Okay Friends: You've all been begging me and now, now it's time to turn you loose! The batlight has been lit on top of the house, only it's not a bat silhouette, but an outline of a waiter holding a tray with the lid lifted, and steam wafting.
There's no food goin' on here since Auntie P. left for them hills of W.Va. Last night's dinner: some 3-day old lasagna and a frozen pizza. Tonight, #2 and #3 got fed at a friend's and #1, Handyman and I had frozen fish sticks, microwaved baked potatoes and a drink. Handyman is downstairs right now, eating Triscuits and hummus. #2 hasn't seen a vegetable in almost a week.
If he knew the code to get on here, he'd have signaled before now (because all of you cook better than I do!) So, if you want to help out, this is your time. Frankly, by the end of a day, I have made it through and want to sit on my bed, soak up a pain pill and read a book. I did unload the dishwasher today, carried some clean jeans upstairs, fed horses, drove to dermatologist, went to bank, fed lunch to whomever would eat and found a really cute horse on the internet...oh, and looked at the biology cd and supervised litterbox cleaning. A big day, really.
You can't know how much he'll appreciate it...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
What a wonderful day in the neighborhood....
I forgot to mention the most charming package to come in the mail last week. It was from my cousin CK, but it really came from her #1, whose 1st grade brownie troop ALL sent get well cards! They are so precious. I'm thinking of wall-papering my bathroom with them. There must be 20 from these precious little women, putting all their coloring energy together for me. Have I mentioned that I love coloring? I still do. Something about new crayons...Thank you little CK, from the bottom of my heart! xoxo
In Psalm 27, for yesterday, this struck me:
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
And for today: Psalm 28: Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strenth and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
And now, my aunt and my grandma are not here swiffering and running laundry and the I must go down to the kitchen and get on the hamster wheel of house work!
In Psalm 27, for yesterday, this struck me:
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
And for today: Psalm 28: Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strenth and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
And now, my aunt and my grandma are not here swiffering and running laundry and the I must go down to the kitchen and get on the hamster wheel of house work!
Always washing, always washing,
Always hanging out the clothes.
Always ironing, always folding--
Lord, we thank Thee, we are clothed.
Always cooking, always cooking.
Always baking loaves of bread.
Always washing dirty dishes--
Lord, we thank Thee, we are fed.
Always cleaning, always cleaning.
Always chasing dirt untold.
Dusting, sweeping--Lord we thank Thee
We are sheltered from the cold.
Always rocking, always rocking.
Always picking up the toys.
Changing diapers--Lord we thank Thee
For our little girls and boys.
Lord in every task and duty,
Gladly done, as unto Thee.
There's a blessing, there's a blessing.
There's a blessing there for me.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Halle-Lu-YEAH!
God is so incredibly cool--I just love when he puts his little signatory on things. I have several stories that confirm this, just ask me sometime about how I met my husband or how we found our house.
Today's story has to do with cancer, specifically my cancer, which was evicted last Monday. Dr. T., the breast surgeon called me today with my pathology results. He said all of the lymph nodes he removed tested negative for cancer--that is soooo great! He also said that the three sentinel nodes that were tested in the operating room are all negative for cancer--what was that??? Right, there was one that was positive, so they removed a bunch more to cover for that one.
Now what's the story? He said they are "backpeddaling" now and saying the one that had cancer, does not. He said he wishes he'd had that information last Monday, because he wouldn't have whipped out the shop vac and gone at it in my armpit after all. But he says, "I can't put the genie back in the bottle."
No he can't and doggone it, I'm okay with that. To me it's God's sign that he's totally in control. Little signposts, like breadcrumbs, that say "He is here and in charge".
So, I'm several lymph nodes short of a full load, but we'll deal with that. I will see an oncologist, but Dr. T. says he thinks I have less than a 50% chance of having to have chemo. Oh, and the other "mass" that was seen in the MRI was another cancer, but it was only 4mm. Right side was clear, a victim by association, as it were.
I am celebrating by eating all of the cookies my aunt left here, watching Monday Night Football, eating popcorn on my bed and throwing back a few stool softeners. Have a great evening--on me!
Today's story has to do with cancer, specifically my cancer, which was evicted last Monday. Dr. T., the breast surgeon called me today with my pathology results. He said all of the lymph nodes he removed tested negative for cancer--that is soooo great! He also said that the three sentinel nodes that were tested in the operating room are all negative for cancer--what was that??? Right, there was one that was positive, so they removed a bunch more to cover for that one.
Now what's the story? He said they are "backpeddaling" now and saying the one that had cancer, does not. He said he wishes he'd had that information last Monday, because he wouldn't have whipped out the shop vac and gone at it in my armpit after all. But he says, "I can't put the genie back in the bottle."
No he can't and doggone it, I'm okay with that. To me it's God's sign that he's totally in control. Little signposts, like breadcrumbs, that say "He is here and in charge".
So, I'm several lymph nodes short of a full load, but we'll deal with that. I will see an oncologist, but Dr. T. says he thinks I have less than a 50% chance of having to have chemo. Oh, and the other "mass" that was seen in the MRI was another cancer, but it was only 4mm. Right side was clear, a victim by association, as it were.
