For those starting chemo in June

Paula,  good luck with the tests.  We will be thinking about you.

Mary, be careful on the road.

I am going to a conference this weekend in Atlanta.  I do not know who had the idea of having it on the same weekend as a GA football game when the traffic is heavy.  The roads to Atlanta are already very crowded especially on Fridays.  People are running out of gas around here.  How about where you all are?

Later Ladies,  Janie 

Hi, girls.... All I had done was blood tests (fine), mammo (also fine) and bone density (not so fine, have to go on biophosphonates as thanks to Femara I've crossed the line into osteoporosis). He also pulled a Vitamin D test, which I guess I'll hear the results of. If it's too low, I'll go on some prescription D to get the levels up.He started testing all his BC patients a couple of months ago based on studies that showed folks with low D levels in their blood might have more of a likelihood to recur. 

Mary, glad that the sales are going well, but what a pain to have to deal with the Toolman. Talk to much.... boy, I'd have liked to have been there for your response to THAT. The surgery and rehab sounds miserable, probably more even for you than for your DH. Hope you have a great time in Arizona... someday maybe you'll actually get to stay longer.

And, hey, you guys got more out of Ike than we did! How weird is that?

 Janie, I hope the new guy DOES turn things around.  It's nice to have a boss you have some faith in. How's the arm?  

 Not much else up here. Mom's out of town, so my weekends are pretty obligation-free. Except this Saturday we have the school carnival... woo hooo. Work is a little weird knowing our company is trying to ditch us, but the election stuff is keeping things interesting. 

Hey to NancyLee.

 Thanks for checking on me girls. You guys are the best.

 Paula 

Hey Girls, Janie I hear ya on what day is it. Gosh, I never know. The wk. end was good but boy! People just can't afford to buy. Toolman is off this afternoon to go down southeast with another couple that are friends of ours. They do a food wagon and they fish at the lake where we are camping for this festival so toolman is going to fish.He catches fish like he fixes things, glad we aren't back in the days where he had to catch our food cause we would be pretty skinny, but then we would no doubt freeze to death if he had to build our house or it would fall down on us and kill us.  Either way we would have parished. His Native Am. name is "Sharp Knife", I think "scew-em-up good" would have been more suitable, I always tell him his name should have been "passing wind". I am leaving tomorrow because I need to make some girls bracelets and I am not sitting around some lake with nothing to do all eve and night. I will leave early tomorrow morn. and drive down. I lost a friend to B.C. this wk. She was 46 and had a boy 19 and a girl 17. I have known her since we were kids, we lived by each other. I have a lot to do today because we are home late Sun. night and leave Tues. afternoon for Az. I have low vit. D off and on too. I have been drinking lots of milk and it was normal last time but it goes up and down. I think sunlight helps too. I am suppose to take 800mgs. but I did and forgot to get more. They say vit.d helps fight cancer. Well glad all is pretty well Paula. Janie, did you get any answers about your wrist? Hope it is better. Later girls. Hugs, Mary

Hey girls, the festival was a not good. Toolman caught some fish. My daughter called and said we are intered in the Koman Race For a Cure and did I want to do the 5k run or 3k walk? Now there is a story behind this run/walk thing. I have told her I have been walking to get her off my back about all the stay in shape hooplaa. I do walk, toolman and I, everyday with the dog. Now we are talking a few blocks and we walk the dog a few times a day, one of us and it is a few blocks to potty not a marathon. Now as intended; daughter was led to think I walk a good distance at once. Heres the problem, I can't run a block! I can't speed walk a block so I said lets walk and enjoy the day. Toolman said his pain prevents him from participating. Thats true but if he had to walk 3 miles to fish, he would run!  I started at the campsite walking around the pond where you fish. It is about a mile around it and I made it about half way and stopped to enjoy the view. I then went back the same way because.... truth; it was shorter. Now I think my allergies played a part and I know I can walk 3 miles, I just don't know how much medical attention I will need at the end. Gosh, how the lies catch up with one when they least expect it. I looked up the race in Phx. and it said walk 1 mile so I don't how far I will be walking but, I do know I will be doing the last couple miles in the back of an ambulance and they have good drugs. My poor daughter bought a house and has some "fix-er-upprer" things for toolman, she doesn't know he is older and dumber . He is excited, fishing and fixing. He can't wait and I am sure there are things she doesn't know she needs "fixed" yet but he will find them and "fix" them for her. God, it's a nightmare in Scottsdale. She will chase us to the airport to go home. She said we can just use her car, Oh dear Lord! Hubby just blows red lights. Yea, and doesn't see stop signs. My God, the speed limit is 75 there. We are dead!  Hope everyone is doing good and having a great wk. end. Hugs, Mary

