soon as the word is given. It's been a very relaxing couple of days.
Another job is scheduled within a week that will take him to Kansas. I don't know if I will be making that one with him. It may be too close to treatment time.
Family beckoned. My sister in law was in the hospital so I called her last night to see what was going on. Apparently, as with my brother, she had an irregular heartbeat so she had to have her medicines changed and to do this, they must keep her for a few days for monitoring. It was great talking to her and as always, Gertie is very kind and supportive to my health issues. She made me promise to call her if I needed a pep talk. I promised I would. What a grand lady she is!
I'm off here to either take a short nap or throw all my stuff in the roadster for the trip home or plan a day of site seeing around here.
I'm done for now...and I'm gone!
,,,and a few pics from today and our trip to the rig
,,,and a few pics from today and our trip to the rig
Friday, May 17, 2013
Seeing Tiger Mike
This has now become an obsession with me! The nephew and his sons and mother came to visit in March. On the way out of the state, they stopped by LSU early in the morning and got to see Tiger Mike. I thought this would be an easy thing to do. I was wrong.
Yesterday I wasn't up to leaving the hotel room and gadding about Baton Rouge so I anticipated the next day's visit. I was ready. LSU is only 4 miles away from this Holiday Inn.
I contacted Stephanie and she agreed to meet me here at the hotel. She lives in Gonzales, a 20 minute drive from here. Stephanie is a friend of my daughter's. They were in skate club in Casper, Wyoming and via Facebook we found Stephanie living in Lake Charles. 80 miles away..how amazing! She visited us in Lafayette and since then has moved to Gonzales with her S.O. that travels a lot with his job. When she heard I was in Baton Rouge, we decided to spend the day together.
We dropped the top on the roadster and left the hotel headed for LSU. We were turned away by a guard. Graduation ceremonies were in progress and a pass was needed to get on campus. So much for visiting Tiger Mike.
Our next stop..the state capital. The new one. We waited in line at the top of the granite steps with a group of people. When I ventured a question to them, I found not one of them spoke English. They were a tour group of French men and women. We were eventually allowed in where my metal knee set off the alarm system. They believed me when I showed them the knee scar and we were waved on in. Two groups were touring and we headed off on our own to one of the senate rooms. Surrounded by a group of blond haired folk, we listened to the tour guide for this group. Germans. We were on our own again.
I think the Capital building is ugly. I hesitate to be so blunt but there it is. The ugly brown large pattern granite covers the walls, the ceiling is a dingy brown and the floors aren't much better. There is really no open rotunda. No beautiful paintings surrounding the walls of the former governors nor much in the way of statutes. I suppose, after seeing the capital of Texas in Austin, I compared the two. There is no comparison. Disappointed, we left there to drown our sorrow in shopping. I joke.
We did go shopping and then for lunch. The weather was great and we had a good time.
I was proud of myself for climbing all those steps to the entrance to the capital. At least it was some exercise.
I'm waiting on the husband to arrive. This is the last night we will spend here. His job is finishing up this afternoon. We plan on spending the night and hanging around Baton Rouge tomorrow to see Tiger Mike. Have I mentioned I'm now determined to see that damn CAT!
I'm outta here for now. I will post pictures of that cat should I ever get to see him..I even have my LSU t shirt to wear when we meet.
Yesterday I wasn't up to leaving the hotel room and gadding about Baton Rouge so I anticipated the next day's visit. I was ready. LSU is only 4 miles away from this Holiday Inn.
I contacted Stephanie and she agreed to meet me here at the hotel. She lives in Gonzales, a 20 minute drive from here. Stephanie is a friend of my daughter's. They were in skate club in Casper, Wyoming and via Facebook we found Stephanie living in Lake Charles. 80 miles away..how amazing! She visited us in Lafayette and since then has moved to Gonzales with her S.O. that travels a lot with his job. When she heard I was in Baton Rouge, we decided to spend the day together.
We dropped the top on the roadster and left the hotel headed for LSU. We were turned away by a guard. Graduation ceremonies were in progress and a pass was needed to get on campus. So much for visiting Tiger Mike.
Our next stop..the state capital. The new one. We waited in line at the top of the granite steps with a group of people. When I ventured a question to them, I found not one of them spoke English. They were a tour group of French men and women. We were eventually allowed in where my metal knee set off the alarm system. They believed me when I showed them the knee scar and we were waved on in. Two groups were touring and we headed off on our own to one of the senate rooms. Surrounded by a group of blond haired folk, we listened to the tour guide for this group. Germans. We were on our own again.
