Patty's Mammie Grams

May 6 Re: B-9 Biopsy Results

2008-05-06T23:38:00.003-07:00

It was B-9!!!!!
I sure wish I had thought of this title before I published the last post! I thought of it in time to send out to all the folks to which I sent the original mail. Thanks again to all of you wonderful folks out there!
We had our only group rehearsal tonight for the concert Saturday evening. I need to bone up on some words!!
And tunes. Oh. My. My neighbor tells me to just mouth the words - cuz I make her get off key. Oh. My. But I do Loves me singing. I sound just like Barbra Streisand and Jane Oliver together in my brain - and I love it.
Love to all you all. Patty ; )

May 5 Benign fibrocystic tissue with calcifications

2008-05-05T21:09:00.003-07:00

FINALLY! They called me at about 3:30 this afternoon and said all was well. Except for my brain, which was about to explode from waiting to hear.
The spot was "fibrocystic breast changes with some calcifications", and they got all the calcifications removed with the biopsy.
This biopsy was not like the easy peasy ones before - I was clueless, before. I'm OK, now, though, and that is what matters.
Thanks to you all for all the thoughts, wishes and prayers - glad it all turned out the right way. Love to all of you-alls. Patty : )

May 3 Wait Till Monday

2008-05-03T18:05:00.003-07:00

I made several calls on Friday, asking why should it take so long to find out the results from this biopsy. No good answers - no one really knows - they all are just guessing - but, could be because it is the weekend. Could be because it takes 72 hours to do the labs. Could be because they do not have an in-house lab. Could be because the lab tech is out sick. Could be..... So, I'm just waiting. And waiting.
Sara's 'pretend' first swim meet was this afternoon. They have one called the Red and White meet - half of the team swimming against the other half. It is just to see if everything works that needs to work when the time comes for the first home meet -- the stop watches, the computers, the tables, the kids, do the timers know what to do, does the starter know what to do, does the announcer know what to do?
They had an ice cream social after, and that was very successful. It worked like a charm. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate chips, caramel 'bee-bees', sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles, M&M's, marshmallows, shredded coconut and chocolate syrup. YUM. yum. I had to go the second time to see if it really did work right! ; ) It did. Sure enough.
The swim meet was short and sweet, and now we know everything works, and so now we are ready for the meets to begin. I think all the meets are mostly in June - basically every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
This evening we have a pot luck at Mrs. Kersey's house with all the singers and their families. Our concert is only one week away. I know some of the music. \o/ Sara tells me that <--- is an open mouth with hands on either side of the face. Oh, dear.
Love and hugs. Patty : )

May 1 Biopsy over

2008-05-01T17:14:00.014-07:00

Happy May Day! I forgot what day it was until I had to put a date on something this evening and finally wrote out May instead of 5-1-08!
Radiology Ltd. called me immediately after the Dr. sent them the fax ordering the biopsy and they were able to get me in almost immediately!!! None of this 5 weeks of waiting stuff like the last one.
I was at Radiology Limited this morning at 10:00, and got back out to my car at 12:40pm. I have been a very nervous person for the past few days, and very much so this morning, so I am very glad this part is over.
As soon as I left the building, I felt the weight off my shoulders and was much more relaxed, so I guess I was just dreading the procedure lots more than I thought.
I filled out paperwork (same questions and answers as a week ago - Hello!) Then sat and waited to be called back in. I heard a husband and wife grousing at each other about "...nothing to read - look at all these people and there are only three magazines" "You know it's like this, why don't you ever learn?" I held up my book of Sudoku puzzles, and offered it to him. He said no, he didn't like them, and I said me neither at first when my daughter tried to get me to do them. I finally learned how and I'm addicted to them (just the easy ones).
He said he couldn't figure out how to do them - he was an engineer and knew math but he just couldn't figure them out. I was so proud to show him how (he accepted my offer) and listened to my hints, and thanked me for explaining it. He had always tried just filling in one box at a time. Poor guy, no one ever told him how, and he didn't have Sara's handy tutorial that she wrote up for Granddad, when she was trying to teach us how to do the puzzles.
So.. they called me back in - change into gowns (first one open in the front and second one open in the back, and took me back to the first little waiting room, where the nurse started the IV line, then another tech came in to ask ?s and take my blood pressure. Whoops! The IV was in the right arm and I'm not to have blood pressure checked in the left one because of the lymph nodes. (I only had one node taken out - shouldn't be that big of a deal - I would think.) (My medical training will be over soon, and I'll be getting my diploma then.)
Any way, she had to go ask about what to do, and came back, saying - they want me to take the pressure on the right arm - "you hold the IV in". Oh yay! So, I held down on the puncture site and held in on the end of the butterfly do-hickey. I didn't want it flying across the room when she turned on the automatic BP machine. ; ) It did squeeze pretty tight, too. My arm is a little extra swollen just below the elbow tonight, I think probably because I left the Coban wrap on till about 6:30 tonight, and it was a little tight! Squoze me up a little too long and too tightly.
The Radiologist from Australia came in and explained what all was going to go on, and then -- off to the MRI room, more explanations etc., and me begging for an extra pad for my non-sticky-outie-rib side. I discovered an anomaly with my ribs, and it became very painful when they did the first MRI here.
I asked for something different to be done so it wouldn't hurt so much - and they already had it cushioned for me! Plus, enough other people had complained about the 'discomfort' (a medical term meaning extreme pain) that they were trying different and extra padding to make it more comfortable.
They had to take pictures, then take more pictures with the contrast injected through the IV, pull me out, the Radiologist (guy from Australia) placed the 'locater' 'wire', put me back in for more pictures to see if that was in the correct place, back out for the biopsy. Don't move a muscle during all of this, please.
Now -the placement of the marker 'wire' was fun. First a tiny mark on the skin after he had made his calculations from the pictures. Then cleansing, the lidocaine (? or something like that) injected at the skin, in a little further and then on in even deeper. Ow, ow, ow.
The locater 'wire' was hollow, then he inserted the Dremel, or the hand blender, or the dentist drill, or the mixer - all the things everyone thought was the sound it made. The Dr. said an electric knife.
I didn't look quickly enough before they disposed of it, but one of the nurses said it looks like a Braun hand blender and the Dr. holds it sideways against the skin. It has a long 'screwdriver-looking' bit on the end that has an auger (!) on it and it just scoops out a section and suctions it in a little to hold it, then that is what they sent off.
They told me it would take 5 days to get the results - I hope not! The last biopsy I learned the next afternoon. Maybe next time I'll learn not to have things done on Thursdays! Too close to the weekend.
I've had ice on it off and on all the rest of the day. Went for my choir extra rehearsal and we sound so good with our Latin piece. We are working really hard and I hope lots of you can come to the concert!
Again - Saturday, May 10, 7:30 pm (!) (not 7:00 as I had previously erroneously stated!) at Christ Church United Methodist, 655 N. Craycroft.
I'm in need of sleep, so I'll stop here - any questions - post them in the comment section - the guest book doesn't work anymore - sorry if you've put something up there - I don't get anything anymore.
Love and hugs and kisses and thanks for all your well wishes. I got several notices of bad e-mail addresses - most of which I know are correct, so, I'll try those again - but if someone in your family feels left out - sorry - I'm going to try to re-send them. Maybe it was just too large of an address line.
Peace out. Patty OXOX : )

April 28 Another 'Thingy' in my Right Breast

2008-04-28T18:40:00.003-07:00

This afternoon was my follow up visit with my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Roeder. We made this appointment months ago, to follow up with my MRI and Mammogram. I had the MRI and a chest x-ray on the 14th and the mammogram on the 17th. They sent me home saying the Dr. would let me know about the MRI, and then with an OK on the mammo.
Well.....turned out that they found another 'thingy' in my right breast that they want biopsied.
From the final report: "Nonspecific nodular enhancement centrally with the right breast. An MRI guided core biopsy is recommended".
But wait - there's more -- (tee hee) -- there are lots of words I have never heard of and have no idea what they mean.
"...mild diffuse background parenchymal enhancement bilaterally". "...demonstrates a 5x7 mm region of nonspecific nodular enhancement with indistinct margins of the central aspect of the breast . This nodular region is located approximately 5 cm directly posterior to the nipple and demonstrates an indeterminate type II time intensity curve. No other dominant enhancing nodules are identified in the right breast."
What in the blue blazes does all that mean!!
Well - it means another core needle biopsy, for which I am waiting to be contacted to schedule. They promised me it would not be anything like the five weeks I had to wait for the last MRI guided biopsy, which was a bust because they couldn't find the spot. They think this might be the same area??
Looking for a clean bill of health for me and for all you'alls.
Love to all. Patty : ) : )

April 21 Seasons Choir

2008-04-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am right now singing with my buddies in the Seasons Choir. We are singing lots of good stuff - I'll tell you all about our performance songs when we pick them from all the songs we're trying out.
There are about 20 of us again - we come and go. A few people have gotten sick or had a family emergency and had to drop out, but we will still be a block of ladies singing our little hearts out.
Our concert will be May 10, at the Christ Church United Methodist, the same place we've been holding the concerts.
We are trying this year to have an extra rehearsal per week at one of the singers' houses. I hope that helps me - the one of not much memory power. They told me today that at some point I would have to quit using the 'Chemo Brain' excuse. HMMMM.
We are singing: Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; I'm gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter; Nigra Sum (LATIN! -- EEK!); American Lullaby; Sing a Song of Six Pence; and River in Judea -- this last one with both of the other choirs. Mrs. Kersey is letting us sing so many songs because we all argued for our favorites. She reminded us that at the first concert, we only sang 3 songs! The ones we won't sing this time are One Minute Madrigal and Kyrie (by Imant Raminsh and is the most gorgeous arrangement) We will probably sing the Kyrie at the Holiday concert.
We have only two weeks left before the concert, so not enough rehearsals for me. MUST. GO. PRACTICE. NOW.
Please, please, come hear us sing -- Sat. eve. May 10 at 7:00 at 655 N. Craycroft - just north of 5th Street on the west side of Craycroft. Bring friends - it's free if you don't care to make a donation. Bring friends who are women who would like to sing for fun - no auditions - very casual, and fun. Did I mention we have a good time?
Hey - also brings friends who are male or female and are 13 - 20 (ish?) and would like to sing in the other awesome choirs! They need new voices all the time, also. Mrs. Kersey Rocks!
Later Gator. Love ya mean it - I'm going to catch up on this blog - nothing much has been happening. Patty : ) : )

March 31 Just Having Hot Flashes

2008-03-31T16:34:00.009-07:00

The hot flashes have not abated yet - I'm still waiting for that to happen. They are different from the "power surges" that I have had before. These puppies are pretty much from the neck up - beginning with hot and red ears and then the sweaty neck and the forehead and the upper lip. Lately there have been prickly arms and lower legs. It feels a little like a niacin flush.
I keep thinking I am going to try to leave out my vitamins for a week or so to see if I am having a niacin flush! The docs did say that the flushes might improve with time. (Improve as in dissipate, not get to know how to become a better hot flash.) ; ) I'm waiting. And waiting.
I don't have much new to add except my hair is growing and growing and is quite a lot thicker (and much curlier).
I figured out a few nights ago while I was busy not sleeping (Yes, that is another side effect of the chemo that is still going on - they said something about the rest of my life, perhaps?), that the reason my hair is so thick is that it all fell out at once and so it all began growing in at the same time. So, every hair is in the same phase of the growing/resting/falling out cycle.
Now, does that mean it will all fall out at the same time? I certainly hope not! I don't know just how it will all fall (pun intended) into place, but I think it will probably just begin the same cycle, soon. The growing cycle is from 3 to 5 years, and then it rests for a few years then falls out and then begins all over again. So...what will come will be a surprise.
I have been scrubbing and scratching my head - it itches, probably because of the regrowing, and finally realized - NOT ONE HAIR IS FALLING OUT RIGHT NOW!!!!
NOT ONE!!!
Unreal.
I know this for a real true fact, because I have been pulling and tugging at my hair ever since I figured this out. I simply thought the hair was just too short to be catching in the drain and that was why I wasn't seeing any fallout! Hmmmmm!
The eyelashes are itching and falling out lots - eyebrows and eyelashes really like the eyelash 'reconditioner' that I have been using.
My eyebrows are growing on the ends of the brow where they haven't for years.
I read recently that one symptom of thyroid problems is missing ends of your eyebrows. (Not the hairs, silly, the brow!) Maybe that is what happened to me?
We are busy trying to figure out our summer. We will be heading to Seattle for Bob's dad's burial, and then later to Kansas for reunion and visiting family and friends in KC.
Let me know when you are available - Seattle and KC folks.
Sara will be swimming again this summer - she missed it all last summer. Boy, has a lot of water gone under the bridge since last summer!
My girlfriend (who got me to move to Scissor Talk which is about a mile from home) who began working with me at Great Lengths about 4 months after I moved here, is now moving to Seattle. I don't know what I will do in this town without her! I'm so sad for me and happy for her. I AM going to see her in July when I'm up there, though!
I'm hoping on doing a lot of visiting and resting and eating off my chest while doing crosswords and sudoku and watching TV while I am in KC!!
Later, gators. Love you all. Patty : ) : )

March 10 I'm Here - Just Plugging Along

2008-03-10T16:29:00.004-07:00

We've been busy - just getting along day by day. I don't know where all the time goes! Oh my, do I sound like my mother? grandmother? great - grandmother?
Really, though - the days just fly by and not much to show for it. I'm trying, trying, trying to get my house into the clutter-free zone. I don't want Clean Sweep to come by and get into my sewing/craft/ironing room! That team makes me nervous!
I've been letting Sara try to get caught up with her homework, and therefore haven't been on the computer very much - just to quickly check email.
My 'personal assistant' Nicole, has been here a few times to help with the piles o' paper, and we are making headway. I've been shredding like mad from the filing cabinets!
My BFF Helen is moving to Seattle soon, and I'm very sad and wishing I could help her find a wonderful place to work up there. She doesn't know yet where she will be living, so that is hard.
She started working with me at Great Lengths 3 or 4 months after I began in Dec 1984, and we have been friends ever since. I won't know what to do in Tucson without her. I'll be able to visit her in Seattle, though! Yay!
Her fi-nance (as she calls him) got a job offer he couldn't refuse, and will be beginning work next week. He will be overseeing a sales team for a new computer software his son has 'invented' and is now marketing.
I'm now trying to decide if I want to take over her larger, more spacious, maybe cooler and more expensive rental station. I will be inheriting some of her clients (some of whom she inherited from ME when I left with little baby Sara!) and so I will be busier and that will make up the extra $ for the rent, but I'm not sure if I can go the distance. I seem to be more tired than I realize, most of the time. I'll just have to suck it up, eh?
Sleep is still an issue - I'm trying to not take any sleeping aids any more than I have to (that would be None At All), to see if that might make me less groggy during the day. So far, all I have learned, is that I want more sleep in the mornings.
Bob's Aunt Elaine Mosman is down here from Seattle area, and we're going out to eat at Buddy's tonight, so must go. Going to have me some Lavosh! MMMMM Love all of you, lots. Patty : )

Feb 21 5 New Posts - Sorry About That

2008-02-21T18:12:00.002-07:00

Read 'em while they're fresh!!! Don't strain your eyes, though, take it slow. : ) Love ya Love ya Love ya. Patty : )

Feb 21 Visitors From Kansas and Randomness

2008-02-21T17:01:00.013-07:00

I just had a great visit (way too short, though) from my best friend in college, Donnie and husband Mike from Olathe, Kansas. (Oops! Strike that, to read Ottowa, a bit further south.) They arrived Sunday the 10th and left Tuesday morning the 12th.
Donnie was the Matron of Honor at our wedding, and I was the Maid of Honor at their wedding - the hottest day in Kansas, EVER! It melted the candles at the alter so that they just leaned over, then curled over and melted wax all over the floor and Donnie's cute little brother, Joey, climbed over the railing and straightened them upright again. It truly was hot hot hot. I think it set a record for that day. it was in the summer (I had a tan!) (sorrycantrememberthedate) of 1979, I think. I was going to UofA and flew back for the beautiful and fun time. Edited to add after speaking to Donnie tonight - June 27, 1980.
Visit their orchard and winery website here:
http://www.pomeontherange.com/
and see where I've visited many times, and where Sally and family have gone to get Halloween pumpkins and go on a hayride many times.
We spent a day at the Desert Museum and I was POOPED from all that walking. I hadn't walked that much since way before my foot surgery. We were hurrying at the end, so we could rush over to Old Tucson, and got there at 4:30, to find that they closed at 4:00. Darn, and sorry Mike. We (without Bob) ate at El Charro's restaurant downtown, and so all of you who have visited me from out of town know those are the two places I take everyone, if they have just a very short time. We met Bob the next evening at Buddy's Grill which is our other favorite place. I haven't been out to the orchard for a few years, and hope to visit them and all the other Kansas friends in August after the family reunion in Garden City, Kansas. We had a wonderful time catching up, and them laughing at my gnashing and weeping and trials and tribulations of raising a teenager. Their daughter, Landi, who was 7 years old as my flower girl 21 years ago tomorrow, has a 5 year old of her own, now. It will all come out in the wash. I think. I hope. I pray. She (Landi) is doing great.
Thanks for wading through all these posts, I know I have been pretty sporadic. And Random.
Here is some more random. HAIR! I haven't kept you apprised of my hair! I left it grey so Donnie and Mike could see and make fun (they didn't!) and then tinted it on Wednesday after they left on Tuesday morning. We were always going to go for the funky fun colors, and so we applied, timed, shampooed off, and I looked in the mirror and said, "I love it!" It was the most beautiful shade of orange copper red. Then about 30 seconds later, I said with horror - "I have to go to Granddad's funeral on Saturday, I can't have this hair color there!" So, we immediately applied another round of a color to try to neutralize that. It was better, but on Friday, we once again colored it to get rid of some more of the orange. It looks like me, now, and I am so glad my hair has finally begun to grow in the correct color!
Now, I haven't ever told you about my fingernails, either. They ended up with dark and then pink bands on them from each chemotherapy. They were ridged along with the off color (Hee hee, I said off-color) and I had to buff out the ridges pretty often. They also seemed to be pretty weak at those spots, so I was always having to file broken nails. I think if I filed them off incredibly short right now, the 'funny' would almost be all gone. Almost.
My toenails didn't seem to be affected, but I heard all sorts of stories that peoples nails turned black and fell off. I'm certainly glad that didn't happen to me.
You all are probably wondering how I am getting this time on the computer! Sara is out of school for Rodeo (don't ask - we are the only ones in the world - but it is a big deal here) and is currently at Golf and Stuff with a new friend she met at Target with me the other day. He is a friend of a school friend from French class last year, and may be the salvation of our computers!
He thinks (Sara says) he can fix her laptop, and can also bang on this beast to make sure it doesn't go wonky all the time. He works for food and minimum $, he says. Yay for computer geeks! Love ya lots. Patty : )

Feb 21 Sleeping Issues and Movies

2008-02-21T17:01:00.007-07:00

I still am not sleeping as I should - I went to bed last night (?) or rather this morning ,at 7:00 a.m. I just cannot go to sleep without an aid.
I keep trying to remember to take a sleeping pill early enough in the evening to get me to sleep, but there always seems to be laundry, or dishes, or one last check of something or the end of a favorite TV show. We are seriously considering TIVO or the like, so we can go to bed earlier. I know, I know, we could just not watch. But, I like a lot of this stuff.
We have been watching videos (oops, DVDs?) more lately. We just rented Across the Universe. I highly recommend it for anyone who ever listened to and loved or even liked the Beatles. It was a lot of fun. All Beatles tunes wound into a musical story of a Liverpool lad (Jude) who goes to America and makes a new friend (Max) who has a sister (Lucy). Do you see the thing shaping up? It was a lot of fun to watch. Very 60's and 70's.

Feb 21 Rad Onc Visit on Tuesday 19th

2008-02-21T16:32:00.008-07:00

I went for my first follow-up visit to Dr. Croghan on Tuesday the 19th. Everything is 'normal' and I go back to see her in 6 months. The plan she says, is for me to see someone (surgeon, rad onc, or med onc) every 3 three months from now until eternity. Not really that long. I suppose for 5 years?
Blood pressure is pretty much back to normal - the steroids really sent it high for awhile. Skin has healed and is the normal color now. The tan lines are gone! There is a pretty tender spot, right on the lumpectomy scar, that is still swollen and sore and did I mention TENDER! Only when I put weight on it, as in sleeping on my left side, or hugging someone crooked or touch it while showering or whatever.
Weight is...well, I'm maintaining the gain I've had in the last year with the foot thing and not walking and the chemo thing and being too fatigued and the no sleep thing and not wanting to get up to walk in the a.m. and the laziness thing that is that I really just don't like being hot and sweaty and in the sun. So, the good news, as they say in Weight Watchers, I am showing that I can maintain well.
I am having more of the hotter than hot flashes - hotter than any I previously had - from the Femara. It also is giving me joint pain in every joint, but especially in my arthritic thumb and finger joints. My back and hips are next worse (?), and the rest of me is just dealing with it.
Love ya, love ya, love ya. Patty : )

Feb 21 Days passing

2008-02-21T15:58:00.002-07:00

I know I am repeating myself - partly because I'm too lazy to go back and reread the last posts I've written, but I don't want to do that just now.
The service was very very nice. Bob's brother John created a wonderful slide show presentation, and all three 'children' (Mary, Bob and John) spoke. Two of George's good friends who were mentored by him in the beginning of their careers spoke of his help and friendship. Mari's sister-in-law played the violin, as she also had done at Dave's service. Granddaughter Elizabeth read a poem George had written, and Sara sang her Homeward Bound solo. (She was not or did not seem to be nervous!) This is the song - neither of us alone, or together could have sung it this well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTfm9i9zyZM&feature=related
We are mostly doing better every day. Bob is having a very hard time. This was his best friend and fellow inventor and go to guy and collaborator. They talked very often, sometimes daily, for all the years I have known them.
I know from experience that time does heal, but it takes a long time to build up enough strength and callous in your heart to bear this sorrow.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers and cards and e-mails and comments and well wishes. We appreciate them all.
Love to you all. Patty

Feb 16 In Memory of George W. LeCompte

2008-02-16T10:20:00.004-07:00

Today at 1:00 was the memorial for Bob's dad. I have known good men, and met good men, but this was a great man.
When I went to the house on Thursday evening, there was a gentleman from NASA, in Texas, whom George had mentored when this man was just beginning his career. He told stories of George that none of us had ever heard, including that he helped figure out what went so wrong with the Challenger debacle. He was the one (really!) who figured out that the problem was the temperature - and told our guy who was the top guy to figure out what had happened, to put the O-ring into the freezer, and then test it. Bingo!
Then he got another call - for Columbia this time. They couldn't figure what went wrong - their calculations showed that there was only a 1 in 250 chance of the mission failing. George figured out that they were using only the one mission, instead of the entire program. The chances of failure turned out to be 1 in 5!!
That was why he had a top secret clearance - he didn't tell what he wasn't supposed to tell. Bob's quote about his own top secret clearance was - "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you", always said with a smile. That probably is a much used quote.
At any rate - this was a man full of surprises. He always whistled tunes around the house, and seemed to know the words to just about any 'oldie' song. Mari said he grew up singing with his family around the piano, and used his knowledge for fun and edification.
He really was a genius, and I admired him greatly.Please check out his obituary in the Arizona Daily Star at
http://www.legacy.com/tucson/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=103056759
We will be interring him with son David and grandson Sean in the Vashon Island Cemetary the end of June - probably on Saturday the 28th or Sun day the 29th. No date or arrangements have been made yet, but the family will be renting a house on the island for the week following those dates.
He is and will be forever missed.

