Sat Oct 12, 2013

Got home from Tn on Oct 1st about noon.  Was good to get home.  Had chemo on Thurs Oct 3rd.  Was cloudy with some rain that changed to snow Thurs night.  By Fri was snowing hard and ended up with 12-16 in depending on what part of town you were in.  Stayed in all day Fri and Sat.  Actually I just layed on the sofa all day Sat, was really really tired from the chemo.  Went to church on Sun as snow is melting away fast. 
Will spend the week setting up for yard sale on Fri-Sun 10/11-10/13.
Had chemo on Thurs 10/10 and had insomnia from it.  Could not sleep Thurs night, only got four hours sleep and then tried to nap after sale and still could not sleep.  UGH

Rained Fri am so had to wait to open for sale.  Did well tho, sold most of the furniture.  Today was busy and got rid of all my sweaters and just lots of things.  Will open tomorrow if I am not too tired as still have quite a bit of stuff to get rid of.  Then will pack up and give to the Methodist thrift shop.

Trying to find something to eat that taste decent.  Problem with chemo is it screws up the taste buds big time.  Made pasta salad which I usually like, well this time it taste like sawdust.
Time to get back to my book I was reading when I finally fell asleep and slept for about 2.5 hrs.  Really needed that.

Went shopping with Sherie, Susan and Rebekah last night.  Found a new purse as had to return my.  The snap broke.  Found a dress, jacket and shirt for Rebekah and a stroller for Dayton .  Of course it goes to Nick.  Did not do much during the day.

Today will meet up with Sherie at the Bluff City Heritage Days, then go see her new house and to see Dayton, my Great grandson.  He is such a sweetie and I love spoiling him.

Sept 11, 2013

Always remember 09/11/01.

Had a renal ultrasound this morning to check the stent.  Will see Dr Hansen on Fri.  Will go to RMONC to get labs done at 3:00 and chemo tomorrow.  Lucky day, no IV for ultrasound.

The contractor is here to put in the new windows.  Will do closed doors next week.  Then we can finally put the house up for sale.  Are moving back to TN to be near the girls.  

Just got a call from Radiology, must go back for a KUB as they could not see the stent from the ultrasound.  Will write more later.

Sept 9, 2013

Have not written on my blog since May.  Now that I retired on 8/30/13 I should have more time for writing.  Had surgery for a bowel obstruction in June.  Was in the hospital from 6/12/13-6/21/13 and that threw us off getting the house ready to sell.  Was off work six weeks.  Worked half days the first week that I went back and by the end of the second week I decided it was time to retire.  Gave my notice to retire 8/30/13.  Was like a weight lifted off my shoulders when I finally gave a date.

Bob has  been stripping the wallpaper in the bedroom and painting it.  Is a long dirty process but now only needs a little touch up here and there.  Next is the bathroom.  Wish we could get this work done and get the house up for sale.  Having new windows put in the back and end of house and new closet doors in upstairs closets.  Paid half for this on July 1st, still waiting  as the windows had to be ordered.  Got a call last week that the windows are in town and he will put them in this week.  I sure do hope they get done.  Long wait.

The blessing for spring/summer is Dayton Tully, great grandson.  Congratulations Nick.  He is adorable and I an so anxious to see and hold him.  Will be soon.

On Aug 20 I had a paracentesis and felt so much better afterwards.  Drained off 5.5 liters of fluid that had built up.  During the CT scan for that it was discovered the tube from left kidney to bladder was partially blocked so had a stent inserted on 8/26/13.   Hope it works and no more problems. 

I plan to try to load up some pictures with help from Sherie of course.

Today I want to try to cover a chest that I will sell.  The fabric is all torn and have denim to cover it with.
Will write more later in the week.

May 4, 2013

Nice day and such a joy after all the snow in April, all 35 inches of the white stuff.  Even had 3 in on May 1.   I do not mind snow from Nov-March, but by April want warm days and sunshine.

Sadie, my schnauzer, loves to go for a walk and we went this afternoon.  All I have to do is say "lets go for a walk and she is headed for the door".  Was a little breezy but we both enjoyed getting out.
Hope the nice weather lasts for a few days.

Am sewing for granddaughter Rebekah.  Have made her two dresses with matching capris.  Now making doll clothes for her American Girl dolls.  She is such a joy and fun to sew for as is 7 but soon to be 8.  Will be so happy when we live closer together , is now 1800 miles. 

Am pretty tired as had chemo on Thurs.  This is normal and I just rest a lot and take a nap. 

Great News 04/26/13

Went to see Oncologist and have chemo yesterday.  My CA125 tumor maker was down to 697 from1039 on 3/28/13.  Such wonderful news and I know the many prayers have helped.  My family and friends from coast to coast have been praying for me.  I believe in the power of prayer and this shows what prayer can do.  I am looking forward to the day I go into remission and make some concrete plans for the future.  Now just do not want to leave my oncology team.  They are great.