I think the Capital building is ugly. I hesitate to be so blunt but there it is. The ugly brown large pattern granite covers the walls, the ceiling is a dingy brown and the floors aren't much better. There is really no open rotunda. No beautiful paintings surrounding the walls of the former governors nor much in the way of statutes. I suppose, after seeing the capital of Texas in Austin, I compared the two. There is no comparison. Disappointed, we left there to drown our sorrow in shopping. I joke.
We did go shopping and then for lunch. The weather was great and we had a good time.
I was proud of myself for climbing all those steps to the entrance to the capital. At least it was some exercise.
I'm waiting on the husband to arrive. This is the last night we will spend here. His job is finishing up this afternoon. We plan on spending the night and hanging around Baton Rouge tomorrow to see Tiger Mike. Have I mentioned I'm now determined to see that damn CAT!
I'm outta here for now. I will post pictures of that cat should I ever get to see him..I even have my LSU t shirt to wear when we meet.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Doing Nothing
I made it to Port Allen and today was a lazy day for me. I didn't sleep well last night so after a quick trip to Placqumaine, I stayed in the room and slept and watched TV most of the day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and I'll make it to see Tiger Mike. I'm determined to see that cat before going home.
This is going to be short and more short...I'm going to bed soon. A few pics from today.
This is going to be short and more short...I'm going to bed soon. A few pics from today.
I'm Going to see Tiger Mike
I'm in Baton Rouge...almost. Three more miles and across the bridge gets right in Baton Rouge. I'll make that trip tomorrow but right now I'm bathed and in my pajamas and I'm exhausted. We spent all day cleaning vehicles. It started with one and ended up doing 4 of them. April rolled in and her jeep and decided it was time to give it a bath.
The husband is on a job here and I needed a break. If I had stayed at home I would have found a bunch of stuff to do. Staying in a hotel reliefs all those burdens. The maid will be in with fresh towels and the vacuum. The coffee shop is just down the hall. I haven't had a HI breakfast for many months. The last time, I remember well. I could only tolerate the fresh fruit and cereal. I'm thinking it won't be much more palatable this time but I'm surrounded by fast food places and the Burger King is within spittin distance. Their parking lot adjoins this one. I'm in heaven.
Tiger Mike lives on the LSU campus and I'm going on campus to visit him. I want to drive around the campus, go to the Cortana Mall and to Placquemine. I want to do a lot of exploring while I'm here. I'm in the roadster and I have my GPS with me so I can find my way around. There is a Long John Silver's here which will definitely be a lunch stop for me. I may even get some to go before I leave here so I can take it to the daughter. We love that northern type frozen fish stuff. The folks here turn their noses up at frozen seafood. I do prefer the fresh Gulf shrimp over the frozen flown in stuff.
I'm ready for bed. I have no choice on this. I'm too tired to type. Done again for now!
The husband is on a job here and I needed a break. If I had stayed at home I would have found a bunch of stuff to do. Staying in a hotel reliefs all those burdens. The maid will be in with fresh towels and the vacuum. The coffee shop is just down the hall. I haven't had a HI breakfast for many months. The last time, I remember well. I could only tolerate the fresh fruit and cereal. I'm thinking it won't be much more palatable this time but I'm surrounded by fast food places and the Burger King is within spittin distance. Their parking lot adjoins this one. I'm in heaven.
Tiger Mike lives on the LSU campus and I'm going on campus to visit him. I want to drive around the campus, go to the Cortana Mall and to Placquemine. I want to do a lot of exploring while I'm here. I'm in the roadster and I have my GPS with me so I can find my way around. There is a Long John Silver's here which will definitely be a lunch stop for me. I may even get some to go before I leave here so I can take it to the daughter. We love that northern type frozen fish stuff. The folks here turn their noses up at frozen seafood. I do prefer the fresh Gulf shrimp over the frozen flown in stuff.
I'm ready for bed. I have no choice on this. I'm too tired to type. Done again for now!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I'm Exhausted!
It's only noon here but I have been up since 0500. At 0600 it was daylight and I was outside cleaning on Ted's car.
Before my cleaning spree I spent a little phone tilme with Doris. She is a very smart centered woman and I love our phone chats. We don't do them often but I enjoy her "lunch dates" with friends and the updates she gives. Doris lost her husband a year ago. I remember the date because it was on my birthday. That sucks as I'm sure every year when my birthday rolls around it will be a sad date for her.
