Round 5 Day 3

Yesterday was a low energy day which required much resting.  I was able to eat 5 little meals.  The thrush is back in my mouth.  Thrush makes it hard to want to eat because I cannot taste anything.  I started the thrush medicine for that last night.  The new prescription eye drops are helping my weeping left eye.  I will use the artificial tears in my right eye today as it seems a little dry.  My sister came over and braved giving me yet another Neulasta shot which assists in building my blood counts up.  My face  flushes after this shot and is extremely hot.  Alicia looked at me last night and said, "you need to take your fever".  It's not a fever, it is the Neulasta shot.  So this is my world for today.  I know Jesus is carrying me and I will feel better.  Please pray for my patience, sometimes they waiver just a tad from feeling fatigued.  Thank you to all who continue to read my journey.

Above:  Just one of the beautiful flower arrangements

I have received from my sweet friend, Camille.  Every 

Tuesday since my chemo began, she has sent me flowers 

that have truly brightened the difficult days that follow my

chemo treatment.  

Above:  Monday evening Alicia and Madelyn were

able to have a few minutes on the patio after they got 

home before it cooled off for the evening.  Alicia had gotten

 Madelyn sidewalk chalk for Valentine's and this is the little picture

 I found that she had drawn.  Too sweet!  

Blessed and sending you Wednesday blessings!

genam44@charter.net

Round 5 Update

Chemo round 5 is behind me.  Praising the Lord.  Please continue to pray for appetite, energy and getting through these next 2-3 days.  I know my precious Jesus is not just walking with me but carrying me right now.  Steroids keeps me from sleeping well so not much sleep combined with the chemo drugs is causing the fatigue.  Eye issues from the chemo drug Taxotere which has caused my oily tears to stop.  I was given a prescription for eye drops to get my oily tears flowing again.  Without our oily tears, the salty tears takes over and causes major eye watering and goopy eyes.  This is all for now.  I appreciate your prayers ... thoughts are good but prayers are better.

Blessed and sending blessings!



 genam44@charter.net

Round 5 of Chemo Today

Steroids are good for energy but not so good for sleep.  I'm working on about 4 hours of sleep after a very busy day yesterday that started very early.  The steroids kicked in early yesterday morning and my day consisted of a thorough cleaning of my house.  I mean thorough - remember from my list of things about me last week that I am OCD about a clean house.  I bought a Shark Steam Mop and steam cleaned my tile floors in both bathrooms and the kitchen (note: this is an awesome machine), bought a few groceries, cheated and put Round Up on the grass in the raised beds to get that grass out of there in a slightly easier way than me sitting out there pulling it, started my income tax and computer decided to do a reboot in the middle of it.  Stopped that for the night and proceeded at 4:30am this morning.  Almost finished the taxes but the gas lease royalties are a little confusing but I'll get it figured out.  Today is a holiday for me so I won't be taking my work lap top to chemo today but get caught up on my Tim Tebow book.

Round 5 of chemo today one round closer to the last chemo treatment.  Prayed during the night while I was not sleeping that Jesus allows this round to go as smoothly as possible.  I know He is walking and carrying with me today.
My Jesus Calling devotional today says:
LEARN TO LIVE from your true Center in me.  I reside in the deepest depths of your being, in eternal union with your spirit.  It is at this deep level that My Peace reigns continually.  You will not find lasting peace in the world around you, in circumstances, or in human relationships.  The external world is always in flux --- under the curse of death and decay.  But there is a gold mine of Peace deep within you, waiting to be tapped.  Take time to delve into the riches of my residing Presence.  I want you to live increasingly from your real center, where My love has an eternal grip on you.  I am Christ in you, the hope of the glory.

I praise my Jesus today and know He holds me in His awesome arms.  Thank you Jesus.  Thank you for your continued prayers.  Thoughts are good but prayers are better.

