Sometimes Mindless Ramblings

So Much To Do!

2012-01-25T13:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful visit with the kids. Ralph fixed a terrific lunch which we ate together. Cajun seasoned grilled chicken breast with bacon and swiss cheese on a kaiser bun served with tater tots. I took a lot of photos of Lilly then came home and napped for three hours. I don't understand why I still need to nap in the afternoon but I've read a lot of cancer survivors still do this even years after treatment.

I've been working all morning trying to get things done before my surgery. DAR-related, C.A.R.-related, some bird dog club things for Phil plus test entry forms for his dogs, then there's my regular work which I can do from home instead of having to drive into the office. It just feels like the more I accomplish the more there is to do. Nothing will get done during the time I'm in the hospital. The doctor already said the earliest I would get out would be after three days and that would be barring any complications during surgery or after. I know most of my hospital stays are five to seven days at which time I'm usually climbing the walls trying to find some means of escape! I'm a terrible patient.

Thankful

2012-01-23T23:15:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful that my new surgeon does not think the health issue I'm dealing with (complex hyperplasia with atypia) has become cancerous yet. Absolutely, positively not looking forward to undergoing this surgery which has been set for February 3. Given the circumstances, I am very thankful for this doctor because he is one of the best, if not the best. :)

This will be complicated as I have a lot of scar tissue and adhesions from prior surgeries. Praying he does not have to cut through my bowel and reconstruct. Praying he's able to get to the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes without incident.

The rest of my day was rather grand. Breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Yummy pecan pancakes! Home to nap while the hubs worked from his office laptop. Matinee movie at 4 p.m. at Carmike Cinemas. We saw Red Tails which I thought was an excellent movie, however, I read some blogs which gave it thumbs down! Then back home to watch tv and catch up on emails for State Conference.

Planning to visit with Ralph, Jess and Lilly tomorrow morning. Did I mention Phil's 25-year award from Corporate arrived on Friday? 16 megapixel Fujifilm digital camera. AWESOME!

New Cancer?

2012-01-23T22:39:00.000-05:00

I'm a colon cancer survivor of four+ years. Diagnosed Stage III at age 45. Long and bumpy road in that department. Follow up twice a year with oncologist and finally hit the once a year PET scan list. Most recent scan in September was clear except for bright spots on right ovary and endometrial area. Advised to follow up with my gynecologist, which I did.

Yesterday was my post-op visit after the uterine biopsy on December 29. Pathology report came back that I have severe hyperplasia and the pathologist told the gyn that I should have surgery asap. Given my history, I have an consultation scheduled for January 23 with gynecological oncologist/surgeon to schedule a hysterectomy.

My mother is currently undergoing chemo for uterine cancer after having a hysterectomy after biopsy two years ago.

Right now I really don't know if this is colon cancer which has spread to the uterus or a new cancer. I don't feel as devastated by this news as I did with my initial cancer diagnosis. I wasn't given much chance of survival then and I've overcome so much.

I've only told my parents, sister, brother and a few friends. Holding off on telling my sons until I have more information. Don't want to scare them right now.

It was a shock but certainly wasn't the awful way I was told that I had cancer back in 2007. My gynecologist is a wonderful female doctor. Even if she wasn't my doctor I would want her for a friend. She told me she could do the surgery but she wants me to be in even better hands. That was so touching.

I didn't cry about it once yesterday. A little whinies for about half a minute when I got home and was by myself but I got over that soon enough. :) I'm not a whiner and never have been.

Phil is home from work sick today. Has a bad head cold and I sure do hope I don't come down with it because I don't want to have to delay surgery. I want to know right away what we're dealing with and get right into treatment. If it is cancer I want to do chemo and possibly radiation. I don't want to be dealing with this again in two years like my mom is having to do. BTW, she is doing really well with the low-dose chemo regimen of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin. Very few side effects. No nausea which is freaking wonderful! Mild fatigue, dizziness and shakiness. I read those are symptoms of the Carboplatin. She's getting chemo today.

That's about it. It's 12:49 p.m. and I'm still in my nightgown sitting in bed. I got a call from my boss this morning telling me he needed me to work. :) I opened up the laptop and got right on it. Love working from home. Too bad the filing can't get done from here! haha

Why?

2012-01-14T22:08:00.001-05:00

Why do I feel so hurt when people let me down? Why does it bother me? Why can't I just accept this is how it will be and move on? Why do I feel like I always need to fix things? Why can't I say exactly what's on my mind while sacrificing the other person's feelings like mine are the only ones which matter?

Tomorrow

2011-12-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

will be my procedure at the hospital. It's called a D&C. My cervix has been closed for years and, no, this does not mean I'm a virgin. HA! I've heard that one already! My last PET scan in September showed something in the endometrial cavity. My gyn tried to do a uterine biopsy in November but couldn't because of the cervix being closed. Tomorrow's procedure opens it up so she can do the biopsy. Praying that it is not cancer. We haven't heard from the hospital yet so I don't know what time to be there. Glad Phil has a vacation day so he can take me to the hospital.

Woke up to snow on the ground. It's been intermittent all day. I've been trying for three days to get a fire going in the wood stove. Today just might be the day for it to finally catch!

Did I mention the hens are back to laying since I put the heat lamp in their house? I came back from my parents on Saturday to find 24 eggs in nesting boxes. I've gotten four or more eggs every day since then. Reno, Opal and Bella were happy to get one each yesterday. We'll see how today goes.

Dadburned service technician from A&E Factory Service Repair came out yesterday to fix my Whirlpool Duet HE washer. When I scheduled the repair online I entered the model and serial number of the machine plus gave an accurate description of the repair needed. When he arrived, he looked at the machine, wrote down the model and serial number and then went out to the truck and came back to say he did NOT have the part to fix it! GRRRRRR! The man could see that I have piles and piles of clothes taking over my basement and that I need my washing machine to work! GRRRRR! He ordered the part which will come by Friday by FedEx. Hopefully. I'm supposed to call them back after the part arrives. GRRRRR!

Did I also mention that Phil lost his cellphone in the Conemaugh River when he was duck hunting on Monday. So, when I go to Life 360 to locate my husband it shows me a map of where the phone was last. In the middle of the river. Verizon said I could either pay Assurion $99 to get a replacement phone or upgrade to a new phone for $199. We decided to upgrade to the Motorola Droid Bionic. My fingers are crossed that Phil will not lose this one.

Last Week

2011-12-26T18:44:00.000-05:00

I was with my parents. Mom's first chemo treatment was on Wednesday. We were there from 7:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. She did well. No nausea afterward. She was just fatigued but still managed to flit around the house getting things done!

Dad and I went shopping on Thursday and Friday then I went home on Saturday morning. Her next chemo is on their 52nd wedding anniversary this coming Wednesday.

Thursday

2011-12-15T14:03:00.001-05:00

Kind of a strange day. Weird, I guess. I had my clock set for 7:15. I wanted to get up early to go to QuickDraw to get my pre-op testing done today. I ended up sleeping through the alarm and music. I woke up at 8:30, got dressed, put on a little makeup and ran out the door. I didn't even take the dogs out before I left. Got to the Pellis Rd office at 9 and was out the door by 9:40. Stopped at McDonald's in Southwest Greensburg for biscuits and a Diet Coke for my breakfast and then drove home. I took the dogs out and then fed and watered my chickens, ducks and goats. It was 55 degrees when I was out. Slight rain. Very dark sky and lots of wind. Makes me want to stay inside and huddle under the covers all day.

On the way home I called and spoke to my Dad. Mom was out at a doctor's appointment. I think she was getting her pre-op testing done. Her port placement is on Monday. Dad said she has a CT scan for this afternoon.

I also stopped to look at a small camper in Lycippus. I've seen it out in the yard for a couple of years now. I think it's a Scotty and it was made in 1976 so it's 35 years old. They're asking $900 which I think is OUTRAGEOUS even if it does have new cushions, bedding and a new coat of paint on the outside. The info sheet said the water isn't working which makes me wonder what else may be wrong with it. I didn't see info about a heater and there's not bathroom. I need to find out what it might be worth. Phil would think it's ridiculous to buy one. I was thinking cheap and easy to haul. It was 17 ft long.

I work tomorrow then plan to run errands. Have to get gift cards for Christmas presents. No plans yet for Saturday. Phil is judging a United Beagle Clubs trial at Franklin Township on Sunday and I'm tagging along. After that is dinner at his mom's house. Monday is our monthly meeting at Salem. Tuesday I head to Mom and Dad's.

Update on Mom

2011-12-14T17:53:00.001-05:00

Mom called this afternoon to let me know she gets her port installed on Monday, Dec 19. She also said she is supposed to start chemo AND radiation on Wednesday, Dec 21. I don't think this is acceptable! Both are not done in the same facility like it is here at UPMC's Arnold Palmer Pavilion in Greensburg. She would have to go for radiation at a facility an hour from her house and then drive to the chemo facility the same day. I think this needs to be thought out a bit more. Mom is going to call her doctor tonight to discuss further.

I worked a couple hours at the office yesterday then took Opal to the vet. She still had a porcupine quill in her muzzle near her eye. Dr. Markle said it will work itself out but shouldn't come near to her eye. She'll be fine.

Today I worked two hours at the office and then I came home and fed animals. Now I've got chocolate chip/pecan flavored chip cookies baking in the oven. The dough even tastes good!

I have a nice fire going in the woodstove and it's warm enough (66.4 degrees) for me to sit here in the front room. It will be great when Randy installs our new Payne heat pump! I got a pretty good deal since I work for him.

Mom called again. Wasn't able to reach her doctor's office. They closed at 4 p.m. Phil called at 5:30. He was on Grant St heading out of the city and should be home by 7.

Chickens!

2011-12-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

Alright, I've figured out if you see a sign that says FREE or something on the side of the road which looks pretty good and you could use it that it's better to stop right then because for sure it won't be there when you come back through!

Today, I saw a sign at a house on Marguerite Lake Road in Pleasant Unity over by Naser's Foods. The sign read, "Free 12 Chickens." I drove right into their driveway and stopped to talk to the owner who was out picking up sticks in the yard. I asked if the sign meant free range chickens or free as in you're giving them away? He laughed. I told him I'd be back at 5:00 after the chickens went in to roost for the night.

I came back at 5:00 and almost all were up on the roost settling in for the night. One was in a nesting box and three moulty ones were out in the barn. He and I wrangled chickens taking two in his arms and three in mine. We put them into Phil's dog boxes on back of the truck. I thanked the man and went on my way.

Phil won't be happy though. Some of the chickens pooped in the boxes. I'll probably get stuck cleaning that out myself. I put five of the hens in with my other chickens and left the other seven in the dog boxes until Phil comes home from work.

I now have 24 chickens, six of which are roosters. Oh happy times come tomorrow when they all wake up at dawn and try to figure out who will be chief rooster in the chicken house! Updates to follow in the next few days, I'm sure.

Mom

2011-12-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

Two years ago this month, as I was finishing my last chemo treatment, my mom was diagnosed with Stage 1a Endometrial Cancer. She underwent a hysterectomy and the surgical oncologist thought that would do the trick with no further treatment needed. He was wrong. Last month she had a biopsy and was told her cancer was back. I'm glad to say it's still Stage 1a(b) but she'll need radiation and most likely chemo. The good part is she'll only have to do three cycles of chemo. I did 10 the first time and six (or was it eight?) the second time. The bad part will be her losing her hair but I've already told her I will make her some chemo caps! She's supposed to find out tomorrow when this all will take place. I plan to go down for the first week to see how she does with it. She stayed with me for six months during my chemo treatments. I can't say no nor would I want to. She saw what I went through with chemo ... getting so very sick and she worries that she will, too. I told her everyone responds differently. I met people who never got sick during chemo and worked full time through their treatment. I was amazed by them. I'm hoping she breezes through it all. I came through it with a sense that life is so very short, there is no time to waste on pettiness, hurt feelings, anger or jealousy. Life is what it is. We need to make the best of it and try to enjoy every day we have.

What Do I Do With My Time?

2011-12-01T01:27:00.000-05:00

People wonder what I do with my time. I'll tell you. I'm a volunteer.

I volunteer with my DAR chapter and help out where I'm needed, be it working on the chapter website or anything else I'm asked to do.

I'm a state chairman for the PSSDAR. I'm also volunteering my time as conference secretary for the 2012 state conference. That's been a lot of work and I expect more. Bring it on!

I also am senior society president of the Peggy Shaw C.A.R. society. I was in charge of getting donations for goody bags for the National Society C.A.R. meeting in July. Over 100 goody bags! That was fun!

I'm also secretary of the Salem Beagle Club. Before that I helped to organize and start a nonprofit organization called the American Brace Beagling Association which now has over 400 members. I'm quite proud of that accomplishment. It was a lot of work and I only gave it up because I was diagnosed with cancer.

I also help my husband. He's treasurer of his bird dog club. We raise dogs and are in the process of finishing our kennel building.

Lastly, I work part time for a very dear friend who is an HVAC contractor. I enjoy the work. It's interesting and it gave me something to occupy my time and my mind while going through chemo.

I enjoy knitting. After chemo I've struggled with memory loss and neuropathy in my hands. Sometimes it's just the loss of a word or a thought. Other times things tend to blank out. With knitting, I can follow a pattern and concentrate on the pattern while having the yarn bloom into a beautiful finished product although occasionally I get frustrated by my inability to concentrate on complex designs. Knitting is supposed to improve brain function. It also allows me to create something for my granddaughters, or other family members, with my hands. I think of it as a labor of love much like the quilts my granny made. A gift to them from me. Hopefully they understand how much they are loved even if I don't always have the time to visit every week.

Knitted Sweater

2011-11-26T18:01:00.001-05:00

After I finished the knitted skirt for Lilly, I decided to work on a cardigan for Dixie. She grew faster than I could finish that last sweater. Hopefully, by the time another grandbaby comes along I'll have finished it!

I loved the colors in the yarn and finally found a pattern I liked well enough to begin a project. I picked the Precious Heirloom Cardigan pattern by Lisa Ellis which I found in the Love of Knitting magazine (Winter 2011 issue). The yarn is from the Deborah Norville Collection Everyday Soft Worsted in Nursery made by Premier Yarns.

The pattern called for Cloud 9 in white by Cascade Yarns which contains a fair amount of Angora. I managed to snag up some Cloud 9 in pink from a fellow Ravelry knitter. Thank you, Bethe! One of the next projects will be using this same pattern but for Lilly this time. I do have to make something for Jassmine or she'll feel left out that Grandma isn't making anything for her. :(

I've gotten to the point where the back is on stitch holders until the two fronts are finished then they will be joined and the sleeves started.

Here are some photos.

So much to be thankful for

2011-11-24T16:13:00.000-05:00

There is so much that I'm thankful for today. Here are but a few.

Number 1--I'm thankful to be alive and that my cancer is in remission.

Number 2--I'm thankful for my husband Phil. He works so hard to provide a home for us and put food on our plates. He is a good man. I couldn't ask for more.

Number 3--I'm thankful for my children and their families and that they are all healthy.

Number 4--I'm thankful my parents are still with me.

Number 5--I'm thankful for my mother in law.

Number 6--I'm thankful that my mother's cancer is not worse than it could have been.

Number 7--I'm thankful for my sister and brother, and for extended family and friends.

Number 8--I'm thankful for my doctors and nurses. They have lifted my spirits in terrible times.

Number 9--I'm thankful to live in the United States of America and to have the freedoms we enjoy.

Number 10--I'm thankful for two working vehicles that get us where we need to go.

Number 11--I'm thankful for friends I've met via the internet.

Number 12--I'm thankful for God's plan of salvation and for sending his son, Jesus, who died on the cross and rose again the third day, to save us from our sins.

Hair!

2011-10-31T21:04:00.000-04:00

I know, what a silly topic!

I used to have very long hair for about 15 years. It started to thin and fall out so I had it cut short. Should have known back then that there was a health issue when hair falls out. Looking back I think we should have questioned it. Now we know it was cancer.

I've been in remission for almost two years. So hard to believe it's been that long! I'm really excited because my hair has grown in really thick and I haven't had it cut since this past March. Well, other than trimming my bangs, that is.

A lovely young woman at one of my favorite blogs posted a photo of her hair ideas. Since I've started pinning my hair up, to keep it off my face, I decided I'd take a photo of how it looks! I can't wait for it to get really long. Thought I'd share the photo.

Update

2011-10-30T23:24:00.000-04:00

I forgot to post that my scan results and blood work were both good. I don't have to go back until April. I'm on the once a year oncology visit now.

