Morons at work!

Instead of those "men at work" signs I see sometimes, there should be one that says "morons at work" on the construction sites next to me. There are two new homes being built by me. Now I know that when I see one of these bobcat gizmos in the picture that my cable is going to be cut. Nevermind that the ground has big red spray painted lines showing the buried cables. When I got back from Dad's, I saw one of these machines at work and when I went inside my house, it was evident to me that my cable and internet were out. I went out and asked the guys if they cut my cable again......."Oh, no Ma'am, we didn't cut anything." Liars......the next time I looked out a couple of hours later, the cable company was there repairing the cable! Why would they just flat out lie? Dumbasses! I knew the freakin' cable was cut!

Dad update

Dad has felt pretty good this week. I bought a few tomato plants to plant at his house this morning and when I got there, he had already been out working in the garden putting pine straw around his berry plants. That's the most he has felt like doing in a long time. I got his tomato plants planted and worked in the yard until I was totally melted down and soaking wet with sweat. Hopefully, we will have some more fresh tomatoes before frost since we planted them under a soaker hose that Dad has snaked through a fence. So, actually it is a drip, but it works.

On Monday we go back to the oncologist, get labs, and chemo. Well, I'm not sure about the chemo. I guess that will depend on whether the CT scan shows any progress in shrinking the tumors.

Worthless waste of skin...

Yep...that was me this day all day long. The ONLY thing I did was go to lunch with the Thursday Lunch Ladies. Yesterday, I was a bundle of energy and did a lot of things including some power washing on the floor of the garage that I didn't do last week. My plans are to someday get "built-ins" and a nice floor in the garage. The concrete has cracks all in it because of the clay soil and the drought. My builder has stopped putting any kind of floors in the new houses that could crack like my tile has done. She has realized that was a mistake for this kind of red clay dirt.

NO Obama 08!

I gave up!

I thought I could prove everyone wrong and at least grow a few perfect rose bushes. Never did I profess to grow a rose garden. The blooms were just beautiful in the beginning, but I fought the black leaf spot fungus with everything on the market claiming to focus on this malady. Nothing worked. Today I dug those suckers up and threw them away. I admit defeat!! Nevermind that it is still 97 degrees at 7 P.M. It had to be done.

Obama's cabinet

Stolen from another email!

I like this!

"Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist'" ........ lifted from an email.

I'm tired!

Even though I slept in this morning until 9:30, I am tired. First, I had to go to Wal Mart Hell on Saturday morning to get my dad some OTC Prilosec and take it to him. Before I left, I put the sprinkler on the yard (some day there will be a sprinkler system) thinking I wouldn't be gone long. I ended up working some there on Dad's berry plants and eating lunch there. Yes, my yard got a good soaking, which it needed anyway.

It's been a very long time since I went to the Boomtown casino buffet for their crab legs, so I managed to do that after a nap this afternoon. I filled up on crab legs and drawn butter...scrumptious.

My day in bullets

• Spoke with customer service at the newspaper. Once again my paper was two doors down
• Power washed the patio...the outdoor carpet may NEVER dry
• Saw a dead roach in the den/kitchen...called the pest company immediately..first I have seen since moving here
• cooked a peach cobbler...this time in a metal pan :)
• washed 2 loads of clothes
• read my book Whispers on the Bayou
• washed the patio furniture
• cooked sausage, egg and biscuit for breakfast
• did the crossword puzzle in the paper
• read daily blogs
• and it's only 2:23 P.M.

I think I'll go take a NAP!

Incompetence

Those who know me know of my utmost disdain for incompetence. It's been a rant of mine for many years. I know that finding carriers for the newspaper is difficult because of the low pay and until now, I have had no complaints since I moved to Louisiana and subscribed to the Shreveport Times. The last two days, I had no paper in my yard. Last night I walked over to the two new constructions next to me and found my paper at one of those houses. Tonight I went over again and once again found my paper at the first house on my street....a new construction that no one has bought yet! Obviously, EMPTY! I don't know why this is happening unless there is a new carrier and he/she was instructed to throw to the first house. Up until recently, that would have been me....NOW IT'S NOT. I am now number 3!!! I guess a call will be in order tomorrow to the circulation department.