Feb 7 Back in Tucson From Phoenix

2008-02-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sara and I arrived in Phoenix Monday night at about 9:15 or so, at the condo where the rest of the family was staying with Bob's dad.
George finally was able to stop his very labored breathing at about 4:40 a.m. Tuesday morning, and the family stayed with him until the hospice nurse came to pronounce him at 7:50 a.m.
The hospice chaplain came to be with the family until the funeral home came to take his body, and we met with the mortuary later that day to make arrangements for his cremation. He wanted to be buried in the Vashon Island Cemetery next to David and Sean, his son and grandson. We will be up there sometime this summer for that ceremony. Probably the end of June will be when we can get into the same house where we had a family reunion in 2002 and buried David's cremains. That was 6 years after we buried Sean's cremains. Here it is, 6 years later again.
We all drove back to Tucson Tuesday evening, after the trip to the funeral home, and after we finally went to eat at an Olive Garden close by the mortuary. Most of us hadn't eaten much for the last couple of days.
We managed to finish eating in time to get to drive back south in the Phoenix rush hour traffic.
I managed to get lost and it took 1 1/2 hours to find I 10 and get going south. Should have probably taken maybe 15 - 20 minutes NOT during rush hour. It wasn't fun and I have never been quite so scared driving around in the dark and not having any idea whatsoever which direction I was going. I finally made it back to 8620 at 9:15. I left the restaurant at 6:00.
The problem was the 101 and 202 freeways go in a circle and if you don't know exactly where you are going, all is lost. A map probably would have helped, but how hard could it be to just drive down and turn at - and then turn at - but that turn gave you a choice of east or west and I wanted to go south! That was the beginning of a very bad couple of hours. I think it is time to get some kind of directional help in my car. I will NOT be driving in Phoenix in the dark ever again.
Bob's mom is at home now, with kids trading off with support and company. Her address is - Marian LeCompte, 8620 North Pomona Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85704-2249.
Arrangements are now in place for the memorial on Saturday, February 16th at 1:00 p.m., at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 7650 North Paseo del Norte Drive, Tucson, Arizona, 85704.
I am including this information just for edification, do with it what you wish. I know from experience that it is so wonderful to hear from everyone about how much they loved your loved one, and a memory is always nice to share.
Sara and Elizabeth (granddaughters) and I have been asked to sing at the memorial. I hope we can manage it. I have suggested an earlier taped performance, in case we cannot manage it at the time.
This has been the hardest thing they have ever had to deal with, and they are all suffering greatly. I know all of you know that, and they need your thoughts and kind wishes.
Sara and Bob are having a very hard time. Sara never really knew her Grandpa Smith, she doesn't remember much. She doesn't remember Grandma Smith at all. She was in the first grade when my mom died. The photos show her without her two front teeth. Bob and his dad were pretty much best friends, inventing things together all their lives.
These grandparents have been a huge part of Sara's life, living so closely, and she was one of only 5 grandchildren, and the only one living right in town with them. There are now 4 living grandchildren, and 2 great granddaughters.
This is a sad hour in Bob's family, this man was the glue. He was a great example for just about anyone. I don't know that he ever did anything against the rules. He didn't smoke, drink, swear, cheat at cards or taxes or games and never even drove over the speed limit. He took care of his body - watching his weight, exercising, and dancing (round dancing) and eating well. Just doesn't seem fair, but it never does.
I have blithered long enough. I guess I needed to vent a little, myself. I loved this man very much. He had a great sense of humor - very dry wit, loved puns, and loved words. He had a huge vocabulary, and was willing to use all of his words so everyone else could learn and utilize them, also. He loved to play cards and games with his family. He was a good man.
Hug your loved ones close tonight. Keep yourself safe, and I'll be thinking of all of you.
Thanks for reading this far - I know I can go on and on and on. ; )
Much love and good healing thoughts to all of you. Patty : )

Feb 4 All Is Well With Me

2008-02-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm fine, Sara is fine, and Bob is up in Phoenix with his family. Sara and I are getting ready to drive up there, it is dark, and raining, and it hailed while I was at the doc this afternoon.
Bob's dad is slipping into a coma - we are on our way to say good bye.
Peace to all of you and yours. That is all I can think of right now. Love, Patty

Jan 24 Femara for 5 years

2008-01-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

My 'Firefox' part of the computer has been wonky and I couldn't get on to the computer, let alone (I thought) to any of my blog - hence the wait this time. Sara just showed me how to access it another way. (Type in plecompte.blogspot.com and there it (add post) is on the top of the page where I never look! Who'da thunk it? My thorough and vast computer knowledge does not come to me easily. : )
The Dr. appointment with the surgeon on Monday was canceled and when they called to reschedule it, we had all forgotten that it was just a check up on my 'tushie'. It is fine, so we just completely skipped rescheduling it.
I have my next MRI scheduled for Monday, April 14th, and the next follow-up mammogram is Thursday the 17. THEN I go see Dr. Roeder (who will have all the films) on May 12 for the next checkup on the surgery and cancer site.
Tuesday I went in to see the Rad Onc Dr. Brooks, and only had to see the nurse practioner, Linda. She explained all the after-care medications, and the one we are beginning with is Femara, which is an Aromatase Inhibitor.
Here is what that means: the adrenal gland (and the fat and muscle) puts out androgen which in turn is turned into an aromatase enzyme which then is turned into estrogen through the kidneys.
This medication prevents the kidneys from changing the androgen to estrogen. "So, in essence, Femara helps to starve breast cancer cells by depriving them of estrogen".
The letrozole (Femara) has been given to postmenopausal women only, since 1977. They began testing it on estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. In 2004, an international clinical trial showed that Femara "significantly reduces the risk of recurrence in postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer who are within three months of completion of five years of tamoxifen therapy".
They have since discovered that the patient doesn't need to have the tamoxifen treatment first. Compared to tamoxifen it has been found that Femara is 21% more effective at reducing the risk of recurrence than tamoxifen.
I like this next part: "For those women who had prior chemotherapy, Femara reduced the risk of cancer returning by 30%".
This all sounds great to me. I just trust the doctors and have done a little research on all this and this does sound like the best thing.
Here is the bad news. There may be MORE hot flashes and night sweats. No incidence of blood clots or endometrial cancer as there would be with tamoxifen. Joint pain is also a side effect - I'm really planning on skipping that one!
Tamoxifen improves bone density. Femara actually causes about 1% loss of bone density in years 1 and 2 then levels off. However, my last bone density (DEXA) scan showed 149% bone density (for what my age would be I guess), so I have a lot of leeway and not much to worry about.
There are other, more scary side effects for both treatments, but they are very small percentages, and I promise to not have any of those! ; )
If you want even more information than this - please look it up at http://www.femara.com/home.jsp?m=2 . More information that you can shake a stick at!
I'm just healing, tender at the site, peeling like a mild sunburn on the radiation site, and beginning to think about starting my walking program again. I haven't been walking for about a year, since my foot began acting up. Then the surgery on the foot, then the next surgery, then the recovery from the chemo. I'm getting there.
I'm also growing hair. My cousin Bill was in town and met me for lunch and took a picture. He says he is going to post it on the family web site. Be careful if you don't want to see a head of very short and gray hair. I really really do like it short. It is beginning to stick out in different places (OK - not very much sticking out) and so I have to look in the mirror now, to see if the hair is looking funny. Well - funnier than usual.
I have put off tinting it back to the natural reddish brown color that the chemotherapy or the cancer changed to gray. ; ) I think if I do color it at this short stage, the balding very high temple spots will show up a lot. So, I'm waiting until the little short hairs begin to thicken and the other hairs are long enough to kind of cover those holes in my head. I mean in my hairline. ; )
OK - Enough already. Peace and love and goodwill to all mankind and may we all live happily ever after. Love to you all. Patty : )

Jan 21 Another Eclectic Cafe Night on Thursday!!

2008-01-20T02:58:00.000-07:00

Hey - the party was so much fun that we decided we could head out again and again and find more peeps to come. Or the same peeps. And we will continue on our Thursday Spinach and Artichoke Enchiladas night for as long as any one wants to call me and meet me. I'm game. y. ; )
Call me and I'll be there!
Love ya love ya love ya. Patty

Jan 20 Working Hard and Growing Hair

2008-01-20T02:19:00.000-07:00

I have now come to the realization that I am not quite as strong as I thought I was. I worked from 9:00 a.m. Friday morning until about 8:30 p.m., then went back in Saturday morning at 8:30 and got home about 6:00 p.m. My doggies were barking! (feet - hurting) ; )
I still have more of the stinging, aching, whatever it is, in my thighs and calves. I thought it was almost gone, but it seems to not be gone yet! A client and survivor on Friday told me that it helps that symptom to walk. HMMMM. HMMMM!
I now have long enough hair that I can just catch a few strands between my fingers when I run them through the hair 'against the grain.' It is mostly about 1" long! And you just would not believe just how gray it is! Very! Oh. My. Goodness.
Everyone keeps commenting on how thick it looks. Much thicker than before I lost it all. I didn't know that would happen - I'd have done this sooner if I had realized! NOT! ; )
I love it short - I know I keep saying that - but it is just so fun to not have to mess with it with the gel and the lotion and the blow dryer and the paste and the hairspray and the color and the haircuts. I WILL be coloring it again, but it has been sort of freeing to not be having to check the regrowth to see if it needs color and then find time to tint. It is hard to find time, even though I work right in a salon.
I have been vacillating between being horrified at the gray, and wanting to color it, and wanting to wait until my best friend from college visits me in February, so she and her husband can see it (and never let me live it down, probably). ; )
I hit two hair milestones this week. The first one was that I forgot to smooth down the top of my head with the last forward swipe of the towel after my shower, and then later realized when I saw about 4 hairs sticking up that "I forgot to 'comb' my hair"!
The second milestone was that I saw someone who had not seen me or heard about me since this whole thing started and when she did see me this week, said, "What did you do to your hair?!" It is no longer a "Oh my gosh she is sick or has cancer" -- it has now become a 'haircut'! A VERY short haircut, but nonetheless, a style statement!
I'm feeling good, except for still having sleeping issues (it is 2:30 Sun morning), the weird achy stingy leg muscles and I seem to be more tired than I want to admit to.
My radiation tan is fading, except for the still bright pink of the last week of 'focused on the spot' spot. The skin is very slightly peeling, and I am still using the aloe vera on the 'sunburn'. I have a lifetime supply of the gel, as I bought 2 bottles so I could apply it at home and at work, if I needed to do so.
I go to the surgeon on Monday, then the Med Onc on Tuesday, and that is all I am waiting on at the moment. I do have the next MRI scheduled, but it is so far in the future I can't remember when it is. I think it is in about 3 more months. It had to be scheduled 6 months after something, but I can't remember what the something is! I remember it also had to be 3 months after the very last radiation, so the swelling will have a chance to go down and there won't be the extra blood vessel activity caused by the healing activity.
Bob's dad is not so good. Bob spent Saturday night up there, and his sister is here from San Diego. It is hard to watch. He has such a hard time breathing.
I love you all - don't you go and forget all about me, now. I'm still here, and needing moral support!
Much love and peaceful thoughts. Patty : )

Jan 10 What a Great Party!!

2008-01-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun tonight - we were kind of a big bunch of people in the middle of the restaurant and in the way a little and they kept saying it was OK, it is alright. We kept having to bring in or have them find more chairs, and they even brought one in from the patio.
How many people got to come? Patty, Cindy, Sharon, Bob, Paul, Helen, Laura, Matt, Joanne, Bev, Amber, Kaydie, Libby, Gary, Chris, Casey, Avery, Katie, Kecia, Regina, Charli, Leah, Donna, and I hope I didn't forget anyone. I should have had people sign a book - or my diploma!
I handed out pink ribbon bracelets, even to other diners. One cutie pie older man was just standing looking at all of us and smiling, and so I went over to apologize for being too noisy?? He and his wonderful wife said, "Oh, no, we are enjoying seeing you having such a great time. What is the occasion?" I told them I was celebrating my last Radiation Treatment, and they said "That's what we thought - that it was a cancer celebration, and those were your co-workers from the office. Congratulations" They had been sitting there trying to make a story out of all the clues! That really tickled me. I asked if they would like a bracelet, and they both said "Yes!"
Then every one was petting my head - the new hair is so soft and sleek. I heard someone make a sound right behind me, turned around and a man in another booth was 'purring'. I laughed and asked if they would like to pet it, too. I sat with them for a little while, they asked what was going on, who were these people, how did I know them, and then they wanted a bracelet. One of the two men took out his wallet and I said oh no, you don't have to pay for it. He said why not - I said they were free to me, and he said "Can't I make a donation?" "Of course!" He laid down $20 and then the other guy did the same thing! I thanked them profusely, and told them it would go the the Koman Foundation, and then told them about my experience getting free mammograms and sonograms and a biopsy through Koman, Avon and Tucson Medical Center. So many people don't know all the good that is out there in the world.
We had a great time - I had an awesome time! I was there a few minutes before 5 (yes - me - early) and no one else showed up till about 5:45. I was a little worried, chagrined, embarrassed, nervous - that's it - nervous! I was afraid not very many people would show up, and I had told the owners that there might be 30 or so, trickling in all night.
I said I'd stay till the last dog left and the last 5 of us had to be kicked out at 9:00. Thank goodness they closed or I would still be talking to someone out in the parking lot.
Thanks to everyone who came - you made it a great party. I got a couple of calls of people who couldn't come - and so I said - "Let's do it again next Thursday!" They are planning on it. Everyone loved the Spinach and Artichoke Enchiladas!!! I'll eat them every Thursday.
Happy happy to everyone. I still can't believe how excited I am for this to be over! I took a few little gifts into the Oncology Center this morning - I wish I had been able to give lots more, to each and every one of them!
You all deserve the same - you've been a great cheering team and I will still need you, and I'm not stopping this blog, because there will always be one more person out there who might read something here that might help them. And that is what this is all about. People helping people. Family helping family. Friends helping friends.
I am humbled by your love and caring and I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.
(Which has only a little heart burn from some salsa I shouldn't have eaten!) ; )
Love to you all, and to all a peaceful night. Patty : )

JAN 10, 2008 I'M FINISHED WITH RADIATION

2008-01-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am finished with all the radiation treatments. That is all I know that is new since yesterday.
I Graduated and got a diploma which says:
ARIZONA ONCOLOGY ASSOCIATES, P.C.
This certifies that
PATTY LECOMPTE
has successfully completed a course of Radiation Treatment
and is now certified to share their knowledge with anyone who will listen.
JANUARY 10, 2008
A signature below says --- Marilyn Croghan
YYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!
It's my Cancer Card - just too big to carry in my wallet!
Peace and love and goodness shall be in my heart! Patty : ) : )

Jan 9 Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow Yay!!

2008-01-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my last Radiation treatment - and now I guess I need something to do at 8:10 every morning! NOT!
I go see my surgeon on the 21st, then the Med Onc on the 22nd and then I begin my 5-year-plan. What ever that will be. More pills, but I hear they are small pills and only one a day. ; )
The Rad Onc told me this morning that I'll need to wait 3 months before I have the MRI they want, as there will be too much blood flow trying to heal everything and it would be too confusing to try to read. The MRI.
I'm anxious to see if life seems to get back to normal now - I'm a little tired, but definitely not like some stories I've heard.
The docs told me I'd be tired but not as much as I was during chemo, and sure enough - it hasn't been anything like that. I only had two really bad days after each chemo, and each succeeding one tired me out more and for a longer period of time, but it all comes out even at the end.
I just realized last week that the aches and twinges and whatnot that hurt so much in my thighs had lessened a lot! It was very gradual, and I all of a sudden realized I wasn't groaning as loudly or as long when I got up into bed. That was always the worst time. I'm still having a hard time getting back up from down - I have to have an arm or a shelf or something to support me on the way back up. I think it's a little more than just old(er) age. But it certainly is help-I've-fallen-and-I-can't-get-up.
My joints are still sore, sore, sore, and they don't seem to be getting better very fast. The worst one is still my right shoulder with the rotator cuff tendinitis and it really didn't like all the window opening and closing during the house trim painting. The Rad Onc this morning said it is still the chemo working it's way out of my system. Still.
I think I will be back to work all my regular hours soon - Tues., Wed., and Friday till late and the 1st and 3rd Saturday mornings of the month. That's the plan and that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Please put your kind thoughts toward Bob's dad - he is not doing well in his cancer battle. The lungs are what are the worst, and he is having a very hard time breathing. We don't know what is next. It's hard. He has been so healthy and full of vim and vigor all his life. He just turned 77 on Dec. 20. That is too young to be struggling this hard to simply breathe.
On that note - A Happy and Healthy New Year to All My Friends and Family and I wish you Peace and Prosperity. And yet again - and most of all - Health. Love to you all. Patty : )

Jan 6 Only 4 More Radiation Treatments!

2008-01-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone that wants to come celebrate The-End-of-the-Radiation, please meet us at The Eclectic Cafe at Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde on Thursday Jan. 10th beginning at 5:00 p.m. The special that night (and every Thursday night) is Spinach and Artichoke Enchiladas with Tamatillo Sauce. YUM! I'll stay till the last one leaves. Or it is my bedtime.
I know there is still another long peroid of medication and Dr. appointments ahead of me, but I'll be really glad to not have to get up and go to radiation every morning at 8:10 a.m. That is something to celebrate.
I've been doing well with the radiation treatments - just the requisite 'sunburn-like' discoloration that is within the large area for which they tattooed. There is one other place with a small amount of irritation where the famous surgery-when-I-was-4-years-old-scar is located. We've (I've) been doctoring it, and they are satisfied that it will be OK with just my ministrations, so now I'm happy, too.
The area of the lumpectomy has scar tissue, and now that has become a large discrete lumpy feeling mass. I think of it like an overcooked and charred piece of meat from the microwave. That is how I cook in the microwave, anyway. So - no problems.
Now they are focusing (pun intended) on the scar area for the last week. It was taking about 15 seconds on each of 3 different alignments and didn't take long. Now it is one exposure on the scar area, for about 15 seconds, and I'm done. Easy peasy.
Did I mention I'll be glad to get the getting up and driving over there every day over with. I am spoiled with two days off every week, I guess. Most people do get up early and go to work every day of the week, don't they. Hmmmm. Oops. Thank you for letting me have two days off, world. I've put in enough extra hours over the years.
We've just been trying to stay on top of everything here. We just had the house trim painted - turquoise - and are still getting everything back together from that. Put the clock back out on the patio, put the thermometer back out, re-string the lights around the patio, etc. Bob has worked and worked on our front door after the guys painted it too soon, before all the smoothing work was done. He ended up washing off the turquoise paint they had put on, the deep maroon/burgandy? under that, and then the black under that. Then the cracks had to be filled in, every thing resanded, he painted it black, didn't like how it looked, started over again by sanding it off. It is finished now - I think. Black with turquoise and red on the carved sections. Come by and see the specialness.
I've also been busily hanging more and more sparkley 'things' from my mesquite tree out front. It has become my breast cancer tree. I have all sorts of pink things out there, and then my new shiny ornaments. I really believe I must be part crow - I love my shiny sparkles.
Be careful out there - I know you didn't drink and drive on New Year's Eve - Hope everyone's New Year is starting out great - I know mine is.
Love to all you good people. Patty : )

Dec 26 - Six New Posts - Read 'em While They're Hot!

2007-12-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

Dec 26 Today Radiation Day 20 - 10 Days Left!

2007-12-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm still counting on January 10 as being my last day of radiation, then another MRI, then the appointment to talk about my next 5 years of hormone medication therapy. To kill any of the estrogen I might have left!

Dec 26 Bob's Birthday - He is 51!

