how about drinking?

Jazzygirl

Jazzygirl

Good evening friends- end of the rainy weekend. We had a second day of rain and today some sleet and hail mixed in too. Cold front came through today and it will be cooler and back to winter this week.

Been in doing more cleaning (sorry Cami, still ignoring you) and also made a delicious baked chicken with potatoes and carrots today. I have lots of yummy food for the week ahead.

My sister is coming through her flu and had been able to visit my SIL this weekend and also take the MIL to visit too. We talked about her friend who visited last weekend and can tell she is worn out by the friends wanting to visit but also expecting to stay with her too. I suggested she welcome out of area people to continue visiting, but she needed to tell them she was unable to host anyone at her home right now with all that is going on.

Cami- so Marty and Les are looking to buy a home? Might be nice for them, you too. You know what this means though, right? If you end up moving, there is going to be cleaning involved.

Misty- what book are your reading?

Goldie- whoops on the location, I saw the pics on your FB page while lurking and realized I spoke to the wrong location. I think it looks so lovely there and hope it brought peace to all involved, near and far. I am going to try that blood mary recipe as I have all the stuff for that (including the green chili powder).

Wishing everyone a good week. Next Sunday is March already, two weeks to day light savings time, less than a month to spring everyone!

camillegal

A couple of tifbits.

Lori so that wasnt a real live dog in that movie, Jeez the trailers I saw looked pretty good to me, in fact that's one of the reasons I wanted to see the movie. I always love pets that never leave my side. Right now I'm watching Rocketman, of course I like Elton John and I never knew how he learned how to play piano.

OK here's another, I was watching <now a couple of times> the one commercial for body wash and they show the tops of different people, signifying the different skin it can be use on. Well the last picture is one of an older lady with gray hair an nothing on top. She had a full mast.and u see her area with no nipples, just some scars, That;'s it. Now that was the first time I ever saw anything like that. OK that's it for me for now, I know silly stuff but what do u expect.

OMG I was here about 3 hrs. ago and forgot to send this.

Jazzygirl

Cami- I saw that commercial too and thought that was a brave (and positive) move on their point. If you have never seen the stand up skit by Tig Notaro, she had a double mastectomy and did part of her routine without her shirt completely off. She talked about her BMX and just thought it was the bravest thing I ever saw. YouTube it.

NativeMainer

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Monday Monkey day! Yesterday's shift as charge nurse was pretty calm. The hardest part is trying to answer the questions of the family members who come in to visit. Usually they've been talking with the nurses about a particular topic all week, and I have no clue what's already been said, or what the social worker's plans are, or the physical therapist's plans, or the dietician's, so I end up saying "I don't know" a lot. Oh well, it's hard for families, too, to have someone getting rehab. Sadie was not impressed, and made sure to work on getting me out of bed even before the alarm this ayem. So not fair that she gets me up then gets to go back to bed!

Jazzy--sometimes a day in is just the thing. The visit with the family was a good one. Brother announced that he's taken a new position in his company, so he and SIL will be moving to North Carolina. I've been sort of expecting something like this, he works in computer tech and there is no opportunity for advancement here in Maine for most technological, and particularly computer tech industries.His new job starts at the end of March, SIL is staying in Maine until their place sells. And change marches on!I'm glad your sister is feeling better. Glad the facetime idea is out there for your SIL and her aunt.

Minus--what are you reading? Reading is my favorite way of escaping/avoiding work and the world.

Jazzy-- How did I miss Margarita Day? That looks like amazing chili!

Goldie--I know our gardening doesn't hold a candle to yours! My little electric rototiller is perfect for me, I only do small areas at a time, and it even fits in the raised bed when that needs a good turnover. Breaking ground with it takes some time, but since I generally only need a square foot or three it's workable. I can never get the gas ones to start, no matter how hard I pull on that stupid string. And those are too heavy for me nowadays. It's amazing what can be created by computers these days.

Wow, that DOTD would set my mouth on FIRE!!!

Cammy Cat--to hear that a mortgage would be that much less expensive than renting just blows my mind.How hard it is for people to save up money for buying a home while paying such huge rentals. That takes real commitment. At least when you paying a mortgage you know you will have something to show for the money when it's all over. Baby showers sure have gotten pricey. Makes me glad that my circle of friends is beyond the child bearing years. Cute kitty!

Jazzy--so funny, watching that cat "knock over" that biker!Good advice for your sister, it's going to be way too much for her to be hosting visitors while dealing with everything and recovering from the flu.

Cammy--I haven't seen that commercial yet but will be looking for it. It's about time advertisers started using people that are more real than the idealized type that's so commonly seen, but only on TV. And with a mastectomy scar, too, very brave on all accounts!

