Saturday 02.28.2009

So beautiful today. After getting the morning half of my day under way, and a couple of phone conversations, I was able to shower. I stretched my arm in the warm water. It feels better than it did, but it still has areas of tightness.

I had lunch, thinking I was going to drive to Meijer then stop at CVS. With the sun so beautifully bright and the blue sky, I decided to skip Meijer and walk to CVS. So I did.

Yes, it was still a little cold. I can't really tell on my torso, but my face was on the cool side. I had the hood up on my coat. And I could see my breath, more so with an increase in core temperature (hot flash). That was kind of funny.

I enjoyed the walk. When I got back, my top half was wet with perspiration and my legs were red with cold. Sheesh!

I talked with Daniel again, read email, browsed around the 'net, prepared and ate supper, and now am writing here.

Not sure what I'm doing tomorrow. Looking around, I may do some light housekeeping.

Spring is on the way. Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 02.27.2009

(written Saturday morning...)

Wow. I was soooo tired when I got home after work that after I had unpacked my workbag, put things away, changed clothes, and sat down, I was dozing off at the computer. The time was about 8:40. Hm. maybe I'll just lay down a few minutes and close my eyes. I probably won't sleep very long, if at all. Surprise! I pulled my brain forward to answer the phone when Daniel called shortly after 9, and struggled to stay awake during our conversation. Completing that call, I went back to sleep.

I was surprised again when Daniel called a second time saying they were home and he was calling it a night. (a couple other guys and he had attended a college basketball game) Oh. I don't remember even looking at the clock--I again struggled to semi-participate in the conversation and returned to sleep after saying good bye.

I expected to be awake for a time during the night. HA!! Nope. I ended up sleeping all night. Well, more "all night" than usual. When I did wake at intervals I went right back to sleep.

To my surprise it was daylight. As I was contemplating how I was feeling my phone rang. It was a friend. As I reached for the phone I saw that it was about 0730. wow again.

We had a nice conversation and I got up to get my day started, first by writing here. And here it is.

Friday's work day was good. It was raining and 40-some degrees when I went to Jackson. The security vehicle came around and scooped me up and took me over to the hospital. I thanked the driver and told him how much I appreciate them watching out for us.

We had a fairly good day. We got hairy-busy in the afternoon. My orientee did a great job: she'll be a great asset to our team and our unit.

The night shift came in, saying it was freezing cold again. Oh. The shuttle took me over to the car, which showed 25 degrees. It was windy, too. I got home without incident.

I am thankful for my life. For the ability to rest when I need to, in a climate controlled environment, on a comfy bed. For my wonderful friends and family.

Please keep each other in our hearts and prayers--we each have our own challenges that we may or may not share out loud.

Love, peace, and hugs. Thank you for reading.

Thursday 02.26.2009

Wow. The radio had been on for several minutes before my brain dragged itself from the sleep-cave. I got up and ready and left for work, not having lots of extra time.

Just as I was coming into Mason I glanced down at the gauges. Holy Gasoline Pump, Batman!! I don't have much gas!! I looked at the gauge's needle well into the red zone on this car and chose to stop and refuel as opposed to running on empty.

Much to my surprise, I still clocked in at 0626. Shoot, 4 minutes to spare.

I had a great day today. Busy, but great. I'm orienting a new staff person who is bright and personable. She catches on quick and I think she'll fit right in. Yippee!!

The day was (finally) over and I headed home. Rainy and windy, 42 degrees.

The rain and wind have increased in the last couple of hours.

Tomorrow is another workday.

Remember, when standing in a circle holding hands, all the energies we felt?? Those energies are with us. Surround yourself.

Hugs.

Wednesday 02.25.2009

Well. I had the opportunity to sleep this morning, and, don't you know, Awake. I listened to the radio a bit, and got up about 8:30 ish. I rummaged around in the closet for something "appropriate" to wear today, as I was invited, along with others, to participate in the "peer interview" process. We have a couple of positions open and a couple of applicants to interview. (They have already been interviewed by other Managerial staff)

I put together an outfit then have breakfast. I got myself cleaned up, dressed, hair, makeup, blah, blah. I also put together a small bag with a cut up apple, granola bar, and water, for my snack.

An uneventful drive to Jackson and a decent parking place. Thank you God. We got the interviews done, paperwork completed, and I left to come back home. It had started lightly raining. But I got home ok. (Thanks, again)

I had sucked down the water and enjoyed the apple on the way home, but I was ready for more, so I fixed my food and ate it. Yum.

