Thursday 04.30.2009

Geesh. I could have slept another several hours this morning, it seemed. I got up anyway, got ready, and went to work. I do like that it's getting light in the morning. Almost making shadows....

The shuttle scooped me up and took me over to the hospital. We had a good group again today. Our census unexpectedly dropped, and after the dust cleared from the discharges, I was able to attend a CPR recertification class this afternoon instead of having to go to Jackson again Friday. Sweet!

I got back to the floor, stepped in to answering the phones and call lights. Anyway, it was time to go, and I was glad of it.

Drizzle alternated with a downpour then back to drizzle by the time I got home.

Daniel is not a duck, and doesn't enjoy the rainy weather. We chatted a bit, then I wrote here.

One thing I didn't mention is that last night when I got ready for bed, the area above my axillary incision was soo swollen I thought at first I had developed another seroma or something. OhMyGosh!!! What is this??? It's soft, egg sized. I hope it's just a collection of fluid that will go away. I called and left messages at both the therapy place and the doctor's office (to fax a prescription over). Neither one called me back today; I'll be calling them tomorrow.

I was still swollen this morning. I wore the compression vest and added the sleeve and managed to wear them both all day. I couldn't wait to get home and get them off. Did it help?? I don't know. Still with lots of fluid under my arm, and a co-worker asked if I was feeling ok, that my neck looked swollen. Great. Fluid in my neck, too.

What I can say, is, I hope Ike can see me next week, and, I'm thankful to be alive and cancer free. Please, Lord, let me stay that way.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 04.29.2009

I was actually cold for a few minutes last night! I seemed to have a hard time warming up, then when I did, you know. I don't think I was at a comfortable temperature for more than a minute when Uh Oh, Hot. Breathe, be patient, oh-my-gosh wipe-my-brow I don't know how long I'm hot. Eventually it goes away...and I doze off to sleep. For a while, anyway.

The radio came on, I was asleep, and oddly, Daniel reached over and woke me up. Hm. I hear it before too long anyway. Up and at 'em.

The sky is becoming light by the time I get to Jackson. The birds were quite noisy today. A real pleasure to begin the day.

The shuttle came and swooped me up, depositing me at an entrance to the hospital.

We had a good group today, and had some fun while dealing with the everyday realities of our unit. It was finally time to go home.

A safe drive Thank you God.

Daniel was not home from umpiring yet. I got myself undone and re-set for work tomorrow. He came in just as I was finishing.

We visited a bit, I wrote here, and I'm ready for bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 04.28.2009

I can say I finally feel rested, in spite of the interrupted sleep. This morning I set the alarm for 0855, glad that I did. I heard it about 0905. I got up, washed up, and had a lite breakfast before going to my massage appointment.

Leah did a good job today. I was kind of surprised that she did an evaluation of my left arm before starting. She noticed that it was slightly more full than my right arm. She included a little more massage on the left arm than she has previously. I appreciated it and told her so.

Back at home, Daniel had gone out for errands, while I fixed and enjoyed my breakfast. He came home as I was enjoying my coffee.

After a while, the sky cleared and the sun was shining. Daniel went out to "hit some golf balls"; I put dinner in the oven then out for walk. While the air was still cool, the sun was warm. I checked out my favorite places, not seeing any frogs or turtles today. Only dried up worms.

I was on the "home stretch" when Dan's car came into view. He drove on into the garage and I walked on home.

Boy, was I hot. I was having a hard time cooling down this afternoon, even with lots of water on board. I finally got in the shower.

I was comfortable in the water, but was still "hot" and perspiring for a half hour or so afterwards. Agghhh.

Dinner was ready at 6, and Dan and I both enjoyed it. We cleaned up; Dan watched television and I paid bills. I've caught up on just a little of the email that had accumulated while I was gone. I'll be getting an "air card" so that I can have internet while I'm at The Lake.

Tomorrow is a workday for me. I hope to be temperately comfortable and sleep with minor interruptions tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 04.27.2009 Caught Up

Yes, I'm home, and finally rested up. I had a wonderful time at The Lake.

