Suzie, wonderful news!! It's sad that the fear never really leaves us.

Kam, Chloe is doing pretty well. We'll be finished with the ear infection drops on Monday. Then the vet will check her out again. We will probably start the steroids then. How is Miss Boo?

Morning Friends,

Cold this morning. Need to get dressed and get busy ... brrrrr.

Suzie .. Great news! I am so happy and relieved to hear this.

Chickadee .. Sending big huge hugs your way.

Kay .. My friend Naniam on the Xeloda thread had a brain scan yesterday. She is experiencing balance and vision issues. She does have mets to the skull so I'm really hoping it hasn't spread further.

Blue .. Love the pics ... who can resist a puppy!

Enjoyful .. Hoping the new trial treats you well. Glad you get a little break before you start the new treatment.

hugs to all,

Bren

PS ... Yorkie ... that is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. What does Jesus care if you eat candy or not.

A little politics...

Dick Durbin: Top House GOP Leader Told Obama "I Cannot Even Stand To Look At You'

Turns out this was Rep Pete Sessions (R) from Texas, the state that keeps on giving. I had looked up Pete Sessions bio a couple of weeks ago as he is head of the Rules Committee in the House which played a big part in the government shutdown. Learned he left his wife for a Congressional Aide (a real "family guy" which is probably the reason his constituents vote for him); an Eagle Scout, son of an FBI agent and turns out as racist as they get (though as someone commented on DU, you have to ask which Republican racist named Sessions in the House?? - The other, an admirer of the KKK, from Alabama).

It's bad enough that Pete Sessions lies when he claims to be a fiscal conservative while at the same time voting for irresponsible budget-busting tax cuts for the richest 1 percent.

It's also terrible that my area has been subjected by Tom DeLay's gerrymandering scheme to representation by a congressman who also has praised the tactics of the Taliban.

We can now add something else to the ever-sickening Pete Sessions ledger-- he's as racist as it gets, at least from judging what he said in an interview with Roll Call.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/-50586-1.html?ET=rollcall:e8901:80042083a:&st=email

Notself, I am sure tnat is it. She is a Democrat, a woman, and is powerful. Three strikes against her. Oh, and the fact that she keeps winning. They hate Democrats who win. Women and minority Dems who win are minions of hell, you know.

Kam, I saw Durbin's revelation of the disgusting comment of the regressive at the meeting. So it has been revealed to be Sessions (TX). So much for White House denials (trying to play nice with rude people). Good for Durbin for refusing to back down on his statement. As much as Bush the Lesser was loathed by a majority of people in this country, NO Congressperson EVER treated him as disrespectfully as this president has been treated. And I will say it again - the disrespectful treatment President Obama receives says nothing about him and everything about the graceless, classless, trashy behavior exhibited by the wrong wing.

E, I get EKGs twice a year because of a-fib. I will compose an interpretive dance just for you at my next appointment.

Chickadee, I am so very happy that your biggest fears about brain mets have been allayed. I hope the zappings result in maximum impact to the little buggers and minimum impact to you!

Alexandria, I'm certainly up for making a YouTube of an interpretive dance for the cure (take THAT, Komen!).

Libby ... Can't wait to see the Dance for the Cure on Youtube! Let me know when you post it.

hugs and giggling at Libby today,

Bren

I'm sorry Chickadee. I'm about 15 months chemo and I still have neuropathy, and while it hasn't seemed to have gotten better for the last 10 months (it may have, but imperceptibly), it is doable. If I was faced with another CIPN drug, I'd have to think long and hard about it, because I know, at my worst, it was not doable. I have heard that some of us are more susceptible than others and it has to do with the way our bodies metabolize the chemo drug. We don't clear them so well and it is probably genetic.

Ok - Sessions may have not been so overtly racist to Obama. Heresay?

http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/24/white-house-deputy-chief-of-staff-told-durbin-others-about-erroneous-rude-gop-comment/

Listening to the ACA hearings. Rep Joe Barton - another Texan, trying to scare the public by making it sound like the application process for coverage somehow transfers medical information (no health information is transferred in this process) because "no privacy guaranteed blah blah" as stated on the web site disclaimers. Ofcourse, it is the health insurance companies who have access to all of our medical information - as they do now.

Who doesn't think these creeps are the purveyors of misinformation? Like the fact that employers are reducing people from full-time to part-time because of Obamacare when in fact, the % of employed <30 hours per week is less as a percentage of all employed in 2013 than 2012 (first quarter).

I hate their lies. Why do so many lap them up?

My Christian Republican friend told me that "most people don't know that the subsidies will go down year to year." I asked her where she heard that and she just mumbled she couldn't remember. I actually did a search and found nothing. Emailed her that I couldn't find anything saying that and got no reply.

Pip -- I don't think the article is really that old and I missed it when it first came out apparently. Great to learn a few things. As stated before, Dh and I were encouraged by our Oh So Right family to watch and about 10 mins. into the watching.....we both looked at each other and said something to the effect....."that's about enough of that damn stupid stuff" ---- the only time we go there now is when we need a good hearty laugh.

I rather think there are others who get caught up in the pole watching numbers there for the same reason as us.

Kam, I heard about that statement but didn't check it out. I too find it soooo amazing what is done and said about the Pres. including at times the rest of his family. He has taken the high road and not lowered his ethical behaviors to match that presented towards him and those he most cherishes.

You know, there are some things you just can't take back. Who knows, some of that sleazy trash might never want to, but I sure wouldn't want that showing on my tally sheet when it comes time to pay the fiddler.

Jackie

It's the 'Merkan way.

BLUE - meant to say - I WANT THOSE DUCKS!

Some people just CAN'T LEARN:

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/culture-warriors-push-rnc-the-right#discussions

The reaction to Pelosi is a lot like that to Hilary. I've asked many people why they think that she's "polarizing." They can't answer, so I know they're just repeating a line they've heard. It's because she's a powerful Democratic woman who can speak her mind intelligently and stand her ground. Scares the hell out of a of of people, men and women alike.