Wednesday 03.31.2010

Shoot Dog. I didn't hardly sleep last night. Maybe a couple hours or so. And the alarm came on. Yeah, well, I wasn't sleeping anyway...

I got up and got ready for work. Dan, too.

A safe drive to Jackson, thank you God. I parked and waited for the shuttle, which arrived within 5 minutes.

We had a good day, busy, with enough help. Excellent staff, as usual. I was very happy to see the next shift coming in.

Just before 7pm, a call light came on, and I answered it. A new mom was worried about her baby...30 minutes later I left them reassured and feeling better about being new parents. That part of my job is one of the most rewarding for me.

I got home about 8:30. Daniel had been resting. We chatted a bit, then he had the television on, and I wrote here.

I've been a bit sore today, the tops of my thighs. I'm tired, and hoping to sleep tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 03.30.2010

I was pleasantly surprised to see the clock at 10:04 this morning. The sun was out and the birds were singing noisily. Woo Hoo!!

I got up and breakfasted, and after a bit, I had to go outdoors. So I went for a jog.

It was good; real easy, and I love hearing the birdsong in the established woodsy areas. I met an "old" guy--maybe 70-80--on a bicycle, who rode with me about a mile or so. Bill, I think his name is. He says he rides "miles" each day that he can. I enjoyed the company.

I got in, cooled off, and showered, went to Meijer to pick up a few sale items, then to Gordon Foods, and back home.

Dan had an appointment after work, but when he got home about 5, we had supper.

I went up to the clubhouse for our Condo Association Board Meeting. Geesh. It was a good meeting in that we covered a lot of stuff, but there's a lot of information that we need to know about and understand. My "understander" gets overwhelmed sometimes, but the other new people did too. The developer and the management people were very patient in explaining things to us. We'll have another meeting in a couple weeks.

I finally got home about 10, and of course Daniel is in bed snoring. I think I have a bit of a headache--feels like sinus pressure around the right eye. Tylenol and motrin, here I come.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 03.29.2010

I slept fair, with the usual afflictions. Dan left for work and I got up about 9:30 feeling mostly rested, though my feet are still sore from the previous two workdays.

I got up and breakfasted and after I watched "Sewing With Nancy" (I know, but I enjoy it) I showered.

After picking through the email, I went out for errands. I got back about 3:30, and started dinner after Daniel called that he was on his way home.

We had a good supper. He worked on his computer, I looked at the Condominium Association stuff for the Board meeting tomorrow night.

He has gone to bed.

I have actually felt pretty good today. My left shoulder feels a little "different"--full maybe?--but maybe the yoga-type stretches is why.

The full moon has come across the clear sky, bringing Spring with it.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 03.28.2010

Toss and turn, hot and cold, wake and sleep and wake again. The alarm tells me it's time to get up for work.

Dan had to get up, too, a half hour later. We got ready and left the house for our destinations.

I had a safe drive down, thank you God. I parked and walked over to the hospital.

We had a pretty good day with a great crew. Then, at 5:30 or so, the fan turned on. We scrambled around, night shift came in, we finished what we had done/were doing and documented it. The wonderful night shift took over, picking up the end-pieces. Thank you, night shift.

A good drive home, thanks again, in the rain. I really like my car in the rain. No more "rain on the tent" noises with the hard top, and with the tires I put on last year, I love the way the vehicle handles on wet pavement.

Dan was home, working on his computer again. We visited before he went off to bed.

I wrote here and am ready to go to bed myself.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 03.27.2010

I didn't sleep much last night, listening for my phone, waiting to hear from Daniel. He finally sent a message when I was getting ready for work. I called him back, and he said he had stopped in Kentucky at a rest area about 0130, was getting up now to continue his way home. (Really? A rest area...?)

I went to work. We had an extremely busy day, but had an extremely good crew, making for a pretty good day. At the end of the shift, we were able to leave.

A good drive home, thank you God, in daylight. Daniel had gotten home about 1 pm; it was good to see him.

We talked some before he went off to bed.

Tomorrow we both work.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 03.26.2010

I woke this morning, glad I was home. Even though it was sunny, it was still cold outside, but I didn't have to pack up and drive anywhere.