They did ask me to follow up with my gynecologist and to get a mammogram which I will.

10th PET Scan

2011-09-30T19:29:00.001-04:00

Today was my PET scan. I sat in the chair trying to figure out how many I've had in the past four years. I came up with the number 10. People complain about getting radiation at the dentist or going through x-ray machines at the airport but those amounts of radiation are nothing like this!

So, I'm radioactive for the remainder of the day. Can't be near any children or pregnant women so I'm home hiding. That and the weather here really sux! I heard a weather report this morning that said the Laurel Highlands (where we live) possibly will get snow. WHAT? Where did autumn go? I want a recount! In fact, I want Indian summer. Give me a few more 70-80 degree days with blue skies! The leaves didn't even have a chance to turn colors. They all fell off about a week ago.

I went in for my scan at 9 a.m. and walked out the door at noon. Went right down the road to get something to eat, then filled up the truck. Couldn't believe GetGo had gas for $3.49 in Latrobe! We paid $3.42 in Ohio two weeks ago. Glad to see it coming down. Last week it was $3.59 and the week before that was $3.69! It would only be $1.00 a gallon if it weren't for all the PA State Taxes we pay!

Said one prayer as I drove to Greensburg for my scan. Asked God to please be with me and get me through the scan without having a panic attack. He did. No panicking. Asked for my test results to be good. Will find out next Thursday at my oncologist visit.

That's about it. Waiting for the hubs to get home from work. Spoke to him at 6:30 and he was stuck in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Said traffic was terrible.

Busy Week

2011-09-19T23:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend we spent driving back and forth to Ohio for the NAVHDA Invitational. We had a great time even though Bella did not pass for her V.C. title.

Tonight was our beagle club meeting. I have a menu planned for all four days of the AKC license trial. Now I have to go shopping and clean the club house. The weather is supposed to be bad the rest of the week so I've planned meals with the cold, rainy weather in mind. Hopefully no one will get food poisoning from my cooking. :)

Got the call today scheduling my PET/CT scan for Friday, September 30. Now that it's scheduled I have to get blood work done either tomorrow or Wednesday. I meet again with Dr. V on October 6. I need to schedule my yearly exam with the gynecologist and then mammogram at the hospital. It will be good to have those over and done with.

That's it for now. Will write more tomorrow.

Busy Week

2011-09-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

This weekend we spent driving back and forth to Ohio for the NAVHDA Invitational. We had a great time even though Bella did not pass for her V.C. title.

Tonight was our beagle club meeting. I have a menu planned for all four days of the license trial. Now I have to go shopping and clean the club house. The weather is supposed to be bad the rest of the week so I've planned meals with the cold, rainy weather in mind. Hopefully no one will get food poisoning from my cooking. :)

Got the call today scheduling my PET/CT scan for Friday, September 30. Now that it's scheduled I have to get blood work done either tomorrow or Wednesday. I meet again with Dr. V on October 6. I need to schedule my yearly exam with the gynecologist and then mammogram at the hospital. It will be good to have those over and done with.

That's it for now. Will write more tomorrow.

Home

2011-08-31T01:13:00.000-04:00

Home has never actually been a building to me. It's always been a feeling of belonging. It's family. I've lived a lot of places in my life and as long as family is near I've been okay. I grew up in the D.C. area but it was never home. Home is where your family is from. I guess you would call it the "old country." I drove back to West Virginia on Saturday for my Aunt's funeral. Driving home. Every time I go back there I never want to leave. I feel home. I feel like it's where I should be. Where I want to be. For now, I live in Pennsylvania but one day I will be able to go home to stay.

Goodbye Aunt Dot

2011-08-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

I grew up calling her Aunt Dot but her name was Dorothy. She was such a special person in my life. Always has been. Always will be. I don't recall a time when she ever had an unkind word to me. When I was a toddler, Mom and Dad moved from WV to D.C. to live with Mom's brother; my Uncle Jack. Their son, Michael, my cousin, was three months older than me. Eventually my Dad found a job and we moved to an apartment of our own. We lived in D.C. until 1968 when the race riots were going on. We moved to Waldorf not far from where Uncle Jack and Aunt Dot lived. By this time our little family had added another daughter and a son while theirs added two more sons. A daughter didn't arrive until much later. Michael and I attended T.C. Martin elementary together. We were in the same first grade class. Mrs. Hagwood. Aunt Dot made a lot of my clothes. In particular I remember a blue skirt and a plaid wool skirt with attached suspenders. It was scratchy on my legs. The next year we moved to Riverdale so Dad would be closer to his job while they moved to Landover. At that time Uncle Jack was a D.C. cop. Many things happened over the years. They moved to Virginia where I met my first husband who was a friend of my cousin Gary's. He helped on the farm they lived on. I don't remember where Aunt Dot was but that summer that I met him she was gone for a few days. I came down to stay and cook for the family. They really didn't need me because Aunt Dot had taught them to be very self reliant in the kitchen. They were all better cooks than I was but I loved staying with them, loved the farm and had a wonderful time. When Aunt Dot came home she told my mother that I put things away and she couldn't find anything. That was funny! That summer we visited many times and I think I spent a month or two with her. I loved every minute of it. After Ralph and I married and had little Ralph we moved to Staunton. We didn't live there long. Jobs were hard to come by and to keep. While I worked as a temporary secretary my Aunt Dot would keep little Ralph for me. She loved watching him and I remember her saying he was a funny baby. Always talking to himself or doing funny things. After we moved to Pittsburgh, Joe was born. We went back to WV a couple times a year; reunions, weddings or funerals. Always making sure to stop in to see Aunt Dot and Uncle Jack. After Phil and I married we continued going down to visit but not very often did we get to WV the last five or so years. My health was bad with the cancer plus Uncle Jack and Aunt Dot have been in and out of the hospital. My cousin Laura kept in touch with me through Facebook and also texting. She let me know that her Mom wasn't doing good and the doctors told them they had done all they could for Aunt Dot. I prayed to God asking for mercies for Aunt Dot and peace for the children. This morning God answered that prayer by taking Aunt Dot home to heaven to be with her Mother and other members of her family. When I go back home to WV it will be hard to be at the family home without Aunt Dot. She was the best baker I ever knew. Her cakes were amazing. I wish I had learned half the things she tried to teach me. I don't recall her complaining although she could have. I remember hearing her cry out at night from the intense pain in her legs. She suffered with that pain for years and years. I am thankful that God ended her pain and that she's no longer suffering. My heart breaks for her children, my cousins, and her husband, my Uncle. My heart breaks for me because I won't see her until I meet her again in heaven. She was a good one to send cards and always called throughout my illness. If I could take one life lesson I learned from her and that would be to remember the sick and needy. She was a good woman and I wish I was more like her. God bless you, Aunt Dot. I will miss you very much. You are much loved.

In a few minutes it'll be Thursday

2011-08-25T00:17:00.001-04:00

I had the clock set for 7:45 this morning and slept right through it. One eye opened and looked at the clock at 9:35. One thought crossed my mind and that was that Rosalind would be so mad at me if I didn't show up to help her at the chapter house! I knew I couldn't let her down so I finally slid off the edge of the bed and crawled into the bathroom.

I ran around the house putting paperwork in my DAR bag to take with me. I brought the dogs back inside and loaded everything in my truck including some things I wanted to take to Joe. Then I remembered I hadn't washed my hands after bringing the dogs back in and Reno slobbered on me. Ugg. That was so gross. Back inside, I ran upstairs to wash my hands and then back downstairs and, locking the door behind me, I slammed it closed.

I walked over to the truck and climbed in, looked at the ignition and screamed NO! I left the keys inside the house. No keys to the truck and no keys to the house. Dagnabbit! I started thinking of who to call. An hour later I was inside the house, grabbed the keys and off I drove! Thank you, Ralph and Jess!

When I got to the chapter house there were two people working in the library plus one working with Rosalind and Fran working in another room. I spoke to both of them for a little bit and then went downstairs to work on the folders for the district meeting this Saturday. When those were finished we all left.

I had to stop by Rosalind's to pick up chapter stationery and envelopes, then back home I went. It was almost 4:00 when I got home. I put the dogs back out then fed my chickens, goats and ducks.

Phil didn't get home until 7:15. We had sandwiches for dinner. Left for Acme Lake to work with Bella but Freeman Falls Road was closed. We decided to go to Donegal Lake but didn't get there until 7:50. It was getting dark quickly so Phil worked blind retrieves with Bella while I filmed it.

Only three more weeks until the NAVHDA Invitational! Only about 100 dogs are invited to test for their Versatile Championship. Bella is one of them. She qualified last year with her Utility Test Prize I. This is her second attempt and we're praying it's all good! She and Phil qualified back in 2008 and she tested in 2009 but didn't pass because she couldn't find the shackled duck during testing. She kept trying to bring back the bird crate with all the birds in it! They've since eliminated that portion of the test. I think she and Phil will do well. They're both more relaxed. Last time I was still going through chemo and I know that weighed heavily on Phil during training. This will be better, I just know it!

OOOOPS! And, yesterday we experienced an earthquake on the east coast! It was a 5.9 centered just outside of Mineral, Virginia about 90 miles from D.C. and a whole heck further away from me but I felt it and thought at first that the marcellus shale drilling going on was blowing my house sky high or that I was hallucinating. Well, good to point out that I was neither blown up nor hallucinating. giggle Both good to know! My first earthquake. Hopefully I'll never experience another one.

So much has happened in such a short time

2011-08-21T22:11:00.000-04:00

Ralph, Jessica and Lilly have moved to a townhouse closer to his work. It's very cute and has a large kitchen plus the rent is lower than what they were paying at the house. The only downside is there's no view like the house on the farm. Another positive is no crazy landlord!

I finished putting together the handout for the district meeting next week and printed off copies for the attendees. Next, I need to write my speech for the chapter meeting on September 10. My topic is "9/11 Remembered."

There's so much going on in September! I'd like to go to the PSSDAR wreath laying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial at Shanksville on the 11th. The 13th is regent's club meeting at Mrs. Weir's farm. Our 22nd anniversary is the 16th. The 18th is our Peggy Shaw Society meeting and also Phil and Bella's Versatile Championship test at the NAVHDA Invitational in Ohio. The 19th is the beagle club meeting and the 23rd-25th is the beagle club field trial.

Oh, and my four year cancerversary is on September 5; as if I could really forget that it's been four years! One day at a time.

My PET/CT scan is supposed to be sometime in September. My calendar is filling up fast so I hope they let me know soon when it will be! Follow up with Dr. V on October 6.

Lilly's 1st Birthday!

2011-08-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's so hard to believe a year has passed since my granddaughter, Lilly, was born! She started walking this past week. She has 10 teeth now and can say a few words. She is such a sweet little girl.

Jess and Ralph had a birthday party for her yesterday and invited all of the family; Feldmans, Packs, Puffenbargers, Todaros and Urbans. Wonderful food, awesome cake and lots of fun watching Lilly open her gifts! My sister and her partner even came up for the day.

We had Dixie and Jassmine overnight Saturday. Joe and Chrystal picked them up yesterday and followed us to the party. Jassie was so excited to go to Lilly's party. She drew pictures for Lilly and wrapped up a book to give her.

What do you think this is?

2011-07-21T22:55:00.000-04:00

Your birthday? Nah, it's MY birthday! Last one before the big Five Oh!

Had a wonderful day today. We drove up to Ridgway to eat at the Lumberjack restaurant. Sat at the same table in the bar/lounge as we did last year. In fact, I ordered the same thing I had last year. The beef and bleu steak salad. So unbelievably good!

There was one waitress for the entire room and I think she did really well keeping things moving along. We even ordered dessert. Cheesecake. You would not believe the size! I expected a sliver of cheesecake but it was at least two inches thick and four inches high! In the end the owner came over to wish me happy birthday and said our desserts were free. AWESOME! We will definitely be back. Who cares if it takes three hours to drive there?

It was 103 degrees in Ridgway today. I couldn't believe it. We walked around town for about half an hour wanting to do some sight-seeing but we both just about melted. Walked to Rite Aid for something to drink and decided to go home. It took about 15 minutes for the air conditioner in the truck to actually feel like it was cooling. We were so glad when we got home and saw it was only 95 in Latrobe and 88 at home. Thankfully, the animals were all fine.

Hubs has already gone up to bed. I may sit and knit for a little while. Not sure. It was a really good day. Happy birthday, Carol. :)

Whazzup? Not much.

2011-07-17T19:16:00.001-04:00

The hubs is on vacation this week. Yay! Every year he takes off the week of my birthday. Last year we took a lot of day trips one of which was a trip to Elk County to see the elk. We did see elk which was very cool but we also ended up in a little town called Ridgeway and had a fantastic lunch at a steak restaurant called Lumberjacks. We plan to go back up on Thursday, my birthday. I haven't tasted a steak salad like theirs in a year. Can't wait!

I had Jassmine and Dixie two days last week. We went over to visit Jess and Lilly twice. Jassie was so excited to get to swim there. It was great to visit with all three of my granddaughters.

Had a fox come in the yard mid-day yesterday chasing chickens. I yelled for Phil to get the shotgun and by the time he had it loaded and out the door the daRn buggar was gone! So the chickens will be penned up for the next couple of days. I had been letting them out during the day and penning them back in at night. DaRn fox knew the schedule, too. That sucker would have looked good on my wall! Next time, Mr. Fox!

Scrubbed the front porch down yesterday with soapy water and bleach mixed in. Looks good. Went to Ollies and bought new cushions for the lawn chairs. Tried to clean the old ones in the washer but they wouldn't get clean. Paid $45 or $50 each for them only a couple years ago. So disappointed. The new ones were only $15.99 each. Very happy about that!

Jess gave me a box of clothes for Dixie for me to keep at my house. They are so cute! Some Lilly had outgrown and others had been given to her and she had duplicates or couldn't use. She gave me 12 containers of formula to give to Chrystal. I kept one to keep at my house for when Dixie is here. Awesome!

Haven't felt motivated to finish that Sirdar cardi I started for Dixie. I know it's been at least four weeks since I've touched it. Partly because I've been busy with C.A.R. stuff and otherwise boredom on my part. I did pick up a quick knit this afternoon. Something quick, fun and a small gift for Lilly's upcoming birthday. Middle granddaughter is turning ONE! She is so precious. She's almost ready to walk on her own. I mentioned to Jess that Lilly's hair is getting blonde now that she's out in the sun. It's curly, too, like Jassmine's was before she cut her hair last year. What is it with kids and scissors?

Phil is out training dogs with some of his buddies. Three of them are training for the NAVHDA Invitational coming up in September in Ohio. They were doing water work at Acme Lake and field work at Rolling Rock Club.

That's about it. Just wanted to give a shout out to what's been going on in my little world. :)

P.S. Jess took the above photos except the one of Jassie running in the yard. She takes the best photographs! I point and click and that's about it. Just don't have the eye needed to be a good photographer.

Friends

2011-07-02T12:15:00.001-04:00

Worked yesterday and when I got home, Phil was there before me. He took a half day vacation. When we sat down to lunch, he mentioned Chris and Joanna Zupo invited us to dinner. Sounds like fun to me!

We got to Gianelli's at Mountain View around 6:30 and ordered drinks. I was reading the menu when they arrived. It was so good to see them!

We met them through the NAVHDA chapter and they moved to eastern PA in June 2007. From there they moved to WI and finally came back to our area this year.

I ordered manicotti with a cup of wedding soup. No where near the soup that my sister in law MaryAnn makes! There was celery or cabbage in the soup instead of pasta. My manicotti was good and the sauce was nice. Phil had two pieces of salmon. He said it was wonderful. Chris had a bowl of spaghetti and Joanna had chicken parm.

The guys discussed training in East Palestine, OH with Matt Snyder and Jeff Lorenzini. Phil was up early to meet Chris at 5:30 and Matt at 6:15. They were supposed to get to Jeff's by 7:30. I just cannot get up that early and, really, I enjoy sleeping in.

Enjoyed having dinner out with them. Made plans to go to Cabelas with them on Sunday. Looking for something to do on the Fourth of July. I want to see a parade and then see fireworks in the evening. Haven't done that in a long while.

Mom and Dad are in Niagara Falls with Jill and Kim. Looks like they are having a great time. The photos are wonderful!

Joe, Chrystal and the kids are supposed to be camping this weekend at Douthat State Park in VA. Not sure if Ralph and Jess have plans. Will check with them to see what they're up to.

