So hotel maintenance comes up and says I don't have to hang. After all, I have everything valuable in the car. Unless someone wants my pjs or shampoo. So I dash and I am in place for the pickup at 10:11 am. Am I eleven minutes late? Yes. But the pick up has been rescheduled for 10:30 am. The ceremony is scheduled for 11:00 am. I'm good, right??
Nope.
By the time the ride picks up YN2(SW)Gauthier's two North Carolina friends and I; gets us to USS San Antonio (LPD-17); turns us over to our ship escort who in turn delivers us.....
We missed the actual ceremony where CDR Overturf reenlists Lucien. LOL!
But we were there for the party!
I got to say Hi-How-A-Ya to my friend and fellow blogger ADM Harvey, although one of his staff slipped past me and I missed saying hi. But they are all really busy and they were leaving as we arrived.
It was my pleasure to have met CDR Overturf, who had a great USS Constitution related sea story.
Then it was off on a tour of USS San Antonio LPD-17 (You know who built it? The Ogre). I am really starting to pick up things in these tours of destroyers, frigates, LHDs, LPDs.
OK, I'll write more later....but I have to back to sleep. Meanwhile, you can read this.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My Luck...
I was ready and walking out the door at 0921.
Nine minutes ahead of schedule.
The hotel room door will not lock behind me.
Is this why it was a deal on Priceline?
Nine minutes ahead of schedule.
The hotel room door will not lock behind me.
Is this why it was a deal on Priceline?
I Made It To Norfolk
A ridiculous drive! But everyone made me promise to be good.
No speeding.
Frequent stops.
Blah, blah.
I forgot to pencil in getting ridiculously lost trying to pick up route 13 from route 295 after the Delaware bridge. So I am much later than planned. Plus I sat in one of the rest areas and had a couple of laughs on the phone with my ex-husband.
So, I am here and set and will make my event tomorrow.
Tomorrow, USNI blogger and my friend, YN2(SW) Gauthier re-enlists aboard USS San Antonio, LPD-17.
I have something unique from USS Constitution. It will be the coolest gift... in my opinion anyway....
I'm sorry, is there another opinion that matters???
No speeding.
Frequent stops.
Blah, blah.
I forgot to pencil in getting ridiculously lost trying to pick up route 13 from route 295 after the Delaware bridge. So I am much later than planned. Plus I sat in one of the rest areas and had a couple of laughs on the phone with my ex-husband.
So, I am here and set and will make my event tomorrow.
Tomorrow, USNI blogger and my friend, YN2(SW) Gauthier re-enlists aboard USS San Antonio, LPD-17.
I have something unique from USS Constitution. It will be the coolest gift... in my opinion anyway....
I'm sorry, is there another opinion that matters???
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Something Funny...and Worthy
So, it's not my cancer, but it's a lot more common and women should pay attention.
Plus, I appreciate the sentiment of the healthcare providers and hospital employees expressed in the video. I know that many people at Tufts NEMC are working very hard for me. I am especially grateful for Dr. Miller, Kate Adelstein, my NP, and the infusion room nurses.
November 28, 1942
I'd like to write something original, but my brain just isn't there....so there will just be links to old posts.
In honor of my grandfather's brother Jim, a drill instructor with the USMC, who perished in the Cocoanut Grove 68 years ago tonight.....
Cocoanut Grove
This Day In History
In honor of my grandfather's brother Jim, a drill instructor with the USMC, who perished in the Cocoanut Grove 68 years ago tonight.....
Cocoanut Grove
This Day In History
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Bastid's Gonna Kill Us All!
So, Menino goes to Italy and comes back with something that keeps him in the hospital for 5 days????
You know Spanish influenza entered through the port of Boston too. I'm just saying.
It's a crazy story.....
"While attending an urban development conference in Florence, Italy, last week, Menino scraped his elbow in the hotel shower. The mayor's representatives have speculated that the cut became infected.
The mayor, who has been treated at the Brigham for other ailments in the past, was admitted to the hospital Tuesday.
He was diagnosed with cellulitis, a skin infection, and septic bursitis in the left elbow, in which bacteria penetrated a fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between tissues.
He underwent a procedure Wednesday to remove bacteria from the sac, Joyce said."
Scraped his elbow in the shower?
You know Spanish influenza entered through the port of Boston too. I'm just saying.
It's a crazy story.....
"While attending an urban development conference in Florence, Italy, last week, Menino scraped his elbow in the hotel shower. The mayor's representatives have speculated that the cut became infected.