I checked email and made a list for the day. I put a load of laundry in and had breakfast. I spoke with Daniel, who has left Florida and is on his way home.

I did a yoga routine before I went out to Meijer and CVS. When I got back I changed the laundry over, started another load, put supper together and ate. Before it got dark, I walked the trash up to the compactor, and took the long way back through the complex, listening to the birds rejoicing in the spring weather.

I got my things together for work tomorrow, did some reading, and spoke with Dan again. He has had a slow drive so far, with traffic and all, and plans to stop about 11 or so. I think he's going to be real tired by the time he gets home tomorrow night...

The yoga stretches seem to help the lymphedema. Which is controversial, because the "teaching" for axillary surgeries is to not strain or even use the affected arm very much. And to wear the compression garments daily. I seem to be finding that using my arm actually helps, and the compression garments are tolerable for a short periods of time. Every day is a day of new discoveries and realizations. I am thankful to be alive and cancer free.

And thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 03.25.2010

I slept pretty good overall. I slept out in the front bedroom, hoping it wouldn't get too cold up there. It didn't. In fact, the temp was comfortable. Outdoors, however, had changed drastically.

When I had been awake during night, each time the lake was mirror quiet and stars were out. This morning, about 8:30, it was windy, heavy gray clouds, and cold. 27 degrees that made it to maybe 35. With the wind chill I will guess that it was in the teens.

The lake was awesome. With the wind and gusts from the NNW, there were not only whitecaps, but rolling waves moving down the lake. I could see the waves splashing on the seawalls, and watched with the binoculars for a while.

The wind would quiet, and the lake would settle, and the ducks and seagulls would move. Then the wind would start again, churning up the lake. The sky finally lightened and turned sunny, but it was still cold, at maybe 30 degrees.

I went out for a walk about noon and took pictures again. The ground is soft and our road is muddy and rutted and washboard-y.

Mary came over for a visit. When she left, I had a bite to eat, then did some yoga. I had been thinking about going home--being cold and windy, and I've done what I wanted to--and decided to leave.

I packed up and cleaned and was on the road about 8:30.

I had a safe drive back, thank you God. By 11:30 I was unpacked and in my 'jamas and had the computer on to write here.

Tomorrow I'll finish laundry and get ready to work the weekend.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 03.24.2010

I slept pretty good, overall. When I woke to get up it was almost 9:20. I was pleasantly surprised.

I got up and started getting things together to go to the lake. After breakfasting and checking the computer, I loaded the car and was on my way by 10:30.

A beautiful, sunshiney day. Traffic was light to medium and moving along. With one stop for fuel in/fuel out, I got to the cabin at 1:15. It was 57 degrees, blue skies reflecting off of the beautiful blue lake. There was absolutely no ice on the lake.

I unloaded the car, turned on the furnace to take the chill out, and looked around. Tulips and iris?/daylilies? are up a few inches. Buds on trees, lilacs, rose bushes. The birds are singing, as are the ducks and seagulls.

I had lunch, with a nice phone conversation, then went outdoors. Oh my gosh. So Beautiful. I opened the garage, started the van and let it run while I was out in the yard. (I let it run about a half hour)

I ended up raking the back yard around the house, shed, and garage; the side yard, and beside the garage where the gas pig is. I also spoke with both of the neighbors, at different times, who said that the ice was completely off the lake about 3 days ago, that it went quick and just disappeared.

It was such a beautiful day. I saw a pair of bufflehead ducks, a pair of mallard ducks, a pair of seagulls, and a pair of swans. Oh, yeah, and the eagle, soaring. I wanted to just watch them, but I wanted to take advantage of the mild weather to get some yardwork done. I also cut the lilac bush new growth around the gas pig, and cleaned that area out. The leaves in there are still very wet, so I moved them around to dry. I don't think I'll burn leaves this trip. It was so lovely on the water, I wanted to go for a paddleboat ride. Maybe tomorrow.

I was pretty hungry when I was done with the outdoor project. It was 7:30. I fixed supper, and while that was in the oven, I put the new showerhead water filter on. My hope is that it filters some of the rust out of the water, so I don't have to scrub that shower wall so much.