Blue Whale Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz blue curacao
• 4 oz rum
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• ice

Instructions

1. Combine the blue curacao, rum and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake to combine and strain over a chilled glass with ice.
3. Serve with a pineapple wedge and enjoy.

From <https://passthesushi.com/wp-json/mv-create/v1/creations/282/print>

maryland

Good morning girls, sorry to be MIA so long but I did start the other day, typing for 10 minutes or so and my pinky hit something and the gremlin got me, I was so made I slammed the lid shut on my computer, cussed and quit! Finally going to get to bowl with my team today, seems every Monday I've had scans or Dr appts or something. Next Monday morning I'm going to SSI to apply for disability, tried to do it online but it wouldn't let me cause I just applied for SSI. Looking forward to seeing my bowling ladies they're a fun bunch. Today I go for dexascan and Wed is PET, I'll be glad to get started on my new meds, knowing I've got multiple bone mets and doing nothing about it is starting to aggrevate me. All in all I'm doing fine, nothing like when I was dx 6 years ago, I go periods of time when I don't think about it at all. DH got home from Scottsdale yesterday, he was there golfing with his son. I have read everybody's posts and am all caught up but will have to come back later to talk to all of you.

Kim, happy belated birthday! Hope it was a special as you are!

Ill.. in my prayers!

Gonna hit submit , see you all later today.

goldie0827

Cami, it's so nice that you and Joey can cuddle and talk. And wow, that's a lot of people for just a shower. Awesome news about looking for a house, they have to be excited about that. How long have you lived there? Yes, all of the animals in the movie are computer generated.

Jazzy, it was pretty icky here yesterday. LOL, telling Cami she will have to clean if they move!

NM, how far away will your brother be? Your little roto tiller would be all I could handle, no way could I do ours, no way. I'll bet you hated telling all the family members "I don't know".

Mary, glad you are doing well. Your DH wasn't gone long, I hope it did him some good. I always feel worse for my loved ones having to deal with this, more than how I feel myself. I just hate what a horrible thing I"m putting them through. I went in to SSI when I applied, was so much easier. You might want to call ahead and ask what all you need to bring, to avoid any delays. They also pay retro active. Enjoy your bowling.

Nothing to report here on my end!

camillegal

camillegal

Mornin' ladies,

U know I have never planted a garden by myself and I wouldn't even know how to start it, when u gals can do all of that.

Kim I'm sure u didn't like the idea of saying I don't know, that's not you at all. Just because u weren't caught up with what the families were thinking, u were not comfortable. I know u like to be prepared I'm sorry that happened to you. Now ur brother is going to move??? Oh that's got to be crummy for u and ur mom. I hope it all goes smoothly tho.

Mary I'm glad ur going bowling u'll have a good time an u need that.And going to SSI is a much better way to handle things than on the phone, that would drive u crazy much better one on one.

Illi how are things going, I pray better.

I've been worried about Joey, this is the time Leslie got super sick and I don't know if boys are different at this age of if something is happening, there's a sadness about him that he never had. I see it in his eyes. He is seeing someone now. When Les got sick it was slow then bang it happened and at that time 5 different Drs. were called in and they all said they never saw anyone that bad, after 1 yr. They wanted to put her into an institution , but I was way to stubborn and wouldn't sign her in and she was underage so they had no choice but to treat her and I was there everyday teaching her how to talk and swallow and sit without straps and it's just all come back to me and I pray that this is just a boys thing at this age. It's funny I never look for worry, but with Joey I do and I hate that. When Les was turning 18 they told me she could walk out anytime she wanted and I needed a power of attorney and that usually takes a while. Well OK I knew someone. I called my brother and the next morning I was in some judges chamber with my nephew <attorney> before court started and got it. So I went right to the hospital and gave them my POA, I remember they weren't happy about it, they didn't know what to do so they called in another Dr. from another hospitaland shock treatment started soon after that. She had a series of 9 and she actually started getting better. So that's why I'm so worried Joey has this gene. There's a lot more meds and treatments than 25 yrs. ago and I know that but still u all know how I feel about him All we can do is wait, I guess. So I pray.

I had to get this out cuz I haven't told anyone yet. I come to u gals, u always make me feel better.

OK I didn't set up yet so I'd better do that now, I'll check in later and see how's everone doing.

LUBS U ALL

Jazzygirl

Hi friends- happy Monday! Dry and sunny and cold here again. Cleaning company was here today and nice to start the week with a clean space. Working on worky things today and starting my tax prep for my accountant.

