It seems that chemo can't get to me, but a simple cold throws me for a loop!   I have been miserable with a stuffed up nose, cough, eyes and teeth hurting...the whole works.  I called Monday to see if I could get in to see Kathleen, but the earliest was Wednesday...so I took it.   Beggars can't be choosers.

In the meantime, Sandy got me cough medicine, which helped and I started doing sinus lavages, that has helped relieve a lot of the pressure.  Yesterday was bad, today is tolerable.  Watch, by the time I get in to see Kathleen, I'll be totally cured! 

Well...I hope so.  I have chemo on Thursday and don't want to miss it because of a stupid cold.  This reminds me that I need to get some masks to keep in my purse and car, just in case.  Back to the old routine I guess.

This weekend I decided that I want to host our family Christmas gathering.  For years, Phil and Renee have been hosting it for us, a joint venture with Renee's family.  We enjoy seeing them, but it does get very noisy, because the Millers are loud people, and confusing for my dad.  We exchange gifts after the Menards leave and that makes it a very late night for all, especially the Bristol faction of the family.  That's a long drive back down Rte 44 late at night.

So, anyway, I decided to hold a gathering here this year.  We'll see how it goes.  We'll do a smorgasbord, like my mother used to do and we'll have it during the day so people get home early.   I'm looking forward to it.

I think the Menards will enjoy having some peace and quiet on Christmas Eve, maybe they will be able to hear themselves think with all the loudmouths out of the room!  Of course that means it's gonna get loud here, will have to think of something to do with the dogs.  I think we'll kennel them upstairs, with the tv on...that will keep them happy.

I missed Mary McKay's retirement party last night.  I was supposed to speak, so I sent my stuff on to Scott, who read it for me.  Sounds like it was a great time...I am totally bummed that I missed it.

I had to miss work too...this week I was scheduled to work every day...making the big bucks.  Instead I had to call out from Mon-Wed....I had already canceled Thursday due to the chemo...there wouldn't be enough time for me to get from Providence to Farmington....I'm  hoping I can make it in for Friday.

Sandy has been attending the Backus nurses' contract negotiations meetings and I continue to be struck by the unprofessional behavior of the administration.  It is obvious that they don't respect the nurses.  Last night, they came to the meeting, stayed for a half hour, caucused for two  hours and then said they were going to break for dinner.  Sandy left in disgust at that point, but what about the nurses who were on the negotiation team, who had worked all day? 

The hospital is paying big bucks for their lawyer, who still hasn't done much from this vantage point, except his big fees.   The adversarial position the administration is taking is disturbing...but not surprising, that attitude is what led to the nurses unionizing in the first place.  They are not treated with respect. 

With all the sexual abuse scandals in the paper currently, one would think that this type of news would have lost it's power to shock, however, I was shaken when one hit home.  One of my former staff was arrested on charges that he sexually abused two residents of the home where he worked.  This sickened me, as the people in this particular home cannot speak and are non-ambulatory....they rely on staff for assistance with most things.  If the charges are true, it's devastating to the victims, the families and the staff who work there.  If the charges are false, the effect is almost as devastating, if assaults occurred, who was the perpetrator.  How will the residents, families and staff ever find trust again...no matter if the charges are true or not?

Jean got a new car.  Well, Sandy did the negotiations and Jean is going down to the dealership today to pick up her 2012 Hyundai Sonata.  Can't wait to see her with her new wheels.  She said that this is the last car she will buy.  She tends to keep her cars for 10 years or so...that means she would be well into her 80's when this one fizzles out. 

Sandy and Frank got the cover on the RV...by themselves.  I was supposed to go help them put it on, but was too sick to help.  Sandy said it wasn't too bad.  The only thing is she didn't have anything big enough to put over the skylight in the shower.  The RV guys recommended that we put plastic milk crates over the fans and skylights, to protect them from the weight in case we have an ice storm.  So, if we do have an ice storm, we will have to check the shower.  At least if it cracks or breaks any rain/etc. will fall into the shower area and can drain out.

The Tasmanian Tree Devil came last week and took out a bunch of trees and trimmed all the fruit trees.  Does it look nice out back!   They took down the cherry tree by the driveway that was in the way when we parked the RV.  Now we can put the RV on a straight line along the edge of the driveway.  I still want to pave an area next to the drive and have an electrical outlet installed out there, for the RV.   Have I mentioned lately how much I miss that rig???

