Friday, February 20, 2009

Freaky Friday

Went to Marie Aulenti's funeral this afternoon in Niantic. Saw Ellen, who had been so faithful to Marie; Diane, Judy and Molli-who I didn't recognize, she's lost so much weight!

On my way home I stopped by Lazizah....hoping to get soup...but they were all out. Bummer! I had spinach salad with white beans, tomato and lemon/garlic and olive oil dressing. Apparently the garlic was really strong as Sandy smelled it before she got downstairs after I got home!

A few minutes later I had to admit that the garlic was a mistake as I locked myself in the bathroom...where I stayed on and off the rest of the afternoon, early evening. It has finally stopped, but it's taken a few Imodium pills to get to this place! Good old Imodium...I'm going to buy stock in that company.

Speaking of stock, I made the call to ING to initiate my first withdrawal. They emailed me the paperwork and I printed it out and will have it in the mail tomorrow. I hope to get the money by the first of the month and send Sandy out car shopping for me. Then I'm getting my money the hell out of ING and into something that I have more control over---and can contribute to.

It will be great to have my credit cards paid off and only one bill--a small car payment, for a change. I think I'll throw a party to celebrate!

Sandy goes to the first agility trial of the year tomorrow...and I'll be sleeping late! Roxie and Virginia will be here for lunch...we'll decide what we are going to have once they get here. I'll be locking Bubbles up until she calms down and then let her out carefully, on the gentle leader and leash. Have the visitors bribe her with treats and take it from there.

Off to bed I go...hoping that the runs stay away and my stomach settles down. I just have to learn to say no to garlic....but that is so difficult when we are talking Lazizah!

Nighty night!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Day After Wednesday

Made it to all my appointments yesterday, except getting my bloodwork done...decided to do that today instead.

Saw Dr. Lachance yesterday and got some more good news! He said at the conference he went to in San Antonio since the last time I saw him, he learned that there are studies that show that the faster your CA125 drops to normal, the less likely you are to have the cancer come back!



I'll take that news! It's funny, because last week I had the thought that the cancer will come back in me. Not that I'm wishing it to happen, mind you, but maybe an acceptance that it could happen. Sandy told me that it was likely to return, because of the "seeding" that had occured in my case-the fact that it wasn't confined to just the ovary.

When she said that, it set me back a bit on my heels. I know that sounds funny as I had just said I thought it might come back...but to have her confirm that possibility was sobering.

Now I get this news from Dr. Lachance...which makes him look like a god all over again!



I know I have a lifetime of frequent rechecks ahead of me...and I will be diligent about going for my check-ups.....but I have confidence that if it does come back, we will catch it quickly and will deal with it harshly! GET OUT! BE OFF WITH YOU! That's the way we'll deal with it. Kick it's ass out the door, again!




Dr. Lachance (he likes it when I mention his name in the blog...so I'll work it in as frequently as possible) did a pelvic exam on me yesterday...I had been "dodging it" for the past few visits. I believe he did a pap smear....will be interested in hearing those results. He said he couldn't feel anything abnormal in there....and neither could I, as he was doing it. The last time he did it....the night before surgery, both he AND I could tell that there was something very very wrong going on in there. That hurt like hell and it was definitely CROWDED in there. No such crowding, or pain, this time.

Dr. Lachance and the nurse (who is someone who has had chemo) both told me that my exhaustion after this last round of chemo is normal and is a result of the cumulative effects of the chemo, which is exactly what we figured out ourselves. So, that's another piece of good news. I wonder if it will be better or worse after next Friday's chemo? Whichever, I'll be able to deal with it.

I will see Dr. Lachance again in two weeks...sorry Lynne, it has to be the 4th and not the 11th as he isn't going to be there on the 11th...and I can't do the 18th as that's the day of the Aging Conference, which I have to emcee.


After leaving Dr. Lachance, we went over to Jean's. I stayed there and took a nap (tried to nap...the dogs were driving me nuts, jumping all over me) on the couch, while Jean and Sandy went to see Taylor. We decided I should stay as they have been ill lately, with the flu.


Taylor is doing okay, in some discomfort. They returned at 1:30 and we headed home...stopping at Taco Bell on the way. We ate when we got home and was it awful! I had a taco and a burrito...the taco shell was stale as were two of the three Sandy had. I found some weird thing in the burrito and Sandy's cinammon twists tasted rancid. I wanted to call the manager, just to give him a head's up that he might want to check the shells and change the oil they are frying in...but Sandy didn't want me to. I have never had a bad meal there....now I'm leery...based on one bad experience! See how that happens?


I went up and got my stuff ready for the game and then took a 45 minute nap.


We went to the game through the snow. I had to hike the three flights of stairs and Sandy was on the floor to take the photos. She got on tv a few time I hear...I saw one of the times, when a player ran right into her...they even showed a replay of it!