Genny- I am glad to hear you are doing okay. Once I get past the shock of anything, I become stoic and just focus on getting through. I hope DH had some time away to wrap his head around what's next. Glad you are getting the SS app going. Sending you much love

Cami- sorry to hear about your worries about Joey. I sent you a PM.....

NM- good news for your brother to have a better opportunity for work, but sad that he will be far away with things going on with your mom. It works better when you can work as a team with at least one other sibling. I have friends who work things out where the parent spends time with children who live in different places. Maybe mom is in Maine for the summer and with your brother in the winter? She could be a snow bird. But I know you are not in the place for those decisions yet. Just some thoughts for the future as things change and more conversations come.

Goldie- I bet you have some mud over there today. And after you washed and prettied up those trucks too. Feels like winter is back here this week. I like having a rainy weekend from time to time and it is rare.

Ill- thinking of you and hoping you are feeling a bit stronger every day friend

CeliaC

Hello to all. I saw the commercial (for Dove bodywash, I believe) with the "model's" double mastectomy scars showing over a week ago. P&G's HQ is in Cincinnati & I was wondering if they were trying it out here first.

Genny - Hope you enjoyed bowling. I was on a bowling league at the 1st place I worked - we were the only "office" team, the rest were factory folks - Lots of fun & we found the more we drank, the better we bowled. Team Name was EDP, which stood for Educated Drinking People. Good luck with SSI & your scans.

Very wet here today & more of the same tomorrow.

Illi - Sending healing thoughts.

Cammy - You must be a very strong person to deal with 1st Leslie & now your worries about Joey. PS - I love your cat "funnies".

Kim - Happy belated birthday - Sounds like you had lots of fun.

Anyone else I missed - Hope your week is off to a good start.

lilyfrombeppu

Replying to Camillegal & Native Maine. Hello to everyone else! I've been visiting here daily since my diagnosis last May. but I'm a slow thinker/ writer and it takes me a long time to respond .

For the past 16 years my DH has been the one with the medical issues - diabetes, 13 years of dialysis, legally blind, heart attack, neuropathy in hands & feet, various broken bones (elbow, both ankles), leading to depending on a walker or wheelchair and me to get around. I had to retire from teaching 5 years ago (at age 64 ½) to become a full time caregiver. Last spring he developed gangrene and gradually had all the toes on his right foot amputated. While he has healing from that, he ruptured his Achilles tendon and fractured the heel of the same foot. After many months it still hasn't healed & is infected so I've acquired many nursing skills. I'm giving you all this background on him so you can see that my Stage 4 cancer (with mets to lungs) diagnosis is pretty overwhelming for both of us. I had gone years and years with nothing more serious than pneumonia.

My treatment has been Femara and Verzenio (150 mg twice a day) - - no chemo or radiation. The side effects have been mostly diarrhea, fatigue, metallic mouth, mouth sores, thinning hair and headaches. I've had shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat, but an echocardiogram/ nuclear stress test last month showed no heart problems. I had a brain MRI a few weeks ago to see if my daily headaches are stress- related or something worse. Nothing major showed up but I couldn't have the contrast dye because my kidney function had dropped in the last 3 months. Several other Verzenio people had also indicated they have experienced this.

I had cataract surgery on both eyes in November and enjoy waking up and being able to see with fumbling around for my glasses. Unfortunately, I had a retinal tear and had some laser work to repair that. Now I have a floater that will need to be removed next week since my vision is being affected.

To complicate matters even more, I am the executor for my mother who passed away in 2016. With the help of my sister & brother, we FINALLY emptied and sold the house a few months ago. Mother tried to set up everything in advance, but the house was full of 50+ years of living — so much stuff! Mother was Japanese so I have bins or antique Japanese items as well as dozens of kimonos/ homemade quilts/ afghans to disperse. My goal is to wind up the estate in the next 2 months which will really relieve so much stress.

I feel comforted & informed as I read your entries. I will apologize in advance that I will not be a frequent responder - - I still have Christmas letters that weren't sent!

Hugs to all!

NativeMainer

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Twofer Tuesday! Hope everyone's week is starting well. Sadie says "hi" to everyone. Had a lot of melting off yesterday, and now I'm hearing more snow coming in a couple of days. Gotta love winter!

Genny--I can understand the getting mad at the post eating gremlin.He's a very aggravating little twit. Hope the tests went easily, and I'm sure the bowling will be great fun. Glad you have moments when you don't think about bc things. Thanks for the b-day wishes!