Supper was good, as Daniel had called just as it was ready. We had a nice visit. He's still having a good time.

The rest of the evening I checked email and wrote here. I'm ready for bed.

Thank you for reading. Wish you were here. Hugs.

Tuesday 03.23.2010

I slept pretty good with tylenol and motrin on board. I still woke up a couple of times, but was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly. And then it was 0430...

I got up and got ready for work, and had a good drive down to Jackson, thank you God. Parked and over to the hospital.

We had a fairly good day, overall. We had a patient "go bad" this afternoon, but with the most excellent teamwork of our staff, we got her through, and sent her off to the "stepdown" unit, not quite the intensive care. We heard that she was doing much better, and that she was able to have her baby in for a visit. Thank you God.

And, finally, it was time to go. I finished a couple of loose ends before clocking out.

It was really nice out, with the sun shining and low in the sky. I had a good drive home, thanks again, and it was mostly the gray of dusk when I got home.

I did a load of laundry and talked with Daniel, who is having a good time in Florida.

I'm probably going to go to The Lake tomorrow; the weather is good, and I'd like to see the ice leave, if it's not already gone. All the water here is open now, and has been for a week or so.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 03.22.2010

I tried to sleep better, and kind of did, knowing that I wasn't bothering Daniel with my blankets off/blankets on/roll over/roll again/hot/cold routine. I was snoozing when the radio came on to get up for work.

Ok, no problem. I got up, and as I was getting my things together, I decided to call, just in case. And good thing, too, as it was "my turn" and I was on-call this morning, until the laboring patients delivered. Woo Hoo!!

I went back to bed. And this time I slept until almost 9 o'clock. Much better. I got up and got myself ready for the day, knowing the phone was going to ring at any time.

It did. Daniel called to say he had just crossed into Florida. He was excited, and actually arrived at his destination (Ocala) just before 12 noon.

I got called into work about 11:30.

When I got there, the patients had started coming out from labor and delivery, and it was one after another. We were on the edge of falling apart, and about 5 pm, it did. We had enough staff to do what needed to be done, but it was the oddities and glitches that put us over the edge. Night shift came in, got report, and took over.

I stopped at Meijer on the way home because I needed to make something for a bake sale, and needed a couple things. (I was glad I checked the cupboards this morning) Dan called to say he had golfed today, and all was well.

At home, I got the cupcakes made. I'm writing this as they are cooling, and I need to frost and package them yet.

Tomorrow is another workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 03.21.2010

I didn't hardly sleep last night--I was waiting for Daniel to wake up and be on his way. As it turned out, I was just drifting off about 4:30 when he got out of bed. I got up with him. Within a half hour, he was on his way to Florida. I went back to bed, hoping to sleep this morning.

I did, but not well. That's ok. I got up about 9:30; Dan had texted a message saying he was in Indianapolis. I called him; he was having a good drive so far with no weather.

I had breakfast, then decided to take the shower doors off and clean the insides of the glass and the tracks and such. It went much better than I thought it might, and it was actually not difficult at all. And the shower looks brand new again!

I spoke with Dan a few more times throughout the day, and he got into some of that heavy rain for a while. He finally stopped in Kennesaw, Georgia, at a Days Inn, about 5:30. He says he's about 6 hours from his destination (Ocala, FL), and will leave early in the morning to be able to arrive before his 1PM tee time. Oookaaay. That's a lotta driving.

I vacuumed, exercised, showered, did some reading, had supper, wrote here.

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 03.20.2010

Dan got up and went to work this morning while I tried to stay asleep. When I finally felt rested enough to get up, it was around 0900. I stripped the bed and started laundry, thinking I might have done this one of the previous couple of days so that I could have put the linens outdoors for a while.

I went down to Jackson for my hair appointment. Lauretta did a good job on my hair, as she usually does, and I went on over to Frank's house.

He was finishing his own laundry, and we visited while he folded his things. When I called out to John, he said he was upstairs on the bed. I asked could I come up, and he said yes, he just wasn't feeling well.

