Saturday, March 20, 2010

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I can't believe it! It was so hot on the deck today that I had to come inside! Fortunately, the Sox were playing and there were basketball games on so I could flip channels.

Jerry Remy is back in the booth and it sounds SO GOOD! I am so happy to have him back, and in tip-top shape too!

I made hot dogs and ate out on the deck, before the heat got me. It felt like summer. The maple tree looks like it's about to burst into leaves any second. It was so nice.

Tomorrow the Huskies play (the women) at noon. I don't know what the weather is going to be like...but I know I'll be here watching them.

I have to figure out something to do for that deck to provide shade. I think I'll see if Frank can help me set up a "sail" out there to block the noon to afternoon shade. They aren't that expensive and I have seen them in use at other places. We would just have to put a post up on the deck to extend the sail up in the air. I think we can figure something out.

We have great minds, after all. I think I'll get a beige sail...or a green one...whichever...they filter the sun and it will look nice and let us enjoy the deck for more hours.

Looking forward to whiling away HOURS on the deck. He he...

Nighty Night and GO HUSKIES!!!

Friday, March 19, 2010

My apologies...

I realize I am remiss in not keeping up the blog. I should have posted yesterday, but didn't.

I keep forgetting that some people who read this blog are not on Facebook, or aren't my "friends" on Facebook, which is where I go now to update folks on what is going on.

I have to get in the habit of posting here after I post on FB. Or vice versa.

Anyway, to bring the rest of you up to speed. With apologies to my FB friends, who have already heard this and are bored to tears with it all.

I went to see Dr. McCourt yesterday. She showed me the CT scan report...which was VERY SHORT! That's great news. It said that no cancer was seen in the areas where there was cancer before! And, my CA 125 is down to THREE! That's only one point higher than my lowest score last year! Now, hopefully the chemo will go after any little bad boys that might be lurking in dark places and kill them off for good!

My counts were way down, so low that I couldn't have chemo today, it would have been too risky. So, they have scheduled me for next Friday and want me to get my bloodwork done early Thursday AM...to give me the best chance of my counts coming up. I don't know if it will work. Last year after the third round I had to wait three weeks before things got back to normal.

I don't know what it is about that third round...it really knocks you for a loop! I don't care, as long as it's the death knell for the bad guys.

Dr. McCourt is concerned that "we can't get a handle on the diarrhea" (which painted a very weird, and sick, picture in my mind, but I kept my mouth shut about it. I told her not to worry, it will do what it's going to do and nothing I do or don't do will have any effect on it. If it continues when the chemo is done, then I'll be concerned. And how bad can it be? I lose sleep, yes, but I gained three pounds! OUCH! Not what I wanted to hear.

We've been enjoying the weather out on the deck this week. I had my breakfast out there a couple of times. It was so nice today, I didn't miss the hospital at all.

We switched out the comforter on the bed today...out came the spring comforter. The winter one has to go to the laundromat and this time I will remember to bring the tennis balls to put in the dryer with the comforter...to get the down spread evenly. I forgot last year and it bunched up in the wrong places and was flat in the wrong places too.

I think I may have had an allergic reaction to the flowers Joyce brought Tuesday. My friend Joyce Kuusela, (Joyce Migneault) from high school came to visit and brought me flowers. Afterwards my throat started getting scratchy and I started sneezing. I had to sleep sitting up that night because the constant drip drip was making me cough. I thought I was coming down with a cold, but Sandy had a different idea.

Wednesday I had to cancel out on a dinner date with Bob and Wini....I was going to take them to the Mexican restaurant where the King's Inn is. I was really looking forward to it and was bummed when I had to cancel. I felt so achy and out of it. Sandy moved the flowers into one of the spare bedrooms and closed the door. I started feeling better.

When we found out my counts were low Sandy was convinced that it was the flowers, so they had to go. Interestingly, I have felt better and better since they were removed from where I was. Sandy is a brilliant diagnostician! She always has been.

I have started with the night sweats again. I have had hot flashes, but until I had chemo I had never had the sweats. Last night I had the worst one ever and can now relate to my friends who talk about soaking the sheets. The sweat was running down my neck and back and left a huge puddle in the bed. I couldn't believe the amount of sweat there was behind my knees! I lay there for a long time, half freezing and half over-heated while I worked up the courage to get out of bed.

Finally I got up and went into "my" bathroom and toweled myself off with my big terry cloth bathrobe, freezing all the while. We had two windows open in the bedroom last night, with fans running in both windows! This morning it was 46 degrees in there. No wonder I was freezing.