2007-12-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

This is now the catchup entry - zooming by the rest of December.
I missed my friend Marian's Caroling Party this year. We were all too burned out to go out again that evening.
I really must ask my family to draw Christmas names a bit earlier, as I always end up trying to make something too ambitious, too late. Happened again this year - I am still working on the presents, and decided they are late anyway, I'll take a break and write and make you all read for hours.
So - December consists of working, getting all the heads of hair ready for the parties and the company and the family and the trips out of town. It is fun and exciting to hear of all the plans everyone has.
After I worked Monday morning to take care of my peeps who had appointments on Tuesday, I came home and spent the better part of the afternoon putting out our Luminarias. I am a 'block captain', and take the orders, pick up the white bags and 'plumbers candles' (?why are they called that?), count out the proper numbers of sets, deliver them all in time for the homeowners to fold the bags over on the top edge, and then pick up the bags of sand from the neighborhood pool and scoop out the proper number of cups of sand to bags (2 cups in each bag) and then deliver it all. Whew. I love seeing everyone every year!
Then, finally, we spent Christmas Eve as usual, up at Bob's folks in northwest Tucson, and then had Christmas there. Stockings, breakfast, more stockings, presents, cooking, eating, cleaning, resting, playing games, playing with new presents.
Then driving tiredly home.
Then to work today.
Happy catch up reading and Happy New Year!
Questions? Write me a note. I'm so sorry it has been so long. I got bogged down and then overwhelmed thinking of how far behind I was.
Now I'm not.
Peace and love and hope for happiness and health for the New Year. Go 2008! You have to be good. 2007 was a challenge.
Be well Natalie Carol.
I love you all. Patty : ) (Who has rather a lot of hair - just not very long) I'm trying to figure out a way to post a link for pictures so dial up people don't have their internet connection get bogged down. Anyone have suggestions for a free or cheap site sort of like Flicker? All suggestions will be read and appreciated and maybe I'll move forward on one of them. Or my personal assistant will!!! ; )
Peace out. Patty

Dec 10 I Have My Own Personal Assistant

2007-12-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

My new best friend is Nicole - my miracle worker and my new personal assistant.
It is a long story, but I think I have found the answer (I hope) to my perennial piles of paper. We are working on it. I hope Bob and Sara will be able to live through the mess while we sort, and have to leave it till the next time we can get together.
She will help me file, pay bills, sort medical stuff, turn in paperwork for the Medical Savings Account - or whatever it's called.
And organize. My piling system - I mean my filing system. My sewing room, my life. I hope.
I'm putting a lot of hope and faith into this girlfriend. Woooo Hoooo!

Dec 1 My Birthday - 55 I think! I'm the speed limit!

2007-12-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so far behind on letting you all know what is going on in my life of the cancer patient.
My sister Sally told me that a wise someone told her - "You will never catch up - you'll spend the rest of your life trying." Or something sort of like that. Sally? Help me and my memory.
Anyway, I am going to try to give you some highlights.
It has been extremely busy - Radiation every morning at 8:10 a.m. - who the heck asked for that time slot - I never get to sleep late, now.
Bob's Aunt Dot and Uncle Roger came to visit George (and the rest of us) the first week of December - and we got to see them a couple of times. It was a very busy week for all three LeCompte families here in Arizona, but I think we managed to get the visiting in.
That week, I had two choir rehearsals, Radiation every morning, Sara had two Dr. appointments, I had a dentist appointment, then the end of the week came. I worked on Saturday, came home and got ready for my concert, and wore my costume to Bob's work Christmas party. I had to leave after about an hour, to go rehearse again, and warm up for the concert. Bob and Sara were able to stay about 2 hours.
The concert was a whopping success!!! IMHO (In my humble opinion). We had so much fun.
Then --- Sunday I worked in the lobby in the 'boutique' at the Southwest Nutcracker. I've been volunteering for a while, after my friend asked me the first time. It is fun to see all the little ones coming to see the big girls dance. I love it.
Sara and Bob headed over to the Fourth Avenue Street Fair while I helped pack up unsold items and then break down the displays. What a lot of hard work those parents do. Often.
My salon had our Christmas party on Monday the 10th - the two owners take us all out to eat (whatever we want, off the menu) and we each bring a Christmas Ornament and play "That Game". You know the one - I just don't know what it is called. Everyone gets a number, then #1 chooses a package, opens it, #2 may steal that ornament, or choose another package to open #3 same and so on and so on. It is a lot of fun, always there are a few spectacular ornaments that every one wants.

Bob's good friend Nick turned 50, and we had a surprise drop in at the restaurant

Nov 21 Gross Out Alert - Do Not Read If Runny Nose and Mucus Production Sounds Icky ; )

2007-12-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I finally got tired of my nose problem - running sinuses and then a bloody nose almost daily for the last year or so. I called the ENT the cancer doc suggested, and got in to see them quickly. It was 8:00 a.m. the morning before Thanksgiving.
I tell you that so you will appreciate this: the nice doctor said "Oh my, you do have a blood vessel in there that needs cauterized - and this other side is even worse!"
So, a quick blast of air to dry them (the nostrils) out, then a blast of anesthesia, out to have a seat elsewhere for a few minutes, then back in the office to have it cauterized. I realized that -- this might hurt, what was I thinking, anyway?!
Too late, he dipped a q-tip thingy into a bottle of 'stuff' (I found out later - silver nitrate) and applied it inside my nostrils. Done! We talked for a couple minutes more - what do I do about this deviated septum etc., and I said - "Oh, it feels as though my nose is dripping" He assured me it was not. OK says I.
I drive to work - walk to the salon from the parking lot, meeting up with a couple co-workers, one of them looking at me strangely, and saying "Patty, What do you have on your nose?!" I tried to hide it - thinking I had not cleaned it well after the Dr. appt. I covered it with my hand, went into the salon and looked into the first mirror I could find.
I had a big black drip from my nostril halfway to my upper lip!!!!! They all called me booger face all the rest of the day. Cute! Not!
It was the silver nitrate that did that. I did not enjoy what happened the rest of the day. I tried to cover the black with concealer. That worked, however, my running nose had to be wiped. There went the concealer. After a few more times of this, I gave up and plugged the nostrils with tissue. Then the best time began. The nose began running so much that I could cut about 2 clips of hair, reach for a tissue to blow my nose, go wash my hands, come back and pick up my scissors and take two more snips and have to do it all over again. I gave up and ended up just plugging both nostrils with toilet tissue and wearing a face mask over that gorgeousness for the rest of the day. I still had to take breaks to redo all that every hour or so. Turns out - that was a result of the anesthesia. I really could have done this a different day than the day before Thanksgiving.
Oh - I didn't tell you - I called the Dr. back - no call back to me till the end of the day, and then they said - oh, the black stuff will wear off. WHEN?
In a few days !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It did, and my runny nose calmed down and all was pretty right with the world.
And my nose has stopped bleeding for the first time in a year or so. The miracles of modern medicine!

Dec 10 Exposed? to Tuberculosis - All Fine

2007-12-05T23:48:00.001-07:00

I got a letter from the University Medical Center informing me that because I had been to the UMC Cancer center between the dates X to Z (can't remember) that I had been exposed to TB.
There had been a cancer patient there those dates who had just been diagnosed with an active case of TB. SOOOO... I had to go get a TB test, for which all the doctors assured me was a very highly unlikely possibility that I had anything to worry about. The dates were screwy for me to go to the clinic they had set up at UMC, so I ended up at a Pima County Health Department office. Then back again 2 days later to have it read - absolutely nothing. As far as I know, it was all a tempest in a teapot. The nurses I know all said you would have to "be a cell mate for months, with them coughing on you daily, to contract this disease". I'm glad they were proactive, anyway.
As usual - all is fine.

Dec 5 6th Radiation Today - Found The Aloe Vera

2007-12-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

I finally got the correct aloe vera gel for my skin today. I had been warned that patients were looking all over town and then paying way too much money for the stuff the Dr. had suggested, but it still took me 5 trips to 4 stores to get the correct formulation. Nursie Jan told me that I could find it very cheaply at the Dollar Store. I went to the store right by our house, nothing there - and realized that it was 'Big Lots'. Oops. So the next day I asked Jan where was the Dollar Store, and she sent me on down the road. I stopped by there - 'Family Dollar Store'. Nothing. I walked in to the health food store right next to it, and after they told me they were closed, I asked if they had the stuff. Yes they had aloe vera gel and they would be open at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Too bad - it was too far to go back, so they lost that sale. So, I finally realized there was a vitamin store right across the street from my house, stopped by and looked and studied and found the purest product I could find, and when I showed the nurse, she laughed because I took her so literally, to find pure aloe vera. She just meant for it to not have alcohol or any perfume that would irritate the skin. So, back I went to the Vitamin Warehouse to exchange the drinkable aloe vera for a gel that will spread easily. I was supposed to begin using it right off the bat, and now I've already had 6 treatments and oh no, it's all ruined now. My chest. Not. ; )
I'm still trying to envision the snowy white beaches with alabaster sand and snowy white clouds. We'll see if it helps. I'll try to think of that instead of all the songs I'm supposed to be memorizing for our Holiday Concert Saturday night. "Sis-ters, Sis-ters, never were there such devoted sisters." I do not have the 'slap your thighs, clap your hands, and snap your fingers' part down, at all. We will all just be laughing at ourselves up there, and I'll be the one clapping when everyone else is on to the snapping and saying 'whee' after everyone else has already said it. You all are invited to laugh along with us. Please!
Please, please, everybody come to our concert. Saturday December 8, 7:00p.m. at Christ Church United Methodist on the west side of Craycroft, just north of 5th Street. 655 N. Craycroft. Free to the public, pass the hat later, and singing along on a couple of songs. Fun, Fun, and more Fun. We are always in need of and looking for more singers to join our choirs, both Ladies and Youth, (boys and girls). Come and check us out. It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys. : )
I have been trying to keep my days slow at work, and then come home and rest. They have told me that I will probably become fatigued with the radiation, also, but probably not as badly as with the chemotherapy. So far, so good.
I begin tomorrow on the third time slot for the radiation. They started me out at 10 a.m., then it has been 9:10 a.m., and tomorrow begins the 8:10 a.m. slot. This will make it easier to get to work before 10:00 in the morning. I hope.
I see Dr. Croghan every Wednesday morning, after the nurse checks me in - weight, blood pressure, and then, "Are there any problems?" This morning I told her that I had begun a new prescription for my runny allergy nose - a nasal spray. What is it, says she? It begins with an 'A', says I. "I think it is ... Aricept." The nurse put her head down on the examining table, she was laughing so hard. Says she, "I don't think so - that is a medication for Alzheimer's!" Oops. I said - "I don't snort that up my nose?" Nope! We were both laughing so hard we were crying. I still don't remember the name of the med. She doesn't even care, either. : ) Maybe I do need the Aricept!
We went out tonight to a surprise celebration for a friend's 50th birthday, and we ended up with I think 13 folks. We just kept dribbling in, and the BD boy really didn't have any idea. It was fun.
Bed time - I was up waaay too late last night. Everyone be careful out there - take care and don't drink and drive. There were several that were going to be doing that tonight - makes me cringe. A life altering experience just waiting to happen. SOAPBOX ALERT
Less that 3 weeks til Christmas, in case anyone needed to be told, or reminded. ; )
Love to you all, Patty. (Who is growing some fuzzy stuff on her head, that will need to be trimmed soon.) (Not so much.)

Nov 30 Dream book failures

2007-11-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry that my guest book has not been working. I've tried to sign it, and Sara has tried to sign it, and it hasn't put anything up since Nov 3.
So -- please just give me a little message in the comments section at the bottom of each post. If you have put a message up for me on the Dream Book, I'm sorry, but I haven't gotten it. Please try again. Please.
I do get a little 'heads up' when there is a new comment posted on the blog (When I'm paying attention and I remember to check in the correct place!), and that seems to now be the only way you all can leave a remark.
Please to leave lots of remarks, I like them. I like you. I like that you read this crazy thing. Love you all, Patty : )

Nov 30 All seems well - I'm not glowing

2007-11-30T19:55:00.001-07:00

My first 'week' of radiation is over. Nothing to speak of - I can't feel anything happening (they said I wouldn't), I don't see anything happening (they said I wouldn't). I'm to find aloe vera and use it, beginning now, and may use the plant if I wish. I remember it as being quite sticky to just smear the insides of the 'leaf' all over your sunburn. They said I'd probably not feel anything skin wise until much later on, and the fatigue some people get may or may not happen. I am, of course, planning on it not happening at all. : )
At our pot luck for choir rehearsal, a survivor who is also the daughter of a survivor, told me about her mom envisioning 'snowy white skin' during her radiation. She never burned at all. The mom is very fair, red hair, freckles, and sunburns very easily. Sound like anyone you all know?? Soooo, I am now envisioning snowy white alabaster pure white etc. .....bahsooms. I couldn't help it. I began thinking of Scarlet O'Hara and her snowy white skin, then it became her snowy white heaving bosoms and then - on and on. I just began thinking of Tara and then Rhett and then Ashley, and I just couldn't go there. So, now it is just a pure white sandy beach and alabaster shells and marble stone work. I think that will do it. Or not. ; )
I love this blog. You guys just wish you could see my face - or head, for that matter. No eyebrows, no eyelashes, no hair (well - I do have about 3/8 inch maybe? They just told me I won't ever have to shave that armpit again. I think they said something about sweat glands, too. And no, they won't do it on the other armpit for me. Darn.
My memory is not getting any better, so look out. I keep trying to check to see if I have already told you all something, but things just keep slipping by.
I did forget one thing. I found the Sunstone cancer support office, just a couple doors down from my Dr. office. They keep a jigsaw puzzle out at all times. The first day I found it, I had to keep at it until I had gotten all the border together. Someone else already had the border pieces all sorted out, and a lot of it finished, and so I just had to get it all together. So now, every time I go in, I have to find at least one piece that I can put together. Some days, it takes awhile. Fun, cuz I loves me jigsaws.
Love to all, take care and stay well. Patty : )

Nov 27 "Dry Run" Today -- Radiation Tomorrow

2007-11-27T22:31:00.001-07:00

Finally - I get the computer for more than a minute. Sara has had a giant essay due and has been glued to the computer for weeks, it seems.
My last post was about getting my radiation tattoos. I've been just spinning my wheels, waiting for the next thing on the menu.
I finished the antibiotics for the fistula thingy, had a check up by Dr. Roeder, all is well, had another mammogram on just the left side (which really freaked me out that they didn't check both sides!?), all is well.
The dry run, as they call it, consisted of lots more measuring and marking (Red sharpie, this time) and recording of angles and what not, and marking the entire area of treatment (big squarishish area from my breastbone to way under my armpit, and then from about 2 inches below my collarbone to just under the breast). Then finally more photos were taken.
Then I got to go pick my clothes out of locker #22! With my name on it! Wooo hooo! I haven't had a locker since high school, and I forgot how cool they are. The aide that took me back said, "You got a locker?! They must have all the cubbies filled up right now." I have to keep my gown clean and folded so I can use it daily, then they wash and refill the cubbies and lockers with fresh gowns every week.
I don't know how long it will really take each day, once they get me going, and I remember all the steps, but somewhere around the 30 minute mark, I think.
I just found out today that I cannot shave that armpit till I'm finished with my 30 days. (Good thing the hair fell out - I hope it doesn't begin growing back very soon!) I also may not use antiperspirant or deodorant in that armpit until finished. They OKed a crystal health food store stuff, and I may not use it until they are finished each day. Then I get to apply the crystal stuff and trot to work.
Oh yes, my daily appointment is at 10:00 a.m. Not so good for me and my clients (or my shadow). I must have made an 'oh no' face, and she asked what time would be better for me and said that I could be put on a wish list. When I left, the same person gave me another card - 9:10 a.m. beginning Dec 3. (next Monday). I'd like even earlier, so I could get on to work, and not have to call all my clients, again, but - I get to take what I get, and not throw a fit!
I think they said something about if I needed to change once in a while, they could maybe manage it. Sounded as though they wouldn't like it, though.
We had a great chorus rehearsal and pot luck tonight, and we need to, excuse me, I need to practice very, very hard before next week's two rehearsals with the entire group, and then before the concert on Saturday.
Everyone is invited! Saturday, December 8th, at 7:00 p.m. at the Christ Church United Methodist on the west side of Craycroft just north of 5th Street. Great acoustics and lots of seating, and there will be some awesome singing! I hope by my group, also! : ) We are having fun and that is what is important! That is what Margie tells us, anyway!
Bed beckons, I must go. I'm going to try to get up early and try to see everyone at my "home" Weight Watchers meeting at 7 a.m. tomorrow. I haven't been in so long - they may make me join again! Egads! That may actually be true!
Love and peace and good will to all. Hope your Thanksgiving Day was great - ours was. Too much pie - always! That is my tradition!
My love to you all, as always. Patty : )

Nov 16 Tattoos yesterday

2007-11-16T15:25:00.000-07:00

I got the 4 tattoos yesterday and he lied - it did hurt! Three tattoos up the middle of my chest and one sort of under my armpit. India ink - does that only come in black? Or are they really going to be blue as I thought they were and I have seen on others? Or does it eventually turn blue?
I go on Tuesday for another mammogram (pre-radiation), and then go back to the Rad Onc on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving for the "Dry Run". Then they will set up my appointment time for the 30 days of Star Trek therapy. (Get it? X-ray, ray gun, laser gun, radiation gun?? Don't blame me - I don't write the jokes. Oh yeah, the writers are on strike and I did have to write the jokes myself.)
I have had a few pretty yucky days, on antibiotics for a fistula and they are making me: nauseous, metallic taste in my mouth, fatigued, and all those things I survived the stinkin' chemo without! Just 8 more days of that and I'll be good and back to as-normal-as-I-ever-get!
Now I also have a mouthwash for the mouth-sore thing and take-that--Ambien-so-you-can-sleep thing.
The pharmacist no longer has to even ask my name - they just see me coming and pull up the computer and the package.
I have now officially become a little old lady - I scratched on my arm because it itched and I made a nice little purply blood blister thing because of the thin skin thing. Yep - same thin skin that wouldn't hold the incision closed, ya think?
I am good, however - I got to talk to someone very nice and entertaining and amusing yesterday for a long long time and I haven't laughed until I cried for a long time and I needed that! Thanks so much, someone very nice! ; )
Love to all of you - be careful out there! Patty : )

Nov 13 DEXA Scan today (Bones)

2007-11-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

Good report from the surgeon yesterday - just as I figured. It was just a follow up after the chemo and before the radiation begins. I'll be having an MRI just before the end of the year. It will be as if it were the first one, since I'm having it here at a new place (NOT Scottsdale) and the images don't relate I guess. The next mammogram will be in April I think she said.
I forgot what I was supposed to book and when I was supposed to book it, simply walking from the examination room to the front desk.
My brain is on serious over fry. Oven fry. French fry. Chemo Fry. No memory.
Lost purse, glasses (every day at least once), keys, scissors, crochet hooks (at work), the hardware to put my waxing chair back together after I re-upholstered it, my glasses were lost for 3 weeks - and most of all --- my brain. : )
Bone scan today, I think just a regular thing after chemo. Since I haven't had much estrogen (ANY!!) for quite a while - just seeing how the bones are doing. My last scan was 2000 and it was 'excellent', so I'm curious to see if there is any difference. I guess they'll let me know.
They wanted to know if I had lost any height? After measuring me, and recording it as 5' 3", I think they measured me as taller than I used to be? Does anyone remember how tall I used to be? Rose - I was the one next up from you, and you were the next one up from Mom. I thought I was 5' 2 1/2'-- they think I've grown?
I can't remember how tall I used to be? Is that weird?
Must go - getting ready for company this weekend. (YEA!)
Love to everyone and hugs to all. Patty : )

Nov 12 Rad Onc on Thursday

2007-11-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a quick visit with my Primary Care Physician (everything is just fine) and blood work for cholesterol and my thyroid (the ONLY two things I think that they haven't been checking every 3 weeks. I'm now on my way for another quick visit with the surgeon, Dr. Roeder, to see how the left it is doing between the chemo and the ensuing radiation.
Thursday will be the positioning, tattooing (only blue dots, and only 4 or 5?) and practice run of the radiation, then I'll be starting either next week or the week after. 30 days of radiation, going on and on clear until next year! ; ) -- simply because first there is Thanksgiving day, the day after they are also closed, then Christmas Day, then New Year's Day - they all want a holiday! Imagine that! Actually, Sara just counted the days, and without the holidays, and if I don't miss anything, 30 treatment days from now would be Dec 31, but I know it really won't happen that way.
We just watched Sicko at our house this weekend, and I'm really glad (once again) that I have health insurance! Very interesting 'movie'.
My foot seems to be all healed - just very purple and the new scar is wide, not closed up as I'd hoped, but it will calm down a lot, I know. The chemo nurse practitioner thinks there is an undissolved stitch to one side of the new incision. I just thought the bump was some strange symptom of the "off label" product the Dr. used for the second surgery.
I can't remember if I told everyone that I finally remembered to ask what were they using for the skin graft. If it didn't begin from my skin, or cadaver, or pig skin, or whatever, what exactly did the "grown in a petri dish" start from? Dr. Aung said "infant foreskin". They don't throw away anything they can possibly use, huh!
Must off to the Dr. Take care and a new post soon, Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, everyone. Patty : )

Nov 7 Last Chemo Yesterday - Last shot today

2007-11-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

I'm my usual tired self from the no-sleeping-steroids after the chemo, and I'm taking my Aleve tonight before I go to bed with a pill, for the 'achies' that will be here tomorrow morning.
I have been having excessive brain power loss, and leaving my purse, losing eyeglasses several times a day (no hair means they won't stay on the top of my head) and generally forgetting what I am doing all the time.
Right now - I am forgetting that I need to go to bed and try to sleep like a regular-houred person.
Short and sweet - Bob is having bad allergies or a cold, and his dad begins Chemo tomorrow, we think. He found out this eve that insurance won't pay for this off label use of the drug. : (
Don't know exactly what will happen, now.
Take good care of all your peeps and loved ones and give everyone a hug. They need it. Love to you all. Patty : )