I got home Friday night shortly after 10 pm, and after unloading, unpacking, and showering, I got to bed about 12:30. And do you think I could sleep?? I finally dozed, and when the radio came on at 0430 I was asleep. I struggled to get out of bed. In fact, I struggled most of the day. I was sooo tired. I made it, though, and when I got back home Saturday night, I put my pajamas on. I knew that if I sat on the sofa my eyes would be rolling back in my head, so I went to bed. Yep. 8:40pm. And I went to sleep.

Of course I woke at intervals during the night, but I did sleep. I felt a little better during the workday Sunday, but again, when I got home I put my pj's on. I think I went to bed shortly after 9 on Sunday night. I woke several times through the night, but went back to sleep without much difficulty.

This morning, Daniel was not in the bed. Hm. I went back to sleep. I finally woke about 10 and listened to the radio a bit before getting up. Daniel tells me that he had to get up because I was sprawled out, he couldn't get me to move, and I was snoring so much he couldn't ignore it! Wow! I think I finally got caught up!!

I called a co-worker who was leading a meeting that was scheduled for today to verify it was still on and had to leave a message. She called me back. Yes, and remember that we had talked about snacks/potluck... I rummaged through the cupboards and decided to make cranberry orange muffins. While I had the oven on, Daniel put together a meat dish to bake at the same time. When the muffins were done, I showered; then it was time to go to Jackson.

It was very windy today, wind advisories in fact. The gusts were interesting to drive in.

I attended the meeting and drove back home. Through town, I was amazed at how the leaves have burst out, daffodils and tulips and hyacinth--and just last week we had a fresh snowfall. Amazing.

Daniel was umpiring a game, but it had started to rain. I fixed my supper; he came in just as it was finished. Rained out.

We spent the rest of the evening quiet.

I have several pages of email to read. I've done a couple loads of laundry and will do a couple more tomorrow.

Massage in the morning. I'm looking forward to it.

My shoulder and breast are still achy and uncomfortable, and it looks to me like my arm is slightly puffy/full. I need to call for a prescription and appointments.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 04.23.2009

I slept pretty good, considering that I was in a different location, a different bed. I woke about 6:30, around dawn. The birds were welcoming the morning. I laid there and Praised the Lord and went back to sleep. To my surprise, I woke about 8:30 to a full sun morning.

I was hungry when I got up, so I had breakfast. Sue was still sleeping. I was finishing when she got up. While I was in the shower, she had her breakfast. When she was in the shower, I painted. I tried out the Kilz in a small area to see how it was going to cover. I found that it was interesting to use my shoulders, and that the product we chose was going to work. Sue joined me just as I was finishing up.

We decided to go to Hale, going to a few different locations looking for various items on my list. We were successful with most everything.

Back at the cabin, it was warming up nicely, the wind has quieted, and the lake a beautiful blue. Sue and I just breathed.

Ok, let’s get something done.

She decided she would rake and burn. Throughout the afternoon, we had raked most of the side and front, and burned all the twigs and most of the drier leaves. I moved a lot of the wet leaves, leaving them in smaller piles to dry out. With the breeze trying to settle down, we hope to be able to burn a lot of them tomorrow.

Time to eat. We washed up and went in to Big Bob’s in Hale. Sue and I shared a plate of yummy nachos. We weren’t able to eat it all. Thanks, Big Bob.

Back at the cabin, we sat in the evening sun in a sheltered area, looking at the lake, watching birds. On the water was a flock of…ducks?...no, LOONS!!!! I saw 15, Sue counted 17 with the binoculars. They were a group of a few adults and the rest, maybe a few weeks old. They were starting to get a deeper brown, and their neck ring was present. What a site!

Of course, it was getting cooler as the sun got lower. We picked up and went in.

We were just looking at each other wondering what to do next, when there was a knock on the door. Tom and Kathy Sue!!!

Wow! What a nice surprise! We visited a couple of hours and they left about 9. Sue and I stayed up until about midnight. She drifted off and I wrote here.