Looks like I'll be buying Celtics tickets for Andrew for Christmas again.  I haven't heard the latest, but it sounded positive for the NBA lock-out to be over.  Notice the silence of the fans in this whole process?  I haven't heard of anyone making a stink, pushing the sides to settle.   Once they settle and post a schedule, I'll see what I can do to get our fannies in some seats in Beantown.

The Huskies are looking good, both teams.  Both teams are young and learning and I always find that the most exciting part of the whole thing.   Seeing the kids learn, grow up and do well.  This KML kid playing for the women has already been named Freshman of the week for two weeks running.  She is another Maya Moore and she is going to be LOTS of FUN to watch for the next four years.

I wasted time in my last therapy session telling my therapist about what a horrible person Charlotte McCullough was.  Now I have to figure out why....which means I have to think about Charlotte.  That is sick...

I'm trying to think of something pleasant to overpower that last bit....


Steak, stuffed potatoes and corn for supper!  There, that should do it.

Later....

Hey, look!   A second blog posting in less than three months!  Ha ha.

Just wanted to wish all a HAPPY and SAFE Thanksgiving   The weather is going to be rather nasty today and tonight, so if you are traveling...be careful!

We got the trees in the yard trimmed and several cedars cut down yesterday.  Which meant that the dogs were all wound up...most of the day.  There were two guys and big pieces of loud equipment roaming around the premises and they were SURE that we would all be killed...so they made me aware of every movement out there.

This would have been fine, if I wasn't on the phone for about three hours, with the people from Apple Care, trying to get my laptop straightened out.  The problem was such that a supervisor (who had a nasty cold and was irritated right from the start) had to get on the line with me.  In between the sound of chain saws and dogs barking hysterically, and the guy's snuffing, snarking, coughing  and blowing his nose, we got most of it straightened out.  What an ordeal!   I want to point out that I talked with three different people before I got the supervisor and all of them were so pleasant to talk to...and then he came along.  I could feel myself getting sucked into his negative vortex, but I really needed to get the computer working right.  So, I worked really hard to jolly him along, and was successful.  

I treated him the way he should have been treating me.  Funny how that happens more and more lately.

Yesterday I was miserable, physically.  Everything was aching and sore.  My mouth has sores in it from the medicine (I guess I am getting the clinical trial drug...a placebo wouldn't make these kind of sores) and my throat was hurting.  My side/kidney still hurt, my back hurt, I was just miserable.  Then the neighbors decide to burn up a huge pile of junk from the storms and the smoke rushed into our yard and stayed there.  I couldn't take a full breath without coughing and I could feel the congestion in my chest. 

It was hard to figure out if I was having reactions to the chemo drugs, a cold/allergy attack, or residual from the excessive workout at the gym on Sunday...or all three.

I took Zyrtek D last night and felt better.  I called the neighbor who likes to burn things and asked him to try to control the smoke, he apologized.  I do have a call in to the nurse at Women and Infant's but I doubt I'll be here when they finally call back.  Good thing I have Kathleen at Dr. Galan's office if I REALLY had a problem!

Okay, I'm off to take a shower, pick up my pies, see my therapist, pick up Sandy at work and then down we go to Jean's for Thanksgiving.

Have a great holiday!   Remember, no fighting with family members...it's so NOT WORTH IT!

Later!

So, I went for my first chemo last Thursday and it really was a piece of cake.  I know now that I can drive myself up and back no problem.  This is a good thing for Sandy, who can't always take off from work to do this.

Jean, Sandy, Nami and I went up Thursday.  Sandy came in with me and got me settled in, then took Jean and Nami down to Ocean State Animal Hospital to meet with the oncologist...so it was Oncology day in our families.

Nami has a tumor on her heart and they are starting her on chemo (at home)...she takes pills like I do.  The doctor doesn't know if it's a slow growing tumor or not.  We will find out in three months when she goes back and they do imaging again.  He said she is in no pain, which is a relief.