Goldie--Brother says it's a 16 hour drive from Maine to where they are going to.There are direct flights from Bangor International Airport to Charlotte for $300-400.which seems pretty affordable to me. Brother and SIL plan to come back to Maine to visit for a couple of weeks in the summers to get away from the heat. I really don't like telling family members "I don't know" but sometimes, when they've been talking with the Social Worker about a specific financial issue I wonder why they'd even think that ANY nurse would know the answer? I do realize they are just looking for answers in order to move ahead, but still, a little common sense would go a very long way sometimes.

Cammy Cat--It's not fun saying "I don't know" but I'm learning to live with it. I'm not crazy about the idea of my brother moving, but I'm also not surprised. They talked about making this same move a few years ago and then decided not to. My SIL is retired now, and with by brother having progressed as far as possible in the company locally, circumstances are different now. He's been traveling to North Carolina and other places for work more and more frequently over the last couple of years. I guess I'm not totally surprised. Not particularly happy about it, but not surprised. Wow, sounds like you and Les went through a lot. I can imagine it's weighing on your mind as Joey reaches the same age. Hugs to you and Joey and Les.

Jazzy--I am happy for kid brother, and will miss having his close support as things progress with Mom. But, he really does need to do this for himself and SIL. And maybe, just maybe, they'll find a house there with an in-law apartment and Mom will move, too, although that is a very unlikely scenario. Here she has family andfriends and things to do, there she won't know anyone.Time will tell, I guess. At this point I'm turning it all over to God and letting Him handle it.

Celia--Thank you, I did have a good b-day!

Lilyfrombeppu--welcome to the Hot Tatas Lounge!My heavens, you have a very full plate to deal with! I can see how the diagnosis is looming very large in your lives right now. If you've been reading for a while you know that the rule is that you don't have to play ketchup or try to keep up, we all understand how much pressure any one of us can be under at any point in time. Please feel free to poop in from time to time as you feel up to it and let us know what is going on and if we can answer any questions, or just for a drink at the swim up bar!

Warm Welcome

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 part Basil Hayden's® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 part Lime Juice
• 1/2 part Simple Syrup
• 1/4 part Apple Syrup
• Grated Nutmeg

Instructions

Add egg white, lime juice, simple syrup, spiced apple syrup, and Basil Hayden's® Bourbon in a shaker. Give it a nice dry shake to mix all the ingredients together, then add ice and shake again so your cocktail is chilled when strained. The cocktail will have a nice froth on top. Grate fresh nutmeg, sprinkle on top for garnish and enjoy.

From <https://www.thecocktailproject.com/drink-recipes/warm-welcome>

maryland

Half hour of typing to tell you all about my horrible day yesterday... f**@ing beast got me, 30 seconds before hitting submit, have to go to work and dentist today if i have wi-fi in the rabbit hole I'll be back later.

goldie0827

Oh Cami, I pray that is not the case with Joey. What do you mean he is seeing someone now. Health professional or girlfriend? I had no idea how much you actually went through with Les, my gosh that had to be a hard time. Heavy prayers for you and your family.

Jazzy, it was breezy yesterday, so things are drying up pretty good. That truck is in our warehouse in town and stays covered as well. It only gets driven when we go camping, nothing else. Then it gets washed when we get home and put away.

Celia, LOVE the EDP, we should continue that here!

Hi Lily, thanks for stopping by. I too am on Verzenio, but just only in my second month.

NM, common sense, many people go without and don't have a clue. My oldest step and her husband have no common sense at all, but both have a lot of book smarts and both graduated from college valedictorians. Hi to Sadie and throw in a few belly rubs.

Mary, I do my posts in Notepad or Word, then copy and paste it into the thread. So sorry for the bad dad, and that wabbit hole is no place to be. I always try to keep my visits there short. I shall come sit with you. I posted this back in October, but posting again for you.
It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn't heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore's stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.
"Hello Eeyore," said Pooh.
"Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet," said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.
"We just thought we'd check in on you," said Piglet, "because we hadn't heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay."
Eeyore was silent for a moment. "Am I okay?" he asked, eventually. "Well, I don't know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That's what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven't bothered you. Because you wouldn't want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now."
Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.
Eeyore looked at them in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"We're sitting here with you," said Pooh, "because we are your friends. And true friends don't care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are."
"Oh," said Eeyore. "Oh."
And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.
Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.