We’ve got a couple things we want to do tomorrow—we’ll see what we end up doing.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 04.22.2009 The Lake

I slept better than I thought I would, with the periods of wakefulness brief. I woke about 6:30 and saw it was becoming daylight. I thought about what I needed to do before leaving for The Lake. I probably could have gotten up, but I had quite the facial/sinus headache and didn’t feel “slept out”. I must have dozed off—the next time I saw the clock it was just before 9. That’s better. My face feels a little better, too. Good.

I got up, getting myself ready for the day. I don’t know what time Daniel got up. He helped me load the van, and I was on the road by 11.

What a beautiful day! The sky was a springtime blue with light gray clouds. I had a good trip, though it was quite windy. The closer I got to the lake the more dense the clouds were. No rain, just very windy, and about 40 degrees.

All was well when I arrived about 2:15. I’ve heard that the ice just went out last week. That there was a lot of snow, and a lot of wind. There were whitecaps through most of the afternoon and evening.

My first task after unloading was to clean the bathroom. That done, I was going to put the foodstuff away. Hm. Mouse dirt on the counter. I fixed a batch of bleach water, found a rag/cloth, and cleaned the counter. And the stove. Ugh.

My cousin Sue joined me, arriving about 4. Still windy and cool. We caught up some, fixed dinner and ate, then went out for a walk.

Sue has been coming to The Lake, literally, all of her life. As we walked along, we marveled at the 52 years we’ve been walking these same roads, looking at the trees, in wonderment that we and the trees have grown together all this time.

We came back in and spent the rest of the night visiting. Laughing, reminiscing. We are truly blessed.

In the wee hours, Sue took herself to bed, and I wrote here. I was unable to get an internet signal here, so I’m writing Wednesday night but posting Thursday, as that's when I picked up a signal. Thank you to Whomever, for getting online....

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 04.21.2009

I slept, kind of, last night. It seemed that all too soon it was time to get up.

I got ready for work and headed out in the fine, misty, drizzly, light rain. The shuttle came and took us over to the hospital.

We were busy today. We had a good group of co-workers, which makes the challenges of the day better.

Finally. Time to leave.

Back home in the gray drizzly rain.

Daniel had gone grocery shopping today. I hadn't eaten dinner, so I had a bite. I scanned through email, wrote here. I'm off to bed soon.

Tomorrow I'll get up and go to the lake until Friday afternoon. I'm so looking forward to it.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 04.20.2009

Minimal sleep, awake what seemed like a lot, and the radio comes on. Shoot. Up I get.

It was raining a light, almost misty spring rain when I left this morning. On the roads leading out of the complex, there were what appeared to be lots of small twigs. Not twigs. What is that?? I keep going, and looking. Ewwww. WORMS!!! The whole length of the road, so many worms it was almost slippery. It looked like a collection of 4 to 6 inch lengths of yarns had blown up and covered the road. Really. And of course it was smelly. Wormy. You know. Ick.

I got to work, parked, and the shuttle took us over. On the unit, I discovered it was my turn to "float out", which means that I was sent to another unit. Pediatrics.

I don't work on other units for a reason. I don't like them. I haven't worked peds for maybe 3-4 years. I took a breath, did my best to bring a good attitude to the surface, put on a brave face, and off I went.

I knew the staff, all but one. They were very kind, and very busy. One of their staff came in extra and helped me (thank you God). I did my best to appear confident to the patients and their parents. I was very much relieved when my home unit called and needed me back. I got there about 2:30.

And I was given the new surgicals and new delivery. Lots of tasks to do in a timely manner. The rest of the afternoon I was busy, but busy on my own unit is better than busy somewhere else. I was surprised to see the night shift coming in. We finished up and clocked out.

Whoa--it's cold out! 40 degrees and windy.

A safe drive home, thank you God.

Daniel was waiting for me. He got up and hugged me, we visited, then I went in and showered. Kid germs. I often get sick after being in the pediatric area. We'll see....

I checked email briefly and wrote here. And feeling ready for bed.

