2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

ravdeb

OMG! Poor, poor thing! He sure is tough, your Sam! What pictures of him! Looks like he's gonna make it! Wow..yes..he really is a fighter!

And I do hope you come to America, Debbie!!!

TracyNY

Poor doggie! I hope he perks up.

I didn't get to vote yesterday but at least my candidates won so I don't feel that they needed me to push them over the hump.

I lost an aunt, this is why my mother came over, and the service was last night. The interment was this morning, the soggiest day of the year so far! I was up to my knees in mud at the cemetery! She was a great lady and passed away a few weeks shy of her 93rd birthday so life owed her no change.

ravdeb

93 years old. May I live to be that old.

I take a woman to services here who turned 90 last year. She amazes me! My mother in law, who is 80 and quite fit, walking every single day, even in the rain, has trouble getting out of my van because it's so high. This 90 year old, she says to me..oh no..don't need any help, and she just holds on tight and slides out, landing lightly on the ground (with me there to catch her just in case!).

My grandmother died when she was 91 and was never sick a day in her life. My hair is like her hair. She had white hair by the time she was 30. I always wanted to take after her but I guess my health is not like hers was....

Tadah..hope you are enjoying your visit with your mom.
I'm glad your aunt lived a full life.

marymelodi

So glad to see Sam's friendly face - even if it is a bit skinned up! Makes him look a little like a prize fighter! Which he his, indeed!

Love all the stories and pictures.

Had a tough stressful day at work. Need to do a few more things before I can go home. I did go vote last night and felt good to do it, even though some of my candidates did not win. It's fun to talk to the ladies who run the voting in my district. They are volunteers and it's the same bunch every time. While I waited a few minutes we talked about shopping for new purses . . . isn't that the universal female topic . . . shopping?!

Talking about our 2007 gathering . . . I can move the time to November . . . really can do it anytime in the USA. Not so sure about getting to England, although I surely would live to go there someday.

bye~
Mary

TracySeattle

November would be fine with me too - Not sure what the weather would bring that time of year.....

mags

Hi Debbie, I'm so sorry about the poochie. I hope he's better soon.
Hugs
Mags

Graycie

I am really having trouble keeping up with all the posts....I have to say once again we are a very active group.

Jill your pictures are Great! What a story about the engagement ring......OMG I would have killed him.........lol.....I can't believe they actually found it. I guess it was a good thing it was SO big......

Debbie, Glad to hear that Sam is doing better.....Poor little thing. I felt so bad for him when I saw the picture's. That women needs to be arrested. Isn't that like running away from the scene of the crime. I bet she is afraid that her dog will be put away. He sound's dangerous if he attacked like that........Wonder if that would have been a child, not that little Sam doesn't count, but if it was a person I bet they would tract her down.

Cindy, I hope your appointment went well........How was Ravdeb's cake? I bet it was Yummy. That is strange about the buildings, knowing me I would get lost......The company I work for is in Minnesota.

Victoria, I hope your appointment went well too....

Tadah, Sorry about your Aunt........and Ravdeb sorry about your friends cousin....

Today is not one of my better days. I am really feeling down probably because my hip hurts again..I looked up arthritis and it sound's like that is what I have but who know's ...I am sick of not feeling good. Actually I felt great until lately. Everything aches, the weather stinks and I guess I should call the doctor. I am sorry I am such a whiner...I really hate what cancer has done to me.......OK, that's enough......just had to vent.....

Everyone, Take care.........

Hugs to everyone, Graycie

Anonymous

debbie -
OMG - My heart is really broken now! Those pics are so incredibly sad. I hope they have him on some reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally strong pain meds! I'm glad your aunt is okay. Please find that woman! She has to be found so this doesn't happen to another pet or worse a child. Hang in there...hope you don't have another day like that - EVER AGAIN!

ravdeb -
I knew you would love having a digital camera! The sea is beautiful. I can't wait to see all the photos you'll no doubt, be sharing with us now! Look out...here comes the rabbi wannabe with her camera. LOL

Jill -
The photos are gorgeous! Wanna be there...The photo with you in the pool looks just like the Iberostar Resort pool that I stayed at after I finished chemo. Brought back some very good memories.

Graycie -
Hang in there with the hair! Maybe it's just taking it's sweet time!

Tracy -
I will definitely adopt a soldier! Can I choose his height and weight, eye and hair color? Just kidding...let me know the details...count me in.

Rosemarie -
Your hair looks great! How are you doing with the cording? Hope it's not getting worse.