He had an ice pack on his lower leg, and his cheeks were flushed and eyes glassy. Huh? What's up? He had been to the doctor yesterday and gotten yet another prescription for yet another antibiotic. I looked under the ice pack. Yowser!! He has another (still?) infection in his leg. Even with the ice on it, it was hot and red. I outlined it for him so he could watch for increase. I hugged him and wished him well. He said he's going to need a least one more, if not two more, surgeries on that leg. And now, with the infection, it might be sooner than anticipated. It's been almost two years since the truck crashed into his motorcycle. And he's not been back to work yet. Can I ask you to pray for him, for physical and emotional healing? My heart goes out to him.

Frank and I went over to Panera Bread for lunch before he went to work at his "fun" job--Allskate. We had a good visit. He went on his way, and I went on over to Lowe's for bulbs for the kitchen track lights before going home. And when I got to Mason, I stopped there at that Meijer store to pick up a few things there.

It wasn't very long after I got home that Daniel got home, too. He finished gathering and packing, and offered to go out for dinner. So we did.

Bob Evans. We each had fish, which was pretty good.

Back at home, he put a few things in the car and we visited before he went off to bed. He wants to leave "when he wakes up".

I'll be going to bed soon, too.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 03.19.2010 Oh, My Mouf

I had to set the alarm to be in Jackson for the dental appointment at 0900. Ok, out of bed...

It was a beautiful day, sunshine and birdsong. I had a safe drive down, thank you God. I had to wait several minutes before being called back to the drilling room.

Sandy is one of the nice assistants to Dr. Hess, and she got me set up in the chair, clipping the paper bib on me. I recognized my anxiety and did my best to breathe and relax. When Doctor finally came in, we chatted about the procedure (crown prep), and he got started.

Without going into detail, let me say the anesthesia (injection of numbing stuff) worked, and two hours later I left with a temporary crown in place. My mouf was still numb--shoot, the whole cheek and right side of my mouf didn't move. My lips opened and closed on that side when I would open my jaw. It was kind of comical, and I was glad I didn't try to do this and have to go back to work. My lower eyelid and right half of my tongue was numb, too. I did stop at the credit union, though. I hardly spoke.

I got home safely, thanks again, and took the opportunity to lay down and take a rest. I ended up sleeping a half hour or so, and woke feeling not quite so punky.

My mouth was feeling a bit swollen where the work was done. I took the tylenol/motrin with a half of a pb&j sandwich and a slobber of milk. Not really, but I did have to be careful still. It was so nice out that I went over to the post office with the top down on the convertible. Oh, yeah...

Daniel got home and we had (yummy) leftovers again for supper. I had the soft pasta stuff from last night; he had the ham/cabbage/sweet potato stuff from the other night.

The rest of the evening he wandered around, collecting things for his trip to Florida. He wants to leave early Sunday morning. He plans to be gone for a week.

I have a haircut tomorrow.

My mouth is feeling more sore and swollen this evening. I know it's normal, but it sure feels weird.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 03.18.2010

I slept a little better last night, which translates into the usual wake/hot/cool/sleep cycle. Daniel got up for work; I didn't.

I got up at 8:30. Breakfast, then over to Leah's for a wonderful massa-ahh-ge. The side of my neck that I thought was the problem wasn't as bad as the other side, and she got the kinks worked out. She was also surprised at how full the areas on my side and back were of lymph fluid. She did a good job moving that stuff, too.

Back at home I drank a bunch more water, then went out for a walk in the beautiful sunshine. Wow. Thank you God for the change of seasons.

Dan came home shortly after, and I fixed us some yummy supper. We both commented more than once how tasty it was. (sauteed mushrooms, a bag of spinach added to that; angel hair pasta, all mixed together with a sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce. I added diced chicken, sprinkled with parmesan. Mmmm. We agreed that artichoke hearts would have been a good addition. Almost tasted like Olive Garden)

I cleaned up the kitchen before going to water aerobics.

It was a good class tonight. We used pool noodles tied in a knot and put our feet in it. Very different resistance, and something I can do at the lake.

Dan has packed, getting ready for his trip to Florida. He's planning on leaving early Sunday morning, for a week.