Nov 4 Last Chemo Tuesday - Not Monday - OOPS

2007-11-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Chemo brain got me good this time - I didn't get to the lab in time on Saturday to get blood drawn, so I can't have chemo tomorrow as planned.
So, I'll go to get blood drawn tomorrow morning first thing, call the Med Onc when they open and cancel Monday's appointment, and make another appointment for Tuesday. I hope. This schedule doesn't work as well for me to be at home when the soreness from my shot hasn't gone completely away, but oh well.
Hopefully I can get another appointment at a convenient time for my Tuesday clients.
I haven't caught you up on the HAIR. I had Helen clip what was left very very short a couple (?) weeks ago, and then about a week ago I lost all the rest of my eyebrows. (This week I've lost the eyelashes on my left eye only!) I decided that this would probably be the only Halloween that I could go as someone bald, instead of my favorite character - a witch.
(I add to that costume every year and it just gets better and better. I sit on the front patio and pretend to be a statue until some unsuspecting poor soul reaches into the bowl on my lap where my hands with the long black fingernails are poised, holding candy. I then grab at their hands and say/yell "Aagghhh!" and they scream and jump back and I say "I gotcha" and we all laugh and I make them tell me a joke - clean and not rude - before I will give them a treat. Some of the kids remember that they have to come up with a joke and one told me she had been trying to come up with one all day. I love it.)
Well.....back to the bald. I decided - MR.CLEAN! I shaved my head and wore strips of cotton double sticky taped for eyebrows. With a white t-shirt with washcloths rolled up underneath for a 6-pack and everything Ace bandaged down and white pants and shoes , and my one gold hoop earring - I was Mr. Clean.
I had to continue getting up out of my chair to strike the pose (you know the one - arms folded at chest, chin up and feet planted firmly shoulder width apart) and had people guess who I was. Little ones said "the president?" ?!?!? What?!?!
After the up and down many times I guess my chair had scooted backwards a tiny bit each time. Bob came out to see how things were going (no treaters at that moment), I looked up at him and then s-l-o-w-l-y fell off the patio - still in the chair, into, onto the gravel in the front yard. Bob said it was just as slow motion as it seemed but he couldn't grab anything without coming down on top of me. I just laid there - he said "Do you want help up, or ice?" I said "ICE, please."
I landed on my right elbow mostly, and have a big bruise where my right hip was still in the director's chair. My left leg was up in the air caught in the leg of the chair somehow and I was afraid to move for a while. Bob got back with the ice, helped me up (that took a while!) and I am just fine, with only a hurty elbow and a couple of bruises to show for it.
My sleep has not gotten much better - I hardly slept at all last night, again. I tried the mask, no pill, and I think I'm not going to try that again tonight. I've never been bothered by light or worried about the clock - I'm just aware of the time and am just bored lying there. People (you know - 'they') say to just get up and do something, however, I know me, and I'll just read and stay up all night anyway. So that won't/doesn't work for me. If I have even a second of drowsy somewhere in there - I want to be lying down in bed to take advantage of it.
I am beginning to think that my Dr. friend is right and it is just age and that M word. The hot flashes are back and that is chemo and the M word. We just can't win.
I finally began feeling better this past Friday afternoon and I've been doing some paper cleaning here. It's not happening very fast, though.
It comes into the house faster than I can get rid of it. So frustrating.
OK - I'm going to try bed now. I can tell I'm feeling lots better - I'm writing a missive. Sorry it's been so sparse - I'd look at the computer and think that I just couldn't think of anything to say except "I'm tired." So, here I am again, for awhile, anyway.
Thanks to everyone for all the good thoughts and wishes - Judy, I did know all the cousins (thank goodness my brain hasn't gone that far), but I got so frustrated at how many great cousins that I couldn't remember their names. I got all messed up with all the next generations. I tried naming the NEXT generation (great great cousins). I got almost nowhere - I couldn't remember half of the names. I almost got out of bed to go look up names, then decided that would kind of defeat the purpose. So I began singing my songs for Chorus. You know how you can't get a song out of your brain? Well.
I do think I dozed a little bit through the night, but it was hard to quit singing and thinking of names ("oh yeah, that's it!").
It was fun, though. There surely are a bunch of us Smiths and Gerards! Man!
OK, To bed to bed said Sleepy Head.
Let's wait awhile said Slow.
Put on the pot said Greedy Gut ,
Let's eat before we go.
I surely haven't thought of that one of Dad's sayings for a long time. I used to say it to Sara when she was little. She always wanted to eat before bed!
Good night. Sweet dreams. Love to you all. Patty : )

Nov 2 Finally feel like a Patty again

2007-11-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever - I've been too busy not sleeping and not sleeping and did I mention - not sleeping?!
Today I feel great and like myself again - just in time for my last chemo on Monday the 5th. (YEA!)
I've been having problems with the sleeping (did I already mention that?) and have been up and indeed on the internet a bit, but I just couldn't seem to write a post, for some reason. I just didn't feel up to it.
I called the Med Onc a few days ago to ask about not sleeping, (see above) and they called in a prescription for Restoril and the first night I took it, I slept 15 hours! I awoke at 1:00 p.m. Oh. My. So the next night, it didn't work as well - but I got 6 hours of sleep, then the next night - not so good. It was 4:00 a.m. again before I finally went to bed - the not sleeping - it is getting old.
My friend Chris (2nd year resident) told me tonight that "No one ever died from not sleeping." And she should know! She is telling me that the sleeping potions mess with your sleep cycles, etc., and they aren't good for your body, and so I'm a gonna try me some ocean or rain sounds and the sleep mask my friend Anthea loaned to me and see if that works. Maybe reading something boring or sleep inducing in bed - War and Peace or something?
So, I'm off to bed - it is 11:00 and I AM tired - love and good thoughts to you all. Patty : ) OXOXO

Oct 22 Sleeping is all messed up

2007-10-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I slept exactly 1/2? or 1? hour(s) last night. I napped for about an hour this afternoon, and I've now taken two of those Sleep II pills that are like Benedryl, supposedly. I took them an hour ago and they might be working tonight. I need some sleep! I don't know what happened.
Last night I stayed on the couch all night, as I was worried about awakening Bob or disturbing him, and the wind was howling like it was Western Kansas! My nose hurts from blowing and my sneezy allergies are a mess. That is all I did, sneeze, blow and try to sleep, turn the light back on and read, and sneeze and blow and blow. All night long
My two very large wind chimes were banging and chiming and making lots of noise, I'm glad I don't hear them like that every night! I hope the neighbors weren't kept up all night! I think all the neighbor's bedrooms are not near enough to our back patio, and so they miss all the musicality of the chiming and dinging.
I did finish a book, or two, or three, however. I read The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (very sad times for her, and very thought provoking for me), Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky (who also wrote Suite Francaise which I loved). I read What We Keep by another favorite author Elizabeth Berg (I highly recommend her books). I finally read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthus Golden. I now want to see the movie. I am in the middle of The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai and then finally the next one in the pile is The God of Small Things by Arundahati Roy. I really only read a couple or three of these in the last two days.
It looks as though I'm really being very cosmopolitan here - a French translation, Japanese Geisha culture, India (in the monsoon season so far) and another India one. Another one about India that I really liked several years ago was A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I just like to read lots of stuff and right now that is what is coming up for me. Several people have suggested Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (about the circus) so that also will be sometime soon. I'm so grateful that I get to read a lot right now. I'm truly loving, loving, loving it.
I must now get to and into the bed and see if I can now get some much needed shut eye. Night to you all, love you all, and I'll send this wind your way, if you want it. (Except if you live in Southern California! Poor folks) Love and Peace. Patty : )

Oct 18 Sleepy Sleepy

2007-10-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

This chemo has kicked my sleepy butt-on. I've been sleeping and sleeping since Tuesday afternoon. I went to work for a little while, came home and have been in bed ever since. Now I am going back to bed. It is Thursday afternoon, and I go to work in the morning. Wish me luck. Love to all y'all. ; ) Patty : )

Oct 15 Incision Together & Chemo Went Fine

2007-10-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

First, off to the Foot Doctor this morning - she took all of the bandage off, took her photos and then re-bandaged it with steri-strips top to bottom again. IT IS FINALLY ALL STUCK TOGETHER ALL THE WAY FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM AND FROM THE FRONT TO THE BACK AND FROM THE SIDE TO THE SIDE!!!! It has only been since July 30 - 11 weeks from the first surgery. What a goofy experience. She said to come back in two weeks for the next bandage change - I asked her when I could have a shower - she said not yet. I have had one (or two maybe, I can't remember) showers since July 30! My foot is yucky!!
I had washed it with facial washcloths when it just had a band aid on it, all around the band aid of course, and then one of my friends said baby wipes were awesome, also. Now since it's all covered up again - I guess I don't get to use either one of those solutions. Stinky foot.
Dr. Aung was running very late this morning because she was explaining surgery to someone and so I barely made it to my chemo on time. Then they were running very late. Appointment with Aung at 9:00, left and barely had the time to drive to the TMC Cancer Center only about 4 miles away for my 10:15 appointment. It was a little too close for comfort.
Then as I signed in, the receptionist said - "Almah needs to talk to you about your account. It shows a balance due." Almah came up and showed me what they think I owe them - over $150,000. ! Oh. My. Goodness. What if we didn't have insurance. I may owe some of this to cover a new deductible but that would be only $5,000 of that huge number. I don't even know what each of these costs are - it is too overwhelming to look at the EOBs and try to figure out what it means. We don't get a doctor bill to itemize everything.
Anyway, the drips took a long time today, because the Cytoxin gave me the beginnings of a migraine feeling in my forehead and sinus areas and so they gave me an additional bag of saline (or whatever it is) to help flush that out. I then took an Imitrex and they started the Taxotere, slowly. Even slowly, I began again to have a throat reaction, tightening up, and so I got another blast of Benedryl, they stopped the Taxotere for a bit, then started it again very slowly, and then that took forever - I think I left there at 3:45 or 4!
Somewhere in there when I went to the rest room dragging my I.V. pole behind me - I discovered, in my jeans pocket, the little box of my medications that I was supposed to take this morning at breakfast. I didn't get breakfast because I didn't plan far enough ahead of time to allow for the late appointments, and then the chemo went on so long I missed lunch, also. So, I ended up not taking the other half of the steroid prescription this morning. When I discovered it and of course told them, they said never mind - it's too late now, and at any rate, you got some in the first bag. So, forgetting the medication was probably partly the cause of my reactions. I think I'm going to start taking my ADD medications again, because that coupled with chemo brain doesn't do me much good.
One more chemo to go - November 5, 2007. Then an appointment with Dr. Roeder, the surgeon, on the 12th just to see how I am doing before the radiation begins. I begin radiation soon after the chemo is over. I haven't made that appointment, yet. I have a note to make the call tomorrow to Dr Crogan, the Rad Onc.
I am going in to work for only 2 clients tomorrow, then I'm coming home and staying till Friday morning. I'm learning. Slowly.
Peace and good thoughts and I love you all. Keep helping me with your good thoughts, as I need them a lot with this chemo brain/ADD thing. Patty : )

Oct 14 Third Chemo Tomorrow

2007-10-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I go back to Dr. Aung for another bandage change. Last Monday I came home with just a band aid on my foot. I went to work on Tuesday, came home and when I took off my sock, the band aid came with it. I saw the incision, which looked white as though water-logged, and it seemed to be just as large as before I had the second surgery, and I freaked out.
I called Dr. Aung, and went in Wednesday afternoon, and she assured me that it was healing on schedule. However, to placate me, I think mostly, she put steri-strips over the entire incision and then re-bandaged it with the usual gauze and windings and exhortations to not touch it. I hadn't been messing with it - I promise. I looked, of course when the band aid came off, and tried to put another one on. That one didn't stay on, another try with a butterfly over it first. That also came off, and I just had to quit and just put a couple of really sticky ones on it till the Dr. appointment.
I've still been trying to stay off it as much as I possibly can - coming home early, not working the entire day on Fridays, lying down and putting the foot up high as often as possible. I hope it continues its healing progression and heals together quickly.
Tomorrow is also my third chemo. I will be working a little bit on Tuesday morning, taking Wednesday off as that is the sore-day-after-the-shot-day
and then Thursday is my day off for when I'm still a little bit sore, so I'm planning on being back to work on Friday morning for a little bit, then go home for a few hours, then do my Friday night gig. I haven't been staying as late on Friday nights as I used to - I'm wearing out sooner! Getting old I guess!
The computer is up and running again after a little glitch this week - sorry you've all had to wait for an update. Much love to you all, and thanks again as always for the thoughts and wishes. Patty : )

Oct 8 Only a band-aid today

2007-10-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Dr. Aung peeled off all of the Appligraft today, and I got to go home with only a band-aid on my foot. It still is not healed completely - has a bit to fill in and she says it will probably always have a depression or divot in it. It may fill in completely, but will definitely be a much wider scar. I thought this was going to close all that up, but apparently not. Oh, well. It is healing.
I've been working - part time of my already part time hours. I've been pretty tired even so, and so have also been pretty 'lazy' here at home. Just keeping up with the laundry is a big job. But, I have always liked doing the laundry - except at laundromats! There is a beginning, middle, and then a distinct end to the job, and that is very satisfying to me. A job that can be completely done, and there is nothing more hanging over your head. Especially since I don't iron anything anymore. That took a load off my back.
I have to tell you a story about my hair. My friend Charli called and wanted to bring her daughters Chloe and Katie over to visit. Chloe has known me since before birth. (Charli worked with us at Great Lengths) They came to the door, 5' 10" Sara answered the door, and knowing all the great stories I tell her about Chloe and the pictures and videos she sees, she says "Chloe! I'm so glad to see you! You've grown so big!" To which Chloe grins kind of apprehensively, says, "Hi", turns to her Mom and says "I thought we were going to go to Aunt Patty's house" "This is Aunt Patty's house." I am looking around the corner from my chair with my foot up, forgetting I don't have any hair (well, it is very short, anyway) and say "Chloe, come here, I'm so glad to see you, it has been so long, come and give me a hug!" All the while she is cautiously walking farther into the living room. She comes on over and lets me pull her up on my lap as I say "Clo-Clo, I've missed you so much, give me a hug and can I have a kiss?!" She does hug me and lets me kiss her on the cheek and then leans back and looks around and says "Where's Aunt Patty?"
Charli and I laughed and laughed, after I had explained, "I am Aunt Patty, Chloe - I just got my hair cut off really, really short." I thought it was such an act of trust for her to come on over and give this strange lady a hug, even though she didn't look a bit like her Aunt Patty!
She was fine about it in no time, after I had her feel how awesome it felt to rub her hand across the top of my head. We had a great day, and I got to teach her how to sew a button onto a felt picture frame. She is a cutie-pie.
At any rate, I'm just plugging along, trying to heal and doing strange things due to "chemo brain" they tell me. I wonder. Saturday morning I got up very early to go in and have my blood drawn for my Monday morning chemo, and after I was at work awhile, realized that I had done it a week early! Now I have to do it all over again! Then, when I went out to get into my car, the remote wouldn't open the door, and wouldn't open the door, even when I got very close. I tried again right at the car, then tried to open it with the combination lock on the door, and that wouldn't work, and some bird had poohed on it since I had gotten in the last time. I was sorting out the actual key to use in the door, when I looked into the car, finally, and saw beige leather seats, and not my black cloth and leather. WHOOOPSY! Wrong car. My car was parked on another side of the building, and I had forgotten where I had parked it! Man! You thought it was bad before.
I do feel well. I have been sleeping more, although I am tired and sleepy most of the time. No aches, pains, or nausea or anything. That's good.
I am, however, going to go to bed early tonight, and get 10 or 11 hours of sleep again, like I did last night.
So -- love and hugs and thanks to you all out there. Patty : )

Oct 2 I Lived Through It!

2007-10-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I had a very light day at the salon, but it was only a 'lightish' day. It was fine - I sat about 3/4 of the hairdressing time, but this was supposed to be the last week before chemo, and therefore I would be feeling great! Bernard and I planned so hard!
All our best laid plans were for naught! The chemo got kicked a week out, this was the first week after chemo, and had already been booked for quite a while. I tell you all that to tell you this - it was a tiring day but very satisfying to be back among my wonderful friends and clients.
Everyone was wonderful and loved my new 'haircut' and the butterfly temporary tattoo on the back of my head. It took extra time to do each person's hair, because I had lots of folks coming over and talking to me to say hello and welcome back (do I love that?or what?) and a couple of co-workers telling me they thought I had quit work.
All in all it was a very satisfying day, especially the way it ended.
Tonight was the first rehearsal for our Seasons Choir. YEA!!!! (I sat down and had my foot up the entire time!) We need more ladies, ladies, and so bring yourselves to the Rincon Congregational Church just north of Mervyn's on Broadway and Craycroft Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30.
We are singing Stopping by a Snowy Wood by Robert Frost, and White Christmas and Sisters both from the movie White Christmas. (We'll find out the rest of the titles as we go along.) I have no recollection of the Sisters song, but it is a cute song. Mrs. Kersey said she just thought of all of us as sisters, as we just gelled and got along and had such fun with this choir, and wanted us to sing the song, even though it isn't really a holiday song. So ---- I loves my Seasons Choir.
The kids choirs are beginning their rehearsals on Thursday, but Sara won't be there this year. She chose to not re-up, as her Honors Pre-Calculus-Trigonometry class teacher said there would be at least two hours of homework each night for that class alone. She was afraid she wouldn't have enough time for both. Good decision I think. I'm disappointed because I won't be seeing some of those kids for the first time in 9 years! I'll see them at the Concert, though.
Must get ready to get ready for work again tomorrow - I have only two clients, but one will take a very long time, and then I get to go home early.
Thanks for all the well wishes and love, and I'm doing great - just only a little tired this evening. Love, Patty : )

Oct 1 Part II Yes I'll be good!

2007-10-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

You all know me too well, don't you! ; ) : P : )
Yes - I'll sit as much as humanly possible. I can cut hair while sitting, I can apply color while sitting, I have to wax eyebrows while sitting. I have to walk to the shampoo bowl but I can shampoo standing on one foot, believe it or not!
I'm good and I'll be good, I promise! Love to all you alls! (How do you say that, Aunt Dot?) Patty : )

Oct 1 Foot Dr. Says Back to Work, Lightly?

2007-10-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yea, team, I get to go back to work tomorrow on a 'light' schedule. (Hello, Karen) She says the graft looks good, next week's visit will be "picking off the excess of the AppliGraft (I made up that spelling) and since there are no outward stitches, those didn't have to be removed today. Or next week for that matter.
I can drive, just not far, and not much walking. She is eking out only such a little information at a time.
But - I can go back to work -- Tomorrow. It's only a day away.
Gotta go rest up now, and find some clothes that will fit me after being off my feet for ? weeks and chemo eating! Love to everyone - Patty : )

Sept 29 Fund another mammogram, please

2007-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone that this site
has updated it's look and it is now very, very easy
click on every button, not just on the Breast Cancer Site

Please click every day to help fund mammograms

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

This site helps fund mammograms
with just a click of a button. It
takes me about 30 seconds to click
on all the sites listed. You can pick
your own favorites or do what I do
and click on each one of the tabs!
I'm helping feed dogs, buy books,
save the rain forest, provide health
care to children - all painlessly and
with just one click a day. I have it
at the top of my favorites list and
start each computer session with
my clicks.
They don't care that I don't buy
anything - and furthermore - they
don't know.
I have been the recipient of 3 free
mammograms and then a follow
up sonogram and then a core
needle biopsy a few years ago
when there was no insurance and
little cash flow. I truly appreciated
it.
Thanks for your help by putting it
on your favorites and clicking daily.
Love, Patty

Sept 27 Sleeping all day long

2007-09-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

I think the chemo acted a little different this time. I've been tired, and sleeping most of the last two days. I've definitely been in bed most of the time, and not wanting to get up and out into the living room.
So I've been reading a little bit again, and I paid a bill, after talking to the billing person. The bill was over $3000, and I called to see how much I really owed, and come to find out - it needed to be resubmitted. Who knew?
All the cancer books keep telling me to keep all the bills and appointments and medication names and everything together and check them all later and blah blah, and you all know how much I love doing paperwork. Sooooo....
I guess I need a system, and I sort of have one. Put the bills here. If they send you a second one, maybe see if you need to pay it. Just kidding! I need a better system!
I hate being a responsible adult, sometimes.
I'm tired, having hot flashes, and 'headachey'. But I shouldn't and won't complain, because I asked for this, yes???
I can feel those cancer germs going bye-bye every second of the day.
My brother-in-law 'Uncle Silly Terry' (Sara's name for him) asked me today what color my hair was right now. I told him "Kind of flesh colored." No more hair has fallen out, but what is left is very blonde. Still kind of cute. In a weird kind of way. My scalp doesn't seem to like it much - very bumpy and broken out and looks awful. I'm trying to keep my hands off of the scalp, especially after I've been reading the newspaper, or doing a crossword puzzle, but it feels so interesting to touch that stubby little growth!
I am doing better about it, though, Sally.
Must. Go. To. Bed. It's very late for me these days. My love you all,
from Tired and Getting Better Patty : )

Sept 26 Aleve works!

2007-09-26T10:28:00.001-07:00

I took an anticipatory Aleve last night before bed and woke up this morning (at 9:30 or so!!!!) with not much soreness at all! It's there - just only if I search it out (does it hurt here? Here? Or here?) It all is better than last time, that is for sure. I surely do not sleep well because of the steroids the night before the chemo, the next night after more steroids, or even the next night after not sleeping the nights before!!! I think maybe I might be caught up with my sleep now.
So, today will be a great day! I found a little story last night while cleaning out e-mail that makes me smile every time I read it.
....................................

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

"Well, " she said, " I think I'll braid my hair today?"
So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

"H-M-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?"
So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head.

"Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail."
So she did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply.

.............................

What a great story, and a great inspiration for me.  Thank you to
whomever sent it to me.   I have had it for a very long time, not
just since my diagnosis and hair loss.
I love it also because I can tell this story to my clients when they
think they don't have very many hairs on their own head.