Have a load of clothes drying on the line outside. 4 1/2 yards of dress fabric drying that I can't WAIT to make a dress out of for my girls!

Got a text from my cousin Laura Ann this morning. She's selling me an American Girl Bitty Baby doll with accessories. Cool! Something for the girls to play with when they're visiting Grandma and Pappy. Pappy will say I bought it for me. giggle

I hear a hen announcing she laid an egg. It's funny how the other chickens call back to her. My Aunt Nancy, God rest her soul, would say they were validating her.

Sewing for my Girls

2011-06-27T17:29:00.000-04:00

I'm spending a lot of time sewing recently and I love it! A couple weeks ago Jassmine and I went to the fabric store to pick out fabric for a dress and shorts for her. She loved her dress. The shorts not so much.

I bought more fabric at Joann's a week ago and have yet to cut it out. Over the weekend I bought two more patterns off ebay and a bunch more fabric.

I'm in love with one of the patterns and really wish it came in my size. giggle Jassie is so much like me in that she loves frilly, feminine dresses. She loves to twirl and dance. Grandma not quite so much. :)

I can't wait for the new fabric to arrive and the patterns!

Dreams

2011-06-23T11:11:00.001-04:00

I woke from a dream this morning and reached for the phone to call my daughter in law Jess to tell her she had left her birth control pills on the washer at my house and then remembered that was part of my dream and hadn't really happened.

Most of my dreams are frightening so when I wake up laughing from a dream it's a very welcome occurrence!

Phil tells me sometimes I scream or cry in my sleep. A few months ago he told me I yelled, "Get the F**K outta here!" He thought I was talking to him. I remember it was a dream that someone had broken into my house and I was yelling at them to get out. I'm sure I had a gun in my hand.

I remember most of my dreams. I always have. I don't know why that most of them are scary. I remember one from when we still lived in D.C. I must have been four at the time. I remember really loud sounds and I thought monsters were coming to get me. My Aunt Nancy was in the dream with me. She was holding my hand and we were running down the street trying to get away. Looking back now I know that there were loud sirens going off in the D.C. area at the time due to riots.

I remember this dream when I was pregnant with my first child. We were visiting with family in Virginia at the time and I dreamt I was being chased by a pack of wolves which were trying to get my baby. I was fighting and fighting to keep them away. Finally I woke up and all was well. I was still pregnant and my baby was just fine. Later on I found out that the name Ralph means wolf in German. I've often wondered if I should have named him Wolf instead of Ralph.

When I was diagnosed with cancer and going through treatments I dreamt a lot about dying. I planned out my entire funeral down to the songs I wanted sung and what to put on my stone. Medical people told me to make my plans known and I did. I dreamt about me lying in my casket with the pink lining. I saw all my family and how sad they were that I was gone. My heart broke for them. I don't dream about dying anymore. I dream about little daily things. Life in general. My husband and my sons and their families. My beautiful granddaughters and how much I enjoy them.

I dreamt that Phil and I were building a new house. Next door was my Uncle Jack and Aunt Dot. I went next door to talk to Uncle Jack about my house and different things he had done when he built his. It was so funny. I walked in his house and he had arcade game machines like old fashioned pinball games which I loved to play and also video game machines. Everyone was sitting in this room talking and playing and just having a really good time. I miss that. I miss everyone getting together like we did when I was a child. Families still enjoyed each other and wanted to spend time together. Now no one has time. So many things going on in everyone's lives that we don't make time to be together. I really miss that.

Enjoying the weekend and holiday

2011-05-30T14:25:00.001-04:00

We've had gorgeous weather this weekend!

Yesterday Phil and I drove to Warriorsmark and met up with a couple of his buddies from the Shenango NAVHDA chapter to train dogs. It was so hot out. Brenda L and I sat out in chairs while the guys worked the dogs. I knitted and she read magazines. She got tan and I got burned. Thank goodness I was lathered up with SPF30. Could have been worse.

I ripped out the yellow bamboo/cotton cardi I had been working on. I had asked an online friend to critique my knitting because I haven't been happy with the tension on my projects for some time. Thankfully she noticed right off that my purling technique was incorrect and pointed me to YouTube for knitting videos. Voila! I'm on the right track now! Here's a photo of the back of the cardi using Sirdar's bamboo/wool yarn.

Today Phil bought donuts and also stopped at McD's for biscuits and a Diet Coke for me. Yum! Saved biscuits for tomorrow's breakfast.

I washed towels this morning and have them hanging on the clothes line. A load of white clothes in the washer to be hung up later. Chickens are out enjoying scrounging for bugs, seeds and worms. Ducks happily splashing in their turtle pool and goats fussing at me to be fed. :) Phil took Bella, Elsa and Leja to swim and do water work at the lake.

My sister and her family are north of Pittsburgh camping this weekend. I'm enjoying the pics she's sharing on FB. Haven't heard from my boys although Ralph did stop over yesterday for eggs. Mom, Dad and my bro are in WV visiting with family. Sure do wish I was there, too!

Knitting

2011-05-23T22:21:00.002-04:00

How many of my blog entries have been about knitting? HA HA!! Yes, I started yet another lace knitting project for my granddaughters. Oh joy! I've almost gotten through the back section of a cardi for Dixie-Lee. I have the project up at Ravelry. I guess it's just me but I seem to be having a difficult time maintaining tension with size 4 needles and bamboo/cotton yarn. And, quite frankly, I'm not pleased with the way it's knitting up. The yarn is soooooo soft so "it" can't be the problem! So, what is MY problem and, more importantly, how do I correct it?

Dog Day

2011-05-21T23:33:00.001-04:00

Phil had a dog handler's clinic today and I tagged along. We got up at 4:45 a.m. (EEK!) and got home about 6:15 p.m. What an incredibly long day. Gorgeous day but long. There were 15 people attending the clinic which was being taught by NAVHDA senior judge Al Harmeyer. They did class work and field work. Phil said it was very interesting and that Al was an excellent teacher.

Joanna handled two of her dogs in the AKC Master Hunter test today while Chris was at the handler's clinic. Ranger passed while T.C. did not. It was nice to see her arrive with an orange ribbon! Being a handler is a lot of work!
To keep myself busy today I started on a summer cardigan for Dixie-Lee. The yarn is a bamboo-cotton blend in a very light yellow. I love the color and the yarn is so soft. Just hoping by the time I finish it she still fits in it.

We watched Doctor Who tonight. It was part 1 of 2 and I thought it was just awful. There have not been very many episodes that I actually have not liked.

When we got in this evening I sat on the porch relaxing and knitting. Phil got his hunting gear together and went turkey hunting out back of the house. He heard a gobbler but none came in. I got bit up by skeeters on top of the sunburn from today.

Phil's asleep already and I'm headed there. 'Night!

What a Fantabulous Weekend!

2011-05-19T12:58:00.000-04:00

Had a great visit with my parents this past weekend. They were in for Jassmine's 4th birthday party. Attended the birthday on Saturday then got up early on Sunday and went to breakfast with Ralph, Jess and Lilly. Joe and Chrystal were out four wheeling. Afterwards, Phil took me and Mom home and then he went out to the trap range while Ralph and Dad went fishing at Greenlick Dam. When Phil got back in he caught up with Dad and Ralph while Mom and I went to my Children of the American Revolution society meeting. When we got back in I fixed pork chops, rice pilaf with almonds, brussell sprouts and corn for dinner. Ralph, Jess and Lilly also joined us. Mom and Dad left early Monday morning and I pouted the rest of the day. :(

Monday was the dreaded beagle club meeting. I always leave there with my blood pressure up and wanting a stiff drink when I get home. Tuesday I worked at the office all day. Invited Joe, Chrystal and the kids over for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. The kids were so good.

Yesterday was nice because I could sleep in. :) Phil called later to let me know he took my truck to work because the Jeep wouldn't start. Ugg. I had it towed to the mechanic and am waiting today to hear back from him. Wondering if it's the same thing as back in January. Some of the wires had corroded and the wiring harness was replaced. I'd like to get rid of it even though it's only 2 1/2 years old. There have been so many things that have gone wrong with it plus it has over 100,000 miles on it. If we traded it in we wouldn't get much of a trade because we still owe on it. What to do?

Looks like the guys will be over next week to finish up on the kennel building. We are looking forward to the day it's finally finished!

What's Up

2011-05-14T19:56:00.000-04:00

Enjoying life. Enjoying working from home. :)

I sewed all day on Thursday. I made a dress and bloomers set for Lilly. Here is the pattern.

Jess and Ralph loved it. Yay! It's an 18-24 month size and looked to be a bit large for Lilly but she'll grow into it. I have fabric set aside to start on outfits for Dixie-Lee and Jassie.

Mom and Dad are up. They came in yesterday morning. Called me at 8:30 and woke me up. Said they were in Meyersdale and would be getting in around 10. I sprang up out of bed and started trying to pick up the house! Managed to get a load of clothes hung up on the line, put in another load in the washer, put dishes into the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen and did a general pick up before they got here.

Mom and I left around noon. Stopped at Ollie's then over to Tractor Supply, then grocery shopping at Giant Eagle. Used my 13% foodperks along with coupons and saved $40 on my grocery bill!

When Phil got in from work he and Dad were going to go fishing but it was storming. We ended up watching some tv. We went to bed around 11:30 and I tried to sleep but kept tossing and turning. Had restless legs. Ended up getting the laptop out and sitting in bed until 3 when I finally was able to sleep.

Phil and Dad went fishing this morning but the only thing they caught was a 30 lb snapping turtle. They came back home as Ralph, Jess and Lilly were getting here. At 1:30 we left the house for Joe and Chrystal's to celebrate Jassie's fourth birthday. It was a nice cookout and Jassie received a lot of gifts.

Chucky and Dixie-Lee both have bad colds. Poor Dixie, I don't know how she can drink a bottle right now. Hopefully it will pass soon.

Stopped at Tractor Supply on the way home. I forgot chick feed for Phil's quail yesterday when I bought feed. Getting out of the car at home I looked at the gravel and there was a baby snake about six inches long. Dad and I thought it was probably at copperhead. I had Phil pick it up and move it because I was afraid it would get stepped on or run over.

Pouring the rain again. Phil planted the pink dogwood tree I bought yesterday and also peony tubers, and a grape vine. The peach tree he planted for me a couple weeks ago is doing really well. I wonder how long it takes fruit trees to bear fruit?

Knitting and Sewing

2011-05-10T00:40:00.000-04:00

For the past two years I've been sewing and knitting, first for Jassmine, and then for Lilly and Dixie-Lee as they've come along. I took a month off from knitting because I was bored. I love starting projects but I tend to get bored and if it's not a quick knit I end up putting it away and before I know it the intended recipient has outgrown it!

I came across a really special blog yesterday called Little Home Blessings. At first I was looking for free knitting patterns and happened on by but I ended up spending three hours reading her blog. I was in awe with her accomplishments as a mother, a teacher, a knitter and a seamstress. Today I decided to get out my container of sewing patterns and look for a project for the girls. I opened the box of fabric my cousin Linda Ruth sent me and found two pieces of fabric to match with yardage I had. I rewashed the fabric and can't wait to start cutting it out tomorrow! After this outfit is finished I'll have two more to do. Can't make something for one granddaughter without making something for the others.

I managed to do laundry today and the weather was so nice that I was able to hang out two loads of clothes on the line. I'm hoping we have more of the same tomorrow because there's at least two more loads to do.

I turned the furnace off today. It felt so good to be able to do that. The propane tank was filled up three times since December and each delivery was over $1,000.

Mom and Dad are coming up this weekend for Jassmine's fourth birthday. She was only four months old when we found out I had Colon Cancer. God blessed us and granted a miracle by taking away my cancer. I thank him every day for my life. I am overjoyed to have three beautiful and healthy granddaughters, two wonderful sons and daughters in law, my kind and loving husband, a great mother in law and two energetic parents who make me feel old!

God is good.

Up for a Change

2011-04-22T17:12:00.001-04:00

I thought it was time for my blog to get a change! I like this template. It reminds me of summer which I'm hoping arrives soon.

Last week I traveled to Gettysburg for state conference. Had a very nice time. Actually, I felt it was the best state conference I've ever attended. The first day there the weather was absolutely gorgeous and we toured the Battlefield. I took lots of photos which I uploaded to my FB page and today had 25 of the 158 printed off from Snapfish.com.

I came back with a head cold; thankfully, I had made an appointment with Dr. W two weeks ago. My visit with him went well but he thought he heard fluid in the left lung and thought it best to give me a scrip for a z-pak and cough syrup. The cough syrup contains codeine so I've been sleeping an awful lot this week.

I babysat Lilly on Monday morning for Jess who had a doctor's appointment. Lilly was just fine until she figured out that mommy had left. I felt so bad and felt like crying right along with Lilly. Poor thing. She wanted held then she didn't want held. She crawled all over the house looking for mommy. My heart was breaking. I was just as happy as Lilly when Jess walked in the door! Love to see that baby smile!

On Wednesday, after my visit with Dr. W, I stopped by to see Chrystal and the kids, and to pick up the pies I ordered through Shelby's school. Jassie was gone with her Mimi, Chucky and Shelby were at school. It was just me, Chrystal and Dixie-Lee. I stayed about an hour and then went home. I made sure to wash my hands and didn't kiss either of the babies this week since I'm sick.

Just got a phone call from Joe Plues asking me to type up the results of Franklin Township Beagle Club's license field trial results from last week and post them to the Brace Beagling website. Will have to check with Larry Lee on how to do that. I haven't worked on field trial results since 2007. I was the secretary/treasurer and website designer for the American Brace Beagling Association (ABBA) which I helped start in 2005. I had to give that up including going to field trials and running beagles after my cancer diagnosis.

It's 5 p.m. Phil should be leaving work soon. Easter dinner at Phil's mom's house. Ralph and Jess will be at her parents and Joe and Chrystal will probably have dinner at their house with Chrystal's extended family. I miss having holiday dinners at our house with the boys and their families. I have to learn to share. :)

Oooh, forgot to mention this. I wrote an email to the United Daughters of the Confederacy on Monday asking for an invitation to join. I received a reply back from the Philadelphia Chapter on Tuesday and a letter from the UDC Headquarters on Wednesday. Very interesting. The Philadelphia Chapter actually meets in NJ which is too far for me to travel for meetings. I'm thinking I'd rather join a WV chapter. Possibly I could join there and then find enough ladies up here interested in starting a local chapter.

Phil called. He's on his way home. Other than the rain, this should be a nice weekend!

Happy Easter everyone! Remember that our Savior Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again the third day. This is what Easter is about.

Another Six Months

2011-04-07T15:14:00.000-04:00

Today was my six month checkup with Dr. V at the cancer center. I was in and out this time. Yay! See you in another six months. Will plan on a PET scan at the end of September and blood work the week before the next visit which is, I think, October 6. September will be my four year cancerversary.

Left there and went to visit with Jess and granddaughter #2, Miss Lilly. Yesterday was my visit with granddaughter #1 and #3; Jassmine and Dixie-Lee! I am one happy grandma. :)

Crazy Weather!

2011-04-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

What is with this crazy weather? It snowed on Saturday and Sunday then Monday was in the middle 70s during the day but by late afternoon a storm blew in complete with hail, rain and wind. This morning I woke up to snow again and then it rained most of the day. BOO! I just don't understand what's going on with the weather.

After work yesterday I stopped by to see Lilly, Jess and Ralph. They had a baby stroller for me to keep at our house for when the girls come over. When I walked in the door Lilly was on the floor crawling inch by inch across the carpet. That was such a cool experience!

While I was fixing dinner last night I happened by the front door only to notice we had water coming in along the logs above the door. It was a steady stream of water. I thought it was because it was such a heavy rain. Today I noticed the water was still coming in. Phil had me call our insurance agent to start a claim. I have no idea how one would go about finding the source of the leak. I mean, I know the source is water, but I don't know where it's coming in at. I really hope it doesn't cause the logs to swell or cause mold.

I worked in the office yesterday. I managed to get all of the invoices filed but need to spend a day filing work tickets. Lots to do. Today was laundry day. It's amazing and overwhelming that two people can go through so many clothes! Actually, I should have said it was unbelievable.

Stopping by the DAR house tomorrow to finish up with Lilly's C.A.R. application papers. I'd like to get Jassmine and Dixie-Lee's done, as well. In fact, after I'm done there I'll check to see if Chrystal and the girls will be home and stop by.

Time for bed. I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

Today was Not a Gorgeous Day.

2011-03-30T18:56:00.000-04:00

Alas, this week has been back to winter weather and today it snowed. Blech! Soooooo tired of winter! I want nice spring weather or jump right into summer, if possible!