The rest of the evening I spent continuing to organize and set up "my" room. It's getting there.

I've been really hot today; I don't know what's different, if anything. Just the day, I guess.

Tomorrow I work, as well as Friday.

Daniel is having a good time hitting golf balls and doing whatever he does. He sounds like he is feeling well.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 02.24.2009

It seemed like a long night, at least the part that I was awake. It was a short morning, though, as the radio came on at 8:30 and I was finally sleeping good. Oh well. I got up and got ready for my therapy appointment with Ike.

She started working on me, and when she got to my upper arm and saw that it was tight, we talked about what I was feeling in it, and she said something like, "it is now deep connective tissue congestion. It is a chronic condition." She said something more beyond that, but I was stuck on the chronic part. Exactly what I didn't want to happen. I don't know if it will somewhat go away, or if it will always be uncomfortably tight, or if it comes and goes, or what. I'm hoping that having therapy will make it go away. I don't want it.

When she was done I felt somewhat better; I see her again next week. Thank you, Ike.

From there I went to Wal Mart to exchange a skirt and blouse for a different size, then on to Meijer for fresh produce and a few other items.

Back home, I put groceries away, fixed food, and ate. Checked emails and looked around a little. I tried on the skirt and blouse; the blouse goes back, I'm undecided about the skirt.

I've had a good day, overall. The sun was warm and beautiful even though the wind was cold.

Tomorrow I am participating in the "peer interview" process for candidates for an open position we have on our unit.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 02.23.2009

What a nice day! The sun was shining in a clear blue sky this morning when I woke. I'm happy to say that I slept pretty well. (which means that I was able to sleep between thermal fluctuations and biologic functions) And I was up before Kathy Sue was. (I checked on her about 9 o'clock--still asleep). I tried to be quiet, but I think the smell of my breakfast woke her.

She went in and got ready for the day, and while she ate her breakfast, I checked email and chit-chatted with her. After a while, I went in and showered. We enjoyed each other's company, then decided to head out to Wal Mart.

We browsed the store (after finding it--I'm not a shopper, you know) and after we got home I fixed food for us. How nice to share a meal with someone you love. And since it was getting on in the afternoon, we did a quick clean up in the kitchen and she left for home. I am blessed to have her in my life.

I did a couple loads of laundry, picked up the house some, and wrote here.

Daniel called; sunshine and cool in Florida, I think he said 55 degrees. Another couple of weeks before he comes back....

Tomorrow I see Ike at 10 AM. I'm going to finish my laundry and go to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 02.22.2009

I slept hard, waking a couple of times but returning to sleep without difficulty. The radio came on inidicating it was time to get up; it took several minutes to get my brain awake.

I got ready and left for Jackson. The roads down were mostly better than they were 9 hours previously. I parked and walked in the road (sidewalks not cleared) over to the hospital.

We had a good group again today. We were busy. The seizure patient was finally transferred shortly after midnight with one of our nurses accompanying her in the ambulance, and she seized again on the way over. We are all concerned about her, and I ask that you pray for and send angels to her and her baby and her family. We're hoping for an optimal outcome.

The day finally ended and we were able to leave. I walked back to the car in the road (sidewalks still not cleared) and headed home.

Kathy Sue had arrived shortly before I did. We have been looking forward to our "quality face-to-face" time for a few weeks, and have been catching up since I arrived home.

She has drifted off to bed, and I've just plain drifted off while writing. Soo, I'll be heading to my bed shortly.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 02.21.2009

What a day! I hardly slept during the night and was dozing off when the alarm came on. Up and at 'em. I got ready for work and headed out.

Snowstorms were predicted today, and finally started about 9 o'clock, I think. It got yucky outdoors pretty quickly. And the hospital's overhead paging system announced a Code Triage Stand By. Huh? That same code was announced every 20-30 minutes. We got the policy and procedure manual out and looked it up. (I've been there since 1983 and have never heard this code called before.) Oh, there it is. Disaster. Hm, wonder if it's a drill, and if not, what happened??

It seems there was a multi-car (like 30-50, depending on what you hear) pile-up on the expressway due to the weather. Oh, yeah, several multi-vehicle crashes, and the injured victims would be being brought to the hospital. We had to call everyone to see if they were available. Somewhere around one-ish it was announced Code Triage Active. Well. We got a phone call saying we needed to call in 2 of the nurses who said they could come in.

