Special Honor

A blogger friend, Gina, has honored me with a Blogger Reflection Award. Gina is a beautiful, young breast cancer survivor who is presently being treated a second time for a different (not reoccurring) breast cancer diagnosis. She writes so intelligently and has wonderful insight into the whole horrible process we go through to kill the beast .

Thank you, Gina, for this honor.

First, here are the award details:

This award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who, when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy… of knowing them and being blessed by them.

Here are the rules:

1. Copy this set of rules.

2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.

3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.

4. Go leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they’ve been given the award.

5. Put the award icon on your site.

I have many people's blogs that have been a comfort and encouragement, so this is difficult. But, I will stick with the rules and only pick five.

I met Stephanie on the bc.org discussion boards. Stephanie is a constant encouragement and radiates God's love and steadfastness. She has been dealing with her father's recent diagnosis of cancer along with her own metastatic breast cancer disease. I know we would be friends if we lived in the same city. Gina nominated Stephanie, too, but I think she deserves double awards.

Stephanie with her handsome twin sons

Terri is a Houston belle who has entertained me greatly as she has gone through her chemo treatments. She is a playwright and her creativity and humor shines through her posts. Her deep faith is evident in her responses to people on bc.org and her tilt towards silliness is a breath of fresh air.

Terri - Reading 'Hair Preview 2008'

Rosebud is a sweet, funny woman, who has managed to get through all of her breast cancer treatments with much grace. She has not allowed her chemo or radiation treatments to slow her down or interrupt her life - she enjoys every moment. Today was her last radiation treatment - she is officially done. Congratulations, Rosebud!

Rosebud going 'commando'

Annette is an Omaha friend, and has a different health cross that she carries. She has Pulmonary Hypertension, a rare disease, that quickly robs it's victims of the air needed to sustain life. Annette has valiantly walked hand in hand with this disease while maintaining her optimistic outlook through many ups and downs. She is such a wonderful role model for a life well led in spite of diversity.

Annette with her husband

Melanie was my lifesaving coworker last year and is now my friend. Her blog is a reflection of today's young working moms. It is both poignant and fun - and allows me to reminisce about a sweet and lovely (albeit hectic) time of my life. It was Melanie that convinced me to start my blog, and for that I am very grateful.

Melanie and family

Those are my five. I know some of you (Diane) are sighing with relief that you don't have to think of five people to nominate, but that doesn't mean that I don't value your contribution to my blogging world. I so appreciate you all.

Almost forgot!

I almost forgot to post! No, it wasn't because I was having such a wild and eventful day. I just was dabbling in this and that and just forgot.

Started my day at cardiac rehab and while I really didn't want to go, it was so good for me and I do feel better once I am done. I ran by Sam's Club on the way home to check prices on things for an Anderson aunt and uncle thing going on in Lincoln this weekend, then stopped by a produce stand. Otherwise I have been home tap, tap, tapping away on my computer or yakking on the phone - two things I seem to excel at.

I managed to get a decent meal on the table (yes, the Krista roast) and Carolyn joined us. After the supper dishes were cleaned up I wandered out to check out my two tomato plants and picked off one little cherry tomato. The cherry tomato was suppose to be an Early Girl, which I thought was a regular sized tomato - but obviously it isn't - or someone switched the labels. There are lots of tomatoes on both plants, and I figure they will all ripen at the same time rather than conveniently spreading this process out. Mark is slaving away on the yard weeding, so I dead headed the roses and now I am enjoying a bowl of ice cream. Life is good - albeit humdrum. Fortunately, I like humdrum!

Sunday

Started the day by going to church. Today was a celebration in the arts - and it was interesting, but didn't feel real churchy to me for some reason. The rest of the day I have pretty much just sat and rested - still a bit out of sorts. I did head over to Krista's house to pick up a few of her yummy roasts. I think I will throw one in the oven tomorrow - mmmmmm.

Last night we went to Lazlo's with Steve and Diane and Steve's sister, Allison, who is visiting from Florida. The owner, Jeremy, was there again and as usual, made the evening extra fun. The food was as delicious as last time. If you get the chance, try the apple cobbler with caramel and ice cream. It is covered in walnuts and is SO good.

Tonight, Carolyn is taking us to dinner at La Mesa. Matt will be home from DesMoines and Greg is joining us, too. I think we are going to try the new one in Bellevue. It is nice to not have to think of something to prepare for tonight's meal!

Not a Bad Day

Not a bad day, for the Saturday after treatment. My main problem is a super sensitive elimination system (if you know what I mean) that can decide to calm down any time, now! Otherwise, I feel pretty well.

So far today, the only thing I have accomplished is doing the laundry and straightening up the house - slightly. I may wander out this afternoon to run some errands - or I may nap. We will see which urge wins out.

Blahish

My day started off with me feeling rather blah, but by late morning I was feeling better. I finished up Harry Potter (which was a good read) and did some ironing. I am now contemplating taking a shower and getting on with life - or maybe taking a nap - we'll see :-). All in all, the side effects were less this time, so for that I am grateful.

Matt is heading to DesMoines to spend the weekend with Courtney. Matt said Courtney was giving her notice at work today, so hope that goes well. He will be home one more week before he heads up to Minneapolis. It has been nice having him here - it will seem quiet around here once he is gone.

Side Effects Land

Absolutely no new news today. I am tired and out of sorts and have done very little that could be construed as productive today. I am now down to the last 240 pages of Harry Potter - which Matt tells me I will soon not be able to put the book down until it is done. One more icky day and then I begin the climb back up out of side effects land. Can't wait.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter. This book has basically been my day. I went to cardio rehab then came home to read. Unfortunately, I am prone to getting sleepy when I read, so my day was read, nap, read, nap. I am now half way through the book. It has been a good read - but I am anxious to be done with it. I hate the suspense.

Today is the day my side effects from chemo start to kick in, and so far it hasn't been too bad - just tired and a little achy - along with the bleeding nose and scalded-like skin on my hands. I am experimenting with my Neulasta shot. I had them give it to me in the stomach rather than my arm. I am in the hopes it will cause less pain in my neck and shoulders. So far it seems to have helped - time will tell. I am also taking supplements that I read about on my discussion boards that are suppose to help with the neuropathy - L-glutimine and folic acid. I asked my onc about it and he said they haven't been proven to help, but they wouldn't hurt anything, so to go ahead and try them. Again - time will tell.

Not much else going on. Even after my many naps today I am bushed. I haven't been sleeping solidly through the night lately, so I am sure this contributes to my being tired - and lets face it, chemo has a lot to do with it, too. Hopefully all my little snoozes won't interfere with getting a good nights sleep tonight. Wishing you all a lovely night's rest.

More Pictures!

More pictures! Chris sent pictures from our trip to Minneapolis and I snapped pics of Mark and Steve with their new baby - so here we go!

Dave Koz playing over David Benoit's shoulder -Chris didn't use a zoom on this-we were this close!

Pianist, David Benoit.

Kelly Sweet - a new recording artist - with Dave Koz.

Dave Koz's new CD has a movie theme. He is dressed in Casablanca style and played As Time Goes By.

This final pic has Dave dressed as Austin Powers and a very pretty -TALL - gal dancing to the theme song from the movie. This concert was awesome - he is a real showman and there wasn't a dull moment.