I am on the first unit now for my infusions.  I have a new nurse, Yvonne....it's really something like Yvoningle or something like that.  She is very competent and thorough....just what I like.  I will have "Little Anne-Marie" for a nurse most of the time, but will have Yvonne when AM isn't on duty.  I love it.

It took a LOOOOOOOOOOONG time for me to get one med.  I didn't need premeds, which is what used to get me all woozy and sick feeling (and what prevented me from driving myself), but it took FOREVER to get the Avastin from the main pharmacy at the hospital.  My appt was for 11:30, I got into the room earlier than that and I didn't start getting my infusion until about 1:30!  Yvonne was more upset than I was about the time.

I was having fun chatting with the women who shared the room with me, first a woman with breast cancer, and her sister--who owns a package store.  We chatted about "Skinny Girl" products and had some laughs.

Then she left and I was alone for awhile, then another woman came in with her husband.  They looked familiar and it turns out they are from Norwich and they know Briege Kavanaugh, our old neighbor!  The woman, Mary, has ovarian cancer also, her CA 125 is at 900 now, which made me grateful for my measly 30 score!   She has a great attitude and will do well.  She gets a biologic agent like I do, but had to have some premeds.  Maybe we can commute together sometime down the road.

Her daughter came down from Westwood to visit and brought goodies from Whole Foods.  It was nice chatting with them...made the time go by fast.

My next appointment is Dec 1st at 8:30 in the AM.   I was supposed to work that day at 12:15, but I canceled that as I don't know how long it will take for them to get the meds hung.  Also, driving from Providence to Farmington is not the easiest of trips...so best that I cancel out.  Think I will look for Trader Joe's in Warwick on my way home.

I am now taking two pills a day in the morning, on an empty stomach.  I have to be careful not to touch the pills, which are called Everolimus.  I have to drink a whole glass of water with the pills and have to rinse my mouth out thoroughly after taking them.  They do cause sores in the mouth, which I now have because I forgot to rinse a couple of days.  I have a prescription for magic mouthwash being filled so that should help. 

Speaking of Trader Joe's....on Charmine's recommendation I bought their pizza dough and sauce.  I made pizzas for Sandy and Jean (and Carol) this weekend, using fresh tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  I will never make pizzas my "old way" again!  

I have been trying to eat better, incorporating lots of spinach and red onions, in particular, into my diet.  Dr. Oz says that research shows that they are good for fighting ovarian cancer.   I'm also exercising more.  I go to the gym and on the "off days" walk the dogs, do house work, haul stuff in the yard, etc.   I will be setting up my first workout with the personal trainer within the next week.  Let's DO THIS! 

Of course, I had to go and overdo it Sunday at the gym.  I did the treadmill on fat burn for 20 minutes,  no problem, that's a nice, slow and steady pace.  Then I did the Fitness Test on the Stairmaster and messed up my data input after a few minutes, so I just hit Workout 1 and did that for five minutes...that alone added up to 10 flights of stairs...I have NO idea how many flights I walked while doing the fitness test!   At least another five!  Today I'm paying for it...my legs, back and arms ache.  I'll go tomorrow and just take it easy...treadmill, bike, etc.  No stairs.

Been working too....just one more session of doing the physical exams for the Yale students, next up I have to be the smoker who wants to quit.  This is hard for me...I HATE saying that I smoke!  Even though it's not true, I can't stand it.  Takes real acting on my part!  Ha ha!

Thanksgiving happens twice for us this week, Wednesday night at Jean's with Taylor and Andrew and Ryan...and Deb and Neil.  We were together last year too and had a blast.  On Thursday Sandy and I will go up to Rhonda's in Pomfret, with Roxie and the kids.  We love to spend time with them.  I think this is the third year in a row I've gone to Rhonda's.  Great food, great company, we play games and have a wonderful time.  I have to remember to load Cranium and other games into the car.  Rhonda has "Dance Dance Revolution" which I have been wanting to try.  I would love to have that here at home.

Watching the Huskies beat Stanford tonight, good win.  They won, which is good, and they made a lot of mistakes, which is also good--Geno will have a field day pushing them in practice.  I love the new kids already...especially that Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who will be referred to as KML from now on in this blog. 

Now I'm watching the Patriots and texting with Katie, who is watching in Arizona.  This is our "tradition"...we text during the games.  It's fun.