Looks like a nice weekend coming up and I plan to be out in the yard as much as possible.  Want to clean out the daylily beds, clean up trash and clean out the flower beds.  May also hang clothes on the line as love the smell of air dried clothes.  That is my country girl coming out.

April Snow

April has been winter in WY.  Lots of snow.  Had 16" from 4/8/13-4/10/13, 3" on 4/12/13, 2" on
4/14/13 and another foot of snow from 4/15/13-4/07/13.  More snow in forecast for tonight 4/21/13.
We need the moisture due to past years of drought so no complaints from me.

My last visit to DR Rosen was very good.  The CA125 tumor maker labs were down from 1939 to 1028.  See him again on Thurs 04/25/13 and am praying the maker is still going down.  Feel good and am staying busy.

Made outfit and doll outfit for Rebekah.  Sent the outfit by Bob when he went back to TN on 4/3/13.  Will send the doll outfit and another outfit by mail.  When I figure out how to load pictures I will post the dress/capri outfits. 

03/22/13

Time to continue my story.  Saw Dr Rosen, Oncologist on Aug 3rd.  He explained chemo, 1/3 women have the chemo, go into remission and the cancer does not come back.  Said 2/3 of the patients will be treated 3 or more times as he cancer comes back after remission.  I have had two types of chemo and neither worked very well or at all.  First was carboplatin/taxotere and the second was avastin/doxil.  Now on gemzar and after two treatments my CA125 tumor maker went down 330 points.  Of course the carbo/taxotere worked for three treatments and then quit.  But I was very happy to see the numbers go down, had been waiting for that.  Did lose my hair when on the carboplatin and is now growing back.  Just wore hats and had lots of cute ones.  Co workers kept me supplied.  I now have chemo once a week for three weeks and then a week off.  Have had three treatments and go back on 3/28/13.  I keep thinking this one is going to work.  I pray that God has plans for me to be around a while longer.  Feel good, still working fulltime, sewing, reading, watching TV.  Get lots of rest too.

Went to Denver Co, University of  Colorado Cancer Center on Tues 3/19/13.  Saw a Dr Behbakht.  I am eligible to join a clinical trial but will not change chemo while the gemzar is working.  The Dr said they do not change someone to a clinical trial if a chemo is working.  He also said even tho it looked is if the first two chemo drugs did not work he believes something was working or I would not be here today.  I feel good and am doing well, so something had to have been working, even if just keeping the cancer from growing.  Just need it to shrink.  I really do not want to travel 300 miles one way once a week if I can get out of it.

Had snow yesterday and last night.  Had 4.5 inches.  So pretty.  Had two inches on Mon night and drove 50 miles on ice Tues on way to Denver.  Was nerve racking, but finally ran out of the ice.

Is now time to cut out an outfit for granddaughter Rebekah.  Plus matching outfit for her doll.

I have been trying to figure out how to get into my blog since it was set up.  Sherie helped me figure it out tonight.  So this is my first posting and will be quite long.  2012 was one heck of a year.  The big event was Daniel and Kats wedding in Hawaii and Bob and I were able to go along with Sherie, Richard, Rebekah and Susan.  Flights were long and the flight home was brutal, but the trip was fabulous.  We so enjoyed the ocean and sand, went to North Beach and Sherie, Susan and I climbed Diamond Head.  Was an awesome climb and well worth the energy.  Had the best ever pineapple smoothies when we got back down.  Wedding was simple and beautiful.  Such a handsome couple.  Am so happy for them.

I had been getting nauseous after drinking coffee, before the trip, and the same with the hotel coffee.  Just though it was the brand.  Did not give too much thought to my loss of appetite and no weight loss.  The week after we got home the nauseous was off and on all day.  Went to the DR, given acid meds, did not help.  She ordered an abdominal ultrasound on a Thurs and on Mon told me I need to see a surgeon.  Possible gall bladder.  Was by now so nauseous that she had ordered nausea meds.
Saw surgeon on Mon  6/25/12 and scheduled for surgery on Thurs 6/28/12.  Was in the ER on 6/26/12 as was so very sick.  Nausea meds not helping.  This was miserable.  Went to surgery and if I had only known what really was going on.  When I came to was told I had ovarian cancer and would need to go to Denver for more surgery.  He also drained off a lot of fluid, thus no weight loss. Wow, the big C word.  Very scary.  Went home Fri and just had to have time to deal with this.  Scheduled to go to Dr in Denver on 7/11/12.  He explained the surgery, will be in Swedish Hospital for 4-6 days.  Surgery scheduled for Tues 7/17/12.  Now I am just ready to get this over with.  Surgery went well and hospital stay went well.  Dry mouth from all the meds a major problem but must deal with it.  Came home on Fri 7/20/12 and was so glad to get back into my bed.

Next will visit the Oncologist at Rocky Mt Oncology.  That will be another story.