Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

Happy Saturday my sisters!  I never got around to my post yesterday, it was a bit hectic around here.  The girls have been off school all week so I have had to lug them up to the college with me or cart them off to playdates every morning.  I had to administer a departmental exam in my reading class (again) so that was a thrill, and DH went on a short business trip and needed to be picked up at a different train station.  As I sat in gridlock I was reminded of why we never use that station……

 

OK, I am ashamed to admit that I am a bit of a slug on Saturday morning, and I will tend to be lazy and not get up right when the kids do, particularly since Owen wakes up VERY early.  They are not allowed to turn on the TV without permission, so generally he will come in to our bedroom at about 7AM and ask to turn it on, and we let him do so (in the interest of getting a bit more sleep).  So this morning was no different, and we sent him to watch TV and off he goes. About 15 minutes later he comes running back into our room VERY excited. “Mommy, Mommy” he says “Did you know that they have a mop that cleans the floor with steam?”  My head is off the pillow now, and he has my full attention.  “it cleans the floor and locks the dirt away!” he crows as he runs back into the living room to continue watching what is obviously an infomercial.  DH and I are now lying in bed laughing over this when Owen comes charging back in to announce (at full volume, and with complete drama) “and if it doesn’t work…you can send it back for a full refund!” 

 

On Thursday DH unexpectedly called me and said that he had two tickets to attend the opening of the Jack Kerouac exhibit at the NY Public Library (he works there).  This is a very exclusive, after hours sort of thing, so it was very exciting.  So on about three hours notice I had to find care and transportation for my kids and hop a train to NYC.  Somehow I  managed to pull it off and spend an evening doing grown up stuff with grownups.  It was incredible…they had the scroll that he typed “On The Road” unrolled across the center of the hall (inside a case, of course) along with handwritten notebooks, a pair of his shoes, and the contents of his pockets (included half a pack of gum, a shopping list, a watch and some other things.  Very neat.

 

Today we are having a party here at my house to celebrate my birthday (which was yesterday).  I am viewing this party as marking the official end of the worst year of my life.  There were times in the last year that I was not sure that I would be here to see this birthday, but here I am, and I told DH that all I wanted for my birthday this year was a celebration so I could share my joy at BEING HERE with everyone I love, and who helped me get through this tough time.  DH handled all the logistics behind the scenes (as in a surprise party, but I knew all along) and the guests start arriving this morning to party all day long!  I wish that you, my beloved sisters could be here to share.  I will be thinking of you!

Rebecca, Happy Happy Birthday O Beloved BC Sister!!! And many, many more. Your Owen is hysterical, that steam cleaner scene was a gift in itself. And a Kerouac exhibit, tres cool! My DS2 is in NYC right now.
Here are last night's pix of Grendel at 5 weeks and one of Maggie, his obviously nursed-hard mom. Aren't you glad that we don't have that many mammary appendages to deal with? Look at the trouble we've been caused with just 2! :-) - Skye

Happy Birthday Rebecca - and Melia is right, you should have another 50 or so - to 120!! (as the old Yiddish saying goes). Have a great time today, you deserve it.

I was ROFL about Owen - that advertising agency should only know the good job they are doing.

Melia, that conservatorship thing sounds horrible.  We have the same thing here in Ontario, the government can just take over everything. This happened to a friend of mine a few years ago - her mother had a stroke, and because she had not signed a living will document stating that her husband/children could look after her affairs, the provincial government took over.  It's a real mess. After this happened, the DH and I got all our affairs in order so that could not happen to us.

Skye - Grendel is adorable.  I'm sure you are counting the weeks until your get him.

Robbin - your hair looks great.  Mine is not as long, and not as curly as most of the rest of you.  I'm not complaining though, as we always say - it's HAIR.

The dinner last night was a big success.  Lots of leftovers which means no cooking for me for the rest of the weekend. Just lazing around today, had a manicure this morning, going out for dinner tonight with some friends. Tomorrow we have an engagement party - brunch - for our closests friend's daughter - so that should be lovely.

Have a great weekend everyone.

I think Caya's email made all our mouths water.  Caya, I'll be right up for leftovers.  I'm starving!