Tomorrow I have a dental appointment for the crown prep for the tooth that broke several weeks ago. I'll be deep breathing and trying to calm my anxiety...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 03.17.2010

The first hour and a half in bed, sleeping but not really sleeping, in that awareness that I'm awake-but-I'm-asleep, I was cold. With the covers on, and perspiring. Geez, can't a girl have a break??? And I smelled like I was hot, but I felt like I was cold. Very weird. So after an hour and a half of this sleepwake state I got out of bed and walked around the house, had a drink of water, used the restroom, and went back to bed. Fortunately Daniel didn't seem to be bothered. At least, his breathing didn't change, and he didn't mention it today. When I went back to bed, I finally settled down and really did go to sleep.

With the typical intervals. Dan got up and ready for work and I didn't. I settled in for the other half of my bedtime.

I woke about 8:30 to the sun and birdsong. Lovely! I listened to the radio while doing what lymph drainage I could. I ended up doing about 45 minutes. It does make a difference, but it's not a completed process, and it doesn't feel like it, either. Better than it was, though.

I had breakfast, then a shower. After looking through the email, I went out for a walk. Lots of spring flowers up, some of which were in bloom. Praise the Lord for Spring!

Dan got home a bit later. We chatted some, and I was going to make supper when I realized that it was time for me to go to the pool. So I did.

I had a good Finning class. It still amazes me how different exercising in the water is.

When I got home, Dan hadn't eaten yet, so we raided the refrigerator, and came up with a couple plates of leftovers.

Supper over, Dan wasn't long before he went to bed. I wrote here.

Tomorrow is massa-ahh-ge.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 03.16.2010

Wake and sleep, sleeping when the radio came on to get up for the day. Ugh. I said a short morning prayer and got out of bed. I'm not sure that Dan even knew I was up.

I left for work and had a safe drive down, thank you God. The shuttle came over and got us.

We had a very good day. (It's been a long time since I've been able to say that.) And the co-workers are great, too. We were able to leave at the end of our shift.

A safe drive home, thanks again, in the daylight. There were 3, maybe 5 dead animals on the road on the way home. Skunks, mostly. Maybe a couple of 'coons.

Dan was home, and said he had a good day. We visited, he looked at the television, I wrote here.

Tomorrow he works, I Don't! I'm sooo looking forward to not getting up in the morning.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 03.15.2010

I slept fair, waking at the usual intervals, and again when the radio came on. I got up and ready for work. Dan rolled over to get the light out of his eyes.

A safe drive down, thank you God. And while I was waiting for the shuttle, I figured out how to change the time on the clock. That was a good thing. When it was apparent that the shuttle wasn't coming, we walked the blocks over to the hospital. And we heard Robins!!

We had a great day today with a great group of co-workers. At the end of the shift, Daniel had brought the 2005 Vibe to Jackson for the girl who had bought it. After making the transaction in the parking lot (she's a co-worker), Dan and I stopped and had a bite to eat on the way home.

At home, we settled in for the evening. Dan's got the television on and I wrote here.

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 03.14.2010

Daniel got up and went to work; I got comfortable and dozed until 9:00, waking to birdsong. How nice!

I had an enjoyable day. I did a couple loads of laundry, had a nice shower, did food prep for supper tonight. Worked on deleting messages from the inbox (most of which were medical-related, so I took the time to read them), made a grocery list, sorted some photos, wrote some correspondence.

When Dan got home we had supper, which was better than I had anticipated. Sometimes I surprise myself...

We visited a bit before Dan's eyes started to close, and he went off to bed by 8:00. The good thing is that he is off for a couple of days. And since I did laundry, and there are leftovers for him, he might have a restful day.

I've been pretty good all day with occasional hot flashes, but tonight they are frequent and uncomfortable. My shoulder and side are annoying, too.

Tomorrow is a workday for me.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 03.13.2010

I did sleep last night, maybe a little more than "usual". Dan got up and went to work; I didn't.


When I did wake, it was about 9. I was feeling a bit punky--head/sinus discomfort. Not surprising, considering the drastic change in weather. The more I was upright, the more my sinuses hurt. I took a claritin.