Peace and love to all of you out there - whether you have no hair or
three or four hairs or 40 thousand hairs.   ;  )
Love you all,
from-Patty-who-has-quite-a-few-very-short-hairs-on-her-head :  )

Sept 24, Dr. over and Chemo over for THIS week

2007-09-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

Dr. Aung says the skin graft looks good, but to keep doing what I'm doing - STAY OFF MY FEET!! Until she gives me the go-ahead for next week. I HOPE! My poor, poor clients are so getting the bad end of this stick. And they don't even know it yet! Until they read it here! (I'm so sorry, Linn - I did give you that appointment we talked about.). And so, once again, poor beleaguered Bernard gets to call all my peeps, again, starting tomorrow. They have all been so wonderful and accommodating that I have absolutely no doubt that they will be taken care of very well, but still.....it is a trying time for them, too. I am so, so sorry everyone.
Dr. Aung says to my question about next week, "I don't know, let's see how this does this week." She said that these these things can either heal very very slowly (over months!) or they can heal pretty quickly - weeks. I am so ready to have this blue shoe off my foot. (And N0, she didn't wash my foot for me so it will really have a lot of dead skin on it by the time I get to scrub it. Tanya? Kecia? Marla? TMI?! anyone?)
The chemo today was uneventful, again, except for the part where I had to have my friend Helen run quickly, I think I said "Hurry", to find my nurse. I evidently bent my wrist and stopped up the Taxotere drip, and then when I unbent it, it all rushed into me, too, too fast. I had to get a shot of Benedryl into the I.V. line to stop the the black spots in front of my eyes, (I think I was thinking of fainting? -- Any other guesses?), the beet red face and neck and head, (It felt like the top of my head was going to pop right off) and the heat, oh the heat, the heat! All I could do was keep saying oooo*, and oooo, and again oooo. I also had a tiny little stomach hurty which stopped immediately after the Benedryl was administered. No problems at all, after that, and now I know WHAT NOT TO DO!!! Keep the stinking needle site straight and don't try to do a crossword all by yourself.
Now, you say, how could you not keep the needle straight? Doesn't it stick you and hurt. Well, I just saw all this stuff done for the first time since April or May or whenever this all started with the surgery stuff. They puncture the vein with the same type of needle they have always used, but then they pull that out and all that remains is a tinier rubbery tube, on which is now the 'needle'. And it is used with a 'butterfly' (soft and nice) So, even if you move only one iota, it won't hurt and hurt your vein like it used to do. Some of you may have had this done for years, but I was not aware of it till now. I don't know how exactly the the sharp comes off (I do not look), I just know it is much more comfortable.
So, the chemo took longer than it was going to, as they had to stop it down, administer the Benedryl, wait for it to take effect, then start me up again very, very slowly, gradually speeding it up every 10 minutes or so, so that would not happen again.
So friend Helen gave me the ride to and from (thank you so much), sat with me and we did crosswords and tried a sudoku and talked. On the ride home we stopped for a sandwich from eegees, and now here I am, ensconced on the recliner again. Fan blowing, snacks by my side, computer seems to be better (faster a little) today, I have the books and the magazines and the crosswords and the sudokus handy, so I am in hog heaven. Except that I wanted to go back to work this week. : (
Oh, I meant to tell you all - as of last night, the blueberry cobbler and the peach cobbler are all gone, into our tummies, and boy were they good! Thanks again, Sally!! MMMMMMMMM!!!!!! When are you coming again? tee hee. ; )
Peace out and love and kisses and hugs to all. Patty-who-is-following-Dr.'s-orders-to-the-letter
; ) : ) : P : P : P : P (That is a raspberry being blown)

*This is pronounced oo as in chicken coop. Sara and I cannot figure out how to spell it.

Sept 23 First Dr Aung, then Chemo, tomorrow. Horrible computer this week!

2007-09-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

The computer at this house is not having a good time! Neither are we, with the computer! Sara called Comcast cable company today, they tried to troubleshoot from their office, no luck, so they gave us an appointment three (!) weeks from today, for someone to come out to see what is wrong. No hurry I guess.
That slowness of the computer hookup is most of the reason I've not been on here lately. Another reason is that I've been having lots of company lately. : ) Yes, I love it. Sally was here for a week : ) , Helen from work, Cindy from work, Helen from work, Charli (and Chloe and Katy) from work at Great Lengths, Chris, Casey and Avery (Katy was skating) also were here.
I love the visits. All the folks keep hollering at me to stay off my feet. (I am I am I am!!) Dr. Aung said I could go to the bathroom and maybe get something to eat, quickly, and I am following her orders - very strictly! She will be the first to look at the skin graft tomorrow morning. She said not to touch the bandage, and so I haven't even taken the little sock off the top of the Coban bandaging. I hope they wash it really well for me. ; )
Dr. Aung is at 8:30a.m., then Chemo begins at 10:15. I don't know how long the chemo will take this time, as they dripped the Taxotere in so slowly last time. Supposedly a much shorter I.V. time, tomorrow.
My hair is very short, but isn't completely gone, yet. I think 2 weeks from my second chemo it'll all come out. Another supposition that I haven't a fact to support. ; )
Bob and I are having leftover peach cobbler and blueberry cobbler still from Sally's visit. Not a problem to finish - except for time. YUM! Thanks, Sally. Thanks for the meals you helped prepare, too. I haven't cooked in years. It was wonderful.
Sara is still/again painting, this time the closet. They had to go back and get another quart to finish the job. She is still sorting and organizing and we got a tremendous amount out of the living room before Sally came. Sally actually helped be my coach for a lot lot of paper work. Who wants to be next? Come on down. Lots of love and hugs to all, Patty : )

Sept 18 Foot surgery over - no work for the weary this week

2007-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

Went in at 6:30 a.m. and I was finished and Sally and I were home at 11:00. She is MEAN, and won't let me get up except for bathroom and a few other little things. ; )
I am having a princess day, and the doc is making me stay home this week, again. I go back in to see her on Monday, and don't even get to see under the bandage till then!
Dr. Aung is still taking pictures for her paper she'll write, and so I know she has done everything possible to make this heal quickly and magically. And So It Will.
I must sign off, I have a jigsaw puzzle to begin, and the crosswords are calling to me. Peace and love to all, Patty : ) : ) (Sally is making peach cobbler for dinner tonight!) (YUUUMMMMMMM!!)

Sept 17 No chemo today - foot surgery tomorrow

2007-09-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

My chemo got rescheduled till next Monday because of the non-healing of the neuroma site. Today I went to Dr. Aung who is a 'wound care specialist' and she will be putting a skin graft (grown in a petri dish) on it tomorrow morning, using only a local anesthetic on the site.
I realized late Friday afternoon when this was all being planned, that The-Dr.-who-is-in-charge-of-me might want to know that I was planning on doing just before I raced in to have my chemo. Surgery at 8:30, then chemo at 11:30? I was just worried that we might not have time to drive there and be on time.
So, I called TDWIICOM (The-Dr.-who-is-in-charge-of-me) and TDWIICOM is, therefore, putting the next chemo off till next week and is ruining all my best laid plans, (Karen).
Sally, therefore, will be driving me around for the surgery, instead of holding my hand while we do crosswords, and watch movies, and oh yes, get the chemo drip..drip..drip....drip... ; ) : )
Okay - gotta go eat - had a fasting blood draw this morning and tomorrow have to have fasted for 8 hours and be there at 6:30 a.m. Surgery at 8:30 a.m. It will take maybe only about 20 minutes. They will trim the edges of the non-healing site and then culture that to see if there is a very low infection or "irritant" in there that is not allowing it to heal correctly. Everyone thinks I have a "diabetic foot condition". NOT.
Everyone stay well, take care of your feet, clean out your ears and bellybutton, and get your eyes checked! I just found out I have a freckle on the retina. I think that is pretty special! Patty : )

Sept 15 The hair is buzzed off!

2007-09-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

The hair made it through work today - barely. My client left the building and I immediately began pulling on the poor leftover sprigs that I have been babying for a week. A lot, lot still came out, and then I shampooed vigorously a couple of times, and a lot more came out, and it felt sooooo good to just massage and scratch my head. There was still a lot more hair on my head than I thought there was going to be.
I had my friend clipper it short - Sally says shorter than 1/4', it is little fine stubble and quite thin. Remember it is blonde and so you can hardly see it. It really does look strange, to not see any hair up there, but I kind of like it. I know - I'm perverted.
My friend Geri brought some temporary tattoos for me this morning, and I LOVE them. After my haircut, I put a pretty little heart high up on my left temple (in my receding hairline empty place) and it looks wonderful. I want to find some pink ribbon tattoos, now.
We are all going to bed much earlier tonight - Bob, Sara and Sally were home all day organizing Sara's room, and what with me working and then getting my hair cut and all, (hee hee) everyone is all tuckered out.
I have photos of all the hair cuts but decided not to put them on here so it won't be too hard to download for you all. Email me if you want to see any, and I'll have Sara show me how to send them.
Love to you all - the hair show was short - but I liked it a lot. Hugs to all, love, from Patty : )

Sept 13 It's blonde and going fast

2007-09-13T23:07:00.001-07:00

OK, the hair, it is very blonde, and the thickness, it is very little. I'm busily trying to not lose it all before at least a few of my clients get to see it. I know there will be a couple of them who might kind of freak out, but for the most part I think everyone is realizing I'm having fun with it, so they are, too.
Wednesday afternoon we bleached the stuff.
First, as I had not shampooed since Monday morning (ICK!) and had only been kind of patting it with damp hands in the mornings as it was just falling out and falling out, Helen had to rinse out all the sticky hairspray etc. so the bleach application wouldn't just rip everything out. So. We used very strong bleach, usually used for highlighting with foils, and 40 volume peroxide (usual is 20 vol.) and I put the magic Sweet'n'Low into the mixture and slapped it on. After a long time, with a plastic bag on my head, there was progress in the process, but not nearly enough. The tint that we had freshly applied so optimistically last week had only bleached out to a nice peachy color. We carefully shampooed and rinsed it out and reapplied a fresh mixture. (I forgot the Sweet'n'Low that time) Another sitting and waiting this time under a magic color machine with steam and everything, and out it came. (We were a little afraid of making my head sore and the-Dr.-who-is-in-charge-of-me would be really not happy with the making of open oozing sores on the head!)
Shampoo carefully again, rinse carefully again, still pretty yellow but much better. Now the cut which I love love love and have always wanted and never had anyone try because I thought I couldn't wear it this short! It is short! A pixie? A little longer version of the Susan Powter that I have been talking about, so it could be a little spiky on the top. The massive (?) haircut didn't get all the hair that wasn't quite light enough off, so we did have to put a little extra color on it to make it look more blonde than yellow.
Now I love it and I'm not allowed to shampoo till next year so everyone can see it. (JOKING)
I have been carefully saving all the hair I lose each day in separate little packages of tissues, and it cracks me up to look at them and I'm loving showing them and telling about -- this is Sunday shampoo at the salon; this is Monday in the shower, then applying hair goo, letting the hair air dry and then rubbing hands through and fluffing after it dried; this is Tuesday after I realized it was going away fast and didn't comb or shampoo or fluff, but showed everyone how you could just pull out a chunk here or there -- here you want to try it? (Only one person took me up on that) (and it was a bad idea - after you cut it short, you can see bald spots I created. Tee hee) Then, the Wednesday came and the blonding process began and every time we went to the shampoo bowl, we shampooed or rinsed out much hair. Then the careful styling of the hair, then the makeup application of the face and the big earrings and I looked strange/wonderful/bald, and...Odd. But in a cute way. : )
I really, really love it and I want to cut my hair in this style when I get big, I mean when I get hair back.
Oh - one more day of collecting hair - I fluffed my hair over the sink on Wed. night before I got into bed, and muchos pelos fell out into the sinko. I collected them, then Thursday a.m.(that would be today) I had to rinse through a tiny bit of shampoo as while I was cleaning I was also sweating like a horse this morning! (YES) Even More of the hair came out, and I was very very careful and hardly even put a towel close to it and didn't even want to comb it. Still lots coming out and tonight we took a bunch of pictures at all sorts of angles and close ups so I could see what everyone else saw. Very interesting. And did I mention THIN!? Whoo-eeee Mama!
I am trying very hard to not pull all the rest of the hair out to see what it is going to look like, and get it all done, (can you say OCD?) but I'm thinking.....I'm going to let anyone who wants to, to just "come and pull weeds with me"! We'll weed the East Place, Smith kids! ; ) Some people have even told me I have a cute head. Who has told you that lately? HUH? HUH?
I must go to bed - Getting (?) punchy and Sally is keeping me up way past my bedtime.
(Hee hee, I'm such a liar. She has been in bed for a lo-o-o-n-g time and I'm up way too late.) Because I'm so excited that I have company to visit me in my beautiful Tucson, Arizona which is hot but has the very dry heat, so as not to feel so hot as somewhere like Kansas City or Missouri, or Washington, or Florida which all have the very high humidity and also the very high heat. We love our dry heat. (Except when it is the humid heat - during the summer rains.)
I love you all and thank you all every day for supporting me and helping me through this and accepting my very muchly weird weirdness. : ) Love, love, love, Patty : ) : )

Sept 11 Today a Redhead - Tomorrow a Blonde?

2007-09-11T23:45:00.000-07:00

Today is the very last day for the pretty red hair with the blonde highlights. Every time I touch it - LOTS of hair comes out. And when I pull on a chunk to see if it is really loose, or will it come out easily, it does! They kept telling me at work to stop it - I was getting very thin in spots in the back, behind my ears, where I could reach it to show the next person. I am fascinated - they are freaked.
Amber fluffed what I have left, sprayed it very, very well, I came home, changed clothes, and a co-worker's photographer husband (Hi, Kecia and John) came over and took a family portrait of the three of us. Very cool.
Tomorrow, I plan to bleach it, as light as I can, and then if there is enough left on my head, cut it short and spiky-ish a la Susan Powter (the Move More, Eat Less lady from a few years back). If most of the hair pretty much comes out with the shampooing out of the bleach, I'm going to just put bright yellow on it and be Big Bird for a day or two, (if it will stay on my head that long). I am having fun with it.
The only sad part for me is that I messed up and didn't get to do all the colors and cuts that I wanted to do, because I forgot to ask the Dr.-who-is-the-boss-of-me how soon my hair would begin to fall out after chemo started. I asked lots of other people, and they thought after the 2nd chemo. NOT! He said 7 to 14 days after the 1st chemo. Oops, it was already day 10 and I hadn't done the first color yet. EEEEEEEE!
So, Thursday was the red with highlights, Friday it began to go away. Slowly for a couple of days, at least. And now, tomorrow is it.
Sara says I can put pictures up here, she will have to help me later.
Love to all of you all. Stay well, Natalie Carol Thompson
Love, Patty : )

Sept 9 Sara is 16 Years Old and My Hair Is Falling Out

2007-09-09T23:02:00.001-07:00

Sept 9 Baby Memories

2007-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Oh my! I can't believe it has been 16 years, since Bob drove so close up to the entrance door of labor and delivery that the door kept opening and closing till our friend moved the car.
I thought Sara was pretty small at 6 lb. 10 oz., then her cousin Dillon was born early and weighed 4 lbs. something. My friend Charli had Chloe at 4 lb. 10 oz. They were all tiny, tiny. I can't even fathom a 1 lb. 2 oz., 11 1/2" long baby. I can just pray and pray and think of Natalie, Nicholas and Cassie.
Sara was so little and we were so nervous and she grew and grew and is 5' 9 7/8" now! (the pediatrician says she can fib and say she is 5" 10") She is a Sophomore in High School, taking World History, Chemistry, Dance, French 3, English and Honors Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry.
Sara and her Dad have been working since she got home for the summer, on her room project. It has been a laborious process. She has painted the room with a split roller with the green and brown, then this weekend the mural went up. It is so awesome, I wish everyone could see it. I don't know how to put a picture on this blog or if it is possible, but the majestic waterfall going through her room is breathtaking. It is a photo of an actual waterfall --Ellowa Falls in Oregon. I can't find anything on a map except Elowah Falls in Oregon, and one photo looks somewhat the same except for the fact that they shortened the falls in the background from one of the higher falls in Oregon, (289 feet) to a manageable height for a bedroom, I guess? Why would they change it so drastically?
I found a couple of sites you can cut and paste to see her mural.

http://www.usawallpaper.com/naturemural.html?page=2
(second from the bottom on the right side) (this photo will enlarge so you can see it really well. Her door opening is just so the cats can push through that tallish grass there about three feet in from the left wall. Cute)

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/wallpapers_1964_1137304374
(this site just pops you right to it)

Her bedroom door is at the far left of the mural, and her closet door is at the far right. The mural fit exactly even covering the door jambs. They did have to cut some of the top of the waterfall off but it looks so cool that we don't want any thing put back in there in front of that wall. She is planning on leaving that entire wall empty. The bookcase won't go back on that wall, even. (It will stay in the room, never you fear!) We still have a massive clean out get rid of project ahead of us. I did a lot while she was away, but.....much much more needs to happen.
Those two are very tired and very proud of the project. I just sat in the bed and rested while they slaved away. : )
Much love and many hugs to all of you out there. Take good care of yourselves. Patty : )

Sept 8 Blood work and resting and hairdos

2007-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

I had blood taken on Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) so the results could be back for my Dr. Brooks visit on Tuesday. I went in at 11:00 for the appointment, only to find out that the appointment had been at 9:15 that morning. I called Bob to say, never mind, don't come, go back to work. I had put 11 down in my handy calendar in my cell phone, and as Mary was trying to find another place for me, I all of a sudden could picture in my mind the reminder card she had written for me, which read Sept 5, 9:15. I have no idea where the 11:00 came in. We decided it would be better to wait until Thursday morning to see the Dr. instead of trying to be pushed into a nonexistent spot and make everyone after me late. So Thursday morning at 9:00 (I got there at about 8:35, I was so worried) I walked up to the building, and there was Mary, telling everyone to go home, there was no electricity, and TEP said it would be 4 or 5 hours to get it back on. I called Bob to say never mind, go back to work. She would call me. I went home and about 45 minutes later, Mary called and said the electricity is back on, come on back in. I called Bob to say - come ahead, again. As I walked up the steps to go into the building, my phone rang. Dr. Brooks said, "We got your results back and I can talk to you about them now". I told him I was walking into the building, and I'd be upstairs in 2 minutes. OK. So, we finally got to sit and talk with him. All the tests came out great, he said. The one that sticks in my mind, because of the acheys was the white count. It was 41,6000. Or 41.6. The normal is 13 or so I think. So I have lots of good stuff to fight any infection. Platelets were very good and red blood cell count was very good. (I have the numbers here somewhere -- somewhere else than on the bed where I am right now) So - all is good with the Dr. I will go the next three times for the blood draw on the Saturday before my chemo on Monday, and therefore only have to make one trip. Then only one more a week after the last chemo.
I am trying to follow everyone's reminders to "rest and take it easy and save your strength". I had a big wake up call about this when I went shopping at Costco on Thursday. I went in for lint rollers and laundry soap, you know, really quickly? I came out with a cart weighing 300 pounds, I swear. I could hardly push it around the corners of the aisles at the end of the trip, partly because of all the weight, and partly because of the tiredness after pushing all that weight. I asked at the checkout for help pushing it to the front, after paying, then to my car, which I pulled up and then they helped me load it into my car. The guy was not very gracious about helping me -- I looked just fit and fine to him, I guess. I finally said something about "the doctors told me I would become fatigued after I began Chemotherapy, but I didn't realize it would be this soon." He just said "Oh." and began helping a little faster and with a little less animosity.
Bob came home for lunch and helped unload it all, too. It was a lot of stuff!! All but 4 items were food and laundry products. I'm hoping I won't have to go again till just before Thanksgiving, and then I'll be staying away till after the holidays are over. Too many people all in one spot for me.
I have really cut down on my work hours, and have been going home for a few hours in the middle on the day on Friday, so I can have a rest before the evening. I also am off today - Saturday - for the first time in I don't know when. My schedule is to work the 1st and the 3rd Saturday mornings, but when it gets too fun I just don't want to stay home.
Thursday, Helen, my friend and coworker of almost 23 years, did one of the hair color/styles we wanted to do before all my hair went away. At the doctor earlier, I asked exactly when am I going to lose all the hair, because I am a hairstylist and I have several colors and styles to try out before it is all gone, and we must plan accordingly. He said "a couple of weeks after the beginning of chemo". So that would be soon, so I knew Helen and I would have to really start cracking.
Therefore - my first color change is a very bright(?) strong(?) red red auburn with pale strawberry gold highlights throughout. I love it. Helen and I were both very surprised to like it so much. Now I know what I want to do later when it grows back. My final do is going to be bleached as light as we can go without it melting off my head, then cutting it really, really short with clippers - maybe 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Remember Susan Powter - the exercise woman Move More Eat Less book. That way I will hardly know when it is going, or gone.
Except .......last night it started. Just a few hairs more than usual .. or maybe a few more than a few more. A few more than the usual 80 to 100 that is the average daily hair loss. So I think next week might get to be the week of the blond - I don't really know how quickly it will go, once it begins. Any guesses? Oh Oh Oh Another contest? Who wants to place a bet?
This morning I told Helen what was happening with my hair and that I didn't think it would be for a couple weeks more. Then I said "I just made that up". She said I know you did - I know you don't have any idea.
That is the whole thing with all of this. No one can tell you when anything is going to happen, exactly, or what is going to happen, exactly.
Sara and Bob are in the process of pasting up the wallpaper mural of the forest and beautiful waterfall cascading down into a small river (big stream?) and then we will begin to move some of her stuff back into her room. Sandra - are you coming over, soon? My friend Helen, and her daughter Renee, both tell us we need to get rid of 2/3 of the stuff - in our house, not just her room. It is very hard. You all know the generations of pack rats before us. I'm trying to work on it.

Please all of you think healing thoughts and pray for my nephew and his wife and their 3rd baby born last night at 26 weeks. Natalie Carol is 1 lb and 2 oz and 11 1/4 inches long. The baby and daddy were airlifted to Wichita and my sister and her husband are picking up mommy and driving on to Wichita from western Kansas. It is going to be a long hard fight. They are saying she is a little fighter. Please keep Nicholas, Cassy and Natalie in your thoughts and prayers. (and the big brothers Ryan and Brandon) Thank you all.

I'm still reading and reading and doing crosswords when my brain will work. I've even tried Bob and Sara's favorite - Sudoku. I hate them. I cannot remember where that number might work, long enough to do the whole thing. I'll bet chess people are good at Sudoku - don't they have to figure out all these moves and what ifs long before it is known? I write the maybe numbers into the maybe spaces, and maybe I can get it done till the last few, then it all blows up in my face, and so you just have to start all over again! Not me. I don't - I quit. You knew that, didn't you Richard, Cindy - all my family who has tricked me into trying some new puzzle that they knew I'd try it and then throw it back down on the counter!! (They always left one out for me to find after I'd drive up and get settled in the house) (It worked every time)
Cheers everyone - Happy Days (Margie) and I'll write again soon. Maybe when I get work. I hope you all know when I'm being silly and when I'm not really a crazy little old lady. I'm not a little old lady yet.

