Thursday, June 30, 2011

Thursday 06.30.2011

I slept pretty good, at two-hour-intervals. I was surprised when the phone woke me at 0930.

I got up and breakfasted, got things together to take to Jackson. Dan had gone through his (large) assortment of golf clothes--shirts, shorts, and slacks--and I took them to a consignment shop. We'll see if they sell.

From there, I went to pick up Sandy and Allison and took them to Bob Evans. We had a good meal before going over to Loomis Park. We all liked the play structure, and Sandy recognized Jim's name on the "who did what/contributors" sign.

I took them back home and went to the hospital for a meeting, which was very good.

A safe drive home, thank you God.

Dan was home, having been to the doctor. Bronchitis, which the doctor thinks is viral, so no antibiotics, but he did give Daniel some medication to help the airways.

We had a quiet evening at home, which was nice.

Neither one of us works tomorrow. Woo Hoo!!

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wednesday 06.29.2011 Cardiology Appointment

What a beautiful day today!! Still a bit cool for the end of June (mid 70's), but blue sky and full sun. Ahhh.

At the Cardiology office today, I saw the Physician Assistant. Seems that their practice alternates the PA with the Physician every other visit, unless the patient specifically requests or needs to see the doctor.

Anyway, I see this young woman, Jill. Seriously. She just finished school and started working there in January. I work hard throughout the appointment to respect her education, that she's fresh, with the current information....

The first part is the good news. I've lost weight--12 pounds!! since the end of February. I surprised even myself. Way to go, Me!

The rest is not as good, though not really bad, at least so far.

The lab didn't run all the tests that were ordered. The good news is, the ones that were run, were "good". And Maria in the office called the lab, which still has the blood, and will run the remaining tests. The bad news, Doctor wants another blood test which needs a different "color" tube. So I'll need another draw. Ugh.

The cardiac echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) showed some interesting stuff. The left ventricular wall is thickened, the ventricles (bottom chambers) don't completely relax when they are supposed to ("impaired relaxation"), and all of the heart valves "leak". Two are "trace", one is "mild", and the fourth one is moderate. Also, there is a small pericardial effusion (area of increased pericardial fluid) near the right ventricle. In summary, she told me my heart was a normal 55-year-old heart. Great. I wonder what it would be if I didn't exercise....?

The Holter monitor did capture a few "events", which, the cardiologist says, are of no significance. "How much does it bother you"? I was asked. They would be happy to prescribe a beta blocker for me. No thank you, I said. No daily pills. Not unless or until it's necessary.

I left there with an order for a lab draw, an appointment for next June 29, 2012, and the reassurance to call if there are any changes. If the "events" of the arrhythmias are more frequent, annoying, or bothersome, I am to call the office and will be set up with a 7-day monitor.

Back at home, Dan was just leaving to golf. We chatted for a few minutes before he left.

I reviewed the results of the tests again, praising God for my life.

Then I went out for a jog.

Which was good.

I cooled off, and had just finished showering, when Dan returned.

He said he didn't want anything more to eat, so I fixed my food and ate. After a while, he left to go back to the trailer. Hopefully he'll be able to keep his own doctor appointment tomorrow afternoon.

A quiet evening, and I'm ready for bed.

Tomorrow I have a meeting in Jackson.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Tuesday 06.28.2011

The workday turned out to be busy, and we were a great team that functioned well, each of us weaving up and down the hall, in and out of rooms, creating what ended up to be a feeling of job satisfaction. That's been missing for a very long time. Thank you to all my teammates today--Jana, Deb R., Marilyn, Paula, and Beth P.

Dan came downstairs to help carry the groceries that I had purchased on the way home. He said he didn't do much today, mostly rested/slept. He really needed it--he looked a lot better to me this evening.

Tomorrow is my follow up appointment at the cardiologist. I hope my lab results are favorable!

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Monday 06.27.2011

I had great ideas of jogging tonight after work, being that it is still light, and the temperature was in the high 70's.