I'm hoping that having the ligher comforter on the bed with help with the sweats. Although part of me really doubts it. We'll see.

I'm not going to complain. I am officially in remission and almost done with treatments. I have my priorities straight!

Oh, they called Sandy to come for another interview with the hiring manager at Backus for that IT job. It really sounds that the job is hers for the asking. They told her to expect a call and they will make her a salary offer. We discussed it and we believe we have a figure that will work for her and for them. We are very excited...this will put her working M-F first shift, flexible hours, with very little weekend work required. We won't know how to act! No more going to bed at 7:30 and me having to be quiet downstairs or not have people over, etc. Perfect for all the agility trials she wants to do.

Now she wants to buy a motorhome with the extra money, so we can have it loaded for agility trials and I can come with her. Save on hotel and food expenses. She figures she would be able to afford payments on a motorhome with her new salary...but we aren't counting our chickens....because we don't HAVE chickens!

Nighty night!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I'm joining the Brave New World...again. As I type this, I'm downloading Skype on my iPhone. I already downloaded it on my computer. I'm hoping to have it mastered by the time we go to Sweden, so we can call home cheap or free.

It would be cool if Birgitta and Mats downloaded it, then we can talk for free...as I understand it. I figure if it's good enough for Oprah, it's good enough for me! I also think Gail is good enough for me, too! Just kidding.

Not much going on here. Just like clockwork, the diarrhea stopped last night and things are pretty much "normal"....until we start all over next Friday when I have the chemo again.

The Tasmanian Devil came to the house today and gave me an estimate on having the last cottonwood tree taken down and the elm tree in the back trimmed up. He will only charge me $925 to cut it all up, chip up the branches and haul away the wood! GOOD DEAL!

I lay in bed last night, listening to the wind howl, scared to death that the damned poplar cottonwood tree would fall down on the house. He said it is rotten in some spots. The faster it comes down the better, as far as I'm concerned. Sandy isn't too worried about it...she is primarily interested in getting the elm trimmed, so she can get more sun shining on the doggie pool. Here I am worried about basic safety and she has other priorities. He can't come and do the job until the ground dries up a bit.

The yard is quite squishy out there. You sink into the lawn in most spots. Out back, heading for the back fence, there is a river...and beyond the fence we have a huge pond. We are very happy that the house sits on a hill...rising above all the water.

I was listening on the scanner on my iPhone to all the emergency responses to the flooding going on all around this area. Right now I'm listening...apparently some dopes are ignoring the "road closed" signs and are traveling where they shouldn't. They've had to pull three cars out already! One officer just described the expanse of water covering the road in this way: "I'm not kidding, it's about a half mile wide!" YIKES!

I slept late again today. Got up early and had breakfast, then went back to bed when Sandy did. When I got up I felt really good and energetic. So I did laundry, vacuumed the upstairs and cleaned the bathrooms.

Then I rewarded myself by lounging on the chaise in the bedroom, reading my Ozzie Osbourne book. I love that book. Ozzie is hysterical. I love reading about his escapades...it's a wonder the guy is still alive!

I just ordered Steve Rushin's lastest book. Steve is married to Rebecca Lobo and the two of them are so funny. I loved his writings when he worked for Sports Illustrated. I also follow him on Twitter....his contributions are laugh aloud funny.

I can imagine what life is like at their house. Two wits living together with three kids who seem to be pretty bright and witty (unknowingly) themselves.

Oh, Sandy thinks I'm witty now. Anyway, she's been laughing at my antics lately. I'm sure to engage in antics every once in awhile for her amusement.

OH! And I am the proud owner of two beautiful cashmere sweaters. Dorothy had bought them and never wore them...she gave them to me. One had the tag still on it: $125! Both of them were the same price. Of course, Dorothy got them from Macy's where she worked, so she didn't pay full price for them...but still.....

I've never had cashmere ANYTHING...so I'm quite excited about this generous gift. I hope I have an occasion to wear one of them soon.

Oh...I'm listening to the scanner and the officer just said he's watching a car out in the middle of all that water...doesn't know if anyone is in it. He's waiting for the fire guys to get there with a boat to go out and do a rescue. Very exciting!

I hope I'm not up all night listening to this stuff. I worked today and now I'm tired...physically....and in a good way...not in a sick way. If you know what I mean.

Okay...I'm recording all the shows I want to watch. I'll watch them tomorrow. For now, I'll climb the stairs to bed.

Nighty night!