Victoria -
How did your appt. go? Wow...I am surprised you're considering implants...that's great! I definitely understand your hesitation, but why are you feeling "pulled" about it?

Kelly -
Thanks for the kind words...my biopsy is on Monday - unfortunately I have to suffer for the next 5/6 days! I watch Oprah occasionally...why do you ask?

Cindy -
My/our thoughts are with you.

TaDah -
Sorry about your aunt...wow she was blessed with a long life!

EVERYONE -
I hope you know it goes without saying....I will meet you all anywhere and anytime! If it isn't here in my neck of the woods - no problem. But I was just wondering...would September work for everyone to come here? If not, November here or anywhere is fine.

Laura

ake

november works for me begining is always best

Anonymous

Laura, I just meant that if we were hanging out at your house, virtually, waiting for biopsy day, we need to be watching some good tv!

Debbie, last month another dog attacked Samson, remember when I went camping?? The dog bit his eye and it went right thru his eyelid ... thankfully, it didn't touch the eye. My Sam still has fuzz where they shaved the eye area like your Sam. My dog's eye surgery was successful and has healed quite nicely. Your dog's eye looks like it was unscathed but it sure looks painful!!! Ouchy is right!

Anonymous

Victoria, you look great! I think a visit to your house for painting would be such a fun thing.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Debbie,
My heart goes out to Sam and your aunt. You know I have a Scottie named Angus, and he's a small sized pooch as well (though his head is that of a large sized dog). So I can imagine what kind of pain you and your family are going through. I would have done exactly as you did.

Anyway, the photos above were taken during the Susan G. Komen breast cancer race for the cure. My friends and I were at the end of the line because we were late. The statue in the background is Kate Sessions. She's the reason San Diego has a lot of beautiful trees from all over the world.

I was quite overwhelmed by the sounds and colors of the crowd. I was very happy to be there. They could not have picked a better day for the walk, though I really should have worn shorts as it got hot around 10 AM.

After the walk we had brunch in a really cool restaurant where I ate a Spanish omelette with potatoes on the side. All that walking made us very hungry!

ravdeb

Wonderful pictures of the walk, Brenda!

Victoria..you look just absolutely beautiful!

Cindy.. update us! Am thinking of you...

Graycie..you and I are so alike! YIKES! I can so relate to what you said. I'm so tired of feeling yucky. I was just thinking... I just ache so much and my leg (which is supposed to be from the sciatica) just won't give up. Seems worse now that it was before, but not bad enough for pills (hate pills) or surgery...yet! Just so nagging and I'm just so tired of it. I go to bend over to pick something up, and I know how to bend properly but I barely move and there is that pain! It hurts when I sit, sleep...this is getting old...

And if I had to find my way through Mayo..forget it! I get lost around my own house! LOL

As for our get-together...November would be okay for me, despite the weather. But, September wouldn't work for me..All our holidays are in September this coming year.

ravdeb

This is the Roman Aquaduct..last time I showed it to you from a website..this is MY photo I took with my new camera!!!

debbie444

Kelly - his eye has never been a concern, for some fluke the dog completely missed it. When he was tossing him around by the face i wondered if he was going to be blind even if he survived ,but, he had gaping wounds either side. His main problem now is his windpipe. He has had major surgery to remove a ripped peice and stitch the rest up which he has coped with but the vet says there is a reak high risk of infection because its a dirty wound in a sterile place.
By all accounts , clutching him to me in a cradled position on his back was the right thing to do - it helped keep the holes shut. The fact i did anything right after running around screaming hysterically is a miracle!!

My aunt is ensconsed back at home. By all acounts it was a mils attack and hasnt done any further damage.
Brenda - the walk looks fantatstic - as if you dont mind me saying so do you! Are they palm trees i can see

ravdeb - surprise surprise , i too have no sense of direction ! I get lost in shops never mind in towns. The other day i cut through a different area of town and got lost on a housing estate. I was going round and round this housing estate and couldnt even find the road i came in on. I had to ask directions to get off - i was about 30 metres from the main road but had no idea!

Jill - nice to have you back- stunning pics. I especially like the sunrise - sorry sunset.

scottishlass

Hello,
Having a very mundane day today - my youngest has a cold/cough and is off school. Getting around to the jobs which I never get around to..... It's defrosting the freezer today. I think that is one of my least favourite jobs - it is only surpassed by cleaning out the oven - which is definitely my least favourite. What about you? Least favourite chores?

Anyway - having a break with a cup of tea and thought i would chat to you all - This made me think how great it is to do these mundane things, being here for my son and having someone to chat to even when no-one wants to visit and get the cold !!!!!!