I worked in the office today. Lots of filing to do. I got caught up on 2010 vendor filing but haven't started on 2011 yet nor have I been able to get the 2010 customer work tickets filed. I like working from home but I still need to go into the office at least once a week to maintain the files.

I found out this evening that my granddaughter, Jassmine, had her ears pierced today! Chrystal said she didn't even cry. What a big girl! I was 12 when I had my ears pierced and I cried. I remember after the first ear was done I didn't want to do the other one because it hurt so bad. I'm really proud of Jassie for being such a big girl!

Gorgeous Day

2011-03-19T01:45:00.000-04:00

Today was such a gorgeous day, high of 77 degrees in Greensburg, that I decided to visit with Jess and Lilly.

I finished the knitted sweater and hat project I had been working on for Lilly and wanted to give it to her. The yarn and pattern are by Sirdar. I used Sirdar's Baby Bamboo DK Yarn (80% bamboo and 20% merino wool) in rinky dink. I thought it had cotton in it but it doesn't. This is just about the softest yarn I've ever worked with. I love it.

I started on a sweater and hat set for Dixie-Lee yesterday. I'm using Sirdar's Baby Bamboo DK Yarn in willow. It's a very light colored green which I also used as an accent color in Lilly's sweater above. Lilly's sweater was size 12-18 months and is a little large but she will grow into it. I'm making Dixie-Lee's in size 6 months; hopefully, it will not be too large. Lilly weighs 20 lbs at 8 months) while Dixie-Lee is 12 lbs at almost 3 months.

After this project is finished, I've got to start something for Jassmine!

Life, in General

2011-03-15T01:40:00.000-04:00

I really hate this Daylight Savings Time. Always have. Never understood the reasoning for keeping it around after World War II. I find getting up when it's still dark out and going to bed when it's still light outside quite a contradiction in terms as I'm sure most people do.

Today was errands day. I had to go to the bank, stop at the cancer center to get bloodwork drawn, and go to Sam's Club to pick up dog food.

Blood draw went fine and one of my nurses, Sarah, stopped over to see me. Said she heard me laughing. :) She looked great. Expecting her second baby soon. I think I'll be knitting something blue very soon. Enjoyed visiting with Krystal, Christina and Dana while I was there.

I need egg cartons. The girls have finally seen the light, literally, and I have more eggs than I can manage. I hate giving them away because feed is so expensive now.

I'm thinking of selling Pepper at the livestock auction. Randy said goats are going for $1 a pound which would get me about $150. I could buy a bunch of little goats and feed them on what Pepper eats. And then there's the selfishness he has with Jenny. He pushes her out of the way so he can eat all the food. If he wasn't a goat I'd think he was a pig.

Colonoscopy next week. I don't dread the procedure because that's the easy part. You're asleep. haha The prep is gagalicious. Thank God I don't have to do the gallon GoLytely solution. Two Bismodyl pills and Half-Lytely. Be glad to have this one done and hear the doctor say I don't have to come back for another two years! I need to schedule Phil's next. I don't know how he will get through the prep and go an entire day without eating. He gets sick if he doesn't eat every couple of hours.

It's almost 2 a.m. I'd better turn in before it's time for him to get up for work.

Cancer Survivor

2011-03-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia describes a Cancer Survivor as an individual with cancer of any type, current or past, who is still living. About 11 million Americans alive today, one in 30 people, are either currently undergoing treatment for cancer or have done so in the past. Currently nearly 65% of persons diagnosed with cancer are expected to live at least five years after the cancer is discovered.

That's wonderful news to me; not that one in 30 people get cancer but the fact that 65 percent continue to live at least five years past diagnosis! That's a whole lotta people who continue to have hope and faith that they will survive, and continue to fight with all the strength they have. Me, included!

Dinner and a Movie

2011-03-11T23:59:00.000-05:00

The hubs took a half day from work today to come home and spend with me. I am so spoiled! giggle

We watched a little t.v. together and, while I finished watching an episode of The Closer, he went to feed animals. When he came back in, we left to grab something for dinner.

I wasn't sure where I wanted to eat. We spend way too much money eating out when I could fix something halfway decent and edible at home. We decided it was going to be Smokey Bones tonight.

It was a nice meal and we had a very good waitress which surprised me. Lately, every place that we've eaten has given us a waitress who seemed to not have much going on between the ears. I couldn't say that about this young woman. She was polite, friendly and offered suggestions on meal choices plus brought drink refills every so often without having to be reminded. It was very enjoyable.

I told Phil I wanted to see the movie Red Riding Hood. I knew it wasn't going to be the fairy tale that I remembered from childhood. This was supposed to be a dark version. I was looking forward to a movie with a little bit of gore and suspense. The end I didn't see coming which was a relief for me because I can usually tell you in the first 10 minutes who-dun-it. I enjoyed the movie even if the movie critics did not.

Weekend

2011-03-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning Phil got up really early to meet his brother, Dave, in Ligonier. They were going to Warriorsmark for the Continental Pheasant Hunt. They had an awesome time and Dave said that Opal outperformed her mother, Bella, on points and retrieves. They each brought home six birds.

I enjoyed my Saturday by staying in bed and knitting combined with a little computer time looking at emails. Phil came home about 4:00 then went out to Dairy Queen and brought us both home salads and ice cream. Yum!

Sunday morning we had scheduled to meet Ralph, Jess and Lilly at Dino's Sports Bar in Greensburg next to Gander Mountain at 11:30 only to find out when we got there that it didn't open up until noon. Boo. We drove over to Texas Roadhouse and had a great lunch. Lilly was SO good. She had just woken up from a nap and was all smiles. She warmed up to us and waved throughout the meal, looking around occasionally checking out the people who were sitting nearby.

After lunch we went over to Target to shop for baby supplies. Jassie had called Friday night asking if she could come over. I spoke with Chrystal and we were going to have Jassie and Dixie-Lee. We picked up diapers, formula, baby wipes, Desitin (just in case), baby bath and baby lotion. Then we drove over to pick up the girls.

The first thing we did, after arriving at our house, was give the girls a bath. It was the first thing Jassie wanted to do. She likes the big garden tub in our bedroom. I fill it up with baby bath to make bubbles and she puts her Barbies in with her. This time in addition to Barbies baby Dixie-Lee joined her. I had an awful time bending over the bathtub trying to hold the baby from going under the water. Next time we're going to bath her in the smaller tub downstairs!

After bath time we watched tv for a bit and had popcorn. Then it was time for dinner. I reheated rigatoni in meat sauce. Jassie kept asking for more but the three of us finished off what I had so she made herself a butter sandwich. We played on the couch and I knitted while the baby slept in the back room. Jassie kept going back to check on her.

The baby was fine. She had three bottles and three diaper changes and seemed to be perfectly content with either me holding her or Pappy holding her although Pappy let her slip onto the couch once because he wasn't holding tight enough. I told him he's going to have to work on that. After playing Barbies and getting out the Lego blocks and building stuff, Jassie said, "Grandma, I think Dixie wants to go home to her mommy. You should call mommy to come get her." I am pretty sure it was Jassmine who wanted to go home and not Dixie-Lee! So, Chrystal and Joe had to drive all the way up to our house to pick up the girls. So much for giving them a night off!

Phil called today and told me he thought Jassie was pretty well behaved yesterday. That's a plus.

Colon Cancer Awareness

2011-03-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

Here it comes again! The time of the year where I can get up on my soapbox and talk about cancer without people's eyes rolling back in their heads. After a while people tune you out. They want to hear uplifting stories. Stories about cancer aren't usually uplifting. People think cancer equals death but that's not always the case.

Today was "Dress in Blue" day to raise awareness for Colon Cancer. It was also the day my sister went in for a colonoscopy.

Colon Cancer runs in our family. Mom's youngest sister died from it in 1983 at the very young age of 29. I was diagnosed Stage III three and a half years ago. My sister had a hemicolectomy a year ago in February. The surgery was supposed to lessen her risk of getting Colon Cancer. Even after that, she still has to have a colonoscopy every year just to make sure there's nothing wrong.

It's been two years since my last colonoscopy. It's scheduled for March 24 so it's fast approaching. I don't dread it as much as I used to. When you're first diagnosed with cancer every procedure and doctor appointment is earth shattering because you're wondering, constantly, about the WHAT IF's. What if this should happen? What if we have to do this procedure? What if it comes back? What if they find something new?

The other day I called to schedule my PET scan before my appointment with the oncologist on April 7. Turns out that I don't need to schedule one! My last three scans have been clear so my oncologist wants only blood work and we'll see how it looks and go from there.

So, here comes the preaching again ... if you are near the age of 50, or have a history of Colon Cancer in your family, or are experiencing ANY type of bowel problems or pain, get thee to a doctor quick! If the doctor tells you that you're too young for Colon Cancer let him/her know that the youngest diagnosed person with Colon Cancer was a 12 year old child. Colon Cancer doesn't discriminate based on sex, race, age or any of the other bunk you have have heard! It is treatable and preventable! Get it scheduled and have it done. Tell your doctor that Carol sent you!

Appointments Coming Up

2011-02-16T22:42:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's been two years since my last colonoscopy? When I made this appointment I didn't know what the future held for me and sometimes wondered if I'd even live this long but here I am. I'm still here. So, it's scheduled for March 24. I have another appointment scheduled with Dr. Viverette on April 7 and somewhere in the middle of those dates I need to get a PET scan and have bloodwork drawn.

My last three PET scans have all been clear and my CEA has stayed at 0.3. Just praying all is still good.

How Does One Blog About a Friend's Passing?

2011-01-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

I met Daria online through another friend's blog almost two years ago. We connected through cancer even though hers was Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer and mine was Stage III Colon Cancer. She had been through a long battle but managed to stay positive. She was still in treatment up until a short while ago. In fact, she posted to her blog a few days ago.

I was surprised when her husband blogged to let us know she wouldn't be posting any more but kept us updated through the trip to the hospital and then after her passing. She was an inspiration to many and a friend to all. You will be missed, Daria.

Newest Granddaughter is 10 Days Old!

2011-01-13T22:37:00.000-05:00

Our newest granddaughter, Dixie-Lee Sue Puffenbarger, was born on January 3, 2011 at 8:36 a.m. She weighed 6 lbs 7 oz and was 19 inches long. She has dark hair and looks to have blue eyes. She looks a lot like her sister Jassmine. I have a lot of photos up on my Facebook site.

We had a good Christmas this year. We had our annual Christmas eve dinner at Phil's mother's house on Sunday, December 19. It was a really good time. Christmas day we went to Dave and MaryAnn's for dinner, then Ralph and Joe and their families came over the day after Christmas for dinner. I cooked a 21 lb turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes. I even surprised myself!

Phil and I are both getting over colds. Mine has been lingering for three weeks now.

Puppies are doing well. I had Leja and Reba upstairs tonight for an hour. Boy, they were wild but it was fun to play with them!

Finally, we have our Peggy Shaw Society C.A.R. up and running. Our first meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 23.

It's Master Questionnaire time at DAR. Chapters all over the country and in other countries are filling out the MQ. In addition, state chairmen and state officers plus national chairmen and national officers export what's in the MQ and incorporate into state and national reports. I finally received my access code so that I can export info for my state report. In turn, that also gets sent in to national.

I started a new sweater for Lilly last night. I love the yarn. It's Baby Ull by Dale Yarns. 100% wool. It's so soft! Bought it off eBay.

That's about it. I'm getting tired so it's time to head to bed. Take care!

One Year Past Chemo!

2010-12-01T11:51:00.001-05:00

Whoo hoo! A year ago today I was disconnected from the chemo pump for the last time!! That was a freedom you just can't imagine!

As I look back at the year, I can say it's been a good one for me and my family. Even though my mother was diagnosed with Stage I Uterine Cancer, she needed no further treatment other than the hysterectomy. God is great!

Even though my sister had a hemicolectomy and a hysterectomy to remove the likelihood of her getting Colon Cancer or Uterine Cancer, she was back to running on the treadmill a week after her surgery. She's even run a marathon and a few other long distance runs. (How do you categorize a run if it's not a marathon; i.e., 26 miles?) She recovered quick and is very healthy otherwise. God is great!

My health has been very good over the last year. Only one cold which is no big deal. All my PET scans have been clear and I'm looking forward to my future without cancer. God is great!

We have been blessed with a second granddaughter, Lilly Paige, and are expecting Dixie on December 31 unless she decides to make an earlier entrance!

I have been knitting like crazy and enjoying it so much. It's wonderful to be able to create something that I know will keep my grandchildren warm and look beautiful at the same time.

Port Removal Scheduled!

2010-10-11T22:06:00.004-04:00

The last month or so things have been going well. In fact, I met with my oncologist's nurse practitioner, Denise, this past week and discussed having my port removed. Today, someone from the hospital called to schedule my port removal surgery. We decided on this Wednesday, October 13 at 7 a.m. I know! I'm not a morning person but Phil thought getting there early in the morning and having it over with would be better for us as I could sleep the rest of the day. So, I'm pretty excited about getting the port taken out!

Yesterday we went over to the beagle club to get in a few hours of work. The day was unbelievably warm and gorgeous. We managed to get in four hours cutting down Autumn Olive trees and making brush piles for rabbits. We took along two dogs and they spooked up some rabbits and tracked them while we worked.

Saturday was my DAR meeting. First one I attended since Nancy Wood became chapter regent. The program speaker was Patty Miller from the Jacobs Creek Watershed Assoc. I took photos with my cellphone. Have to remember a camera next month! The meeting went well and Nancy did a great job!

Ralph and Jess stopped over to bring me another document for Lilly's C.A.R. application. Now to get the documentation for Jassmine's as well. Then after Dixie is born we'll get hers done.

Really weird thing happened tonight. Phil and I were sitting on the couch watching the tv program Chuck and I was knitting. We distinctly heard the sound of someone knocking twice on either a glass window. Phil asked if someone was here and I got up to look. I checked the back door and then looked out the window. Nothing. He went onto the front porch and looked around. Nothing. I don't know what it was but we both heard it plain as day. Weird.

DaRn! Internet Explorer just blew a gasket and deleted the last paragraph of this blog post! WAH! I wanted to tell you how far along that I've gotten on Lilly's sweater. I managed to finish that first sleeve and knit it into the yoke. Now I've started on the second sleeve which will also be knitted into the yoke and from there on it will be knitted as one piece. Here's a photo:

Slow Going

2010-09-22T22:30:00.004-04:00

I started a sweater for my granddaughter Lilly last month. I picked out the pattern soon after Ralph and Jess told me they were expecting! I've been working on it every opportunity that I get, even if it's when I'm a passenger and Phil is driving. I figure the more I work on it the faster it'll get done.

Well, it's one month into the sweater and I've only gotten six inches of knitting completed. It's an easy knit. I just find working with size 2 needles to be cumbersome, that and the amount of stitches on the needles! Still, I'm hoping that I can have it finished before she outgrows it. Such was the problem with some things I've made for granddaughter Jassmine. I finished the pink cotton knitted dress for Jassmine last month; she tries it on and decides she doesn't like it. Ugg! Maybe it will still fit her next year and she'll decide she likes it then. I can only hope.

I stopped by the Salvation Army thrift store in Latrobe on my way home from work today. I found a lot of good buys and saved 50% on clothes because Wednesday is "Family Day." I bought a set of twin bed sheets each for Chucky and Jassmine. A top and two pairs of leggings for Jassie. Two dresses for Lilly and some newborn baby outfits for Dixie who is due to be born on January 2. Oh, and another Barbie, a pair of tights for Jassie and for Lilly, and a baby bag for Dixie.

We had a massive storm here at the house this afternoon which occurred almost as soon as I came in the door from putting Bella out on the cable. I barely had time to run back out the door to get her before tree limbs came down and a multitude of leaves flew in the door and the rain started! I was so pleased with her. I gave her the sit command while I picked up the debris from off the floor of the dining and living room and she actually minded me. She was probably wondering why it was taking me so long to pick up leaves and sticks from off the floor! I opened the door to the basement and gave her the kennel command and away she ran down to her kennel. She went inside and sat and waited for me. I was so pleased! Good girl, Bella!

PET Scan

2010-09-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

I'm on the frequent monitoring list with my oncologist. My latest PET scan was on Sept 7 and I was to have a follow up appointment with the nurse practitioner on the 9th. The scan happened but the follow up was postponed until Oct 7. Scan results were CLEAR and my CEA levels were still 0.5! Yay!