Back to my adventures on cleaning Ted's car. I wanted a detail clean so I started with washing the outside of it which was the fastest thing to do. Wheels, tires and body was washed, the trunk was next. I emptied all the contents onto the driveway and cleaned and organized it. The floor mats, I forgot to mention were vacuumed and then sprayed off to sit in the sun to dry.
Before my cleaning spree I spent a little phone tilme with Doris. She is a very smart centered woman and I love our phone chats. We don't do them often but I enjoy her "lunch dates" with friends and the updates she gives. Doris lost her husband a year ago. I remember the date because it was on my birthday. That sucks as I'm sure every year when my birthday rolls around it will be a sad date for her.
Back to my adventures on cleaning Ted's car. I wanted a detail clean so I started with washing the outside of it which was the fastest thing to do. Wheels, tires and body was washed, the trunk was next. I emptied all the contents onto the driveway and cleaned and organized it. The floor mats, I forgot to mention were vacuumed and then sprayed off to sit in the sun to dry.
Then the interior started. I use the leaf blower to blow everything out from beneath the seats. Then the vacumn to do the rest. When Ted woke up he joined me in the cleaning. We have been vacuuming, window cleaning, and using a small brush to clean out the ac vents and around all the buttons on the dash. It's an all day job to really clean a car as it should be. All the vinyl had be washed down and right now Ted is beginning to spray vinyl preservative on it. He is getting into this cleaning and I'm happy about that. As long as he has his MP3 player plugged in and his phone charged up, he stays with it.
........and I'm exhausted. I was going to load the roadster up and head to Baton Rouge this afternoon. I may still do it but I'm going to have to take a rest break and the roadster needs some cleaning done to it too. I dislike driving a dirty vehicle. I don't know if I have enough energy to start on it. Maybe I can talk Ted into vacuuming it out and helping me with it.
I'll only be staying a couple of days in Baton Rouge. I think. The husband's job is not slated to be a long one but as usual there are having problems on the rig. I think I'll go pack. I can rest later.
I'm done here!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
A Clinical Update..You Have Been Warned
The labs were done and I'm good to go on the infusion of Oxalaplatin. The pre meds are infusing right now. Apparently I'm one of the people that are super sensitive to this medicine. This is my second infusion and I'll be watched closely at the finish for signs and symptoms of a reaction. All cold things are to be avoided. The bathroom here has now been set up to have heat year round. I had my reaction when I entered that bathroom three weeks ago after the chemo was infused. I was the third person they have had in the facilities to have a reaction after using the chilly bathroom.
Now to the visit with the oncologist. I will be seeing her every three weeks. The infusion of Oxalaplatin will be 6 runs and after today, I'll be down to four! I'm too excited. The Xeloda, taken by mouth, will be required for 6 treatments. Two weeks on and 1 week off. Another Chemo drug will be started and the Femera will be stopped until that is finished. The Femera will be required for 5 yrs. after all other treatments have been stopped.
The oncologist stressed again mine was a complicated case because of the two primaries and it's a juggling act to treat both at the same time.
We discussed switching to 5FU when the Xeloda was not available from the supply here at the clinic. It would be administered through a small pump that is worn in a carrier around the waist and infused into the mediport.
The infusion room is not crowded today. I watch as the patients arrive and settle into their chairs, the infusions started. I'm amazed at their composure. I spoke with one of the nurses and asked about the newly diagnosed. Scared. That about sums it up for all of us I suppose. She also said by a few more treatments I would be as comfortable here as the others.
I must say, we have laughed and teased with the staff and it's much easier on this visit.
Right now I'm going to settle back into this recliner and relax. It's going to be a couple more hours before I'm done here. I won't be rushing out of here but will be under observation for any reactions.
Tomorrow morning I will make a decision about driving to Port Allen for some Holiday Inn time with the husband unless his job finished up by then.
It's time to haul this pump to the bathroom. Just mentioning bathroom makes me nervous.
I'm going to give it a try anyway. I'm done here for now. Should things not go well, April has instrucions to add to this blog!
Now to the visit with the oncologist. I will be seeing her every three weeks. The infusion of Oxalaplatin will be 6 runs and after today, I'll be down to four! I'm too excited. The Xeloda, taken by mouth, will be required for 6 treatments. Two weeks on and 1 week off. Another Chemo drug will be started and the Femera will be stopped until that is finished. The Femera will be required for 5 yrs. after all other treatments have been stopped.
The oncologist stressed again mine was a complicated case because of the two primaries and it's a juggling act to treat both at the same time.