Coming up on the horizon...Mary McKay's retirement party.  I'm speaking and have no idea what I will say...I'll think of something crazy I'm sure.

Okay...early day tomorrow.  The guys are coming to cut down and trim trees out back....they will be here at 7:30!  OUCH!   I have to get to bed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Later.....

Leave it to Pam to remind me that I need to update this blog.   Since I last wrote I "turned some kind of corner" and my health has definitely been on the upswing.   I have a LOT more energy, not having the side effects from the stupid Lexapro--dizziness, light headedness, staggering around, disembodied feelings, etc.  I was able to go to the gym last Wednesday and had a great workout.  I was going to go again on Friday, but then realized I had to work in the afternoon, so I took the dogs for a walk instead.

I worked two days last week and it felt great.  Also spoke at Kathryn's retirement party on Thursday night.  We had great fun, got to sit with Lynne, Charmine, Karen, Mary Cahill, Claire Evento, Vickie Severin and a woman named Heather who we met for the first time that night.  We told "old personnel horror stories" and had a good laugh.

It was great to see Kathryn.  Hadn't seen her in years it feels like...I bet it's been around three or four years.  She looks great, as usual and I got to see Joe too.  Haven't seen him since 2003!   Mary McKay organized the evening and was the MC...did a fantastic job.  The food was very good, the ambiance was very nice (the Hilton in Glastonbury) and the program was fun.

I have made arrangements for Sandy to accompany me to my next therapy session.  I realize that my therapist doesn't really know much about me when she admitted being surprised that I was funny.  I think I have been too serious in our sessions!  She is "dying to meet" Sandy as she wants to get Sandy's take on things.  I think it will be good for me and for Sandy as well.

This week I have to have my mammogram and ultrasound tomorrow at 9:30, then to work at 2:15.  After that, I have the week off.  I hope to make arrangements to go to Putnam and spend a day, at least, with Bob and Wini.  Have to make an appointment with a social worker at Westview to see if they can help me with the financial information on the application for Bob.  I have to get that job done!

We got about two inches of wet snow last night...very scary how the trees were bending under the weight of the snow.  We didn't lose any major branches, thankfully, but it sounds like there were plenty of other folks who weren't that lucky.  More power outages than they had with Hurricane Irene!
 

Again I am so happy we paid the bucks to get the trees trimmed.  It was more than worth it.  We just had Ed, the "Tasmanian Tree Devil" up to the house to check out the trimming job we want to have him do.  He brought his fiancee with him and I gave them a tour of the RV.  They are sold, they want one.  We will bring them with us to the RV show in Jan/Feb...whenever it comes to the Big E.  I'll bet they buy one on the spot.

Speaking of the RV, we brought ours up to Arlington and left it yesterday to have it winterized, and some minor repairs done.  I miss it already!  When it's ready, we'll drive it down to Waterford and park it in Jean's yard. 

Jean and Frank are going to be running a storage facility in their back yard this winter.  Our RV will be out there and Neil is putting his boat there.  Then Taylor's boyfriend, Andrew, asked if he could put his boat there also.  We told Jean that her neighbors are going to think they hit the lottery!

We are getting a cover for the RV and it should be quite interesting when it comes time to wrestle that cover over the unit!   That's 34' we're talking...it's not going to be easy!  I went shopping in the RV store and bought some stick-on levels that you use to help you figure out if the rig is level.  I can't help myself, I love buying things for the RV.

Speaking of buying things, I spent a couple of hours online today, shopping for BMX gear for Mariah.  She lost her stuff when the house caught fire.  Too much smoke damage.   So, I got her pants, shirt, helmet, gloves and shoes.  Still have to get the chest, elbow and knee pads.  It's fun shopping for this stuff, I never played the sport myself and it's neat learning about these things.

Mariah got all A's and B's last marking period, so I'm very happy to get these things for her.  She loves the sport and gets so much out of participating, as does  her mother and her sister, when they go to watch and cheer for her.  It's something I can really see has benefits for the whole family, so I'm happy to be involved any way I can.  Just wish I could be there to see her race. 

Huskies start up soon....first game next month.  Can't believe that it's already basketball time and I can't believe that we got snow!  