And about halfway home I got really sleepy. Like, I'm ready to go to bed.

Dan's schedule got changed--he's on his way and will be here soon.

He'll probably rest and golf tomorrow. I work.

Other than feeling tired, I'm pretty good.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sunday 06.26.2011

Another Beautiful Day!!

Thank you, God!

Even though my sleep was "interrupted", I felt mostly rested.

Breakfast, a couple of phone calls, and I went out for a jog.

It was a good jog, that seemed comfortable and almost "easy", so almost midway around, I pushed a little, working a little harder. After several blocks I went back to the easy mode.

I cooled off, and had a shower, after which I gave my toes some attention.

Supper and a quiet evening.

I got caught up looking at and reading about different types of bluetooth earpieces, and the next thing I knew it was after 10:30 pm.

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Saturday 06.25.2011

I had a good day today.

Rested fairly well during the night.

Although I had considered jogging before going to Springport, I didn't. I finished putting the pasta salad together (which was really good, if I do say so myself) and checked email and such before leaving.

A quick stop at the post office for Daniel, and I enjoyed a "top-down" ride through the countryside. Dan's daughter Kim lives about 40-50 minutes away, a totally rural experience.

They had a good turnout with excellent weather for a graduation open house. Although I only knew a few people, I enjoyed myself.

I spent some time in the kitchen washing the dishes that had accumulated throughout the afternoon, then visited a little more before leaving about 8 o'clock.

A safe drive home, thank you God, and a quiet rest of the evening.

Tomorrow I'll exercise (jog), and see what the day brings.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Friday 06.24.2011

Worked.

Tired.

Came home, prepared ingredients for pasta salad for open house tomorrow (Dan's daughter's son), did a load of laundry. (at my request, so I could include today's work clothes)

Hips are sore, hope to sleep.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Thursday 06.23.2011

I had a nice day today.

I slept fairly well, too.

After breakfast, I did a few household chores before going out for a jog. That was good, too, as it wasn't so hot. Only about 72 degrees, and overcast.

A shower, then up to the Clubhouse to take care of Association business.

Dan got home, and we went to Los Tres Amigos for an enjoyable supper, both company and food.

I picked up a few things at the grocery store; it wasn't long before Daniel was sleeping in his chair. He did wake to shower, and off to bed.

Tomorrow is a golf tournament for him, and I am scheduled to work.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Wednesday 06.22.2011

I slept pretty good during my intervals. I heard Dan up about 0420 and talked with him until he left about 0430, then went back to sleep listening to the birds.

Since my blood test was to be a fasting test, I didn't have breakfast.

Over at the Oncology office, a different girl called me back. She tried twice but didn't the blood. Another girl, who I didn't recognize either, came up, and the first girl started talking to her. Just as they were talking, Latea ?sp came up the hall. She recognized me and came into the area, and I asked her if she would do my draw. She had a slight hesitation, but set her paper down and took over, getting in on her first try. I thanked her, and sat there for a few moments before leaving.

A beautiful day outside.

I stopped at home and mixed up an "Instant Breakfast" and went to Jackson to pick up Sandy and Allison. From there we went over to a co-worker/friend's house for her "First Annual Nature Day". She is a Master Gardener with a beautiful yard (you can imagine) and a 10-year interest in Monarch butterflies. She was very organized, having set up "stations" where we saw the Monarch eggs on the milkweed (and only milkweed) plants, learned about the migration and life cycle, saw her (unfortunately empty) butterfly cage, and saw a hummingbird nest she had collected. After all that, she fed us lunch, and everyone received a parting gift. It was very nice, fun, and informative. I enjoyed it, and I think Sandy and Allison did, too.

We had just gotten in the car to leave when it started pouring rain. What good timing!

Sandy wanted to stop at the store, and we went to a few, browsing, getting some items she wanted.

It was pouring really hard when we got back to her apartment and unloaded. We were all soaked to the skin.