Love and hugs and kisses to all of you all!! Patty OXOXOXOX : )

Sept 4 I'm Patty again!

2007-09-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I've felt like being on the computer. Sorry for the absence. Thursday afternoon was when the Dr. told me to take Aleve for the 'acheys' and that worked great! But the 'acheys' were still there, I realized yesterday afternoon, after they really went away.
I was off Thursday and spent it mostly in bed. Not even reading much. That means a lot - doesn't it, you readers out there!
Friday I went to work, but I didn't want to be there. I went home for several hours in the middle of the day, and went back at 4 or 5 and worked on 3 people, got home at a decent hour. Went straight to bed and slept for 11 or 12 hours.
Went to work Saturday a.m., not too early, and only had 3 clients. But -- one thing led to another, and now I realize it was the 'underwater movement' that made everything take so long. I had a lot of new product I needed to price and shelve, I had a lot of recycling to take out to the car, and I had friends to talk to for crying out loud.
On the way home, I called to see what was for dinner (yes, it was that late - dark!) and after telling Bob I was too tired to even chew, he suggested getting ICE! CREAM! and making a shake. That sounded good. Only a quick stop at the store, which is right on the way home to the chair. To sit in and put the feet up.
I called from the store as I had said I would, to ask what else was needed, and began the most circuitous route through the newly remodeled and everything is in a different place grocery shopping experience I've ever had. Or ever want to repeat. I couldn't find the last 3 things. Looked everywhere. I was waiting till the end of the shopping to pick up the ICE! CREAM! and so I hadn't gone down that aisle. That was where the other 3 things were that I had been looking for. And, yes, the clerks were all busy at the front of the store.
I just couldn't keep more than one item in my brain at the same time, and poor Sara staying with me on the phone till I found the next thing, didn't know the new layout, and she kept saying she was trying to figure out what might be near whatever I had just picked up. I was so tired I called Sara from the driveway and had her bring in everything and put it all away and bring me a bowl of ICE! CREAM! to eat for dinner. I did have something else, don't know what, as it paled in comparison.
I sat down and didn't get up for a long time. Went to bed and didn't get up for a long time. Sat around on Sunday for a long time, and sat around on Monday for a long time.
We actually have been watching a lot of Animal Planet with a whole week of Steve Irwin. Tonight, Tuesday, is the show he was working on when he was killed by the stingray. We are anticipating it anxiously. Sara really loved him and his wildlife conservation efforts, and the world lost a great animal lover the day he died.
Monday afternoon I took my Aleve, and then the headache I had still just wouldn't go away, so I took an Imitrex for the migraine, and when they both kicked in and all the pain went away, I realized how under the mark I had been feeling. I told Bob and Sara that we needed to do something - quick, "While I feel good". <--('well', I know, I know) They are still painting Sara's room, so I began working on the laundry that's been piling up for days, nay, weeks. I'm only about 4 more loads from being finished! I jumped out of bed this morning just feeling great! Well, as great as I feel every other morning - just don't want to start it quite yet.
Went to have blood drawn this afternoon for the Med Onc tomorrow. This is the first draw after the first chemo, and they will be watching my white count carefully. It will get lower, and that is why I'm shopping for face masks, next.
Sara's home, we're both cooling off in the bedroom with the extra air conditioner - it's hot out there. It says only 97 degrees, but it is hot. Love and kisses to all, thanks for the thoughts and prayers and hopes and dreams and these are a few of my favorite things.
Hugs and Smiles, Patty : )

Aug 29 and 1/2 Shot in the arm caused the aches

2007-08-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Dr. Brooks just called back to say "So, you came down with the 'acheys'." He told me to take 2 Aleve every ?can't remember how many hours, and that should help. He also said it should last only 24 hours. He lies - it's already been longer than that. It will get better. It will.
He said it is from the shot I had the second day after the chemo - the one for the white blood cells. It is my bone marrow working very hard to keep putting out the Leukocytes or something. (I just made that up - I don't remember what it is making.)
Soon I will not be so achey. Love to all....... Patty : )

Aug 29 Boy am I achey today

2007-08-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Monday's chemo was a piece of cake. I couldn't get to sleep on Monday night because of the steroids they gave me to take the night before and the morning of the chemo. I finally turned the computer off at about 3 and went to sleep about 4 or 4:30 I think. Sara's alarm for school went off at 6:30. Not quite enough sleep for this old body. I drove the girls to school, then went on to work. I felt great all day yesterday except for being very tired (no sleep), then didn't get to sleep quite early enough on Tuesday night.
So, this morning when the alarm kept telling me it was time to get up to go to Weight Watchers, I kept telling it NO NO NO. I couldn't drag myself out of bed. Then I kept thinking - what have I been carrying around that was so heavy it made my shoulders so sore?
Well guys, reality has set in, within all my muscle groups. Everywhere on my body hurts like I'm getting the flu. Even my scalp and my armpits and my eyelids. Oh My.
I'm trying to decide if I should take a Hydrocodone, or if I should keep typing and stay awake for a few more minutes. I have lots to tell you all.
I stayed up way too late Sunday night (excitement?) and took my 5 pills then the directions on the prescription were written very strangely and so I got up and took the next 5 at 5:00 a.m. It was supposed to say take 5 pills, it said take them at 5. It was too early. The Dr. later told me to just take them with dinner and then breakfast. Much easier.
My friend and ex-coworker Tanya from Notorious took me to the Med Onc office, (Bob had badly hurt his back throwing a piece of mesquite into the trash bin, on Saturday, now can hardly walk, then also started running a fever and stomach yuck, so I didn't want him around the chemo patients)
Tanya dropped me off at the Onc, then took her mother to her job, asking me to call when I was done (do you know how long it will take? etc.? no.) I went in, they called me to the back, the nurse weighed me, took my temp., then blood pressure, then I asked her to check out my foot, before we went any farther and they sent me home. She thought it was OK, but to ask the doc. So I then met with the Physicians Assistant and the 4th year Resident working with her, and we talked about what was going to happen, and they both looked at my famous foot, and decided it was okay to go ahead with the chemo.
Back around another wall and corridor, and there are all the chairs for people to sit in and have their IV drips. I think I must have seen someone with a little DVD player, so I asked about DVDs, and ended up watching the funniest Ellen DeGeneres show, then part of another movie (In Her Shoes). All the while, I'm getting set up in my nice little corner, with 3 or four bags of IV things. I am taking two different chemos, (see a previous post for names, because I can't remember except they both have Xs in the name). The first one went quickly, then they said the next one wasn't quite ready, so I just had some saline for awhile. Then they started the Taxotere, which evidently has some pretty icky side effects, and they like to drip it in very slowly the first time. So the total IV time was about 3 hours I think. (Don't know - I was laughing too hard at Ellen) The nurses kept coming over to see what was so funny and who was cracking up laughing. She would just take a little piece of normal life (tripping over a pebble on the sidewalk) and turn it into everyone's life experience. Did you see that? Someone could get hurt. There needs to be orange cones put up around that. Look out there is a pebble up there. I think you'll have to find the video. I may have to find something like that every
time I go.
I thought I had just a little bit of the second movie left, so I was just sitting and watching it, when Tanya called and asked if I was about finished. I said Oh yes, I'm just watching the rest of the movie, she then intimated she had things to do (what the heck was I thinking, I don't know, but I wasn't, obviously.) Oh my gosh - I'll hurry.
I told her come right now, and I did hurry. I went out to make my next appointment, put my things on Mary's desk, finished, and picked up all my stuff and left. Tanya picked me up, we took off, and down the road a little, I looked at my watch and realized I was going to be late for my Podiatrist appointment. Shoot Shoot Shoot Shoot!!!
While Tanya is driving me home as fast as we can go, I begin fussing nervously with the stuff on my lap. What is this? I say, looking and turning and opening SOMEONE ELSE'S MEDICAL FILE FROM THE DR. OFFICE!!!!!
OH. MY. GOODNESS!!! I quickly tried calling them, no answer. I'm imagining that the entire place is looking for this poor woman's file and she is getting angrier and angrier and they are frantic. Can you say patient privacy? I call again, no answer. I try to call the podiatrist, no answer. Where is everyone - on a lunch break or something? I call the Med Onc again, finally get a very frazzled "blah blah blah officecanyouholdplease*click*" I hold. Five minutes later, I hang up and call again. I quickly ask to speak to Mary before she puts me on hold again, so she forwards me to Mary and I just get her voice mail. I get to leave just a MESSAGE with Mary telling her of my horrible crime and will she please call me right back as I can't get the file back to their office until after I see the podiatrist.
I call the podiatrist. No answer. I call the podiatrist's bookkeeper who is my client and I have her cell number. No answer. I call the Med Onc again because Mary has not called me back to tell me everything is OK and it will be fine to bring the file in later and the police are not coming after me. I get the "blah, blah,blah, officecanyouholdpease*click*" AGAIN! AARRGGGHHHH!!!! I immediately hang up, call back, and when she answers "blahblah...canyou..." I say NO, WAIT! I tell her who I am , what I've done, and that I'm the reason everyone is looking everywhere for the file and that is why no one can answer and talk on the phone. She told me to relax, just bring it in when I could, and it would be fine.
The podiatrist office finally answered, I let them know I was really late, was it too late, no come on in. I got there and was quickly taken care of (bandage pulled off, look at the 'wound' and clean and re-bandage it. Call us on Monday - it looks great. Maybe I won't have to go back in there for my foot.
At this point of finally getting on the phone with the podiatrist, I have finally begun driving away from my house, after getting booted out of Tanya's car while she slowed down only a little (remember -- she had things to do), and I hurried to jump into my car to go on to the podiatrist. My car key wasn't on the carabiner hooked to my fanny pack. Oh, I must have thrown it into my fanny pack after I locked the house front door and jumped into the back seat of Tanya's car this morning. I dump the pack upside down in the front seat of the Lincoln after getting the door open with the special code numbers on the door. No key. WHERE? I call Tanya and ask her to turn around and look in the back seat of the car where I sat that morning, and see if my keys are there? YES! AARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
She will drop them off later Monday night. I'll just run into the house and get the other set of Lincoln keys. Remember Bob is home, flat on the floor with his back out and hurting badly. I come in, yell to him, "where are the extra Lincoln keys?", Bob thinks they are in the console of his car, I find his car key, go look, and nope, not there. I come back in, look a couple other places, can't find them, get frustrated and then decide to just take Bob's car. (What a concept!)
Leave the podiatrist, take the file back to the Med Onc office (all is forgiven - Mary didn't realize it was gone till I called) go to the Scissor Talk salon because the Med Oncs have just told me I have to come in on Tuesday for a shot (after every chemo, it turns out) (for white cells or something) and then I have to get a blood test next week and come in the next day to check blood levels to see if I'm getting the right amount of toxins. (I'm to do this trick every time after each chemo) (The next two chemos, I'll do the blood draw the day before my chemo, then don't have to make an extra trip, then after the last chemo - it will have to be the week thing again)
I wasn't planning on any of these appointments, so I had to go to the salon and see when I was booked and call them back etc. etc.
By this time, it is now time for me to head on over to my NEXT Dr. appointment. Dr. Roeder (the surgeon) is expecting me for my 7 week checkup post surgery. I'm a few minutes early, she is an hour late, and then we talk for a long time. The staff is gone when we finish. I stop to turn in and pick up my reserved library books, then pick up dinner for us, (La Salsa, Yummy) and come home and eat while Sara and I talk on the speaker phone to Sally, then I finally decide to try to write a bit of a blog entry.
You saw how far I got.
I went to bed, wanted to sleep late, but instead got up and took the car pool patrol.
No Rest For The Wicked or The Forgetful or The Clueless or The Stupid of the World.
I'm now officially exhausted. I love every minute of this. Patty : )
It is funny, tiring, hectic, exhausting, and all of my Peeps are so wonderful and caring and thoughtful. I'ma gonna be better-a soon. : ) : )

Aug 27 Chemo was a breeze

2007-08-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

First Chemo today and it was a piece of cake. I don't know what tomorrow or Wednesday will bring, but I'm good today.
It is very late and I have to go to bed. I had a long day today, and Sara had the computer for homework this eve, so I didn't get to blog till now - 11:15 p.m. Too late for me!!

I had chemo this morning at 9:00, (I got to watch an Ellen DeGeneres comedy DVD during chemo, and kept laughing too, too loud. I had to share it with the next lady over, later. I'm going to love doing that every time!), finished up there at about 1:30 (won't take so long the next three times), next was Podiatrist check on my foot at 2:00, then Surgeon last post surgical check on lumpectomy. Went to the salon to check out times for some appointments the Med Oncs sprung on me, stopped at the library, picked up dinner, and all that took till about 7 or 7:30? I'm pooped.
So .... More tomorrow. I promise. Patty who loves everyone for helping her feel good, good, good today. : ) : )

Aug 20 Blithering about my 'PioneerWoman'

2007-08-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

I just saw an awesome blackberry cobbler recipe on a web site that I have come across called ThePioneerWomanCooks.com and now I want cobbler and ice cream.

Some of you might also enjoy looking at her main site --
http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/confessions_of_a_pioneer_/

They are cattle ranchers in Oklahoma and she photographs everything - beautifully. EVERYTHING! I think it is a hoot, and I've seen more pictures of cows being pregnancy tested than I ever dreamed was possible. This woman home schools her kids, and they all help with the cattle and chores. They take care of wild mustangs for the government.
She is a city girl and her husband says if he had wanted a girl who could ride and rope, he would have married one. She does ride, and help with chores, except working the cattle around the corrals etc... It is a very interesting site to visit. She is ornery and loves her family very much and is interested in her genealogy, and that of her husband's family.

Take a look at her cooking site,anyway. She has some good looking just plain meat and potatoes kind of recipes, and some 'Chick Food' (no meat)
recipes.

http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/the_pioneer_woman_cooks/

Like I said, she is funny and irreverent, and ornery and makes yummy looking food and takes absolutely beautiful photos of it, and her recipes are so step by step simple sounding that I think anyone could make any of these things. Enjoy. Sorry for such a plug, but I really really like her site.

Have fun reading. Love, Patty : )

Aug 20 Dr. Shapiro visit (foot)

2007-08-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Dr and he says there is only about a mm. left to heal closed and that he hopes the foot will be completely closed up by my next visit on Thursday. Hope so. It does look better than it did a week ago. I kept trying to tell him what it looked like: sunken in, no, a pot hole, no, a sink hole,Yes!! He was not amused. But it did.

My brain can't think of all my good words, anymore. It's a sad thing. My brain. Off HRT. On 54 Years of overuse (hee hee) and counting.

I haven't done a blog entry for days, sorry. I never can get going from Thursday till Monday anyway, it seems, then it takes me forever to type it in and get it just right. Then I have to go back and reread it and then add more to it to make sure everyone can understand what the heck I'm talking about. I have to post it on the site first, so I can go look at it on the site to see what it looks like there. (I'm very visual and can't imagine what it is going to look like.) Then I reread it there, catch the mistakes I didn't catch earlier, and then go back to the editing site, to make something more clear, all the while reposting it each time.

(I always wonder if someone is reading it as I am making corrections on it and does it disappear and reappear right before their eyes. Has this happened to anyone? Or, I think probably you just get to read it the way you have downloaded it, and don't realize that I have made any changes.)

I just had an opportune visit from an ex-cleaning lady - probably the only one in the whole universe who wouldn't just throw her hands up in the air and run far, far away, as fast as she could. She has even agreed to come back and clean for me. I let her go last year, but now I really need someone to come help me dig out. It's bad. Paper is taking over my life -- and stuff -- stuff is coming out of our pores and I hate it.

Sara has her entire bedroom in our living room, in our 'dining area', in our 'den' (eating end of the kitchen) and in our bedroom. And in the hallway. And out on the patio. She and Bob and another friend (Nathan) from her Honors Pre-Calculus/Trigonometry class went out, bought paint and began painting on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Bob and Sara painted for a little while till we had to get ready for a party. She is having a good time painting. They are painting two walls with a 'sponge split-roller', with Globe Artichoke Green and Oregon Trail Brown both in eggshell by Olympic Paints from Lowes. It is looking pretty kinda strange and wonderful all at the same time. Green and brown and all muckeldy dun all together.

(I can't figure out how to spell that word. My first boss Elsie used to use this phrase all the time. It means all spotty and kind of a drab and icky color, I thought. muck el dy ? muckeldy dun as in a horse color, I always thought is what she meant. Any ideas?)

They also ordered a beautiful wall mural for one wall. It is of a forest, woods, whatever all you guys living where it is green and treesy, call all those green trees all in a bunch, and a waterfall cascading down into the river (?) running through the forest. It sounds like the kind of poster Bob always wants to have in his office so he can look at it to relax and chill out, and focus. It is very soothing to look at all the green. I don't know if it is that way for those of you that live with the green all the time.

A week from today, I hope I finally get to begin my chemo. My plan is that the chemo and then the radiation are not going to faze me at all. I'm going to look for some kind of marker or paint so that after I lose my hair, everyone at work, (clients and co-workers) can draw pictures on my head, or at the very least - sign it! I need something that will wash off every day? or at least every other day. Ideas anyone? I just don't want to wear a wig - I remember Sherry and the itchyness of it that she hated so much. Maybe I could wear a scarf, maybe nothing. (On my head!) Maybe a gypsy looking scarf with sequins and baubles or whatever, I don't know.

You know how much I love Halloween and dressing up in my witches costume. (Uh oh,- I'll be bald for Halloween and my witch costume.) Anyway, I just want to have fun with my bald head so no one is freaked out about it. Because I'm not. I've always wanted to see what I look like bald. Maybe I'll see if my friend Helen can draw a 'world' on it. : ) : ) I also like the tattoo of the 'Number One' person on Star Trek from the last series with the woman commander (Katherine?) (how soon we forget) that he has on his temple. Maybe I can have that somewhere on my head. Or, one Halloween at Great Lengths, I was one of the aliens who had these freckle looking brown spots going over their heads then down the back of the neck. They were pretty cute, too. Of course, I'll need to have a pink ribbon painted/drawn/glued on it somewhere every day. Find the pink ribbon on Patty's head.

I feel another contest coming on. Suggestions for head decorations, paint, marker, or gluing on sequins or what ever other ideas you can think of. Oh yes. Bring them on. I glued tissue paper onto paper mache-ed balloons to make globes for the Tucson Girls Chorus a few summers ago. I still have lots of the tissue paper left. That could be worked in somewhere.

OK, OK, OK, can you say long-winded, anyone? Love ya, love ya, love ya, Patty : )

Aug 16 Help please -- Susan G Komen

2007-08-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

This address is too long for one line and doesn't
appreciate being on two lines, so....if there is a
problem copying it - there are a few more chances
on down in this post that will be easier to copy.

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/ee_signup/forward/8keus784f8n7nx5

Dear All Ya'alls --
I have included this link three more times for your
viewing pleasure. Please read down a little and then
send this link on to all your peeps. I will not give
anyone someone else's e-mail address. If you, or
any of your friends choose to sign up - go for it! All
my peeps thank you and your peeps for your kind
consideration and generosity of spirit. I'll tell you
again, how much they helped me when I didn't
have the money or the insurance to pay for the
mammogram, the second mammogram, the
sonogram, the core needle biopsy, and all the
follow-up exams. Not one red cent did I pay.
That was the biopsy before this one. Others now
need that opportunity, and I am happy that I now
am able to give back to Komen, in the hope that
one day I might have repaid some of my debt to
them, to make up for all they have done for me.
Thank you again for listening/reading my rant.
Love to all, Patty : )

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/ee_signup/forward/8keus784f8n7nx5

"Organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure that
are raising funds for breast cancer research are
making all the difference in the world."
- Elizabeth Edwards

I have some exciting news to report. At the Iowa
State Fair today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure was
joined by Elizabeth Edwards!

Along with Iowa policymakers and hundreds of
community members, breast cancer survivors and
activists, Mrs. Edwards called on political leaders
and presidential candidates to make breast cancer
a national priority in the 2008 presidential campaign
and increase funding for breast cancer screening
programs for low-income and uninsured women.

Mrs. Edwards encouraged us to "keep the pressure
on all the candidates" and said that "this is not an
issue where politics should have any role." She also
said, "There will be a day when we find the key to
breast cancer. We need to increase research dollars.
Organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure
that are raising funds for breast cancer research
are making all the difference in the world."

Today's event was part of the Komen Community
Challenge, a cross-country road trip bringing our
special brand of pink ribbon activism to 25 cities
with a rallying cry to "Close the Gap!" - so that all
women have access to the quality care that could
save their lives.

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/ee_signup/forward/8keus784f8n7nx5

As a Champion for the Cure, you know the facts:
In the United States, a woman has about a 13
percent risk - or one in eight - of developing breast
cancer in her lifetime. Low-income women are
more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast
cancer and are three times more likely to die from
the disease. Uninsured women are more likely to
receive a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis and
are 30 to 50 percent more likely to die from the
disease than women with insurance.

Breast cancer survivors and advocates in this
country are millions strong. It's time we band
together and tell our leaders that our priorities
should be their priorities.