An hour later there was no change in the head discomfort. I wondered if it might be one of the types of migraine/headache I had read about--a "sinus migraine". So I took the tylenol/motrin that usually does a good job for me, had breakfast, and looked at the computer. An hour or so later I was starting to feet a little better.

I remembered that I had wanted to get a few groceries, so I did, and Dan got home shortly after I got back. We visited a bit, I fixed dinner and we ate.

He was pretty tired and went off to bed. I played the piano for a while before writing here.

Tomorrow I might go out with Frank and look at houses; Dan has to work.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 03.12.2010

A short night before getting up for work.

The fog was quite thick this morning, all the way to Jackson. Thank you God for a safe trip. I parked and the shuttle came and scooped us up.

Oh. My. Goodness. What a busy day. Fortunately, we had a good group of co-workers, and the day went fairly well. Though busy. I'm glad I'm not back tomorrow.

I clocked out and headed back home, coming into a lighter fog at the Mason area. Another safe trip, thanks again.

Dan was home, and we visited a bit before he went to bed.

I had a bite to eat and wrote here.

And tomorrow I hope to sleep in the morning.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 03.11.2010

Another workday. I had restful sleep, just not enough of it when I have to get up at 0430. We each got ready and went on our ways.

A safe drive down, thank you God. I saw the shuttle going up to the hospital, so I thought I'd have just enough time to get parked and get my things together. Um, no. I had enough time to walk the two blocks over before it came back out of the hospital circle drive. It was a lovely walk; 48 degrees, light breeze. Spring?

We had a busy day with a great group of co-workers. I was able to eat my supper after I had clocked out, and before I left for home.

A safe drive back, thanks again, and Dan was home, too. We chatted some about our days, and he's gone off to bed.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us. I'm a bit tired tonight...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 03.10.2010

Surprisingly, I slept fairly well. Of course I woke a few times, but was able to go back to sleep. I had set the alarm to call Daniel while he was getting ready for work, but he didn't answer, so I left a message for him and went back to sleep. He called about a half hour later, waking me. I was happy to talk with him. I went back to sleep again, waking a little after nine to noisy birdsong. It sounded like Diane was up, too, moving around out in the kitchen.

I got up and got myself together for the day. Diane was up, and not really feeling too much better. I fixed us breakfast, and after we ate, she decided that she needed to be up, standing and walking around, to evaluate the results of yesterday's injections.

So, she washed up the dishes, putzed around the house. We were going to go out for a walk, but it had started to rain. Looking at the weather channel, it was going to pass within the hour, so we waited. In the meantime, one of her friends stopped by to check on her. After she left, the rain had stopped, so we went out.

Just a few blocks out, she's realizing that she's still having the discomforts. Darn. We continued on, and by the time we got back to her house, it was obvious that she was uncomfortable. So, the bottom line is, this treatment didn't work, which ruled out the long term treatment that would have been the next step. Sorry, Diane. Back to the options list.

When we got back to the house, I got stuff together and left for home.

A safe drive, thank you God, and I got back about 3:20. Daniel had asked me to take the headlamp assembly that had arrived at our house over to the body shop, so I did that right away. Then I went on up to CVS to pick up a few sale items and use my "extra bucks", their promo for using their products. Daniel got home just after I did.

It was good to see him. We caught up a bit before he left for dinner with his daughter and I went to Finning class.

I had a good class, and showered when I got home. Dan has gone to bed, and I'll be going soon, too.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 03.09.2010

I didn't sleep much, it seemed. Daniel didn't sleep well, either, and he got up and out this morning. I, of course, was able to go back to sleep, finally getting up about 0930. The glorious noises of the birds; I know they are the same birds that have been here all winter, but this morning they were very noisy. It was sunshiny and 38 degrees when I got up. Spring?!

I got ready and got on the road about 11:30. The clear sky and warmer temps made for a pleasant drive. I got to Diane's, visited briefly, then we went on up to Cadillac for her "procedure". We arrived about 2:20 for her 3:00 appointment.

She was called back about 2:30, and close to 3 they called me back; she was done and recovering. Sleeping in the recliner, she was. The doctor explained to me that she had injections on either side of the vertebrae in her lower back with marcaine to bathe the nerve branches, for a total of 4 injection sites. She should be more comfortable rather soon.