I didn't stay, and by the time I had gone the short distance to the highway, the rain had all but stopped. Not much farther, just drying pavement and a few puddles here and there.

It had rained in Holt, too, and the traffic signal was out at the corner. Hm.

I had enough time to fix and eat my supper and talk with Daniel before going to the Clubhouse for a meeting.

Back at home, I'm getting tired, and ready for bed.

I hope to sleep. The temperature is below 70, and the humidity is down, too.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tuesday 06.21.2011 The Longest Day

This first day of summer. Mid to high 90's, high humidity. Thunderstorms rolling in late evening.

We had a good work day.

I was/am pretty tired.

Dan golfed today, and was going to play again tomorrow, but he got called to go back to work instead. He'll leave in the morning.

I have an appointment for my lab draw tomorrow. I'm anxious to see if my diet and exercise has made a positive difference, though I won't get results for a few days.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Monday 06.20.2011

So I scoot to work in my little car. I say that as, in comparison to, that van. It almost feels "lumbering"--kind of big and bulky going down the road. But it gets to where it's going...

It turns out to be another busy day, but today we have adequate staff, and we all work well together, getting one patient after another back from surgery. 6 or 7 maybe? Along with a couple of new moms and babies, too. I was happy to clock out on time and leave.

A safe drive home, thank you God.

Daniel got home tonight, too, about 9 o'clock. He was so tired that when he sat down to check his computer, he fell sound asleep. I woke him after a few minutes, because I knew he wanted to shower and turn in for the night.

Which he has.

I work tomorrow, and he's golfing.

I felt pretty good today, too. I think mostly because I took my food, and was able to eat it. Makes a difference when you can eat.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Sunday 06.19.2011 Father's Day

I slept at intervals, and felt rested this morning.

After breakfast I started laundry, and went out for a jog. Even though it was warm, it was a pleasant discovery that it wasn't too hot.

Shower, more laundry, and I went out to Meijer for fresh food.

I have finished laundry, had supper, and spent time weeding through and deleting emails.

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Saturday 06.18.2011

What a lovely day!

I woke mostly rested, though if I had not wanted to get up to The Lake I would have slept another hour. As it was, I got up about 8:30.

I checked the weather for today and tomorrow, and today was definitely the better travel day. So, I breakfasted and got ready to go.

A safe drive up, thank you God. First off, right in Lansing, a traffic jam due to an accident. I was surprised that a couple of the construction areas were pretty backed up. All in all, though, it was a good drive. And I have to say, I love my van. But not the gas mileage.

I was extremely disappointed that it figured out to be only 16 mpg. That's why it's going back to the lake where it can be useful when necessary.

I got the car out of the garage and put the van in, thanking it for it's service these last few days.

We have Jacque family people at the JC, who were out at that time; I went down to the GC to see who was there, as well as eat my lunch before getting back on the road.

Much to my pleasant surprise, I saw lots of my "folks"--KS, Anne, Bruce, Tom, Sunday, Dave, Malaina, Sophie, Ollie, Kim, Jasmine, and Sam, as well as Keith and Mary. We sat in the sun or shade, as preferred, and visited, and I worked on my lunch inbetween people coming in.

It was kind of windy again today, but warm enough that some of our group were in the water having fun. It sure looked good. There's nothing like fun at The Lake.

An uneventful drive home, thanks again.

I'm kind of tired, and hope to rest well tonight. Tomorrow I want to jog, and maybe get a few groceries.

I'm feeling pretty good, too.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Friday 06.17.2011

Can't hardly believe it's mid-June already. The good part is that my vacation is almost here!! Mid July!!

Today was another busy workday. The morning started out ok, then went quickly downhill. Along with my attitude. And I had an orientee with me, too, which was the hard part for me. Feeling "prickly" on the inside, trying to be professional, courteous, "nice", on the outside.