So far...so good!

We didn't learn much at the oncologist today except that Dad's labs are good. We are scheduled for a CT scan on Tuesday to see if the chemo is having any impact at all on the cancer. We know that there is no cure, but we hope for some shrinkage to improve his breathing. I have not heard him wheeze since he started chemo, so I am hopeful. My sister-in-law gave him a buzz cut since his hair was falling out. My dad still had lots of hair even though he is 86. No more!

The weather gods are smiling....

And so am I! This week we had a "cold" front slide on through here. That means it's 95 instead of 100, but the kicker is low humidity, which actually makes it not so bad to get outside and work. My yard is perfection right now...well, except for the missing caladiums that Bambi ate...because I don't mind getting out and working. The bahaia grass that I had sprayed a couple of weeks ago is fading away, so that makes me happy. Doesn't make the grass real pretty, but it will be as soon as the bermuda grass chokes out everything else.

Tomorrow I take Dad back to the oncologist. He actually felt better today and he wanted me to take him to get his hearing aid and to Wal Mart, so I did. It wore him out though.

One year ago today!

One of the blogs that I read went back to see what she had posted one year from today, so I took that idea and curiously checked to see what I was doing one year ago. It must have been a SLOW day here in Louisiana.

Rant Time!

I'm long overdue for a rant, but the time has come. If you go to a movie...SHUT UP! Kung Fu Panda was a movie I wanted to see since it came out (trust me...it's not that good), so I grabbed my trusty jacket out of the trunk of my car .....because it's always so freakin' cold in the theaters...even though the temp outside is 97 and went to see it. A whole row of Orientals sat behind me and jabbered on and on in their chinky chank language. After a few glares from me....which made NO impression at all, I got up and moved to the other side of the theater. That stuff just pisses me off. On top of that, their damn kids talked all through the movie as well. At least, the kids were talking in English! Usually, I love the animated films like Finding Nemo and Cars, but this one did not meet those standards in my opinion. Six bucks wasted.....at least, I didn't spend any at the concession stand because the line was too long and I was already late for the movie!

No...not so much!

I have had Brokeback Mountain on my DVR for a few weeks. Since I didn't see it when it was THE thing to do, I figured I'd watch it for free now. It took me a whole week to watch it. Every single time I hit "play", I was asleep.....better than Ambian. Finally, a few times I was awake enough to stop the film before I went to sleep. Yesterday, I finally finished the damn thing. I think I'll keep it on the DVR just to use when I do need a sleep aid. Dumb, stupid movie!

Strange stuff!

As we were leaving our favorite restaurant tonight, our waitress came to get me and tell me someone wanted to speak to me. Well, OK! I went back in and there was a lady who had asked the waitress what my name was. The waitress told her my name, so the lady came and told me who she was and that we were in college together. Didn't I remember her? Well, hell NO! That was 40 years ago! I would never recognize anyone that had aged 40 years. How the hell did she recognize me? I didn't even recognize her name. She told me we did lots of things together! Hell if I remember! Now I'm wondering if I should remember this kind of stuff because I surely don't! I'm lucky to remember yesterday!

Sign in Mandeville, LA

Crapola...

I have a black stove, which is a pain in the ass to keep clean. Today after I returned from Mom and Dad's, I had peaches that needed to be fixed some kind of way so I made a peach cobbler using the glass pyrex dish that I have used many times for cooking in the oven. I sat it on top of the stove...no burners on...when it was done for it to cool. As I was kicked back in my recliner reading the paper, I heard a noise. Upon investigation, I found the the bowl of cobbler broken and cobbler spilled out all over the stove. Holy Crap....what a mess! And why did it break? I don't get it! Looks like it's time for a nap!

Damn Bambi!