The mayor, who has been treated at the Brigham for other ailments in the past, was admitted to the hospital Tuesday.
He was diagnosed with cellulitis, a skin infection, and septic bursitis in the left elbow, in which bacteria penetrated a fluid-filled sac that reduces friction between tissues.
He underwent a procedure Wednesday to remove bacteria from the sac, Joyce said."
Scraped his elbow in the shower?
How Much Will My Marine Love This!
Look at that car!
BZ Chaplain Sweeney!
And kudos all around to those involved with making this, it's a great job promoting the US Navy.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Grace Says I Am Obsessed With My Hair
She may have a point.
Today was the last infusion of the 5th cycle.
I am drinking tons of water. I want my time off (now until December 6th) to be the best it can be. I think I remember that it helps me recover more quickly. But I can't be sure. Was it a plan? Or a successful plan? If it was successful before, will it still work now? I don't know, but someone please ask me Monday and then jot down the results.
Grace and I met with the transplant coordinator, Denise.
I was way out of it. It was a tough week. Some infusion rooms are shared, some are singles with a geri chair. Some have a gurney....today I was grateful for the gurney. I wanted to be clear for the transplant discussion, so I skipped pain meds and ativan. Poor Grace had to watch my face while they dug for a vein in my hand. With no pain meds....that was no fun. Then I laid down on the gurney, lol.
So in comes Denise with her files. We go over some routine stuff. Yes, I have multiple myeloma. I keep talking about it to people you know. My family. My friends. I keep saying it. I am hoping someone looks at me and says "Bullshit!" "For pity's sake, get a grip. It's no big deal." But no one does.
This is not to say that people are not cheerful and hopeful and optimistic. But no one tells me what I want to hear. I want to hear that I am wrong. That I have misinterpreted something.
One of the nurses reduced the process to this "We are going to bring you to Death's Door....and then we will rescue you."
I hear Father Mahoney in my head leading us in Stations...."I am wearied with sighing."
So Denise runs through things. Some things are not as bad a I thought...or at least they are horrifying in a new way, lol. The first part, the harvest, the collection part does take 14 to 17 days. But they are outpatient days. I can stay with my parents. Why is this better? Number one, privacy. For someone who exposes her whole life out here, I value privacy. But what price privacy? A bathroom on the second floor, a bed on the third floor. I can deal with that or work around it.
I ask her about the next bone marrow biopsy. I have had one and my "involvement" was 70%. I have been reading that some doctors will not do the stem cell transplant unless the patient's "involvement" is less than 5%. I am worried that if I don't hit 5% I will be disqualified. Denise says she will check with Dr. Miller, but she believes his threshold is 20% and I should not worry. He will not cancel it, he will postpone it. He will order two more cycles if I don't hit 20%. So that was a relief. Because to have gone through this only to be disqualified would have made me mental.
But then giving me the stem cells back is inpatient for three to four weeks. I am relatively sure that I will not be allowing many visitors. And those will be infrequent. I have already informed several people that they are "not" allowed to come see me.
Denise asks if we have questions. I tell her I know my question is silly, but it's my question. I tell her that the thing that bothered me most was during my last hospitalization, I couldn't shower and wash my hair, will I be able to do that.
Poor Grace! Poor Denise! I look at their faces. I won't have any hair to wash.
Denise leaves and Grace tells me I am obsessed with my hair. She may have a point.
Today was the last infusion of the 5th cycle.
I am drinking tons of water. I want my time off (now until December 6th) to be the best it can be. I think I remember that it helps me recover more quickly. But I can't be sure. Was it a plan? Or a successful plan? If it was successful before, will it still work now? I don't know, but someone please ask me Monday and then jot down the results.
Grace and I met with the transplant coordinator, Denise.
I was way out of it. It was a tough week. Some infusion rooms are shared, some are singles with a geri chair. Some have a gurney....today I was grateful for the gurney. I wanted to be clear for the transplant discussion, so I skipped pain meds and ativan. Poor Grace had to watch my face while they dug for a vein in my hand. With no pain meds....that was no fun. Then I laid down on the gurney, lol.
So in comes Denise with her files. We go over some routine stuff. Yes, I have multiple myeloma. I keep talking about it to people you know. My family. My friends. I keep saying it. I am hoping someone looks at me and says "Bullshit!" "For pity's sake, get a grip. It's no big deal." But no one does.
This is not to say that people are not cheerful and hopeful and optimistic. But no one tells me what I want to hear. I want to hear that I am wrong. That I have misinterpreted something.