I arranged for the concierge service to take the van for an oil change, and to Discount Tire for a rotation and to check the slow leak. I was called about 11 am saying the van was back, completed, the only cost being the oil change. Great! We had bought the warranty for the tires after purchasing the van. Turns out the rim had developed some rust and caused a slow leak.

The rest of the day improved, slowly. By 7 pm I was more than ready to leave, and I was able to do so.

I stopped over to Sandy's apartment for a short bit, then on home.

Tomorrow I think I'll drive the van back to the lake and pick up the Pontiac. While I love my van, it sucks down the gas. Definitely not a daily driver for a 50 mile round trip commute to work.

Other than being a little out of sorts today, I've felt pretty good. Tylenol, motrin, and caffeine in the afternoon may have improved my outlook, as well as my comfort level.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thursday 06.16.2011

Worked today, tired tonight. Had a hard time staying awake at times.

I left late, again, and went over to Lauretta's afterward for a haircut.

Then home.

Of course, I had to shower. I really, really, don't like all those little hairs on me.

I took tylenol and motrin one time today, as my hips got sore this afternoon.

Tomorrow is another workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wednesday 06.15.2011 Home Again

What looked like a beautiful day this morning at the lake turned out to be sunny and windy, with a chill that made a sweatshirt feel good. We had to leave anyway, and we each got our things together and started to load the car.

With the stuff we got at the Fish store yesterday, and the three boxes of stuff Evelyn had collected for Sandy, the car was full, with no room for my stuff. Hm.

We were all more comfortable with everything loaded into the van.

A safe drive home, thank you God. Rain started west of Flint and has continued through this evening. We stopped in Holt first, unloaded my stuff, went on to Jackson, unloaded their stuff, and I came back home. Whew--that's a lot of driving.

My second load of laundry is in, and I'm about ready for bed.
Tomorrow is a workday.

I've felt pretty good today, overall. Just a very little hint of a headache, that I'm sure is just stress related. I had a tylenol a short while ago, which has helped a little.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tuesday 06.14.2011 Flag Day

Another great day at The Lake!

I woke, finally feeling rested, to a beautiful blue sky day. The wind had finally quieted.

The girls were up already, and they were getting ready for the day while I breakfasted. After a bit, we went into Hale, to go "Fish"-ing.

We did good, too, getting a whole bunch of stuff for both of them, and a few things for myself. Over to the grocery store, then back to the lake.

It was warm for a bit, but the wind had picked up again and was a bit cool. Allison practiced her rowing skills at the end of the dock; I used a tree trimmer and got one of the branches down, but couldn't reach the others without getting on the roof. And I didn't want to do that today.

Supper, and a quiet evening inside.

The lake quieted again this evening, and the moon is beautiful reflecting off of the water.

Hoping to rest well tonight, as tomorrow is going home day.

I started this morning with a migraine again. I interrupted the sudden stabbing pain at the base of my skull/neck that took me by surprise, with tylenol and motrin and a little bit of codeine. It was very odd that I could still feel my brain spasming, and physiologically, I didn't feel quite "right". A second dose of tylenol and motrin after we got back from town took care of the residual discomfort that had crept back. Tonight I seem to be ok, thank you God.

And thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Monday 06.13.2011

What a great day!

I slept pretty good overall, and was first one awake/up. The other girls woke while I was having breakfast.

After breakfast, we all went out for a walk down memory lane, and when we got back we moved the paddleboat down to the egress and put the rowboat in the water. We secured it to the dock and all of us got in, while I gave a brief water and boating safety introduction. Then Allison learned to row. She rowed all around the world, hooked to the dock. The wind was still brisk, so we couldn't really go anywhere yet.

I went out for my "run", which was good. I cooled off and enjoyed a shower.

We walked up to Largent's for supper, and when we got back, the wind had eased up. Allison was ready to go away from the dock. All aboard, I started out rowing, then she took over. We ended up in front of the GC (maybe 45 minutes later), and another half hour or so later we were back at the JC.