Tomorrow is another workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 04.19.2009

I slept some at intervals. Daniel had a "biology break" about 7:30 and came back to bed. Next time I looked at the clock it was almost 10. Dan was just waking up, too.

We got up and got the day started.

After breakfast we loaded the van with the remaining, larger, pieces of Bre's to take over to her. (We hadn't done that previously because her house wasn't ready for the rest of her things.) After a while, Daniel's ride came, and off they went to Flint.

I started bread in the machine, fooled around on the computer. It was rainy, just a light spring rain, all day today. The birds were noisy. Maybe because the worms were up?

When I spoke with Nick, they came up with the time of 7 pm for me to come over. Ok. I had lunch, did a few loads of laundry, putzed around.

I drove into Old Town Lansing at the designated time. Nick and Bre and I unloaded the van, we chit chatted a few minutes, and I went back home.

Daniel got home shortly after. He had a good meeting. I had taken my tamoxifen/effexor before I left, without much food, and now I was nauseated. Ew. I fixed myself something to eat, even though I didn't feel like eating. Experience has taught me that putting enough food in there with those meds takes the nausea away. And it did.

The rest of the night I checked email and wrote here.

Tomorrow is a workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 04.18.2009 Sleep. Or lack thereof.

I find it odd--I can be very drowsy and dozing off while sitting on the sofa, yet when I get on the bed POP my eyes are open and my brain feels wide awake. I try the deep breathing, conscious relaxation, etc, and sometimes I put the earphones in and listen to either the radio or some favorite soothing music. Oh, yeah, don't forget the ever-present intermittent hot flashes. Hot, can't breathe, off-with-the-covers, lie-on-my-back-and-be-patient; 20 minutes later I have a small window of comfort then get cold. Blankets on, I usually turn onto my side, tuck in, and doze off. If I'm really lucky, or really tired (like two workdays in a row or several nights of not much sleep) I'll sleep for 3 or 4 hours. It's often intervals of 20, 40, 60 minutes, maybe an hour or two. Yes, I do look at the clock to keep some kind of tally as to how much sleep I actually get.

This morning, Daniel got up, I rolled over. I dozed in and out while he got his day going, then I heard the door close. I thought he had gone off to his umpire duties. An hour or so later I heard the door again. He was back--he had only gone out and done errands.

I got up. We talked a bit, I had breakfast. Beautifully sunny day, the birds sound happy. Dan finally left, I stretched and went out for a jog.

I came in, drank more water, putzed around until I stopped perspiring, showered, and ate. Then I remembered that Daniel had loaded the van with a dining table and chairs to take to Bre and Nick's. I called Bre to see if she/they would be around and I would bring it over.

They were! I also took the remaining smaller items that she had still in the closet. It was good to see them. They looked good, and seem to be doing well. We had the van unloaded in no time, we had a brief visit, and I left.

I stopped at Meijer and wandered around, picking up a few things that were on sale. I was strangely restless.

At home, Daniel was working on the computer. We chatted a bit, I ate again, and while he had the television on, I checked email and wrote here. He has since gone off to bed.

He's going to Flint tomorrow for the St. John Vianney Reunion Committee meeting, so he'll be gone all afternoon. I'm doing laundry, maybe some food prep for the week.

I pray you are all well. Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 04.17.2009

Whew. Not much sleep, time to get up.

After an uneventful drive, thank you God, the shuttle drove by and scooped me up.

I had two great RN's working with me today, and good thing--we were all 3 very busy. We didn't get a "breakfast" break, and I finally shoved in part of my lunch about 1:30. Mind you, breakfast was at 0515. As we got the pieces taken care of, I was able to have the rest of my lunch after 3:30. Then the pace picked up again, though not as crazy.

We kept on keepin' on, and finally the night shift showed up. I clocked out.

Wow! Was it a lovely day outside today?? The thermometer on the car showed 70 degrees. I almost put the top down, but decided to open the windows instead. That worked. And when I got on the expressway the windows went up.

A good drive home, thanks again, and Daniel was trying to get computer hardware functioning. (didn't happen). I put my things away, changed clothes, and wrote here.