Have been busy at home and at at work, and most recently, with my DAR chapter. Brought home the Dell computer that I donated to the chapter to make necessary software and hardware updates. We're getting internet service at the chapter house! This will make it so nice for doing research in our library.

I'm working on the chapter's Oct-Nov newsletter and was asked this morning to take over as the adult leader for our Peggy Shaw C.A.R. chapter. I said yes. This is in addition to being the PA state chairman of commemorative events, which is a job I'm looking forward to this term!

Phil and I have spent a lot of time traveling recently. giggle Driving back and forth scouting out various pheasant and grouse potential hotspots for him to hunt. Have it all mapped out in GPS coordinates with his Garmin. The dogs are looking forward to getting out to hunt with Phil.

We took Opal up to be bred last week at Warriorsmark to one of their stud dogs, Harley, another German Shorthair Pointer. Hopefully it'll work out and we'll have pups in Nov.

Newest Granddaughter!!

2010-08-02T10:45:00.001-04:00

Our newest granddaughter was born on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 7:28 a.m. She was in the NICU until yesterday but she's doing fine and will probably be discharged with her mommy today. Lilly Paige weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and was 18.5 inches long. About the same size her daddy was when he was born.

We visited with them on Saturday evening. I was able to hold her in the NICU. She's lovely! She has dark hair and eyes. She looks just like her mommy and even has her heart shaped face.

I can't wait for them to get to go home! I am so proud of my son and daughter in law.

Remission

2010-07-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

I saw Dr. W recently for my yearly exam. Hey, I lost four pounds. Think it was because I took off my shoes and my jeans? hehe

We talked a little bit about life and families, etc. then he told me he had received a report from my oncologist, which he read to me. Seems my oncologist says I'm in complete remission. Cool! All is good. Just wanted to pass it along. I've been so busy with sewing, knitting and everything else except for cleaning that I forget to post to the blog. LOL!

Today's Follow Up Visit

2010-06-16T01:05:00.001-04:00

I met with Dr. V at the cancer center today. My appointment was for 1:15 and I got there at 1 p.m.

I sat in the reception area until 1:15, then was called back for vitals by one of the nurse aids. I'm not going to reveal how much the scale said I weighed (LIAR!) but the blood pressure cuff tried to cut my arm off before it gave a reading of 132/91. Not a good bp.

I got back to the exam room at 1:20 and Dr. V came in at 1:50. I was beginning to think they forgot I was there!

He walked in and said my blood counts were all normal and my CEA level was still below 0.5. Didn't say a word when he saw that I'd gained three more pounds since I was there in March! LOL. Guess he knows better than that.

He says to me, "Stay Cured," then tells me my next appointment will be in September and we'll schedule me for a PET scan sometime around then. Yay! All is still good!

We discussed my bp. He looked at my chart again and said my bp tends to fluctuate and he wasn't worried. Thought it might be because I get really worried and worked up prior to visits. That is so true.

Chrystal had an appointment for a sonogram at the hospital this morning. She sent me a picture message with the sonogram pic of the baby. Said all was still good. Heart beat was good and the baby was moving around like a kickboxer. That is really good because I was worried since she had been spotting and had been cramping.

Phil and I went fishing in the boat at Donegal Lake this weekend between rain spells. Didn't even get a bite. Still, it was very relaxing. Afterward we had dinner with Ralph and Jess at their house. Didn't stay long. The kids were heading out to go night fishing. All is great with Jessica's pregnancy. Baby Lilly has about a month to go before she makes her grand entrance.

I've been sewing like crazy for the past two weeks. First I made two outfits for Jassmine and then started sewing for Lilly. If Bella hadn't escaped and had me chasing her this morning I would have finished another outfit for Lilly today. Thankfully, Bella returned or it would have been a tremendously sad day in the Urban household. Moral of the story? Dogs on leashes at all times. No exceptions.

My Cancer Testimonial

2010-05-27T15:30:00.002-04:00

Today I was asked to give my cancer testimonial so I spent all day working on this with input from my sister, Kim. Thanks Kim!

Two weeks ago I was asked to do a blog radio program on cancer as a chronic illness. I found writing to be easier for me than speaking over the phone to listeners I don't know. :)

Here is what I wrote:

On the day before my 45th birthday, I sat in my primary doctor's office. I was there because I felt there was something wrong. I'd been experiencing almost constant diarrhea for more than six months and knew the symptoms of colon cancer.

I went for blood tests, stool and bowel tests, bowel x-rays and finally, after some discussion, given the authorization to see a gastroenterologist. A month passed before my scheduled appointment. We scheduled my colonoscopy for two weeks away on September 5, 2007.

I was the youngest person getting the procedure done and the only person who had a bad report. The doctor came in to tell us that he'd found a tumor and that I needed surgery ASAP. We left and called our family doctor for the name of a surgeon.

A week later I went in for what I thought would be a consultation with the surgeon, so I went alone. He walked in and wanted to know why I was there. I asked if he had received the report from my colonoscopy and he said yes. He wanted to know if I understood why I was there. I said yes, the doctor found a tumor and I needed surgery to remove it. The surgeon said yes, but you have an aggressive form of cancer and it's probably spread to your lymph nodes, your liver and your other major organs so you don't have long to live, and that I'd better get my affairs in order. I told him I've lived a full and happy life, have no regrets and have even gotten to meet my first grandchild. Then I asked him when we could schedule my surgery. I left his office and went to a restaurant where my son was the manager. I sat at a table and waited for him. While I waited, I called everyone I knew except for my husband who I wanted to see face to face.

A week later I had surgery to remove 12 inches of my colon and 17 lymph nodes. All of the nodes were cancer free but the surgeon found a mass on my pancreas and felt it would be too risky to remove it at that time. I was given the diagnosis of Stage III cancer of the right ascending colon.

In late October I was sent to The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA for an endoscopic biopsy of the mass on the pancreas. The results indicated colon cancer which had probably spread through the vein running through the bowel.

I was then sent to Dr. A. James Moser at UPMC who is the pancreatic cancer specialist even though it wasn’t pancreatic cancer. After meeting with him, we decided I would do chemotherapy to shrink the cancer on the pancreas and then a second surgery. That surgery is called The Whipple Procedure and is incredibly difficult. It would be anywhere from six to 14 hours in length and could even result in me dying on the operating table. Still, it was my best option for survival so we took it.

Because my options were considered limited, I was accepted into a clinical trial for Xeloda pills at 3000mg per day for 14 days. By day 12 I couldn’t remember whether I had eaten or had anything to drink, and was sleeping 24 hours a day. I started throwing up and could no longer stand. My legs burned and cramped. My husband drove me to the emergency room where I was admitted.

It turns out that without food and water in the stomach, Xeloda became toxic and destroyed the inner lining of my stomach and gut. The doctors told my husband that I probably wouldn’t leave the hospital. I threw up constantly and also had diarrhea. They didn’t know what was wrong.

Finally, someone from the Arnold Palmer Cancer Center in Greensburg, PA, saw my name on the hospital list and recognized it because I had scheduled an appointment to meet with their doctors. I was in a dream like state the entire time I was in the hospital. I hallucinated and the nurses even found me walking the halls once. Finally, I got better and was released. No one realized how very close I came to dying except for my husband. The next day my parents took me to see Dr. Viverette at the Arnold Palmer Cancer Center. I lost 10 pounds during the time in the hospital. No food or liquids by mouth for 11 days.

Because I was still so sick, I didn’t start chemo (Folfox regimen) until the middle of January. It would be one week on and one week off. I did 10 rounds of chemo and by the end of May had lost 30 pounds.

During this time I had been going in for PET scans which showed that the cancer was shrinking. Dr. Moser scheduled my surgery for July 25, 2008; a few days after my 46th birthday. I remember going into the pre-op area and my husband accompanying me. I even remember the anesthesiologist putting in two needles in my back but I don’t remember anything until I woke up five days later! Seems I stopped breathing in the recovery room after the surgery. If the nurse hadn’t come back in to check on me I would have died. They rushed me to ICU where I was put on a ventilator. My husband says I was in a coma but I don’t know.

After I woke up and was breathing on my own, Dr. Moser came in to my room and told me that I got what I wished for. I asked what that was. He said God had given me a miracle because when he did the surgery he didn’t find any cancer anywhere. He saw where cancer had been because it looked like a burnt-off charcoal substance. He cleaned everything and sewed me back up.

In the past year I’ve had three PET scans and blood work done. CEA results have all been well under the normal range; 0.3 – 0.7 with nothing higher. The July 2009 PET scan showed lymph node activity in the chest and abdominal cavity. I told my oncologist that I would humor him by going back on chemo but I wasn’t about to tell God that he didn’t do a miracle on me. So I started back on chemo and three months later had another PET scan which was clear. March 2010’s PET scan was also clear. God is good and I believe I have been healed.

My parents have both had polyps removed during routine colonoscopies. Because of my cancer diagnosis, my younger sister has underwent colonoscopy procedures and had precancerous polyps removed. Her doctors suggested she undergo a hemicolectomy because she had a very aggressive type of precancerous polyps in her appendix and colon and, since most hereditary colon cancer is on the right side, they did it to avoid any further issues there. She went through the surgery in February. My younger brother has not gotten a colonoscopy yet. We’re working on him.

My mother’s youngest sister died of colon cancer in 1983, at age 29. Even though we have a family history of colon cancer, the genetic tests on my tumor cells showed I had three out of four of the markers for Lynch Syndrome. Also, from what Johns Hopkins University Hospital doctors have told us, even though I don't have the mutated genes that they currently check for, it doesn’t mean that we do not have a hereditary syndrome; many times a gene is not found since they currently only check for four. We may have something that they have not found yet. Even so, I will insist that my sons start having routine colonoscopies at the age of 35 which is 10 years before my age when I was diagnosed. At the end of July I will turn 48.

Yep, it's that day of the week again!

2010-04-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

It's the middle of the week and I don't feel like going back to work this week. The bossman has been crabby as heck and I'm feeling lazy. Just want some time to myself and don't feel like going in. Wishing I had that computer program where you link two computers together from different sites. I could do all my work from home instead of having to drive the 20+ miles to work.

Hubs brought home pizza for dinner last night. My personal opinion is that Pizza Hut has the best pizza! I like a sauce that's somewhat sweet and that you can taste the seasonings plus I love a thick crust. Yum. He text me to ask if I'd like to eat Chinese food tonight. Of course the answer was yes. Anytime that I don't have to cook is fine with me!

What's with the weather here? It's downright cold! The furnace has come back on and is running day and night! Brr! I'm having to wear sweaters and polar fleece jackets again. Looking forward to warm weather. It can't come back soon enough for me!

I ordered a DAR member-for-member pin last week. Should be arriving any day now. Excited about my new pin. Also, can't wait for my chapter to give me my past regent pin to put on my ribbon. Currently I wear the regent pin which belongs to our chapter. As soon as my term is over (June meeting) I'll pin it on our incoming chapter regent. I'm glad to be stepping down. I like the idea that other members will have a chance to be an officer within the chapter.

Not much going on these days. Everyone keeps asking how I'm doing and I know I blogged about that topic some time ago. I'm good. I don't expect that to change. Stop asking. It's monotonous to talk about.

My granddaughter will be turning three on May 15! Very excited! Chrystal said she and Joe are looking for a swing set for the kids. Jassmine keeps telling them she wants a swing set. I'm looking. They don't want a metal one so that only leaves wood. I'd love to be able to find a used set. If anyone knows of someone who has a playset to get rid of please contact me.

Why Doesn't Colon Cancer Rate As High As Breast Cancer?

2010-04-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

WARNING: VENTING TO FOLLOW!!!

I don't understand it. It seems so hip to be a Breast Cancer survivor but when you tell someone you are a Colon Cancer survivor it's like you haven't suffered or something because you've only lost your colon and not your breasts.

Colon Cancer kills more people each year than Breast Cancer so why doesn't it get the same respect? Why is it that more people, and businesses, donate money towards Breast Cancer research?

I'm watching tv tonight and what do I see? KFC now has pink buckets of chicken that they're selling and donating a portion of the proceeds of each bucket to the Susan G Komen Foundation.

Okay, I dig pink and I've even donated to Breast Cancer research but since I was diagnosed with Stage Three Colon Cancer in 2007, at age 45, I feel very slighted that MY cancer doesn't invoke a sense of urgency among people. Women worry more about getting Breast Cancer when their chances of getting Colon Cancer are much higher.

Everyone sells something in pink offering a percentage of funds toward Breast Cancer research. I want to see businesses selling things in blue for Colon Cancer research! Men and women get Colon Cancer! It hits people of all ages and races.

Please don't think I'm negating what Breast Cancer patients have gone through. Cancer sucks all the way around. I just wish that other cancers were given the same respect and research opportunities.

Be hip! Donate to Colon Cancer research! One day we may live in a world without cancer. Wouldn't that be awesome?

113th PSSDAR State Conference

2010-04-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

Mom and I just got back from Canonsburg, PA where we attended the 113th Pennsylvania Society Daughters of the American Revolution State Conference.

We had a really good time. We worked the Lost and Found table and everyone who came past us had something funny to say! haha Fourteen members of our chapter came to conference. I made sure we all got together for a group photo. We were lucky enough to be able to get the President General (Mrs. Calvin) and our State Regent (Miss Snedaker) in the group photo. I am so excited about that! Can't wait till my photos come in.

Eleven of my chapter members stuck around to hear me read my regent's report at the business session on Saturday morning. It's coming up to the end of my term as chapter regent. We hold chapter elections at our meeting on April 17 and our new officers will be installed at June's meeting.

I've really enjoyed being chapter regent. I've had a really good group of ladies to work with.

It's All Good!

2010-03-17T20:25:00.004-04:00

My latest PET scan was done on March 8. Yesterday Phil and I met with Dr. Viverette to get my blood results and results of the PET scan.

We're sitting there for what seems like an eternity and finally Dr. V walks in and asks, "Are you still having periods?" "Why, yes, Dr. V, thanks so much for asking, really! This after you told me back in July that I would probably NOT have another period again! Well, someone thought it was funny and sprang one on me last month so yes, I'm still having periods." He thought I was mighty funny and started laughing! Then he said, "It's all good." At which Phil grabs my arm and squeezes so hard that I yelled, "You're giving me bruises!" Then he jumps up and yells, "YEAH!!" At this point I thought I would pass out and sat there with a stupid grin on my face. Something like DUH!

Turns out the only spot on the PET scan was my right ovary which is ovulating. Dang ovary. Stop it! Other than that, no cancer seen on the scan! Whoo hoo!

Friday I go in for a port flush then my next appointment is in three months for a check up and blood work, and then follow up in six months with another PET scan.

It's all good.

Thinking of Mr. Rogers

2010-03-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

I was just thinking about Mr. Rogers. When I lived in Virginia, I remember we only got three channels on the tv set. One of those was the PBS channel where I used to watch Mr. Rogers with my toddler. I also remember watching Mr. Rogers when I was a small child. I never knew where he was from or must not have paid any attention. On one episode Mr. Rogers was in Pittsburgh standing outside of the Civic Arena. It was such a coincidence because we were getting ready to move to the Pittsburgh area ourselves. I'd never even seen a picture of what it looked like. Here was Mr. Rogers walking around downtown Pittsburgh and I was watching. Now after living in western Pennsylvania for the past 24 years I am pretty familiar with the area. At least good enough to give out directions. LOL! Mr. Rogers passed away a while back. He was from Latrobe which is 13 miles from where we live. From what I understand what you saw on tv was just the way he was in real life. I thought of him today. Just thinking what a beautiful, sunny day it was outside in my neighborhood. Always when I hear the word neighborhood I think of Mr. Rogers. So Mr. Rogers, it's warming up but not nearly warm enough to just wear that zip up cardigan of yours and I think you may still need the boots for just a while longer. Those blue boat shoes of yours will have to wait. But the sunny day? I'm sure you are enjoying all the sunny days in heaven and thank you for sharing some of those with us here who think of you.

It's that Time of the Year Again!

2010-03-02T11:06:00.001-05:00

March is Colon Cancer Awareness month! Oh, and just so you know, my blog template is the same color blue as the Colon Cancer ribbon!

As you know, I was diagnosed with Stage III Colon Cancer at the age of 45. This is FIVE years before the suggested screening age that most doctors give.

I was given a pretty grim dose of reality when the doctors told me I didn't have long to live. The insurance company even gave me my own health care manager to deal with what they called Palliative Care (end of life stuff).