Debbie - my best wishes to Sam - I am sure he will fight as much as he can

Ravdeb - Great picture - obviously you have found a hidden talent. Living with pain is not good - it can be very draining - are you sure that a mild pill or perhaps something homeopathic (which I am a great believer in) may help? We have a lady/chemist here who turned around my mother and mother-in-law lives from a place in their lives where we(family) or medical doctors could not help. Perhaps worth a thought?

Laura and Kelly - I was in St Lucia - a beautiful island with such great friendly people. I have definitely got a taste for the high life, I now need to find a job so I can afford it !!!!!

Laura/Cindy still waiting with you
Hello to you all Jill

Paula15089

Debbie - so happy Sam is getting better!! he sure looks sad though, poor thing...

Ravdeb, i would love more than anything to be able to catch up with all of you... how about you come to Australia ?
but seriously, in an unlikely event of me having my holidays in US next year, i will try my best to make it. The chances of that happening are pretty slim though... i am planning to take some time off next year for my proph mast, so that will use up my holidays.

ravdeb

Paula..I'd love to go to Australia. It's definitely one of the places I'd like to visit..among others..want to go to Thailand too, to see where our farm workers are from. Want to actually go to their villages.

Victoria..I'm 5'4". Curious question so I'm curious to know why :-)

Ladies... should be an interesting get together..if we can find each other since most of us get lost and lose our sense of direction!!!!

Jill..thanks for the suggestions. Have thought of looking into things but thought this would all get better on its own. I'm waiting til my next check up in Feb with onc to see what she thinks.

I love my camera! Didn't get to the beach today. I took pictures of my walk in my village..just a few. Not sure how they all came out but will get them on the computer soon and then I'll share them with you.

How is Sam today, Debbie?

Mary..hope you have a better day today.

Be well everybody..

debbie444

Hurrah hurrah hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!
I think i may have found the woman !!! I have 30 posters up in an area about 2 mile square. Today as i was putting some up a taxi driver stopped and said they were all looking for the dog and he lived opposite the park and was sitting with his curtains open at night watching for her ( what he is going to see in the dark i am not sure!) I met an old couple with 4 little dogs, 2 big sticks and walking boots on ( walking even slower than me which is going some) and they said they were out looking for the dog - armed with big sticks to whack it one!!! Bless them.
No , back to the point, one of the women in the local shop says that the woman in charge of the newspaper boys sent them out on there rounds today looking for signs of vicious dogs. One reported one at a house nearby where the people have the surname that my dad thinks he may have heard the woman say. Tonight, we are going to keep walking past the house to see if i can see her or the dog/ I'll flush her out if it kills me!
Sam is doing really well. They got him to eat a little tuna today and he stood up. He is too sick to come home yet and there is a great threat of infection still - especially as some of his wounds are open and not stitched( why do they do that?) but he is fighting. The nurses have said that he has never grumbled at them at all, just licked them and leant on them. Its his friendly nature that got us in this mess! ( the nurses said that they have never had so many different people ringing up to check on a dog before, they were going to give him his own secretary!)
ravdeb - that is a beautiful picture. I have some lovely pictures of Roman ephesus in Turkey but they are non digital.
Victoria - that is a great picture - you look content.
Australia would be cool dont you have really scary spiders tho?? My father in law marshalls on the rally there.

Debbie

ravdeb

It's sunny outside! Look at how sunny it is here! Pic from my walk in my village.

(also happy that Sam is doing better...I wrote something but it disappeared!)

chumfry

That is such excellent news about Sam! Sometimes I think they leave wounds open instead of stitching them closed so they can heal from the inside out. With some types of wounds, I think there's a chance of infection if the outside closes up and the inside is still draining, etc. But I'm not a nurse/doctor, so what do I know?

I'm also so tickled that your neighbors and even strangers are all looking out for that woman and her dog. What are the repercussions if you find her? Can she be fined? Or forced to have the vicious dog destroyed? It sounds like a right menace!

My biopsy yesterday went fine. I was really scared, but the surgeon's PA held my hand and talked me through it. I'd also taken an Ativan and was listening to the ocean on my bright pink iPod. They took five "bites" and the surgeon said they all look like fat to her. Nothing solid. I'll get the pathology report this afternoon, but I'm feeling very relieved already.

After the procedure, they pressed on the spot very hard for about 10 minutes and I think that really reduced the bleeding. I doubt if I'm going to have much of a bruise at all. They also sent me home with a cold pack in my bra. All in all, the experience was not nearly as awful as I'd expected. Whew!