This picture is from last year. I really suffered planting my caladiums this year because I was sick at the time and could barely move, but somehow I managed over time to get all my caladiums planted across the front of the house like I do every year. They are always just beautiful and blend with the brick on the house. Each year I get random people telling me how beautiful my yard is. Two days ago, I noticed only the stalks remain on one side of the house. Bambi had dessert here! All the ones to the right of the door are GONE! Tonight, the others will probably be gone as well....unless I get up enough energy to make me a spray bottle of hot sauce laden water and go out and spray them!!!! Since these are Louisiana deer, they probably like HOT SAUCE!

Edited to ADD: I fixed a spray bottle of hot sauce and water and sprayed all the remaining ones and I put a radio out there. All I can do is hope. The motion lights only seem to help them see what they are eating!!!

Another round done..

We have finished round 2 of chemo, which took Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and back today for a Neulasta shot. Next week we see the doc again and probably do scans to see if the chemo is doing any good. Dad still hasn't had any real ill effects yet...other than losing some hair. The pain that he has been having in his shoulder is not cancer, but probably his arthritis coming back that, thankfully, has been gone for several years after a series of those high powered shots...whose name escapes me right now. I just know they were very expensive, but when medicare stopped paying for them, Dad stopped taking them and his arthritis didn't come back....well, maybe until now! Just when he doesn't need it!!! It's always something! I think I'll take a nap.

Stress reliever

I left at 6:30 this morning to go get Dad and take him for breakfast, then to chemo. That place was packed by the time we finally got there after labs and seeing the doctor. He started getting his chemo at 11:15 and we got out at 3:00. It was 4:30 before I got home after taking him home, then dropping off a script to be filled. I almost backed out of going to Yoga because I was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. Thank goodness, I didn't. I feel much better after going to yoga and relieving the stress through breathing techniques. It really works...it really does!

We proved it!

Here in Louisiana, the legislature just voted themselves a 200% raise. The citizens of Louisiana went insane...me included! Our new governor, Bobby Jindal, who I voted for and had a lot of hope in, vowed that he would not veto it even though he promised while running for office that there would be no raises. He didn't want to jeapardize his own agenda by pissing off the legislators. The grass roots anger grew and, apparently, the gov had a change of heart after he learned that a recall petition had been filed with the Secretary of State for him and 4 legislators. I guess he saw the light and realized the people of Louisiana were serious. He vetoed it. So...the moral of the story is "Speak up"! Someone might just heed.

Busy Day...

My cousin is here from Virginia and because she didn't get to visit with her family as much as she wanted yesterday at the reunion, she bought boiled shrimp today and we went to Mom and Dad's for lunch. Her mother, who is my dad's sister even came with her and her husband. She is 92 and lives in an assisted living facility very near me. My dad is the only uncle she has left and she loves him a lot. She even bought a blender, ice cream, peaches, etc. so she could blend him up a smoothy because he won't eat much of anything. I had told her that I was going to take my blender to his house so I could make him some milk shakes loaded with Ensure. She jumped on that and bought a blender for them. He told me yesterday that he was depressed and didn't want to keep on keeping on. I don't have a reply for that. I just went home and cried, but I really don't blame him. I just wish he wouldn't tell me that! I am very much aware of how lucky I am to still have both my parents, but even at 65, it's very hard for me to see them deteriorate and know that we don't have much more time together. I can't even imagine what it will be like without them.

Happy Independence Day!

Although it is INDEPENDENCE Day, I just became dependent on someone else's vehicle. As soon as I started south to my mom's this morning, I noticed my car felt like I was in a truck. I felt every bump, which I knew to not be normal. When I got there I saw that the rear of the car was really low...like a ton of bricks were in the trunk. I recognize it as being something I have seen happen to other Lincolns.....rear air suspension went caput! I left it at Mom's and my brother will get it to a mechanic for me on Monday while I go all day taking Dad for his chemo.

We had a family reunion today...my dad's family. He didn't feel good, but he went. Usually, he makes a little speech about his heritage and how proud he is of it. Today he said nothing, but they did have a special prayer for him. It makes me tear up because I am afraid it was his last reunion.

I was invited to join a group of friends this evening for more festivities, but I didn't make it there. My body just said, " Ummmm, NO"!

WooHoo!

A milestone was reached today by me. I mowed the front yard for the first time since early April. My neighbor has been coming across the street on his riding lawn mower and doing it for me since I got sick in April. Today was not incredibly hot, so I managed to do it myself.