Now for the new baby - a 1970 Viper Red, Dodge Roadrunner. Mark took me on a spin in it last night and I gave a squeal when we got on the interstate and he shifted gears. Oh - My - Goodness! As we left our house and were cruising down Harrison Street, the SUV next to us slowed down and kept pace with us. I finally looked up and the guy gave me a nod and a thumbs up. Later, as we were looking for an open Dairy Queen (all the ones near us had closed for a company picnic), the same thing happened with a bunch of teen guys. Their windows were open, like ours, and they shouted 'Pop it! Pop it!' I had no idea what they meant so I smiled and turned to Mark to relay the message - Mark just smiled. I guess popping it means popping the clutch and revving it. Who knew? While looking for a DQ we went by Steve's office and his car was there. We ended up hooking up with he and his daughter, Kaitlin, at Brewsky's. Matt met us, too. We parked the car WAY out in the parking lot and then sat on the patio so we could see it. It drew a number of people who walked or drove by to check it out. Pretty cool Here are the pics from the Brewseky's parking lot:

Mark & Steve

Mark & Steve

I am feeling pretty good today, albeit a bit tired. I had trouble falling asleep last night - I am sure due to a combination of my huge nap during my chemo treatment and the steroids they gave me. Then I woke up at 4:45 and couldn't fall back to sleep. I may kick back in a bit and take a little nap. I have to go in to have my Neulasta shot this afternoon and I just HATE it but it keeps me from having low blood counts, so I will endure it. Sigh. Enough whining. So far I have managed to fritter away the entire morning with out reading my book. Maybe after my nap, shot, and groceries I can find some time.

Second Monday Post

I got the pictures of the Shrimp Boil from Courtney, so thought I would post

them today, this is my second Monday post.

Jacque, Mary, Don, Diane, Steve, Bonnie, Chris, Mark

Matt, Courtney W, Mike, Courtney O, Greg, Jaime

Greg and Jaime posing with the shell scrap bowl

Matt & Courntey W

Courtney O

Greg & Mark

Steve, Mark and stogies

Searching for washers in the dark (washers is a game similar to horse shoes)

Don't forget I have another post down below from today - it has happy news in it!

Happy Dance!

Today, I am doing the happy dance! My oncologist, is back after an extended health issue (he had to have a foot amputated) and it was so good to see him. He is quite the trooper - still in a wheelchair and hopping around on one leg to do the exam. Hopefully, for his sake, he will be getting around on his new prosthesis soon - it has to be exhausting to hop! Now, on to the happy dance! I had a lazy radiologist! The 'new' spots he reported on my last scan were actually the old ones from four years ago. Now, I would LOVE to give that guy thirty lashes with a wet noodle - but hey - I am THRILLED that they aren’t new spots! This means that my scans were ALL good news! Whew!

Yesterday was as I predicted. I didn’t leave the house once - unless you count when I went out in the street in front of our house to look at Mark and Steve’s new baby - a ‘70
Dodge Roadrunner in Viper Red. They went over to somewhere in Iowa yesterday - maybe three hours away - and drove her home. Mark was a big ball of sweat when he got home as there is no air conditioning in it and it was one hot day. He also had a horrible backache - he thinks from sitting for so long. But the car is a pretty thing. I will try to post pics sometime this week.

Chemo was very uneventful. In fact, other than the first hour and a half that I started reading the 7th Harry Potter book, I slept!

Yes, I am a Harry Potter fan. I love the books and I love the movies. Courtney and Matt are also fans and we didn’t see much of either one this weekend as they were holed up in their rooms reading. They both managed to finish it in two days. It will take me a couple of weeks to read as I usually only read at night - but I may use this week to read it since it is a ‘down’ time for me anyway. I am anxious to see how it ends - and, NO, I don’t want to know the outcome is until I read it! Greg wants to borrow my book when I am done, so that will be good incentive to get it done, too.

I have purposefully kept my week simple. I don’t have any plans and don’t intend to make any. Just rest and drinking lots of fluids. I hope you all have a much more exciting week planned!

Don't Wake Me

Zzzzzzzzz..... Oh! I'm sorry! I guess I dozed off there for a moment. I have had a whirlwind of activity the last few days and I am really dragging! Today I plan on sticking close to home and just resting!

Friday, I rode along with Diane as she took her friend, Kathy, who had been visiting from North Carolina, to Atchison, KS to hook up with her friend, Cindy, who she was going to visit for a few days. We shopped at Nell Hills, a really adorable 'home emporium' filled with beautiful items. It was a quick trip - shop, lunch and then headed home.

The reason we didn't spend more time in Atchinson is because Mark and I had a wedding reception to attend that evening - for a business associate's child. I have to say, I think it was the nicest reception I had ever attended. There were 300 guests at the Scoular building. The tables had BEAUTIFUL arrangements on them - from the tall vases with the sprays on top to modern candelabras with sprays on the bottom as well as smaller arrangements. I am a real flower lover, so I really appreciated these lovely arrangements.

There was a jazz duo playing during the hor'dourves portion of the reception (which were very tasty and were being served by constantly circling wait staff) and a lovely buffet meal was provided complete with pasta (it was an Italian wedding), baked chicken, jumbo cold shrimp and beef tenderloin roast. For dessert there was the normal wedding cake, but there was also a huge table with a chocolate fountain and just about anything you could think of to dip in it, and another table laden with cannoli. Once dinner was over, a 10 piece band - the Confidentials - played for the dance. It was quite the 'doings'.

Yesterday, we spent the entire day getting ready for our Shrimp Boil party we hosted last night. We first experienced a shrimp boil in Ames, IA. Matt's friend, Ben's, dad promised Ben a boil if he would study hard the month before his LSAT test and not party. We tagged on to the celebration and brought appetisers and desserts. Ben's dad had perfected the recipe and process so shared it with us. Their boil consisted of shrimp, crawdads, sausage, potatoes & corn. You cook this in a huge turkey fryer pot with onions, lemons and many, many spices. It was yummy and fun! For our wedding anniversary this year I gave Mark a turkey fryer kit. It was inevitable that the shrimp boil would follow!

We tweaked the recipe a bit by substituting crab legs for the crawdads. As far as we mid-westerners are concerned the only good crawdad is in your bait bucket. Preparing for and cooking the boil was quite the process - but well worth the effort! Needless to say, we spent the day shopping, cooking and cleaning. Mark took the outside chores and Matt and Greg helped me inside. It is so nice to have such capable young men to help - I know I couldn't have done it without them! My camera went on the fritz, but our friends Courtney and Mike had theirs, so I will post pics as soon as they send them to me. If you are interested in the boil recipe - let me know!

Matt's fiance, Courtney, is here for the weekend. She will be heading back to DesMoines sometime this afternoon. The advertising firm she works for used her for a model for an Iowa State ad campaign that is to appear in the US Weekly News and World Report magazine. So if you see an IA State ad with a pretty dark haired girl standing in front of the Parthenon, that is Courtney!

Jaime, Greg's girlfriend, is getting ready for a trip to Korea. She is going to an adoption convention for people who were adopted out of Korea. She is flying by herself, but will meet up with other people she has met at similar conventions that have been held in the US. She is nervous, but really looking forward to it. It will be her first time to visit her 'land of origin'. We are excited for her and will enjoy hearing about her adventure.

Tomorrow is my next chemo treatment and I am really not looking forward to it. The neuropathy in my feet and legs has gotten worse and I am feeling more tired with each treatment. I know that the treatments are cumulative, and that I should expect the side effects to worsen - but that doesn't mean I have to like it! Dr. Silverberg will be back (yea!) so it will be nice to run all my concerns past him. Your prayers are appreciated.

