The Daily Drizzle

Judy came this morning. Changed dressing. Stripped tube. Had a few good laughs.

Have the Discovery Channel on. Crabs. Breaking glasses with singing notes. Etc.

Sandy called. She had a really explosive day at Community Kitchen and had to get really tough with a couple of customers. I called her back about Rosie's really dumb Guest Editorial today.

Boots continues to go up the steps for his food, wander around Mother's ankles, talk to her, and purr. He doesn't do that for me!!

Plan to get rid of this right tube Friday. Don't need antibiotics with it out. Have to remember to take drainage sheet to Dr. Jay. Shelly will take me.

Tomorrow see Dr. Bate, Medical Oncologist, and Dr. McKone, Radiation Oncologist. Should know treatment plan then. Have to take forms to Dr. Bate as well as Medicare Plan D Formulary for estrogen blocker. Bob will take me. Sent him email and also left message about the DVD he left for me at St. John's, which Wendy keeps forgetting.

This is getting old really fast.

Lethargy on a Tuesday

Woke up feeling sad, and still don't feel much energy. Watched the Discovery channel while keeping my elbows elevated on a pillow. Talked to Donna at Housing and she talked about her experience with a contained breast cancer. Queen and Annie called. Annie is after my butt over my eating habits. Talked to Joe briefly. He is supposed to call back. I'm not sure when he'll be working at his part-time kitchen job at Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake, but I don't expect it to last long, as they never do. Have yet to get cleaned up for the day. Once again, Boots wrapped himself around Grandma's legs when he left the basement for his breakfast.

Boots purrs for Grandma

Yesterday, Boots left the basement for his kitchen food, wraped himself around Grandma's ankles, and purred. I wonder if he will be speaking to me when I can finally go retrieve him.

It is lonesome without my kitty. I didn't realize how much of my time he takes.

Yesterday and today are boring. Nurse comes at 12:30 p.m. Mediacom comes between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to install basic cable. I will be glad when I can get back out and track down some articles for the newspaper. This is enough to put a person to sleep during the day.

Talked to Jane P. She and Annie have exchanged email. Jane's daughter has a dog that is very sick. A Lab, I think, and only 6 years old. Jane and Gene leave tomorrow for Minneapolis and then on to Florida for a week. I will settle for getting out of the house. My plan is to get rid of the tube Friday. I don't know what the doctors' plans will be.

Had message on cell phone from Charles, but can't reach him now. Have tried last two days.
Shelly worked History Day Saturday and was sick with sinus infection. She feels better today but I reminded her the sinuses are close to the brain and so not to be messed with when they get infected.

Sunday Doldrums

It is in the 70's today, so spring is definitely here. There's a tornado watch or warning until 10 p.m. Pam will let me know if there's a need to go to the club house.

Joe came over and stayed and visited. He took the garbage out for me. Annie called early afternoon. Jessica called after 6 p.m. They took Lena out trail riding, which Lena enjoyed. She was ok about her new trailer, too. Annie had a salsa class with a performance test and a written test.

Watched NCAA tournament games. I was rather stuck with it as I was keeping my elbows elevated for 45-minute stretches.

Will find out treatment options Thursday and Friday. Figuring on $8 a pill for estrogen block plus chemo and radiation. Will do whatever I have to do.

Still haven't located Shelly for the weekend. I thought she had her kids yesterday, but I'm not sure. Maybe she has homework and work for the class she teaches.

Second surgery

I had a second surgery Monday, March 19, to remove lymph nodes in right side. Have had lots of help from friends and family. Linda arrived Saturday, March 10, and left Sunday, March 18. Annie arrived Sunday, March 18, and was with me at the hospital on the 19th. Vicki provided transportation from and to the Minneapolis airport for both of them. They just barely made Annie's flight back to San Francisco, thanks to the weather and traffic.

Everyone has been good to call and send flowers and food. Today, the Home Health Nurse is late because of an emergency with another client. I have not stripped the tubes as I am waiting for a professional to do that. Mother will be here at 1:00 p.m.

I can sleep on my left side, which helps me snooze off quite well. Have only the one tube on the right side. That side is more sore than the left side. The right side has been a pain ever since the cancer was diagnosed, with two more spots and then the one lymph node out of four in the right breast tissue. This will mean chemo. Plus radiation, I guess. John Edwards' wife has had a reoccurrence of breast cancer from an episode in 2004. They are going on with the campaign.

See medical oncologist and radiation oncologist next Thursday, March 29. See the surgeon Friday, March 30. Will know more then. Have an email into the nurse case manager about it.

Will get back to the nurse in radiology who wants to be kept informed.

