Cold, Tired and Happy as a Clam

Remember when you were a kid and tomorrow was Christmas?  Or maybe your memory is more like tomorrow you're going to Disneyland?  You were so excited you barely slept, and you ended up getting out of bed the next morning before anyone in your neighborhood?

Yes, that was me this morning.  I could not wait to get to work!  And it all went pretty darned well.  Best transition I have ever had coming off of a leave of absence.  Got my computer up and running by 9AM with total access to all my lovely numbers.

But oh yes, I am totally exhausted now, but it's such a wonderful, almost gleeful exhaustion.  My Boeing family welcomed me back with such warmth.  So, I probably talked too much, which tired me out even before the cancer.   I ended up leaving a bit early and finishing up my day at home telecommuting. 

It was so much fun working on my formulae in Excel and getting reports and things formatted for January month-end.  Gads, I missed it all so much; and it all came back to me so fast!  I was whipping through pivot tables like crazy. :D

Now, I am starving and need to go see about creating dinner.  I have no idea what we have in the house, but I bet I can come up with something.  I'm going to be working from home tomorrow, so I can sleep in a bit.  It's gotten rather cold, and we're expecting another overnight freeze this week.  What a bizarre winter it has been.

And in the mail today, I received a card from the congregation of which my Reverend sister is a member.  That card pushed all the chill from my day; it was full of love and kindness and a powerful fellowship.  Thank you to each and every person that had a hand in that card; I can't help but be touched and feel loved.

Ok, off to find food!  Keep warm, all!

Time Passes Quickly!

I read today that Harmon Killebrew was getting his Esophageal Cancer treatment here at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale.  I wish him a kind regimen, but an effective one as well.

Now that I know I'm going back to work on Monday, time is flying by!  Here it is, Wednesday already.  I admit to having some trepidation about returning; will I be exhausted?  Will I pick up a cold or something worse?  Will people get annoyed if I start my coughing?  Oh well, que sera, sera.  Besides, as everyone knows by now: 



Dyspnea, an Orc Death Knight



My PC's office called and said my letter for Jury Duty won't be ready until tomorrow, so while Jane and Nancy are out on their thrift store run, they can stop by his office and pick it up and I'll get it in the mail ASAP.  Wouldn't want to be hauled off to prison.  I hear the food is iffy.

As for my friends in the East, I hear you are about to be hit by even MORE snow.  Make sure you have plenty of supplies at hand, and someone or something with which to cuddle.  Something would include creatures of the dog and cat persuasion, or perhaps a house-broken alpaca.  Soft!

I think the blog is going to take the rest of the week off.  Meet you back here on Monday evening for a recap of how I survived my first day at work after three months off. :)

I can't wait!!!

Cough

Goopy cough this morning.  But the coffee is good! :)

I have to call the doc this morning anyway so that I can get my 'get out of jury duty free' letter.  They don't actually open until 11 AM, so I have time.  I just hate having things like this hanging over my head.  Oh the stress. :D

We saw the owls again yesterday.  The biggest of the two could probably take my smallest chihuahua, but I'm thinking they already have a smorgasbord of feral cats from which to choose.  From where they were roosting yesterday, they overlook the yard of a woman who feeds feral cats.  Yep, smorgasbord.  It's nesting time for them, too, and I am guessing the big one is the female.  She doesn't look like she's been starving in any way. 

Encouraging news from Medscape on early response to Chemotherapy in esophageal cancers.  Read it here!  I think we did my CT after four chemos and found shrinkage of the tumors.  Look at those statistics; median age 62, and 91% male.  But I have been reading more and more about people in their 30's and 40's being diagnosed.  To what are we being exposed?  Is it something in our food?  Our water?  The air we breathe? 

And on a sad note, I mourn the passing of Jack LaLanne, a fixture of my childhood.

Well, I guess I'll go hit the shower and then play a little World of Warcraft before I call the doctor.  Be safe, warm and kind, people.  Adios!

Saturday Night

So, I guess I don't do the triple dose of Herceptin without some backlash.  It's hard to describe how I felt Thursday afternoon.  Mostly, I felt cold, and achy.  Ok, being Winter, I might expect cold, but it wasn't that cold on Thursday.

