JanClare

YES, IT IS WINTER!!   ACK!

 And we still don't have our shingles installed!

I have to go pick up my son at the airport sometime today- but I don't know when, and I don't know where! He's flying stand-by and may come into Milwaukee, not O'Hare. I sure hope he gets on a flight to O'Hare! They are predicting MORE snow this afternoon.

And my dog must have a urinary tract infection, even though she acting the same. She is peeing dark red blood (which is easy to see in the snow) and I'm now wondering how long this has been festering! I have an 11:30 appointment, so we shall see...

I ending up working until midnight yesterday. Didn't feel that well, but managed to avoid the start of a CVS episode. Don't ask me why sometimes I can control the symptoms, but 80% of the time, I can't.

Got some sleep last night, but woke up at 8 am to the carpenters ripping out the last of the old kitchen floor. So at least something is getting done.

Off to see if I can get a "clean sample" of the dog's pee. Hard to do with so much snow- I've tried this before. Even if I can get something under her, I end up scooping up some snow as well! 

Hugs to everyone!

YAHOO!!!  Just wanted to let you all know that my scans were clear.  WHEW!!

And let me say how much I love my breast surgeon, Dr Rosen- I went to see him about setting up removal of my port, and I told him that I still didn't have my results from the oncologist.  He immediately got his nurse to get on the phone to the hospital and within 5 minutes he had the results with copies for me to take home.  Seriously, I like my oncologist, but I wish Dr. Rosen was my main doctor- instead I don't have any reason for follow-up except for stuff like this port removal.

My port removal is scheduled for December 23rd, plus he is also going to remove some scar cording/ lumps on the right side that is painful.  Hard to believe that after 2 years, I'm going to be port free!

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to our lunch on the 8th!

Thank you all.  I'm still sitting here with the Zoloft script, but I think I will take it to be filled tomorrow. 

Sorry that you can't see the photos.  Don't know why they are not showing, since I did everything the same as with the other photos. 

Here's the link to the gallery (go to the end pages to see the most up to date photos):

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/6456009_B8bWb/1/409382939_gbZ4H

password is: mortgage buster

(be sure to put the space inbetween the words)

another try for a photo: 

 The CT and MRI went alright.  I should have the results in about 48 hours.  

Funny story- the tech for the CT was a 12 year survivor.  When she found out that I had no reconstruction, she went on and on about how she thought the same thing, but that 4 years after her surgery she decided on reconstruction and how much happier she was.  I'm kind of amused because one thing I really don't care about is my lack of boobs.  Anyway, she insisted on showing me her 'set' after the scan was done- she dragged me into the women's dressing area and gave me the "show"- even had me feel them up!  They were just okay as far as I was concerned, but there I am behind a curtain feeling up another woman's foobs, while she tells me about her nipple tattoos. I then show her my scars and she tells me how nice they look.  I come out from behind the curtain to run into a little old white haired lady, just standing in the dressing area with her jaw down to her chin!  She was so shocked, especially when the tech walked out, adjusting her clothing and boobs.  I just started giggling about the whole thing.   

And no, still not currently interested in foobs.  *shrug*  I may change my mind in the future, who knows.   

 Big hugs to everyone.  I'm sorry I've been MIA again, well, I'm just having some problems with a lot of different things. 

Julie, I'm so sorry to read about your cat.  (((hugs))  It's so hard to lose our fur babies, especially one that has been so special in your life. 

Wendy, WOW!  So glad you survived the pill mixup.  And I'll keep your niece in my thoughts- good thoughts and vibes.  

EJ-  so sorry to that you had to join this fight.  I know it's hard to believe now, but you will find strength that you didn't know you had.  It may be a long fight, but it will eventually be over.  (((hugs)) to you as well. 

Sharon, good luck with the surgery.  I hope everything goes well and that maybe you can be with us on the 8th.  

Rene, good luck with the PS.   So glad that you can meet with the one you wanted. 

Rita, glad you and Wendy TY had a good time at the boat- even if you didn't win.  Keep up with the walking!

Jule, I have to admit that I hated rads- just because it was cold, hard, and impersonal.  But Rita and Wendy are right, in general you just bop in and bop out. The weeks will go fast.

Well, I'm still alive, but I'm having job, home addition, and health issues. Yes, all at once. On the job front, it's really just the matter of actually working two jobs- it gets old and draggy, ya know?? And I'm tired all the time, well that could be related to how I've been feeling.

I'm having chest discomfort (seems like swelling under my clavicle), headaches, and my blood pressure has suddenly decided to go up slightly. (Borderline high now, where it always was normal before. ) So today I had a CT scan to check out my body, and tomorrow I will have a brain MRI.

And, this is hard for me to admit, I finally am facing that I'm suffering from depression from my whole bc experience. I thought I was handling it well, but I've actually spent a lot of time hiding out from everyone. My doctor has diagnosed me with a kind of post traumatic distress disorder. He's given me a script for Zoloft, but I have not been able to bring myself to fill it. Another thing that I feel I have to research to death, or maybe just another avoidance? Who knows.

For the addition, we kept having so many delays from the inspectors that our schedule just changed and now we are not going to finish until April!  ACK!! It's mainly the fact that they won't be able to pour all the concrete, for the driveway, and for the deck supports, etc. Too cold.

