gearing up for the next phase...

We'll find out tomorrow what the schedule
will be for her radiation treatments. Original
plan was twice a day for 5-6 weeks.

I'm not sure what would be happening if
she weren't getting help with paying her
COBRA insurance premiums.

Hard to believe that it's been nearly nine
months since I moved up here.

Senior Prom...

I gotcha all beat, Joe.

You and your buds are flashing pics from
the 70s and 80s. pfffttt.

This is from my Senior Prom 1969.
Just further proof that I am older than dirt.

My mom made that dress.
 

Mrs. Dull's teacakes...

She needed a way to support her family.
Read her story here.

Many years ago, my then mother-in-law loaned me
her copy of this book. I hated to give it back and 
have been hoping to find a copy for myself.

You may not think of describing a cook book as charming but,
this one is absolutely that and more.
Her teacake recipe is a genteel way of making scrumptious
cookies. But she also tells you how to barbeque a rabbit.
Or prepare possum.

 

gosh darn you!

My sister insists that she will never swear.

Make three piles.
One of poop. One of crap. One of shit.

Examine each pile closely.
Take a big whiff of each.

They're all the same thing, asshole.

Surgery complete...

What a relief when things turn out better than one's
imagination will lead one to fear.

There's one long incision from the middle of her chest
to just under her arm. No skin grafts.
Two drain tubes that I empty and record the quantity
twice a day.

Surgery started at 1 pm Thursday, lasted almost three
hours, spent two hours in recovery and she was back
home before 2 pm Friday. She has refused to take anything
for pain. Well, I talked her into taking one Motrin when
she mentioned her lower back was stiff. She argued
about taking that! She insists that there is only a tiny
bit of discomfort and I'm not seeing any signs that would
contradict that. (Her bottle of Percocet is looking pretty
good to me.)

The surgeon said they did not remove all the cancer.
The team decided that removing everything surgically
would make her healing too risky and delay radiation.
She has a follow-up visit with the oncologist on Thursday
and the surgeon on Friday. The surgeon is hoping the healing
will be complete in three weeks so radiation can be started
soon after that.

And, in the meantime, she's still getting herceptin infusions
every three weeks. Indefinitely. Those are pretty simple
compared to full chemo. One hour, start to finish.

As long as radiation will knock out the rest of the cancer,
things look pretty good.

You lovely folks who keep visiting here and offering good
thoughts, prayers and encouragement are very, very much
appreciated. I send big virtual thank-you hugs out to all of you.

Happy New Year...

I make no predictions or resolutions.

 

I wish all good things to all of you.

 

Sincere thanks to everyone for staying around.

 

♥