Saturday, May 9, 2009

Rocky and Bubbles News


















This is Rocky, shortly after he arrived at his new home. He is settling in nicely and it seems that he and Bubbles will be the play pals I hoped they would be. Now, he just has to finish recuperating from his injuries and surgery and he will be "right as rain." He does love to bark though, whenever he thinks he has been left alone....and in the morning when he thinks you should get your ass out of bed!

Now the news about Bubbles. Sandy was contacted by a Dog Photographer who had been at the last agility trial. He had taken a picture of Bubbles and he wants to use it as an image on his business card and also as part of a collage of photos he will use to advertise his work. Sandy gave him permission, but told him we want one of the cards!

I will now attempt to post the picture here: Ooops....looks like it isn't going to work. I will post it in a separate entry.

Just wanted to note the passing of two great women....Doris "Mrs. B" Bobinski whose funeral was today--I didn't dare go because I was having some problems....she was 87. Also, Mary "Gram" Burbine, Annette Zeppieri's grandmother...who was 91. She was a wonderful human being...as was Doris. They will be missed and forever remembered.

Friday, May 8, 2009

SUCCESS!!!

Went up to Providence strictly on faith today. I found out that my counts were fine when they got me and brought me down to "my room." Sandy told me later that the hospital called at 10am to return my call of last night...she informed them that I was already there! Dopes...I said in my message that my appt was for 9:30 and I needed them to call me FIRST THING....

Oh well...none of it matters now. It's all behind me. I got my Avastin (or placebo) and I was in and out in less than an hour! Jean went with me....Sandy stayed home sick last night which was just as good as she was able to get up with the dogs this AM...and she got Rocky out to do his business.

Now that the next stage of my chemo has FINALLY started I think I should explain again what is going on. Even though my cancer level is normal, there COULD be some lingering things in there that could turn into something serious. I signed up for the clinical trial of the drug Avastin when I was first diagnosed. The computer decided whether or not I would get the Avastin with the other drugs I was getting for six sessions--Taxol and Carboplatin. Those are the heavy duty chemicals....the Taxol especially. It was the Taxol that caused my platelets and my immunity level to fall so low. It's also what has caused me to have neuropathy and an endless (it seems) list of other side effects.

The Avastin is fairly mild...side effects wise. I believe that I was getting this drug for five sessions along with the others--based on some of the side effects I had.

Now the computer decided if I will be getting Avastin for this part of the study....I have always had the feeling that I would get it for the first stage...but not this stage. Let's see if I'm right.

I will be watching for certain side effects that I get with the Avastin--blood pressure goes up (today it was back to normal--because it's been so long since I last had chemo); diarrhea; nose bleeds etc.

Well...right off the bat....about an hour after I got home I had wicked WICKED diarrhea...that left me feeling wrung out like a dish rag. I flopped into bed and slept about three hours. Something I haven't done in a long time.

Rocky is doing great. Sandy calls him Rocket--I call him Rocky. He was sitting on my lap today and I actually got Bubbles to jump up there with him! He sniffed her a bit....and she just sat there with the toy in her mouth making little pleasure noises. I think it's going to work out as I hoped--he and she will be little playmates for each other.

Truman doesn't care too much for him. That's okay--we don't care about that-but Truman does need to leave him alone...at least while Rocky is recouperating and vulnerable. When Rocky is healed, the two of them can work it out. I'm sure Rocky will just submit to Truman and that will end that.

We took pictures of him and I promise I will post them...my computer is acting crazy though and I don't want to start swearing tonight...so I'll do it another time.

Picked up some more people for our Relay for Life team and I'm getting excited. I need people who would be willing to walk late at night, or the wee hours of the morning....when it's nice and cool and calm. Anyone interested, let me know!

I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight...after having that nap. Right now I'm watching the Sox in a close one with the Rays....they seem to have great difficulty beating them...although last night was awesome!

We're sending good thoughts Jerry Remy's way....and to Jim Donovan in Tennessee. Hang in there guys!