The cameras gave her problems all night....one camera had something go wrong and all the images were wiped out! The other camera wouldn't work correctly in sports mode and we were so shook up we couldn't think of what to do to correct it---we should have just put it in auto mode...let the camera do all the work! So, suffice it to say there were next to no usable pictures...but we learned from the experience!


I started my game story after 11:30...Sandy had already collapsed in bed. I got almost all the way through the story and was just starting to type up the quotes from off my tape recorder and the document started going nuts! More troubles....it was jumping all over the place....like someone was hitting the enter button....I hurried up and saved it and shut everything down and went to bed at 12:30...I was exhausted!


We got up at 9 feeling better this AM....we went for my bloodwork--boy were they inhospitable at the lab...everyone in a foul mood. I hate it when people can't at least say "hello, and please and thank you" in a nice way. I try to be polite back at them, but sometimes my "you reap what you sow mode" kicks in, as it started to do today, before I caught myself.


Then we went to the hospital cafeteria to meet with the investment guy. I gave him a copy of my last statement and he is going to do a complete breakdown of my investment funds. He says that I should have more diversity in my funds...I have eight of them now and he recommends about 12-20. I want to take my money out of who I have managing it now and move it to his business, so I can have someone who will consult with me frequently, someone who's pay depends on how well my funds do, someone who will be looking out for me and my needs.

He gave me "permission" to take $$ out to pay off my credit cards and put a good down payment on a new (used) car. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a Camry hybrid. Sandy volunteered to go do the negotiating for me...and I may just take her up on that! She did a good job with the Highlander she bought.


I came home and collapsed for a few hours...it felt so good to nap. We were supposed to go see Taylor...but we got out of the app't so late and we both were so tired, we skipped it. Jean was with her and she needs to sleep anyway...so it was all right.


I finally finished my game article...but it was too long...had to cut out big sections to make the word count work...I'm getting better at that. It worked and I posted it..I haven't heard any complaints from my editor, so I guess it's all right. You can read it here: http://www.spmsportspage.com/published/spmarticles/moore-hayes-lead-huskies-.shtml

Now I can relax...tomorrow I'll see if I can do some housework...Roxie and Virginia will be coming to visit on Saturday when Sandy is at an agility trial with Truman. Want to have the house spiffy for them!

Now I MUST watch Survivor!

Nighty night!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Wednesday...On Tuesday

Since tomorrow is going to be busy, with no time for posting...and today is all quiet...I'll do tomorrow's posting today! Make sense?

Have to go to L&M for 8am tomorrow to see Dr. Lachance. Then we will be going over to Jean's for a bit, then up to Backus for my bloodwork. I'm hoping I get another good report on my last CA125 test when I see Dr. Lachance. Whatever it is...I'll post it next time.

Then we go home and I take a nap. We get up and go to Providence College for the UConn PC game at 7pm. Sandy will be doing the photos, I'll be doing the game story. First time in a long time that we will have worked together on a game!

It's supposed to be snowing by game time. We will take Sandy's car...although the snow isn't going to amount to much...and the Camry is decent in the snow.

When we get home I'll write up my story and send Sandy's good photos off to Mike for sportspage. If it comes out decently, I'll post a link here so you can check them out!

Then I have to print out my investment stuff...we have a meeting with the financial advisor on Thursday AM...I want him to look at how my stuff is distributed and see if I need to make changes. I also want to talk with him about withdrawing $$ to buy a new car.

Taylor had surgery on sinuses today. The doctor said she had a "really bad deviated septum" which he corrected and that the sinuses above her eyes (?) were horribly infected. Poor kid, she should feel a whole lot better now that this has been corrected! She's been having wicked headaches and of course, was all stuffed up...all the time. It's because her sinuses weren't draining at all...the tubes were deformed or too small.

I hope to go with Sandy on Thursday after the meeting to sit with Taylor. She will probably be miserable for a few days....I had surgery just for a deviated septum and I remember how that felt!

Now I'm off to take a shower and then to bed.

Nighty night!

Monday, February 16, 2009

All Buttons Working

This morning I took Lily and Bubbles out for a walk. Now mind you, it was only for 15 minutes, but it was the first time I've been for a walk with them since October!

I did feel weak when we first started out, but I told myself I had to 'get over it" and off we went, with me feeling better and stronger as we went. I did get a bit winded coming up the hill on the way back...Lily wasn't helping me by pulling as she does on the way out...when we return, she's not as happy.

I rewarded myself with heating up my left-over calzone from the other night....while that reheated I did the dishes...so busy I am!

Then I sat in the recliner with a sleeping Bubbles on my lap...and Lily passed out in exhaustion on her bed....and enjoyed the feeling of getting some good air exchange in my lungs and stretching my legs.