I spent most of the day taking care of things for my mom. For at least a year, I have been telling her I was going to get her car cleaned up at a car wash, then do the inside detailing myself. The leather seats really needed cleaning, so I did that most of the day today.

My dad is not doing well. He is still in a lot of pain. Next week we go back for another round of chemo starting Monday.

This stuff blows my mind!

Watermelon carving

Nuf said!

Ramblings

I broke my own promise to myself Wednesday because I told myself that I would go see Dad every day, but I didn't go on Wednesday. There is no excuse except that I was just a waste of lazy skin on that day. Today we went to his favorite place to eat because he has a waitress there that he calls his girlfriend. In fact, he has girlfriends everywhere, but this one is really special to him. We always tip her well and I always throw an extra $5 on the table after everyone heads out the door because I am so grateful that she makes my dad happy. Usually, he eats their catfish really well, but tonight he could not eat. The Neulasta shot has his bones aching a lot and he just does not feel well today because of that. It's also causing him to not be able to sleep even though he is taking pain pills for it.

Update

Yesterday we went back to the oncologist and had labs done. Dad's labs were real good and the doc listened to his breathing and said it sounded pretty good. We are so pleased that Dad has not had any of the bad side effects so far. We have two weeks off with no treatments or doc appointments! WooHoo!

I have been down at his house this morning trying to rescue his berry plants from the weeds. We have just not been able to keep up with the work in the garden. My poor brother couldn't do it all. Dad bought all these berry plants and he was so worried that the grass was overtaking them. He was right, but I got them cleaned out today. Now maybe Dad can relax a bit; I, on the other hand, got tired and HOT very quickly. I still don't have my strength back, but I'm trying. Yoga last night helped some.

WooHoo!

This morning I went to my first Bible study class since April 7th and I was so happy to be back. Those people are just awesome. That hour of sitting on a hard chair was all I could take though, so I didn't go to the worship service.

Last night I had to go to a wedding. I thought I was finished going to weddings, but I guess not! If I had had to travel to get to it, I wouldn't have gone, but it was right here in my town and I broke out of there before the bride and groom even got there.

Slaying the dragon!

The fruit flies have invaded my home and I am determined to rid my home of these obnoxious pests. The drains are cleaned with clorox, no fruit is out, nothing sweet is on the counters or in the garbage. I will NOT lose this battle. I never had them before and I always have fruit out in the fruit basket. Today I started to open a SEALED package of sweet rolls with fruit in the centers. The damn bugs were INSIDE the NEVER BEEN OPENED package. I threw the whole thing away!!!

Another scare!

When I went to see Dad today, his jugular vein was really hard and it was bothering him. I took him to get a Sonic burger and he wanted to stop back by the doc's office, but it was closed for lunch. When Mom got home from the beauty shop, she took him to the doctor's office. Doc was gone, but his staff called the surgeon who put the port in. She told Dad to go to the hospital and get an x-ray of the area. They couldn't get me on the phone, but the doc's office manager left me a message telling me where my parents were and that I should go to the hospital and find them. My brother is hosting a rehearsal dinner at his lake house, so he was out of pocket. As soon as I got home and got the message, I rushed to the hospital and found Mom sitting in a wheel chair in the waiting room. They thought she needed a wheel chair worse than Dad. Turns out that his neck had been swollen since they put the port in last Friday and when the swelling went down the vein was very prominent and hard. We all learned something new! There was a plastic tube in that vein coming from his port!!! Crisis averted!!!

Thank goodness!

Finally, I got a break! The abscess that I thought was coming did not materialize after I started back on antibiotics. I went to the doc yesterday morning as he instructed, but he was not there. His wife is a pediatrician and between the two of them, they could not get the fever down of their youngest child. I saw his truck at his office later on during the day, so I'm sure everything is OK now.


My dad is sleeping a lot. I hope this is the only side effect that he gets from the chemo since he is getting 1/3 of the usual dosage due to his age. I make sure I see him every day.

I need a break!

