It Was a Full Day at the Hospitals Yesterday

 A very fast blog today. I have to run to the office supply company and the post office before dropping the new plug strip from Office Depot off at home, and then heading to the shop. I have bins and bins of repriced beads waiting for me to make tags, so my day is ready for me. Lots of keyboarding and printing. *sigh* 

They removed the bandages from the sutures yesterday and said that everything is actually looking good, even my poor abused right armpit (which is SUPER swollen). But, the stitches are dissolving, so that's a good thing. Now to the next part in the cancer saga. 

I met with the Radiologist - oh ... I liked him VERY much. He's a New Mexican guy, we know the same places, we've both been stuck, losing tires on the way to or from Chaco Canyon, and we both miss the state a great deal (although not the crime rate which has skyrockted since I last lived there). He worked at Sandia Labs for several years, then at another high tech location, then switched over to radiology and worked for Mayo Clinics for seven years before moving up to the Cities and joining Allina as their head radiologist. 

I now have three X marks on my body, protected by tape (but I'm supposed to remark them if the tape comes off and the marks fade). They're giving me two weeks to heal from the surgery, then we dive into radiation therapy on March 5th. I have a meeting with Dr Perez (highly recommended by my radiologist) on March 15th or so, and I'll probably be starting chemotherapy after the radiation therapy is completed. 

So, have to get moving, I'm super late today. No photos ... sorry! Have an excellent day and I'm off on my errands and then to work. Slava Ukraini. 

It's a Doctor Day and Maybe a Cooking Day - Happy Wednesday!

I was sick yesterday. I called DH in to work, headed home and went to bed. I suspect it was just the exhaustion of the past few weeks hitting home, but I got home, changed into my jammies, hit my bed and I was out. I awakened for a quick dinner, watched a little of "Thomas Jefferson" and went back to sleep. I think I'm finally caught up - LOL. 

There's nothing much better than tumbling into 
bed while wearing a comfortable set of PJ's. 

I did awaken around 1:00 am and went to my computer to do some research on chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They both have their plusses and negatives, so I'll see what the radiation Doc has to say this morning. In the afternoon, I meed with my surgeon for a post-op wrap up. I think the stitches under my arm are slightly infected, which isn't a good thing, but I'll be sure to ask her about that and have her take a look. I'm really hoping she'll pull the steri-tape off. I think I'm healing well (except for the single area) and I want to keep the progression going. 

I think Chickie Mama will join me for the post-op conference in the afternoon. I told her I didn't think anything really germane would happen in the morning meeting, but left attendance up to her. 

It's hard to believe that I've been on WildFit for four years 
now, but I'm really happy with how my body reacts to the 
alkagizers that I drink four days a week. It's hard to argue 
with success. 

So, that just leaves me with the problem of what to cook for the next week. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to cook anything until Friday, and I'll be behind on my "Ogre Juice" if I don't get some made today. But, my scheduling needs to be a bit fluid at this point. My phone did remind me that I've reached an anniversary today, though. I started WildFit on this date in 2021, so I've now completed four years living with WildFit. It's one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I Was Attacked by my Bra! I Won, But I'm in Pain

Today I hurt. I purchased several new bras to keep "the girls" stable during healing. The one I wore yesterday was OK during the day, but at night it moved a bit closer to my armpit which features a bunch of stitches from biopsies which were done across the area. By the time the pain awakened me an hour before my alarm was set to go off, I was in serious pain. It's been 2-1/2 hours since I awakened, and I just took a couple of Extra Strength Tylenol. I also tossed both of the bras of that brand/style into the garbage can. I don't need this! Ouch! 

The bra I had on last night was at least at 
inch closer to the armpit than this drawing. 
It actually started shredding the steri-tape 
which is covering the armpit stitches. I get 
the tape removed tomorrow afternoon, but 
I'd much rather my doctor/nurse did it than 
a bra. Besides, it was quite painful! 

I have a different support bra on today, and it's hitting me lower, so no direct impact. After my Tylenol kicks in, I should be OK for the morning. I'm grateful that I see my Doc again tomorrow. I'd love to ditch the steri-tape and the stitches and let things heal on their own. 