No plans for me tomorrow; Dan has umpire responsibilities tomorrow afternoon.

I hope I sleep tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 04.16.2009

I was restless last night, according to Daniel. I know I didn't sleep real well. He left earlier this morning for an appointment and I went back to sleep. He was back as I was waking up, close to 10 AM.

I felt much better today.

I did go out for a nice walk this afternoon, going over into the cornfield and enjoying a piece of God's "country". I love hearing the birds and frogs...

I've had some wicked hot flashes this evening. Some day my body's thermostat will settle down, yes?

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 04.15.2009 Tax Day

I've had one of those days. You know, kind of punky.

I slept good in between wakefulness and was able to get that last hour and a half or so this morning. When I woke it was nearly ten. The birds were singing, the sun was out, and a mild breeze was coming in the window. Daniel had gotten up earlier.

I didn't realize until close to 2 that I wasn't dressed yet. Hm. I stretched and went out for a jog.

It was really beautiful outdoors. Birds singing, spring flowers blooming. Daffodils, crocus, hyacinth. Buds forming on branches and even some green showing. There were even a couple people mowing their lawn.

When I got back, Daniel had gone to his umpire duties. I waited until I cooled off to shower.

The rest of the evening I mostly fooled around on the computer. I did have a couple of phone calls.

I've taken tylenol/motrin for discomforts; pesky shoulder and breast, and maybe just for good measure?? I've haven't had any coffee or caffeine today, yet all day and this evening especially the hot flashes are cooking. I'm thankful to be alive and cancer free.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 04.14.2009 Rain

I slept, fairly well between wakefulness. And a couple of dreams. I don't remember much about the dreams; I do remember that we (whoever "we" were) were taking a road trip, and I said in my best be patient voice "we'll be there pretty soon". And I think I said it out loud. Isn't it funny what we remember??

I got up this morning and breakfasted. As I was up and moving around, my shoulder got more uncomfortable. Ok, I give. Tylenol and motrin along with vitamins.

We had a quiet morning, and after lunch we went out for groceries. Back at home, I checked email, then spent an hour or so in "my" room. I had supper, then went over to the Leslie branch library for a presentation on downloading mp3 and e-audio materials. It was helpful for me and gives us other options to borrow materials.

When I was coming back home, the raindrops were large and slushy, with temps at 37/38 degrees. Yuck.

The rest of the evening Daniel had the television on and I wrote here. It's still raining.

Springtime hugs. Thank you for reading.

Monday 04.13.2009

I slept hard until 0220. Biological functions woke me; I took care of business and went back to bed, thinking "good, I've got 2 hours until I have to get up". I went back to sleep.

The phone rang at 0440. Uh oh. Why isn't the radio on? Oh, the alarm has to be turned on so that it will come on. Anyway, I was put on-call. Great. I went back to sleep.

I woke again about 8. I dozed until 9-ish, got up and into the shower. That felt good.

Breakfast, then Daniel went out to do a few errands. I tried to get my email read.

Daniel came in with the mail, and as I reviewed my bank statement I saw that the numbers were incorrect. (We still have separate accounts...) Between the two of us, we found that somehow my account number had gotten on a couple of his. I took us a bit, but we figured it out and got it resolved.

And then, the phone rang. Time to go to work

It was also time for me to eat. So I did. My personal thought is that being called in means you're needed. So don't get to work and immediately go get something to eat. They could be drowning and you could be walking into a big mess. Be prepared to clock in and start running.

As it was, the other girl that was called in arrived just about 5 minutes before I did, and the patient was arriving just as my co-worker did. (We opened the overflow unit)

Our next patient arrived a couple hours later. There were other patients expected, but it was the end of our shift, so the next shift took over.

An uneventful drive home, though blustery.

I visited with Daniel a bit then fixed my supper and ate, read email, and wrote here.

I'm ready for bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 04.12.2009 Easter

I slept the few hours I was in bed, mostly. Up and ready for the workday, I drove to Jackson. It's 28 degrees this morning. Clear and cold, the bright moon just past full. I parked and walked over to the hospital. Isn't it interesting how 28 degrees feels not as cold in the spring as it does in the fall??