Futher Recovery

Yesterday, ran a temperature of about 2 degrees. Had no appetite or energy. Feel better this morning. Janell called yesterday evening. Chris K will be here Friday. Shirley called. Jane P was over with food and for a chat. Sandy called. Tried to call Chris L. about her situation with cancer, but she wasn't home.

Am getting royally tired of medical procedures, and I'm no way near through. Did clean up and get dressed when I got up. Didn't sit around in jammies very long. The Home Health Care nurse will be here soon.

Started reading The Kite Runner, which Linda brought for me. Can't figure out how to do underlining on the address bar.

Nose is healing up from tumble. And put in "poofs" today. Must be a sign that I'm feeling better. Still cough some. Temperature getting back to normal.

Boy, this is dumb. A regular "organ recital."

Tripping over my nose

I couldn't get back to sleep, so got up at 5 a.m.and cleaned up. Then wandered into living room in the dark so as not to wake Linda when I retrieved the newspaper. However, as I approached the door, I apparently tripped over Linda's suitcase and landed on my right knee and my nose. Could feel the blood dripping out of my nose. First nosebleed I've ever had. The right knee was sore but not bloodied. My glasses were intact. So Linda got toilet paper and I got a paper towel. Took awhile for the bleeding to stop. Then was in the bathroom and noticed in the mirror that the bridge of my nose was bloodied. Got antibiotic gel and put it on then put on bandaid. Glasses feel a bit loose but are basically ok. Retrieved the flashlight from the phone corner in the kitchen. Read the newspaper. Took antibiotic and other meds. Went out and started the car, as the battery was drained yesterday and had to have a jump start. Knew car was ok when interior lights came on when I opened the driver's door. Nurse from Mercy Home Health Care will be here at 8:30 a.m.
Drainage from right tube is minimal. Hope left tube gets better the next few days so tubes can be removed when I see Dr. Jay Friday. Now, Linda helps with them, and it would take quite a bit of twisting for me to take care of them by myself. Can't drive for two weeks. Bummer. Will not mention Charles' last name again, as Google picks it up every time his name is mentioned on the Internet.

After surgery

Everything went well with the surgery Thursday, March 8, and the surgeon was pleased with the results when he met with Mother and Agnes Lewis, Jane Papouchis, and Sandy Funk. The lymph nodes were fine. Will know more when pathology report arrives towad the end of this week. Friday morning, the first thing I did was put on my makeup. Same has been true ever since.

Got lots of nice flowers and also got a stuffed calico puppy from Jessica and Annie. They have been good to call. Shelly Schmit brought me home Saturday, March 10, and stayed with me until Linda and Vicki arrived some time around 5 p.m. Shelly left lots of food. Linda has been keeping me on my toes with exercises. Also feeding me and doing the dishes. I could get used to this!

Shirley called me at the hospital, as did Charles Derden, Queen, and Linda. Yesterday (Sunday) the phone rang lots of times.

A nurse from Mercy Home Health Care will be here around 9 a.m. Another nurse came yesterday. They strip the tubing, empty the bulbs, and record the amount. Evenings, I do that for myself with some help from Linda.

My editor, Jane Reynolds, is coming at 9:30 a.m. with food. I feel especially blessed with friends at this time in my life. Everyone has been so good and thoughtful. Had another article in the business section yesterday. I'm not supposed to drive for two weeks, so don't know when I will get out to get other articles. But, as Tom Thoma of the Globe Gazette said, "...and kick that cancer in the butt." Will do.

Was stiff and sore this morning, so took two Tylenol. Had a pain killer after surgery and then some Tylenol for a headache. This is the first I've taken even Tylenol since then. Really don't have any pain. Discomfort, yes, but not pain.

Comparing notes with Shirley

Shirley and I have been friends since first grade, although we did have a time of it when we roomed together our freshman year in college. Now we are comparing notes on modesty during medical procedures as well as her playing the organ for Lent activities in a low stress setting and me playing simple stuff on my Baldwin organ. She has news of her mother getting to go home from a nursing home after a fall - no broken bones - so I have been relaying information to my mother.

There's a lot of stuff we haven't known about each other for quite some time, so it is good to be filling in the gaps.

Waking Up Scared

I woke up around 6:30 a.m. feeling scared about the breast cancer surgery and the aftermath. After I got up, took anti-depressant, etc., began to feel better. Still, it is a frightening perspective. And I won't know until I wake up from surgery what has happened, since the lymph nodes will tell the tale. I'm afraid I won't be able to do simple things until the tubes have been removed. And don't know what I will do once Linda goes back to Berkeley.

Also, I am having a terrible time getting into the blog to post new items. I finally got to it, but I'm not sure how. Will post this and then try again.