Oh, I went to see Dr. McCourt and got a clean bill of health.  Of course, there was a snafu.  She had told me that I only had to get CT scans every six months, so I didn't have one done before I saw her.  Then she tells me I still have to have them every three months until next May.  So, I go to get it done and they didn't have the fax that the office sent.  The office wasn't open so they had to chase her down to get the order...but at least they did that.  If I had to drink that crap and drive all the way up there AGAIN I would have been pissed.  As a matter of fact, I don't think I would have done it! 

I really get so sick of medical people screwing things up.  I'm still looking forward to my appt with Kathleen at the beginning of December so I can tell her my complaints about my primary care doctor.  I don't think I wrote that up here, but suffice it to say, I am not pleased with her or the other nurse at all!  I only trust Kathleen now...and if she ever leaves...I'm outta there!

And Joyce and I had fun at the Putnam Great Pumpkin Festival last weekend.  We rode around town afterwards and then down to Alexander's Lake, checking out our old haunts.  Ha ha!  Get it?  It's October, so I said "old haunts!"

I'll leave on that dumb note....

Later!

Well, the erlichiosis killed most of my September....I did make it to the Red Sox game (Beckett pitched and they lost) and to the Ovarian Cancer 5k walk, made it but didn't walk it. 

Pam, Sandy, Charmine, Pat, Joanie, Carol and Steve comprised my team.  I got to sit and wait for them to walk the route and come back.  Steve ran the 5k and then when the walk started, ran it again!  I was so impressed with him.  A few other folks were signed up to walk but couldn't make it.  Oh well, I didn't make it either!  Next year...."Annie's Army" will be bigger and better.   We did make close to $1500 for the cause, not too shabby for our first effort! 

I had to miss a lot of work in September due to the exhaustion from the stupid illness.  Lot 'o money down the drain.  What are you going to do?

The day we left to go to Acadia I made the command decision to stop taking the doxycycline.  It was making me so sick to my stomach and I had already taken it for three and a half weeks.  I looked up on line about the criteria for taking it for erlichiosis...most said 7-10 days.  I was satisfied.

We did make it to Acadia, left on Wednesday and returned last Monday.  It was so gorgeous up there.  We stayed at the KOA right at the top of Mount Desert Island, our site overlooked the water---sweet!   The weather was great the first three days, we rode around the island, scoping things out on Thursday and Friday.  We climbed Bubble Rock...well, I partially climbed it, Sandy and the dogs climbed the whole thing.  On Friday we drove up Cadillac Mountain and hiked around up top....it was SOOOO windy!    We tried to hike down to the gorge, but it was way too steep for us and the dogs.  We had to be "content" with the hike around the top, checking out the gorgeous views of the park and the harbor. 

On Saturday the weather was nasty, rainy and cold.   We had planned to go shopping anyway, so that's what we did.  Hit Reny's, LL Bean Outlet and Marden's.   Got more socks...that's been my "thing" this year...buying socks.  I have picked up quite a few pairs of Smart Wool, LL Bean and the other brand of wool socks (the name escapes me now).   I'm all set for heavy duty, walking socks, hiking socks, you-name-the-activity socks....I got 'em all!

Sunday morning we were up and out early to hike around a pond on one of the carriage roads.   The carriage road was great...nice and broad, great surface for the us and the dogs, no rocks to scramble over, like the other paths we had been taking.  We hiked around "Witches Hole"  and got to a cross road.  Sandy asked me if I wanted to continue hiking in the direction we were traveling which would bring us back to where we started, but was 2+ miles or turn around and go the way we came, which was a mile.   I swallowed hard and said, "keep going."  

About a half mile down the road, I felt like puking.  I stopped and the feeling passed.  I took a few short breaks along the way back and made it all the way!   I was so shocked and proud of myself.  Sandy checked the distance listed for the hike and we had gone 3.2 miles!   What a difference a week makes!  And what a difference not taking doxycycline makes!

Being in Maine, without great tv reception, I missed the whole sad demise of the Sox.  Thankfully I was spared.  All I can say is, they sucked in September and I hope they got that out of their system.  I am so sorry that Terry Francona is gone, I loved him as a manager, but he had lost control of the jimokes in the clubhouse.  Grown men behaving badly.