One of the nurses reduced the process to this "We are going to bring you to Death's Door....and then we will rescue you."
I hear Father Mahoney in my head leading us in Stations...."I am wearied with sighing."
So Denise runs through things. Some things are not as bad a I thought...or at least they are horrifying in a new way, lol. The first part, the harvest, the collection part does take 14 to 17 days. But they are outpatient days. I can stay with my parents. Why is this better? Number one, privacy. For someone who exposes her whole life out here, I value privacy. But what price privacy? A bathroom on the second floor, a bed on the third floor. I can deal with that or work around it.
I ask her about the next bone marrow biopsy. I have had one and my "involvement" was 70%. I have been reading that some doctors will not do the stem cell transplant unless the patient's "involvement" is less than 5%. I am worried that if I don't hit 5% I will be disqualified. Denise says she will check with Dr. Miller, but she believes his threshold is 20% and I should not worry. He will not cancel it, he will postpone it. He will order two more cycles if I don't hit 20%. So that was a relief. Because to have gone through this only to be disqualified would have made me mental.
But then giving me the stem cells back is inpatient for three to four weeks. I am relatively sure that I will not be allowing many visitors. And those will be infrequent. I have already informed several people that they are "not" allowed to come see me.
Denise asks if we have questions. I tell her I know my question is silly, but it's my question. I tell her that the thing that bothered me most was during my last hospitalization, I couldn't shower and wash my hair, will I be able to do that.
Poor Grace! Poor Denise! I look at their faces. I won't have any hair to wash.
Denise leaves and Grace tells me I am obsessed with my hair. She may have a point.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I got some stuff right and I messed some stuff up.
I did manage to make cranberry chutney. How about you Wendy? LOL
It's a little thing, but it's my thing. So it was important. It's a good thing it's not complicated. I still managed to make it as difficult as possible.
Yesterday was very draining, so I knew driving myself to the supermarket was out of the question. And Grace had already done enough for me. So I sent a text to my good friend Kathy and asked if she was headed out to a supermarket. Everyone has some kind of last minute errand. Well, except for my father who had everything staged and at the ready yesterday. It's a military operation. And might I add....always a successful one.
So, of course, Kathy had to go out and she and her son were happy to take me along. They teased that I might not be up for the "Bucket", their nickname for the big, Market Basket in Chelsea. I was so tired and afraid of getting separated, they were right.
On a side note, that is one of the funniest of my quirks. The fear of getting separated in a store. I travel all over the country by myself. If I go with anyone, we all have cell phones. I had cash for a cab home. Nothing could possibly have gone wrong. But it's a fear my father and mother planted in me as a child. if I am in a store with someone, I must keep them in sight. So I kept watching her son who was always walking off. LOL!
Anyway, I had the shopping list for chutney - it's not long - but no mental skills. I needed 1/2 cup of sugar. I bought a 5 lb bag of sugar. Did I really think my parents had no sugar? Really? There were several things like that. My father mocked me this morning.
On the way back, Sean took us through King Arthur's parking lot. Kathy made the traditional "Do you want a club sandwich?" joke.
Once I was back at my parents, a little energy burst came. Can't schedule them or predict them.....just gotta wait til they show up. I made chutney and brownies and listened to John Batchelor on the laptop.
So this morning, as I have for several years, I walked over to my Uncle Walter's house with four hollowed out oranges filled with bright red chutney. I only put his in the oranges....no one else appreciated the presentation!
I made it up the stairs to a comfy chair and the two Toms, Walter and I had a nice visit. Best part was it was a nice NORMAL visit. I don't mind talking about the multiple myeloma, or the chemo or the transplant.
But I don't mind not talking about it either.
It's important to hang onto what you can hang onto. That was something I got done like any other year and I am very pleased about it.
But I did mess up one thing. Grace always comes over after her dinner, around 5 or 6. I went upstairs for a few minutes at 4:30 and sat in my father's ultra comfortable recliner. I flipped through the channels for a moment. Oprah was talking about her interview with John F Kennedy Jr., from 1996. It was kind of bittersweet. He would have been 50 today. My Tommy walked through the room and said "You got that magazine." Meaning his political magazine "George". He was correct, I had loved that magazine.