I am celebrating by eating all of the cookies my aunt left here, watching Monday Night Football, eating popcorn on my bed and throwing back a few stool softeners. Have a great evening--on me!
Progress
Okay, got one drain removed and the On-Q local anaesthetic deal as well. Multiple people told me in the hospital that when the On-Q was empty, I could easily remove it by myself. Now keep in mind that it was two tiny tubes with plastic heads, taped into the skin over my sternum, with lots of tape. Well, it was pretty much empty yesterday morning, but I just couldn't bring myself to untape it and pull it out. Just couldn't go there...and figured since I was seeing her first thing this morning, she could just do it.
Fast forward to this morning, where I sheepishly pronounce to the Physician Assistant that I couldn't take it out myself and she said no problem. Then when the PS comes in and I re-announce this, she says "Who told you to take it out?" and I tell her that more than one nurse in the hospital told me to, she says; "Boy, I'm glad you didn't try that since I sew them in. You'd have had a dickens of a time getting it out." And, it ended up being about 2' long, after they cut the stitch to pull them out. Wow--points for being a weenie!
So, only one drain left and it will probably come out by the end of the week. I can drive. No cardio-work for two weeks--bummer. No heavy lifting for 6, oh well. There goes all that mattress turning I had planned.
Aunt and Grandma are leaving me today, so I'll have to do my own kitchen cleaning--mega-bummer. Now if I could just get my MIL to stop saying "WHEN your hair falls out, we'll have to tell Grandpa."
Fast forward to this morning, where I sheepishly pronounce to the Physician Assistant that I couldn't take it out myself and she said no problem. Then when the PS comes in and I re-announce this, she says "Who told you to take it out?" and I tell her that more than one nurse in the hospital told me to, she says; "Boy, I'm glad you didn't try that since I sew them in. You'd have had a dickens of a time getting it out." And, it ended up being about 2' long, after they cut the stitch to pull them out. Wow--points for being a weenie!
So, only one drain left and it will probably come out by the end of the week. I can drive. No cardio-work for two weeks--bummer. No heavy lifting for 6, oh well. There goes all that mattress turning I had planned.
Aunt and Grandma are leaving me today, so I'll have to do my own kitchen cleaning--mega-bummer. Now if I could just get my MIL to stop saying "WHEN your hair falls out, we'll have to tell Grandpa."
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Product endorsement, shameless
FYI, for anyone with ANY upcoming surgery...ask your doctor or surgeon about On-Q--this little thing is amazing! When I went to the website this morning, it indicated that the product can be used for any number of different surgeries, c-sections, knee replacement, etc. It is a constant input of local anaesthesia to your surgery site over a period of 4-5 days and I will be removing it myself today, since it's finally empty.
What a blessing it has been, rather than relying on narcotics, which make you sick or stupid or both. I guess it's another blessing of having a top-drawer plastic surgeon. It has been amazing to watch the little canteen in the bag and try to figure out how it works. Now, seeing it at the end of its duty, we've decided that the cylinder is expanded to its maximum size full of medicine (about the size of a softball), the pressure of the container trying to return to its original shape is pushing the medicine down the tube (at a prescribed rate, of course) into the surgery site.
I HIGHLY recommend it!
What a blessing it has been, rather than relying on narcotics, which make you sick or stupid or both. I guess it's another blessing of having a top-drawer plastic surgeon. It has been amazing to watch the little canteen in the bag and try to figure out how it works. Now, seeing it at the end of its duty, we've decided that the cylinder is expanded to its maximum size full of medicine (about the size of a softball), the pressure of the container trying to return to its original shape is pushing the medicine down the tube (at a prescribed rate, of course) into the surgery site.
I HIGHLY recommend it!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Flowers!
Here's the photo gallery of all the pretty plants I have received! Sure brightens the day to have them around. Thanks to everyone!
This is an actual cranberry bush, from my aunt and cousins and families in South Dakota. It has cranberries on it, ready to pick, but has pretty foliage too. It says I have to wrap it in plastic and put it in the crisper drawer for several months, until April, I think. Good thing I have two refrigerators!
This pretty Peace Lily came from my cousin and her family, in Ohio. I have always liked these.
This arrangement came from our church. It smells like mums, which say "fall" to me!
These beauties are from #1's biology teacher, who chose them because they are beautiful and last a long, long time. I love them too!
This is an actual cranberry bush, from my aunt and cousins and families in South Dakota. It has cranberries on it, ready to pick, but has pretty foliage too. It says I have to wrap it in plastic and put it in the crisper drawer for several months, until April, I think. Good thing I have two refrigerators!
This pretty Peace Lily came from my cousin and her family, in Ohio. I have always liked these.
This arrangement came from our church. It smells like mums, which say "fall" to me!
These beauties are from #1's biology teacher, who chose them because they are beautiful and last a long, long time. I love them too!
Friday, October 24, 2008
You're not going to believe this...
MIL, of course, came to visit me today. I knew she would feel better once she saw me. She was, of course, on the verge of tears most of the time. I did press hard against telling FIL, since it will just make him sad and worried unnecessarily. I don't see any reason to burden him. I get the feeling she's not going to rest until she tells him.
The good news is, MIL only used the word "autopsy" once... ;)
The good news is, MIL only used the word "autopsy" once... ;)
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