Earlier this year we stopped the Fosomax 
prescription because it wasn't working any 
more. We are now doing bone density 
injections every six months. The damned 
things are EXPENSIVE. Thank goodness for 
good health insurance. 

I got the first bill for my bone density infusion injections yesterday. Ouch! The shot itself was relatively painless (she was VERY good), but the actual bill was more than $2000! For something I'll need every six months. Thank goodness for good insurance which has kicked my payment down to approx $350. Still, when I compare the cost of the infusion to the cost of my Fosomax prescription ... no comparison. Of course, the Fosomax isn't working for me any more ... so choices? None. 

Tomorrow morning I start out with an appointment 
with Dr Zachary Wilson, a Radiology Oncologist. 
He specializes in breast and prostrate cancer, so 
I'm hopeful he'll have decent news for me. He'll 
at least present me with the option to do radiation 
therapy. The other major therapy is chemotherapy. 
I don't know if I will be meeting another new 
doctor for that - I suspect it will be the case. 

Tomorrow I start out meeting the Radiologist. One of the questions they had asked me was about bone density, and I think I blew the question off. Well, ... that was probably a poor idea. I'll have to make sure I mention my crappy bones to him. It might affect whether I can have radiation treatment or not. I don't know if I necessarily WANT radiation therapy, but I'm kind of a "Clear out the gun cabinet, load everything up, and let it fly", kind of gal. At least I won't have to worry about losing my hair. Alopaecia took care of that years ago - LOL. 

I purchased a new bottle of Extra Strength 
Tylenol capsules when I started with my 
braces 2-1/2 years or so ago. I don't take 
pain pills often. I took two this morning - 
a clear indication of true pain. Ouch! 

So, I'm going to sit quietly until my Tylenol kicks in, then I'll bundle up for my trip to the shop. It's -14F outside right now, so bundling will be super important. I hope all of you have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow before I move my ass downtown for my various appointments. Slava Ukraini. 

It's the Start of Another Very Busy Week

Hello Monday, the start of a very busy week, and it's damned COLD outside (-12F -24.4C). I'll be bundling up for work and apologizing to my car for having to keep her outside while I'm working, instead of semi-cozy in our unheated, but at least protected. garage. *sigh* At least I got a good workout on the treadmill. That's one positive thing about sitting at my desk. Another positive thing is putting up my daily blog post, but that's pushed away by the stack of bills to be paid that are sitting on the desk behind my keyboard. I just can't win. Every positive has a negative right now. 

We actually had a nice, relaxing day yesterday, and that 
was one very positive thing. I also had a really good 
fast-walk this morning. I suppose I can handle a little 
bit of negativity after two positive things. 

So while I'm feeling much better than a few days ago, I have a Wednesday that's stacked with both positive and negative outlooks. A morning appointment with radiology - I don't think I'll be receiving any radiation on this visit, I'm fairly sure it's more informational than directed. And in the afternoon, my wrap-up appointment with my Oncology Surgeon. I love her - she's a straight shooter and doesn't mince words. I suspect she'll be not happy that I shoveled the driveway on Friday, but I'm not really happy with that decision either - LOL. I do seem to be healing, however. 

I knew better than to shovel the driveway, but 
I felt it needed to be done. BUT it was a BAD 
idea, and I've been paying the price. I suspect 
my surgeon won't be happy with that particular 
decision. *sigh* 

I still have a lost email that I had wanted to send to the auction house we're thinking about using for some of our Southwestern items. I worked hard on that email for more than an hour, and my laptop hiccuped when I was sending it. It disappeared into cyberspace and I haven't been able to retrieve it at all, from any direction. That was a lot of work that now needs to be redone, and I have limited time in which to compose it. GRRRR

If it was merely a deleted email, I could easily get it 
back. It disappeared while I was sending it, and I 
can't find a trace of it. I'll do some more hunting later 
today. *sigh*

So, here we are, starting off another week. I'm hoping that your week will be terrific with a lot of really positive things happening, hugs, puppy dog snuffles and good news. I think we all need some good news right about now. I'll stick with living one day at a time right now ... it's not paying to look too far ahead. And I'll also start work on that lost email once again. No choice. *sigh* Have a great Monday, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Angry - I Think I Have a Right To Be Angry

I'm running really tight on time right now, and I have no idea why. Maybe I took an extra long time in my morning meditation, but my morning fast-walk was pretty much within my normal time span. Maybe I'm running late because I'm disgusted and saddened and angry right now. I'm angry at both DH and myself. 