I'm not usually and Oprah fan. I don't dislike her, I'm just not very interested most of the time. However, I'll always stick with a Kennedy story for at least a few minutes. Oprah talking about how after the interview she stayed with audience to talk about the question she didn't ask him - when was he getting married. Oprah is a woman intensely in the public eye and she was relating to JFK, Jr.'s his need to keep some part of his life private. The difficulties of having someone in your life who isn't in the public eye. She talked about what the person, who never sought the public eye, now has to take it on if they want to be with you.
Then she began to talk about his wedding which happened to take place shortly after the interview. It was a secret affair on some coastal island off Georgia. And as she spoke about what it took to keep it secret, you could see this struck a real nerve with her. She said it could only mean one thing. It meant he had people around him that he could trust.
What matters more than that?
Anyway, a few minutes later I was gone. I heard my sister's family arrive. I could hear them talking to my parents and my brother's family. It didn't matter, I could not surface.
I missed the whole visit. We usually sit back down at the dining room table and have dessert. Now everyone is gone and I can't find the blueberry pie.
I did manage to make cranberry chutney. How about you Wendy? LOL
It's a little thing, but it's my thing. So it was important. It's a good thing it's not complicated. I still managed to make it as difficult as possible.
Yesterday was very draining, so I knew driving myself to the supermarket was out of the question. And Grace had already done enough for me. So I sent a text to my good friend Kathy and asked if she was headed out to a supermarket. Everyone has some kind of last minute errand. Well, except for my father who had everything staged and at the ready yesterday. It's a military operation. And might I add....always a successful one.
So, of course, Kathy had to go out and she and her son were happy to take me along. They teased that I might not be up for the "Bucket", their nickname for the big, Market Basket in Chelsea. I was so tired and afraid of getting separated, they were right.
On a side note, that is one of the funniest of my quirks. The fear of getting separated in a store. I travel all over the country by myself. If I go with anyone, we all have cell phones. I had cash for a cab home. Nothing could possibly have gone wrong. But it's a fear my father and mother planted in me as a child. if I am in a store with someone, I must keep them in sight. So I kept watching her son who was always walking off. LOL!
Anyway, I had the shopping list for chutney - it's not long - but no mental skills. I needed 1/2 cup of sugar. I bought a 5 lb bag of sugar. Did I really think my parents had no sugar? Really? There were several things like that. My father mocked me this morning.
On the way back, Sean took us through King Arthur's parking lot. Kathy made the traditional "Do you want a club sandwich?" joke.
Once I was back at my parents, a little energy burst came. Can't schedule them or predict them.....just gotta wait til they show up. I made chutney and brownies and listened to John Batchelor on the laptop.
So this morning, as I have for several years, I walked over to my Uncle Walter's house with four hollowed out oranges filled with bright red chutney. I only put his in the oranges....no one else appreciated the presentation!
I made it up the stairs to a comfy chair and the two Toms, Walter and I had a nice visit. Best part was it was a nice NORMAL visit. I don't mind talking about the multiple myeloma, or the chemo or the transplant.
But I don't mind not talking about it either.
It's important to hang onto what you can hang onto. That was something I got done like any other year and I am very pleased about it.
But I did mess up one thing. Grace always comes over after her dinner, around 5 or 6. I went upstairs for a few minutes at 4:30 and sat in my father's ultra comfortable recliner. I flipped through the channels for a moment. Oprah was talking about her interview with John F Kennedy Jr., from 1996. It was kind of bittersweet. He would have been 50 today. My Tommy walked through the room and said "You got that magazine." Meaning his political magazine "George". He was correct, I had loved that magazine.
I'm not usually and Oprah fan. I don't dislike her, I'm just not very interested most of the time. However, I'll always stick with a Kennedy story for at least a few minutes. Oprah talking about how after the interview she stayed with audience to talk about the question she didn't ask him - when was he getting married. Oprah is a woman intensely in the public eye and she was relating to JFK, Jr.'s his need to keep some part of his life private. The difficulties of having someone in your life who isn't in the public eye. She talked about what the person, who never sought the public eye, now has to take it on if they want to be with you.
Then she began to talk about his wedding which happened to take place shortly after the interview. It was a secret affair on some coastal island off Georgia. And as she spoke about what it took to keep it secret, you could see this struck a real nerve with her. She said it could only mean one thing. It meant he had people around him that he could trust.
What matters more than that?
Anyway, a few minutes later I was gone. I heard my sister's family arrive. I could hear them talking to my parents and my brother's family. It didn't matter, I could not surface.
I missed the whole visit. We usually sit back down at the dining room table and have dessert. Now everyone is gone and I can't find the blueberry pie.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
I Love My Sister Grace
Much more than when I was ten or twelve or fourteen or sixteen.