Diane finally woke, and after another half hour or so she was ready to leave.

We got back to her house and I fixed dinner while she rested on the sofa at intervals. As the evening went on, she had gotten up and down a few times, and was still fatigued and stiff and sore. She finally went to bed, and I'm on my way, too.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving. I hope she's more comfortable that she was tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 03.08.2010

Hot and cold, sleep and wake, covers off, covers on. I think, twice, then Dan's alarm came on at 0500 and woke me. Hot, then back to sleep shortly after he left.

I woke again about 8:30 and turned the radio on. While I was lying there listening to the radio, I thought it would be a good time to do some lymph drainage. I did that for almost a half hour, and it does help a small bit.

While I was doing that, Dan called, asking if I would take the Honda over to the body shop for an estimate. (The headlight bulbs melted into the connectors the other night. We are blessed there wasn't a fire. I didn't mention it out of respect for Dan's request for ?privacy.)

So I got up and breakfasted, then put a roast in the crockpot. What a lovely day!! Blue skies and birdsong. I drove the Honda over to Craig's Body Shop and enjoyed a brief visit with Glinda and Dave, the owners/managers. I was offered a ride back, but I had on my walkin' shoes and wanted to use them. So beautiful. Thank you God for this beautiful day.

After I got home I showered, then got the Association stuff together and went up to the clubhouse for my meeting with another of the board members. We chewed on a lot of stuff and got our agenda items set, though there's still lots more for us as an Association and Board to understand and digest.

By the time we were done it was nearly 4 o'clock. The meat was almost done, and Dan called to say he was on his way home. I partially cooked some egg noodles and added that to the pot; it was looking good.

We ate when it was ready and Dan went over to his golf lesson. I cleaned up the kitchen and took a short trip to the storage unit. He got back around 7--had a little more to eat (must have been good), showered, and went to bed.

I paid bills, wrote here.

My neck feels a little better, like I moved some of the fluid, but my arm is itching and shoulder sore. I'm ready for a "professional" treatment.

Tomorrow I'm going up to Mt. Pleasant to take Diane to her nerve block appointment in Cadillac. Something she needs a driver for and an overnight observator. I'll be leaving mid-morning and staying the night with her.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 03.07.2010

Typical, interrupted night, waking at 0405 with a nature call of both increased temperature and full bladder. Back to bed, I dozed again before the radio came on.

I got up and ready for work; so did Daniel. We each went our respective ways.

A safe drive down, thank you God, and I parked and walked over to the hospital.

We had very busy day with good co-workers. The patients and their visitors made for a diverse collection of humanity with a variety of lifestyles and awarenesses, challenging us to care for them with professionalism and respect. We did it, though, and the next shift arrived to take over. Ahhh.

A safe drive home, thanks again.

Dan was home, winding down his busy day, too. We chatted a bit before he went off to bed.

Tomorrow is a workday for him; I have a meeting in the afternoon.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 03.06.2010

I know I don't sleep well. I do try to hold still, keep quiet, not toss and turn. Daniel is very courteous about my sometimes restless sleep, and mostly snores through it. This morning, however, his comment was, "You don't sleep much, do you." Hm. "No, not usually." I must have been restless or something, or he had a rare night of not sleeping well. "Sorry if I kept you awake," I said. He was so kind as to not say anything else. We continued our morning and left for our J.O.B.s.

A safe drive down, thank you God. I parked and walked over to the hospital.

We had a fairly good day with a great group of co-workers, and it was finally time to leave.

A safe drive home, thanks again.

Dan had gone to some golf show with a friend and wasn't home yet. I unloaded the dishwasher and wrote here.

My left shoulder got a little achy shortly after noon today, but the tylenol/motrin took care of it. I'm going to need some lymphedema treatment before much longer.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 03.05.2010

I was tired last night and slept somewhat; but when Dan got up I stayed in bed. When I rolled over and felt rested, it was almost 11. Geesh. (I get real tired of the hot flashes and wakefulness and being cold and the discomforts in the breast and shoulders and the other joints and the weight gain...but I'm happy to be alive and cancer-free. Praise the Lord!)