Blessings and love to all who read this today!

genam44@charter.net

Friday and Saturday Happenings

My lyphedema therapy appointment was Friday afternoon and I am so very very glad I got that appointment when I did and went.  The compression sleeve that was ordered for me with specifics that it was to be a Max which means the sleeve is flanged at the top of the sleeve was not what I was given.  Flanged or flared at the top means it should have a wider band at the top so it doesn't cut in to my arm.  The compression sleeve I got was not flared but rather straight up and down was cutting in to my upper arm.  Linda, my therapist took one look at my sleeve on my arm when I got there and said that she had some serious concerns about the sleeve.  When I took it off, she read the tag and found out it was not what she had ordered.  The tight band at the top of the sleeve caused the lymph node fluid from flowing up my arm which means it was trapped and was pooling around my elbow.  Linda took new measurements of my arm and we did a comparison from the last measurements and sure enough there was swelling around my elbow.  I must tell you that I was and am aggravated that this happened.  We trust these trained sales people and in my opinion these sales people should ensure that what they are providing a customer is 100% correct because most people like myself knows nothing about these products and trust my providers.  You may be sitting there saying to yourself ... Gena, people make mistakes.  Yes, people make mistakes but remember something of this nature could be life altering.  I guess I could take this a step farther ... what if this had been a chemo nurse and gave someone the wrong chemo drug ... these things can be life altering for a cancer patient.  On Friday when I went to the place I purchased the sleeve and talked to my sales lady, she said, "Ooops".   Lesson learned ... you have to look out for yourself in these things and question to ensure you are getting what is ordered.  I have lost trust in the place where I bought the sleeve and will never walk out of the store without ensuring I am getting what is ordered.  Of course the store had to order my new correct sleeves and it will be the end of the week before I can get them.  Today I have made a make shift sleeve with a wide ace bandage so I can clean house and scrub.

While in the store where I met two women - sisters - both had had breast cancer.  One of the sisters was on her third diagnosis of breast cancer and was getting ready to begin chemo that would make her lose her hair.    These ladies were a blessing to me and as they left, I wished her the best as she begins the journey of new chemo drugs.

All in all my therapy appointment went great.  Linda is top notch about all this and Friday she provided me with some exercises that can be done sitting at a desk or standing that will help keep the lymph fluid draining.  So combined with the lymph node drainage procedures I do and the exercises, I feel I am doing all that I can to keep this fluid flowing and I pray that I do not get lyphedema.  

After I got back to my area of town on Friday, I went to Home Depot to get the lumber I needed for my raised beds.  I had talked to my brother about what I needed and had it all written down.  I got my cedar 2 X 4's and got the boards that needed to be cut to size, found the screws I needed and home I came.  The Home Depot closest to my house had just enough cedar 2 X 4's for one raised bed so early Saturday morning, my sister and I ran to another Home Depot and got some things she needed and I got enough lumber for another raised bed.  Since it was raining and my brother couldn't get out and do anything in his yard (we are all yard people), so he came and screwed the boxes together and because it had rained so much, getting them set in the ground was not an issue.  My brother is a rather large man and a few good stomps on the anchor posts and both beds were anchored in the ground.  We put them exactly where I wanted them which is centered with my patio and I cannot wait to get the grass cleared away and the beds filled with soil and plants.

Above:  Raised beds centered with my patio

 Above:  Bed off to the right

 Above:  View stepping back on patio

Above:  Bed to the left

When you look at the fence line, all that green stuff is weeds.  Yeppers, I have a lot of work getting my yard in shape this year and I look so forward to it.  

Friday I got the Wii out and used the Wii Fitness DVD.  I did about three cardio exercises and it felt good.  I am not in the best of shape so boy did I get sore.  <laughing>  My plan is to start small and keep building up.

My appetite remained non existent and I finally gave in Friday night and ordered me a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut thinking this would help me.  I must say the pizza was good.  Saturday for lunch we had the same thing.  The appetite and taste thing is kinda funny how it affects and when it affects.  I know it's the steroids causing my weight gain and there is nothing I can do about that.  Once I am finished with the chemo and the steroids, I know I can get the weight off.

Speaking of steroids, today is the day (Sunday) that I start them again.  I've had my first two steroids of the day already.  I didn't do any cleaning yesterday, saving it for today when I know my energy level will be off the charts with the steroids.  As a matter of fact, yesterday after my brother and I got the raised beds in place, I didn't really do anything.  Alicia and I watched Whitney Houston's funeral and I must say, it was a beautiful service (pretty long - 4 hours).  Yes, Whitney fought her drug and alcohol demons but she never faltered from her faith and love of the Lord.  Kevin Costner was an invited guest and speaker spoke about his Bodyguard co-star.  If you didn't watch the funeral service, take about 17 minutes to listen to Costner eulogize Whitney.
http://globalgrind.com/entertainment/kevin-costner-speech-whitney-houston-funeral-video-photos

Tomorrow (Monday) is round 5 of my chemo.  I want to say I am jumping up and down and can't wait but in reality that's not the case... however, I am very happy that this is round 5.  I will get through this round and move on to round 6.  I look forward to this part of my journey being over and behind me.  At the same time, I am very thankful for the treatment that will have killed any escaping cancer cells and will allow me to continue on my life.

