Today I had the appointment with the doctor to get the results of last weeks tests.
I am still stable. That's the good news. The doctor wants to change the hormone blocker pills I am taking so I got a new perscription. No new tests until March. I'll have to be back by then. I'm sure winter will save a few blasts for me when I get back.
Now I get to plan for my winter run-away-from-home. I need to get my driver's license renewed and get new stickers for the vehicles - all will be due before I get back. And I need to find a doctor there for the every four weeks treatment and get my records sent there. And I need to be sure the campground I go to has WIFI so I can stay in touch.
The RV has been checked out. The ABS brakes don't work but I don't like them anyway. There will be a lot to do and I don't plan on leaving until after Thanksgiving anyway.
FUN FUN
Later.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Living in an Area
When ads on TV try to target this area I live in they mention the neighboring towns and then add "and the ********* area". That's how I know we are an area.
Last night as I was getting ready for bed I heard police sirens and fire truck horns and sirens so I went to look out front to see where they were headed. The first police car made the turn toward the school buildings.
All the school buildings are together from kindergarten to high school and they are just around the corner from my house. After the police car came a fire truck blasting away. Then came two yellow school buses. That explained everything. They had won a football game. Someone had called ahead and had the police and the fire trucks meet them and escort them to the school. More fire trucks and police cars followed and lots of cars blowing their horns. I found my keys and pushed the panic button to start my car alarm going so I could share in the celebration.
That's the fun of living in an "area". Bet that doesn't happen in bigger towns. It somehow makes up for the times I get angry at the place. Like the time I called the police about charity money not going where it should. I got a call back from a minister, who was also the fire marshal, who was the minister where the money was supposed to go, who was banned from counciling couples due to his reputation with women.
We have it all in this area.
Later.
Last night as I was getting ready for bed I heard police sirens and fire truck horns and sirens so I went to look out front to see where they were headed. The first police car made the turn toward the school buildings.
All the school buildings are together from kindergarten to high school and they are just around the corner from my house. After the police car came a fire truck blasting away. Then came two yellow school buses. That explained everything. They had won a football game. Someone had called ahead and had the police and the fire trucks meet them and escort them to the school. More fire trucks and police cars followed and lots of cars blowing their horns. I found my keys and pushed the panic button to start my car alarm going so I could share in the celebration.
That's the fun of living in an "area". Bet that doesn't happen in bigger towns. It somehow makes up for the times I get angry at the place. Like the time I called the police about charity money not going where it should. I got a call back from a minister, who was also the fire marshal, who was the minister where the money was supposed to go, who was banned from counciling couples due to his reputation with women.
We have it all in this area.
Later.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Laptop Healthy Again
Picked up my laptop from the shop Thursday and today I finally got around to turning it on. It works great. I am back onto the genealogy thing with papers spread out all over the counter.
Blank census forms are great to have so I can read the headings with a magnifying glass and try to figure out what I'm looking at. Even the blank forms are interesting. In 1820 the only names written down were the head of the household, the men, everyone else just got counted by the age range they fell into, there were columns for "Slaves" and "Free Colored Persons", no names just a count of how many were in an age range, like under 14, between 14 and 26 etc. Not much political correctness back then. Only free white men had their names recorded.
We've come a long way baby!
Later
Blank census forms are great to have so I can read the headings with a magnifying glass and try to figure out what I'm looking at. Even the blank forms are interesting. In 1820 the only names written down were the head of the household, the men, everyone else just got counted by the age range they fell into, there were columns for "Slaves" and "Free Colored Persons", no names just a count of how many were in an age range, like under 14, between 14 and 26 etc. Not much political correctness back then. Only free white men had their names recorded.
We've come a long way baby!
Later
Friday, November 6, 2009
Friday at the Antique Barn
Spent all day today at the antique barn where I have space. It is only open on Friday and Saturday and it is a co-op, the people who have space to display their items work the desk and keep the place clean, etc. I even sold a few items last week-end. A lot of dealers from other antique shops come there to buy things to put in their space at shops in other locations. The dealers at the barn are all friends and have known one another for a very long time. It's hard to get any work done when you have to catch up on all the news with your friends.