I had breakfast, checked email. Dan was up working on his computer most of the day. I vacuumed and went outdoors for a lovely sunshine walk. The birds were singing, and I noticed that the buds on the trees have started to swell.

We really didn't do too much today. Enjoyed being home.

Tomorrow is a workday for both of us.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 03.04.2010

I slept well again last night, but was disappointed when I heard Dan up. I dozed a little after that, but got up about 8:30.

I got myself ready for the day and had breakfast. After breakfast and picking through email, I went out to Meijer.

I did well in the store. When I got back, I unloaded the car, unpacked the bags, put things away, put meat in the crock pot, microwaved it for 10 minutes to give it a jumpstart, and went over to Leah's.

She does such a nice job. I'm happy to have found her, and that I'm able to afford her services. I know there may be a time when I won't, so I'll enjoy it now...

Back at home, I was able to spend some time on the Association stuff. Dan was doing his computer stuff the rest of the afternoon until dinner was ready. I really wanted to go over to the pool again tonight, but dinner got in the way. I didn't do well on time management tonight....

Dan has gone to bed, I'm writing here.

Tomorrow is unplanned, other than going outdoors in the sun.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 03.03.2010

I'm very happy to say that I slept again last night. Although I was still pretty sore, tylenol and motrin helped. I still woke again several times, but was able to go back to sleep. The best part was that I didn't get disrupted between 4 and 7. Dan got up around 8, I think. I dozed again and got out of bed closer to 10.

Ahh. I started laundry, had breakfast, looked at the computer, made a grocery list. Dan was working on his computer stuff. After a bit, he went out to run errands. I got in the shower.

I finished the second load of laundry, worked on my classwork, fixed supper, and ate. My right shoulder is still somewhat sore, and again, the tylenol and motrin help. I went over to the pool for Finning class.

I stretched and finned and was very pleasantly surprised to find that this evening my shoulder feels much better. I hope it stays that way.

Tomorrow I see Leah at 1 pm.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 03.02.2010

I feel like I've slept better the last few nights even though I woke up several times. This morning the radio had been on for several minutes before I heard it.

I was really stiff and uncomfortable, so much so that I took tylenol and motrin shortly after I got up. I'm surprised--I thought if I was going to get sore after skiing on Sunday it would have happened sooner.

I got down to Jackson safely, thank you God, and the shuttle finally came over and picked us up.

We had a very busy day; at one point we had 5 babies in 23 minutes. We opened the overflow unit and filled it up, too. I'm not sure how many births total. Maybe 11 or so?

We were all very happy to leave. I rode over to the parking lot and had a safe drive home, thanks again.

Dan was home; it was good to see him. He had been to his golf lesson and was sitting with a club on his lap, practicing a grip.

The rest of the evening was quiet. He's looking at television, I wrote here, and I'm about ready to go to bed.

My right shoulder is stiff and sore, as are all the "major" joints. The little ones hurt, too. 3 more years of the Arimidex, and I hope this discomfort goes away quickly.

Tomorrow is laundry, groceries, and other household responsibilities.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 03.01.2010

Dan woke me up this morning; looking at the clock, the radio had been on about 10 minutes. Time to get up. I was finishing "putting myself together" when the phone rang. On-call. Okay. I was going to back to bed, but decided to have a little bowl of cereal first. Then I changed back into my pajamas and went back to bed.

I was sleeping when the phone rang again. Dan was up, it was close to 9 o'clock. I had to go in to work.

A good drive down, thank you God, in the sunshine! Bonus! I walked over to the hospital and clocked in.

Seems there was a need for staff on other floors, and 2 of us were called in to go out and help. I was "sitting" with a one-to-one 1:1 patient. Which went ok in the long run.

It was a long afternoon, but at 7 PM another person arrived to take over so that I could leave.

A safe drive home, thanks again, and I see that the downspout has separated from the eave at the top and is hanging from only one bracket. The bottom looks to have been mutilated by a plow or, more likely, the snowblower. Another maintenance issue for them.

Dan and I visited a bit before he went off to bed and I sat down with the computer.

Tomorrow is a workday, but not sure I'll be needed. Maybe the phone will ring...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.