Melia, sorry about your dad's situation.  It seems so bizarre to me.  I have to wonder...if he didn't have "finances", would they bother with a conservatorship?  Is that the word?  I mean, they aren't picking up homeless elderly people off the streets...  what is up with that?  It's like a battle for control over his estate (or so it would seem).  Glad you survived your road trip intact.  I have to say, I did get sick of driving this summer...  recently I think I said driving didn't bother me, which, generally it doesn't....  just real long trips, like 10+ hours.

Went to dinner Friday night at a local Italian place we'd never gone to...got a good write up in the paper.  Clearly, the owners paid off the paper.  WORST dinner I've ever had and the lines were out the door (due to article, I'm sure).  Oh well.... live and learn. 

The DH's company let go his #3 person on Friday, the day after he signed the "agreement".  Yes, we've finally settled.  It's only been since 9/20.  I was literally a day away from having to fill out COBRA paperwork.  Heartless company, canning this guy a month before the holidays.  He is my son's godfather (Catholic) and they knew that and I know they are afraid of anyone w/any type of loyalty to the DH.  I'm sure more heads are gonna roll before long.  I'm def. at a much more accepting point of it all now.  I'm actually kind of excited to get to the next thing, wherever that may take us.  I told the DH that in retrospect, I wasn't all that happy prior to him losing his job.  And then I felt guilty for not being happy that he was making great money, I have two happy, healthy kids, I've beat cancer..  I was like what is wrong with me!  I know what it is/was...  I was and always have been a "work widow".  You hear about football widows, but I was a work widow.  The DH would often say what do you do all day....  he now knows.  It's been great having him around to help out with the kids, esp. at night when I don't have the stamina left to deal...  I literally have been doing it all myself since Jan. 2002 when we arrived in OH.  Granted, I know many people have it far more difficult, i.e. single moms who work full time, etc.  But even still...not having anyone to give me a break for five years was tiring.

Robbin!  Look at all that hair!  Currrrrrrrllllllllly too.  I'm wondering if your old hair was as curly, but weighed down due to the length of it.  Are you gonna go long again?  I'm guessing yes.  I'd say I have as much hair, but much straighter, which is odd as mine was super curly before.  One thing I noticed...your big smile only a week before surgery.  Just shows how strong you are/were in the face of it all.

Happy Belated Birthday Rebecca.  I hope yours was as good as mine.  How was the party?  My DH kept wanting to give me one but I emphatically said no.  You are brave.  I am recovering from my celebration on Friday.  DS#1 and his fiancee and her parents and Ds2 and my DH all met at a nice restaurant, English Tudor style seafood and steak... the rolls came in individual teacups and were to die for.  We had a great time and everyone exchanged presents.  It was more like Christmas.  I drank a little too much wine but hopefully I didn't embarrass myself.  Oh well, you only turn 50 once.  The next day DH and I went out with my brother.  Today is my actual bday and I am laying low.  Went to the gym and to the movies to see Bella, an interesting pro-adoption movie.  Tomorrow I am taking off and going with a friend to a new mall that opened up with high scale shops. 

Lynn, glad you had a great trip.  Robbin, your hair so long!  I didn't let my stylist trim mine yet, she just colored it so it is all one color, a light brown.  I wish it had some blond highlights in it but I wanted something easy.  In 5 weeks I go back from a trim. 

Skye, Grendel has such great colors!  I bet you can't wait to get her.

Caya, I love matzo ball soup - send some over.

Tina, glad you are enjoying your DH being home.  I hope he can get a job with a better lifestyle for you. 

Have a great Sunday!

Jan, I can commiserate with the YUCK. I had just sat down for my daily BC sisters fix when a horrible burbling sound came from the downstairs bath; both the toilet and tub were backflushing and the toilet was overflowing. Luckily it didn't spread too far and the tub drained but then I had to bleach the floor, toilet and tub. My dh had gone out for a walk and I couldn't stand to leave it even a minute. Now he had the worse part of figuring out the problem and fixing it. So much for idyllic Sundays! Anyway, hope your little one is better soon.

Mary glad you had a nice birthday and hope you did too Rebecca.

Tina, thank God the agreement went into effect before you had to do Cobra! So sad about the #3 guy, another family in turmoil. But it feels like you have really turned the corner otherwise and seeing the positives in the situation; it all seems very hopeful to me.