Heard from some old pals through Facebook today...a new surprise. I am enjoying Facebook...it does help me keep up with family and friends. I even got Birgitta to join today! I wonder if she knows what she is getting into. I should tell her to post entries in Swedish and fool everyone!

Just watched the "Why We Love Cats and Dogs" show that we recorded last night on public television. It was neat seeing two people we know on the show, Dr. Dodman, who is Lily and Bub's behavioral doctor and Alisa Bobinski who was running her cat through the agility course...AMAZING!

I think I'm going to put that program on dvd to save it.

Big Game tonight for the Huskies....the men's team. They play Pitt...their biggest competition thus far. This game has so much on the line.

I may sneak over to Lily's Rally-O class tonight with Sandy....but I have to wear my mask. Don't want to get any doggie or people germs on me! I haven't seen Rally-O at all....so I don't really know what to expect. I might bring the camera to video it. I hear that Lily loves the class so much she prances like a Lippanzer stallion....according to what Carol says. Carol takes the class with Porter.

I may take another, longer walk with the dogs tomorrow. I'll see if I can just take Bubbles though...Lily pulls me a bit too fast for my liking on the way out...and on the way back home I have to almost drag her at times. She hates this house so, I guess!!!

GO HUSKIES!!!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Idle thoughts.

The period button on my laptop isn't working---this will be interesting, no ending punctuation to sentences--oh well, I could end each with an exclamation point--as I am wont to do! SEE?

* I was lying in bed, feeling my abdomen, as I find myself doing frequently in the past few months---and I feel and SEE this huge bump there--about the size of the palm of my hand--right above where my stomach is---slightly to the left of mid-line, above the navel (insert period here)

Just as I'm getting ready to holler to Sandy to come-look-and-tell-me-what-the-hell-is-it? When it suddendly "reduced" itself completely and I hear the tell-tale sounds of gas moving through my bowels! It was a huge gas bubble! I have never seen anything like that in my life! It was wild! I know I'm gassy---but this was fantastic!

I hope it NEVER happens again!

* I had more energy yesterday than I've had since my last chemo--I even had trouble falling asleep, stayed up to watch part of SNL and then put Soundscapes Channel on, to lull me to sleep (insert period here)

* The Husky's men's team is looking very good--Thabeet is coming on strong, just at the right time--Monday's night vs Pitt will show just how good they are (insert period here)

* Charmine and Pat just dropped by en route to Worcester, to deliver the t-shirt Charmine exchanged for me--I immediately put it on in anticipation of today's Think Pink game at 3:30. WOW!! The period button just worked!

* Charmine said "I do" to the guy from UConn and will be teaching the class Monday night (it's not working again, so insert period here)

* I can say enough how much I hate VISTA--this week it again sent out blank "replies" before I could type anything and again, the person thought I was making fun of them! I had to explain what happened. They should give us Windows XP for free! I'm sure VISTA is to blame for my non-functioning period button! I'm sure the foodstuff that is stuck under the button has NOTHING to do with it....there it's back....temporarily I'm sure (insert period here)

* Whatever happened to Lyle Lovett? Where did he go?

* I think that if I apply myself to the task, I could become a rather good cook (insert yada yada) I have been watching a bunch of cooking shows lately and am intrigued (insert) When I'm feeling better I will start applying myself--Sandy and Jean have been doing all the cooking for the last few months---I at least owe them that!

* Dorothy Wallace makes me fudge that is as good, if not better than the fudge my brother Ernie used to make--and I don't have to beg her to make it, like we used to have to beg EE.

* I'm going to ignored the damned period button, I've given it too much attention already, maybe it will get tired of this little game and will start co-operating (maybe not)

* I have almost hit the magic 100 # of friends on Facebook---not too bad for someone who isn't in school, working or doing anything meaningful! If you want to be my friend on Facebook (where I have put a lot of pictures and other neat stuff....hint..hint)...feel free! I'm easy..well, in that regard!

* I live in a nice house, surrounded by mice, apparently (PERIOD) Sandy found two in traps today, one in the cellar, the other one up in the attic. It's so nice to know that the little critters love our home (period) I'm going to insist that we have a professional exterminator come and give Murphy a hand...and maybe figure out how the hell they are getting into the house!

I mean, I love Mickey as much as the next guy, but these mice aren't wearing cute pants and making millions!

* Looking forward to covering the PC UConn game on Wednesday night, Sandy will be the photographer and I'll be doing the game story (P!) That's about the biggest thing on the agenda for next week.

* Now this punctuation problem is starting to drive this old english teacher nuts, so I will sign off.

GO HUSKIES BEAT PITT (Women today...guys tomorrow)