This quote from Vincent van Gogh just about 
sums up my feelings right about now. GRRRRR

I'm angry at myself for being stupid enough to want to shovel the driveway in mid-afternoon. It's a long driveway, and it takes serious time, and I was going really slowly. But 1/3 of the way done, my armpit began to hurt. So I switched to do all of the motions with my left arm as much as possible, finished the driveway, did my errand, returned home, and since it was continuing to snow, I let it pile up. Today I have pockets of ??? under my underarm tape that weren't there 24 hours ago. And they're a bit tender to the touch. I'd be really concerned about it, but I see my Surgeon on Wednesday, so I'll have some answers then (and probably get scolded, which I well deserve). 

I did NOT have any lymph nodes under the 
armpit removed, because biopsies throughout 
the area showed no signs of cancer. But, Doc 
did a bunch of biopsies, so I have serious 
stitches under the armpit. That's what seemed 
to break open yesterday. I see her on Wednesday, 
so I'll just hang in until then. 

I bought DH two really nice valentines almost two months ago and gave them to him yesterday morning. He took a glance at them, said he'd been too busy to get me anything, tossed them to the side, and dove into reading his morning paper. I'm going to retrieve those cards today and shred them. He doesn't deserve them, and I'm angry. Did I mention that I'm angry? LOL

I might just shred the two valentines I purchased for 
DH. He certainly doesn't deserve to get them. I haven't 
had a decent Valentine's Day for more the a decade, and 
I think I'm really tired of being taken for granted. 

I also had a large, multi-point email ready to send to a place where we're thinking about placing some of our inventory for auction. And ... it disappeared. I've looked everywhere, tried almost everything, but no success. I can't seem to retrieve it, and I really need to because I had worked on it for more than an hour and it was finally asking all of the questions I had. I'll try again today to retrieve it. I usually have auto-save in place, but that only works for so many times before it starts overwriting. Still, even an overwritten older version would save me a LOT of rewriting. 

I'm hoping I can recapture the letter I was working on 
last night. I was working on the laptop, so I might have 
a small chance of retrieval. Otherwise, I have to rewrite it, 
and it was long, and comprehensive, and I'm pretty sure 
I'd forget a germane point by now. *sigh* 

So, that was my day yesterday. Some good things, more bad things, and anger - a lot of anger. What a crap way to spend Valentine's Day. Have an excellent Tuesday and may all of us have a truly excellent day today. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Happy Valentine's Day to All of my Online Friends!

Time away from doctors seems to be limited in my life right now. Next Wednesday was only scheduled for a post-op check and breakdown from my surgeon in the early pm. But yesterday I got a call from the Radiology Department and I'm now scheduled with them shortly after 9:00 am. I'm not sure if I'm actually getting my first radiation treatment at that time, or if it's just laying out what they're going to be doing and what it will accomplish. Either way, my morning is with Radiology which has a building all of its' own, and then I'm back at the Piper Breast Center in the afternoon. I'm a popular gal - LOL. 

The radiation center is located in the Ritchie 
Medical Center which actually has its' own 
no-charge parking lot. Yippee! It's right across 
the street from the main hospital. I'll probably drive 
over today to get a look at the location and how to 
get there efficiently. 

I know Claire wants to come along, but I'm asking her to attend the post-op appointment, not the radiation one. I don't want to overtax our friendship, and I value her presence and attentiveness, but I think I can handle the first radiation appointment without her and having her there all day would be an extreme waste of her time. 