Loaded up the truck yesterday with more stuff, so hauling it to the other warehouse today. I will be doing a video for the garage sale for when we have it, so people can see what all we have. I'll share it here when I get it.

janky

Hello, Hello I have been away so long that I m probably a 'newbie' to our newbies!! So many events since January, the worst and saddest being the somewhat unexpected death of my 87 year old mom. She was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration which resolved after a couple of days, so Saturday she was told she would be released Monday - Sunday she and dad had a 'lunch' in hospital, and a super lovely chat about life and love (they were together 75 years), then mom went to sleep and never woke up...ideally this is what most of us wish for, just taking time to get used to it. It prompted a trip to Georgia where I have been staying with dad, then yesterday I flew into Sarasota to be joined by my husband, and now we are here staying with our son and his family till March 9, at which time we go back to Georgia to spend another week with dad, then home to super snowy, chilly Alberta! On a happy note I had stable bone and ct scans just before leaving, so I am ecstatic with that news! 2 years and 3 months of stable!! I am sitting here with a gentle, sunny breeze totally enjoying the temperature of about 80, warmer than St. Simons Island where dad lives, though it was warmish for a few days.

Welcome Lilyfrombeppu, as mentioned above by NM, pop in when you want to, we are always welcomed! Greetings to everyone here, I have missed the camaradie, recipes and overall positives that radiate from you all. I seem to have a consistent internet connection here, so will be able to keep up a little bit better (I m hoping), though of course those best laid plans do go out the window I wish us all the best as we continue our day to day activities, healing, health and happiness... Cheers! Janice

camillegal

camillegal

Mornin' ladies,

Lily WELCOME wow reading ur post was not easy, I'm so very sorry all u''ve been thru with ur DH and now all the cancer chit. I on't know what u believe but I'm adding prayers to my list now and please come back whenever u feel up to it. We're here with no judgement and no saying sorry..

Janky hello it's always nice seeing u, I'm glad u pooped in. I hope u make it more often.

Kim I know u thought it was coming with ur brother but when u hear it's going to happen it's a different story. I'm glad u found other things to do <like wine tasting> that sounds like so much fun to me. But I do know u'll hanle it, cuz u always manage to.And personally I think having Sadie is the best.

Mary I don't like the rabbit hole. climb out as soon as u can. Ur not the type to stay long. And I know talking to Lori is a huge help, she always is. I hope we get to do our thing, but if not I understand totally, but I'd like to see u with Lori, she's a wonder.

Lori Joey has started to see a psychiatrist. Les and I both know altho a therapist is great this is just different. Leslie doesn't remember most of her times in hospitals <to me that's good> She doesn't even know much, which I never thought she needed to, it was bad enough. My mom wanted to see her and went once and could not go again, so no one saw her but me. My ex thought it was taking to much time so I threw him out. For some strange reason he thought I would pick him??? LOL he was gone.And after she had Joey, that's when she was in the hospital 4-6 months so he lived with me for almost 1 yr <I took family leave> that's really why we're so close That's why I care about Marty so much, he never gave up and treated her so gingerly all the time. I took Joey to see her when he was about 1 month old an she got so upset, she thought I adopted him to replace her cuz she had no memory of giving birth, so needless to say I never brought him again. Crazy times.

Illi I'm praying for u I hope ur doing better, even if a little a day it's something. I hope u check in.

Dan came over for a couple of hours last nite with 3 pages of the new system on the puter. Jeez I do remember reading things once and understanding it NOW forget it, it's like words are made up and I don't get it. He keeps on upgrading the system, but my brain isn 't upgraded, he forgets this.Oh well sooner or later it will probably sink in.

Oh, Oh, Oh, Leslie is writing an article that she is actually getting paid for TADA ---first time getting paid. Finally. So we'll see how this goes.

And just throwing this in I can't stand those commercials with the 3 bears and their Hiney's are clean, Charmin.

OK I'm checking back later so Hello to anyone I missed, AND

LUBS U ALL

ChiSandy

Cami, so sorry that that effing Sylvia Plath “bell jar" seems to be trying to descend upon Joey. My dad was bipolar (but mostly depressive, especially back in the day when ECT was all they could do for those whose heart conditions ruled out lithium). 6 weeks after Gordy was born I sank into postpartum depression, which took over a year to lift (tried various antidepressants & bentos till we found a combo that worked, plus weekly talk therapy with my shrink). I'm still on maintenance Wellbutrin decades later. And Gordy fell victim to it as young as 10, but it didn't overtly manifest till 14. At 35–having found first his calling and then his true love—his own shrink (now retired) and Better Living Through Chemistry (remember that old DuPont slogan?) have, knock wood, helped. (No wonder he's loath to father a child, though. Three generations in a row...).

Welcome, Lily (though bummer after finding out you're Stage IV after all the tsuris you're undergone).

