Best Of

cookie54 I don't even know what meridians of the teeth are, so that advice would have been lost on me!

I am 20 pounds overweight but my GP now says that''s fine. Don't lose. For the first time in my life, I embrace this twenty pounds. So no starvation diet here.

I went walking in the park along the river yesterday. It's quiet on Mondays. I saw a baltimore oriole, an eastern bluebird, and a lively family of geese. Also, because I had consumed a bunch of flaxseed to help with that familiar problem, I forged through the underbrush to a remote tree and sh*t in the woods, just as nature intended. I am sure that is more than you ever wanted to know, but as is often said here, it's the little things in life.

I’m going to cross post this on a couple of threads.

I monitor the comments that people make on my blog. I haven’t deleted one until today. When it showed up again, I labeled it “Spam.” Here’s the kicker—it came from a former college roommate. It went something like this: “Carol and others traveling this cancer journey. I have a friend who was told to go home and get your affairs in order and chemo burned her skin, She wanted to try other treatment protocols. I sent her to xxx.com. Also look up xxx cancer protocol at xxx.com. My friend went from stage 4 pancreatic cancer to stage 1 in a matter of weeks… Please give it a try. Love you, Carol.”

I’ve debated responding by saying that that kind of information is NOT helpful and please do NOT post stuff like this. On the other hand, I’m not sure I even want to engage with her. I think I’ll just ignore it, call it spam and make sure it’s deleted.

Why do people do this??? Who asked her??? If I put out there that I was desperate to find a cure and would try anything, I’d welcome such responses. I didn’t, I’m not, so STOP with the bad advice.

I guess I just wanted to vent. Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Carol

I thought I would add a little good news… My CT scan today showed no evidence of cancer, anywhere. (My wording.) It is always difficult to post this when so many are struggling, but the general world doesn't understand that this doesn't mean I am cured or I have no side effects. I still struggle hourly with extreme fatigue and other side effects, including an emergency stop at a bathroom on the way home. I know you all get it…the fight continues.

Shana, unremarkable is great! That term has made me chuckle over the past few years, like I'm so happy to be considered "unremarkable" now. But I am! Congrats.

Emac, I love that photo of you! I'm sending prayers for you as well, that you can get out of the hospital soon and your esophagus calms down.

Intolight, I love your definition of in your pocket: A place to store thoughts and love, totally. And Spring flowers are so wonderful, it gives me a sense of awe and gratitude that I'm here again for another Spring. The weeds, on the other hand...

Loving the photos! My sweetie and I eloped, and I wore a floor length, spaghetti-strap black dress with a beautiful silk shawl. I loved that dress so much! Couldn't wear it now, of course. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in the French Quarter and ate at one of Emeril's restaurants. I miss him desperately, and am grateful to have had such love.

It's been a little bit of a rough week for me. I'm back in the hospital and will be here until Monday. I ended up getting very dehydrated and my MO sent me to the ER. I had another blockage in my esophagus that was nothing but pills! I hadn't been able to take in food or fluids for 3 days. Apparently I have a very bad case of esophagitis and I have a feeding tube now. I will be on ice chips orally for a few weeks and daily bolus feeds through the feeding tube. Once I am tolerating that I can progress to clear liquids but only as the esophagus heals. So right now I am not on cancer treatment. My MO felt that I am too deconditioned to tolerate it which makes me nervous. I'm glad we "zapped" the brain but the idea was to proceed with Xeloda after that. Some of the pills that got caught were likely my Xeloda pills so I'm not sure how many I ended up actually absorbing. My next treatment will likely be IV chemo.

I never got married but I'll put in a throwback from my rodeo Queen days. It was fun to do the hat and hair and all of it. I don't have any recent photos on this device. I'll have to post one at some point.

Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo 1996

I’ll add to the wedding pics. We got married Texas style in overalls. We ate brisket and made cupcakes instead of a traditional cake. We also rented a beach house in Galveston, out of town friends and family stayed there, so no one had to pay for a hotel and a justice of the peace came out to do the vows (omitting the word “obey” at my insistence). It was a fun, week long party.

intolight: Dad would not have approved of all the "smoke" at the reception. :-) I have infusion tomorrow and I pass by a Michael's on the trip there. Maybe I'll pop in tomorrow on the way home and buy a fame. It REALLY should go up. I don't remember bowties being such a "thing" but my high school chum, room-mate and friend of over 56 years had her 50th in February. She sent me an old photo of their nuptials and there was her man in a bowtie.

I have really enjoyed everyone's wedding photos. And photos of children/grandchildren pets, flowers —- they brighten my day.

I don't "do" Facebook but I can imagine that everyone is living a far more interesting and active life..or so they say. Hey, I have an active life. Tuesday I had bloodwork in the morning, saw my GP in the afternoon to renew a GERD script, had a phone call with my MO today, tomorrow I have my infusion, and Friday I have an Echo. I am LIVING LARGE, my friends.

Oh! And I am about to go out and get some more ant traps because we are having a major invasion this year.

But it is sunny and pleasant here on the Wet Coast and the smoke from wildfires hasn't reached us yet — so I am content.
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