On top of the Code Triage being announced every so often, we had a pregnant patient seize. The flurry of activity seemed to be the normal for the day. Doctors, nurses, orders, and patient/family questions. We had another pregnant girl come to our area from one of the crash sites. (who was ok, just checking the baby to make sure) The night shift made it in, and just as report got under way, the seizure girl did it again. Another round of nurses, doctors, orders, etc. She ended up being set up for transfer to another facility. The doctor was talking with her when I went in to say good bye an hour after my shift was scheduled to end. Whew.

Ok. I had started the car before gathering my belongings and leaving, and the snow was beginning to melt on the windshield. It was pretty windy as I brushed about 3 inches from my car. I headed out.

The roads in Jackson were ok, but there were areas where there was a layer of ice under the snow, which was a bit slippery. But as I got further north, the roads were better, and I got home without incident. Thank you, God.

Needless to say, I'm tired and on my way to bed to do it again tomorrow. It's snowing again now. We'll see what morning brings.

Thank you for reading. Snowballs.

Friday 02.20.2009

Woo Hoo!! Another good day!!

I am so thankful for my health. And for each of you. Your positive thoughts and energies and prayers are what helped get me through. I can't wait to hug you.

Routine stuff this morning. Then, as I had agreed to work this afternoon if needed, the girl I was to follow called. "Can you come in earlier?" she asked. She wasn't feeling well. Um, no, I hadn't showered yet. Sorry. I told her I would do what I could to be there sooner, but it probably wouldn't be much sooner. I was really hoping I wouldn't be needed.

As I showered and stretched my arm, I thought of how my wonderful co-workers covered for me a year ago when I was undergoing treatments and side effects. A sense of urgency came over me and I tried to speed things up. As it was, I arrived about 10 minutes sooner than I would have. She was still not feeling all that great and left after giving me report.

The rest of the afternoon was fine. Of course, the co-workers are great. The nice thing about going in later is the sense of being almost done as the clock nears 7.

I got home without incident (thank you God) and got things turned around for tomorrow, which is my scheduled weekend to work, and wrote here.

I'll be going to bed soon.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 02.19.2009

Wow!! After the usual interrupted-type sleep, I woke up about 8:15. Hm. I feel Good! As I got myself ready for my appointments, I thought about how I was feeling. I realized that today is the first time since going to The Breast Cancer Planet that I feel... ummm.... normal?? Like myself?? Like I felt before having BC be the focus of my physical self. Wow!!! Hey!! This feels Good!! No, wait. This feels GREAT!!! PRAISE THE LORD for feeling good!! And for all of you who have traveled this journey with me. Thanks to God, thanks to each of you.

So I have the DEXA scan. A very simple scan--you lie on a cushioned table and an arm attached to said table moves slowly over the hips and lower back. That's it. No billowy gown. I had a wonderful girl named Tammy who is a Certified Dosimetric Technician (I hope I remembered that correctly) who welcomed me back through The Door and led me to The Room. I sat on a chair while we finished paperwork, then I sat on the table itself. I laid down and the lovely Tammy placed sandbags at the outside of each ankle to hold me "slightly pigeon-toed". I unfastened my pants and tucked the zipper under on each side. She sat at a desk with a computer and monitor and explained that since the dose of radiation is so low she doesn't have to leave the room. The arm moved over my hip and made a low buzzing noise. First it imaged the left hip, then the right hip, then moved up a few inches getting the lower vertebrae. That's it. I asked her if she had the images on the screen--she did, and I looked at it, but better yet, she printed it out for me. Although the machine calibrates and plots the findings, the radiologist has to "read" the images and create a report. But my numbers were good. No osteoporosis, no osteopenia (beginnings of osteoporosis). The vertebrae in the spine are a little crooked, but that's not new. Woo Hoo!! Another reason for Praise!! God is Good!! Tammy was so nice--I enjoyed our brief interaction. And she hugged me when I left. Thank you, Tammy.

I went back home and got organized for my next outing. I had lunch, and shortly thereafter left to go to therapy. Ike did a good job today; where it was feeling tight again on the underside of my upper arm she worked on it, and it's better. Not gone, but better. And of course, the rest of the arm, and the breast and shoulder and the shoulder blade on the back. I see her again next week.

