Getting Dressed and Going Out

We had a terrific ride in the country on a beautiful Sunday drive.  We found the new park in Waller.  It is a carbon copy of one just built close to Tommy and Susan SE of us.  There wasn’t a lot around it but it was a beautiful park.  Next was a stop at Coushatte Park in Belleville that I poo-pooed years ago after a visit with a friend before making a reservation with Texas Boomers club.  That club went there frequently but we never did.  So Ted wanted to see for himself.  He took one look and said “no way in hell would I bring my motorhome here.”  Right again!  

We stopped at Goodson Cafe in Tomball for dinner.  It claims the best Chicken Fried Steak in Texas!  But we both had chicken.  It’s been a long time since we spent an afternoon like that.

I had lunch with a very dear friend, one of the first people I met when we moved to Texas.  It has been a long time since I had even seen her!  We tried a new restaurant and were both impressed.

I did some stuff around the house Tuesday while we had storms passing through.  Wednesday was nice so I took a walk and stopped at Nancy’s.

I got back in the saddle on Thursday and worked at the Thrift Store!  Everyone was so glad to see me but not half as glad as I was to be dressed in my uniform and working.  Susan was doing kids’ clothes and handed me two pair of brand new, with tags, Jordach jeans one 4T, the other 5T.  So I bought them for CeCe to grow into.  New clothes with tags are hard to pass up.  

Friday I went to Canopy Cancer Center and played mahjong.  There were 4 ladies playing and I offered to not play but they insisted they would take turns sitting out.  I played four games and then left to go to the nail salon.  They were very nice ladies and played about the speed I do and do not play for money.  Time will tell if I make it a habit of playing over there.

Saturday was beautiful.  I think with these warmer temperatures I should turn the sprinklers on.  My attempt to get shade garden perennials to grow under our live oaks last year is not panning out.  I think I will do a bit more research and try something else.  We went to church, took Communion to our friends and then went back out to eat.  We have found another couple who collect a pyx with hosts at the end of church and come right to a house 3 doors from Nancy.  We approached them about bringing Communion to our friends this summer.  

I had to return a blouse I bought last week because it had too small slits in the material in the back.  I noticed them when I took it out to wear.  I also needed to get a few things for dinner at H‑E‑B.  So I did a few things around the house and then did my two errands.  I came home and prepared a pork tenderloin, wild rice, cherry sauce and baked apples for dinner.  Ted was working a shoot at the gun club and I had no way of knowing when he would be home so I decided 6 pm sounded good and proceeded and it worked out well.  I am trying to do more and more of my “duties” and getting a routine established.  I have spent way too much time on the couch over the past 5 months!

Tomorrow is my appointment at the prosthesis store.  It is a 1.5 hour appointment and I need to take a few tops for a “fashion show” to determine what needs to be ordered for me.  I am looking forward to having custom things that won’t take me forever to “adjust” until it works right!  Wish me luck. 

 

Getting Back to Normal

It has been almost 5 months of stress, worry, tests, surgeries, etc.  Lucky for me, each one presented a better picture than that first devastating biopsy!  Who knew that tiny piece of aggressive, invasive, reoccurring cancer was the worst they would find.  All the prayers by so many certainly helped as news got better and better.  

I have to wait until 3/28 for my prosthesis appointment.  You need a prescription for them and the mastectomy bras to use with them.  In the meantime I have been making use of my Knitted Knockers from Canopy Cancer Center.  They are soft but lightweight and want to climb up!  So instead of just fussing with hair and make up, I have a third thing to add to my getting dressed repertoire!  With careful selection of clothing, you can go out in public with no one the wiser.  

On Monday I played Canasta and finished in the middle, as usual.  Tuesday I had an almost 3 hour lunch with a very good friend but a good bit of that time was due to a long wait for some very simple food!  But it gave us lots of time to occupy the table!  

Wednesday was Newcomers March meeting, lunch and Bingo!  I got down to one number on the final coverall for $150 … but it was not to be!  

I kicked back and relaxed on Thursday.  I have to remember I am still healing from two surgeries and fatigue is one side effect.  

Ted went shooting on Friday so I went to the post office to mail some Angel Mints to our friend in Mission undergoing chemo.  I have found them helpful for digestive purposes beyond nausea which I have not had but at times I just feel yucky.  But that has always been a digestive issue for me.  I hope if he has any issues, these help some.