And the conservatorship situation; I really had no idea. Shows we should all pay more attention to those things.

Lynn, that doc sounds a little clueless, good thing you are well-informed. I'd still like to lose five more pounds myself.

And I must agree on the adorableness of Grendel. DH fell in love with him too once he saw him. And Grendel's mommie, Maggie, is a beautifully-tempered dog (even while nursing 4 growing puppies) so I hope he gets her personality. I had to laugh, the farmer said they put a little chair in the stall where they are penned together so that she has a place to get away from the pups when she needs to...all mothers need the same thing!

DH and I watched The Longest Day on public TV last night and after awhile I said to him, I feel almost like someone who has returned from a war. It feels like I was in a foreign country (Chemoland?) and received injuries that no one except the others who were there could understand; it gave me a strange new compassion for our brave veterans on their day. - Skye

Jan, I think it may have been Amera who mentioned J. Jill to you.  Although, I love the store too.  Some nice stuff in there.

Happy Real 50th Birthday Mary.  Sounds like you had a few nice celebrations, which is great,  you deserve it.

Anytime any of you are in the Toronto area believe me you are all invited for dinner, and I'll make all my specialties. Mary, matzo ball soup is easy - I have to confess I cheat making the matzo balls - I use a matzo ball mix and just add extra matzo meal (ground up matzo), which is sold in boxes or cannisters.  You could make them yourself, just follow the directions on the package, and add about 1/2 cup extra matzo meal when mixing it all up. You could probably find the matzo ball mix in any of the Detroit area big supermarkets in the kosher/Jewish food sections.

Tina - I hope the kiddies are feeling better and that you do not catch anything. When is your surgery scheduled?  Glad the DH's company settled.  Anything new on the job hunt?

Jan - have a great time on your business trip and enjoy that nice weather Debbie described.

Skye- Oy! that toilet situation - how weird - maybe it's one of your E.T. creatures or werewolves coming in to haunt you ... (ha ha)

Today we had the engagement brunch for my dearest friend's daughter - it was first class , at a lovely country club.  They had a buffet with endless food - all delicious.  I am not getting on the scale for at least two days.  It's just an endless struggle, I'll lose 5, then gain 2 back etc. etc.

Dr.'s appointments this week are pretty minimal - I have a MUGA scan on Thursday, routine for us Herceptin gals. Otherwise a pretty quiet week - nice and quiet, I like that for sure.

Good morning all….just a quick check-in this morning.  The kids are all off to school, and I have loads of things to take care of and need to make the most of the three hours of empty house!

 

My party this weekend was a blast.  My friends all came, and there were swarms of children running around and playing.  My only request at the outset was birthday cake and margaritas, but DH went all out and had it catered as well.  Not only did he have it catered, but he had it done by a Mediterranean restaurant in New Brunswick, so we ate stuffed grape leaves, some kind of aromatic beef dish, and very cinnamony chicken, all on a bed of the most flavorful rice you can imagine as well as a mountain of pita and a gallon of delicious tahini.  It was sooooooo good, which is good because we have  a lot of leftovers.  My friends brought me presents (which they did not have to do) but we had fun opening them together.  The biggest surprise was that my SIL from upstate NY drove down with my niece and nephew for the party.  I love her so much, and I was very glad to see her.  There was indeed cake…although I did NOT get an icing flower because the kids grabbed them all…. As for the margaritas, they were there, and they were plentiful, although I mixed most of them myself (I make a killer margarita).  After it was over my DH advised me “after you see the bill you will NEVER let me throw a party again!” Which is probably true….I can only imagine how much that yummy food cost.  Well, I guess I will have stuffed grape leaves for breakfast……cheers!

Rebecca, what a fabulous party, your dh is a treasure to seek out such an excellent caterer. Stuffed grape leaves, yum. I'm so glad you had the party you deserved.



Caya good luck with the MUGA this week. My doc, ever the pessimist, had prepared me for a bad reading but it turned out "good," whatever that means. I never did get the exact score but I intend to. Anyway I hope your ticker is also holding out well. There was a big story in the Milwaukee Sunday paper about how bc survivors are at increased risk of heart problems, the big 3 reasons being anthracyclines (red devil), inactivity, and people getting Herceptin like us. The good news is that more heart problems are occuring now because bc survivors are living much longer so there is more time for it to develop.