We had another nice work day with a great group. Moderately busy but manageable. And then it was time to leave. An eight (and a half) hour shift seems fast.

When I got home, Frank and Amy were there. Daniel was on his way from visiting one of his daughter's homes.

I fixed chicken salad for sandwiches, sliced tomato, baby carrots, and put sweet biscuits for shortcake in the oven. After eating, I put together strawberry shortcakes to celebrate Frank's birthday yesterday. It was really good--I used Breyer's Strawberry Ice Cream and fresh strawberries that Daniel and I had prepared last night. I put on a candle and lit it and we all sang to Frank. He seemed to like it.

Frank and Daniel changed clothes and went outside to bolt on a trailer hitch to the van. I invited Amy to go for a walk, and we went around the complex, taking the "scenic view" into a wooded area. We didn't see any animals, but heard lots of frogs/peepers and birds. So lovely. As Amy is from Oscoda, she said the woods were familiar to her. We had an enjoyable walk, and by the time we had circled back around to our place, the guys were finishing up their project.

We came inside; Amy asked if I had any "young Frank" pictures. I got out the box of photos and we went through them. It was fun to see her look and smile at "Frank through the years".

They left shortly after nine, and Dan and I wrapped up our evening, too.

Tomorrow is a workday for me again.

Thank you for reading. The Lord has Risen. Hugs.

Saturday 04.11.2009

I did sleep last night. And this morning I woke with that horrible facial/sinus pressure again. I considered getting up and taking something, but went back to sleep. I knew I had a hair appointment today and didn't remember right off what time it was scheduled for. Since I usually don't schedule things for mornings, I wasn't too concerned. I woke again just before 10 feeling mostly better.

I checked my planner--haircut, 11:30. Uh oh, gotta hurry. I need to leave 45-55 minutes early to get to Michigan Center. I washed up, dressed, had breakfast, and left.

When I got into Totally Clips, Lauretta was finishing with the client ahead of me. When it was my turn, she worked her magic, I paid her and scheduled the next appointment. Much better.

The sky was a beautiful blue, and I enjoyed my ride home. I showered, getting those short hairs off of me, as well as the layer of salt leftover from the hot flashes.

A lovely lunch, I checked email, then went out to pick up a few things from the drugstore and from Meijer.

While on my way to CVS, my nose started dripping. Good thing I have tissues in the car. Sneezing, my eyes felt swollen or puffy. What is this?? I pushed a tissue into my pocket and continued on my way. Midway through Meijer I was sneezing again and nose dripping. Cute.

I finally got home and took a Claratin, hoping that it's some kind of allergy. A couple hours later my eyes are still watery, and I added a Sudafed. Geesh. Now it's almost 11 pm and I'm still drippy and sneezy. Time will tell if it's allergies or, yuck, a cold.

I'm off to bed. I work tomorrow, just 8 hours.

Happy Easter. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.

Friday 04.10.2009 Good Friday

I finally slept last night inbetween brief episodes of wakefulness. I heard the radio come on and got up (in the middle of my sleep time) and ready for work.

A safe drive, thank you God, and I walked over to the hospital. The birdsong was "happy" this morning, it seemed. It's finally above freezing in the early morn.

We had a great day, with a great group of co-workers.

And then I could clock out and head home.

The rest of the evening was quiet, Daniel watching television and me checking email and writing here.

My breast has been itchy, like on the inside, and occasional sharp pains in the woundbed. I don't know why, just is. Maybe tissue changes due to the radiation??

I'm hoping to sleep again tonight. Tomorrow is haircut day.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 04.09.2009

I hardly slept again last night, but surprisingly I don't feel too tired. At least not yet.

I had a nice day at work, with good co-workers. A safe drive each way, thank you God, and Daniel was happy to see me when I got home. I was happy to see him, too.

I got my things "turned around" for tomorrow's workday, and took tylenol/motrin for that pesky breast/shoulder discomfort. Maybe it will help me to sleep tonight.