So, now the decks are cleared for my Pats and the Huskies.  GO TEAMS!!!

We are working on getting the RV ready for winter.  It will be sad to put her away for the season.  We have gotten good use out of her this year and we are quite attached to her already.  I have to clean it inside and wash the outside....and try to wax it too.  Then we have to get it to the RV place to have them winterize the tanks, gas and water lines.  Then we drive it to Jean's and park it, until the Spring.  Already I can't wait!

We had been talking about going to Nova Scotia next summer, but after our trip to Acadia, we are rethinking this.  We may go back to Acadia and do more exploring up there.  There is so much to see and do in the park and we would be happy to do that instead of Nova Scotia.  But...we skip Bar Harbor...too commercial and too busy.  We will be seeking out the quiet places in the park.  And we will go in the "off season" of September/October again.

So, this week I went back to work on Tuesday and Thursday, yesterday went up to be with Bob Miller while Wini went off with her daughter.  Nice.

I'm feeling stronger and stronger.  Still not back 100% but getting there.  Can't wait to be strong enough to go back to gym and do a good workout.

Now I have to get washed up and changed to go out to the Fisherman for dinner with Sandy and Jean.  We will be celebrating our anniversary...number 26 or something now.  I have lost count!

Later!

Erlichiosis

This erlichiosis is KICKING MY ASS!  I can't believe how much it wipes me out...about as much if not more, than chemo did!   I have to take two naps a day and in-between I feel nauseous (from the stupid pills) and out of it. 

Going up the driveway to the mailbox wipes me right out...stupid, damned ticks!

I am probably going to have to cancel out on working next week.  I was supposed to work three days...a lot of moolah...and go to a Sox game on Wednesday....and the walk on Saturday....

Well...I have my priorities...so, no work next week, but we WILL make it to the Sox game and the Ovarian Cancer walk!

The Sox seem to need the presence of a Miller in the crowd in order to win lately.  The only game they've won in the past week was with Maria in the stands, cheering on Tim Wakefield to his 200th!  YAY!  He FINALLY made it!

So we are scheduled to go see them on Wednesday when they host Baltimore...that SHOULD be a win for them, but we'll see.  The last two games that I have gone to see them play they have lost, despite having Beckett on the mound both times.  I hope he isn't scheduled to pitch on Wednesday.

The big drama around these parts has been Missy, the missing Mastiff.  She was in a car accident and took off into the woods.  Folks searched for her for almost a week and she was finally found.  The lesson to be learned in this is to seat belt your dogs in the car...or put them in a kennel.  Both mastiffs disappeared, the male was found the next day.  AND the husband, who was driving was EJECTED from the car...guess he wasn't properly secured either.  A lot of heartache and pain could have been saved if only all of them were a secured in the car. 


More drama, the race for the nomination of the Democratic party candidate for mayor in New London and the gay guy won!  He beat "Big Mouth" Buscetto, who sets a new low for whining and griping in at town that is so accustomed to whining and griping.  He even whined about losing...hinting at improprieties.  I am so glad he is out of there, and I don't even live in New London!  Maybe now they have a chance of cohesion, not the divisiveness Buscetto preaches.

So happy for Mary McKay who is making good her escape from DDS, by taking an early retirement next month, instead of February as she had planned.  She is so happy and I celebrate right along with her.  She's earned this one for sure!

My email has been screwed up so much lately, I don't know what mail I have or how to find it...nothing is synching the way it's supposed to.  I'm not going to use the me.com anymore, people should email me at anyeyball@aol.com if they want to get in touch with me.

This isn't making sense at all....I swear I am still feverish at times.  I'm hoping the weather hurries up and turns cool.  I can't go out in the sun because of the meds and I'm hot all the time, even with the air conditioning on.

Oh, and we are supposed to go to Wells this weekend, for our big trip with Jean.  Figures that I still don't feel good.  Probably should stay home.  But I'll probably go and end up sleeping all weekend in the RV. 

Wonder if I'll be smart and stay home? 

Later...

We go to the Trailer Trash Party

Sandy and I are all dolled up for the trailer trash party

My "Tramp Stamp"....Mike is Sandy's boss, he was the one having the party

Sandy with boobs, something you will NEVER see again!