Colon Cancer is the SECOND leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. It is PREVENTABLE and TREATABLE. Here is a video put out by the Colon Cancer Association. Please take a look. Getting yourself screened could save your life!

Tell your doctor that Carol sent you!! :)

Vancouver Olympics & Knitting!

2010-02-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

Phil and I have been glued to the tv since the Olympic winter games in Vancouver began. I love the ice dancing. Phil loves the speed skating. We both have enjoyed the skiiers but those competing on the slaloms scare me as do the bobsledders! I just can't watch. I start screaming when one crashes.

I came across an article the other day which said the knitted red mittens with the Canadian maple leaf and the Olympic logo were all the rage. In the past week I have been knitting up a storm myself. I finished a pair of socks for my granddaughter Jassmine plus a short cropped bolero sweater for her, then started on a pair of fingerless gloves for myself. I have one finished.

I have really enjoyed knitting again. I tried to knit during chemo but just didn't have the energy and concentration to stay involved. I had started a pair of socks for Jassie in September and worked on them from time to time on chemo days but never finished. The lack of energy plus intense hatred for the yarn did me in. I loved the colors of the yarn when I saw it online. It was hand spun and the spinner decided not to knit with it so I bought it from her. It had thick and thin spots to the yarn and was too difficult to knit with especially for a pair of socks. I ended up frogging. I may knit up a hat. Some pattern with big needles would probably work well.

The snow is getting to me. I'm so over winter. I keep thinking when will it end? That and the neighbor using his snowblower at 8 a.m. on a weekend just burns me, ya know?

Phil says the propane tank is almost empty. It's at 15 percent. We had it filled the first week of January so it's hard to believe we have to do it again. The last delivery was $1100 so I really hate having to buy more but we're out of firewood and need to heat the house somehow. We do have plug in, electric heaters but if the electricity goes out we're up the creek (so to speak).

Had a nice day today even after being woken up by the neighbor. Phil and I had dinner at Red Lobster. He had this enormous platter of lobster and shrimp alfredo while I had the crab cakes and rice. Then we had dessert. Yum!

I called my dad this morning to wish him a very happy 70th birthday. They had celebrated the night before with friends. Had dinner at Outback Steakhouse in Prince Frederick. Dad said his steak was really good. Getting hungry thinking about a good steak.

We have a canine first aid class in the afternoon tomorrow. Glad it will be indoors. Not sure if we will take a dog or not.

After dinner today we went to Barnes & Noble. Phil bought a video and some books. I bought two knitting magazines and a dayplanner book. Of course it's pink. :)

My regent's report for state conference is due tomorrow. I worked on it all weekend. Looking forward to mom going to conference with me this year. Should be fun!

Knitting

2010-02-13T18:40:00.001-05:00

Did I ever mention that I love to knit? The other day I was on Facebook chat with a girlfriend I went to high school with. She is also a knitter. We were discussing projects and she sent me a link to the pattern of a shawl she's been working on and has almost finished. I lamented that I seem to not have enough time to knit anymore. My excuse? Always on the computer! With that, she said I seriously need to back off the computer. So I did just that! Amazingly, I started a pair of socks for my granddaughter Jassmine at 8:00 that evening and finished them the next morning. Later that same day I finished the mate to that sock. Yesterday afternoon I found a pattern for a bolero, or cropped sweater, that I liked so I started on it. It, too, is for Jassmine. I have the back and fronts knit up and have started on one sleeve. I'm happy to say that backing off the computer has been really good for me and I plan to keep it up! I'll be putting up photos of the finished objects soon.

Please Help!

2010-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends, please consider donating to help Maddie and Mike pay out of pocket expenses that insurance doesn't cover relating to treatment for Maddie's Breast Cancer.

Thanks, and God Bless!

Back Home

2010-01-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

I drove to Maryland last Thursday to visit with my parents and accompany them to mom's visit to her doctor on Friday.

The drive was excrutiating for me. I hate to drive. I would much rather be a passenger. I have a hard time sitting still for a four hour drive and driving really does require that you sit in the driver's seat the entire time. No getting up and moving to the back of the car or look out the window at deer on the hillside or hawks in the sky. Who'd a thunk it?

So, I finally get there after a long, long drive {did I say that already?} and as soon as I walked in the door we had dinner. Yum. Something leftover from when my sister was up. Don't worry, it had been in the freezer.

Enjoyed a nice evening with mom, dad and my brother. Friday morning we got up for the drive into Baltimore for mom's surgical follow up visit. Lots of cars on too many different roads for me to remember how we got there. Did see Camden Yards from my car window. Finally we arrived at Mercy Hospital. Beautiful building. Nice people.

Nurse arrived to do all the necessary things and told mom she had good news. The pathology results had come back that mom's cancer was Stage Ia which is extremely good news. It means her cancer had not gone beyond the uterine lining. She won't need any further treatment beyond the hysterectomy she already endured. It was such a good feeling to be able to be there with my parents and share in the good news.

We had a nice lunch at the Double T Diner in Annapolis. Way too many menu choices. Later we had a nice meal of chili at home and then I drove back on Saturday morning. I arrived home at 4 p.m. and went straight for a nap. All that driving is so stressful and tiring.

It was great to see my husband and to be home. I missed my parents but there's nothing like sleeping on your own pillow and being in your own bed.

Sunday we went over to Phil's mother's house for dinner celebrating his brother Dave's birthday. Great meal and lots of leftovers. In fact, we just finished a meal of leftovers. Believe me, they are even better the second time around!

I plan to go in to work tomorrow morning then I have an appointment at the cancer center to get my port flushed. That has to be done every eight weeks.

Happiness

2010-01-16T18:35:00.000-05:00

Is happiness truly a state of being? Is it only in the mind?

Right now I don't feel the happiness I used to feel. It could be because I have not taken my meds for a few days. Not sure.

Maybe I want more from my life? What should I do to achieve it?

I've heard the saying that only you can give yourself happiness. I'm not sure about that. Being around fun people can make you happy even if only for a little while.

Why do some people do or say things to bring others down? Why cause an end to someone else's happiness? Why not choose to bring joy to those around you?

I think being happy is a choice. You can choose to see only gloom and doom or choose to see blue skies and beautiful clouds.

I choose to take my meds and be happy seeing the beauty around me and bringing joy to everyone I meet.

I'm a blog slacker

2010-01-14T18:42:00.001-05:00

Yep, that's me. Slacking off the blog.

I wasn't able to go visit mom after her surgery because PepBoys told me my Jeep needed new ball joints. I didn't have the money to put into getting work done on it but have an appointment tomorrow with Eastgate Auto. They're going to check out the entire suspension and let me know if there is anything wrong.

I'm hoping, and planning, to drive down to Maryland next Thursday to be able to go to mom's follow up appointment on Friday, then will come back on Saturday.

Phil and I went to the RV show in Pittsburgh this past Saturday. Got there a bit late but had a good time. Toured 15 RVs. Took lots of pictures. Saw a bunch I loved but they were all WAY too large; like 35 feet long! I'd love to find something with the perfect layout but less than 25 feet long. The one we have now is 28 feet long and it is too difficult to maneuver in and out of the driveway.

Thor and his sister Kimmie passed away this week. Two of our beagles. They were the last of Mountain Girl's puppies. They were 11 years old. Ancient for a beagle. Kimmie was beautiful. She looked just like her granddam Charity. Randy also lost three of his beagles this past week. One of them was his first field champion, Butch. It's been a tough year already.

It was a high of 40 degrees today. I saw a lot of snow melting off the roads and the ice is finally starting to melt off our roof.

Mom's surgery was today

2010-01-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

I woke up at 7:30 only to find that Phil was still in bed. I thought he had overslept and then realized he stayed home from work because he was just too sick to go in. I know the dogs had him up all night. I don't know how he keeps up with them.

So, I woke up early, went downstairs and brought in firewood to get the woodstove going again. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and watched the fire in the woodstove.

I remembered that today was the day of mom's surgery and wondered how she was doing. I started texting her around 10:00 which is funny because I hate texts. LOL!

She went in to preop around 11:00 and was taken into surgery around 12:30. Greg sent me a text around 2:00 to say she was in recovery and that the surgeon had been in to say everything went as expected. He did find one tumor in the uterus which was the size of a quarter. Everything was sent out to pathology.

Kim said the nurse told her that mom was smiling in recovery and was not experiencing any pain. Wonderful! I felt very relieved because my mom has never had to undergo a major surgery and I worried that she would have alot of pain afterwards.

Dad called around 6:00 to say they were waiting for her to get into a room and then would be heading home for the night and going back tomorrow. I'll wait to hear more tomorrow. I told Phil I feel very relieved!

Perils of Wisdom

2010-01-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

A friend termed my status messages on Facebook as, "Perils of Wisdom," and I thought about that for a minute until it really sank in. How truly insightful!

Sometimes the things I say or write about are little bits of wisdom mixed in with abstract thoughts or little perils to beware. They kind of have a read between the lines thing going on. That is so me.

I really liked the term and think I'll keep it. Thanks Lynette!

Cheers to a Happy and Healthy 2010!

2010-01-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

I don't really have anything funny or witty to write about but I wanted to thank everyone who has read my blog over the last year and shared in the ups and downs of my life.

Hoping and praying that 2010 will be a happy and healthy year for all of us.

One Month Post Chemo

2009-12-30T17:04:00.002-05:00

Wow! I decided I wanted to post something to my blog since it's been way too long since I've done that and here I noticed that it's been one month since I was hooked up to the chemo bag.

Other than having a head cold/sinus congestion/sore throat, etc. I feel like a million bajillion dollars! Yay!

Had a wonderful Christmas holiday. Christmas Eve we went to Phil's mom's house and had a terrific dinner and then we opened gifts. Christmas Day we celebrated and then went to Phil's brother and sister in law's home for Open House. Great time had by all! Day after Christmas my sons and their wives (plus grandchildren) came over. My parents came up. My brother and his two kids came up. So wonderful to see them!

Mom Urban and I cooked a fantastic meal. The turkey was so moist! We had so many leftovers that I sent some home with Ralph and Jessica. Joe and Chrystal had too much to carry home to take leftovers.

Yesterday, Joe and Chrystal came over to borrow a ladder and I fed them leftover lasagna, then I invited them over for dinner and made a large pan of lasagna and sent the fresh leftovers home with them. :) We watched the movie Golden Compass. It reminded me of the Harry Potter movies. You have to read the books to understand the movies.

I spent all morning tracking down winter tires for our Jeep. Sears had them for $83.56 each but only had two in stock. Pep Boys has four in stock at $111.99 each but it's buy three get the fourth one free. You have to wait for a rebate to arrive in the mail. It would be much better if they gave you the discount right off the invoice.

Phil has the next two days off. I know he's going grouse hunting tomorrow morning but not sure what Friday's plans are.

My mom's surgery is next Tuesday. We found out on December 15 that she has uterine cancer but the surgeon is quite sure it's only Stage 1. He will do a full hysterectomy and biopsies of organs and lymph nodes. She may not need radiation which would be absolutely wonderful! Keep her in your prayers.

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to post this bit of info! I got the most amazing gift for Christmas! My sister contacted Kathy Zimmerman who designed the "Carol's Stitch Bits" scarf in my honor. Kim purchased the original scarf from Kathy and also bought another one for my mom! The scarves are absolutely frikkin beautiful and I can't say enough about Kathy or Kim! Wow! If you happen to be in Ligonier, PA and drive past Kathy's Kreations on Main Street, stop in. You will fall in love as I have. Yarn crafts are addictive. Yarn is addictive. If you find a shop you love, visit it often.

Two weeks past chemo

2009-12-12T01:37:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling great even though it's only been two weeks since my last chemo treatment. The beginning of this week was not good. I was very dizzy and so tired with no strength to do anything. I tried to feed my animals and had to lean up against a tree as I was feeding my goats. I almost passed out.

We've had the woodstove going day and night since before Thanksgiving. I've been very thankful for the supply of wood that my son Joe brought us. It has kept the house very warm. With the weather being so extremely cold, and the wind and ice storms plus snow we've had the past week, it's been imperative we keep the stove going. The electricity has gone out two or three times a day but then came right back on. No major power outages so far. If we keep the stove going we won't have to worry if the power goes out. We will need to haul water to flush toilets but that's about it. I can fire up the wood cookstove in the basement and can cook on that.

I couldn't sleep. Too much weighing on my mind tonight. My DAR meeting is tomorrow. I don't think I've been to a meeting since October.

Tomorrow evening we're going over to Jessica's parents house for Hanukkah dinner. I've never attended Hanukkah so I'm looking forward to finding out what happens.

I'm hoping to just get through the holidays without reliving the nightmare of two Christmases past. Every so often I wake up screaming in the middle of the night after having a nightmare about being in the hospital. Hopefully I will never have to experience that again.

Have I mentioned that I'm finally allowed to blurt out to everyone that my daughter in law Jessica and my son Ralph are expecting their first child, whom they choose to call Lima Bean, in July 2010? We are SO excited!! I'm hoping it's a boy. hehe Grandma's little secret. Don't tell! :) I love all of the names they've picked out.

I have a few more presents to buy for Christmas and then I'm done. We haven't gotten our tree yet; probably next week some time.

Our annual Christmas dinner at our house will be the day after Christmas so the boys can spend Christmas day with their in-laws. Mom and dad will be up. Not sure if my brother and his kids will be here but my sister can't make it this year. Joe and Chrystal and the kids, along with Ralph and Jessica will be here. I've asked Phil's mom to help me cook so she will definitely be here! I have a 22 lb turkey to cook. I have to figure out how long that bird will take to thaw out! I'm figuring mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, stuffing, and sweet potatoes to round off the meal. Then my mom's applesauce cakes for dessert. Wonder if we should pick up a few pies?

My Last Chemo Treatment

2009-11-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

You have no idea how much I tried to get out of today's chemo treatment! I wanted to blow it off and head anywhere that is nice and warm and where I wouldn't be getting poked and prodded by anyone wearing a white coat! :)

I had a year where I was cancer free. I'm hoping that this time it's forever!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

Phil got up yesterday morning and went bird hunting. He took Reno. They got two pheasants. Reno retrieved both to hand. Phil was very happy with him!

After Phil came home we left for our Thanksgiving Day feast with my sister and her partner, my nephew and his girlfriend, and mom and dad.

Kim and Jill had their basement finished and it is exceptionally beautiful! The contractor did an excellent job but more than that, Kim and Jill picked out fabulous amenities with which to furnish their basement, complete with a workout room, a full size billiards table, a full size bathroom, a tv room with a Vermont Castings woodstove, and a bedroom! Magnificent! What tops it off is a little mud room for the dogs to let themselves in and out of the house during the day. The mudroom has little doggie beds and a wall heater to keep them warm. Amazing! Phil and I oooh'd and ahhh'd for the longest time. OH, and there is even a small bar area which a microwave and a wine cooler/refrigerator. I wanted to move right in.

As we were setting up the table for dinner and dad was slicing the turkey, a car drove up. We all figured they mistakenly drove into the wrong driveway as the neighbors had a full driveway. Maybe they told the driver to park in Kim and Jill's driveway? People started getting out of the car and Kim went out the door to check on them. At least we thought that because lo and behold, it was cousin Margaret with her daughter Michelle and Michelle's two sons Dakota and Colby! How exciting! They brought along their little dog Miko who had the best time chasing Kim and Jill's three dogs around. So there we were watching four little white fluffy dogs running around. It was so funny!

Dinner was fantastic. Phil and I brought the wines for dinner. We know nothing about wine. We picked out an Australian wine called Little Boomey. It was a dry white and I didn't care for it although everyone else said it was very good. Go figure the odd person would be ME! LOL!

Too many desserts to choose from. Some of us sat around the dining room table talking while Phil, Dakota and Colby watched some football game on tv while Jeff and his girlfriend Nic fell asleep on the large, very comfortable, leather sofa.

We had to leave around 6 p.m. Phil didn't have today off and he gets up at 5 a.m. for work. It rained from Hagerstown to Somerset but from there on it was dry, thankfully. Today it has snowed the entire day. Phil had a half day today and got home a little after 1 p.m. He left around 2:45 to go bird hunting.

Yesterday would have been even more fab had my brother and his two kids been able to come over. Still, I can't complain. It was a wonderful day.

New Hair Cut

2009-11-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

Instead of still whining about my hair and fretting over the amount that has fallen out, I decided to do something about it! I had it cut. Very short. I'm happy with it and my hair grows very quickly. About one inch a month. Hopefully what has fallen out due to chemo will come in within a couple of months.