I normally don't like to read about medication side effects, but yes, Herceptin has some doozies. :D  I especially like the part about the lung side effects.  But I'm hoping that like almost every drug I have ever taken, I won't be one of those affected.  And, as I noted in an earlier post, my MO is having my heart function monitored every three months.

I just don't feel GOOD.  But hey, that's life; good days, bad days.... at least I HAVE days. :D 

Time for a breathing treatment.  Thank goodness for Albuterol via Small Volume Nebulizer, or SVN.  I have a bookshelf in my bedroom that has nothing but boxes full of vials of albuterol.  Now that I'm getting my meds at three months' worth, I get a LOT of boxes.  But talk about a feeling of security.  I guess I don't have to stress about running out any time soon. ;)

I watched a Chefography last night on Nigella Lawson.  Talk about a life affected by cancer!  She lost her mother, her sister and her husband, all very young.  I actually never paid much attention to her shows, but I found the Chefography to be quite interesting.  I think it was on the Food Network.  I wasn't feeling great, and that leads to TV watching because it's easy.

So, that's pretty much why I haven't posted since Thursday.  Wasn't feeling quite up to snuf, and didn't have anything pithy to say. :D

Oh dear gods, I got a summons for Jury Duty in the mail today.  My PC already sent a letter to the Federal court to get me dismissed from the last summons.  But this one is Mesa Superior Court.  That means I have to call Dr. R and go see him for another letter.  You see, I cough, and I have a weakened immune system, and I have to use medical machinery several times a day.  "Pardon me, you honor, but I have to go do a breathing treatment again.  Can we recess for the third time?"

The sad part is that when I was young and healthy, I really enjoyed doing jury duty.  It was interesting to me.  Everyone should experience how the justice system works.  (or sometimes DOES NOT work)  Never pass up an opportunity for new learning experiences, folks.

Anywho, I really would have liked to do it, but... oh well.

I think I'll go play for a while....a little World of Warcraft.  And you all have a great Saturday Night, and ... a SPECTACULAR Sunday. 

Infusing

And here we are at Ironwood, getting my Benadryl and getting woozy.  Here is my traditional chemo picture: 

LOOK! I think I detect CURL!  I should call Blanca and make an appointment for a trim.  I know it looks short enough, but it's growing in weirdly, and can use a little shaping up. :)

Oh, lordy, I had to pay my entire deductible when I got here today.  How had I forgotten it was a new year!?

Talking to Darita again, whose husband also works at Boeing.  We're so thankful for health insurance, despite the increase of the cost for us.

Well, the Benadryl is really hitting me today, so I'll close this post with a wish for great happiness to everyone that reads this blog.

Great Horned Owl

We heard him again last night, but it was coming from the front of the house, so we went outside, and finally found him perched on a branch between two palm trees.  At least I thought it was a him, until the real HIM joined HER.  She was huge and he was just a bit smaller.  Here is a fine video of Great Horned Owls in a backyard in Phoenix.

Somehow, and it must be something etched into our subconscious from eons before, their hoots are eerie.  On this page, just below the line of photos, you can hear what we heard last night; the callings of a nesting pair.  So yeah, I don't let my chihuahuas out at night alone.  :)  I'm thinking, too, that these two huge owls may be accounting for the high incidence of feral cat remains in the neighborhood.  The neighbors have been blaming coyotes, but I haven't seen a coyote this far into an established neighborhood in years.  Owls make more sense.

Well, I guess I shall go pop into the shower and then get dressed for Herceptin Thursday.  It should get to about 74ish today.  I'll post later, during my infusion, if only to say HI. :)

Herceptin Thursday!

Oh yes, that's tomorrow.  My triple dose, YAY!  And so far, so good on the heart function front.  Too bad the stuff that's supposed to kill your cancer cells does all kinds of crappy stuff to the rest of you.  Hang in there, body!  We can do this!

I got some play time in today.  My intrepid Orc Hunter, Kauket spent a few days looking for a rare pet, and finally found a Spirit Bear, but I haven't yet taken a picture of her.  Kauket named her new bear companion Ursula.

Here she is earlier this week flying around Sholazar Basin, in search of a couple of rare spawns that never showed.  That must be what makes 'em so rare! :D

Well, I'll post tomorrow from Ironwood Cancer and Research Center whilst I have my exciting infusions.  Keep warm, share love, and dream happy dreams.