Today I will clean and get some fresh veggies and fruits and get prepared for next week.

Praises:
*  Round 5 of my chemo treatments.
*  Linda, lymphedema therapist.
*  Continuing to meet survivor sisters that bless me more than they know.
*  All the rain that we have gotten in the last couple days.
*  My family and friends who continue to hold me up in prayer.
*  Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas.

Prayer Requests:
*  Nothing gets in the way of round 5 and I get through without any glitches.
*  The precious lady I met Friday who is facing yet another battle with her breast cancer.
*  The compression sleeves that I am supposed to have, come in and I can get them picked up to use.  I really miss the sleeve.  I wear it all day and know that I can do anything with it on and not really have any worries about my arm.
*  Those who are beginning their journey through breast cancer.  They need our prayers more than you know.

Blessed and sending you blessings!


genam44@charter.net

It's Friday .... YAAA~   What's on tap for your weekend?  I have several things that I want to get done before my 5th round of chemo on Monday and I feel great and plan to get it done.

I wanted to show you a closer up picture of the plant that I got for Valentine's Day.  It is a Cyclamen.  The instructions on the little tab that came with it states:  Enjoy indoors by placing in any area of the home that is not too warm or receives south sun.  Likes air conditioning!  (don't we all)  Plant will continue to flower for several months and in time will produce 1 flower for each new leaf.  It can be placed outdoors in a container during temperatures of 35 to 80 degrees.  Best with shade from noon on.  (I will go for that too).  My plant has already added about 4 new blooms.  It is so cool because this plant blooms from the middle.  When I look in the middle of the plant, there is a little bloom tucked under the leaves just waiting to get strong enough to burst through the mature leaves.  I am going to transplant this precious plant and put in on the shelf above my kitchen sink.

Above:  See how all the flowers are in the middle

of the plant?  

Above:  See the little bloom  hiding under the mature

leaves?  

My Jesus Calling devotional speaks to me in unbelievable ways.  I know it is Jesus speaking to me about my upcoming chemo treatment.  Below is yesterdays reading.
      THANK ME for the conditions that are requiring you to be still.  Do not spoil these quiet hours by wishing them away, waiting impatiently to be active again.  Some of the greatest works in My kingdom have been done from sick beds and prison cells.  Instead of resenting the limitations of a weakened body, search for My way in the midst of these very circumstances.  Limitations can be liberating when your strongest desire is living close to Me.
      Quietness and trust enhance your awareness of My Presence with you.  Do not despise these simple ways of serving Me.  Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in spiritual realms.  My Strength and Power show themselves most effective in weakness.


Reading this devotional made me remember that Jesus knows our every thought.  This was very powerful to me and made me realize once again ... that He has is all under control.  Thank you Jesus.

If you happen to see my appetite, send it home and bring a tow truck to get these three pounds I've gained.  <smile>  Not sure what's going on but something is.  I guess it's all to be expected. The last 3 or 4 nights I have found that my lower legs and ankles are swollen to the point of no ankle bone.  All I can figure that is causing this is one of the meds I'm taking so I pulled out all the information sheets on the meds and sure enough there is one that causes legs, ankles and feet to swell.  It's the Singular that I take to open up my bronchials.

I have been wearing my compression sleeve all this week.  Before I put it on, I do my lymph node drainage procedures.  There is so much more to lymphedema than anyone really knows.  Beginning the drainage procedures as soon as possible after lymph node removal surgery really helps in prevention and control of lymphedema.  I am so glad that my Oncologist recommended I get to a lymphedema therapist when she did.  I still do not think I have lymphedema but so glad that I have the drainage procedures that I do twice a day.  I have an appointment this afternoon with my therapist to go over some exercises that I can do.  I also ordered an exercise DVD yesterday that is specifically designed for breast cancer patients with lymph node removal.