Found our last night Bob's medical/business partner was just diagnosed with bc at 62. She found a lump (which probably means at least Stage II) and went straight to core needle biopsy—skipped mammo & ultrasound and cut to the chase. No word from her as to whether it's invasive or in situ, ductal or lobular, receptor profiles, grade, etc. She hasn't even told her boyfriend (the ophthalmologist widower of one of our BFFs who died at only 70 of COPD, brittle Type 2, broken hip and finally sepsis)—he's outwardly very calm—typically Cantonese. She is Filipina, moved here from Manila 20 yrs. ago—and statistics are grim for her demographic—Filipina women don't get it as often as other Asian immigrant women, but the mortality rate is higher due to a cultural resistance to getting mammos or ultrasounds (both out of stoicism or fear of being diagnosed). Will know more in a couple of days. She can't retire, as she needs to stay on the payroll till eligible for Medicare. Will be difficult to take enough time off. But the breast surgeon at Advocate Christ is excellent.

Typing this from my hotel room in S. Bend, where I drove through a snowstorm for tomorrow's funeral. Hope it's easier going tomorrow—but intend to take my sweet time driving home

NativeMainer

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Hump Day! Getting up to some ongoing melting, but with a winter weather advisory up for later tonight into tomorrow. Overall, this hasn't been a bad winter. But I am tired of snow and ready for mud season. Sadie loves mud season!

Genny--AARRGGHH!!!!!

Goldie--book smarts often doesn't partner with common sense and practicality, I've found. But then, I work with people who are in an emotional and stressed state most of the time, can't expect them to be at their best.I love that Pooh, Piglet, and Eyeore story. So very true. Can't wait to see the garage sale video, I love looking at other people's stuff!

Janky--I am so sorry to hear about your Mom's death. I'm glad it was peaceful and comfortable. And I'm glad your Dad got that last lunch with her. And Hooray for 2 years + of stable tests and scans!Enjoy the warm temps and breezes.

Cammy Cat--It was a little hard to hear kid brother say he was moving. I'll manage, though. It will be up to me to keep the lines of communication open between me, Mom, him and my SIL.At least it's a job I know how to do!Oh my, Leslie really had a bad time of things. To not remember being hospitalized isn't so bad, not a memory anyone really needs, but to not remember having a baby, that is sad and frightening. Glad you tossed the ex, he certainly wasn't any help. I'm glad Joey is seeing someone, that will do nothing but help, no matter what else happens.Wow, Les getting paid for her writing!How exciting! I hear you about computer upgrades. Always changing something, and not always for the better, in my humble opinion.

Chi--Oh my, what sad news about your DH's medical/business partner. Seems like things are not in her favor. I pray she does well.

COMMON SENSE COCKTAIL

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¾ oz Johnnie Walker Black
• 1 oz Bianco Vermouth
• ¾ oz Amaro Averna
• 1 dash Chocolate Bitters
• Add ingredients to a mixing glass. Add Ice, Stir and strain into in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a zest of lemon.

From <http://www.foodanddrink.ca/promo/takemeaway/cocktail-recipes/common-sense-cocktail.shtml>

goldie0827

Janky, welcome back. But sorry you bring bad news. I am sorry to hear of your moms passing. Sounds like it was a peaceful one. But not all bad news, good news for you...YAY!

Cami, you are always putting me on a pedistal.....don't stop....LOL! Just kidding of course, I just always try to be a good person. My heart is still breaking over Joey. Does he talk about it? I knew you had Joey in the beginning, but a lot of the other stuff I did not. You know they say God doesn't give you anymore than you can handle. I think he has your family confused with many others. Happy to hear of Les's new job. As for the bears. When camping last time with our friends, you are out riding all day, so when we return, of course everyone wants to shower. Well, I came out of the camper singing..."I'm clean, I'm clean, my hieny's clean".

Sandy, sorry to hear about Bob's co worker. Safe travels home.

NM, had a nice little chuckle over liking to look at other peoples stuff! I wonder if that cocktail gives a persson "common sense". I know you are going to miss your brother, I'm sorry.

camillegal

camillegal

camillegal

Mornin ladies,

Sandy lots of stuff going on right now for u and ur DH. I never knew about odds for different ethnic groups. At certain ages u think u might have dodge the bullet, but that's not always the case. We've had more snow here but so far the streets are all right. And I'm sorry bring up bad memories for you I just kept on typing and it all came out.. Safe travels Sandy.

Oh Lori one more thing, when Les would call me at home and she could hear Joey crying she'd yell and swear at me for taking someone's baby and not taking care of her and hang up on me. She was such a bitch mostly with me. OK closed subject ladies, no more complaining. It must be getting nicer by you now, isn't it late for snow. U and Jazzy should be getting springtime now. So far what they were predicting hasn't happene yet, so I don't know.

Kim u will have to keep everything together, but I know u will. That's just the way u are, give Sadie some extra rubs from me cu she'll be a big help to you.

Has anyone heard from ILLi, my thoughts are with her.