That's it for now.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 04.08.2009

I was feeling pretty tired last night when I went to bed. Then laid there, awake. Oh sure, I'd doze off, but...awake. Dan says I was snoring about 0430, but I remember getting the earphones for the radio shortly after 5. I listened to the radio and dozed. Somewhere near 0700 I turned the radio off and went to sleep. I woke again near 11.

Daniel had been up for a while, of course. I breakfasted, got laundry started.

We didn't do much the rest of the day, other than making a new recipe for dinner from a cookbook. It was yummy.

The moon is bright tonight. I'll be going to bed soon, hopefully to get rested for work tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 04.07.2009

Slept fair in between wakefulness. I was surprised when I woke again around 9 and Daniel was up. Not that he was out of bed, but that I wasn't aware that he had gotten up.

I had breakfast and got myself ready to go. I had about 45 minutes to read emails, then left for Jackson to attend the "Georgia Forum"--where the president of the hospital updates staff--and a computer class. Both events were informative. I did banking while in Jackson, too.

I got home almost 6 pm. I had eaten between meetings; Daniel had eaten, too.

We visited a bit, then I did stuff on the computer while he had the tv on.

Tomorrow is laundry and household stuff.

I've had one dose of tylenol/motrin for shoulder and breast discomfort, and dehydrating hot flashes alternating with almost shivering cold. So I drink another water and keep a layer of fabric nearby to cover up with. I'm very thankful for modern medicine, that I'm alive and cancer free. And for you.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 04.06.2009

I slept hard, waking at intervals as usual, and at 0730 woke feeling "hungover"--headachy, not-rested-feeling. I dozed back off. When I woke again an hour or so later, the headache was better, but I recognized facial pressure as sinus pressure. Probably due to environmental/atmospheric changes--the winter storm came through and left close to 5 inches of beautiful white snow, and it was still snowing. I took a claritin and tylenol/motrin and drank 16 ounces of water.

Oh yeah, and I was hungry, too. So I had breakfast. And fresh brew.

After an hour or so I showered, lingering. The warm water feels good on my neck and left shoulder, both back and front. I stretched that arm; it's getting really sore.

I finished grooming then got my transcripts out for the representative from The College Network. He was scheduled for 1 pm. I shoveled the sidewalk and across to the parking spot and half of the spot for him to exit/enter the car without stepping in the very wet, almost slushy snow.

He arrived shortly before 1. Very personable, his name was Shel. (first name) He was very thorough with his presentation, and after all was discussed, it had been almost 2 hours!

The program that The College Network is, is very interesting, and very do-able. Dan was intrigued, too, and agrees that this program may be a good fit for me. We'll talk about it more before making a commitment.

We had lunch, and I vegged out for a bit. When we realized that we would like supper, and that it would be a good day to get groceries, we went out to Bob Evans then over to Meijer.

Back home, my headache is trying to return, but I'm trying to "think" it away. You know, conscious breathing, relaxation, etc. And I'll be going to bed soon. My breast is full and shoulder sore. And I've been so cold my back/spine hurts. Then hot and my forehead about drips. Geesh.

Tomorrow I have meetings at work, so I'll be there in the afternoon.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 04.05.2009

Guess what happened this morning?? I usually hear the click of the radio/alarm before it comes on. This morning I heard the radio on and drug my brain from the depths of sleep (I have the sense that I was dreaming, but I don't remember the dream). I was sleeping sound. When I realized it was the radio and it was a workday, (I was struggling to get my brain surfaced) I fought to open my eyes. When I did, I looked at the time. 4:40!! The alarm had been on for 15 minutes before I heard it. That has only happened a couple of times in my life. Wow.

I got up and got ready. It seemed to take a while for my body to catch up--my hands were clumsy doing everyday routine tasks.

I got on the highway--I counted 5 raccoons that had been schmucked within the first 10 miles. No live critters on the road this morning, thank you God. I found a parking place and walked over, (Security shuttle? On weekends....???) clocking in "on time".