A Fun Day

What a fun day! I hosted a luncheon for my classroom coworkers - Melanie (my co-teacher), Donna (one of our paraprofessionals), and Timaree and Kathy - the two gals who were my long term subs when I could no longer teach. Natalie, another para, was invited, but got sick this week so wasn't able to come :-(. It was so nice to have a chance to visit with everyone. I am so appreciative of everything that they have done!

OK - tip for the day. Did you know that pesto has pine nuts in it? And did you know that people who are allergic to tree nuts are also allergic to pine nuts? Wouldn't you know, that the recipe I made today had pesto AND pine nuts. And, wouldn't you know, that Melanie is allergic to tree nuts! Now, I knew that she was allergic to tree nuts, so I was intending to hold out her portion and not sprinkle in the pine nuts - however, I DIDN'T know that pesto had pine nuts as part of the ingredients and had included it in my pasta's sauce. Luckily, when I made mention of making her a separate portion, Melanie said something about pesto having pine nuts (she wouldn't have realized pesto was an ingredient until it was too late) so I ended up making her a turkey sandwich. I am SO thankful we had the pesto conversation or we would have been taking her to the hospital! YIKES!

Here is the picture of the cupcake centerpiece and a picture of the group. You can't see their faces very well because of the light from the windows, but you can get the idea.

Donna, Melanie, Kathy & Timaree

The following is a picture of our night last week with our friend, Betsy, from Pennsylvania:

Jacque, Mark, Betsy, Steve, Diane

I may not get a blog written tomorrow as I am heading down to Nel Hills in Atchinson, KS with Diane and her long time friend, Kathy, who is visiting from the Carolinas (I can never remember which one). Nel Hills is a beautiful shop full of wonderful decorating things for the home. I will get home just in time to change clothes to head to the wedding of one of Mark's business associate's child. It will be a busy day!

Early to Bed

I am whipped! I went to cardiac rehab, then came home and did a little housework and laundry. I took a small nap in my comfy chair, then went to Sears, Sam's Club and Kohl's with Matt. I dropped Matt off at home and headed to the grocery store. I had a long list and about half way around the store I could tell I was running out of steam. I made it home - but could hardly move a muscle. In all my traipsing around I had lost track of time and when I arrived home it was 5:30 - and I had NO ideas for supper (yes, I know I was just at the store, but I was getting things for two specific entertainment venues and tonight's dinner was far from my brain). Mark saved the day by scrounging through the freezer and finding burgers to grill. I sauteed some mushrooms and cut up tomatoes - about all I could handle at that moment. I got my second wind after supper and managed to clean up the kitchen and do a few things for a luncheon I am having tomorrow. I KNOW tonight will be an early to bedder - no question.

PS - for those that usually write me at school - I think I have been dumped from the system, so.... my email address is jacqniel@cox.net.

Much Perkier!

I am MUCH perkier today! I got up early and used the cool hours of the morning to dead head my deck's potted plants and the roses. I couldn't believe how lovely it was outside. My neighbor's tree gave me wonderful shade and the birds were chirping away. It really was beautiful. Now it is very toasty outside - hard to believe it is the same day!

I went to lunch with friends Lynne and Annette at the Market Basket. I have to say, I was disappointed in my meal. I ordered a grilled crab sandwich, which according to the menu was a 'delicacy' of this restaurant. I did not enjoy it at all - only ate half of it and that only because I was so darn hungry - and found the homemade potato chips rather soggy and tasteless. But, the company was good and that more than made up for it.

I left lunch and headed to Cupcake Island - a cute little bakery that only makes cupcakes! Last week at my PEO meeting we were served mini cupcakes from there and they were so cute and tasty. I was just going to order cupcakes for a luncheon I am giving this Thursday to pick up another day, but the gal said I could just put them in the fridge and they would be fine, so decided to save myself a trip and went ahead and bought them! I am going to copy the centerpieces from the Luis Palau luncheon - the site used a clear plate on the bottom, a glass in the center with a flower in it, a glass plate on top of that and then filled the plates with cupcakes. I will try to remember to take a picture so you can see what I mean - a bit hard to explain.

It is so nice to want to do things. I am a little tired this afternoon, but nothing like the last two days. Such a good sign! This Monday is my next chemo, so I want to get as much done and enjoy myself as much as possible!

Stay cool!

A Sloth

I am still very tired today. I forced myself to go to my cardiac rehab class and went to the grocery store, but otherwise I have been a sloth. I took a nap right before lunch and have been fighting another one all afternoon. I have the feeling tonight will be another early to bedder. I have a busy week starting tomorrow, so hopefully my energy will return quickly.

I Am Cheap

Sorry I have been absent for the past few days. The reason I haven't posted is because I am cheap. Mark and I went to Minneapolis over the the weekend with our travel buddie couples - the O'Connors and Brabecs to go to a Dave Koz concert. I took my laptop along fully expecting to write my blog at least a couple of times while we were gone. BUT the lovely three star, four diamond hotel we stayed in (the Soffitel) makes you pay $10 bucks for internet!!!!!! Ridiculous! Sorry if I worried anyone - I could just think of many ways to spend that $10.00!

Minneapolis was great fun - lots of good food, shopping, music and friends. We went to IKEA (a mega mall of affordable items for the home) and Mall of America. I learned how to 'make' eyebrows and eyelashes at Sephora since mine are slowly biting the dust. We all found items to purchase from shoes to shirts, candles to makeup. We pigged out at Fogo De Chao (a meat lover's paradise) and had a low key dinner at a nice local restaurant called the Copper Bleu.

This morning we left the Brabec's and O'Connors at the hotel (we drove seperately) and went to see Matt and Courtney's new digs-to-be near St. Paul. You might recall that they are going to live in Courtney's aunt and uncle's home as they are out of the country for the next four years. The house is beautiful and huge. We teased them about what a let down it will be when they have to move out and face reality of what a freshly graduated law student and art director can afford. We also saw William Mitchell School of law where Matt will be attending this fall. It was a lovely building - hopefully next time we visit we can see the inside, too.

On the way home from Minneapolis I slept pretty solid until we got to DesMoines (about a 4 hour trip) and this is after I had a good night's sleep. I feel like I could go to bed right now, but I am trying to stay up to watch John from Cinncinati - a weird show on HBO that Mark and I got hooked on. Hopefully, since I got so much rest today, tomorrow will be just a normal day for me and I won't need any more catch up time.

Nothing New

Nothing new today. Cardiac rehab - ironing - nothing too exciting.

My niece, Anne, came by last night and 'shopped' through some of my 'career' clothes that I don't need any more now that I am retired. It is nice to be able to give them to someone rather than just dumping them at the Goodwill. She is working a new job in Lincoln that has a different dress code than where she use to work, so hopefully these will help extend her wardrobe a bit. Her dad, Al, and Liz came along, too, so we had a nice, albeit short, visit.

I told you that Courtney, Matt's fiance, has a second interview in Minneapolis this Friday. Our God daughter, Kaitlin, had a second interview today (she just graduated from K State this summer) here in Omaha. She has a third interview next week so we are excited for her! If she is offered and accepts this job she will be in the same predicament that Anne is in. The company's dress code is business dress, so she will need to start building her professional wardrobe, too.

Matt and I are going to run some errands now. Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Luncheon

I had a lovely day. I attended the Luis Palau luncheon with five friends - thank you Martha for arranging our tickets. Dr. Palau was a wonderful speaker and I had no problem listening to his message of hope to women in all areas of spiritual need. I again encourage you to attend the festival this weekend at the Qwest Center. It is geared towards children and young people and I know that any one who attends will not be disappointed.