Dad's chemo was short today. We were finished by 9:30. Mom went with us today so she could see where he gets his chemo and I took her to get new glasses while he got his drip. Tomorrow my brother will take him for another short day of chemo. So far, he has had no ill effects. I suspect that will change though. I went back this afternoon to see for myself if he was OK.

The staph infection has reared its ugly head again. I am feeling a bit of discomfort sitting, but I cannot yet see an abscess. I suspect one is forming deep down below the surface in the same general area. I called the doc and got more antibiotics. His office called and wants me in the office first thing Thursday morning. They are closed on Wednesday. I just finished my last antibiotic a couple of days ago. Will I have to be on them forever??????

I ordered a shingles vaccine because I have a fear of shingles and I know stress can cause an outbreak. The shot costs $219 and is not covered by insurance. I will suck it up and pay for it. That's how scared I am of shingles. Doc gave me a prescription for it and it takes 7 days to get it in to the drugstore. With my luck lately, I'll get shingles before it comes in!!!

Cancer SUCKS!

I left home at 7:00 this morning to pick up my dad and take him for his first chemo. Both of us were very nervous. After a preliminary visit with the doctor, we went downstairs for his chemo. He is getting two different kinds and lots of anti-nausea meds, but the greatest of all was the ativan (anti-anxiety). He went right to sleep after that started in his veins. I left to get a sandwich and when I got back he was all slumped down in his chair in a little ball asleep. For that, I am immensely grateful. Tomorrow will not be as long a day. I got home at 5:00 tonight...too late to make it to my yoga class, which I desperately needed today.

Happy Father's Day!

As usual on Father's Day, I went to be with my dad at his church and was shocked to find out that he wasn't there. He just did not feel well today. Mom said the area around his port was puffy, so I went and looked at it and took his temperature to make sure there was no infection. He didn't have a temp and his port looked fine to me. I'll be taking him for his first chemo tomorrow. Of course, he's worried about me having to wait that long for him. I'm worried about him because he is a very impatient man and doesn't just sit still very easily. He has macular degeneration, so he can't read. He will have a TV that he can watch, but even that gets old after a while. Things are just SUCKY right now. I'm trying to find the positive, but so far I have failed at that!

OMG!!!!

Edited to add: My brother just called me at 4:30 and said they were finally leaving the hospital!!! That's 8 hours my dad was in the hospital to get a port!!! GRRRR!

I had Dad at the hospital at 8:30 where he was scheduled to get a port put in. He is not a patient man and I don't seem to have much patience in hospitals. They are on different clocks from the rest of the world. At 12:00 they finally came to get him. During the time that he was waiting, he told me his arm was hurting where the IV was. I just kind of blew it off and figured it would be okay. Later he told me again it was hurting. I went to look at it and his arm was huge where the fluid was going everywhere except the vein. I got someone to come in and, of course, they had to start over with the IV. My dad really hates needles. At 1:15 my brother came to relieve me and let me go home because I had been sitting on hard chairs for about as long as my ass could stand. I called him at 3:00 to see if they got home. He was still in the waiting room and they had not told him anything about why Dad was not out of surgery/recovery yet. Finally, at 3:15 the doctor came out and told him that it took so long because she could not find a vein suitable for the port. She finally got it in. I'm afraid his veins are as thin as his skin is due to his advanced age. I feel so sorry for him having to go through all this CRAP! Of course, he could have no food or drink after midnight and was completely starving. Brother is taking him to a diner to get some breakfast at 4PM!!!!

Cancer Sucks!

I'm taking Dad to get a port put in tomorrow..several days earlier than scheduled. Every day is important in getting the chemo started due to the aggressivenes of the cancer. We got a surgeon here in Minden to put in the port to save us a trip to Shreveport. I am tired already and we have only just begun, but I also know that my days with my dad are numbered. That makes me sad!

Exhausting day...