We discussed switching to 5FU when the Xeloda was not available from the supply here at the clinic. It would be administered through a small pump that is worn in a carrier around the waist and infused into the mediport.
The infusion room is not crowded today. I watch as the patients arrive and settle into their chairs, the infusions started. I'm amazed at their composure. I spoke with one of the nurses and asked about the newly diagnosed. Scared. That about sums it up for all of us I suppose. She also said by a few more treatments I would be as comfortable here as the others.
I must say, we have laughed and teased with the staff and it's much easier on this visit.
Right now I'm going to settle back into this recliner and relax. It's going to be a couple more hours before I'm done here. I won't be rushing out of here but will be under observation for any reactions.
Tomorrow morning I will make a decision about driving to Port Allen for some Holiday Inn time with the husband unless his job finished up by then.
It's time to haul this pump to the bathroom. Just mentioning bathroom makes me nervous.
I'm going to give it a try anyway. I'm done here for now. Should things not go well, April has instrucions to add to this blog!
It's Today....I'm sure of it
All weekend I prepared myself mentally for Monday...the chemo run. I even blogged about it. I gathered up my burgundy carrier that has my appointments, all the communications from the insurance company, bills that have been paid and bills that are still outstanding and laid it on the coffee table beside my purse and car keys. I was prepared. The iPad was on the charger along with the iPhone.
I looked at the appointment card and found I had dropped the ball. The appointment was in Tuesday!
Calling April to notify her that the date was wrong, I switched plans for Monday. A list of errands kept me busy throughout the day. I stayed on the road running here and there. Pat wanted some more pictures taken of some property to add to the ones I had already shot for her. I finished those late yesterday afternoon while we still had a little daylight left. I zipped down to her house to print them for her and then returned home as dusk was settling in.
House work that had been avoided all day still waited on me. I ran the sweeper quickly to get all the glitter off the floors and furniture. Carrie loves bling and she had been "creating" on the office desk while I sat at the computer working on the photos I had shot of her on Sunday. Everything glowed from glitter gracing the surfaces of desk, floor and chair.
One of my errands was to buy some printer ink. I planned on handing out photos to everyone at the dance recital but was defeated on that plan. No ink.
Loading up the printer, I printed out 4X6 sizes and one 8X10. The large one will be framed and presented to Carrie's mom (usually referred to here as "the daughter").
I've been awake since 0400 hrs. Sometimes that happens and when it does, I get out of bed and get busy. A pot of rice is cooked and a skillet of baked steak is tender and buried in gravy. I'll pack Carrie's lunch today.
Speaking of...Carrie had most of her hair cut off yesterday. She wanted it short and her want was fulfilled. Short for the summer, easy care...we both love it!
Shower time and chemo time. If I feel well tomorrow, I might head to Port Allen to hang out with the husband. Some Holiday Inn time and some pool time , I'm ready to make a little trip and it's close to home!
I'm done for now..and gone.
I looked at the appointment card and found I had dropped the ball. The appointment was in Tuesday!
Calling April to notify her that the date was wrong, I switched plans for Monday. A list of errands kept me busy throughout the day. I stayed on the road running here and there. Pat wanted some more pictures taken of some property to add to the ones I had already shot for her. I finished those late yesterday afternoon while we still had a little daylight left. I zipped down to her house to print them for her and then returned home as dusk was settling in.
House work that had been avoided all day still waited on me. I ran the sweeper quickly to get all the glitter off the floors and furniture. Carrie loves bling and she had been "creating" on the office desk while I sat at the computer working on the photos I had shot of her on Sunday. Everything glowed from glitter gracing the surfaces of desk, floor and chair.
One of my errands was to buy some printer ink. I planned on handing out photos to everyone at the dance recital but was defeated on that plan. No ink.
Loading up the printer, I printed out 4X6 sizes and one 8X10. The large one will be framed and presented to Carrie's mom (usually referred to here as "the daughter").
I've been awake since 0400 hrs. Sometimes that happens and when it does, I get out of bed and get busy. A pot of rice is cooked and a skillet of baked steak is tender and buried in gravy. I'll pack Carrie's lunch today.
Speaking of...Carrie had most of her hair cut off yesterday. She wanted it short and her want was fulfilled. Short for the summer, easy care...we both love it!
Shower time and chemo time. If I feel well tomorrow, I might head to Port Allen to hang out with the husband. Some Holiday Inn time and some pool time , I'm ready to make a little trip and it's close to home!
I'm done for now..and gone.
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