My PEO meeting was fun last night. 20 is usually our magic number of attendees, but last night there were 28! It is such a nice group of ladies.

Oreo started sneezing again this morning. Makes me think it must be allergies. Sigh. I hate to even think what we will have to do with an allergic cat. Hopefully not more steroid shots, as her weird behavior after the last one wasn't pleasant (wandering the house, yowling and 'talking'). The thought of giving her allergy pills isn't very pleasant, either! It's a good thing we like her......

I took a little cat nap when I got home from the luncheon and my stomach is growling smelling the BBQ pork roast I have slow cooking in the oven. The weather is absolutely gorgeous - hope you are enjoying it!

Zzzzzzz

Another tired day. I went to cardiac rehab, took a nap and ran a couple errands and I am bushed. Matt helped me a bit with getting supper ready and now I feel like I could take another nap. Chemo is cumulative, so I am sure each time my tired days will increase.

We had a little rain early this morning and may have some more tonight. We are in a drought right now, so this moisture is great. It has cooled down a bit, too, which is welcome.

Tonight is PEO and my friend Joan is picking me up. I am glad, as it sounds good to be chauffeured. Tomorrow I will be attending the evangelist Louis Palau's luncheon at the Mid America Center. It should be a wonderful experience. If you live near Omaha and have a chance to attend his festival this weekend, I highly recommend it. So much time, energy and money has been put into this festival and it is free to the public! I fear that people might be discouraged by the crowds and not attend. Prayerfully, those who really need this ministry will have the desire to attend and God will pave the way for them.

It is HOT HOT HOT

It is HOT outside. Yikes!

The concert on the Riverfront last night was pleasant, but not nearly as good as last year's. The artists just weren't the same caliber (in our opinion), the crowd was not as big - and in all, a bit disappointing. It was still good people watching, even though the heat toned down some of the fancy dressers. Saw lots of sharp outfits as well as loads of 'what were you thinking?'.

While we were at the concert, Matt cleaned the carpet in the living room and our bedroom. Thanks, Matt! He is presently going through some of his 'treasures' in the storage room. As a kid, he collected sports cards and sports paraphernalia. He has Wheaties boxes, figurines, etc. Add to that newspapers from special days (the whole newspaper - not just the story), old Boy Scout magazines, etc. and he has quite a stash. I told him he doesn't have to take all his treasures with him, yet, but to just whittle some of it down!

Today is a lazy day. Church and grocery store shopping was about all I could handle. I am having some intestinal issues this afternoon, so I will just be lazy and hope tomorrow is a perkier day.

It's Saturday Night

I woke up feeling pretty decent. Matt and I ran a couple of errands and I started to feel a bit peaked. Decided I might have a yeast infection, brought on by the antibiotics, so stopped and got a prescription filled to get rid of that. I now feel OK - just really tired - which seems to be the story of my life on chemo.

Tonight Mark and I are going to the Riverfront Jazz Festival. We are meeting friends for supper at Malara's before we all head to the concert. It is extremely HOT today, so it will be a bit steamy to be sitting outside at a concert, but hopefully we can find a shady spot. I love these concerts - and it is such a great people watching evening - one of my favorite past times. Some people come dressed to this to the NINES - gals with high heels and beautiful dresses, guys with straw hats and suits, while others come looking like they are going to the county fair - or worse - walking the street looking for business (sorry - but it is true). All in all, a very satisfying place for a people watcher. Everyone is usually very pleasant and friendly, so it makes for a nice evening.

'Fraidy Cat

This has been one of the the better day fives after chemo. I am tired. I am achy. But all in all - I don't feel too bad. Yeah!

Took Oreo to the vet. She was her normal 'fraidy cat self, and while there wasn't a kleenex box to hide behind, she tried very hard to make her self small while having huge eyes at the same time. The vet isn't sure what is wrong with her - it could be allergies, a virus, an infection.... who knows. She gave her a shot of steroids and an antibiotic. Oreo was a little weird when we got back home - yowling and 'talking' - the steroids I am sure. Hopefully one or the other will take care of her sneezing.

Mark went with Steve today to DesMoines to a classic car show. He may be coming home with a car. He has been wanting one for years and this may be the time. I will keep you posted.

Jazz on the Green

Day four after chemo is pretty typical - but not horrible. I am mostly tired and a bit achy. There is still soreness in my neck and shoulders, a restless ache in my legs and I am a bit foggy in the brain. I get hungry - but food doesn't sound good, or particularly taste good, so I just eat because I know I need to.

Kitty Oreo is still sneezing and the vet can't see her until tomorrow. We locked her out of our bedroom last night so she wouldn't wake us up with her sneezes. I am sure she was quite unhappy about that - she is a people kitty. Today she seems fine (other than the occasional sneeze) - she has been chasing a fly off and on the last hour.

Tonight is the first night of Jazz on the Green. This is held on the lawn of the Joslyn Art Museum in downtown Omaha. People bring chairs, coolers, and food and enjoy the atmosphere and the music. I am hoping to be able to go, but I won't make that call until later this afternoon. It will depend on whether my body will let me take a little rest or not this afternoon.

God Bless the USA

Mark is off watching the Ralston parade, Matt and Courtney are napping and Greg is at Jaimie's parent's. I am trying to rest/nap so I can be perky tonight, but as usual, when I WANT to nap, I can't. Oh well. I am feeling my normal day three punk - sore skin on shoulders and neck, chapped sensation on hands and thighs, achiness and tired. But I have gone to the store today, made a big fruit salad and cleaned up the kitchen - twice - so the day is not a lost cause. We are all converging at our friends the O'Connors later this afternoon for food and fun.

I hear life upstairs, so Matt and Courtney are awake. They are going to make bruschetta (one of my FAVORITE appetizers) to take to our festivities tonight. Yum!

Kitty Oreo has been sneezing up a storm since the middle of last night. Cats, I realize, are a lot like children. They wait for a day when the vets is closed to get sick - how is it they know these things?

Hope you are all having a great day!

Lots of Errands

Spent the day running errands with Matt. He drove, so that saved on my energy level a bunch. We took his car in to be serviced, went to Sam's to get their roasted chicken (if you have never had their chicken it is awesome. It is huge and costs under $5.00. We bought it to make enchiladas for tonight's supper. My friend Diane gave me the idea to buy extra ones to pick and freeze for later use, so there is one in the fridge waiting.), went to lunch, shopped for groceries, and ran to get my Neulasta shot. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon cooking and baking. Matt picked the chicken and made the enchiladas (he wanted to learn how to make them) and I baked Texas Sheetcake and Pumpkin bars for our 4th of July meal tomorrow.

Matt's fiance, Courtney, is on her way to spend the fourth with us. She will head back to DesMoines on Thursday morning (she took Thursday morning off from work). She had an interview in Minneapolis last week and has been called back for a second interview. We are hopeful that she will get a job soon so she can be up in Minneapolis with Matt.

Tomorrow will be the day that my body starts to break down from the chemo. I had such a mild reaction last time (in comparison) that I am hoping this time will be even better. I want to enjoy the fourth!

It is too bad that the fourth is in the middle of the week, but, because of leap year, it is on Friday in '08! Have a great day off and Happy Independence Day!