Anonymous

Cindy -

I'm glad it went well!

Laura

Anonymous

Debbie, your vet's lucky he is in England or he'd have a bunch of Roctober girls calling in to check on poor Sam! Glad he is doing better.

Cindy, glad it went well, now we sit tight and wait for the good news.

Ravdeb, we will have to send you out on assignment with your new camera. Should we send you to the Sea of Galilee (or do you call it Gennesaret)??

Paula, I didn't realize you were doing the prophy. Do you have an expander in place of the other breast??

Thinking of you Laura!

Brenda, great pictures. How come you didn't get the 'hot' pink shirt? Did you forget to tell them you were a SURVIVOR? Glad you did the walk. Next year, let's try to do it together?

ravdeb

I'm also smiling because I finally got approval from my insurance to do a ct angio. Now I have to once again get another appointment!

Cindy..I'm so glad it wasn't too bad of an experience. We are all waiting with you for results!

Kelly..the Sea of Galilee is called the Kinneret in Hebrew. it's not really a sea..it's a lake..not that I know that much about why certain bodies of water are called certain things. Like..I have no idea why some things are rivers, some are streams...hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

It's almost the weekend! My son had 15 kids here this afternoon after playing Paint Ball. I had no idea that the girls would be in the kitchen cooking. I have relaxed some when kids come in the house and have even allowed kids to use my kitchen as long as MY kids are supervising. (I'm very particular because I keep kosher). But..I had just had my whole house cleaned today and had cleaned the kitchen myself (my cleaner does the floors). Now I checked in there (decided to just stay away for my own good!) and they had done a nice job of cleaning up. (except that they emptied out the little cup my daughter had on the counter filled with water and olives..she will not be happy when she comes home!). Then they were playing out on the grass, and the grass was wet and then they all came in the house and now there's mud all over the floor! Told my son he would need to clean that up. He is good with this stuff..just that he doesn't do a good enough job, if you know what I mean.

I'm trying to stay away from there because I know I will get mad.

I like when the kids come over...but so many of them? and in my kitchen????

I'm still smiling though...

TracySeattle

Hi my sweet friends!!!!

Cindy - glad the biopsy is over and I, too, am waiting with you for the results!

Debbie - glad to hear Sam is doing so well, my co-workers have been getting an update on him from me, they are rooting for him too!

Victoria - great pic, you look awesome!

Brenda - nice pics of the walk and you look great!

Ravdeb - I love your pictures, you live in a very beautiful place.

Laura, I will pm you about the soldier.

Everyone else, hi!

Tomorrow is a holiday for me (Veteran's Day). Dave and I are headed away for some rest & relaxation by the water. I am so ready to just spend some time lounging around, reading and watching movies. Saturday night we have tickets to the theatre (Evita) so that will be fun too.

Well, as usual, I am at work, so I have to run!

Love you all!

TracySeattle

Maybe I will have some pics to post when I return home on Sunday. Let's see if I can remember to grab my camera before we leave....

ravdeb

Oh Tracy..have a wonderful, wonderful time!!!!

Victoria..I live in the center towards the north of the country. If I lived in the southern part of Israel, my pictures would be more desert-like. We have a lot of greenery (that looks brown most of the year because of lack of rain).

The amazing thing about Israel is that we are a very tiny country..the size of Rhode Island...but a million different climates. We get snow up in the Golan Heights way up north in the winter and while people are snow skiing there, there are others water skiing in the southern point of Israel on the border with Egypt..Eilat. Eilat is a resort type desert town that has warm weather all year round...very hot and dry in the summer (like well above 100 degrees..more like 110) and in the winter..it's pleasant during the day (can swim in the sea) and quite chilly at night (typical for the desert).

I love the desert and I hope we go to Eilat soon! It's a 6 hour drive from our house and I feel like I'm abroad when I'm there!

The Israelis have managed to make parts of the desert green. They have found ways to grow certain vegetation in the desert and as you travel along the road to Eilat, you find the farming villages with the green patches. I love driving through the desert. I love the colors of the sands, I love seeing the occasional camels (I find that so weird that I live in a country with camels!)and the beduin villages...the whole thing. It's really gorgeous.

You've got a huge house to clean!

I meant to take a picture of my house...next time.

TracySeattle

Ravdeb!!!! Can't wait to see a picture of your house (and don't forget your pets too!!!)

TracyNY

I am smiling because Donald Rumsfeld resigned. Now maybe, maybe, the troops will come home where they belong.