So here is where we are at: (actually, the roof is on, as shown in the 2nd photo)

And here is the dishwasher and sink that my husband set up in our extra downstairs bathroom:

Isn't that cool??  

Well, I have to get up for work at 4 am!!  so off to bed..

Oh and, believe it or not, I feel better now that I've opened up to you all...  

Only time to wave "Hello" and say that YES, I will be coming to the holiday get-together in December!  Just let me know where! 

Is there a November meeting?  

Hi Kater- here's a link I found on google:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/123682.php 

And remember...

OMG- I just remembered that two years ago TODAY on Halloween was my first chemo treatment!   Wow, what a difference 2 years makes!

My son said he would fix it, but he was working on a project at work so that day after day it seemed that my tech problems were forgotten.  Well, I threw a major hissy fit and got my son to finally, truly FIX the computer. (I paid thousands for his computer degree, I figured I should benefit some how!)

So big hugs to you all!!  I'm so glad to be back. I've been struggling with a lot since starting this addition process (which is making me tear my hair out!!  It's currently on hold while our contractor and the village inspectors come to some sort of agreement about underpinnings and plumbing for our foundation- it's been SIX WEEKS of back and forth. I swear, I think the inspectors don't have enough to do because of the economy and they are using our project to justify their jobs!! )

I'm off to read the thread and catch up a little. Doing a happy dance! (((HUGS, HUGS, HUGS)))

Girls, I'm so sorry, I've been MIA. It's just that I'm officially overwhelmed. I almost wish for the relative peace of chemo treatment.

I think my computer problems are over, but I'm so far behind, I just don't know what is even happening with you all anymore. Let me just tell you what is up with me, and I'll try and catch up with everyone.

I still don't feel very well, but they can't find anything wrong. It's entirely possible (and my belief as well) that it's just all stress. I'm not sleeping well, I still have the CVS, so add that in. Oh, and my truncal lymphedema is flaring, and who has time for physical therapy these days?? I'm trying to deal with it just with manual lymph drainage.

The whole thing with my FIL was fine down in South Carolina, it was all just family. There wasn't even a funeral- just cremation and his ashes to be brought back to Illinois. We spent a week helping my mother sort through and pack up stuff, because they already had plans to move into a smaller house, which MIL will do next week.

But now we are trying to help with a memorial party up here (they used to live here) and tip toeing around my mother in law, who, no other way to put it, is being extremely cheap about the whole process. My FIL was a past trustee of our town, a past commander of the local American Legion, a past district governor of the Lions Club, on the school board, etc...in other words, generally well known and liked. There could be a lot of people, but my MIL keeps shooting down all ideas for a service, or even just a real party. I'm trying to get across the idea that this service is as much for my husband who is still super involved with people in this town, as for MIL. My husband is feeling like not enough is being planned to acknowledge his father. And I feel (yes, being selfish here) that this whole thing will reflect more on us, then on MIL, who will blithely go back to South Carolina when this is over.

More stuff- My garage has been knocked down, they pulled out the water service right out of my house doing it! It was a very understandable accident because they were trying to move the root ball from a 200 year old oak tree (we had to cut it down for the addition), but we were without water for 2 days, and the excavation company lied to me and the contractor about sending out a qualified plumber and the guy they did send almost contaminated the water supply with the products he was using- Luckily we know the utility inspector here in town and he stopped by just in time to prevent this worker (turned out he was an employee of the excavation company, not a plumber) from hooking my drinking water up with pipe that had been soaking in paint thinner for some unknown reason!! He kicked the guy out of my house, and the contractor got a plumber in. I'm really not blaming the contractor because I know that the excavation boss lied to my face as well about sending out a qualified plumber.

Oh, and they also ripped up my sewer line while the plumber was still here, so he had to fix that as well. But that was for only about 3 hours- so I just had to use the jobsite port a john out in the backyard.

So, now my garage is gone, they finally moved the root ball and replaced the water lines and sewer line, I have a giant hole in the ground and.... THE RAINS CAME! It's been raining hard for the last 24 hours and they are trying to keep the water out of our basement using portable sump pumps.

My entire house, but especially the back entrance and kitchen, is a mud pit. I'm furious with my husband because I have a $1000.00 rug in the dining room that is basically being ruined because he would not move the table and roll it up. Drop clothes just move around and shift on top of it, it's hard to keep the dog off it.

My husband is stressing about this entire renovation project now. Even though we are headed for our best year of business ever, and have been steadily doing better year by year, AND NO LONGER HAVE BOYS IN COLLEGE- he's convinced that we are not going to be able to keep up with the new payments. The payments that are going to be LESS monthly then what we were paying out for 3 years of two kids going to college! He's hyperventilating about the economy and I have no way to help him get over it. Especially since there is not much we can do about it now, we are committed to a contract to do this project and we have to pay for it.

I'm not exercising and I miss it so much- I barely get in walks with the dog and Sharon- maybe about 3 times a week. My office has been moved into the living room and my exercise room is about 1/3 of the way through being turned into a bathroom, so not much room to exercise indoors anymore. I belong to the YMCA, but I'm just so bushed, I never want to actually spend the time to go there!

You know, I think I'm just emotionally drained. And this house project just started!

Sorry, this turned into a novel! Hugs and healing vibes to all those in treatment. I'm planning on coming to the lunch next week, and I am signed up for the Race for the Cure, so I hope to see a lot of you in the next few weeks!