Yesterday was the PET scan, it takes 2 hours total. The first hour is a nice nap with warmed blankets covering me while the radioactive sucrose finds the "bad" cells and lights them up. The second hour is laying on a tray and slowly sliding into a tube. It starts at my feet and when it gets to my hips the arms have to go up over my head. When it is all done it takes a moment to get the arms working again. Also I have to keep my eyes shut and imagine green pastures as I have a little claustrophobia. Not fun but not a big deal.
Now the hard part, waiting for the results next week. Most of our lives we seem to be waiting for something. Life happens while we wait.
Later
Yesterday was the PET scan, it takes 2 hours total. The first hour is a nice nap with warmed blankets covering me while the radioactive sucrose finds the "bad" cells and lights them up. The second hour is laying on a tray and slowly sliding into a tube. It starts at my feet and when it gets to my hips the arms have to go up over my head. When it is all done it takes a moment to get the arms working again. Also I have to keep my eyes shut and imagine green pastures as I have a little claustrophobia. Not fun but not a big deal.
Now the hard part, waiting for the results next week. Most of our lives we seem to be waiting for something. Life happens while we wait.
Later
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
After Scan
Okay I survived the CAT scan. Doesn't take long, first a weigh-in and blood pressure and blood test. Then lay on a tray, get an IV of IVP (contains iodine which I am allergic to). Then hold your breath while the tray slowly slides you into and out of a donut shaped thingy, with your arms over your head. 30 seconds is the longest time for holding your breath. There is a couple of silly faces that show you when to hold your breath as well as a voice that tells you, and there is a countdown on a digital readout above your head.
Now I need a nap as I am crashing from the hepped up part yesterday.
All done till Thursday when I get the PET scan. Need to drink 48 ounces of water tomorrow and not do anything strenuous - I can handle that prep.
I voted on the way back from the doctor's office. Now I need to go to the library which has shortened hours because of the budget crunch. I voted for a new tax to pay for the library. The politicians like to cut the things most visible to the public. They certainly would never cut their own salaries. Try picturing a table surrounded by elected officials voting to cut their own salaries. Never happen.
Later
Now I need a nap as I am crashing from the hepped up part yesterday.
All done till Thursday when I get the PET scan. Need to drink 48 ounces of water tomorrow and not do anything strenuous - I can handle that prep.
I voted on the way back from the doctor's office. Now I need to go to the library which has shortened hours because of the budget crunch. I voted for a new tax to pay for the library. The politicians like to cut the things most visible to the public. They certainly would never cut their own salaries. Try picturing a table surrounded by elected officials voting to cut their own salaries. Never happen.
Later
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hepped Up
I am hepped up on Prednisone for my CAT scan tomorrow and my laptop with all the geneology data is at the shop (it isn't in any real danger - just it can't see the WIFI connection since I downloaded some updates to *&%$# Vista) and I'm supposed to be drinking chalky Barium Sulfate Suspension tonight - fool thing says Berry Smoothie on the label - like REALLY.
So I will vent on here for everyone to see. I have to take the Prednisone because I am allergic to the IVP - stuff they inject during the scan. I also take a pill one hour before the test and drink another "Berry Smoothie" 1/2 hour before the test. That is tricky since I live 1/2 hour drive from the place, and need to arrive 15 minutes early - etc. I will be drinking and driving.
The PET scan is Thursday. Here is more than you ever wanted to know about this stuff. The PET scan is flat, 2 dimensional. They inject radioactive sucrose in my veins for that and then wait an hour so it can go to any area that is wanting sugar, like the cancer cells or any area that is inflamed. So if something shows up on that they have to look at the CAT scan to see exactly where it is. I get these tests every 6 months or so.
I fool them by only taking 1/2 pills of the Prednisone. I'm not that allergic! I just get a few hives if I take nothing.
Then I wait for the results of these tests to see if I am going to be able to take a trip this winter or if they will want to change my treatment in some way.
There, I feel better already. My life is controlled by doctors and I am really grateful for that most of the time. Just now and then I get impatient about it.