They wanted a fire, and I started it, but the cool wind picked up again and we broke it apart and covered it and moved inside.

We are all pretty tired tonight.

Tomorrow we're looking forward to going "fishing" at the Fish store.

My hips are a little sore tonight--maybe sitting too much?? I don't know.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 06.12.2011

We had a good day at the J.O.B. Low census, great co-workers, and a surprise visit from my Frank.

After work, I went over and picked up Sandy and her daughter Allison, and from there we went to Holt. There were maybe 5 dead deer along the way.

Dan was home when we got there. He looked pretty tired from his golf excursion. I fixed the girls something to eat, along with finishing gathering my belongings to take to the lake.

We said our good-byes to Daniel, who will be going back for work tomorrow, and we started out again about 9:00.

We had a safe drive, thank you God, while the deer and whatever else's small animal eyes glinted back at us from the sides of the roadways. We did slow twice to let the deer finish crossing.

I refueled at Wilder Road Meijer, and also went in the store to use the "facilities" as well as pick up some groceries. We had fun, laughing and looking at stuff.

The JC looked really good to me tonight. 52 degrees, quiet and clear. We are unloaded and unpacked and ready for the sun to shine tomorrow.

I'm pretty tired, but feel ok. Looking forward to sleeping...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Saturday 06.11.2011

I heard some light piano music this morning, wondering where that was coming from. Oh. The alarm. Time to get up.

A safe drive to Jackson; the deer was on the other side of the fence, but close to it. It raised it's head as I went by. And further on down, one was casually walking across the southbound lanes. It made it to the median, then spurted across the northbound lanes. The northbound driver had slowed, and everyone continued on their way.

When I got to work, it was my turn to float. Again.

I ended up "sitting", one-to-one with a 96 year old man who was mostly with it. He slept most of the day, as he had been awake and "busy" during the night. When he was awake, though, he was able to converse, and was reading all the things that were posted on the wall.

I was relieved after 8 hours and went back to my home unit. Nobody else wanted to go home, so I did.

And when I got here, I ended up taking a nap, sleeping for an hour and a half! I was surprised.

The rest of the evening was quiet.

Tomorrow is a workday, though I'm hoping to leave early, to go back up to the lake.

And other than being tired, I'm ok.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Friday 06.10.2011

Gray and cold this morning, temp about 45 degrees, windy. Dan and Al left about 8 to go to their golf tournament.

Frank and I did a bunch of not much today. The misty precipitation alternated with a light rain; after a while I was restless and went out for a jog anyway. It wasn't too bad--I came in damp, and hung my clothes by the furnace to dry.

We had gotten mostly packed, and about half cleaned, when Polly and Jim came down with their umbrellas. We had a nice visit, and after they left, Frank and I finished up, finally leaving the JC about 5:30 pm.

An uneventful drive home. The drizzle had mostly stopped by the time we left, and the roads were dry with an occasional area where it had rained previously, judging by the puddles.

At home, it was 61 degrees, and gas was $3.71.

I got supper started while Frank unloaded the car, and after we ate, he left, I unpacked and did a load of laundry, and got ready for my workday tomorrow.

And, overall, I'm feeling pretty good.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Thursday 06.09.2011

Wednesday was sooo hot--mid 90's and humid. A great time to be at the lake. It was too hot to do much of anything other than sit outside in a shady spot that had a little breeze. The inside of the cabin stayed pretty comfortable (thanks to the new insulation?) until evening, when the humidity oozed it's way inside.

Frank and I went up to the Long Lake Bar for supper, meeting Jim and Polly there. We had some laughs and good conversation to go along with the good food.

An electrical storm moved through sometime after dark; most of the night was lightening and some intense thunder. So I'm told. I had the good fortune to return easily to sleep after waking. It was sometime after 3 am when I noticed that the temperature of the air coming in through the window had finally cooled off.