So, I was on my way to work and decided to take a detour to Super Cuts. I waited half an hour for a stylist and the one I got asked about my hair and I proceeded to tell her about cancer and chemo, etc. Big mistake! The woman decided that I needed to hear her views that chemo is bad and that cancer research is just a big business to make money, not to help cancer patients. Man, did I get an ear full!

The woman was depressing me by the minute and I kept telling her I am very happy that I did chemo because it has extended my life by two years. My initial prognosis was very grim. I am so happy for these two years. Getting to spend this time with my family and knowing that both of my sons are happily married makes me extremely happy and content. It's been two additional years with a man who has loved me and taken care of me in spite of my illness. There are so many things that I am thankful for. I try to keep a positive outlook on life. I try to do things which will make other people happy. I am not a complainer.

I was very happy to walk out of there with my new hair cut and brush all the negativity off my shoulders!

Not feeling great

2009-11-17T22:04:00.001-05:00

I didn't feel all that spiffy during chemo last week and last Friday was no different even after getting the chemo bag off. Saturday the diahooties started and I've now run out of Imodium. I have been in bed since then. Phil calls it cocooning because I wrap up in blankets with just my head sticking out. Either I'm on the laptop, watching tv or just sleeping. I don't have much energy to do anything else. It feels like my white blood count is low again. I know I'm drinking enough fluids even though Phil tells me I should go in for a fill up. I have red rings around my eyes which I'm trying to cover with my MaryKay makeup. I don't know what that is from but it's probably chemo related. Randy called today to check up on me since I haven't been in to work this week. I really don't want to do another chemo treatment. I know Phil will fight me on this. I feel so wiped. No strength or energy at all. He'll tell me I have to do it and I will. I want it to be over. I want to get back to feeling like a normal person again.

7th Chemo Treatment Done

2009-11-13T19:46:00.000-05:00

I'm now on the downhill slide to finishing up the chemo treatments. I have one more scheduled for Monday, November 30 at 8:30 a.m. I am really hoping and praying this is IT and no more down the road, over the hill or any time in the future.

I worked Monday and Tuesday. It was great to be able to work. I hadn't been in in over a month because Randy had been really sick.

Wednesday was chemo day. I was part way through the Camptosar and Leucovorin when the nurse gave me a shot of Ativan and away I went to sleep. I woke up an hour later and we were finished and ready to go home.

The Decadron keeps me awake all night so I didn't sleep. I did manage to fall asleep around 5 a.m. as Phil was leaving for work. I slept on and off for the rest of the day.

It was so good to go to the center to get unplugged today. I'm starting to get impatient and want someone to attend to me as soon as I walk in. Please disconnect me. I have things to do. I don't want to sit in this chair any longer than I have to. Wah, wah, wah and a whole bunch of other thoughts.

Phil thinks I've caught someone's cold but it could be another side effect from the chemo. The back of my throat hurts at the base of my tongue. The inside of my mouth hurts and my lips and tongue feel somewhat numb. Pray this goes away soon.

After disconnect, Mom Urban and I went to Giant Eagle to grocery shop then I dropped her off at her home and drove myself home. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed.

I stopped long enough to answer the phone to talk to Randy and then out to feed my animals. I fed the chickens and goats then noticed that Jenny had managed to squeeze through the fence in the goat pen. I threw in some hay and she came over to me so she could go back in the pen. After that I was tired and came inside. I forgot to feed the ducks.

I went to bed around 2 and woke up a little after 5.

Phil got home about 6:45 and we had pheasant soup for dinner. It was very good. Enough of it leftover for lunch tomorrow. No plans for me for the weekend. Phil is hunting at Hecla tomorrow. He invited Randy who called to tell me he couldn't go.

That's about it. Phil is out feeding dogs. When he comes in we'll get a bath and then I'll go back to sleep. I am pretty sure he has shows he wants to watch. I don't think I can keep my eyes open for that.

Love the smell of a wood fire

2009-11-06T07:23:00.000-05:00

When I drove Jassmine home on Thursday afternoon it was 39 degrees out. I thought we'd have snow overnight. Yesterday it rained for about five minutes but it really looked like it was going to snow so I went into the yard picking up sticks for kindling to make a fire.

I spent the entire day and part of the evening sitting in front of the fire watching tv. It was 75 in the great room (which is the coldest room in the house unless you count the basement).

I was so warm and toasty. Yum. Phil filled up the stove before he left this morning for hunting at Warriorsmark.

I know you're thinking, okay, you said fire and now stove, what gives? We have a zero clearance woodstove which is flush with the log walls and looks like a regular fireplace. It even has fire bricks inside which really makes it look like the interior of a fireplace. With a blower on the outside it forces hot air into the room and heats the great room area plus the master bedroom upstairs. I'm trying to remember the manufacturer. I think it's Fireplace Extraordinaire.

I decided to cook a beef roast yesterday. Too late in the day to put it in the crock pot for a long, slow cook so I browned it in my electric skillet and then transferred it to a pot and put in the oven. I only added onions and potatoes with rosemary and thyme, salt and pepper plus beef stock. It smelled so good cooking all day. I was literally in heaven sitting in my nice, warm room smelling yummy food cooking. Every time I brought up a bucket of firewood I smelled the aroma of the beef roast. Phil came home and said, "Wow! Something smells good!" It tasted even better than it smelled.

Reminder to call Randy and ask when he is taking steers to be butchered. Time to place our order for another side of beef. It is great to have meat with no antibiotics or hormones and I know our meat was raised on grass and hay.

My pcp's office called yesterday to remind me of an office visit for today. I know it's a repeat visit to check my blood pressure which goes up while on chemo. I didn't think about this yesterday but I need to call and cancel this appointment. It's flu and cold season. I don't have the immunities built up yet to fight an infection. I don't need to be around sick people. I still have two more chemo treatments to do and my bp is fine while I'm taking Lisinopril during chemo.

Thinking inside my head right now as there's no one to talk to in the house and I'm sure all the people inside my head would wonder if I started talking out loud. Anyhoo, I was thinking it's good I have my health and then bam! thinking, wait, even though the oncologist said the cancer appears to be gone, I'm still a cancer patient or should I say cancer survivor for the second time? After a year of being cancer free and then having a bad PET scan and doing chemo again I want to be able to move past talking about cancer and living with cancer. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and not think about cancer. I hope that comes soon.

PET scan results

2009-11-03T17:31:00.002-05:00

No evidence of disease! That is the phrase that every cancer patient wants to hear from their doctor and today I heard it from mine.

Two more chemo treatments, which total out to eight this time and then see the doctor on December 15. Repeat PET scan sometime after the holidays; January or February. I couldn't have asked for better news today.

Thank you God!

Halloween

2009-10-31T18:15:00.002-04:00

Mom and dad left for home today. It will be quiet here. We had a really good week in spite of having to do chemo.

It was really warm here today. About 70 degrees but it started raining. Kind of strange weather.

Phil went hunting at Hecla this morning. He took Opal and Reno.

I haven't felt too bad this week on chemo. This morning I woke up with a sore throat but that could just be a cold coming on. I really hope it's not the flu (any type). I am not looking forward to seeing Dr. V on Tuesday. Phil is going with me. I'm afraid we may get bad news again. I know, that's not the positive way of thinking that I usually have going on. :(

My nephew Grant has H1N1. Really worried about him and his family! Please keep him in your prayers!

Watching cooking shows tonight. Just relaxing. Had a nice dinner from Foggy Mountain Lodge tonight. I had chicken marsala with rice and vegetables. Phil had a delmonico steak with baked potato and veggies.

No plans for tomorrow.

PET Scan Day

2009-10-27T21:49:00.003-04:00

Had an absolutely wonderful day on Sunday at our DAR tea fundraiser. We raised $1300 for our state regent's project (PSSDAR scholarship fund). Amazing! Loads of fun.

Today was a repeat of my PET scan from July. Hopefully this one turns out better. Praying for no spots and nothing at all lit up on the scan!

Tomorrow is chemo day so I probably won't post again for a few days depending on how this one goes. Last time, not so good. But I have to say in the last week I have felt SO much better than the weeks between chemo while on Oxaliplatin so maybe changing to Camptosar was a good thing even if I do have severe nausea the first day or two.

On Sunday Phil and dad went to Warriorsmark so Phil could compete in a bird shoot with Bella. Usually he hits 9 out of 12 shots but not so good this time. They have gone grouse hunting in Clearfield County yesterday and today. They brought back lots of ticks with them yesterday but none today. Yay.

Gave away one of the beagles tonight. A good friend of Joe and Chrystal's took Sukey. She will make a nice hunting dog. She's just a little faster than we can use for brace field trials but no lickety split gun dog. David will need to work her to get where she needs to be but she's a nice dog and he will enjoy her.

Had a terrific evening last night. Mom and I fixed a huge pot of spaghetti sauce and two pots of noodles and Joe and Chrystal and the kids came over. We had an ice cream cake from DQ for dessert. So yummy. It's great to be able to eat and drink cold things again!

6:38 a.m. on Wednesday morning and all's well!

2009-10-21T06:37:00.005-04:00

The last few blog notes have sounded pretty daRn depressing. Sorry about that. Need to get an attitude adjustment as my parents used to say to me. Right about then the Hechinger paint stick would come out.

Funny thing about that paint stick and, wondering if my parents still have it, it had mine, my sister's and my brother's names written on it. Like who else would my parents have whipped? Hmmm? Well, I do remember my mom whipping my cousin's bum once but he was a hateful little thing and deserved it copiously.

After watching many reruns of Supernanny, I realize I could have used JoJo to teach me parenting skills. I didn't have a paint stick but I did have wooden spoons. They broke too easily.

I woke up at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Phil got up at 4:30 and I stayed up. Just checking blogs I follow (knitting, cancer related, funny ones, etc.). Planning to go in to the chapter house today. It's been over a month since I was in and I need to let them know I'm still alive and kicking.

Mom and dad are coming up this weekend. Dad and Phil have plans to drive back and forth to grouse hunt. Sunday mom and I have our DAR tea. Monday is open, maybe a lunch out and some shopping? Tuesday is the dreaded PET scan and Wednesday, gag me, is chemo day then I get disconnected on Friday. Let's hope this chemo treatment goes better than the last one. This will be number six. Hopefully we'll find out on Nov 3 how many more I'll need.

Tuesday of another week

2009-10-20T15:19:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm still in bed 24/7. This staying in bed all the time is exhausting but getting up and trying to actually DO something is more exhausting! I was so looking forward to not having chemo the rest of the month and am really disappointed that I'll be getting chemo during the week my parents are coming to visit.

I feel very discouraged because I haven't any idea of how well the chemo and my body are fighting my cancer. I know my PET scan is scheduled but I'd like to have some inclination of how I'm doing. I see myself from the outside and don't like what I see so I worry about how the inside is doing.

Really looking forward to my DAR tea this weekend! Two of us have worked on this since May or June, I forget. I will be excited to see all the ladies and take photos for the local papers. This tea fundraiser is to help with our state regent's project which is to increase the amount of money we're able to give to scholarship applicants and/or increase the amount of scholarships we can give. I love DAR. I love to feel like something I'm helping with is a worthwhile cause and see the benefits.

Yesterday was Phil's birthday. My hubby turned 49. I was 25 and he was 27 when we met. Wow, the memories! It wasn't the birthday I envisioned for him. We had a beagle club meeting last night and we should have just stayed home. I promised I would make him spaghetti for dinner tonight. I also thought I might be able to feed animals for him but I really don't think I'll be able to manage that. Spaghetti I can do.

The Weekend Report

2009-10-19T10:10:00.005-04:00

The weekend went by too quickly, as usual. Phil went to Chestnut Ridge Sporting Clays on Saturday morning while I slept in. When I woke up I got on the computer and also turned on the tv to watching the Food Network. Giada and Ina were cooking up yummy looking eats. Love their shows!

Ralph's 26th birthday was Friday. Let's see, 26 years ago what was I doing? I'll save that for another blog entry.

Phil called at 12:30 to say he was stopping at Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch and what would I like? Jess texted to say they were stopping by so I called Phil back to say buy a bucket of chicken and some fixings cause the kids are coming over.

Phil and the kids got here at the same time. giggle Funny how that happens. We had a nice lunch and exchanged birthday cards with the kids and Phil. Ralph's was the 16th, Jess and Phil's birthday's are the 19th (today). They stayed until about 2:30 then left to enjoy the rest of their birthday weekend together. Newlyweds! Ah! Love it.

About 2:30 Sunday morning we were awakened by some horrible animal sounds coming from near the chicken coop and goat pens. It didn't sound like a fox or a coyote. It sounded like the rabbits were getting eaten. That is a horrible squealing sound. Whatever it was stayed out there making those sounds for a long time. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and Phil went outside to check on the animals. He didn't take a gun or anything to defend himself, course I didn't know that at the time. Bella, Reno and Opal started barking and scared whatever it was away.

All the chickens and goats were accounted for including the ducks. Phil said the baby goats just looked at him like, "stop shining that light on us, we're sleeping." I don't know what it was making those awful sounds but we think it could have been one of the mountain panthers that are around here. Ralph's friend Bill took pictures of one in his backyard with a trail camera. He lives outside of Indian Head almost in Somerset. Lots of rocks and places for those kind of animals to live.

Finally we got back to sleep. I think I slept in until 9:30 or 10. Phil's mom was fixing a birthday dinner for him at her house at 1. He was up since 7:30 to do testing for work. He didn't get off the phone with work until 1:10. I called to let her know we'd be late.

The one thing I've been feeling with this new chemo is extreme exhaustion. I had to really push myself to get my bath then I had to lay down for half an hour. My eyes are watering so much I don't even try to do makeup anymore. I try not to look in the mirror because I feel like I look terrible. My hair looks so thin and I look so pale. Of course I haven't lost any weight because Phil's mom is such a good cook. haha

So, I managed to finally get dressed and out the door we went. Dinner was lovely but I ate too much. Fried pork chops, rice, beets, green beans, pumpkin squares and fresh raspberry jello desserts. I had one serving of each but that was a lot of food.

Phil received two nice dress shirts and Dockers pants from his mom. His brother Dave and wife MaryAnn gave him some really cool gifts. He received a headlamp and also a tripod flashlight/lamp which we could have used in the middle of the night to see what the heck was scaring me half to death outside my bedroom window! Can't wait to try these gadgets out!

Beautiful sunny day here today. Almost all of the leaves in the backyard have fallen but the ones out front are still beautifully painted on the trees. God is good with the things he does to keep me positive and cheerful.

Started new chemo this week

2009-10-16T18:41:00.002-04:00

We went into the cancer center on Tuesday morning and my nurse tells me my white blood count is lower than it was last week so she's not certain she can give me chemo! She said she would talk to Dr. V and I said please tell him this is ruining my month. I want to do the chemo and get it over with. I don't want to postpone it any further. She came back a while later and said he agreed to give me the chemo at a reduced dose of 75%.

I was doing pretty well right up until I got the Camptosar and my face got flushed and I felt hot all over. Some mild nausea but no diarrhea. Fell asleep and was woken up when the meds were finished and it was time to put the fanny pack with chemo pump on (filled with 5-FU).

I managed to last all the way home without throwing up. As soon as I got up to my room I threw up and then threw up every couple of hours throughout the night and into the next day. I couldn't eat because nothing would stay down.

At noon on Wednesday Mom Urban asked me to call the center to see if there was something they could do for me. We ended up just driving in and stayed there four hours while they gave me fluids, disconnected the chemo bag and gave me Ativan and Tagamet. My bp had gone up to 151/99 and temp 99.3. Then they sent us to the ER to get bloodwork and cultures done so off we went. We were there until 10 p.m. when my temp went down to 98.3 and the bp, too. So they sent me home.

It will be a couple of days until we hear back about the blood work and cultures. They were thinking I could possibly have an infection in my port. Who knows?

Yesterday was a pretty good day. I felt really normal. Today has not been a good day. I've been weak and tired all day with mild nausea but no throwing up and only a slight bit of diarrhea.

Ralph's 26th birthday is today. I have cards for him and Jessica but I haven't seen them to hand them out. I had to take Mom home today and that just wore me out even worse so I know I won't be going anywhere tonight. Maybe they will stop over tomorrow.

Joe stopped over yesterday by himself. It was so nice to see him. Chrystal and the kids are sick so he came by himself.

Mom and Dad are in WV for their class reunions this weekend. That is so exciting to make it to 50 and 52 years past your graduation. I hope I live that long.