My brother took my mom and dad for Dad's appointment to get his CT scan at 10:00 while I went to another appointment to see if I qualify for an investigative gout study. I met up with them at the hospital where incompetence was rampant. It's no secret how I feel about incompetence. They failed to tell him he had to drink some stuff the night before, so he drank it when he got there, but then the machine broke down and he had to go somewhere else to get scanned. The kicker is that he had to wait 2 hours after drinking the prep stuff before they could do the scan. The man could not eat after midnight last night, so he was starving. We were late to the oncologist, but we called ahead to let them know why.

The oncologist is awesome. The CT scan revealed no cancer outside the lungs, but it is in both lungs. The only treatment is chemo. It is STAGE IV. We are getting a port put in Tuesday and Chemo starts Wednesday for 3 days. Its potency will be adjusted so as not to be so toxic on a frail 86 year old. The doc will check after the first round to see if it is helping. He thinks it will help him to breathe better. We wait about 3 weeks for the second round. This is a very aggressive cancer that has probably only been there a short time.

More CRAPPY stuff!

The following is a directly quoted email from a friend of my brother's. She is an excellent oncologist.



"I'm sorry to hear the bad news. the chemo works well, but prolongs life to about 9 months---range 6-18 months. Without treatment--6 weeks is the average. Small cell carcinoma is incurable 97% of the time. 86 years old-----hmmmm.....if he's a real healthy one--give it a shot with chemo. If it puts him in the bed most of 24 hours--probably too toxic for him....Quality of life is the issue--it may make him feel better for awhile---trust your judgement and his. I've never met an 86 year old that didn't know what he could handle; I've learned to trust THEIR judgement.Keep me posted. Side effects of chemo are much better prevented in this day and age, by the way."

Crappy day!

My dad has small cell lung cancer. I totally tried to NOT look it up and read all about it, but I got out of bed and looked it up. I wish I hadn't!

Proud gardener...

In spite of the fact that I have been totally unable to work in my yard, my flowers have blossomed and made me proud.

Feeling good!

The home health nurse told me yesterday that this wound is very small. The incision is only 1 centimeter, whereas the other one was 7 centimeters. She told me that it will probably be closed in about a week if it heals like the other one.

My mom told me that my dad was very depressed for the last couple of days, so I just got in my car and went to see him. I picked a few cucumbers in the garden and he went out with me to look at the garden. I told the nurse that I went to see him and she told me the doctor's orders said "no driving". No one told me that. I am still going to drive the short distance to Mom and Dad's. My dad needs to see me.

I'm a mess!

I got home last night after being back in the hospital since Friday on IV drugs. Home Health will be putting me back in their daily rotations until the new abscess is closed.

Crappy DAY!

The biopsy results will not be ready until tomorrow, but preliminary exams are not good. Dad's right lung is completely blocked and the left lung is mostly blocked. The only air he is getting is a very small amount from the left lung. Next week we will meet with the doctor to determine the course of treatment. No wonder the poor man can not breathe.

My staph infection is alive and well. The doctor had to lance a new abscess very, very near the old one that is nearly healed. I am back to square one and on massive doses of antibiotics again along with an ointment to put in my nose since the staph lives in the nose. Of course, I am back in major pain with another hole in my ass! Tomorrow I go back to the doctor and he will decide if he will put me back in the hospital on IV antibiotics. Crap....just CRAP! Even the doctor's wife had one of these abscesses on her butt last week. He said the infection is rampant. It will just not die and I have to get well so I can take care of my parents. My brother has had to do way more than his share and I am so sorry for that. He has never complained and he never would, but his plate is full!

Make it STOP!

I started feeling some pain while sitting at the hairdresser's yesterday, so I took a mirror when I got home to look at the wound that is almost healed. There is yet another damned abscess coming right beside the other one. CRAP! I called home health to come out and take a look. She said yep another is starting. She called my doc, who is closed on Wednesdays. He is calling in more antibiotics and I am to be in his office first thing in the morning. If it needs to be lanced, he will do it before it reaches ER stage like I did last time.


My brother has already stepped up to take Dad to his biopsy tomorrow morning.


On a positive note......I was walking around outside a few minutes ago and a stanger stopped her car in the middle of the street and told me how beautiful my flowers are! AWWWW! I needed that! Even though I can't mow the yard or weed eat or anything else, she still thinks it's pretty!