This morning it was only 62 degrees, and the temp continued dropping throughout the day. Windy and cool, 54 degrees when Dan and his friend Al, and Frank, got our dock put in. Frank cleaned our eaves (BIG thanks to Frank) and trimmed a branch over the roof. I raked the remainder of the leaves and got that debris burned. Dan and Al went off golfing, while Frank and I went to the GC to help Jim and Polly put the sailboat and fishing boat in the water. I had to put air in the tires of the van first, though. J&P had their own tire adventures today, too.

Frank and I came home and rested, which was really nice. When Dan and Al were done golfing, we picked up J&P and went up to Big Bob's restaurant for a good bbq rib dinner. Al wanted ice cream, and we all went over to the Hale Ice Cream store.

We had a quiet evening back at the JC.

Tomorrow Dan and Al will leave in the morning to go to their golf tournament. Frank and I will have to go home sometime tomorrow. Hope it doesn't rain.

I've been feeling pretty good. Especially since I slept last night.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Tuesday 06.07.2011

I think I slept a total of 40 minutes during the night. UGH! But I chose not to fret about it, got up and went to the J.O.B.

And we were busy again today.

I was happy to have someone come in and cover me so that I could attend a meeting, after which, I took care of some banking and headed home.

Dan was home, having gone to his appointments today, and rested in-between. Frank got there shortly after I did. I gathered and packed, and we all loaded the car.

Frank drove us up to the JC, uneventfully.

It had cooled down from the 95 degrees in Holt to 72 degrees at The Lake, and a quiet breeze. The bullfrogs were croaking and the mosquitoes were out.

I'm looking forward to sleeping.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Monday 06.06.2011

I opened the computer to blog last night, and it didn't connect to the internet. I was tired and didn't pursue further; I went to bed instead.

I am now three years out of treatment. I was looking forward to having three years without "questionable" symptoms, or anything that may, even obscurely, be cause for concern.

Then, Saturday, I had that one episode of fresh, bright red blood (vaginally) that gave me pause. It wasn't much, less than 5 ml, but it made me say "whoa, what's this?"

Today I called the Oncologist's office to ask "where do I start?" I spoke to Amy Jo, who left a message for a nurse to return my call.

Phyllis (remember her?) did call me later this afternoon. She was very kind, and took almost 20 minutes with me on the phone.

After reviewing the event, she told me her crystal ball doesn't work very well. But, she offered me her ideas and options. 1. Break-through bleeding. Not uncommon with these meds. (I was thinking--yes, maybe if I was younger. But I haven't had any bleeding since February of '08. Maybe, but I think it's unlikely.) 2. Because of the negative genetics test, it's also unlikely that it would be uterine/endometrial cancer. My kind of cancer (ER+ PR+ HER2-) metastasizes to brain, bone, liver, and lung, historically. 3. The fact that the Femara was a generic, and the last of the first 30 day fill, could be the reason. (Yes, we know that the generics are supposed to be all that. But we also know that they are not.)

Options? 1. Do nothing, as it is probably nothing, and mention it to Dr. Williams at the July 8 appointment. 2. See my primary care physician (not interested in seeing my doctor of 20 years for something that has a rare chance of being "something". I would then need to be referred...) 3. Come in to see the nurse practitioner, Iman, tomorrow. (I work tomorrow, and by now I'm thinking about a gynecologist....) 4. See a gynecologist. We talked about an oncology gynecologist, but Phyllis didn't think this episode warranted a physician in that particular specialty. There is a gynecology group within the Mid Michigan Physician's overall spectrum. I was liking that option. I usually have my "yearly" in the summer, and it's coming up, and I especially liked that when I went to the cardiologist, for example, my whole chart was available on the computer. With just keystrokes, they can view lab results, treatment history, etc. So the pap results would be there for the oncologist (Dr. Williams) to see, too.

She said the referral would be made, so that I could see them before I see Dr. Williams. Ok, thanks.