Hospital called to say my next PET scan is Oct 27 and next chemo is Oct 28. Dreading both of them but I know I can get through this. I'm a strong person.

Sick People Stay Away

2009-10-12T11:55:00.002-04:00

I keep reading about all these people who have the flu. Just stay home and take sick leave until it passes. None of the rest of us want to get what you have so just stay home and keep your germs to yourself!

People think it's just a cold or maybe they don't think about what they could be passing on to the next person. Being on chemo, I don't know what amount of immunities I have to fight infections, and I really don't want to find out. I especially don't want to end up in the hospital. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again.

Phil and I had a late lunch/early dinner at Eat n Park in Latrobe yesterday. I absolutely hate it when people talk on the phone in public areas; restaurants, bathrooms, etc. This young woman answered the phone and proceeded to have a conversation, not with the people who were with her at the table, but with someone on the phone, for maybe 20 minutes explaining to the person how she had just gotten out of the hospital because her iron level was too low. I thought she was extremely rude not just to the people who were with her but to everyone in the surrounding area of the restaurant who had to endure her conversation and listen to her whine about why the doctor didn't order the right tests, etc. Whine, whine, whine. People, stop whining. Whatever is going on with you isn't as bad as what's going on with someone else. And, puh-leeze stop answering that phone when it's not an emergency.

Okay, down off the soap box for now but I reserve the right to get right back up on it whenever I choose. :)

Spending time with my Granddaughter

2009-10-08T20:18:00.002-04:00

I was so unbelievably excited today to be spending time with my granddaughter Jassmine!

I got over to Joe and Chrystal's a little after 11 a.m. Jassie and I headed out to Burger King's play yard but first stopped for gas at Get Go. She thought she was allowed to get out of her carseat at the gas station and almost started crying when I told her no but I put the windows down in the back so she could see me pumping gas.

We got to Burger King a little after 12:00 noon and there must have been 20 people standing in line waiting to place an order. Amazing! We ordered our meals and headed out to the play yard. Jassie wanted to play but I told her we had to eat our meals first. She sat there eating her apple fries while looking at the equipment. She really wanted to go!

The batteries in my camera didn't last. I was able to take six pictures and that was it. A lady there with her kids took a pic of me and Jassie but the batteries died before it saved the picture. Drat!

Jassie was so much bolder than she was back in February when I took her and Chucky to the play yard. She climbed all the way up and all the way back down and then said, "Grandma come play." So I climbed up inside and went down the slide with her. Wow, I screamed the whole way down. I remember my boys telling me to stop screaming on the log jammer at Kennywood when they were little. I guess I embarrassed them!

All the little kids in the play yard were yelling for Grandma to come play with them. I am such a kid at heart. I had a good time.

After playing Jassie and I went to Sears where we spent all of Pappy's money on clothes for her. :) GIGGLE

Is today Wednesday already?

2009-10-07T20:24:00.002-04:00

Wow, time sure seems to fly or I'm just forgetful.

The cancer center called today to let me know next Tuesday, October 13, will be my last chemo until I see Dr. Viverette on Tuesday, November 3. They are scheduling my PET scan for sometime at the end of October. No having to drive down to Magee this time. The imaging center next door to the cancer center at Mountain View can do it there. Well shut my mouth! Why didn't someone tell me that before? I wouldn't have had to drive all the way into Pittsburgh all those times! Sheesh!

Disappointment

2009-10-06T15:10:00.002-04:00

Today Mom Urban and I had to be at the cancer center at 8:45. We got in to the treatment area around 9:10. I set up my laptop, got my snacks out and then had my bloodwork taken by my nurse Kim. Then the urine test. She told me Dr. Viverette had spoken with the pharmacist at UPMC and they decided to switch out one of my chemo drugs. I won't be getting Oxaliplatin anymore. They are going to start me out on Camptosar. The major side effect is severe diarrhea and stomach cramping. To combat that I will be getting oral charcoal. Sounds nasty. A while later she came back to tell me my white blood count was too low to get chemo today. I was so disappointed. Today was to be chemo round #5.

We left there and went to Eat N Park in Latrobe for an early lunch. Food is always good there and our service was also very good. We did a little grocery shopping at Aldi's and then headed home to drop off the groceries and take Mom Urban back to her house. My next round of chemo is scheduled for October 13.

Friday!

2009-10-02T14:25:00.003-04:00

Phil took today off to spend with me. ha! He woke me up at 7 a.m. to let me know he had made an appt at Murray Electric in Latrobe for my truck. Someone put their big foot through the wiring harness on the tow-braking system. Hmm? Not my little size 6 1/2! Methinks it was the man of the house and those big size 12-13 feet.

Have the family vacation/50th anniversary celebration planned. We're going to the Bahamas in the spring to celebrate mom and dad's anniversary. Sis and bro say they're in. I chose a three story, three bedroom, three and a half bath villa which, hopefully, is on the ocean. The photos are fantastic! Now to get passports. I noticed that both mine and Phil's birth certificates aren't good enough for the passport application. They need to be certified BC that list our parents names plus all of our birth information and birth location. So, I will be applying for those this week.

The garage called to say the truck was ready and they shrunk wrapped the wiring harness so it can't be disturbed again. Yay!

We're taking the kids out to dinner tonight to Cracker Barrel. Since Joe and Chrystal got married on Monday I thought it would be really nice to take them plus the children and Ralph and Jessica out to dinner to celebrate both marriages! I am so excited to see them tonight!

Mom and dad are out west this week with their bestest friends. She sent a text yesterday telling me they were at the Grand Canyon. They went on one of the Pink Jeep tours which sounded really exciting. Cellphones are not reliable out there so I have to wait for her to call me.

I worked yesterday. Got a lot done. Got really tired and left at 3 p.m. Had to stop by Office Max for new inkjet cartridges and then went home for a nap.

Doing much better with taking Imodium more than once a day. It really helps. Starting to not be able to finish meals so I will start losing weight in the coming weeks. This isn't a bad thing. I can afford to lose. :) Just trying to drink enough fluids which is very hard because even room temp drinks are too cold and nuked drinks really don't taste right, or it's just my taste buds. We had a nice dinner at Chilis on Monday. We went out for their Chilis-Saint Judes Children's Research donation day. We donated $20. That's twice we've eaten there for this event. It's bad enough that adults get cancer, me included, but even more heartbreaking when a child has it. That I just can't understand.

Slacking Off

2009-09-26T13:52:00.003-04:00

The last week or two I've been slacking off with my blog.

The week of the 16th was very busy for us. Our 20th wedding anniversary, the beagle club's 4-day license trial plus Phil's trip to Ohio to the NAVHDA Invitational with Bella.

Our anniversary was very nice. We had a quiet dinner together at Red Lobster. Phil gave me a boquet of mixed roses. Very lovely.

The NAVHDA Invitational was very exciting. Phil's training partner, Mike Groman, and his dog MoJo, passed for his versatile championship. Bella had a snag with her shackled duck and did not pass that leg of the test. Very disappointing but we will try again next year!

My 4th round of chemo wasn't too bad this time. Well, I did have another reaction to the Oxaliplatin. My face turned beet red and got blotchy. My bp went up and my throat again felt like it was closing. The nurses gave me Allegra and then two shots of 100cc Solucortisol. I went home and slept all night.

I got disconnected from the chemo bag on Thursday. No really bad side effects. A little nausea but Friday was pretty bad. Lots of nausea and diarrhea. I hate that. My feet and hands are really hurting. Tingly sensations and itching. I'm afraid they are going to peel.

I've spent the day watching cooking shows on the Food Network. Yummy. Giada and Ina make me so hungry.

It's rained all day here. Phil had a hunt test outside of Butler with Bella this morning. As soon as he got home he and Mike went back out to train.

That's about it here. Praying for a mild week with no problems. Ooops, forgot to mention when I saw Dr. V on the 22nd he said it may be another 6-8 months of chemo. My face hit the floor. I can't imagine and am really not ready for that.

Yesterday and Today

2009-09-12T17:16:00.002-04:00

have not been good for me. I felt pretty good yesterday morning. I got up and took Phil's mom back home then went over to Rosalind's to drop off some paperwork for today's DAR meeting. I started feeling really bad then drove home and went back to bed. Today I've only gotten up to hit the bathroom. Not good. Hoping for more energy tomorrow. My fingers are all tingly and the bottoms of my feet feel like they're burned and will peel. I really hate Oxaliplatin. I can't believe this is only my third cycle of chemo. Hoping for a really great week this coming week since it's my off-chemo week!

Today is Thursday

2009-09-10T19:05:00.002-04:00

I slept until 7:51 this morning. We didn't need to be at the center until 11 but got there at 10:30. We were seated in the treatment area next to a couple from Syria. What a beautiful language they spoke. They did speak English and the woman asked questions about my knitting project and where we were from. :)

I got another bag of Decadron and one or two other antinausea meds which caused me to fall asleep. I had a bout of diarrhea this morning which is certainly wearing on the system. A lot of nausea this morning before we left and driving on the way there.

After I was done we went to Giant Eagle for a few groceries and came home. I fixed a peanut butter sandwich and went to bed. Slept from 3-6. Had a wonderful bowl of my mother in law's homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner. Phil headed out to train Bella. Only a week and a half until the NAVHDA Invitational in Ohio. I'm going to check out FB for a while and probably fall back to sleep. Here's praying tomorrow is a better day. I feel so exhausted.

Hump Day

2009-09-09T18:31:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 aka "hump day." I have slept most of today which isn't good but have been happy with no nausea today. Hooray for Ativan my antinausea med! I did have muscle cramps in my calves this morning. I hope my potassium level isn't down. I'd rather eat bananas than have to take potassium pills. Gag. Even cut in half and put in applesauce or applebutter I still have a hard time swallowing them.

We go to the center tomorrow at 11:00 to get disconnected but plan to stay for fluids which takes another two hours. I'll take my knitting along with me. I'm halfway through a pair of socks for Jassmine. I started them on Saturday night.

I just had my bath and Phil is still in the tub. I have to make sure I don't get my port dressing wet. It'll be great to get a shower tomorrow after I'm disconnected!

Tonight was a nice spaghetti dinner made by Phil's mom. I asked if she wanted to stay and go back home on Monday but she said Friday would be better. I know she's totally bored here. I just sleep all day. She's so good to us. Makes me really appreciate my mom staying here all those months.

I forgot to mention that we got past the two year mark of my colon cancer diagnosis. That was September 5, 2007 and thankfully I am still here. It was a good day and I'm thankful for each and every one I get. :) Thank you Jesus.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T18:10:00.003-04:00

Please excuse any typos. I have hand neuropathy from the chemo today and it's pretty bad. My hands are real cramped up. It was a very tiring day.

Our weekend was wonderful. We didn't get out the door until 11:00 a.m. and made it to Bluestone State Park around 5:00 p.m. My sister rented us a cabin. It was nice. She fixed dinner Saturday night. Nice meal of stuffed shells. Sunday morning we got up and went over to cousin Laura's house for breakfast. Mike and Kaye, Tony and Kim and two of their sons, Brandon and Tyler, were there including Laura's daughter Erin. My brother and his daughter also came over for breakfast. It was a good time.

From there we went to one of the family cemeteries (Lilly-Crews in Nimitz). I photographed all of the Pack headstones that were there. I ran out of batteries before I could do all the Lillys. Very disappointing.

We made it back to the cabin by noon and left for the Neely reunion in Pipestem. It's been at the Ruritan club for 20+ years. It was great to see my aunts, uncles and cousins. We were there until about 6:00 and headed over to uncle Gary's house on River Ridge. Uncle Edmund and aunt Barb were there plus Gary and Joann's two daughters Vicki and Tasha. Vicki and David have seven children. The youngest was born in February. They are all beautiful.

Today was a very exhausting day. We got up at 6:00 to gt to the center by 8:45 and didn't get in to be seated in the treatment ara until 9:30. I know it was abut 10:00 before my blood was drawn and things started moving. We got out of thre abut 2:00. I was sick to my stomach the whole way home. We got home and I went upstairs to lay down. My throat closed up on me but I didn't panic this time. I layed back down and fell aslep knowing this side efffect would pass. Mom Urban is making dinner now and Phil should be home soon.

Enjoyed this week

2009-09-03T15:25:00.004-04:00

It's my second week off chemo and it's been absolutely great!

I met with the genetics counselor at Hillman on Tuesday. She didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. I had three out of four of the genes for being a carrier for colon cancer but only met two out of three of the criteria for HNPCC so even though two members of my family have had colon cancer (me and my aunt Wanda) seems they think it was more of a fluke for me getting it than really being familial (hereditary).

It was a long drive into Pittsburgh on a very beautiful day. I had a nice chef salad in the cafeteria then drove back home. I stopped at the gift shop on my way out the door. Bought some pretties.

Worked yesterday and today. Managed to get the desk cleaned off for the most part. I had not been in to work in a long time, maybe two or three weeks? Left birthday cards for Randy and Kristina since we will be away this weekend and won't see them.

Phil is taking half a day tomorrow so he can put Opal and Reno in the kennel over the weekend. We can manage Bella on the trip but the other two are too much of a handful.

There is one yellow and black peep. None of the other eggs were any good so I threw them out. Hopefully this chick will make it. The last group of 15 were eaten. I think a hawk got them. I have lost most of my hens. I only have four left. I may need to order some through Stromberg's catalog next spring.

Looking forward to this weekend. Have not been home to WV in ages!

101st Blog Entry

2009-08-31T12:51:00.003-04:00

Wow! I made it past 100. So cool!

I have an appt with a genetics counselor at Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh tomorrow. They were so good to give me a rush appt. Not looking forward to dealing with yet another doctor but this will give insight into our family genetics and see if we carry the colon cancer gene (hereditary) or whether my colon cancer was just a sporadic thing.

Such a beautiful day here today. Sun is shining and the air is a bit chilly. Fall may be just around the corner but hoping for a few more warm days here to come.

Saturday

2009-08-30T20:48:00.002-04:00

Yesterday didn't start off on a positive note. I had my alarm clock set for 6:30 a.m. and when it went off Phil shut it off. He forgot I had a meeting I was attending. So, I woke up at 7:47 and got my bath, dried my hair, put on makeup, got dressed, bought biscuits at McD's and got to the Sheraton in Greensburg by 9:05! Amazing!

Had an absolutely wonderful time seeing the ladies at our district meeting. We had a pre-meeting (if that is a correct word) and then had workshops. Lunch at noon followed by a post-meeting. Very good. Saw regents from other chapters and had six members from my own chapter attend the meeting. I am so proud that five of them were chapter officers! My chapter is amazing!

Yesterday

2009-08-30T00:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was such a physically exhausting day for me.

I picked up Chucky to take him back to school shopping and Jassmine started crying so I had to take her with us. Joe and Chrystal both talked to Chucky about behaving well for grandma (me) and he promised ever so nicely to be good. Well, that lasted only as soon as he got inside the car. By the time we made it 10 minutes up the road to Kmart I was feeling undone.

After an hour of chasing and fighting with him about clothes, shoes, socks, etc. I wanted to just get the heck out of the store, drop the kids off and go home and lay down for a nap. Thankfully, Chrystal showed up while I was in the check out line. I was never so thankful to see someone!

From there we went to Wendy's for something to eat and then up to the shoe store to find Chucky a pair of shoes that fit. After that I dropped the kids off with Jessica and headed over to get the Jeep inspected (annual required inspection and emissions testing). I made it home by 4:00 and went right to bed and woke up at 6:45 when Phil walked in the door. I didn't plan anything for dinner but threw together tuna noodle casserole. It was hot and edible and that's all I cared about. I went back to bed at 8:45.

Prior to bed I checked the blogs I follow. One in particular I've paid close attention to over the past six months and that was Kim Miller's; a stage 4 colon cancer patient. Sadly, she passed away yesterday at the age of 29. Such a vibrant young woman, full of life and love, with a husband and two young children at home and also a teenage stepdaughter.

I had never met her but corresponded with her via her blog. I felt I knew her and since we shared this disease called colon cancer also felt I had a kindred sister. I feel just devastated by the loss of this young woman. I prayed every day for her and wanted God to heal her. I know I shouldn't question WHY this had to happen but I think is so unfair.

Great Day

2009-08-27T17:41:00.002-04:00

Today was a really good day. I got a lot accomplished at work and the desk is "almost" clean. Well, as clean as I can get Randy to keep it.

Sandy was working day shift this week and I was still there when she got in at 3:15. It was so nice to see her. I hadn't seen her much since she started working night shifts.

Haven't felt exhausted today like I did yesterday. It was a really nice day.