Grace and I were born two years and one week apart. I am older. We shared a room for the first 18 years of my life with a short exception when we lived on Mystic and I had my own room.
Things were very hard. Grace is a neat-nick, I am a slob. I like to lay-about, Grace liked to do things.
I liked CBS Radio Mystery Theater and Grace had nightmares. She preferred a complete overdose of Barry Manilow. don't get me wrong...I liked him, I just needed a break after 3 LPs.....don't know what an LP is? Get out of my blog you whipersnapper!!
My parents constantly begged, counseled and ordered us to get along....work it out.
We did try at times.
One particularly fond memory is a summer we were about 14 and 12. We were in Rocky Nook and we made a plan to wake up early and have breakfast together outside. We put the two gymp papasan chairs off of the porch and into the front yard with a table between them.
I know cereal was on the menu and I think there were poptarts. Juice would have rounded it out.
It was lovely It was just as my parents promised. When we tried........
And just as my parents promised, I would grow up and my sisters would be my best friends.
Grace and I were born two years and one week apart. I am older. We shared a room for the first 18 years of my life with a short exception when we lived on Mystic and I had my own room.
Things were very hard. Grace is a neat-nick, I am a slob. I like to lay-about, Grace liked to do things.
I liked CBS Radio Mystery Theater and Grace had nightmares. She preferred a complete overdose of Barry Manilow. don't get me wrong...I liked him, I just needed a break after 3 LPs.....don't know what an LP is? Get out of my blog you whipersnapper!!
My parents constantly begged, counseled and ordered us to get along....work it out.
We did try at times.
One particularly fond memory is a summer we were about 14 and 12. We were in Rocky Nook and we made a plan to wake up early and have breakfast together outside. We put the two gymp papasan chairs off of the porch and into the front yard with a table between them.
I know cereal was on the menu and I think there were poptarts. Juice would have rounded it out.
It was lovely It was just as my parents promised. When we tried........
And just as my parents promised, I would grow up and my sisters would be my best friends.
Yesterday's Service for 1st LT Robert Kelly, USMC
A first hand account from a Navy blogger from New England. US Navy Jeep is a former Sailor, SeaBee and 1st Class Petty Officer. He served aboard USS Constitution.
Services for Lt. Robert M. Kelly, USMC today at Arlington National Cemetary
H/T Beth
Services for Lt. Robert M. Kelly, USMC today at Arlington National Cemetary
H/T Beth
SGT John Jones, USMC
You can read about him on HBO's website for "Alive Day Memories Home From Iraq"
This is a photoshopped pic. By photoshopped I mean made into a motivational poster. The pic itself is taken directly from the HBO and is 100% accurate. Someone added a caption.
This is a photoshopped pic. By photoshopped I mean made into a motivational poster. The pic itself is taken directly from the HBO and is 100% accurate. Someone added a caption.
It reflects the sentiment of the person who photoshopped it. I don't know that SGT Jones agrees with or even knows about the photoshop. Mentioning POTUS may not suit his views at all. If he is the least offended and I will apologize and remove it immediately.
But for now, I like it.
If I had to guess based on what I have read, I would say that SGT Jones does not regret his service. He has worked with the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center.
“...As for the future, I hope to always help other military men and women forever in any way that I can. I hope to graduate one day with degree in business that somehow incorporates helping others that need me in some way. I hope to be a positive influence for others and to set an example for those that have given up hope. I hope to always
be the father and husband that my family needs and to always show them that I am forever grateful that they love me for who I am. "
-John Jones
Marine Staff Sergeant
USMC
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Zombies!
So, you know I am hooked on "The Walking Dead". A new episode starts in a few moments. I have my high potassium orange-pineapple-banana juice and a reheated slice of pizza.
Hot night, huh? LOL
Earlier I fell asleep on the couch and when I wake up my mother says... "Do you feel better?" I told her I did and she makes a "humph" kinda noise. I laugh and say that my eyes are almost all the way open. She suggested I go to bed because I still look really tired. I told her that I had to stay up for my Zombie show.....cause at least I look better than they do!!!
Plus she is worried I will oversleep tomorrow and miss my "stress test" at 0900.
Seriously? Who cares? I am already way stressed and I already have a bad attitude. Did I tell you about the stupid questions? They asked about how long certain activities take to go from discomfort to pain. I laughed and told them that I don't let them get to pain. Who would? Why would they? If something starts to bother me....I stop.