AaaAaaaaAa Fib

Went to bed last night feeling totally exhausted - still running the 99.9 temp - but could NOT fall asleep. I felt wired, like a had drank a cup of coffee, but to my knowledge I did not have any caffeine yesterday. In retrospect (which is always so clear) I should have gotten up and taken my pulse. This morning I woke up to A Fib. Now, also in retrospect, I should have taken one of my recovery pills immediately, but I believed my blood pressure machine, which said my pulse was normal. I am not sure why I trusted that thing, since it is usually wrong when I am in A Fib because it doesn't know how to count the erratic heart beats. Long story short, I went to cardio rehab where they hooked me up to the monitor and my heart was beating 177, so I spent my hour there laying in a lazy boy chair, taking my recovery pills - which since I waited too long only took it down to 128 - which is better than 177, but still not good. Boy did I just have a long run on sentence! My heart finally calmed down at 1:00, which was towards the end of my treatment.

Before my treatment this morning I saw Dr. 'Doogie' (after waiting for an hour for him in his little exam room - very boring) and he was all smiles about my results. This just reinforced the 'happy place' I had been since last night after speaking with Dr. Silverberg. He prescribed an antibiotic to hopefully take care of whatever is causing the temp and the funk. The infusion went fine - I slept through most of it.

Matt just called and he is about an hour away from Omaha. It will be fun to have him home for a bit. He has offered to help out around the house, so I have been making a mental list of things he can do if he has time. This will probably be the last extended time he will be home as we are sure once law school starts he is going to be ultra busy - and then he will get married next summer. Rather bitter sweet.

Questions Answered for Now

Dr. Silverberg called this evening (he tried earlier, but I was gone). He has reassured me and I have to say I am SO happy! He said as far as he was concerned I was responding well to the chemo. He said he thought the spots in my lungs were the same spots we have been looking at for four years - that he thinks my radiologist was perhaps a little lazy in checking my old scans - and he has a call in to him to reread them comparing to old scans. I realize that I may have new spots, but the fact that Dr. S doesn't think so at least gives me hope - and makes taking my treatment tomorrow so much easier! I am also thrilled as he will be back in three weeks when I go for my next treatment!

I am running a low grade fever tonight (99.9) - and I think I may have been for a couple of days, but I just didn't recognize it (I have been chilly all the time). This is reminiscent of a month or so ago when I finally got antibiotics and I felt better within a few days. I mentioned it to Dr. Silverberg, and he said to be sure to tell my onc tomorrow. I have been tired, achy and short of breath going up stairs or walking up inclines. My right lung has also felt tingly when I take a deep breath. I sure hope I can get some antibiotics and feel better quickly!

We went to Mark's Aunt Dorothy's house tonight for supper (why I wasn't here when Dr. S called). We had a nice evening visiting and a delicious meal. I felt a little 'punk' but it was still fun.

Eight Things About Me:

Omaha Mama tagged me with this 8 things meme. Eight things about me. Facts or habits.



*Each player lists 8 facts or habits about themselves.
*The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before the list of 8.
*At the end of the post, the person tags 8 people, then go to comment on the tagged person's blog, letting them know they've been tagged.



1. Graduated from high school in York, NE in 1971

2. Started my teaching career in January, 1976 in Logan, IA

3. Kissed several frogs before I found my 'prince' and married him in 1980

4. Had two, possibly three miscarriages before my first child was born. Was sure I would never have a child

5. Have two sons - Matt (24), Greg (21)

6. I can't believe that I am old enough to have two sons ages 24 & 21!

7. Was blessed to be able to stay home for seven years until boys were in school (did part time substitute teaching until Greg was born)

8. Don't keep my checking account ledger - just have an approximation in my head and check online every now and then to confirm. This drives Mark INSANE, but since we keep separate accounts, he can't say much. I found out recently that my dad did the same thing - so as they say - the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.

OK, I am tagging the following people (and yes - realize there aren't 8 - Oh well):

Courtney - Just Another Day

Diane - I am the Oracle

Annette - Annette's Exciting Blog

Stephanie - Stephanie's Place

Terri - Chemo Girl Speaks Out

Rosebud - Rose Colored Chemo

Gina - No Surrender

Hard Copy Report

Received the report from my scans in the mail today. Nothing the nurse didn't convey, really, except it says no sign of abnormal abdominal glands, which I am pretty sure wasn't true the last time, so that is a good thing. It doesn't mention the spots I had previously in my lungs from four years ago that have remained stable, so am curious why they weren't mentioned, unless they were lumped in with the new spots. As Mark says, it takes someone with a medical degree to really interpret these things.

My Onc's nurse called me back finally yesterday afternoon to say Dr. Silverberg would call me on Sunday to discuss my concerns. I really do appreciate his taking the time to speak with me since he isn't even back to work, yet, and maybe it is a good thing that I will have the reports in my hands when we speak. My next treatment is Monday, so please send up prayers that the chemo kicks my cancer's behind.

Had a nice lunch today at Grandmother's restaurant with a former student of mine and her mom. Leah, the student, turns 25 tomorrow, so I got to help her celebrate her birthday! We had a lovely visit and caught up on all that has been happening to her. She is quite an accomplished piano player and played, again, this year at a national Band of Angels convention in Detroit for people with downs syndrome. She gave me a tour of her apartment in the basement of her family's home and she and her mom, Cindy, played a piano duet version of The Wind Beneath My Wings for me.

A quick 'funny' about our travels to the restaurant. I volunteered to drive so I could show off my new car. Leah asked me about two restaurants and I suggested she pick. Well, she said Grandmothers, but my chemo brain thought Garden Cafe. WRONG! So I am just ready to pull into the restaurant and Cindy said - 'Were you thinking Garden Cafe? Leah said Grandmothers.' Sheese! So we took off for Grandmothers - which is luckily not too far away. So we are chatting away and I drive right by the entrance to the restaurant. Poor Cindy was probably REALLY questioning whether she and her daughter should have been riding in a car with such a crazy driver!

Melanie tagged me to write 8 things about myself. I am going to leave that for tomorrow - so look for it then,Mel.

I am going to kick back and try to take a little snooze. We are going out to eat tonight on the patio at Spezia's to enjoy the beautiful weather and I want to be awake for that! Enjoy your weekend!

No Phone Call

Disappointment is my middle name right now. It is 3:15 on Friday and I haven't heard from my oncologist or received the scan reports in the mail. I called the oncologist's office this morning to remind them that the onc nurse had said that Dr. Silverberg was going to call me on Wed. or Thurs., and the receptionist 'reminded' me that he was out on medical leave. I explained what the nurse had told me and she said she would look into it. I haven't heard from either one of them. When the scan report didn't arrive in the mail today I called and asked for the onc nurse I spoke with Wednesday morning, and was told she wasn't in today. Sigh.... Guess I am just going to have to wait until Monday's appointment.

I am tired today. I went to my cardiac rehab and did fine, but I just feel very lazy. I know that the chemo has an accumulative effect, and fatigue is one of the side effects, but it is cramping my style.

Surgery Postponed

I spent the entire afternoon at the hospital waiting for Mom's surgery to start. My brothers, Alan and Bert were there, too. After she was hooked up to an IV and had blood drawn the surgeon finally came in to speak to her before he got started. He flipped back the sheet on her leg and said in an alarmed voice 'What is this?' Mom had a nasty raised rash on her leg below the knee they were going to operate on. He stated it was cellulitis and he couldn't operate until it was cleared up. Mom was very disappointed - but we want her to get better - not worse! We got her something to eat in the hospital cafeteria (it was 4:00 in the afternoon and she hadn't eaten since last night) and then Bert took her back to Lincoln. I got home in time to make a quick dinner (thank goodness for the frozen, bagged pasta meals) for Mark.

No phone call, as of this writing, from my oncologist. I really would like to speak to him, so if I don't hear anything tonight I will try his office tomorrow.