Janie, I don't know. I do know there are no hills in downtown Scottsdale or Phx. so thats a plus. My daughters friend and her mom are walking with us. Now I have to smile and look at ease and no bad language when the going gets tough. I wish I could find some of those tennies with the wheels, but I would probably fall and break a hip. I can make it one mile probably unassisted except for a vicodan or 2. Thank goodness it warmed up here and my bones will stop hurting by then. We are going to be gone 2 wks. I better go. I am making daughter a bracelet and have to finish up packing. Hugs, Mary

PJ,  Good luck with the new regimen.  If they regrow breasts, they would be new, so I would think they would be perky!  After I saw her on Ellen,  I saw a toddler on the news that had been given her own stem cells that had been stored at birth.  She had CP and  is actually improving !  It was remarkable to watch the before and after videos. I don't know if I will see it in my lifetime, but I bet down the road, there will be no end to what they can do.

Mary,  if you walk in laps, you could always say you have to visit the restroom and will meet the walkers when they come around again!

Hey Mare,  besides bone marrow and embryonic fluids, I just heard that sperm are also a good source of stem cells.  There will be no end to what can be done.  I only saw the very end of the Summers interview and am somewhat confused.  I did not think she had a mastectomy so I am wondering why she had her stem cells stored in order to grow new boobs.  Maybe just in case?  The last I heard she had a lumpectomy plus some alternative treatment method she was promoting.

Hey girls, I made it!!! 3 miles!!!!! We did it in 1 hour but theres a story "bout" that. I had to pee right before the race started but not bad the porta pots were all the way on the other side like a quarter a mile away. There was water given out here and there and I was parched but,,,,I had to pee so no water for me. I kept thinking, this should be about the end and maybe there is a porta potty surley!!!!! Well I was almost jogging with my legs crossed. I was so clenched up its a wonder I could walk at all. Finally at the end right brfore the finish line there they were! I almost wanted to hug it ECK! Wow, I could have made it in 20 mins. if not for the thousands of people in my way. I sure was wishing I had worn depends. I had to pee so bad my eyes were watering. The weather was beautiful, My feet are pretty much numb along with my legs. I am very glad we did this and they raised a lot of money and there were thousands of people. The Phoenix area really turned out and it was a wonderful event.  Well, I better get. Hope you are all having a great wk. end and I will sleep very well tonight and most of tomorrow. Hugs, Mary

OK, just reading this makes me think I need to go to the bathroom....

Mary, sounds like you're having a great time in Ariz...  

 And, ah, Paul Newman. What a class guy. I always had a think for Redford, but in the end I think Newman even beat him at looks and class.

 Hey, Janie, thanks for the cool pix. Nathan liked them, too.  

Well girls, daughters light/fan quit in the  bedroom we are using; guess who is fixing it? Yea, toolman. He don't know a thing about electricity and the last light he fixed he did not cut the power because "you don't have to if you know what you are doing" and it sparked, smoked, popped and the chandlier came crashing down almost hitting me in the head and it was big and metal from our  stairway!!!!  My daughter is going to run us out right after the fire! We are going to the art walk tonight after the fire dept. leaves so I better get my stuff in a pile so I can grab it and "stop, drop, and roll".Oh my, what next? I hope he knows what he is half a#s doing and don't cross the wires or some darn thing. I will keep you informed. Have a better day than I girls. Hugs, Mary