And tomorrow, if they push too far, I will push back, lol.
I haven't had any caffeine, it's a rule for the test.
So the plan is to get up and be there for a three hour stress test, followed at 1230 by my scheduled Velcade/dex infusion treatment. Once the stress test is over I can get a nice vanilla chai tea latte from Starbucks........yummmm....
But the real highlight will be dinner at Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain with some Nook friends. Once again I am so grateful for the people who say "Yeah, Diane/Maggie, we want to spend time with you."
I am so lucky.
Tomorrow night will be lots of fun as we sit and eat and laugh and share our memories of Rocky Nook and the great times we had.
Hot night, huh? LOL
Earlier I fell asleep on the couch and when I wake up my mother says... "Do you feel better?" I told her I did and she makes a "humph" kinda noise. I laugh and say that my eyes are almost all the way open. She suggested I go to bed because I still look really tired. I told her that I had to stay up for my Zombie show.....cause at least I look better than they do!!!
Plus she is worried I will oversleep tomorrow and miss my "stress test" at 0900.
Seriously? Who cares? I am already way stressed and I already have a bad attitude. Did I tell you about the stupid questions? They asked about how long certain activities take to go from discomfort to pain. I laughed and told them that I don't let them get to pain. Who would? Why would they? If something starts to bother me....I stop.
And tomorrow, if they push too far, I will push back, lol.
I haven't had any caffeine, it's a rule for the test.
So the plan is to get up and be there for a three hour stress test, followed at 1230 by my scheduled Velcade/dex infusion treatment. Once the stress test is over I can get a nice vanilla chai tea latte from Starbucks........yummmm....
But the real highlight will be dinner at Doyle's Cafe in Jamaica Plain with some Nook friends. Once again I am so grateful for the people who say "Yeah, Diane/Maggie, we want to spend time with you."
I am so lucky.
Tomorrow night will be lots of fun as we sit and eat and laugh and share our memories of Rocky Nook and the great times we had.
My Father Cuts My Pity Party Short
Despite my push to live like there is nothing wrong with me.....to make circumstance conform to my version of reality.....there have been problems.
Even though Kate has told me to stop "overbooking", I have not.
I insisted that we keep to my plan for Jen's birthday and go to Foxwoods. Now, how strenuous can this be, for pity's sake! We drove down Wednesday, had facials, laid around the spa & pool. I must say, this is my last time at the Norwich spa, the MGM next door is just so much better. The service itself was great, but the whole set-up is all wrong. Then we changed for dinner and had melt-in-your-mouth filet at Cedars. I took all the right meds and slept for 8 hours. Thursday morning I felt fabulous! I wasn't even winded by the crazy Dunkin Donuts adventure and I was the energetic one that drove back to Boston.
I made it through infusion easily....after all, the laptop worked in there! Then it was off to the cardiologist, who saw me quickly despite the fact that I was the one who was late.
Jen and I went over to Grace's where we had dinner and a movie. I wanted to stay and go with them to Logan to pick up my nephew Dan who was returning from basic at Fort Leonard Wood, but I knew I wouldn't make it.
Does that sound strenuous? Does that sound like overbooking?
I have been paying ever since.
Friday and Saturday are a blur. Literally, I couldn't see most of the time. I am so full of fluid that my eyes are blurry and leaking. I showered Friday, but just put on a clean nightgown and sat on the couch. Yesterday I dressed after showering if you want to be nice and call my PJ bottoms and a T-shirt dressing. Then it was back to the couch for a day of western movies. I tweeted the USS Gravely commissioning, but really, that was no physical or brain power, was it?
Last night I was up a bunch of times and when I finally decided to give in and take another half dose of oxy....I couldn't break the stupid pill in half.
Finally, an hour ago, I sat up in bed and was ready to get up. But, for a minute, I just couldn't boost myself up to a standing position. I gave in and started to cry....and get this!!! Tears hurt! What. The. Fuck????? My eyes have been oozing, streaming, running for three days, but tears are different? They stung and I got a stabbing pain in my temples.
So I had to stop.
I got up and took the pills and brushed my hair and headed down to wash my face. Great! What if this is some kind of infection?
I sat down in one of the recliners in the TV room to wait for my father to come out of the bathroom. I was contemplating the irony of my life at this moment. How many times did I think I wish I had more time to just read....got plenty of time now, I just can't focus. How many times did I wish for more time to blog....got plenty of time now, for all the good it does me.
There are people who will come and take me anywhere I want to go or just keep me company, but I can barely get out of bed.