Greg, our youngest son, came home last week and told us he was going to change his major. He has decided he wants to go into law inforcement. Now, mind you, this will be the fourth change Greg has made since he began school three years ago - as Mark says, a different major for each year. He started out in performing arts, then computer science, then exercise science and now criminal justice. I know that police work is a very honorable career, and I am thankful there are those who are willing to do this dangerous work, but as a mom I am not thrilled that my baby has made this decision. Physical therapy sounds so much safer! However, it is his life, and if that is truly what he wants - so be it. His dad asked him if he thought he could shoot someone if he had to and he said yes. I reminded him that he couldn't shoot a bird or a bunny rabbit, but he said 'those are innocent animals and they aren't pointing a gun at me.' Ok, I'll accept that. I also asked how he knew this is what he wanted since he had thought he wanted three other majors, to which he said 'Yea, I thought about that.' But, a degree is a degree, so he has other options if police work ends up not being his choice once he graduates. As Mark also said, Greg is a smart guy, so whatever he picks he will do well in. Sigh - too bad we parents aren't able to select our children's careers!

Scan Report

The verdict is in - and it, for the most part, is good news. The oncolgy nurse called to say she was relaying a message from Dr. Silverberg, who is now coming to the office to do paperwork, but is not seeing patients, yet.

Here is the message concerning my scans:

* fluid around lungs is less
* there is no fluid around the heart
* there is less activity in the bone
* there are new spots in the lung, but are too small to measure. We will keep an eye on them.

She relayed that Dr. Silverberg said that if the last bit of news made me nervous, he would call me. It makes me nervous, so I expect a call from him today or tomorrow. I assume the treatment will stay the same, but I will wait to see what Dr. Silverberg has to say when he calls. I have other questions that I forgot to ask the nurse - such as have the lymph glands decreased in size, etc.

The wait is over. The verdict is in. I am happy for the most part, yet a bit concerned. I will just put it in God's hands.

Coincidence?

Have you ever said 'That was a coincident!'? I am sure we all have. However, as I have matured I have come to recognize these coincidences as 'God moments'. This morning, I picked up my devotional book to read before starting to get ready for my scans - which were given to see if the cancer is being effected by the chemo I am receiving. Here is the first part of that devotional, entitled Surrendered.
"It was the day I would find out if the cancer was growing, or shrinking. I put on the hospital robe and stood shivering in the bathroom (the shivers being a combination of fear and cold)........"
Tears immediately sprang to my eyes. I felt loved and cradled and am so thankful that God had sent me this devotion on the morning I needed assurance. No, I don't think this is a guarantee that all is well with the scans (however, I am hopeful) but it spoke to me that no matter what, He is with me.
The prayer accompanying this devotion was the perfect way to start my day. Here it is:
Lord, I thank You for my life. You know the desires of my heart, and I lift them up to You now. I pray, that if it is Your will, for the cancer to leave my body.
How grateful I am that I can surrender my desires into Your loving care. I am so thankful I can rest secure in the fact that You are faithful. You tell me to cast my cares and anxiety on You because You care for me. Great is Your love, Lord, higher than the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth.
Be glorified in my life as well. I really want my will to be Your will. Grow me up this day so that my will is molded into Yours. Whatever You have in store for me, give me the strength to accept it and to glorify You every step of the way. You truly do understand my hurts, my fears, my pains as You made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Thank You for guarding my heart and my mind with Your peace.
Coincidence? I don't think so.

Heart OK

The ecco showed no problems with my heart. It was beating normally and had good function. :-) She said there was a slight thickening of the pericardial wall, which she did not find particularly alarming considering all the inflammation I had earlier this year, but it is something she will watch. Now, on to tomorrow's tests.

I didn't make it to cardio rehab this morning due to my Dr's. appointment, but I decided that was alright, as my right hip has been hurting lately and seems to be irritated by the exercise. I figure less inflammation is better for the scans tomorrow. I know that I have a large concentration of the bone mets in my right hip, so I am praying that the pain is either my old nemesis, arthritis, OR the bone cancer dying from the treatments and complaining about it.

I have felt well today, albeit a bit on the tired side. I ran a couple errands and other than the cardiologist's appointment, I haven't accomplished much today. I intended on ironing Mark's shirts that he hung to dry, but so far I haven't gotten that done. Maybe in a bit. Right now, I think I will rest. Being lazy is hard work!

This and That

The tour of Boulevard Brewery was fun. It is amazing how this company has grown in the 20 years it has been in business. A little trivia - Boulevard makes as much beer in a year as Anhieser Busch makes in a day. As our tour guide explained, they are not trying to compete with AB - they are filling a niche'. We got to taste the different beers that they make, but their wheat beer is still my favorite and Mark's favorite of what they make (his all time favorite is Amber Bock or Dundee Ale).

After the tour we stopped at a shoe store called Bob Jones. It was HUGE -especially the guys section. All the guys in our group found shoes to buy. Of the gals, only Bonnie found a pair. I was discouraged as none of the places we went had many of my gun boat sized shoes - and I was prepared to buy a few pair! Oh well - money saved. You would think retailers would get a clue and stock more of my size (11). I know that many of the younger set have larger feet. Of course, I wouldn't want their style shoes - I think I would look a little ridiculous in 4" platform wedges (not to mention I would probably break my neck).

After a quick trip to Crown Center mall we headed to the Plaza to have lunch. We ended up at a barbecue place. The food was good - but to be honest Mark and I still like Famous Dave's ribs better. However, the baked beans were to die for!

Today was a catch up day. Mark did a bunch of things around the house that I am not able to do and I did what I could to help. I went to the grocery store and then came home and made a meal to put in the fridge until later. Then Mark, Carolyn and I went to a Chad and Elaine Stoner concert. It was wonderful! I wish I would have invited a bunch of people. You might remember that this couple was on my list of favorite music. Chad plays a mean sax and Elaine has the voice of an angel and plays piano. They have started a ministry called Release that helps troubled teens who have found themselves in the court system. This concert was to raise awareness and money for their ministry. The message Chad gave was heartfelt and the music was heavenly.

Tomorrow I see my cardiologist and Tuesday I have my scans to see if my chemo is working. Mom has her surgery on Thursday. Your prayers are always welcomed.

Kansas City, Ks

Hello from Kansas City! The Brabecs, O'Connors and Nielsen's have ventured to the big KC for Jazz in the Woods to see Euge Groove - an awesome sax player. Euge's full name is Eugene - which is Mark's middle name. He has always disliked his middle name (he wouldn't tell me what it was until we were engaged) so now he thinks it's a cool name and from this point on wants to be known as Mark 'Euge' Nielsen. (Euge is pronounce like 'huge' without the h.) We shopped yesterday for a bit and went to the concert. Today we are hitting the Boulevard Brewery and a bit more shopping before heading home this afternoon.

The concert was great. It was an outside concert at Corporate Woods and the evening couldn't have been more beautiful. The only down side for me was my heart was acting a bit 'funny'. Not A Fib, but skipping beats and a little short of breath. My best guess is my red blood count is probably low - I was told 14 days after treatment is usually the worst time and I am at 13 today. I also slept lousy the night before so perhaps I was just fatigued. As always - who knows....

We stayed at the Embassy Suites and the beds were comfy - I slept hard all night - and we had a good hot breakfast this morning (ES has an inclusive breakfast buffet and omelet station). Last night was a social hour, so we had drinks and snacks before heading out to the concert. All in all, Embassy Suites is a comfortable, affordable way to have a little pampering.