Mary I pray everything is going goo for you.

Kim I thought of u last nite trying this new system for work.Oy vey I couln't do it. and Joey wasn't home so I had to call Dan and he had to come over, by then Joey was home looked over the instructions and showed me what to do, I was just going to call Dan and he walked in. So Dan hooked up my computer with his so he can just take over when I panic LOL but Joey knew exactly what to do so he's my back up when he's home. These kids are brilliant techies <all of them> it's just hard for me to keep on learning this stuff. I know I will, he even colored some keys to help me, now I have to remember what the colors mean.I always tell people when they are explaining something to me to talk to me like I'm 5 yrs. old, I get it better then.

Hope everyone has a good day. My niece is coming early this morning it's Ash Wednesday and she has to go to church.

LUBS U ALL

illimae

Thank you everyone. No real progress to report yet but I’m holding steady. Other than the voice and swallowing issues, I am pretty good. Brain MRI and recent scans were both stable/good and I am able to stay hydrated. For now, I just keep on keeping on.

maryland

Good morning ladies, I'm taking Lori's advice and using word which is what I used to do all the time when I had my Mac, then like an idiot I got a windows computer and everything takes me 10 times longer. I told my DH this morning that after I'm done working and on a consistent treatment routine I'm going to take a windows class. Anywho, I'm out of the rabbit hole but not straying to far away from it for now, this post may be all about me but I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself and I know you girls are ok with that. I had my PET this morning, DH drove me cause they changed the time to 9ayem and it was an hour away on the other side of Cleveland and I'm not a big fan of rush hour traffic. Was good cause I got to take a Xanax before and dozed while waiting the hour after injection and then dozed thru the PET. So here's the latest saga in my life.

Monday morning I was in the middle of my second game of bowling when I realized I had a voicemail from my MO, it was her, not her nurse which always makes my heartrate speed up a bit. She said that after reviewing my latest bloodwork we will have to change my treatment plan and to call her as soon as possible. So I finished my last game which seemed to take forever and then took awhile to get her on the phone but finally do and she tells me that I have a genetic mutation which makes me resistant to all aromatase inhibitors! 6 years on that shit for nothing! No wonder I have extensive bone mets! This is all very new testing, I've been reading a lot about it, blood work was sent to Guardant Labs in California. So MO says instead of Letrozole which I've been taking for a week since I went off Arimidex, she is putting me on Fulvestrant which is given at the infusion center, a shot in each buttock evry 2 weeks x3 then once/month and I will start the Ibrance and Xgeva all on the same day, which as it turns out is next Monday. Problem is now that I've gotten all the info from the lab I realize that this is the one and only drug that works for this mutation. So basically I'm going on the last line of treatment first... so scary.

Soooo... I call my DH and relay the info and decide to take my dogs for a walk to clear my head a bit, listening to some soothing music when Guardant labs calls to in form me that they are not in network and did I want to see if I can get assistance. I say sure and she asks how many people i my family..2.., do we make over $90,000/year...yes. Sorry you don't qualify. I ask how much it is for my 3 vials of blood and she says $8000! However she says, my insurance does cover some OON costs that will bring it down somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000. We currently pay $1400/month and have an $8300 per person deductible as it is. So I asked her if there is another lab that is in network that could've done the testing and she says they are the only ones in the country that do it. I may try to challenge my ins. company on this because without the test I wold've uselessly gone on Letrozole and cancer would've continued to grow. Apparently this is newly discovered info as to why some women do so well on AI's while other don't.

If any of you are interested it's called ESR1 mutation. Apparently they find it in up to 30% of ER positive women.

So I had all of the above typed up when the gremlin got me and I crawled right down that rabbit hole, it just looked so warm and inviting down there.

I am going to post this, then do some house cleaning and come back and read to get caught up,

mistyeyes

Greetings.I went to the wedding and we drove home the same night.It was not a bad drive, but sure was tired when I got home.The wedding was beautiful and the other family was so friendly and fun, we all felt comfortable with them.My son that lives with me rode with me, he has Asperger's, he does a lot better that he used to and really doesn't complain, but he does not like a lot of noise and loud music.I told him if he ever gets married it would probably be the quietest wedding anyone ever seen.People have very extravagant weddings now days.I heard about one father told his daughter how much he was going to allow for the wedding and said she could have the wedding or the money.She took the money and got married in Las Vegas.

It was MinusTwo that was reading and not cleaning, but it does sound like a good plan, especially today because it is rainy.