There are M&Ms and they taste funny.
My father has tons of john Wayne movies and fab TV and Blue Ray player...I just can't work myself up to it. He has a bazillion Direct TV channels and nothing moves me.
My calender is full of potential lectures and talks and presentations all around Boston. I could take a quick cab ride anywhere and see whatever I wanted.
I have gift certificates for meals and spa services nearby.
I feel like Burgess Meridith in "Time Enough At Last" which I always found to be an extremely chilling Twilight Zone episode.
And I know, this isn't the bad part.....this is.
And I can't even effin' cry about it because it hurts.
So my Dad comes out, freshly showered and he is singing. He asks why I didn't knock, I tell him it wasn't that pressing. As I pass him, he sees my face. He bends his knees, rounds his shoulders and squints his eyes like some horrible troll.....or more precisely, a mirror of how I look "Well, don't pee your pants!"
I start laughing - "Jerk!"
Even though Kate has told me to stop "overbooking", I have not.
I insisted that we keep to my plan for Jen's birthday and go to Foxwoods. Now, how strenuous can this be, for pity's sake! We drove down Wednesday, had facials, laid around the spa & pool. I must say, this is my last time at the Norwich spa, the MGM next door is just so much better. The service itself was great, but the whole set-up is all wrong. Then we changed for dinner and had melt-in-your-mouth filet at Cedars. I took all the right meds and slept for 8 hours. Thursday morning I felt fabulous! I wasn't even winded by the crazy Dunkin Donuts adventure and I was the energetic one that drove back to Boston.
I made it through infusion easily....after all, the laptop worked in there! Then it was off to the cardiologist, who saw me quickly despite the fact that I was the one who was late.
Jen and I went over to Grace's where we had dinner and a movie. I wanted to stay and go with them to Logan to pick up my nephew Dan who was returning from basic at Fort Leonard Wood, but I knew I wouldn't make it.
Does that sound strenuous? Does that sound like overbooking?
I have been paying ever since.
Friday and Saturday are a blur. Literally, I couldn't see most of the time. I am so full of fluid that my eyes are blurry and leaking. I showered Friday, but just put on a clean nightgown and sat on the couch. Yesterday I dressed after showering if you want to be nice and call my PJ bottoms and a T-shirt dressing. Then it was back to the couch for a day of western movies. I tweeted the USS Gravely commissioning, but really, that was no physical or brain power, was it?
Last night I was up a bunch of times and when I finally decided to give in and take another half dose of oxy....I couldn't break the stupid pill in half.
Finally, an hour ago, I sat up in bed and was ready to get up. But, for a minute, I just couldn't boost myself up to a standing position. I gave in and started to cry....and get this!!! Tears hurt! What. The. Fuck????? My eyes have been oozing, streaming, running for three days, but tears are different? They stung and I got a stabbing pain in my temples.
So I had to stop.
I got up and took the pills and brushed my hair and headed down to wash my face. Great! What if this is some kind of infection?
I sat down in one of the recliners in the TV room to wait for my father to come out of the bathroom. I was contemplating the irony of my life at this moment. How many times did I think I wish I had more time to just read....got plenty of time now, I just can't focus. How many times did I wish for more time to blog....got plenty of time now, for all the good it does me.
There are people who will come and take me anywhere I want to go or just keep me company, but I can barely get out of bed.
There are M&Ms and they taste funny.
My father has tons of john Wayne movies and fab TV and Blue Ray player...I just can't work myself up to it. He has a bazillion Direct TV channels and nothing moves me.
My calender is full of potential lectures and talks and presentations all around Boston. I could take a quick cab ride anywhere and see whatever I wanted.
I have gift certificates for meals and spa services nearby.
I feel like Burgess Meridith in "Time Enough At Last" which I always found to be an extremely chilling Twilight Zone episode.
And I know, this isn't the bad part.....this is.
And I can't even effin' cry about it because it hurts.
So my Dad comes out, freshly showered and he is singing. He asks why I didn't knock, I tell him it wasn't that pressing. As I pass him, he sees my face. He bends his knees, rounds his shoulders and squints his eyes like some horrible troll.....or more precisely, a mirror of how I look "Well, don't pee your pants!"
I start laughing - "Jerk!"
Saturday, November 20, 2010
November 20, 1925
Robert Kennedy was born. I often write about his passing, it impacted me greatly because of it's timing in my life. But really it's a life to be celebrated.