Oh ... update for dinner last night.  I didn't cook again because with no appetite it is very hard to even think about food.  My sister and Alicia both got home about the same time and we put our heads together and decided we would have breakfast for dinner.  Bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and biscuits it was.  I didn't eat the eggs, you guessed it, funky tasting to me even with some hot sauce on them.  Biscuits and a piece of bacon... good!  Sometimes it's just good to have breakfast at dinner.

Gotta run for now.  Have a great Friday.
Blessed and sending blessings!

 genam44@charter.net

This and That

Yesterday was an extremely busy day with work.  About noon I decided I didn't want to cook dinner so I text my sister and Alicia with the following:
Dear Fellow Diners,
I will not be cooking tonight.  Your choices:  Chic-Fil-A; Boston Market; Ci Ci Pizza; Pizza Hut Pizza; Pizza Hut Wings
Let me know.
The Cook
*** I added:  I will add Pei Wei as the only place to will go in for pick up.  Pei Wei Spicey Chicken salad sounds good to me.  My appetite is missing.

Pei Wei won out.  My sister opted out though and ate some left overs she had.  I got my Pei Wei Spicey chicken salad and I ate the entire salad.  It was good and I just couldn't stop.  I feel like it was a healthy choice ... OK so I didn't figure the WW points on the chicken but for the entire day without an appetite, I'm sure I was in my range.

As the news broke yesterday about the drug bust of the TCU students once again my mind went in to a tail spin. I will never ever understand why?  Why do people do drugs to begin with?  Why would these students risk losing everything to sell and use drugs?  Actually there are so many whys but I do not believe it is for me to understand.  I don't judge ... I can only shake my head and wonder.


For fun .... a few things you may or may not know about me.

I have a shih tzu pooch named Tootie.

I know how to pronounce shih tzu and it doesn't involve the s**t word.

I absolutely love to be outside.

I love to cook.

I love coffee with Coffee Mate.

I love to feed and watch birds.

I love to grow things.

I love spring and fall but my favorite is spring.

I have changed oil in my own car.

I love tie wraps.

My ambition as a young girl was to be a secretary.

I analyze things way too much.

I laid ceramic tile in both my bathrooms by myself.

Most of my life, I have been a health nut.

I laugh when I see someone fall (if they are not hurt).

I drink anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 gallons of water a day.

I like Welch's Pure Grape Juice.

I love spicey foods.

I love my job.

I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at the age of 15 at Oak Knoll Baptist Church in Haltom City.

I had my girls in my late 20's.

I will be 56 years old in March.

When I turn 56, I will have outlived both of my parents.

I dislike dirty dishes being left in the sink.

I love orange juice.

I am afraid of the dark.

I like to read autobiographies.

I am OCD about having a clean house especially kitchen and bathrooms.

I am the middle child.

I have an older sister and younger brother.

I love to laugh.

I have an addiction to donuts so I stay away from them.

I love clean sheets.

I make a pleat in my top sheet before I tuck it in to give my feet extra room.

I do not watch many movies because it requires me to sit still.

I love Malt-O-Meal.

I have great listening skills.

I stopped watching Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice this season.

I dislike drama riddled shows.

I love being a Grammy and look forward to many years in this role.

I love my family.

I love my friends.

So there you have a few things you may or may not have known about me.  Trust me there are many many more.  <smile>

Blessed and sending you blessings!
 genam44@charter.net

Wonderful Wednesday

I hope you had a beautiful Valentine's Day.  I did.  I love giving and I got to pass out all my Valentine cards with little surprises.  I hope the cards that I mailed were received on time.  I am always in question when I want to mail cards for a special occasion as to "when" do I mail them to get there on the specific day.  I have a friend who never misses the day and I do not know how they do it.

As a child growing up, Valentine's Day was not a big deal in our family.  When we were in school, we got the little Valentine cards to distribute to our school mates but our family didn't celebrate the occasion.  When I got married and we had our girls, I always made a big deal about all the special occasions and I loved doing it.  I would buy just the right card and find just the right gift for my girls and their Dad.  I got almost as excited about the special occasions as Christmas.

Yesterday my Neulasta shot was supposed to be delivered via UPS.  At noon it was not here.  It has always been delivered by 10:30am so I began making some calls.  Evidently the fog in Dallas yesterday caused quite a delay in deliveries.  I had a quick errand to run yesterday afternoon and guess what?  They came during the time that I was gone.  (Murphy's Law)  <smile>  Today it will be delivered at the regular time (before 10:30am) per the lady from UPS who called to check last night.