I left there and went to Meijer, filling the gas tank, and on into the store for a few groceries. As I was leaving the store, the phone rang. Leah, the massage girl. She's sick and cancelling appointments for tomorrow. Bummer. Get well soon, Leah.

Next stop, storage unit, to drop off a box I had filled, and to pick up another to sort and take back. Then home.

I put the groceries away, heated up my supper and ate, then started a loaf of bread in the bread machine. This time I used ingredients instead of a mix. It smells really good.

I wrote here. Dan called; it rained quite a bit down there today. I think they may be golfing tomorrow.

I'm getting tired, but I still feel good. I am sooo happy to feel good. I hope it stays.

Thank you for reading. And thank you, -B-, for commenting. It's nice to see feedback.

Hugs.

Wednesday 02.18.2009

Hoo Boy. I had a great day today. Even after waking the usual several times throughout the night, even being hot, and cooling down, and shivering trying to get warm again, I woke up feeling rested.

I breakfasted, showered, caught up on email, looked at some stuff on the computer. I had read quite a bit online and my eyes were getting tired. I took another few things over to the storage unit (aka basement) and brought back what I wanted.

I ended up sorting out another closet, where I came across a smaller box labeled "misc, last load 7/06". Hm. Oh yes, I remember. The very last box from Stillwell. Yes, it was miscellaneous. I sorted it and took care of the contents. I also emptied 4 boxes today as I've been getting things settled into the room Bre was in.

After eating again I went back in there and continued battling the Paper Monster. I'm making progress. When I looked at the clock it was 10:35. Oh. I guess I'd better stop and get the blog written.

So I did.

Tomorrow is my first dexa scan (Dual Energy X-ray Absortiometry, or DEXA scan, currently the most widely used method to measure bone mineral density) at 10:00, then I see Ike at 1:30, I think.

I need to get to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 02.17.2009

I slept fairly well, each time waking up I thought it was later than it was. And I was able to go back to sleep. I was dozing when the radio came on. Up and at 'em.

Another uneventful drive in the dark, thank you God, and I saw the shuttle pulling in just ahead of the car in front of me. Good--there's someone else that needs to park. We did, and the driver looped around behind my car to scoop me up after the other girl had boarded. Off we go.

We had a nice day today. Busy at times, but manageable. Almost makes a person actually like their job...

At the end of the shift we clocked out and left. I was just getting my coat fastened when the shuttle pulled up. Woo Hoo! Double shuttle! I got in my car and headed home.

I spoke to Daniel-he seems to be doing well, but after golfing this afternoon, he seemed a little distracted this evening. I hope he's just tired...

I checked email and wrote here. Speaking of tired, I'm off to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 02.16.2009

What a lovely day! Even though I was just getting back to sleep when the alarm came on, I did feel somewhat rested when I got up. I got myself ready for work and left.

A safe drive in the dark, thank you God, and I saw the shuttle in the parking lot when I pulled in. Oh. Now, you know I drive 20-some miles one way, and I allow about 40 minutes from our garage to the time clock. And when I'm in the car, I often end up having gotten into my purse, or have the GPS out (to keep track of arrival time), or have a little mp3 player out, or all of the above. It takes a couple minutes to get these items re-organized and put away and such, and when I saw the shuttle collecting the employees that were already there, I knew I needed to get said items taken care of quickly. And of course, I dropped the keys, had a hard time putting my hat/scarf/gloves in my work bag (in case I have to walk back over in the evening), and felt they were all watching me through the windows. So I took a breath, stood up straighter, and smiled. And trotted over to the bus. And it was almost full. When I climbed in and looked around, I said "good morning" as I usually do, no one answered. Very odd. Must be Monday??

We had a good workday today. Decent patient load, great co-workers. Shuttle back to the car, safe drive home. (thank You, again)

I had a nice conversation with Daniel, who says it's a little cold (67 degrees--can we say awwww) and he's a little sore from hitting so many golf balls today. He sounds good and says he's doing well.

I wrote here and am about ready for bed.

Tomorrow I do it again.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 02.15.2009

The sun came up into a clear sky this morning, shining brightly and reflecting off of the light cover of snow we received during the night. As the morning went on, though, the roads melted and dried.

I breakfasted, showered, made a grocery list, and went out this afternoon after lunch. The store didn't seem overly busy, but I did wait in line to check out, maybe 15 minutes or so. In this day of cutbacks, even the checkout lanes are affected. You'd think there would be enough cashiers to take your money...

