Good Bye, Steve Jobs... rest well

I think when you have cancer, you feel an empathetic connection to everyone else that is battling the evil crap.  And when one of us dies, it hurts us all.  We understand that some of us won't win the war, no matter what, and I think we feel diminished in some way when any of us succumb.

Yesterday was not my normal Tuesday for chemo, it should have been last week, but I was in hospital, so it was a totally different crowd.  But crowd it was not.  There were lots of empty chairs.  Jane was disconcerted because of the about 20 people there getting their infusions, I was the only one that had someone with me.  It's rare to see that.  But, I surely understand that when you are sitting around having toxic stuff dripped into your chest, it's not the most exciting of ways to pass the time.

Jane either reads, or does the jigsaw puzzle of the day, or we just jabber.

I went out and picked one of my hibiscus.  I would, if I had more hair, have worn it, but I forgot how HUGE my blooms are.  It's bigger than my head!

Here is a shot of it on a tea towel.  We tried to just take it on the quartz counter top, but it's pretty much the same color, so it needed a bit of contrast.

I love flowers.  They brighten up the world so much!  Oh, please note, I was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt today.  It was only like 84!  You know, kind of chilly to us. ;)  And as you can see, the hair is coming back... slowly and very, very straight.  Ai carumba!

Oh, Polly, if you read this, Jane brewed up some of the lovely tea you brought me back from England.  It's fantastic!  Nicely full-bodied.  Gotta love the British and their tea.  I could probably substitute coffee willingly for this.... well, maybe not, but it would be close. :D

Ok, love and hugs to all!

Petunias... I like 'em!

I don't think I actually knew a petunia from a persimmon until this year.  It's amazing how the threat of an early demise makes you really LOOK at things.  And I have decided that I really love petunias.

And happily, they seem to like growing here, as do Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, and Verbena.  It's good to be able to have color in your desert garden.  

Above is the raised flower bed we put on the front porch.  It's got two Bougainvillea, some ice plant, and a bird of paradise.  The shot below that is one of the ice plants, and below that, one of the bougainvillea.  I'm hoping that when the bougainvillea get bigger, I can train them to cascade over the front porch wall.  They are just babies yet, though. I am enjoying watching all the plants grow this year, especially the 'farmland.'  :)


Wendy and I had our first video chat this morning, using Google TALK.  Can't get any easier than that.  My Xoom did a nice job.  It was very smooth video.


Well, that's all for this post.  It's a glorious day outside, but my eyes are watering like crazy from allergies, even though I take the drugs I am supposed to take. :P


Love to all!

Radiation Consult

I saw Dr. Tsai after today's radiation, and she was concerned about my lungs because Dr. F told her that I wasn't moving much air on Thursday.  She listened to them, and was glad to hear more air movement today.  I told her that the change in the weather was definitely affecting my asthma, but I watch my sats and my peak flow meter numbers, and I'm doing pretty well.

Dr. T said that she and Dr. F want the CT on the 30th so that we can see if there has been any change in the tumor.  If, as she suspects, there has been some shrinkage, then she wants to recalibrate my radiation and shrink the area of effect to best save my lungs.  I *knew* December 8 wouldn't be my last radiation. :P

Here is my Hibiscus.  It still needs a bit of polishing up, but I think it actually LOOKS like a hibiscus blossom, so I'm happy. :)

And so, two more radiations this week, and Dr. T gave me a couple of prescriptions just in case things get bad over the long weekend.  I kid you not, one is for Magic Mouthwash.  It's Lidocaine, Maalox and Benadryl... I'm supposed to slurp it down with a straw, so it goes into the esophagus and not in my mouth.  A lidocained tongue is no good to anyone. ;)

The other prescription is for some heavy-duty painkillers.  I'm not a big fan of painkillers in any way, shape, or form.  I will have to be in a LOT of pain before I will take one.  After my mastectomy, I took ONE painkiller, and that was because the ride home from the hospital was really ouchie.  My sister says I deal with pain very well. 

I'm starting to play World Of Warcraft again, so at least I have lots to do.  And with my new watercolor crayons, holy cow, life is good. :)

Hugs and kisses to all!  Extra ones to Jon and Michelle, as they are experiencing the joy of cross country flight.  I love you both very much.

Saturday minus Energy

I think I see rain clouds on the horizon, but it's been so long since I've seen them, I might be mistaken. ;)

Oh, how lovely it would be to have a little rain, and it's cool, and you can snuggle up in your blankets and sleep so well.  It's those little pleasures in life that keep us going.  A few years back, my sisters and I had our back yard redone and there is a stone fountain right outside my bedroom that I can hear, and it is surrounded by my beloved hibiscus.  I think one of these posts has a picture of it.  Oh yes, it's this one!

It's not an ornate fountain, but it has clean lines and makes a nice splishy-splashy noise.  It's calm and serene.  Just to the south of it is the sundial in which my mom's ashes are stored.  It's surrounded by Mexican Heather and some beautiful salmon colored ... um.... flowers.  I can't remember what kind they are.  Botany was not my forte. ;)

The rain clouds are filling the air with negative ions, so everything just feels GOOD right now; all is right with the world.  I think this would be a good time to go take a nap.  Yes, it's slug time again and I am sleeeepy.

Hugs to all.