And in the coming months we will be doing just
that - stay tuned for more updates and make
sure your friends and family don't miss out on
all the exciting things to come! Send a message
to your friends now, asking them to join us.

http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/ee_signup/forward/8keus784f8n7nx5

Sincerely,
Diane Balma
Vice President of Public Policy
Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Aug 14 New foot problem

2007-08-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

As you have read, I will begin chemo on Monday the 27th as I was finally convinced that it would behoove me to wait until my foot was completely and totally healed before I subjected my body to another hardship.
Here is the scoop: Sunday night at the end of my shower, I looked down and there was blood on the floor. I never did figure out exactly where the blood was coming from (the incision, or the chunk of skin that came off with the last stitch), but I cleaned it and re-bandaged it well, with lots of steri-strips and re-wrapped the whole foot so nothing could move, and called it good.
I called the Dr.-who-is-the-boss-of-me, and asked what I should do. He didn't say that it would be a bad thing to go ahead with the chemo, but he seemed to know that it would make my life easier if I didn't just then. He told me to just call the office in the morning and reschedule. So I did.
This morning, (Tuesday) I unwrapped the foot to see how well it was doing and ............... the incision had opened. My Dr. is in Philadelphia, conferencing) and so Dr. H. is taking care of his patients while he is away. I'm just home from that visit, and they pretty much said -- "these things just happen sometimes", and since my skin is pretty thin (he didn't say it, I did - "You mean I'm old") it heals not as well as maybe it used to.
Ones feet do take a very long time to heal, since the circulation is not as strong as it is nearer your heart. So.......Time heals all wounds. I hope. Soon.
My Dr. Shapiro will be back home from his conference on Monday the 20th, and I already had an appointment scheduled with him then, so we'll see what time has wrought.
Bob has an in-town training seminar next week, and that is why I'm waiting that one extra week to begin the chemo. It will all come out in the wash eventually.
Peace and long life. Love, Patty : ) OXOXOXOXO

Sara posting real quick as her mom

2007-08-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

My mom's foot started bleeding last night, so she's not doing chemo today.

She's starting on the 27th.

Note: her last couple posts ended up being posted as me. Don't mind it, they're her unless it says it's me!

Aug 12 Chemo tomorrow?

2007-08-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

I will be going in to the Dr. early tomorrow - or at least calling to ask if they still want me to begin the chemo tomorrow, since my foot still hasn't healed over completely since the stitches came out. I think it will still be happening, but it will probably make my foot heal more slowly.
I have my friend Katie over for the night tonight, and it is getting to be bedtime, especially if we are getting up early to go to the Dr.
So, goodnight for now - love to you all. Patty : )

Aug 11 Sitting and healing the foot

2007-08-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

The foot is healing, but slowly. Still a mighty bruise, and very tender since the stitches came out, but it's getting there. Bob (and another friend) thinks I should put off the start of the chemo until the foot is completely healed, but the Dr.-who-is-the-boss-of-me seemed to think it would be OK when he looked at it on Wednesday. The stitches came out later that afternoon, but I don't think that would make a difference?
I've been in bed with heat on it today, to get the blood flowing well, so it will heal faster and better. Think there is any real science to that theory? : )
I got a little distraught today after a friend reminded me that I may not be able to work even part time through the chemo "Most people don't". I just really hadn't thought there would be much disruption to my schedule. I would not allow it to be disrupted.
I think most of you out there know how much I truly love my job/work/clients/co-workers. The salon also is part family, and it always gives me fits when I have to change someone's pre-scheduled appointment, just for a lousy piece of time off. Now it will be for a lousy piece of time off for chemotherapy. : ( I'm so sorry, everyone, if that truly does come to pass. But I'll be back. Never you fear.
I, however, may well be the master of my own nausea and be perfectly fine, which is exactly what I have been planning on doing. Miss a couple of days of work the first week of the treatment, then get on with it for three more weeks. Repeat. You heard it here first, folks - Mind Over Matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Sara got all registered for her Sophomore year of high school (they call it 10th grade here!) (then I have to count on my fingers) on Friday, and came home with a foot high stack of books, and for her Honors PreCalculus/Trigonometry class, she was sent home with a CD! Times they are a changin'. Makes me feel pretty old. I sat and watched the Seniors (12th grade ; ) ) filling out paperwork for a parking permits, and thought how young they look, and wasn't I just a Senior in high school just a few years ago? (37!) Mom always said time would go lots faster when you got older, and boy, did she speak the truth!
Time does pass fast, and so my foot will heal fast, and I'll be finished with chemo soon, and then radiation will be over before you know it, and then all of a sudden, here comes Valentines Day! ; )
Lots of love and hugs to all of you out there. I miss everyone today. Love, Patty : ) OXOXOXO

Aug 8 Notice the New Name?

2007-08-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey - did you notice - Sara come home and showed me how to change the name of the blog all by myself. I could have done it long ago. Maybe I'll change it once a week or something. That way, every entry gets a go at it! What do you think?

Aug 8 A post from the webmistress....

2007-08-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hello all! My mom is going off to a doctor's appt. (To check the stitches to see if they can come out), so, I'm posting for her. She would like you all to know that she will be starting Chemo on August 13. She will be on Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan(R) and Docetaxel (Taxotere(R) ), and, "a shot of something to keep my white blood cells up or something" (Neulasta(R) maybe?). She will be taking stereroid tablets the night before and the morning of chemo, with food, a light breakfast in the morning to prevent nausea.

Yes, I'm home from Washington, back here in the heat ( XP )! I had a lovely time up there, thanks very much again to Uncle Dr. John, Aunt Lori, Kevin, Kaylene, Matt and Owen! It was also lovely to see Aunt Mary Jane, Uncle Richard, Ron, Krista, and her fiancee! I wish I could have gone to the wedding!

Aug 8 Yes, Chemo begins Monday the 13th

2007-08-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I get to have chemotherapy. It will improve my 10 year recurrence rate by 4% -- up to 88% and I like that figure better. So --- here we go on this adventure.
Dr. Brooks-the-boss-of-me-now says yes, I will indeed lose all my hair. I forgot to ask when or how soon? I've always wanted to try bald. Here we go, now. My friend Helen says she'll help me with scarves and hats and I'll just be too, too cool! (COOL!!?????!!) (ME?) (MOI?)
I'll go in one day every three weeks for an IV (forgot to ask how long it would take each time) and then I'll feel OK for a couple days, and then perhaps some nausea for a couple days.
Then I'll start all over again three weeks from the first time. I'll take steroid pills the night before and the morning of, to help with the nausea that may or not happen. This happens 4 times in all, so I should be done with all the chemo Oct 15, if I am counting correctly. Bob says, "Maybe you'll have hair by Christmas!"
I will still be working, however, the man of this house who-is-sometimes-the-boss-of-me, has told me that I will not be working any of those 12 hours days, anymore. So, not to worry - I'll go in late on Friday, so I can work on all my Friday night late clients (you all know who you are - my pretties) because that is just about the most favorite part of my week. I love the salon when it quiets down and there are just a few of us, or mostly just me and my client, and we can turn off the loud loud stereo so we can hear each other talking, and then we just feel like we are partying. Or at least I do. I have a great time I can tell you that!

I did get my stitches out of my foot - and re-bandaged with steri-strips and band-aids and all is good with the world. I have it up, iced and wrapped and I'm not going to let it swell so it will heal fast, fast, fast. It is just a little tender, the stitches were scabbed over I think, and there was a little more pulling than usual - but I'm all over it now. Did I mention tender?
Sara is home (finally) (YAY!) and wants to play on the computer very badly, so I must limit my post (?!?) and let her have at it. I love you all very much and thank you all again for all your support through this adventure! On we go.
Lots and lots of love, Patty : )

Aug 6 Feet Up - Still In Bed

2007-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

OK, my rear end is getting tired of sitting on it in basically the same position for how many days now? Lots.
At least I have a bed to sit on so my feet/foot can be up in the air. There is also nice air conditioning plus a fan blowing on my upper body for when I get one of those heating-pads-turned-way-up-on-high-behind-my-back 'spells'. ; ) Bob fixed it so I could watch TV in here, but I'm too busy reading!
I've been reading and reading and reading - so many books I can't even remember them all. Karen and Kaylene - I finished The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde and am now ready to begin Lost in a Good Book, finally. Then, Karen, I will at last be able to read your suggestion of last year for The Well of Lost Plots.
This last sentence just illustrated to me what some of you have suggested at one time or another ; ) - that I may be just a little teeny tiny wee bit obsessive? That might be the reason I had to read all the books preceding the one that was suggested? Before I could read the recommended one?
Oh well, they are all good books - if any of you want a good spoofy 'punny' read.
I also have in my 'to be read soon because it is borrowed from a friend' stack: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
Sara and I went shopping before she left and found some cheap paperbacks: My Breast by Joyce Wadler, The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner. Finished those and now just have The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger left to read from that batch.
I borrowed from Rita's last place before the hospice - Predator by Patricia Cornwell, finished it. Will return it.
Already checked back into the library The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides, Manhunt by Janet Evanovich, Beach Road by James Patterson, Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy by Geralyn Lucas, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (same author as The Kite Runner) (excellent!) (both!) and Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich.
I have from the library right now, The Night Listener by Armistead Maupin, and am waiting on two more of his that I requested - including his brandy newest one: Michael Tolliver Lives - can't wait. He wrote all those Tales of the City - and More Tales...., and Further Tales...., and Babycakes, and Significant Others. I think I kind of missed some of the in between books, and so I have reserved Sure of You and Maybe the Moon.
Last but by no means least, I just finished reading a gift from a client - The Rejection Collection, edited by Matthew Diffee. Rejected New Yorker cartoons. Hysterical! Thanks, Sarah! I loved it! : )
Now, I just have to read all of my many magazines that are piling up, and then the mail, and then the bills coming in. YEEEEGADS!!!
Bob accused me of having foot surgery so I would be able to lie in bed for 3 weeks and read. How did he find out? Who told him? ; )

SARA COMES HOME TOMORROW!!! I miss you lots, sweetie pie. : (
Hope some one can read this - I can't! Hee heeee heeeee. Love you lots all youse guys out dere. Patty : )

Aug 2 Bandage change on the toesie

2007-08-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

A trip to the podiatrist today to get a new bandage on the foot. Dr. Shapiro thinks it looks good, and as far as I can tell, I agree with him. He is a fine sewer, and there are lots and lots of tiny stitches.
He is hoping I'll be able to have the stitches removed next Wednesday, but if they don't look quite ready, I'll have to have another doc remove them.
Big outing and I'm tired.
Two friends came over after I got home and we had a lot of chatting and book discussion and trading. Fun.
But, now - the time has come - to say good night. I'm pooped, and that's all I know! Much love to all. Patty : )

I'm so glad to hear that you guys are all OK up there in Minneapolis - Mike, Toadie and kids! So, so sad.

July 31 I'm awake but not up, yet!

2007-07-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

Foot surgery went well - didn't take long, and I seem to be doing OK. Dr. Shapiro called today to ask how I was doing, and that he would see me on
Thursday for a bandage change and check everything.
I'm staying off of it, with my foot up, taking pain medication (didn't even have to get a new script - using leftovers from the lumpectomy) and wrapping with ice packs, and so now it feels fine. The worst part that is visible right now, is my IV site. Pretty bruised! It doesn't hurt, just looks bad.
We are still waiting to hear from Bob's folks about his diagnosis - they still don't know. Weird. They know it is Stage 4 something. They just told us they are going to quit testing - they can't figure it out - they will just begin treating. They will be trying holistic methods for awhile to see if that will help.
Love to all of you - Please take care of yourselves. Patty : )

Remember your daily clicks

2007-07-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

First posted at the very beginning of
my blog - now just a friendly reminder.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

This site helps fund mammograms
with just a click of a button. It
takes me about 30 seconds to click
on all the sites listed. You can pick
your own favorites or do what I do
and click on each one of the tabs!
I'm helping feed dogs, buy books,
save the rain forest, provide health
care to children - all painlessly and
with just one click a day. I have it
at the top of my favorites list and
start each computer session with
my clicks.
They don't care that I don't buy
anything - and furthermore - they
don't know.
I have been the recipient of 3 free
mammograms and then a follow
up sonogram and then a core
needle biopsy a few years ago
when there was no insurance and
little cash flow. I truly appreciated
it.
Thanks for your help by putting it
on your favorites and clicking daily.
Love, Patty

Avemar -- Interesting

2007-07-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the very interesting supplement invented in Hungary that is supposed to greatly enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy medications for several types of cancers: Lung, Breast, Colon, and they are discovering others very often.

http://www.avemar.com/

July 28 Loooong Saturday work day

2007-07-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day - began work at 8 and got home at 10:45, I think! I believe everyone either got their appointment changed, or managed to get in to the salon yesterday or today! Now, it will be the same on the other end of these three weeks! I'll miss everyone and be very anxious to get back to the salon.
I love going to work and I love my wonderful, fun, and amazing clients! I sometimes can't believe I get paid to have such a great time making everyone happy and their hair pretty and their eyebrows great! Such a life. I also love my salon and the folks there. They also are so amazing! I told them the other day that I felt as though I had worked there forever. It is my home, now.
I am going to bed, now, though. All that fun today has worn me out, and I am having two friends come help me with some cleaning and sorting tomorrow! I just realized that Sunday is the last day I have on my feet before Sara gets home. So, I am on a mission. EEEEEEEK. Lots and lots of love. Patty : )

July 27 Long Work Friday

2007-07-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

A long day today and another long day tomorrow, and then I'm off work for about 3 weeks for my foot surgery. I keep thinking maybe I really don't need this, it isn't too bad, I can wait, and then something happens like this afternoon. I began walking over to the hair dryers and all the way over and back I was wincing and saying ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch. Sometimes is it only numb, sometimes it feels as though it is asleep, and then, like today, it feels like I'm walking on a needle, or a thumb tack under that toe or under the base of the toe.
Which reminds me. I assume everyone knows what I am talking about when I say my 'roast beef' neuroma. Maybe if I said "the neuroma between the roast beef and the none"? Or, maybe, "this little piggie had roast beef and this little piggie had none". Get it? Get it? Hee hee. Sorry.
I'm going to bed - 'nother long day tomorrow. Nite nite. Patty : )

July 26 Dr. Croghan the Rad Onc

2007-07-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

We had the appointment with Dr. Croghan this morning. She seems like she will be a great addition to our team. We had a good meeting and she explained everything that will happen when we do start radiation.
Before the radiation begins, however, we have to go see Dr. Robert Brooks, (my friend Rita was treated by Dr. Donald Brooks - way up on the northwest side of Tucson.) (Having the same last name seemed like a good omen as we both really liked him so much.)
Dr. Brooks will be working with me with all my chemicals, and I will have to finish all of his treatment before I do start the radiation. Dr. Croghan tells me that she probably won't be seeing me for awhile, as Dr. Brooks will see me on the 8th, and then we will figure out a schedule for the chemotherapy. She said anywhere from weeks to 6 months before it is all over. Then the radiation will start.
Yep - Chemo. Apparently, my cancer is stage 1, however there are other factors which make it a borderline decision as to whether or not I would have to have chemo - and so - I choose not ever having to do this again! So -- let's kick some cancer butt!! ('scuse please)
Now, before the chemotherapy can start - I have to heal up from the neuroma surgery which I decided today couldn't wait for 'maybe 6 months' to be dealt with, and so dropped in on my Dr. Shapiro, and he is coming in on Monday, the first day of his vacation, and doing my surgery. I thanked him profusely, and he said - "But of course - you are family, here."
I've been seeing him for years and years, and his accounts person is, and his nurse was, a client of mine. I've been to a wedding and shared a table with him and his wife, so - yeah - I do feel as though I'm family. I really like him and his office! (Hi Susan, hi Maricela.)
So, roast beef neuroma surgery on Monday the 30th, dressing/bandage change on Wednesday the 2nd, check to see if stitches can come out on Wed. the 8th. I will have to be off work (SORRY, GUYS) for 3 weeks (or did he say 2 and 1/2 weeks?) ; ) with my feet elevated and resting.
On Wednesday the 8th, I also get to have my first appointment with Dr. Brooks. Looking forward to getting this thing on the road.
Aunt Dot - no, not all of that mass was cancerous, the surgeon just needs to get a clean margin all the way around, with no cancer cells - her margin is, I think she said, 1 cm. So I guess you take all those figures and subtract 1 cm. from each measurement and then figure it out? I don't think that will work, either, because I'm sure there was some overlapping of what she took out. She also said she was right up against the chest muscle, so there wasn't any more room to take more there! It certainly seemed like a goodly sized chunk, though.
I think we described the actual cancer size as about a large grape size. I think maybe she was also going for that other spot, near the cancer, that they found with that first MRI (like those two other spots that disappeared in Scottsdale). Better to be safe than sorry, yes?
I'm officially tired - I've had a very busy day. Yep, yep, yep. I've just realized that I work the next two days, have Sunday off, then have surgery on Monday, and will still be off my feet when Sara FINALLY comes home from her summer adventure. So - some 'things' have to be done - before Monday morning. New mattress, anyone? Sara's was toast - so we are shopping for a new one for her. Two friends are coming over on Sunday to help me with some serious rearranging.
So, I am going to go try out our mattress to see if that is the kind Sara needs to have on her bed. ; ) ; )
Nite, Love you, miss you, many hugs and kisses to you all. Patty : )

July 25 Dr Roeder visit - if squeemish - skip

2007-07-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

The visit with Dr Roeder went well this afternoon. She is extremely pleased with her handiwork - she worked hard to make it end up looking symmetrical when it finally heals, and for it to not have any 'divot-ee-ish (do you think that word will catch on?) areas when all is said and done. She was very pleased, as I said. I also have that almost nonexistent scar from about 12 years ago, and so I know that she does do beautiful stitchery. (sorry guys, close your eyes or something)
She then went over the pathology report with us to try to help us understand a few things.
For instance -- there were three 'chunks' (I think maybe they call them something else, like, oh, specimens, or even masses) taken from the left breast:
1. 4.5 x 4.0 x 3.0 cm.
2. 3.0 x 1.6 x 0.8 cm.
3. 1.0 x 1.0 x 0.5 cm.
I think that adds up to more than a golf ball but less than a racquet ball. Anyone have any ideas of how I can visualize that? Someone else will have to convert it into inches and then tell me what the diameter is of the 'mass' it would make. I can't think of any other size ball to compare it with. I am very visual and can't 'see' it unless I see it!
It is Estrogen positive 95% and Progesterone positive 50%. Those numbers mean something to the medical oncologist - which kind of medicine he will start me on later - for instance, Tamoxifin, or something in that vein. (Not in a vein, but in a pill. hee hee)
There are other letters and numbers and I'm not sure what they all mean, and I should have taken someone to take notes, but I forgot to ask. I tried to take as many notes as possible, but now I don't know what they mean. For instance -- my Her2/Neu is not amplified. ??! She is sending out for another test for the Med. Onc. (that's Doctor speak for Medical Oncologist) (Do I sound smart?) called the Oncotype DX which measures the oncogenes and "do they have over-expression?"
This is too much strange and new information, and I'm glad I don't have to go back to school to become a doctor and learn the whys and wherefores of all this. It sometimes does feel as though I am taking a crash course, though.
Must get to bed so I can get to the Rad Onc (get it everyone?) (Radiation Oncologist) first thing in the morning. The Dr. told me today I should be going to the Med Onc (Dr.Brooks) first, as He Is Now The Boss Of Me. She said the Rad Onc won't know what to do till the Med Onc knows what he is doing, and He gets to be first. Then Radiation. It's getting fun here, folks.
But, the Rad Onc peeps called me before the Med Onc peeps called - and those were the dates I was given to show up. They do not give you a choice. Period. Take the appointment and figure out something else for the other parts of your life.
And, so I do just have to change my life around the next appointment - and hope that at least some of my clients stay with me! ; ) Hey all youse guys -- I love you, and I mean it, and don't ever change, and write when you get there, and wish you were here (Oops, no I don't!), and don't forget me, and come on up and see me sometime, and I work late on Friday nights. : ) And I let you do crosswords with me if you want! : )
Nite. Love and kisses to all of you. A client gave me a little angel to put on my station today (thanks Margo), and it now represents ALL of you out there who are being my support network. I love you all - My Affection Collection Connection. Thanks a million billion times. Patty : )

July 24 Tomorrow afternoon -- Dr. Roeder appt.

2007-07-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

I think this appointment with Dr. Roeder is just the usual post-op check up, but I will take this opportunity to ask a few more questions about what is happening - with the other docs, and with my 'mammie' (Aunt Dot ;) ) and to explain to them 'Why Patty Has Called The Office So Many Gol Durned Times and Asked So Many Questions'.
I realized just a few days ago, that I had never gotten to talk to the doctor about what exactly to expect with a lumpectomy, as I had not made a decision as to what was going to happen when I last saw Dr Roeder. That decision was to be made after 'The biopsy in Scottsdale', which, as you remember, Never Did Happen. So, at any rate, I had all these questions that never were addressed by the doctor herself! So now, I forgive myself for being a impatient pest.
Bob's Aunt Dot suggested a new name for the blog - and I like it -- how about "Patty's Mammie Grams" "as in "everyone be sure you get your mammies grammed this year"
Sara -are you able to change it for me? How does every one else like that name? Should we vote?
Sara , I also noticed I had a guest signature from Dawn L. which subsequently disappeared, David said he signed and I don't see it and Joyce's last one burped and it came up again. Do we know how to fix these things? Grandad is still waiting for his dreambook guest book to be set up. Can you do it from there?
All is well here - wet and cooler - thank goodness. It is a nasty 50% humidity in the house tonight, though. Glad I'm not living where it is really humid.
Love, Love, Love, Patty Lou

July 23 Three days till Radiation Oncologist appt

2007-07-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to get information on what to do during the radiation treatments - I have vitamin E to keep the skin form becoming so sore, button up the front blouses so it is easier for off and on, long sleeves to keep me warm(?!) I'm trolling sites to help me - does anyone else have any ideas?

I finished reading Harry Potter last night except for the last bit - the epilogue - which took about 5 minutes this morning. Yes, it was great! Yay for Harry Potter!

Well, I found and have been reading a great and informative web site all afternoon. It is breastcancer.org . It has a wealth of information - including all that I was wondering, and more.

It's bedtime here - we're waiting for news tomorrow of Bob's dad's lung biopsy. It is tense here.