When I got back and gad the groceries put away, I decided to move my desktop computer into the now "extra" room (my room). That done, I fired it up. Hm. I was unable to connect to the internet, so when Daniel phoned, he tried walking me through the steps. We weren't able to figure it out, but it's not a big deal. There are 2 other active computers here now. I do want to transfer photos and other data that is on my hard drive onto some kind of removable media, like maybe an SD card or USB flash drive. I should be able to do that without much difficulty...

I've spent quite some time in there, and now am writing here before getting ready for the next two workdays.

Overall, I've felt good today. I stretched my arm and shoulder in the shower; it feels tight on the inner upper arm, like maybe cording again, but I don't see anything. I'll keep stretching. And of course the breast is uncomfortable. Not so much that it interferes with life, but enough that I have to consciously ignore it. Sometimes successfully, most times not.

Have a good day, thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 02.14.2009 Valentine's Day

I slept really well between 6 and 9 AM. It was 0855 when I woke up, opened my eyes, and outdoors was white. White?!?!? Hey, it's snowing!! Big, beautiful, white clumps of snow. And had been for a while, as there was maybe 3 inches or so, if not more. With the drifting it was deeper in areas. Beautiful.

I got up and started laundry, wandered around, had breakfast. Daniel called with greetings of the day. I had a couple more phone calls, too. In the meantime, it had stopped snowing and the complex had been partially plowed. The roads, where they had been plowed, were wet as the snow melted.

I finished getting myself ready for the day and headed to Jackson to meet my Frank and his new friend Amy. I like her. She seems very personable, and they have a nice way with each other. I was glad to see that. We had a good lunch. We lingered, talked, and laughed, then went our separate ways. By that time the highway was mostly dry.

The rest of the evening I sorted and tried to organize a little more. Lit a few candles and enjoyed the evening.

I hope your day was good, too.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 02.13.2009

Another day. Funny sleep, get up way too early, go to work. Great co-workers. I have to say that I like being a nurse, and I think I'm a good nurse, but what makes the J.O.B. better is the staff in our area. I Love my co-workers.

After an oddly busy day we finally got to clock out. Whew. 35 degrees tonight, and the roads were clear of precipitation and animals, intact and otherwise. (what happens to the smatterings of the creatures, anyway?)

Daniel called. He was having a good day, too. He soooo would like to buy a property there. And the housing market makes it soooo enticing..... We'll have to see what happens with that.

I have had some whopper hot flashes again. Today I had stopped to quickly chart at a wall computer when I felt the now-familiar aura of a hot flash coming on. Great. The aura, or sensation, got really strong; I felt like I was going to faint. "Well," I told myself, "you know that it's just a hot flash. Breathe. Keep breathing." And with the conscious breathing, the dark swirl eased up and I had a full blown perspirating thermal event. By the time I had the data entered the moisture had run down the middle of my back. (nice) Oh, Yeah. I'm happy to be alive and cancer free. Ok, God, thank you for giving me life. Can we regulate the thermostat please?

Tomorrow I have a lunch date with Frank and his new friend Amy. I've not met her yet.

And to all of you, Happy Valentine's Day. I love each and every one of you.

Hugs.

Thursday 02.12.2009

Today was a much better day. I muddled through the morning, enjoying a shower and exercising my arm/shoulder/breast with the warm water. Paid some bills and left for my therapy appointment with Ike.

She did a good job today. My hand and wrist look better, the forearm is somewhat better, the upper arm is a little better, but the shoulder is much better. That fluid must be accumulating in there causing pressure, soreness, and general discomfort. And of course the breast is somewhat better, too. I made sure I had lots of water on board before going, and I've been drinking since I've been home, and "going" lots. I still had tylenol and motrin to help with the discomfort, but I felt better overall.

Daniel is feeling better, sounds good, likes being in Florida and able to golf. Another 3 weeks or so and he'll be home.

Tomorrow is a workday for me. I've gotten some of my things together and need to figure out my food before going to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 02.11.2009

I thought I had "gotten my sleep out", but I have felt sleepy all day. I probably would have taken a nap if I hadn't gone to Jackson for an "emergency" department meeting.

The weather was predicted to be windy and rain, and I had decided to take the van instead of the Sebring. I just don't like to hear the "rain on the tent". That's what the sound of rain on the convertible top reminds me of. I don't like rain on the tent.