Time to head out. Have a great day!

27 Years!

Today has been another productive day. Exercised, laundry, housework, cat naps - all is well.

Had to take a sample of my kitty's poo in to the vet. She had diarrhea on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (has made the litter box each time, but I had to wipe her hindy a few times). I called the vet Tuesday and was told to gather up a sample and bring it in. Well, of course, she didn't have any more troubles, and her litter box had already been cleaned out. But last night .... So in went the poo and we found that she has a bacterial infection. So now life will include tricking her two times a day to come when called so we can gag her with an eyedropper of antibiotics. I am so thankful I didn't have to take her in. Who knows what the trauma of that would have caused the poor thing! (Remember the Kleenex box story?)

I picked my car up at the dealership and came home to call the satellite radio company to get it set up. WHY can't companies use American answer centers? I had to speak with an Asian accented woman who sounded like she was a million miles away (which she probably was). I had to keep asking her to repeat herself and strain to hear every word. Very discouraging!

Today is Mark's and my 27th Anniversary! We are going out for supper tonight to celebrate. I had suggested the restaurant, Taste, but if Mark is game we might try a new restaurant that my friend Donna said she had heard sounded good. I will let you know if it is!

Productive Day

Today has been a great, productive day. There have been many moments when I did not even think about my lungs or heart - and that was awesome. It started with cardiac rehab, moved on to housework - a cat nap - and errands. I repotted a couple of plants and dropped the new car off to get it's satellite antenna installed. I am driving a Corolla as a loaner, which even though it is smaller than the Camry, it still has a nice feel to the drive. Hopefully my car will be ready tomorrow afternoon. At least I have the loaner!

Not much else is new. It is a hot, sunny day so inside is a nice place to be. I heard that next week it is going to be in the upper 90s so it looks like summer is officially here to stay.

From Cars to Scans

I am so excited! Mark and I bought a new car yesterday! Mine was showing it's age and it was time. We purchased a Toyota Camry from Performance Toyota. If you are in need of a car, may I suggest you stop by Performance and ask for Ken Knotts? What a nice salesman. He wasn't a bit 'smarmy' and so helpful. He didn't play games - went to bat for us to get us a great price - and was very accommodating. The only part that wasn't enjoyable was the amount of time I had to spend in the dealership waiting for everything to get wrapped up. My appointment was at 2:00 and I left (in my new car) some time after 5:00. This, remember, is after I spend two hours at the doctors office in the morning. The difference, though, is that I accomplished something in the afternoon! I got a new car! Yea!

My neighbor, Carol, called me after reading yesterday's blog to say she, too, had a strange doctor's appointment when she had to go on disability. Her doc, however, had a heart attack right after she left so she had to go back and have another exam with a different doc. After comparing notes we discovered her first doc and mine was the SAME DOCTOR!!!! OK, now I am convinced his brother works for the state. What a waste of money!!!! Carol said she too was made to wait an inordinate amount of time and then she didn't want the doc to touch her as he was so dirty. YUCK!

Mom called this morning to say her knee replacement removal surgery has been rescheduled for Thurday, June 28. Right now she is suppose to be at the Omaha Med Center at noon. Prayers please!

One week from today I have my scans to see if the chemo is shrinking my tumors. People keep asking how long I will have to be on chemo - and as I have said before - one kind or another for the rest of my life. I am praying that this chemo is working and that I can stay on it until I am NED (no evidence of disease). There is that possibility that I will be told that I am stable - which means that the cancer isn't growing. Stable would be a good thing, but not as good as it's shrinking or gone. If I can get to NED there is the possibility that I would be able to stop chemo and start taking Aroma Inhibitors (drugs like tamoxifin or femara) which have their own set of side effects but not as toxic as chemo. These are given as a daily pill or a once a month shot. So, my prayer warrior family and friends, I humbly request a flurry of prayers for healing - specifically on the the way to NED. If this isn't to be, then I ask for prayers for peace with stable and/or strength for a new chemo. You are so appreciated! In my friend Stephanie's words - God is able!

Patience is a Virtue

Yesterday was so busy I didn't have a chance to post! Mark and I started the day by going to church for the high school youth choir's final concert of the summer tour - the Soul Seekers. They went to Colorado this year and it sounds like they had an amazing tour. They performed at homeless missions, women's shelters, etc., and had many 'God moments'. I was happy to learn that our head pastor, Doug, and his wife were on the trip as sponsors. Their twin daughters are freshman and it was their first year to be in Soul Seekers. I think it is wonderful that Pastor Doug got to witness first hand what the tour is all about. The choir sounded wonderful - as they always do.

Greg came over for lunch and we prepared the menu that was Mark's request for Father's Day. We had grilled beef tenderloin fillets and swordfish, fried rice with shrimp, asparagus, and fresh fruit salad. It was quite delicious, if I do say so myself!

After lunch, Greg and I headed towards the mall to find some summer clothes for him. I got home in time to put my feet up for just a few minutes before we headed off to the College World Series with our friends. It was a lovely evening - and the game was a blowout, so we got home relatively early.

This morning I woke up feeling tired, but had to head off to Cardiac rehab. I exercised - though my body would have preferred not - and then headed to a doctor's appointment. Now, this doctor's appointment started out as an irritation that I even had to go - and ended up a pain in the ---. This appointment was made by the Nebraska retirement system. I am going on Disability Retirement and in order for them to OK this I had to have this doctor sign off on me. Now, mind you, I have never met this doctor. He doesn't know me - I don't know him. My appointment is for 10:15 but I got there around 10:00. It is not in a convenient location for me (42nd & Farnum). I fill out TONS of sheets of paper about my health history and I sit. And sit. And sit. I am finally taken back to an exam room where the nurse goes over my history for a bit and takes my vitals. Then I sit. And sit. Then a nice student Physician's Assistant comes in and goes over my history and does a quick exam. He leaves and I sit. And sit. And sit. Finally, with my blood pressure peaking I stomp out of the exam room and ask the poor unsuspecting nurse 'HOW MUCH LONGER? I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF!!!!!!!' (two hours if you count the fact I came 15 minutes early). She must have seen the venom in my eyes as she jumped up and said she would find out. A minute later, the equivalent of Columbo in a semi-white lab coat walked in with the nice student PA. He was disheveled (to say the least), unkempt and had a musty smell about him. He wouldn't look me in the eye. He asked how I was, to which I replied - 'frustrated at having to be here for over and hour and a half' to which he muttered his apologies and started his brief exam. He was shaking a bit, so either I upset him or he was having the bends. Not sure which. The total time with this guy was approximately five minutes. I asked him why I had to see him when I already have three specialists I deal with on a regular basis and I am already receiving Social Security disabilities. He gave me some lame reason about them not trusting the docs (but they trust HIM?) and how the state wants to be sure my onc and I aren't in cahoots. I decided he must be related to someone on the state board and this was a way of sending business his way. I couldn't imagine someone choosing to go to this guy!

The rest of my day should be uneventful. Hope your morning was more productive!

Jobbers & Kaneko

Today was interesting - rather strange. I went to lunch with a group of my PEO sisters. We had a social with another PEO chapter. We had lunch at Jobbers Canyon in the Old Market and then went to the Kaneko Art Center. I will be the first to admit I have never heard of Jun Kaneko - the artist who is founding this center. It is located at the edge of the Old Market in a large warehouse. Jun Kaneko is a ceramics artist and his pieces run from $15,000 to over $100,00. Needless to say, none of us came away with any of his art! However, his concept for his center is quite interesting and it will be exciting to follow it's creation.