Dinner last night seemed to be much better than the night before with the salty beans and vinegar coleslaw. <laughing>   I really was not sure what to make for dinner and finally decided on meatloaf, mashed potatoes and a nice green salad.  Again, I do not cook with salt (nor do I eat it) so I knew nothing should be salty.  I have a specific way that I have made my meatloaf for years that includes a package of Lipton Dry Onion Soup Mix.  Well I had used all the soup mix I had the night before trying to make those stupid beans <smile> so I had to wing it.  My meatloaf last night contained sauteed red and yellow bell pepper, onion, pepper, an egg, 1/3 can of Cream of Chicken soup and Panko breadcrumbs.  I have to tell you that it was really good.  The soup gave it a little different texture and a really good flavor.  I put Panko breadcrumbs in the meatloaf and under the meatloaf and on top of the meatloaf so there was a little crunchy texture.  I think I got an A+ on dinner.

After dinner I ran to see Braxton for a little bit.  When I got there, we read a book as he sat in my lap.  Of course he is way too active to sit still too long.  Mom and Dad were doing laundry and putting it away and he got down and followed them to the bedroom where he decided he was kinda done with Grammy and stayed to play with the door.  He is tall enough to reach the handle (not a knob) so he opened and shut the door and had himself a good time.

I had the opportunity to start the Tim Tebow book last night and it is so good.  I have it posted on my bookshelf as one of the books I am reading.

I feel good and have high energy.  Praise the Lord!  We all have another day ahead so make it a good one.  There is no second chance.

Blessed and sending blessings your way!

Happy Valentine's Day ...

Good morning all!!!  

Dressed in pink wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

What a fun day Valentine's Day can be.  This day to me does not mean  "why show love on just one day" day OR "oh whoa is me, I don't have a "honey" in my life" day.  It's a fun day.  Yes, we should and do show love everyday.  As far as not having a "honey" in your life, I say "LOOK AROUND" and see how many "honeys" you have in your life.  I have so many 'honeys' and how very thankful I am for all of them.  If you don't have that one special "honey" ....  well get off your duff and go to Walmart and buy a bouquet of flowers for someone else.  Get a 99 cent card and go do something nice for someone else.  It's never too late or too bad to indulge yourself with a small box of chocolates (if you wait until tomorrow the heart shaped chocolate boxes will be cheaper).  Do not sit around and drown in sorrow ... GO HAVE FUN WITH IT!

Creativity can be a big part of this day.  Look at the pictures below of the goody bags my Bonnie made to take to the baby sitter for the kiddos party.

 Above:   These are the labels she created.

It says:   Would you o-'fish'-ally be my Valentine?

Above:  The label attached to a baggie full of gold fish makes a cute

treat for the kiddos especially Braxton and Madelyn since 

they are still to young for the candy.

This morning Madelyn gave Grammy a Valentine.  A new plant which is so pretty, a box of chocolate covered cherries and the cutest card from her Mommy and her.

Above:  Madelyn was really more interested in looking

at Tootie on the bed. 

 Above:  She was really interested in 'picking' the flowers

Above:  She was really NOT interested in having her

picture taken.

And Cupid visited Madelyn.  

 The little boxes of goldfish caught her eye immediately
and she was signing "more" by tapping her hands together.

Above:  AND she still wasn't interested in having her picture

                                                                          taken.

This evening I am going to see Braxton.  Can't wait to see my little guy (and Bonnie and Buddy).

Last night was pork spare/short ribs night with baked BBQ beans and coleslaw.  I recently bought a can of Bush's Baked Beans intending to serve them with the ribs.  I opened the can and poured them in my dish and added a few things and they tasted like 'yuck' to me so down the disposal they went.  I went to the pantry and looked for some pork and beans to make my baked beans, found two cans of what I thought was pork and beans and once I opened them, realized they were pinto beans.  So my quick brain kicked in and I decided BBQ beans.  I added a package of onion soup mix and some BBQ sauce and stuck them in the oven with the ribs.  I got the shredded coleslaw mix out and was going to make the Sammy's BBQ tart coleslaw dressing.  I didn't have any plain white vinegar so I grabbed my sister's house key and across the street I went.  My sister always has everything I need in her pantry if I don't have it.  On the vinegar shelf (yes, she's that organized) was about six different kinds of vinegar but no cheap plain white vinegar, however, there was a bottle of white wine vinegar.  To know me is to know I was thinking ... ahhhh, this will work.  So I set the alarm and locked the door and back across the street I came to mix up the dressing.  Now chemo brain sets in because I couldn't remember if I was supposed to mix the vinegar with water or olive oil ... no problem, I didn't mix it with anything and put straight white wine vinegar on the shredded coleslaw mix.  Stir it up and put it in the fridge.  My thoughts ... Dinner is cooking and will be ready at just the right time.