After the meeting I stopped in to Wal Mart to pick up a few items and headed home.

Daniel had called and sounded good, saying he was only minimally sore from 18 holes of golf yesterday.

I had a snack, checked email, and wrote here.

Tomorrow I have a therapy appointment with Ike.

That's all for now; thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 02.10.2009

Slept ok, almost felt rested when the radio came on. Almost. (Another few hours might have been nice....) But I got up and headed out. The good thing is that the roads are clear of snow and ice. The bad thing is that the small animals are beginning to come out. And at 70/75 mph on a dark wet road on a dark morning, coming up on an already schmucked critter is yucky. The one this morning had it's parts in both lanes, and we know that we're not supposed to swerve. ("Hit the deer" is the mantra I repeat) And then the smell... Well, I won't go on. At least I'm not the original thunker of this particular creature.

I got into the parking lot and looked for the shuttle. Yup, there it is, just pulling out. I had several minutes that I could wait until I had to walk over. And just as I was getting ready to do so, there it was coming back around. Cool.

I had a pretty good workday with my patient assignment, but some others weren't so lucky. It was one of the not-so-nice days in labor and delivery and special care nursery, with a seemingly healthy baby on the monitor having to be resuscitated immediately after the birth. The baby was alive when it left the hospital for it's helicopter trip to Ann Arbor, but beyond that we'll only know as time goes on. Please say a prayer of strength to the family, and the baby itself, and a prayer of thanks for the wonderful staff who worked with them. Outcomes like that are difficult for us all; it sure is a reminder of humbleness.

An uneventful drive home and uneventful evening for me.

Daniel golfed 18 holes today, scoring at his high average. He said it was 76 degrees and he was pretty tired this evening. Everybody say Awwwww.

Tomorrow is low key for me. I'm off to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 02.09.2009

I'm becoming accustomed to sleeping by myself--I had a restful block about 3 hours or so. Or maybe I was just so tired that I slept. Of course the radio woke me.

I got ready for work and arrived without incident, thank you God. I did smell a skunk, though. It will be "creature time" again before too long. I am still seeing dead dear along the road, maybe one or two per week. Eeewwww. I hope I don't get one.

When I got into the parking space I waited as long as I could for the shuttle but didn't see it. I was collecting my things when There It Was! I clocked in just at 0630. Whew.

We had a good day with good patients. The early evening we got a couple of surgical patients back, and we handed off to the night shift and left. They could have a busy night...

I had heard from Daniel a couple times throughout the day, and I called him back as I was on my way home. He said it was 76 degrees there today. He sounds like he's doing well.

I got my stuff turned around for tomorrow, had a few bites, and wrote here. I'm getting pretty tired tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 02.08.2009

A lovely day.

The sun was shining strong, and even though the air temperature was only mid-40's, the sun was very warm. After getting up and breakfasted, I thought I'd better get outside in it. I had a prescription refill ready, so I decided to walk up to the pharmacy. It's maybe 3-4 miles there and back.

I stepped out onto the balcony to see what kind of coat I needed. Got one on, and a pair of lightweight gloves, and headed out. Um, the wind is a little cold. I went back in for a scarf. I don't like my neck and lower head being cold. I opted out of a hat, though, knowing I could pull up the hood on my coat. Ok. Now I headed out.

It was beautiful. When I came to an area that had mature trees, the birds were singing like spring. I thanked the Lord for health and fitness and life in general.

In the store I unzipped my coat partway, and then I got hot. I mean dripping. Off the sides of my face, down the middle of my back. I had a tissue in my pocket that came in very handy, but geez.

Yup. I'm happy to be alive and cancer free.

Back at home I putzed around some, trying to decide what to fix myself to eat. A sandwich, or cook something that I can portion out and take to work?? I decided to create a vegetable and egg noodle something since I had fresh veggies that needed used. It turned out yummy, and I have 3 portions left over.

I cleaned the kitchen, then got started on the Paper Monster. Daniel called and we talked for a bit, and I resumed my project. I made a good dent in it, finishing what I had wanted to accomplish this weekend.

I wrote here, and I'm going to shower the layer of salt off.

Tomorrow is Monday, and a work day, as is Tuesday.