NM, I am interested in reading about your mothers housing predicament.My mom is always talking about moving to something easier to take care of.Her place is paid for and I don't think she would be happy anywhere else.She has just an acre of land and a small home, if it gets too hard she can pay one of the grandchildren to mow.Grandchildren are less expensive. I know you will miss your brother and SIL, but now you have a place to stay if you go visit.

Cami – so sorry what you and Leslie went through.I pray that Joey will escape all of that heartache. It is a reminder that we need to be nicer to people, we don't know their story and people go through some hard things in life. Did Marty and Leslie find a house yet?The cost of rent sometimes is so much higher than buying it's crazy!I was thinking about putting my son (Chris) that lives with me on the deed with me so if something happens to me it will be easier for my family.If I do that then I can tell him he is responsible for all the repairs!Lol (only joking)

Lilly, you sure have a lot you are handling right now, hope it gets easier when your mom's house is done.You need to make sure you get your rest.

Janky – Sorry about your mom, so glad for her and your dad's lunch.Enjoy your travels.

Genny- very interesting about the medicine, I wonder how many other people are in your same predicament.The cost of all these medical tests are horrible.I had a BRCA test done because I had 3 cousins diagnosed with cancer at the same time and 2 of them were positive.My insurance did not cover it and the Dr. even wrote them a letter, they still would not cover it.It was $4000, then I got a bill from the Lab for $400.I never contacted them, maybe they saw the insurance wasn't covering it and just took a loss.Hope your new treatment is a success.

Illi – so glad you are getting better and hydrated.Wish it wasn't so long for your healing, but at least it is in the right direction.Yeah, keep on keeping on!

Chi – sorry about your husbands co-worker.Be careful out on the roads.You always do seem to plan your trips well.

Jazzy – hope your sister is doing better. I don't know what she will do if her partner doesn't make it,its good she has a great sister.

Goldie – loved the pictures and the rainbow.

janky

Thank you everyone for 'welcoming' me back, and your condolences; life is strange, Good news and not so good all at once.

NM- It was warm and breezy most of today, but rainy and cool now and for the next few days - though cool in Florida is a lot different from COLD in Alberta - I will enjoy it. We went walking on the jetty today, had lunch at a favorite little bar, and now back at our son's to relax.

chi - Sounds like you have lots of 'stuff' happening too - I wish you all well, especially Bob's business partner, hopefully she defies the statistics!!

cami - glad to see your 'kitties' are still providing us with giggles,

goldie - I hope all is well in your world?

illi - I am hoping you are recovering from what seems like and endless ordeal?!

It is good to be back here, hoping things remain 'balanced' and I am able to stay abreast of everything and everyone! Hi to all, welcome aboard to the newbies, Cheers!

Jazzygirl

Hi friends- just a quick hi and some big hugs to everyone here with a lot going on right now. I got a small project that came my way late yesterday and working to help a start up with some project planning. Short project but may lead to more, but it feels good to be moving forward again!

Genny- wow about the ESRI genetics. And good lord, the cost around some of these things. I had a bunch of genetrics tests done early on and got caught in a tangled web with my breast surgeon's office because she was not getting the right approvals for things. I started getting $7K bills. I think genetics testing is a good thing to have with bc, it can help with treatment info and more is known through time, but we can get caught off guard by these tests and new info. I am like you, paying for an ACA account too with a similar out of pocket cap. I am a bit speechless about a gene that keeps the AIs from doing their job here......

Chi- sorry to hear about Bob's colleagues dx. I hope she will make it through her treatment and be well. I hope your drive home was safe and the services went well. Been a tough week for you.

Cami- it is good Joey is getting some help to work through whatever has been going on for him. Praying that he can make it through this with the help of some good counselors. There has been a lot your family has gone through the past few years and it can catch up with a person eventually. Sending much to you all.

Janky- I am glad to hear from you but very sorry to hear about the loss of your mom. My condolences to you and your family, sending you much I hope you can soak up some of that nice Florida sunshine before you go back to CA. Congrats on good scans, that is some good news in all you shared.

Ill- sounds like it is still one day at a time for you. Hoping the eating and talking improves as time goes on. Sending you much love too friend

Will be back again soon. As Cami says, LUBS you all

camillegal

Hi ladies, just poopin in for a minute.

Illi I'm glad ur being hydrated, but ur throat is still all screwed up??? This has to stop soon. Scans good, GOOD, I was glad to hear that.

Mary u mean u've been on something that really wasn't doing anything. OMG I'm so sorry. This will be the one, u'll see I feel it.

I'm praying extra for u2 cuz u need it, really bad right now. I just feel so bad when one of all of us is going thru a difficult time. I pray for all of us all the time but sometime I nudge a little more.

I'll catch up in the morning I just came here to check what is happening. <<<HUGS>>>

LUBS U ALL