Dinner:   Alicia gets Madelyn in her high chair and gets the beans and ribs out of the oven, coleslaw out of the fridge and makes their plates.  Alicia tasted the beans, looked at me and said they were good but really salty.  I did not put any salt in the beans whatsoever.  She gasped a bit when she tasted the coleslaw from the straight vinegar dressing <laughing>.  I said in my happy energetic voice, "is it good? < really laughing hard right now> And she quietly says, "yes it's ok".  My sister gets here and she's starving and makes her plate and sits down to eat <I'm laughing>.  She loves Sammy's BBQ tart coleslaw and she gets a fork full of  my coleslaw <laughing so hard I'm crying typing this> and she gasp and cleared her throat.  At this point I'm making my plate (I'm always the last to sit down at the table and the last to get up) and I hear the gasp and try not think anything.  I sit down at my place at the table and look at my sister and ask if the beans are salty.  I told her Alicia said the beans were salty and she said yes, they are.  I explained I didn't put any salt in them and I used canned pinto beans but maybe it was the package of Lipton onion soup mix that caused that.  I could not taste any salt, I could not taste the beans period.  I ask my sister about how to make the dressing for the coleslaw of which she was getting another bite and she said, "Vinegar and a little olive oil, salt and pepper".  I said, "oh well I left the olive oil out" ... she said we can tell.  I could not taste the vinegar or the coleslaw either.  The ribs were a success though.  So one out of three dishes was good ... hmmmm wonder what to make for dinner tonight?

I went to the Center yesterday for my routine blood work and took my five day log for my fever and meds that I had kept since last Thursday when the temp started.  I got my blood drawn and went to the little room to sit with Cindy, the nurse, who gives me my results.  She ask me how I was and I told her good.  I told her I had my log and she read over it and immediately got in the appointment area of her computer and grabbed the last appointment with Helena, nurse practitioner.  Cindy got my blood results and there is this category titled NEUT they look at and if it's high, that usually means something is going on ... like infection.  Cindy showed me the report and all was good except that NEUT number was high.  Cindy handed me a mask and told me to keep it on especially while sitting in the waiting area due to the fever.

Yes, that is me under the leather coat, scarf

heavy knitted cap, reading glasses and 

my MASK!!!!  <laughing>  

So I headed downstairs to the vending machines just in case they were running really behind and got me some snacks and then to my doctors office to wait for my appointment.  Eating Cheetos with a mask was pretty comical.  I text my nephew and he told me to wipe my cheesy hands on the outside of my mask.  I didn't do that but was tempted. (I have a weird sense of humor .. so does my nephew, he gets it from me!)

While in the waiting room, I met some beautiful survivor 'sisters' and had such wonderful conversation with them.  One of the ladies and I were at about the same place on our journey, there was a five year survivor, a beautiful young (30's) Philippino lady who had walked and completed her surgery and treatment journey last year and then the young (30's) lady who had just begun.  It was awesome getting to talk to all of them.  I'll see them again as we are all on the Monday schedule.

When it was my turn, I got called back and Helena came in and listened and looked and determined my fever had to be coming from a sinus infection.  Thankfully she gave me a prescription for antibiotics and told me to keep doing what I had been doing.  I went by the pharmacy in the Center, got the prescription and headed back home.  Took my first antibiotic last night and went to bed with a temp of 98.1 ... now that's what I'm talking about.  My normal temp is not 98.6 but lower like 98.1.  This morning I woke up and it was 98.7 and I feel good.  Praise the Lord.

One last picture for today.  I believe my left upper arm has begun swelling a bit so this morning I am wearing my compression sleeve.  Remember the post from the other day when I bought the sleeve and made comment that I hoped I never have to wear it because it is so tight?  Well let me say that I am taking that back.  This compression sleeve is making my arm feel so much better.  I did my lymph node drainage before putting it on so hopefully everything is draining upward to the right place.