Tomorrow I'll tell you about how Bubbles is "famous"....but now I have to sign off...

Nighty night!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

The Arrival of Rocky!

Rocky has arrived. He's in the kennel in front of the fireplace, barking his head off, intermittently. Boy is he loud! He has a funny quality to his bark...it's cute.

We have to work out the machinations of how to get him up and out in the AM to do his "business"...he can't go up and down stairs or do other things due to the fact that he is still recuperating from his surgery.

At first, he didn't react at all to the dogs barking and snarling at him. Oddly enough the only one he reacted to was Sweet Lily...and he did a low growl at her. Not bad, just a quiet little growl. He doesn't know that she is his biggest asset. She loves little dogs.

I got him into the kennel in the kitchen and went to give the dogs some kibble while he had his. Truman launches himself at the kennel, then Lily pounced on it...causing it to partially collapse on him! No harm, no foul though.

Now the trick will be to let the dogs get to know him...understand that they are going to snarl and we can't overreact. Let them work it out. It should be interesting.

I hope he doesn't bark all night.

I will probably be awake on and off all night--I always do that the night before chemo...and once again, I'm hoping to finally have Chemo #7 tomorrow. They didn't call me to tell me how my counts were, so I'm assuming that they are okay and I'm "good to go" tomorrow at 9:30.

On Wednesday...when I realized that we were NOT going to get to Russell's Ribs for dinner as promised last week--Sandy just was not well enough to go out--I decided to get in the car and drive to Groton. I went to Russell's Ribs, sat my butt down and ordered the pork spare rib lunch special....with cole slaw and fries. YUM! Some parts of it were a little tougher than I care for---but it was tasty and the sauce was so good! I'll go back again sometime...maybe try a chicken and pork combo.

I haven't done that in years....went and sat in a restaurant by myself. I felt very comfy doing so and enjoyed the meal tremendously. I have only been craving barbecue like that since December I think. I got it in my head and couldn't get it out.

Sandy is staying home again tonight. She went to the allergist who told her she has to be on voice rest. I have been telling her that since this weekend...she sounds horrible. He told her that her nose is a "mess" and suggested that she use the "Neti pot"....good luck to her! I hope it works better for her than it did for me. Of course I figured out it was my deviated septum that created all the problems for me....using the pot.

The good thing....her lungs are clear. With her asthma, I always worry when she has throat or nose problems...always sure we're going to end up in the ER. Of course it's been some time since that has happened---but the other times were so traumatic, it tends to stick in your mind.

Mary Anne O'Keefe fell and broke her femur...she had to have surgery to repair it. Some welcome back to CT! She just got back from spending the winter in Florida. It's going to take a couple of months to get her back to her old form. If I don't go to chemo tomorrow, I'll go see her in the hospital with Lynne.

I went down to Waterford today after my blood work--to check Jean's wireless router. It got fried when some idiot drunk guy hit a pole on Vauxhall Street last month. It sent two transformers into a tizz, sending a surge through the system. It fried Frank's modem too. I wonder if they can get reimbursed from the idiot for the money they had to spend to fix the damage he did. Anyway, we had to go to Best Buy and pick up a new router. Then I installed it and she was good to go. Like she checks her email anyway!

So, here's hoping I get to get the drug tomorrow. Start me on the third path of my journey--first being the surgery---second being the six sessions of the HEAVY DUTY chemo and now the last path...the clinical trial of Avastin.

Oh...last night for some strange reason I went on the Ovarian Cancer web site message boards. MISTAKE! I knew I was avoiding that stuff for a reason....so depressing! I won't go there again...well, maybe in a few decades or so. I did leave a message about my experience....I think I was the first one who wrote about someone actually making it!

One thing about going to that site....I do know and accept now that I can never say I'm "cured"...it can always come back. I have beaten it this time and I fully expect that it will stay that way...but I always have to be vigilant for it coming back. And it could come back in weird places.

I'll think about that tomorrow...tomorrow is another day. :)

Wait...what's that? SILENCE?????

Rocky has settled down...Lily, Truman and Bubbles have settled down.