Now the strange part had nothing to do with lunch, PEO or the Center. It had to do with how I felt. I thought I felt pretty darn good - until after lunch. Then I just felt like a wet noodle. Luckily, one of the gals from the other PEO chapter drove me down to the Art Center from Jobbers - I don't think I could have made it walking with the rest of the gals. Then she drove Mary and I up to the parking garage to get Mary's car (who had kindly driven me to this event). I was able to find a folding chair at the Art Center, and spent most of my time sitting. Sigh - I just HAVE to remember that I am not myself on day six after chemo - no matter how badly I WANT to be. Three other PEO sisters rode with Mary and I, so we had a nice visit. All in all it was a fun day - even though I was a wimpy puppy.

A Better Day Five

Day five after chemo. Normally, this is the day I am in great pain (in my joints and legs), very tired and in general - blah. However, I went to cardio rehab this morning and fared fairly well. I stopped at the grocery store and went to Panera to pick up some soup for lunch. I took a little nap, emptied the dishwasher and vacuumed the main level. All in all, not a bad day. Diane stopped by and brought me a little present (a serving plate I had been eyeing at Cold Water Creek) and we visited between my yawns. My knees and hips do hurt a bit, but not nearly as bad as I have experienced in the past. My appetite isn't 'normal', but that's OK. I am hoping that this 'better day five' means the climb back up will be quicker than normal. I have a lot planned for the weekend, so am keeping my fingers crossed that it is!

Odd Day

Today is an odd day. I don't feel particularly awful - I just don't feel right. I am achy and a lot tired, even though I slept well last night. I feel a bit crabby. My plumbing is again acting a bit questionable, so I will stay close to home. Hopefully the day will pass quickly and I can get on to day five. If I don't feel any worse tomorrow than I feel today, I may try to go to cardiac rehab and just take it slow. We will see what tomorrow brings....

All's Quiet....

All is quiet on the southern front - no twinges - no cramps. In fact, no anything, so it looks like we have swung the other way. Sigh......

Made it to cardiac rehab this morning - and actually did pretty well considering it is the third day after chemo. Last time on this day I had to slow all my exercises down and was pretty wimpy. Today I was able to stay at the recommended speeds and levels - so that was good. By the time I got home, though, I was tired and after a little computer time kicked back and took a nap. I am a bit achy, but nothing terrible. Just very tired. My only accomplishments this afternoon has been getting some dates set for some events next year on whose boards I sit and polishing my fingernails. Not too impressive.

Matt has decided to come home for a few weeks in July before he moves up to St. Paul for law school. It will be nice to have him home for a bit. Having him 6 hours away will make visits a little farther and fewer between. He is excited, though, and is looking forward to starting this next educational adventure. Hopefully Courtney will be able to come to Omaha for a weekend or two while he is here so we can visit with her, too.

The weather outside looks gloomy. Cloudy and darkish. There has been a smattering of rain, but not much. Guess I would rather have it like this on a day I don't feel like moving much than all sun shiny and beautiful. Just two more 'icky' days to make it through and I will start the climb back out of the land of chemo side effects. Wish me well!

Loose Ends (A Pun)

PEO was fun last night. It was out at one our member's homes on a lake and it was so lovely looking out her windows to the lake below. We had a great meeting and lots of visiting time afterwards. It was good to get back to my PEO 'sisters'!

This morning I took Carolyn to the hospital for her epidural. She fared as well as can be expected when having your spine punctured numerous times with a needle. This time they sedated her, and while she remembers the whole procedure she didn't feel each time the needle was plunged in - a blessing I am sure.

I spoke with mom and she is feeling better from her bout with bronchitis, but still has a ways to go until she is 100%.

This next section is concerning a rather delicate subject, so if you don't like bodily function stories - skip this part:
While waiting for Carolyn's epidural to be done I ran some errands. Unfortunately, while at Kohl's my prior night's laxatives decided to kick in. Luckily the restroom was deserted so was able to get in and out without the embarrassment of having an audience. I then went to Bed Bath and Beyond and then Stems (a florists). At the florists I felt a little twinge - but thought it couldn't be anything too bad, since I had just had my purging at Kohl's. I started heading to the hospital to pick up Carolyn, and realized that no, I hadn't purged as much as I thought. I parked in the hospital's circle drive and ran in to find a restroom. Unfortunately, privacy was not to be had. The restroom was THE place to be. Oh well - didn't know any of them - thank goodness!!!!! I went home, put my feet up for a bit and after a time I decided that my problem must have passed. I had a half a sandwich for lunch and then decided to go look at new cars at a car lot not too far from our house (which turned out to be a good thing). I met a nice salesman, he got keys to a car and we were off for a test drive. Half way through the drive - another twinge. Uh oh ... We got back to the lot and the nice salesman kept talking and explaining and so on - all the while my twinges were quickly turning into cramps. I finally, hastily, told the nice salesman that I had to go. He asked me to wait just a minute so he could get me a brochure to which I said 'NO, I am not feeling well, I need to go now!' Well, I made it home, but lets just say I didn't make it to where I needed to be in order to be considered home free. Sigh. Side effects. So nice. Chemo causes constipation. Chemo also can cause diarrhea. So, you play Russian roulette - which will it be? Your guess is as good as mine.

So I cleaned up, put on sweat pants and a t-shirt and was going to kick back, when Carolyn asked how my shot went. Drat! I forgot I had to go get my Neulasta shot today - the one that makes me feel crumby but helps keep my white blood count where it needs to be. So, I got dressed and headed off to get my shot. Afterwards I decided to be brave and go to another dealership. Yea, I know, not real smart. However, I didn't have anymore twinges and had a successful test drive and even swung by the other dealership to get the brochure I had to bypass earlier.

Now it is 8:45 and I am tired. I didn't sleep much last night due to the steroids given me during my chemo yesterday, so I will be heading off to bed very soon. Goodnight!

Another One Down

Another chemo down. This is number five for Abraxane and number four for Avastin. My 'substitute' oncologist must have been a child prodigy as he appears to be around 14 years old. Really - he looks like a middle school student. OK, maybe high school, but he looks really young! He said he has been with the practice for a year. Great. I go from the best in the business to wet behind the ears. He said my doc will be out for at least another month. Sigh.

The sub onc also said my doc had said I was to have scans after 6 chemos. What? He told me I was to have them after my fourth Avastin which was today! I told the child doctor this and he said that was fine, we could do them now. Reflecting on this, I assume my regular doc wanted to be there for the scans - but I want to know if they are working! I am scheduled to have a CT and bone scan on June 26th. Prayers for signs of healing in all areas are appreciated.

I made it through chemo without going into A fib - so that is great! It seemed to take forever - I was there from 8:30 until 1:15. I am not sure what made this treatment so long. I went to cardiac rehab an hour early (7:00) so I was at Methodist for a long time!

Tomorrow is Carolyn's epidural. Hopefully it will go smoothly and she will get some relief.

Yesterday Mark planted some perennials in front of the rosebushes. For some reason nothing seems to want to grow there. I bought salvia and daylilies - hardy plants that don't mind the heat and sun. Hopefully these will do better than what we have had in the past.

A few weeks ago we decided to plant a couple of tomatoes this year and I am tickled that there are little baby tomatoes growing on the plants! I know this is what is suppose to happen, so I shouldn't be so surprised, but it is so cool!

I am getting groggy, so I think I will kick back in my comfy chair and take a little nap. I have PEO tonight and I haven't been in quite some time. Hopefully I will be up for it!