Anyway have a good week everyone. Mine will be spent answering editor queries -- my least fave writing task -- on all the stuff I just finished and also on the lake and sea monster book. All of it due by week's end. (Mostly stuff like what year did that happen and why did Frank Zappa's dad keep DDT in the closet, and what do you mean by a waterhorse?) - Skye

Party sounds great, Rebecca!  What is tahini?  Never heard of it.

Cracked up at your inability to get an icing "flower".  Not even on our b'days do we get a break!  

OK....so much for finishing my x-mas lights this am...  rain is coming down in sheets again.  At least the sky isn't as gloomy as yesterday. Yesterday was misery here.  40's, cold, rain.  ICK!  Debbie, that TX winter weather sounds FABULOUS!

Skye, I swear, every job has it's not so fun parts.  I'd be bored having to answer those questions too.

Oh, and skye-

answering editor's questions sounds like a drag.  My condolences.  

Everyone else who posted this weekend....I read everyone's post but was to lazy to respond individually.  I am glad that everyone is home, doing well, and has nice leftovers in their fridge.  I think that covers everyone!

Some pics:

Dan & I at Ephesus:

" mce_src="" alt="" border="" hspace="" vspace="" width="" height="" align="" />

Leaning tower of Pisa:

"

Girls Spa Weekend,

Janet (girlfriend that got married this summer), me & Barb (girl who made my quilt)" mce_src="

Hmmm what to say, I received a call today from my gyno's nurse. Seems to be some abnormal cells in my pap. Although according to her it should be nothing to worry about and they will recheck me in a year... She also suggested it was probably the tamoxifen.

So I called my oncologists nurse and asked her if that was the case because they also told me that something showed up in my mammo but not to worry about it, see where that got me!!!

The nurse talked to my oncol. and she wants the path report from the gyno, she also said I have not been on tamoxifen long enough to cause problems. So I'll just wait and see what she thinks of the report.

Good luck Tina on your surgery, you will be just fine!

Rebecca and Mary HAPPY BIRTHDAY sorry I'm late.

Joni, you are quite the traveler...It's probably easier to ask where you have not been. LOL

Skye, Grendel is so darn cute!

Mel, I hope your job is going smoothly, I am taking my meds. Although lately I have been doing the ativan. I have found that I don't wake up hot flashing when I take them and when I don't take  them I wake up 3 to 4 times.

I bought a fan with a remote for the middle of the night sweats, this way I can doze until it subsides and hold the controller in my hand.

Jeff and I went to the grocery yesterday, we only go once a month seriously and we have two cart loads. Course there always the small trips in between for bread and milk, but....I sat all day Saturday going through this diet cookbook putting together lowfat meals, then wrote up the list, Holy Moly the bill was over 350.00! And that was with over 52.00 in coupons taken off! That just confirmed that it is very expensive to eat right. It's a no wonder most people don't... they can't!

Skye, was it you that said you still had neuropathy? My right hand is so numb I can't stand to fold towels or touch anything. And it's just my right hand, my toes and other fingers are fine. So weird.

All my other sisters, I hope you are a ok. Oh I gotta tell you, I went back to the beginning of our posts and read some of them again. Boy "we came along way babies"!!! 

Joni, you look wonderful!!!!!!! What great photos.

Nancy, I know what you mean about eating right. I'm glad I'm only shopping for myself at those prices. I'm trying to get at least 5 fruits and veggies a day (I know, it's supposed to be more now)  and it gets expensive! 

Rebecca, that cake is way too funny! Some people are so literal, aren't they?

Tina, I'm sorry your Italian dinner was so bad. That is so disappointing to have an experience like that.  I hate mediocre service and mediocre food. There are just too many restaurants around these days to have to 'settle' and if you didn't know what you were getting and had higher expectations, that's just a total bummer.

My coworkers showered me with a freezer full of meals for the coming month. Some home made, some prepackaged. It was humbling and wonderful.  I had to come home and throw out a whole bag full of old food from my freezer to make room for this stuff.

I've got to go take care of a few chores around the house before bed. Then it's off to the hospital in the AM. I'll post when I get home on Wednesday. 

Here's to a smooth wake up from anesthesia!!!

See y'all on Wednesday evening.

Cindy