One of my favorite quotes is -
"First is the danger of futility; the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills — against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man."
I feel it is one of the most essential statements of optimism ever made. We get nowhere alone or together without each of us taking individual first steps. I know Kennedy inspired people of his and my generation to take those first steps. I hope it is true for future generations.
One of my favorite quotes is -
"First is the danger of futility; the belief there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills — against misery and ignorance, injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man."
I feel it is one of the most essential statements of optimism ever made. We get nowhere alone or together without each of us taking individual first steps. I know Kennedy inspired people of his and my generation to take those first steps. I hope it is true for future generations.
Friday, November 19, 2010
1st LT Robert Kelly, USMC
I haven't written about this, and since it keeps making me cry, I will just send you to some links.
I will say, my heart aches for his family. His father is a fellow Bostonian who I would have followed for that reason alone. But he is much more than that and so was his son.
From BlackFive - "Father and Son" & "Angel Flight Home"
I will say, my heart aches for his family. His father is a fellow Bostonian who I would have followed for that reason alone. But he is much more than that and so was his son.
From BlackFive - "Father and Son" & "Angel Flight Home"
Thursday, November 18, 2010
My Laptop Gets WiFi in the Infusion Room!!!
LOL!
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
I am on TweetDeck and checking email. This rocks.
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
I am on TweetDeck and checking email. This rocks.
The Dunkin Donuts Is Where???
So Jen, Bette & I are in Foxwoods and....no word of a lie, as we used to say as kids.....the DD is a 10 minute trip from my room. Each way! Mind you, I know it would have been quicker in sneakers, but I never imagined it would be that far.
Jen & I came down yesterday, this was the last of her birthday presents. Bette got us the most fabulous suite. Partly because it's nice and I am sure, in part because I snore, lol.
Last time I was here in April there was some coffee/tea place right opposite the hotel check-in. It's gone and the only DD was all the way down at the Hard Rock. I figured it would be packed, but there was no line and three women waited on me, lol.
Ok, well I am off to the shower. It's not worth heading back to the spa. I have infusion today at 1 pm and a cardiology appointment at 3 pm (because of this nonsense).
Jen & I came down yesterday, this was the last of her birthday presents. Bette got us the most fabulous suite. Partly because it's nice and I am sure, in part because I snore, lol.
Last time I was here in April there was some coffee/tea place right opposite the hotel check-in. It's gone and the only DD was all the way down at the Hard Rock. I figured it would be packed, but there was no line and three women waited on me, lol.
Ok, well I am off to the shower. It's not worth heading back to the spa. I have infusion today at 1 pm and a cardiology appointment at 3 pm (because of this nonsense).
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Wendy, Now That You Live In New England...
....you must make Cranberry Chutney for Thanksgiving
3-4 small oranges
4 cups cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped, unpeeled apple
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tbs vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cinnamon
makes five cups
Cut oranges into halves.
4 cups cranberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped, unpeeled apple
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tbs vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cinnamon
makes five cups
Cut oranges into halves.
Scoop out one cup orange segments in three quart sauce pan.
Combine orange segments, cranberries, sugar, apple, raisin, orange juice, nuts, vinegar, ginger and cinnamon. Heat to boiling. Simmer till all cranberries pop and stir till he mix is cool. Refridgerate mix with orange shells. Then fill shells.
This is a make ahead recipe.
Monday, November 15, 2010
5th Cycle/Day 1
So this was the shortest break between cycles and it definitely is bumming me out. Even though things have improved over the earlier part of last week, mornings are still slow. I will barely get rolling shortly only to find myself in the infusion room chair.
But, for all my whining here, I think it was a good plan. I might as well get a move on, huh? When this first started in August I was so shell-shocked at the sudden change of plans and so sure it wouldn't work that I was focused on living in the moment.
But now that we know that it's highly likely it will work and that it will likely buy me another two years.....I can refocus. Although, it definitely took me a while, lol!
So while I am planning some stuff for the next break, I will keep it to a minimum.
Now I am going to shift my focus....what am I going to do post SCT?
But, for all my whining here, I think it was a good plan. I might as well get a move on, huh? When this first started in August I was so shell-shocked at the sudden change of plans and so sure it wouldn't work that I was focused on living in the moment.
But now that we know that it's highly likely it will work and that it will likely buy me another two years.....I can refocus. Although, it definitely took me a while, lol!
So while I am planning some stuff for the next break, I will keep it to a minimum.
Now I am going to shift my focus....what am I going to do post SCT?
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