My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer

Candy~ I am so sorry. For your loss of your father. At least you know you were visiting him and spending the time you were able to. I am wrapping you in a big hug. I know it isn’t easy. I lost mine two years ago 2019. I think of him everyday. I’m so sorr

Candy— so very saddened to learn of your dad’s passing. Losing a parent is so painful.

Hugs and prayers going your way. May you soon find comfort in your memories. May your dad Rest In Peace.

Emac— please continue to share as you need/want. I am hoping your doctors find a new course that helps you quickly. Keeping you in my thoughts.

BooBoo- May you continue to feel inner peace as you travel a road all of us fear. Your grace is very comforting. Praying your medical team can keep your pain under control. Prayers coming your way.

Mel- hugs to you and your sister. It is not uncommon to get port installed and start chemo right away. I have 3 friends who have been where your sister is now. All 3 friends are in remission. Hope your sister has same results.

You know what I'm noticing on this board? We are here for each other, not telling each other you can beat this, not saying everything will be okay or fine. What I see is compassion and understanding for what each of us is going through. This is why I love coming here every day. We are so sorry for loss or progression, hard days and no energy. We are here to listen. I'm so sick of those who are around me saying, But you look so good, don't do this, do that. Follow this thing or that thing and everything will be okay. I appreciate you all so much, and I just want to say that. I love that each of us totally understand what others are going through. I've been quiet lately. We all go through that. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I didn't have this forum. I want to thank you all for being here and I am sending hugs to all of you.

Micmel - prayers and peace for your sister. I know this is hitting you right in the hurts.

Candy - sorry about your dad.

Sadieservant - I am sorry for your progression. I can't imagine the misery of not knowing what the next option might, or might not be.

KBL - I have a windchime. It's quite large, makes a captivating, hollow tubular sound. There are crystals and golden butterflies on it. Has a little chamber to place a lit candle. It is hung in a spot that rarely gets a breeze, it is mostly silent. When I do hear it I know something special and unexpected is about to happen, wind coming from an off direction and I feel a thrill of anticipation. Sometimes when I walk by on a day that is far too still and silent I lightly riffle the chimes as I pass. This thread, Mel's living room, it exists, and secure in that I do not need to hear it all the time. But I can reach out and run my fingers over it and hear the chant of the chimes whenever I need to. A touchstone. A grounding. A deep pool of cool water to dip fingers into when the noise and heat and bustle of life Out There gets too much. When we need a place where our inner selves, our unique thoughts are Known by those among whom we are not so unique ... this place. Where we can Be, as scared, as uncertain, as soulfully tired, as angry as we want or need. Mel's living room is exactly the place where we can let ourselves be as we really are, and not as anyone else needs us to be. A blessing.

Pocket duty for the week of Sept 4--

Mara- Brain MRI results on Thursday.

Anyone else this week?

My Dad's funeral is Tuesday. Sorry I have not commented on each of your posts. I know there is a lot going on among us.

Candy,

I am so sorry for the loss of your Father. I can’t begin to count the blessings a good Dad adds to life. I know you will mourn his passing and miss him. Please know that your friends here are thinking about and praying for you, and hoping the good memories will sustain you.

Sadieservant- it is so disheartening to hear of your progression. Hoping the MO team will come up with a treatment to kick back this hellish disease

Candy - in your pocket with you on Tuesday

Runor- what beautiful words . It brought tears to my eyes.

Candy, thinking of you and will be on Tuesday.

runor, well said, as always. I can hear the tinkle of your windchimes.

kbl, right on! I haven't "got this" and to be told "keep fighting" implies that it will be my fault when treatment fails.

I have scans on Tuesday and Wednesday. They're usually on the same day, but they're playing catch-up on the CT scans now that the contrast is available. Wednesday, I head out to Yosemite for a "girls' weekend." I can't wait. These are college girlfriends. We've been getting together almost every year - until COVID. I love these ladies!

mel, I hope your sister can feel your love and support.

Hugs to all, especially those I didn't mention.

Carol

kbl- Perfectly stated I totally agree!

Runor- I loved the way you described your wind chimes. I actually envisioned them and the peacefulness of them being moved.Beautiful.

Good energy and prayers for strength going out to all who need it

Candy, still thinking about you and in your pocket for moral support.

KBL, sounds like there was something in that food that did not agree with you, I do know until I started using digestive enzymes, there were more and more foods that gave me the same symptoms as you experienced, glad you are feeling better.

Holiday so not going anywhere. Washing all of my bedding in the tub. Added detergent, agitated in tub with washing wand and soaking the bedding for half an hour or so, rinse and then spin. I have the big spinner for blankets and it works quite well. While the first set are in the dryer, will put the other three larger blankets in.

Today's breakfast will probably be an english muffin with butter with a spread containing roasted black beans and corn and bound together with heated refried beans. Figure that adding ketchup, mustard and mayo will make it quite good. We will see. Edited to say the english muffin was unnecessary, the combo of roasted black beans and corn along with refried beans all heated together with some garlic and the ketchup and mustard and mixed together, made a rather messy looking but certainly fine tasting brunch. I confess that I do not enjoy whole wheat english muffins, that was a mistake in my walmart delivery. Might try making them crispy, chopping up and mixing a little peanut butter as a possible snack.

I am going to make a nacho riff with the roasted beans and corn with beefless ground. Queso will be used and it all will heat for about a minute in the microwave and I am sure I will quite love it.

Last night I did use up some leftover pasta by just putting in sauce pan, used some left over garlic oil heated up. Added an egg for protein, bit of wheat bran, italian seasoning, salt and used caesar dressing, really good meal and used up the cooked pasta.

Mel, that sucks to have to buy a new washer. I know your washer would have been more expensive than anything I use. Glad your sister's first chemo seems to have gone well, good to hear.

I've already decided if I require a new washer for my cloths and towels, I will upgrade to the automatic one. Not going to buy the same small kind again. I have already been mapping out in my head where to keep it permanently hooked up in the kitchen and where stuff could move. That is a ways away though. Second option is just putting wash in the tub all the time and agitating with the wand and spinning everything. We will see.

mara, I have a similar question. Did the digestive enzymes CAUSE digestive upset, or did you have the upset BEFORE you started taking the enzymes? I've started using Benefiber with pre and probiotics. That with chia pudding seems to keep things moving.

Thank you, Mara and Mel. I was taking a probiotic for a while, but I stopped. Probably a good idea to get back on. I haven't had issues to the point I had to take something until yesterday.

Mel, I hope your sister is out soon.

Mel,

I hold my breath when my little sister (ok, she’s 58, but she’s still my little sister) calls. She was dx the year before me, and I am praying that she will not have to experience metastatic disease. It’s also very hard to help when we are already feeling tired and worn out by everything MBC throws at us. Hang in there. As Michael Jordon says, “Another day, another opportunity to prove everyone who doubts you wrong.”

Now about that washer. Ugh! Really? Our Keurig coffeemaker broke last week, and like a washer, you just can’t be without it. I bought a new one on Amazon, and thank goodness it arrived the next day. Some things you just have to have.

Waving hi to all. Hope those who celebrated the holiday enjoyed it. I’m guessing the parents out there are glad to put your kiddos on the school bus!

My sister,maybe she'll get released today. my new washer came. It's very nice. No more jet engine landing in my laundry room. Hope all is well for everyone.
hi kitty. ! Meant to say hello last post. Good to see you.