Have a good day yourself, and thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 02.07.2009

It seemed that I had slept a long time, but it was only a couple hours later. That's how my night went. I was sleeping when the phone rang. 0624. The hospital looking for help. No thanks. I went back to sleep. And it seemed like just a few minutes later when the phone rang again. It was light out when I opened my eyes to get the phone. It was Daniel, and it was 8:45. Oh. He said he just wanted to say good morning. Aww, that's nice. We chatted a little. He was hoping to go to the driving range today.

I ended up dozing off again, getting up about 0930.

My day was slow in getting started, as I never did feel like I was "rested".

I went to Jackson for a haircut, then back home, where I fixed myself a lovely salad. Then over to The Summit / Capital Center to watch The Lovely Chelsea play a couple of soccer games with her team. First game, 0-0, second game, 0-7, her team won. She had a few good moves, and Grandpa Jim got some great photos. We had a good time.

Back home I had a bowl of cereal and wrote here.

Tomorrow I hope to tame the Paper Monster that has emerged.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 02.06.2009

The radio woke me--I finally felt like I had slept. I got up and got ready to go to therapy with Ike. Finally.

She was happy to see me. She measured the diameter of my left arm in several different places and measured the angle of the range of motion at the shoulder, then started working on the arm and hand with her techniques.

It seemed like a short hour. She walked me to The Door and had me schedule appointments at The Window. The way my work schedule is and her work schedule is, I was able to schedule only one appointment in each of the next 4 weeks. Hopefully that's all I'll need this time.

I left the therapy place and went to Meijer, picking up fresh fruits and vegetables and a few other items.

After Meijer I stopped at Lowe's and picked up light bulbs in the special sizes we needed. On to the library to return materials. Then to the car wash where I sprayed off the crystallized layer of salt. I swear, when I closed the door or the trunk lid a white cloud floated off.

At home I had lunch, then went to the Secretary of State office to transfer the license plate to the new-to-us van.

I changed the plate when I got home, then went to the storage unit to pick up my desk and filing cabinet. I got those items in place, and had a snack.

Dan called, saying he had been out and about, and been to the driving range. Temps in the high 50's today. He sounds happy.

The rest of the evening I checked the computer and not much else.

Tomorrow is a hair cut.

I'm getting tired; I'm going to get ready for bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 02.05.2009

I was up and getting ready for work, just finishing "grooming", when the phone rang. Hm. It was someone from There telling me it was my turn to be "on-call". Oh. Ok. (Cool, I thought.) Thanks, I said. I took of the work clothes and put the pj's back on, climbed back into bed, watched the weather channel for a few minutes before going back to sleep. I was listening to the radio when Dan sent me a text shortly after 8.

I called him back. He said it was cold there, an overnight low of 24. Hm. It's hovering zero here.

I got up and breakfasted then went in and enjoyed a shower. I exercised my arm and shoulder in the warm water, which helps the discomfort briefly. I'll be glad to see Ike tomorrow. I feel full and itchy in the shoulder, upper arm, fingers, and breast.

I had brought the bread machine from the storage unit and decided to use it. Amazing how that works. I also did some housekeeping, washing fingerprints and smudges from doors and walls, etc. I enjoyed my unexpected day off.

Tomorrow I'll go to therapy, then groceries and a couple other stops.

Kind of quiet today. Thank you for reading.

Hugs.

Wednesday 02.04.2009

I felt like I was awake a lot during the night. I thought I'd sleep good. Oh well. It was time to get up anyway. I got ready and on my way to work.

A mostly dry drive, with just a couple areas that had blown over with the snow. It was actually very pretty outside. Though cold, with temperatures in the teens. God and the angels kept me safe.

After parking in the designated area, I waited for the shuttle to come. It did, and we got over to the hospital and clocked in.

It was a very interesting day. We had a couple of patients that needed "problem solving" and my wonderful co-workers did a good job. The night shift finally came in so we could go home.

Daniel called several times again today. He had an uneventful second leg of his trip, arriving at his destination in Ocala Florida about 4:30 ish. He seemed real happy to be there. He says it's sunny, about mid 40's. Lovely. It was minus 2 when I pulled into the garage tonight.

I got myself set up to go to work again tomorrow and wrote here.

It sure is nice to have the house quiet.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 02.03.2009 He's Southbound

Daniel is so funny. He got up at 6 o'clock. "I couldn't sleep..." So he showered, breakfasted, collected the rest of the things he wanted to take, finished loading the car, hugged and kissed me, and left at 0700. I went back to bed.