We had a good day. I wasn't the only one tired this morning; we all seemed to be in the zone. The day went on, however, and we woke up. It seemed like a long day, and eventually the night shift came in and we were able to leave.

A light rain was falling. The hospital operator had announced a Winter Storm Warning for tonight 10 pm until tomorrow 8 pm. The raindrops got a bit larger, and I noticed as they splatted on the windshield there were larger slushlike splats. Hm. The temp was 37 degrees. The roads were ok and there wasn't much traffic.

Daniel and I visited some. He was engrossed in the television; I checked email and wrote here.

I've had a couple of doses of the tylenol/motrin today. The side of the bra is uncomfortable where the fluid is accumulating. I can call the offices tomorrow and get my appointments started again.

I'm off to bed. I think I've been dozing while I've been trying to write.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 04.04.2009

What a day. Not bad, really. A short night and I got up and ready for work. A safe drive in the dark, thank you God, a decent parking place, a walk over to the hospital.

I've still got my orientee for another few workdays, and she's getting the hang of it. She'll be a good addition to our team. We had a decent workday and was able to show her a couple of different things.

We clocked out in a timely manner and left in daylight. !! The deer were out feeding, but weren't in the roadway that I saw.

Daniel was happy to see me. He had been at the Jennison Fieldhouse cheering for a grandson, Brandon, in a wrestling meet. Brandon did very well, placing at least second or third. We haven't heard final results.

I've had a couple doses of the tylenol/motrin combo today for the shoulder/breast discomfort. I've been kind of cold at intervals and several times dripping hot. I'm thankful to be alive, that my cancer is gone.

I hope to sleep some tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 04.03.2009

Whew. Last night was another wakeful one. I finally had what seemed like "good" sleep between 8 and 10 o'clock this morning.

We didn't do much today. Daniel went over to the chiropractor (and got some discomforts relieved). I took tylenol/motrin for my shoulder/breast discomforts.

I went over to the storage unit, taking over winter things and gathering items to take up to the cabin. I so can't wait to be able to spend more time at the lake.

Saturday and Sunday are work days for me, and I'll be going to bed soon.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 04.02.2009

Daniel was sleeping good (read loud) last night. Kept me awake. I finally got my "device", put the earbuds in, turned on some soothing music, and after a while was able to doze off. When I woke it was 0900, and Daniel was not in bed. We got ready for an appointment with a financial planner.

Kathy Colby, Financial Independents. On the north side of Lansing. We were there over an hour and have to go back. She will make sure we are on track with a balance of saving and spending.

Back home I checked in on three pages of email. After a while, I decided to check the weather. 59 degrees!! And the sun was trying to chase the thin film of clouds away. I got ready and went out for a jog.

I did good, I had a slow easy jog.

Daniel went out and "practiced" in the garage.

We spent the rest of the evening not doing much of anything.

My shoulder is achy and sore, I'll probably have to call Ike next week.

No plans for tomorrow--

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 04.01.2009 April Fool

I had a hard time waking up this morning. I was so tired and slept a lot during the night, returning to sleep after waking a few times. It was 8:45 or so when I woke, but fell back to sleep. Then I saw 9:30. Next thing I knew it was almost 11. Hey, I've got to get up...

So I did. I felt like I could have gone back to sleep. I walked around the house, drinking water, looking outside. Windy. I finally decided to eat. Daniel went out to the golf dome.

I went out to get groceries. While in the store, my head was "swimmy", like when I was getting chemo. And I couldn't turn my head fast and have my eyes keep up. I had to concentrate/focus on finishing the remaining items on the list. I did, checked out, and got in the car. My head was somewhat better, but I still didn't feel right.

Dan had just gotten back, and helped carry in groceries. After a while I made a bowl of scalloped potatoes and put that in the oven. Then I made pumpkin pie.

Yep. Of course with molasses...

I ate a little, and Dan ate when he was ready. Then we had pumpkin pie. It was pretty good.

Didn't do much else.

Still feel "off" though not quite as bad. My shoulder is really sore, breast, too, and my left knee feels swollen. Tylenol/motrin help with those discomforts.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.