I relegated Red and Teddy (30 lb. dogs) to their kennels (cages) last night so I could sleep better. I've been tossing and turning and sometimes they fall out of bed (single size). Silly never tries to invade the bed until I am out - unless I don't get up early enough - then I find a 65 lb poodle standing over me and she has very bad breath. The time change has them all confused but they will adjust pretty fast.
Later
So I will vent on here for everyone to see. I have to take the Prednisone because I am allergic to the IVP - stuff they inject during the scan. I also take a pill one hour before the test and drink another "Berry Smoothie" 1/2 hour before the test. That is tricky since I live 1/2 hour drive from the place, and need to arrive 15 minutes early - etc. I will be drinking and driving.
The PET scan is Thursday. Here is more than you ever wanted to know about this stuff. The PET scan is flat, 2 dimensional. They inject radioactive sucrose in my veins for that and then wait an hour so it can go to any area that is wanting sugar, like the cancer cells or any area that is inflamed. So if something shows up on that they have to look at the CAT scan to see exactly where it is. I get these tests every 6 months or so.
I fool them by only taking 1/2 pills of the Prednisone. I'm not that allergic! I just get a few hives if I take nothing.
Then I wait for the results of these tests to see if I am going to be able to take a trip this winter or if they will want to change my treatment in some way.
There, I feel better already. My life is controlled by doctors and I am really grateful for that most of the time. Just now and then I get impatient about it.
I relegated Red and Teddy (30 lb. dogs) to their kennels (cages) last night so I could sleep better. I've been tossing and turning and sometimes they fall out of bed (single size). Silly never tries to invade the bed until I am out - unless I don't get up early enough - then I find a 65 lb poodle standing over me and she has very bad breath. The time change has them all confused but they will adjust pretty fast.
Later
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sister Visit
Oct 13!!! My sister, Linda, came to visit. I picked her up at the Cincinnati airport in the RV. The RV wouldn't fit into the parking garage so I waited in the "cell phone lot". Linda had found a map of the airport and figured it out for me. It worked wonderfully. She called when she arrived and I drove to pick her up. I only had to go around the airport twice to find her. There are way too many lanes and terminals at that airport.
We drove straight to our old home area and set up in the local campground. We went out to dinner with our brother and his wife that night. The next morning we headed to visit our Aunt Ellen who is 101 years old. She is at home with help. One of her main helpers is our cousin, Hellen, she is only 78 years old. Since Aunt Ellen has always loved dogs, she still has an elderly pooch, we brought the dogs in for her to pet.
That's my back and Hellen is holding Silly's red leash.
This is the siblings, Chuck, me, and Linda, in the order of our age. Chuck is telling his wife how to take the picture.
We stayed a couple of nights in the camper and visited several cousins. Then we decided to head home since the weather turned nasty. We visited my two daughters and their homes and talked and had a few gin and tonics. We even visited a museum. The picture above is 4 generations - left to right - me, my granddaughter, Charlotte, my daughter, Lory and that's Jaryen on Charlotte's lap.
We drove straight to our old home area and set up in the local campground. We went out to dinner with our brother and his wife that night. The next morning we headed to visit our Aunt Ellen who is 101 years old. She is at home with help. One of her main helpers is our cousin, Hellen, she is only 78 years old. Since Aunt Ellen has always loved dogs, she still has an elderly pooch, we brought the dogs in for her to pet.
That's my back and Hellen is holding Silly's red leash.
This is the siblings, Chuck, me, and Linda, in the order of our age. Chuck is telling his wife how to take the picture.
We stayed a couple of nights in the camper and visited several cousins. Then we decided to head home since the weather turned nasty. We visited my two daughters and their homes and talked and had a few gin and tonics. We even visited a museum. The picture above is 4 generations - left to right - me, my granddaughter, Charlotte, my daughter, Lory and that's Jaryen on Charlotte's lap. Linda's visit got me going on genealogy again. I get interested in fits and starts. I have a new program to enter the data into and am trying to figure that out. Anything to keep from cleaning house.
Later
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