My daffodils are blooming 
beautifully (this is NOT my 
plant, but I have four lovely 
blooms on my plant near my 
kitchen window). Of course, 
now that they've bloomed, they'll 
start dying back to bloom 
again at a later time. Still, it's been 
a lovely gift. 

I'm sure DH thought (in some warped way) that the surgery would be the end of all of this. He's got no idea how long this is all going to drag on. He's already talking about not being able to plant a garden this Spring because he'll be too busy doing other things. I fail to see how a garden could negatively impact other things on his agenda. It takes a day to get everything planted, but then it's just maintenance. The plants do their thing. My lovely daffodils from my swimming friend are fully in bloom, brightening up my kitchen. We'll plant them when they die back, of course. DH is thinking that might be the only plant he will have this coming summer. Maybe he's right ... hard to tell at this point. 

I've got a couple of chicken patties in the refrigerator, that 
might make for a very nice lunch. 

So, today I'm going to enjoy a day off without doctor appointments. I'll figure out what I'll cook next week, but I think I'll be OK. I can always cobble a soup together for the crockpot and just let it cook overnight. Flexibility over these next few weeks will be key. Have an excellent Valentine's Day and I'll be back to wrap up the week tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has commented, I'll be getting to comments later today and (hopefully) catching up. *hugs* Slava Ukraini. 

Chickie Is Going to Mayo and It's COLD

The cold that stayed away last year has returned this year with intentions of staying for a while. We're sub-zero for days on end now. Thank goodness for good heaters in our cars and homes. Still, I guarantee we're losing homeless people to the cold on a daily basis right now. Tragic! 

The Mayo Clinic operates at least five separate campuses, 
each with a hospital of its' own. It's the primary business 
for Rochester, Minnesota. Chickie has been there before, 
so she and Claire know where they are going. I suspect 
I'd be totally overwhelmed. 

Chickie and Chickie Mama are on their way down to Rochester and the Mayo Clinic. It'll be a day of examinations, interviews, introductions, more interviews, and maybe a plan of action by the end of it. Chickie has a genetic disease - very rare - and it's been escalating, causing her extreme spinal pain. That's not so good when she's on her feet all day at the shop. So how rare is her disease? There are less than 1000 people in the WORLD with her disease. Sometimes it's not lucky to be the "special" person. 

The Mayo Clinic now has branches in two other states 
(Florida and Arizona) and has expanded to multiple 
buildings in Rochester - still the main complex hub. 
Are you interested in the history of Mayo? Here's 
an article that goes through the history quickly. 

So it'll be DH and me at the shop today, and since we don't work super well together any more, there will probably be an exchange or two of heated words and some hurt feelings by the end of the day. If everything goes according to plan, I'll still have my Friday off and can use that day for decompression. 

DH and I don't work smoothly any more. We have the 
same goals, but we are focused on achieving them in 
very different directions. 

I looked at my poor, neglected treadmill this morning and said "I'm on it", got changed, and did my 45 minutes running through the canyons of southern Utah. I hadn't been exercising since just before my surgery, so a bit more than a week. I felt like a slug! I feel much better now that I've been back on the tread, fast-walking to awesome rock 'n roll/heavy metal. That's what I was missing in my days last week. 

I do love my treadmill. Without it, I'd be a total 
slug! Thank goodness I can turn on the heavy 
metal music, set my speed, watch scenic videos and 
just lose myself in activity for 45 minutes. 

I did get a chance to cook my fruit yesterday, so I'm back in stock with that for another 1-1/2 weeks. I didn't get a chance to cook anything else (except the Wednesday chicken dinner), but I desperately needed my fruit. I was going to bake a loaf of bread too, but realized my time would be very tight, so I bought my standard loaf instead, and will make bread late this week or early next instead. I do want to, but time wasn't on my side for this one. 

Have an excellent day today. I dropped by the YMCA quickly yesterday to see Sabrina and Beth. It was wonderful to catch up with both of them, and I got a new Swimmers Contact List. I had one from a month or two ago, but managed to misplace it, and found I needed that information. I now have it posted above my desk so that I don't lose it a second time - LOL. Enjoy your Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.