I decided to use a TJ Maxx gift card I had to buy some new blouses and tops.  Some knits and sheer things may not be too easy to work with and I was told to bring a loose blouse and a fitted top to my appointment.  I bought a half dozen things and went back home.

Nancy stopped by for a visit and our new insurance agent is tying up the last of the insurance renewals.  She has been very helpful.  Travelers Insurance is fine but I want an agent to stay in touch with.  Agents from across the country were sending renewal policies, with info not updated, asking for a payment!  How about a phone call to discuss things?  It should be better with a local independent agent.  Maybe Travelers isn’t the best policy.  Now that we have the policies transferred, info updated and payments in place, Tara can check other companies to consider next year.  Kristin did a lot of groundwork in getting this ball rolling when she was here.

We will go to church this afternoon, take Communion to our neighbors and come home to eat.  We tried Whataburger fish sandwiches last night and I must say they are way better than McDonalds.  We are driving to Waller on Sunday to check out a new campground and will eat somewhere along the way.  So tonight, dinner is in!

It’s Good To Be Back

All I remember about Wednesday is that we had brakes put on my car which entailed running back and forth in both cars.  Ted told me he cannot drive two at one time.  I ran into my friend Teri at the grocery store and I had not a lick of make up on!  We chatted for awhile and got caught up.  I went home and used the leftover chicken and the carrots Kristin left along with onions and celery to make chicken vegetable noodle soup, two dinners in a row!  I am on a roll.

Thursday was our neighborhood birthday monthly luncheon!  However, there were only three of us available and none of us has a March birthday!  But what a great time.  It is more personal when there are just a few and everyone can take part in all the conversation.  Both of these ladies made soup to nuts dinners for us when I came home from the hospital so I picked up the tab.  It was the least I could do.  I didn’t plan it.  The waitress brought one check and I just took it and told her why when they objected. 

Our weekend was totally boring!  Other than Mass, delivering Communion and eating at Mia’s (not as good as I remember), nothing much was accomplished.  On Sunday Ted went shooting and I was gathering what I needed for the Easter Project.  I have all but 4 things for the bag of groceries and Similac, kids’ underwear and slide closing quart and gallon bags for other ministries all coming from Amazon.

I did work off and on with the route we are going to take this summer.  We need to pick up our new recliners being made by the Amish in Shipshewana, IN, then on to the park by the kids for a month.  We will attend Morgan’s commencement ceremony and two weeks later her celebration party.  She is so happy after the past 5 months’ events.  We will go to Eagle’s Nest near Columbus for Ted to shoot with my brother Dan before heading to Cincinnati for two weeks.  We then will start heading south with Gulf Shores, AL in mind but we will see how that goes.  Our aim is to be home early August so at the end of the month we can fly to Florida.  All the kids are going to Disney so we are going to head that way.  Other than taking CeCe to Magic Kingdom while most of the rest take adult days at the other parks, we will do our own thing and meet up here and there. We have friends to visit so a week will pass quickly.

I have relatives coming in October to visit when they finish a cruise in Galveston.  They come on a Thursday and Ted will be in San Antonio at National Sporting Clay championships so they will hopefully stay beyond Sunday to see him … and play Mexican Train.  

That’s all the news fit to print.  Next week is a bit busier so don’t forget to come back and check in. Oh, and my Arimidex is not bothering me at all!  

We 

Out and About

My Arimidex pill did not bother me on Friday and I don’t remember what else I did that day.  We had tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner.  Not too interesting, huh?  Saturday was our usual, church (I attended) and Ted took Communion to our neighbors afterwards. Then we headed back out to our Mexican restaurant we have neglected over the past several months.  I even had a margarita!  

Sunday I didn’t feel real good but I can’t say it was my pill.  I took one of my Angel Mints that Judy had brought me (she has had cancer twice and swears by these), and I felt better almost immediately.  I got up and dressed to accompany Ted to the Flying J to meet Don and Trudy as they passed on their way home from the valley.  Ted had some gun components he bought to share with Don.  They were both so glad to see us and Trudy said Don was in mourning all season without Ted.  He declared “if Ted can’t come next year, I’m not either.”  We both have our spots reserved!  We made it home in time for Ted to go shooting and I stayed behind and baked ribs.