She was very careful to say that she can't say with any certainty what is happening. Of course, I know that. It did mostly lift the cloud that I have been enveloped in for the last couple of days.

I thanked her again for her time, and for talking with me like a patient, not like I'm a nurse.

After that phone call I went back out to the craziness that had blown up my unit. All three of us were frazzled and doing the best we could. I'm sure that we gave the best care that we could, given that we were slammed with patients--both discharges and admissions.

We all clocked out late.

From the hospital, I went over to Sandy's apartment, taking some curtains over, as well as a hanging plant for her porch. She seemed pleased.

Dan was home when I got home, and had started laundry. What a guy!! It was good to see him.

I work tomorrow, and he has appointments.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Saturday 06.04.2011

I didn't sleep as well as I thought I would, but not having to get up early was a bonus.

After breakfast and some light housework and plenty of water to hydrate, I went out for a jog. I knew it was hot out there--83 degrees when I got back in. I did ok with the heat, just paced and didn't push it.

I showered, fixed food and ate, and Frank and a friend of his that we've known for many years stopped in for a visit. It was nice to see both of them.

When they left, I had a bit of a scare.

I went in to the bathroom, and found blood on the paper. Huh?? I should have NO vaginal bleeding any more, forever. I calmed myself down, certain that it was bright red, fresh, vaginal (not irritated hemorrhoids or anything else), and decided that Monday I would call the oncologist's office to talk with them.

The "thing" that is different, is that the Femara has gone generic. I just finished the first 30 days of that medicine. I know that generics are supposed to be equivalent, but there is lots of data to support that they are not.

So, I searched for, and found, a panty liner. There hasn't been any more since then, thank you God. It sure startled me. I'll wait and see what the office has to say.

And tomorrow is my 3 year anniversary of the last radiation treatment.

I went over to the storage unit, taking stuff over, and bringing other stuff back.

The rest of the evening was quiet, other than the hummingbirds divebombing each other from the feeder. I enjoy watching them.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Friday 06.03.2011

Wednesday I went to see Leah for the Reflexology appointment. I still think it's odd, how following a pattern of manipulations on the feet and hands can have such effects on the body. She got to an area on my second foot, and I got extremely nauseated. Ugh. It's not the first time it's happened, but it was one of the more intense responses I've had. And my favorite thing to say is, "it's all hooey".

But I can't deny that I have physiological responses to the treatments.

When I got home, I drank some water and laid down. I ended up sleeping about an hour and a half!

When I woke, I realized I was hungry, so I fixed something and ate.

And after a while, I went out for a jog.

Thursday, I went to Jackson and took Sandy to get a few things for the apartment, as well as seeing about a library card. We had a nice lunch at Anna's there in Jackson.

When I got back home, I went out for another jog. I'm doing pretty good with the exercise.

Today, Friday, was a workday.

I was very busy. The census called for another person in my job role, but there was no one to come in until after 1 pm. So, with my two great co-workers, we plodded through the first half of the day. I did pretty good, initially. I recognized that I was getting overwhelmed, as my brain got "spacey" and I had a hard time thinking, keeping on task, sorting things out, making sense of my worksheet. I may have discovered why I felt so discombobulated--I had started a series of vital signs on a post op patient, doing them at the appropriate intervals, and recorded them on my worksheet to transcribe into the computer. The times I wrote on the paper were an hour later than actual. So every time I looked at them, well, you can see what happened. I caught it when I was finally able to document it into the computer, several hours later. By then, the additional nurse was there to help me, and she jumped in and took over on the "busy" stuff so that I could catch up. Thank you, Heather. And my brain started making sense of things again. It was such an odd feeling, that disconnectedness.

A safe drive home, thank you God. There are a number of dead deer scattered along the highway these last couple of days. I saw a couple of them this morning, and a couple this evening, on MY side of the highway fence. They were standing, feeding. They can turn around and hop back over the fence.

Tomorrow I'll catch up on housework.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.