Nighty night!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Tuesday, in the rain

Quiet day. Sandy and I went back to bed after breakfast....she had been up most of the night, coughing and I was just feeling pooped. So we slept until 1pm!

Spent the afternoon, quietly, on the computer and reading the papers.

Went to pick up my prescriptions tonight at Stop and Shop and then over to the Relay For Life Team Captain meeting. Picked up some donation cans I will see if I can put out in various spots. Ordered our team's t-shirts...but relieved to find out that I can still submit orders for shirts if I get more people added to the team. I know there are folks out there who are going to join the team and haven't sent me their t-shirt size yet.

Home in time to watch the Sox beat the Yanks again.

All in all...a very good day! Think I'll call Bob Miller and go up to see him...they have a nice donation for the Relay for me. Worth the drive to Putnam to see them, maybe take them out to eat at the barbecue place and have a nice visit. We won't be going out for barbecue tomorrow night I don't think as Sandy isn't feeling right. So, I want the damned barbecue--have wanted it for AGES it seems, so I'll take matters into my own hands.....and my father will appreciate the good meal I'm sure!

Now I'm off to bed.

Nighty night!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Monday Monday

Yesterday I was getting ready to take a shower and looked out the window. There was a little pug dog running down the road, cars were slowing down and two little girls were running after the dog, clutching the empty leash. I went out and asked them if they had treats to lure the dog. They said no, so I went in to get some for them.

When I came back out, they came down the driveway and the dog followed them, so at least he was off the road. He was very scared and shied away each time they tried to get him. One of the little girls was crying she was so upset.

I got some string cheese and tossed it to the dog...who finally started eating the treats and getting closer to us. I asked them if they had taken their dog to obedience classes--they hadn't. I explained to them that they need to make their dog want to come back to them...so they need to be very happy when he finally allowed himself to be caught.

Their brothers came down on their bikes and the little dog went up to one of them....I told him to slowly reach down to pet him and then catch him...which he did. I reminded the little girls to do "happy talk" to the dog now that they had him. I also told them that if they were interested in obedience I could give them the name of a good trainer.

They were very happy to have their dog back. I was happy for them.

This afternoon they came by with a hand made card: "To the Lady Who Saved Mugsy"...thanking me and telling me they had no idea how happy they were that I saved Mugsy. They said they are going to take Mugsy to obedience class and Sandy gave them the brochure for Suzanne's classes.

They even drew a picture of their dog...it was very cute...I posted it in the place of honor--on the fridge.

Sandy called out sick tonight as she doesn't think this is an allergy that she is experiencing. Her voice is non-existent. I have to do the talking on the phone, she doesn't even answer--there would be no point...you can't understand her. We're hoping that nothing spreads to me--with my counts it could be dangerous.

She is excellent at handwashing, covering her cough, etc. and has been careful since her symptoms started. So, I think the odds are good in my favor.

Time will tell....now, won't it?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

National Agility Championship Title!!

Sandy and Truman did it today! They got a Q in Chances....the one event they needed to earn the championship title. They did it with Sandy giving hand signals to Truman, because her voice is completely gone. She had to save her voice to be able to give him the one voice command she needed to give "get out" to push him to the obstacle that started the "chance" section of the course.

This is HUGE! The two of them have been working for years to get this title and now after all those classes, all of those trips to NY, VT, NH, MA and CT to agility trials, all of the times they came so close; got hurt and had to take a break; suffered through the rain, heat, wind, etc. THEY DID IT!!!

Bubbles also did well. She has always had problems with jumpers in the NADAC venue--she would run her little heart out and could never make the time. Now, she runs as a veteran and it gives her a lower jump height--four inches instead of eight inches and more time to run the course. She can jump really high, so the four inches isn't really necessary...but the additional time to complete the course is just what she needed. She got her first ever Q in Novice Jumpers! She finished with seven seconds to spare! YAY!! She had a good time, I can tell...by the way she came racing in to see me when she got home---peeing all over my lap. I missed that.

And with that I say, Nighty night!