I had some errands on Monday.  Ted left for his prayer group with his gun club and I went to our church office about not receiving a tax statement.  I went on line as directed and all that showed up was $70 for two $35 boxes of food at Thanksgiving.  Nate was in, said he had been looking at two accounts, one for Ted, one for me and would bring out the proper papers.  Except I forgot to ask which one was right now!   Mass was live-streaming into the office so I went over to the church to go to Communion and stayed until the end.

Ted still was not home so I went to the Clock Shop with our mantel clock that stopped chiming.  He said a spring was broken and it would be several hundred dollars to repair.  It keeps time so I said no thanks but I did need a repairman for my Cuckoo Clock.  The suspension spring broke and it has not been serviced in years!  I will spend several hundred to fix it.  They are coming Wednesday to take it to the shop.  We purchased the mantel clock in Germany in 1991 and the Grandfather Clock in 1973!  Some things are worth keeping.

Finally… on Tuesday I went to play cards at one of the restaurant groups!  I came in second!  WooHoo!  We had lunch there and when I got home I put a whole chicken in to bake.  It was the first dinner I have made all on my own in 6 weeks.

And the Verdict Is In

We met yesterday with the Medical Oncologist!  To say I was stressed is putting it mildly.  But I dressed nicely, put on my make up, fixed my hair and we took off.  One blessing has been the 2 mile away location of MD Anderson.  Both surgeries were downtown but everything else has been at this newest facility.  

First up was the nurse who took my vitals, then the PA who said they were going to discuss chemo and treatment and I should listen to the pathology report.  I told her I read the pathology report and the Tumor Board recommendation was Endocrine Therapy, not chemo, and I had no intention of taking it without an explanation to trump that recommendation.  The Zoom Oncologist (Kara’s employee benefit) from Tennessee had agreed with the Tumor Board.  That made three against and I wondered what the doctor’s reason would be to be for chemo.

The doctor came in and right off the bat said she wanted to discuss Arimidex, the pill she was recommending.  I did not need chemo and Herceptin without chemo had no benefit. Either she looked again at my file or the PA looked at my first visit, the only time I had been there, with the original pathology and the possible recommendation for treatment after surgery.  Either way, I was tremendously relieved we all were on the same page and I was not bucking the establishment.  

She discussed that the very scary pathology was limited to that 1.3 mm tumor and it was excised by the biopsy.  The rest of the 5 cm lump removed was DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, which is cancer cells in a milk duct.  The jury is still out medically on whether if it has remained enclosed in the tube if it is “cancer” or pre-cancer.  A margin was left behind in the lumpectomy but with the mastectomy all of that precancerous stuff was removed.  Since 4 lymph nodes were removed during the lumpectomy and 2 were found in the mastectomy and were all clear, and there was no cancer at all in the balance of that breast.  the chance that any cells had escaped were CLOSE to zero, a number they will not use.  It all sounded good to me.

We talked about exercise, eating, bone density loss from the pill, next mammogram and a follow up appointment, etc.  While doing this she was setting up a blood draw for Vitamin D and a bone scan to determine the amount of calcium I should take and did I need to take Prolia.  We left and went upstairs for the blood draw and then downstairs for the bone scan.  It is so convenient with everything in one building. After that, we went to Denny’s for a late breakfast.

My Vitamin D test showed me mid range on the Sufficient scale.  Not too little, not too much. She recommended I double the amount of Vitamin D I had been taking in case the pill affected that.  My bone density showed my spine as being fine.  They could not do my hips because they have both been replaced.  So they did my forearm and it showed osteoporosis!  I had to decide (I hate all these decisions!) but grateful for the info available to me from MDA.  Did I want to take Prolia or double my calcium and check next year. I chose to try just the doubled calcium while I settle in with this new pill that is so important.  

I took the first pill this morning and so far nothing has happened.  They all have side effects and it is up to me to recognize them, do what I can to live with them, and yell ‘uncle” if I can’t.  There are other pills to try if need be.  

I received so many messages and prayers on FB, 133 at last count.  Also there were meals brought, flower arrangements sent and gift cards to restaurants that were put to good use by the girls while they juggled their lives, jobs, nursing duties and cooking.  The greeting cards came in everyday until I had to make a stack because I ran out of display area.  

Thank you all for all these wonderful gestures.  They lifted my spirits and certainly got results that only God has control over.  May he bless you all!