I dozed off and on, finally getting up about 9:30. Let's see, what am I going to do??

I took my time with breakfast, enjoyed a couple cups of coffee, and looked around. I organized some things in the bedroom/closet, washed the bathroom rugs and then the towels, cleaned both bathrooms, vacuumed, watered the plants, ate a couple of times, took some things over to the storage unit, brought back the cross country ski equipment, put the new van in Dan's parking spot in the garage. : )

And wrote here.

Oh yeah, and Dan has called several times throughout the day to tell me of his progress. There was a pretty good snowstorm around Indianapolis, and he said it took him about 2 1/2 hours to get around the city due to near white-out conditions and multiple vehicle accidents. Fortunately he was not involved in any of those crashes, and was able to make it down to Mobile, AL for the night. He sounded pretty tired.

Tomorrow is a work day, as well as Thursday.

I'm going to go smell Dan's pillow.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 02.02.2009

I had to laugh--Dan said I was "pushing him out of the bed" last night. Huh?? He said I kept scooching (is that a word?) over onto his side of the bed until he had to nudge me. I must have finally been sleeping good, because I am not aware of any of that.

We got up about 7:30 and got ready to go to his appointments. First one was the cardiologist, Dr. Shah, scheduled for 9:00. We arrived, checked in, and ...... waited. Now, if you know Dan, he doesn't like to wait. Top that with the next appointment being scheduled for 10:00, and he's even more, umm, anxious. He went up to the window about 9:20 and told the nice lady he has another appointment at 10:00... a few minutes later we were called back through The Door. One of the girls got his weight and blood pressure and said the doctor would be in. And he was, at 9:55.

We had a discussion about scheduling. It seems that doctor himself has had issues with the way the schedules were today.

He looked Dan over, they talked, and Doctor Shah declared him good and to make an appointment for 4 months. Woo Hoo!!

On to the next office.

Dan had called Dr. Al-Sheikh's office to say he was late, but they wanted to reschedule to 11:30. We arrived about 11, and got called back about 11:45. I asked the girl if we were here for the 10:00 appointment or the 11:30 appointment--she gave me a look and said something about the way the scheduling is, and that she stays out of it. Kind of with a smirk.

Dr. Al-Sheikh was in within 5 minutes or so, and he and Dan chit-chatted. They talked about Dan's blood sugars and decided to leave the insulin doses as they are for the time being. Doctor looked Dan over, ordered a blood test, and called him good. Schedule an appointment in mid to late March. Woo Hoo!!

Leaving there, we stopped at the medical supply store for accucheck supplies, went to a lab for his blood draw, stopped and refueled the car, and came home.

I fixed us lunch and we ate. Dan put a package together to ship and took it to the post office. He ended up getting a call from a friend who needed help with a computer program setup and went over there, not getting back until almost dark.

Dan is geeked, excited that he is cleared to go to Florida. He went back and forth through the house several times gathering items, talking to himself, getting ready to go. Then he announces that he's going to leave in the morning. 0700.

Oh. Ok. "It's a long drive, and I don't want to drive after dark. You know I want to get through most of Alabama before I stop." Yeah, ok.

He's got himself all ready to go.

I've caught up on several days of reading email, and he's gone off to bed.

We'll pray that he has a safe trip.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 02.01.2009

I was happy to have slept well at the intervals that I did. The radio came on and I got up. Still not enough sleep, but better than yesterday.

I had a safe drive down, cautious where the wind had blown snow over the road. Kind of scary how we can be driving along at 65/70 ish on dry road and come up on a snowy area.

I had to walk again today over to the hospital. The temperature, though, is almost 30 degrees warmer than yesterday. Yup, just above freezing.

We had a good group of staff working today, and we had a good time doing it. It was finally time to go home.

Another safe drive, thank you, God.

Daniel was watching the Superbowl somewhere else, so I turned on the television and searched for the channel, finding it quickly. I thought it was a good game.

I had gotten ready for bed when I got home, and I put my work things away and folded the items Daniel had laundered. He's a good guy.

He got home shortly after the game ended. He didn't stay up very long, and is sleeping now. I'm on my way, too.

Tomorrow is 2 doctor appointments for Daniel, follow up checks I think. He hopes they will ok for him to travel, as he'd like to go south for a bit. Other than that, I'll try to catch up on my rest.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.