Thank you all for being here and there for me. Lots of love, Patty

July 21 Long, Long Saturday

2007-07-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

I got home way too late for a 'school night' after the movie last night, and so I didn't get as much sleep as I really wanted to (or needed to) for my Saturday at work.
Unfortunately, ever since I've changed salons to my new one very close to the house, I cannot seem to be on time in the morning! (I've started telling people that I live 7 minutes away, but I only allow 5 minutes to get to work.) It is a problem.
This morning, however - something else was in the air. I set my alarm(s) and heard them all. I fell back asleep, but then Bob thankfully called me from his hike, and got me fully awake. I still had lots of time according to the clocks I saw -- up until I put my watch on as the last thing before leaving the bedroom. The electricity had burped enough times that the clocks were all in different time zones. My watch time was correct, thankfully, but according to the bathroom clock, which I had been watching up to then, I had mucho tiempo left before I needed to leave. But oh, no, this was the day the battery in the bathroom clock started to fail. It ended up funny, thankfully, but Good Grief!
Maybe I should begin leaving earlier for work, you say? Maybe you are right, I say. I wish I would.
I had only two clients today, but they were both long services, and so I think after cleaning up and taking out recycling, I got home at 5:00 (?) or so. I'm bushed. My stand up all day muscles and bones forgot a little what it feels like. I am a little more sore than I thought I would be - the lymph node type place and the chest type place. Hm-m-m-m. Must. Rest. Now.
But then Harry Potter was waiting for me when I got home. : ) : ) We called Sara a little later to make sure she wasn't trying to buy it in Washington, but not to worry, my girl after my own heart had already finished Matt's copy. (Thanks Matt.) Kaylene finally did have to tell her that it was rude to stay in the car and continue reading after they had arrived at Uncle Dr. John's house! So she did go inside to finish the book.
I'm not quite there yet. (chapter 3 or 4?) But I hope I can get it all read this weekend (that includes Monday for me). Wish me luck!
So now bedtime is calling my name. All my love to youse guys. (that's Baltimore talk) (see above re: HAIRSPRAY) : ) : )
Love to all of you. Patty : )

July 20 First day back at work

2007-07-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day back at work, and I was only scheduled for a few hours this evening. I usually work late on Friday nights, and so I had 3 regular clients to take care of. Should have been a piece of cake!
And so it was.
I went in early to get my hair cut, as it was about down to my shoulders (not really, guys), then had to set up shop again -- get out all my equipment that I had stored in case anyone needed to use my station, etc.
My first client didn't come in when I expected someone to show up, so I went up to check, and that is when I saw, and then realized - the e-mail my third client had sent was about this Friday night. Oops. So, I had my one client, and then got some cleaning done. Then the fun began.
My friend Helen had called to see if I would be interested in going with a couple other friends to see HAIRSPRAY. Yee Haw that was fun. Lots of dancing and singing of course, and John Travolta as Tracy Turnblad's mother stole the show. It was fun. Hugs and kisses - Patty : )

July 19 Healing away

2007-07-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hey - by the way - I'm healing quite nicely. The lymph node incision has been the bugaboo for me, and I'm hearing from others that it is the sorest spot. My friend Chris said - Patty - all those other nodes right there in the same area are working very hard at cleaning up all the junk the doctor created from the surgery. (I paraphrased a little there, Chris.)
My next door neighbor also told me it really was OK if I still hurt, to continue to take the pain medication. I had quit, thinking the hurt wasn't too terrible, but I was having a desperate time trying to go to sleep, and then stay asleep at night.
When I would lie on my left side, my entire body weight would then be right on the incision site and it hurt very much. I then tried lying on my right side, with my body pillow trying to keep the arm kind of 'up in the air', but that left arm weighed about 100 pounds and so that hurt just about as badly. I ended up waking up often - and almost always on my back. That was not good on the sore back, either.
The pain has finally settled down, and it is pretty much just plain tender and lumpy at the node site scar, and it all isn't nearly as hurtful as it had been. Healing away, as I said.
Thanks again for all the wonderful messages, and thoughts and prayers and hopes. Patty : )

July 18 BRACA1 and BRACA2 --- NOT ! ! ! !

2007-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

I think this is good news. Our family does not have to worry about this gene being passed down - the BRACA 1 and 2 gene, anyway. So - I do know that this means that no one else in the family needs to pay for that test. YAY!!!
The genetic counselor said again, though, that she thinks there is a risk from some gene that is being passed down on the paternal Gerard side. Soooo???? I need to call her to talk about the findings, and so I can comment more knowledgeably and clearly, here. But I am taking this as good news. I think. You all still need to be checking and paying attention to ovaries and breasts and colons especially. I'm serious. As Katie Couric says - Get your butt to the doctor!
While you are at it - check your skin again and apply and reapply your sunscreen. A deep tan is a sign of ignorance down here - you are just asking for trouble - and to have another chunk of your body to be cut off. Check your moles and skin and be a good do-bee. As they say in Australia, whose skin cancer rate is second only to ours - SLOP, SLIP, SLAP. Slop on the sunscreen, Slip on a long sleeved shirt, and Slap on a wide brimmed hat. It'll save on your dermatologist bills. We need more down here - a girlfriend said it took 6 months to get her first appointment with a new doctor, and she will never give up her 6 month checkup time, as the queue only gets longer.
OK, once again, carefully stepping of the box. It's been getting a good workout here! Sorry! (Not really) ; ) Love ya, love ya, love ya, Patty (Who is WITHOUT the BRACA1 and the BRACA2 gene!)

July 17 The 'Roast Beef' Neuroma

2007-07-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

Another outing today, to the podiatrist. I've developed another neuroma on my left foot - between the 'Roast Beef' and the this little piggie had 'None' toes. I had a MRI on it before all this began to happen, and they said it looked like another neuroma, but I guess it felt enough different from the other two, that I didn't recognize it. Anyway 2 months ago I had an injection of steroids - prednisone or whatever it is. The toe again began being unbearable to walk on again, and I called Dr. Shapiro yesterday and they had me in today for another injection. I hope this one works. If it doesn't "hold", I'll get to have another neuroma removed. What Joy.
I ran another quick errand on down that street, and then I was only a block away from my old salon. I went in to say Hi and to see if my friend Tanya had any time soon for a pedicure. Someone had canceled and I got my toesies worked on about 15 minutes later!! Good thing - the lidocaine hadn't worn off yet, so she could work away on my feet, without hurting that spot. Now I have bee - u - tee - full bright red toenails and I feel so good. Yay!! Then I went home to rest.
Sara called and told us about her stay in the yurt with Kaylene and Owen, and is just having the time of her life. Less than one month left before school starts. She'll be with Kaylene the rest of this week, then it's off to Uncle Dr. John and scooping poop at the clinic.
She is sooo excited about this summer. Hi there my darling daughter! Miss you. Love love love to all of you. Patty : )

July 16 Pathology Report

2007-07-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

I had my first outing today - put real clothes on and everything. I went to Dr. Roeder's office this morning to pick up the pathology report. My plan was to ask if I could call the next doctors to make the appointments, (you know - to hurry things along a little bit faster) and the nurse, Mary, told me I had to chill and wait until after my appointment with Dr. Roeder. I said - "I don't have an appointment with Dr. Roeder." Well, yes, I did, but they had forgotten to tell me about it or when it was. It is next Wednesday, the 25th. So, after being released from her, I'll finally get to go see the the two new doctors - Dr. Brooks, the medical oncologist, and Dr. Croghan, the radiation oncologist. (I will be getting tattoos, I hear.) I'll have to wait to tell you more about the pathology report - I can't understand much more that the node negative and margins negative stuff that she told me earlier. We again are still awaiting the results of the estrogen receptor question.
Now it's bedtime - we've been staying up late talking to Bob's folks, but they didn't call tonight. George was to go to the Dr. in Seattle, today, and we haven't heard anything all day. I'm hoping no news is good news. They were very wiped out by the time they made it to Seattle. They shaved 2 weeks off of the planned schedule by the time Sara got added, then the Dr. in Washington was needed ASAP, so they had been doing some hard driving. They are both very tired, and need a good rest.
Hope all is well with all of you all, With love to everyone. Patty : )

July 15 More sloth and fruit and friends

2007-07-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

We've been watching movies some more, and eating on the fruit basket and just generally being lazy couch potatoes. I'm going to go get the pathology report from the Dr. tomorrow.
Our friends Connie and Charlie came over with burritos and chips and salsa for lunch for us (and enough for another lunch or two!) and sat and ate with us, which was a very nice intermission for us.
Nice lazy day - it's very very hot here, and it is beginning the moisture buildup to the humidity that starts the 'monsoons' here. I know they are not truly monsoons, but that is what we here in Tucson call them. It is when the hard rain fills those dry riverbeds with the bridges over the top, and floods the dry washes that have the signs that say "Do Not Enter When Flooded". Out-of-towners think it is a joke, but it is always some idiot that lives here that does the stupid thing and tries to drive through it and then gets stranded and/or washed away. We now have a 'Stupid Motorist Law' so we can charge those idiots for some of the cost of the rescue. I think the fine is $2000.00 now. Plus the humiliation of having your picture on TV or in the paper as the moron who thought that sign didn't mean HIM!
(Quietly stepping down now from box, now.)
The fruit is going away - and so I'm going to have some more of it. We'll see what manana brings. (That's an en-yay for that first 'n' there.) Ya'll know what I mean. Mucho amor and muchas gracias, amigos! Patty. ; )

July 14 Flowers and fruit

2007-07-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

A huge bouquet of beautiful flowers from my salon - Scissor Talk was delivered yesterday, Friday. Today, Saturday, a huge bouquet of fruit was delivered from that same great place - Scissor Talk. They are so wonderful there. I love my new salon. I love my new co-workers! What a bunch of sweeties they are!
This fruit bouquet is the neatest thing you have ever seen - if you don't know what it is, check it out at ediblearrangements.com. I think I got the 'Delicious Fruit Design'. We once had a huge huge one delivered to the entire salon for one of the owner's birthdays. This thing is sooo cool. Bob and I ate all day on this one, then, as I knew there was no putting it in the fridge in the basket that it came in, and fruit sticking out all over in that condition, I had to deflower and defruit it and put the remaining fruit into a (large) Tupperware/Rubbermaid container.
The fruit was all cut very nicely, and then placed on a skewer, then poked into the 'Poking and then Holding' medium, which I found out, after many, many skewers later (50?), and after I had pulled out the many stalks of curly leafed kale? that made it into a pretty bouquet with leaves, turned out to be an entire full head of lettuce! Stuffed into the basket and mashed down into it so it wouldn't fall out. Whoever thought this one up was a wizard! How ingenious!
There were pineapple slices cut into a scalloped flower shape with a cantaloupe ball center, and wands of four or so grapes on skewers standing upright and tall and out away from the main fruit, for a little added interest. Then the cantaloupe and honeydew were cut into wedges with a 'wavy' knife, and those and the pineapple 'daisies', were interspersed with huge strawberries (green stem in) and still more grapes. It was the most amazing sight. Delicious, too, and we're still eating on it.
Can you tell that I loved it!? I'm going to go have some of it now.
Bye. Love to you all. I'm having a weekend off watching lots of movies with my hubby. : ) : ) Love, Patty : d <----that is me licking my chops!

July 13 Negative Node and Final Margins ! !

2007-07-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Dr. Roeder just called to tell me: "It was node negative, all the final margins of the tumor were negative, and the final measurement ended up being about a 2 cm. (or 7/8")" Great news all around!
I forgot in the excitement to ask her about 'estrogen receptor positive or negative' information. Oh well, I'll learn soon enough.

She is sending all the information over to the next two doctors - a medical oncologist, and a radiation oncologist, and they will be calling me to make appointments.

I was too out of it to ask why the medical oncologist - I had thought I wouldn't be needing chemotherapy. Oh yes, for the tamoxofin or whatever it will be. I'll have to take something!

So - this I know and know full well (Sara - Curious Savage?) and nothing else - next week will bring something else new! So - on with the waiting.

Love and hugs to you all - Patty XOXOXO : )

July 13 Bandage Off!

2007-07-13T10:33:00.001-07:00

YEEEOOOWWWW!!! That was sticky tape. It had started itching under the bandage tape and I was afraid that the same swelling, pulling, blister inducing thing that had happened before was going on. They were very careful about washing off the betedine this time, so evidently it was the tape on top of the betedine that caused the allergic reaction 12 or so years ago.
I got my first shower today and boy did that feel good. I'm still waiting for the phone call from the doc with the pathology results. I hope that we hear today, but it was only a "probably get the results back by Friday". I'm actually not too worried, as it sounded very good on Tuesday, but it will be nice to hear the actual results. P : )

July 12 Sore & achy but great! (Plus other stuff)

2007-07-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

This morning in an e-mail I told my neice Dynette that I had a sore 'leftit' - who knows that joke? ............ One surveyor asking the other in sign language across the long stretch - "Where is the hammer?" "Eye (pointing to each body part) left tit behind (or in the rear)." Hee hee, sorry for the bad humor but I had to since it is. the left. it. ; )

Last night Bob and I both slept the sleep of the dead or the righteous or something - Bob was asleep before I even made it back into the bedroom after telling a very wide awake and chatty Sara (Hi Sara!) we just had to go to bed. I awakened at 8:30, giving me about 10 hours of sleep. My right eye was so swollen - almost shut - from lying on my right side for so long - I thought something was wrong and I was going blind! Bizarre.
Bob was long gone to work, had made my breakfast shake and put it into the fridge, and the house is quiet.
(Yesterday, 'Benny and the Jets' came to do the yard work [blowing the leaves and raking the grave] and they were pretty noisy out there with their gas powered blowers.) The wonderful landscaping guy is named Benito, and called Benny, and Sara and I began calling him and his crew - Benny and the Jets. It makes me smile.

Just got off the phone with Mary Jane and it was a surprise to her that Sara would very soon be arriving in Olympia. The last we've heard, Bob's folks will be dropping her off at Uncle Dr. John's house on Saturday (time - TBA and unknown to me).
All the summer plans for Sara with her grandparents to travel leisurely from the family reunion in Pagosa Springs, Colorado and wend their way up to Seattle to drop Sara off at 'Uncle Dr. John's Camp Vet', have been thrown into turmoil by the need for Bob's dad to get to Seattle as soon as possible. They found a problem while still in Colorado - just a couple days out from the reunion, and have been on a sped up time line ever since. They need a doctor to do a lung biopsy in Seattle - and first he needs to be referred by a primary, which they don't have there. He can't get to point B without point A, and no way will they let him get to point C without point B. He needs to get to point C as soon as possible. Anyone out there with ideas - I think they are open for some suggestions for good doctors. A nephew in Seattle and a sister-in-law have given suggestions, but even more input may be helpful and greatly appreciated.

Sara is very anxious to see everyone in Seattle. She LOVES seeing her cousins and aunts and uncles. Kaylene heard about what we've been calling 'Camp Vet' and that Sara was finally going to come for it, and asked Sara if she could come for 'Stay at Home Mom Camp' for awhile, too. Of course, Sara will be there in a heartbeat!
She has been excited about this happening for about 3 years, now. It is finally here! I hope she likes it. She thinks she wants to be a veterinarian and so this is the summer she gets to see some of what it is about. She knows she will only get to clean cages and play (exercise) with the dogs and cats, and other grunt work (maybe she doesn't know all that!?) but she is hoping she also gets to at least see some more exciting stuff. I don't know if she will be allowed to watch a surgery or not - but I think that she would like that, too.
Make her work for her keep, guys! Aunt Lori says she has an office to move at school, if they ever get it finished. Uncle Dr. John sounds as though he needs some help with a door or more - she loves helping her dad with new projects - 'need more input'. I know she will have a blast. Maybe this is the start of her "Summers with Grandpa Smith" that Ron had for so long. No, I'm not threatening, John and Lori - I just hope she has such a good time up there that she really does continue to want to do Vet School. She knows also all about the buckling down and getting only A's in high school, and college as there is sooo much competition for the few spots there are in the few Vet Med Schools there are.
She has talked about wanting to go to Kansas State University, as it is my Alma Mater, and it is also where Uncle Dr. John got his DVM degree, but Colorado and Grand dad L. thinks that Washington both have reciprocity with Arizona, which would help a huge amount when it comes to paying to tuition bills!
Anyway "we three" are very excited about this opportunity. I think it is probably a good thing for her to be gone from my 'stuff' right now, and she misses us. Here she is right in the middle of Grand dad's 'stuff'. I think we will all be happy to have this summer over.
Love to you all - stay well and do those checks, everyone. Patty : )

July 10, 10:55 a.m. waiting and writing in pre-op

2007-07-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Here I am, waiting in pre-op and just thought of trying to write a post, but we’re not on line. So I’m trying a word document and someone will have to help me transfer it over.
OK, first, guys – I had it all wrong. We went to the Mammogram place where they were to place the wire. They had me lie stomach down on the famous table with the hole in the middle for the aforementioned booby to drop/hang/fall through. Then they did the mammo squeeze and betadine smeared, then lidocane injected so THEN a very thin wire could be inserted in to the spot where Dr. R. will be excising. Just before the inserting of the wire, the radiologist injected the ‘blue dye’ just into the area of the cancer. That was the dye that I thought was going to be inserted through a milk duct. This dye will show Dr. Roeder where the cancer is, in case the wire gets dislodged from that spot.
We then drove over to the out patient surgery site and left the car, then they drove us on the golf cart over to Nuc Med. They injected more lidocane into a different spot and injected the radioactive isotopes just under the skin “into the fatty tissue” so it could begin percolating into the lymph system. The technician said there were small particles (I said "Dirt?" And she said with a grin – "particles".) in the injection so it/they would activate the system to know that there was an invader and it needed to get to work and begin pulling the radiation into the nodes. The Dr. will then later use a ‘Geiger counter’ type thing to see which node to begin excising. The one that clicks the most gets to be the first one cut out. gotta go - Drs. coming at me.

July 11 Home again home again jiggity jig

2007-07-11T08:55:00.002-07:00

#########
Added this at about 12:45 p.m. - I realized I needed to get to the meat of the matter and let you all know the important stuff! (Pun intended) They only had to take one lymph node out and it was 'clean', and after they did "touch slides" of all edges of the excised portion, Dr. R. had to go back in and take a little more off one side. The final pathology report she thought she might have by Friday, and will just call us with that report. Then we'll make the next appointment - either to take more out if needed, or just a post-op visit to plan what is next and to find a radiation oncologist.
##########

It is 9:00 a.m. or so and I'm up and mostly kind of awake. And alert? Probably not. But I'll try to fill in the blanks. I asked Bob to call Sara first, yesterday when we were done, and let her know, then she could put a quick post on the blog, but they weren't quite to the RV park yet and then were going out to see 'Arsenic and Old Lace' later, and so she tried to talk Bob into posting. He said he didn't know how and she would have to do it. I think we (I) need to teach him, yes, Sara? She did get a quick post in, I'm sorry that you all waited for something more. Thank you very much Sara. I love you sweetie pie. I could sure use a hug and a snuggle from you right now. (She heard that and just this minute called me! Thanks again, Sara.

Everything went well - or so I heard. I came home and tried to make a couple of calls with no answer, (they were talking to each other) and got one more call in, lost the signal, and went immediately kerplop asleep. Period. Bob is such a good nurse - he got my medications, water, book, snacks, breakfast this morning, and kept getting up in the night to change the ice pack and to give me more medication (and a snack to go with it). My next door neighbor is now at my beck and call (she just went through this about a year ago), and is giving me lots of good advice about skin help through the radiation. Thanks, Anthea.

Here is where I need to post what I wrote in pre-op while I waited for the next person. I only hope I can retrieve it from the word document file to copy it to this page. SARA????

See next post titled pre-op.

That hospital and the folks working there (Tucson Medical Center) were great! Other than the fact that I had to go to 5 different spots. Each place knew where we needed to be next, and the first place (where they inserted the wire) REALLY told us exactly each place we were going to need to be. We valet parked our car as per instructions, went into the Outpatient Surgery Center, and there was a shuttle (golf cart) waiting. They drove us across the hospital to Nuclear Medicine for my shot of radioactive isotopes, and then took us back to the Outpatient surgery check in area where we began that trip. I then got to ride in a wheelchair and Bob and my friend Helen had to walk all that way, to the room where I got ready to go into pre-op. (Changed into hospital gown, answered lots of questions, filled out their Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will papers, and also had more blood drawn.) Then again with the wheelchair -- on down to the Women's Surgery center. (I think - could have been the other way round?) At that point they would only let one person come in with me, so Helen got to sit and cool her heels, and hopefully read or something, for about 45 minutes or so till they kicked Bob out of the pre-op area. I had a very nice nurse named CINDY to be Dr. Roeder's surgical nurse, my anesthesiologist (I did not have to spell check that word!!!) who was from Thailand with the most beautiful name that I can't spell at all. I'll try to look it up so you can enjoy it, also. And of course my wonderful Dr. Roeder! The Anesthesiologist said - you look a little nervous - I'm going to give you something to calm you down. I said I'm not nervous - I just didn't get to take my ADD medication this morning, and I just have to keep looking around to see what all is going on. She just played a trick on me, and it was knock out drops - or else that good stuff that gives you amnesia - cuz I don't remember anything after that. Till I kept trying to wake up in recovery. The next wonderful nurse JILL was there to give me ice chips and did I need anything more - I told her - sleep. She said go right ahead. She gave me ice chips when I wanted and took very good care of me. (12:30 p.m. Wed. afternoon JILL just called me to see how I am doing - what a sweetheart!) I don't know exactly how long I was in there, but all of a sudden I was finally awake. Jill helped me dress, Bob was getting the car, and then Jill wheeled me on out to the car, opened the door and helped me in and then even helped with my seatbelt!
What service! We took Helen back to her car, and Bob took me home to bed. He went to get the prescription, and I think somewhere in there I fell asleep, and finally woke completely up this morning at 7 or so. Bob just kept getting up for the ice and the meds and I just slept. I feel very very pampered!
And LUCKY! I need to get this on the site - I've written on it off and on all day long. It's old news by now. And time for bed. Bob is pooped - he didn't get enough sleep last night! Love to you all and to all of you who called - I hope I have been coherent! My friend Helen came over this evening after work for a visit and caught me up on work. Nice to hear about everyone.
More later - sleep calls. Mr. Sandman - you know. Love, Patty : )

July 11 first draft removed and replaced

2007-07-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

I had added a lot after I posted this, so I erased the post but not the comments - hope it's not too confusing. Love, Patty : )