If nothing else from today's post I hope you laughed.  I did ... out loud and a lot~!~!~   I hope you realize that while you might not have a 'honey' you certainly have people who love you so go have fun with the day. Make some salty BBQ beans and vinegar coleslaw and serve them and watch people's faces ... that'll make you laugh.  (Now Alicia and Pat will think I did that on purpose but I promise I didn't.  <laughing>)

I leave you today knowing that I am VERY blessed and sending many blessings!!!

 genam44@charter.net

Magnificent Monday

Good morning world ... so glad you're here.

Little update.  Sunday proved to be a good day.  As I mentioned in my post on Sunday, I got dressed and felt good.  My energy was good and I got some things done around the house, ran to the office to check on things, and headed back home.  I made me a nice salad with chicken for lunch and then I splurged.  I had one more errand I wanted to run which was to go to Lowe's to get some lettuce, spinach and turnip seedlings and they didn't have any.  Next stop ... Sonic for a Sonic BLAST ... you know the ice cream treat like Dairy Queen's Blizzard.  I got a 'small' Butterfinger BLAST and it was good until about midway at which time the sweet got to me so I chunked the rest of it.  Chemo and sweet sometimes don't go together.  I don't eat much sweet stuff on a routine basis but occasionally like just a little something.  Anyway after having my sweet treat, I scooched down on the couch and took a little snooze.  When I got up I had laundry to finish and so I got that done.  Everything I did was accompanied by a low grade temp (in the 99. range) but Tylenol every four hours helped a lot.

My sister was having a Weight Watchers recipe cooking day on Sunday.  I love when she has those days.  <smile>  When she makes the recipes, they make so much that she shares.  She also made WW beef and broccoli for dinner and it was so delicious.  As I've mentioned before, I am not a big beef eater so as I am sitting there I am thinking ... beef, they tell me to eat beef for my red blood counts and this recipe used round steak ... so the deliciousness of the recipe made it easy to eat the steak that was in it.  She also made WW single cheese cakes and we topped them with no sugar cherries.  Oh my goodness ... that little cake was so good ... it wasn't like I needed anything else sweet for the day but I ate it.  My weight has ooched up a tad so I really must be more aware and lay off the Sonic BLAST (I've only had 1/2 of one <smile>).

I woke up at 3:30am this morning burning up and thought ... ugggghhh.  I got up to take my temp and it was 100.3 so I took two Tylenol and drank some cold water and laid back down until 4:30am at which time I got up and immediately had a major nose bleed.  I don't know what happened but it was kinda scarey.  After about 10 minutes it finally stopped.  I'm sure if I look up the chemo drugs side affects again, there will be one of them that can cause nose bleeds <smile>.  I am given Heparin (blood thinner) each time they take blood from my port. I don't know how long the thinning affects last but I do know that my nose was bleeding a lot.  As of right now (5:30am) my fever has gone back down and I am having my coffee and listening to Channel 5 news and weather.

This mornings field trip is to the Center to have my blood draw to check my counts.  After that it's back home and work.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday.  Dress warm and drive safe.  It doesn't sound like there's much if any ice on the roads but wet roads are dangerous too.  Watch those other drivers.

Blessed and sending blessings for this magnificent Monday.

 genam44@charter.net

Sunday Update

I fought the fever all day yesterday but there were no aching muscles, joints, skin, toes, etc like there had been on Friday.  Praising my awesome God.  While I still have a low grade fever this morning, I feel much better.  I have jeans on for the first time since last Tuesday.  I really don't like staying in my pjs but sometimes it just can't be helped.  Resting and working on getting my appetite back up to par because it's been a little lacking with all the fever.

I'm pretty sure that everything that is happening in my body right now is chemo and Neulasta shot side affects.  When I look at all the side affects each drug can have, they are all the things I'm having.  I do feel a little better about this because I at least know that I am most likely not carrying a bug that doesn't ever die and that there will be an end to all this when the chemo and Neulasta shots are finished.  Only 2 more of each.  Praise the Lord.

If you know me, you know I'm not a quitter. I will not quit ... I will not let this defeat me.  I can't.  I have the rest of my life to live and while this is a detoured path, I will get through it.

Thank you for your continued prayers, love and support.

Blessed and sending you blessings!

 genam44@charter.net