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!!!!