Janie, we are girls about town town now. I think going to Sundance would be great. Well we are walking a lot and I am not happy about it because when we get home it will be too cold and its so pretty here. The walks aren't cracked and muddy. Oh well we act like real fitness people. Today I had my Big Gulp full of Pepsi and I got my energy and sugar all in one drink while walking. Now thats healthy. Well the light/fan hubby fixed didn't work out quite the way he had planned. Instead of turning on light it does a light show of flashing lights. It is pretty cool actually but doesn't help much with seeing in the dark. It would however be great for parties.The bulbs flash off and on. Yea, he worked on it and we went to Ace and Home Depot but it just wasn't ment to be so now we are in the garage seeing if another one works so we can hang it in place of the strobe light hubby made. When will they learn. Well I better go so everyone have a great day. We are having Mexican tonight,mmmmm. Hugs, Mary

Hey girls, Larry Welk, I remember him quite well P.J. Anda 1 anda 2. We watched him every wk. end. Thats cool. Its great you are ridding. I miss that but it messes up my neck and shoulder. Well, we leave Tue. and I am going to hate to leave my daughter. The grandkids however can't wait for my return. They want me to eat lunch with them at school when I get back. Our poor dog is no doubt missing us. Toolman doesn't get too embarrassed because he really tries hard to do things but somehow some of them just don't work out and some really do. He means well. I better get going I don't know what we are getting into today. Everyone have a great wk. end. Hugs, Mary

Janie, yea; I gotta take one for the team here. I usually take my lunch and I get Mc Donalds or subway and rewrap it to look homemade. I usually buy some good cookies and take for the kids sitting at our table. Sometimes I pick the grandkid up and we go out and eat. I think I have to eat at school this time. Wow, roll out the mylanta. They are circling the wagons already for a sleep over Wed. night as there is no school Thurs. or Fri. Three of them anyway. Bailey is in Jr. High so we don't see him much anymore and it will be good to see him.You would think I left town for months. Toolman really misses his dog. I really miss my mattress. Well we leave at 7a.m. with a stop in Dallas and home by 2. If it is like the trip out here the plane will be an hour late and they will tell us we have to stay in Dallas over night and catch the first available the next day and when we got to Dallas the out going plane was late getting in and if we ran to the other side of the HUGE airport we could catch our original flight into Phoenix and we did get there running but the plane was delayed still and we sat for about a half hour and we got to Phoenix not at the original time of 10:17 but at midnight.  Wow, I will be back to not walking a few miles a day. That might be tough. Nah, it will be too cold back home I am sure. I can pull out the oil and fry up some tatoes!!!! I had grits at Denny's this a.m. Toolman and I ran to Denny's and got some breakfast after we dropped Stef off at work. We had brunch at the Phoenician Resort with Stef's sorta ex. yesterday and it was really nice. The place is beautiful. Well tomorrow we are back in our real world again. I hate to go and I will miss my baby but sometimes life just sucks. It will be good to have the grandkids jumping all over us like we are special because along about 13 years old they kinda have their own life and grandparents aren't the center of their worlds anymore. Well I better get. Have a great one girls, I will wave throught Texas Paula. Hugs, Mary 

Hey Janie girl, I am with you on the "not walk workout". I am sore and have charley horses and my neuropathy is bad. I trip all the time and all the walking makes it worse. Let the exerholics have it because I can't take it. I don't mind a walk but not extremes. I am happy with a little "junk in my trunk". Well I am walking to bed so night and sleep well. sleepy hugs, Mary

Oh well, he tries.  He is just a man after all ..... you know how they are ......... clueless.

Hope everyone is doing well.  PJ, have they had any interests in the sale of the paper? 

Mary, did you survive the lunch?   There was a recent announcement at one of my schools that parents could no longer carry in restaurant food to kids in the cafeteria.

I usually eat at my desk while typing ..... I know.... they say that is bad for indigestion ... but so is my neighbor's yapping dogs during dinner.  They seem to know when I sit down to eat and  bark the entire time.  There are 4 of them.  No wonder I have gastritis. 

I had a list of things to do this week and have done hardly any .... still the last of the great procrastinators.   I am off for intersession this week.... needed to do a lot around here.  Send toolman !!!!!!!!!!!!  On second thought ..........................

Later ladies,  janie