My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
Comments
-
I just made Mexican tomato noodle soup (my fav, so easy and fast) and an (paleo) apple crisp for dinner (OH is out with friends at the pub so I have me time!). Pretty sure its mid July. Damnit, it was supposed to be upper 70s today and sun and its overcast and mid 60s. Its been this weather for so long you don't even know what day/month it is anymore. And allergies are back,either something new is growing or its mold from the Monday storm as Im stuffed up and sneezing and my buddy down the street cant leave the house because his hay fever is so bad. Even did a lateral flow test just to make sure as I was maskless at the hairdressers last week, but all good.
Boo - Ill trade you for two weeks, but thats it
Maine sounds wonderful though, and I've always wondered what that coast is like, if its like the coast here with rocks and a green-blue sea. And all that lobster and seafood! Have a great time Mel - Im still not quite done with the tapestry, but its close. Tomorrow for sure. Then Ill post a photo.
(In case anyone wants the recipe: https://dorastable.com/sopa-de-fideo-mexican-noodle-soup/ Moth - she does a lot of vegan alternatives to mex foods like a vegan chorizo, etc)
0 -
SondraF - thanks for that recipe blog! i'm checking it out now - so many things look good. I hate cooking but I will pass this on to dd & see what she feels like making.
0 -
Hi Kittykat. Sorry to read about your fall, but glad you were not hurt--- except your pride !
Man, he really worked my hip today in PT. I am not sore, but in pain this afternoon.
0 -
Oh my thank goodness you didn't get hurt worse . That exact same. Thing happened to me the year I was diagnosed. Now I'm a turtle getting off the floor on its back. Thank goodness falling is so scary. I thought I broke a hip earlier this year. I'm very unsteady on my feet. It's annoying actually.
0 -
KittyKat, I am sorry you fell. Glad people were there to help you up. I cannot get myself up by leg power alone. I also need something in front of me to push myself up on. I am continuing my road to 100 leg strengthening exercises. I am at 15 squats, hamstring curls, calf raises and lifting each leg to the outside for my hips. I increase by one per day. Hoping as I practice getting up, I will get to the point that I can get up by pushing up from the ground.
Our province has FINALLY opened up more. To celebrate myself, I decided to walk to and from McDonalds for an egg McMuffin and hash brown. It was good to have it fresh and provided just under 7000 steps which is a good start for me. It is quite humid but not hot which is good. Probably go and get some chocolate milk at the grocery store in a few minutes to round out the 10000.
0 -
Kittykat - it's scary when the abilities we used to have, like defying gravity, seem to vanish and gravity wins. I am glad you are okay because it could have been otherwise.
Sondra - I am not much of a cook but I followed your link, copied that soup recipe and am going to give it a whirl. I hope soon to have a crop of tomatoes and this will be a good use for them.
The days are slightly less hot, still between 36 and 38 C. Can't open up the house to cool down at night because the smoke is so thick and it fills the house and chokes us. The air early in the morning as the first light comes through is this strange orange colour. Makes it feel like we're living in a movie set. Everyone is very tense as the forest dries and the leaves drop off trees and no sign of rain. Oh dear god we need about a week of steady rain. Our mountainside neighbourhood has only one way down in case of fire and if something happens and that route is blocked, by fire or fallen trees, we are stuck here and will literally burn to death. There is nowhere safe to go! There is one old logging trail that would lead out, travelled now and then by horses and quads, but it is on private property with big chained and locked steel gates. Yesterday, in a state of worry, I drove up to the gate closest to us and tried the lock. Locked. I came home, wrote a note saying "Please dear neighbour in the event of an emergency ...blah, blah, blah...would you contact me?" I had a bit of a drive to get to the other side of that property and left that note tied to his front locked gate. To my surprise there was a message on my machine when I got home and this fellow (whom I do not know) says that he realizes he is the only way to safety for people and in an emergency yes, those gates will be open and people can get through. He understands fully that a bolt cutter or chainsaw might be used to make that way passable if no one with a key arrives in time to open a gate. I was impressed and grateful for his generosity. He has allowed me a smidge less tension. Now to let worried neighbours know that there is a plan B. Everyone needs a plan B and yesterday I made damn sure we have one. On today's do-list, buy bolt cutters.
0 -
Runor~omg. That neighbor better open those gates! Wo what a scary thought. I am so sorry you need rain. I hope you get some soon. If it's not one thing it's another. I will do a half ass rain dance in hopes it will delight one of the rain gods with my effort. Everything is so difficult it seems for everyone anymore. I'm thinking of you and DH. Hugs
0 -
Runor, I totally understand and sympathize with your fire concerns. There is only one way in/out off the mountain at my cabin too, which is very dry and under a permanent burn ban. We built using hardiplank (sp?) siding and rock wool insulation to minimize our risk. We also have a Polaris rzr to literally go over boulders and through trees if we have to escape in a hurry. I’ve experienced close proximity to fires growing up in Southern California, so I’ve got a pretty healthy fire fear. I wish you good weather and luck.
0 -
There's huge flooding in Europe but large chunks of north America are in drought
I saw our provincial CDC putting out ads to prepare for smoke - masks, air purifiers, stock up on lung meds if have chronic condition. We lurch from one emergency to the next.
I'm getting my immunotherapy iv today. Going to take olive for a walk first. It's cooled & overcast here but no sign of rain and none in the forecast. I'm watching several Japanese plum trees for when they ripen so I can try to grab some fruit before the raccoons. It makes the most wonderful jam - like a damson- and I feel well enough to make a batch. It's my old neighbour's tree which is the matriarch and we have a bunch of her seedling trees. Mary was one of the first people in the neighborhood. Her lot is empty now. Her husband Dennis used to make the jam. Feels like reaching through past to make a batch. Anyway. They're not quite ripe yet...
0 -
runor: BC is on fire. I expect the smoke will start bowing down to the Vancouver area and we will get smoke blowing up from the US fires. It must be an unnerving time for you. I would be living in terror. Do you have a grab and go bag of things you don't want consumed by flames? Family photos etc? Can your neighbour not just open his gates - NOW? Lytton was gone in 15 minutes. Often there is not a second to spare. I'll be watching our local news for fire updates. My sister lives in Kamloops and she says the air unbreathable. She is hiding in her AC'd condo. You have certainly been in my thoughts. Stay safe and did you get the bolt cutters?
I wish Europe could send the rains that are giving them floods.
I am not religious - at all - but the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse seem to be getting closer. I used to joke with a friend that we had fire and floods and war - all that was missing was Pestilence. Oh. Hello, Covid-19.
0 -
Regarding weakness, aches: yes the residues of chemos cause a great deal of inflammation in our bodies. Which can make you achy and tired, and cause brain fog. (Same with yeast in the system.) Chronic inflammation affects our ability to digest and absorb nutrients too. There are supplements and dietary practices that bring down inflammation.. Curcumin, Omega 3 fish oil are both powerful-- they do thin blood so be aware of that re surgery etc.
Best wishes to all
0 -
I hope the places dealing with fires gets cooler, damper weather soon. I will be thinking of all of you.
0 -
Re: soup recipe - be aware that if using fresh tomatoes you may get a jellied situation when leftovers are put in the fridge. Has to do with something in the seeds are a natural aspic I think. Its nothing to be creeped out about, just add a smidge of water when reheating
I like to add some salt and lime juice into the soup at the end, even though her recipe doesn't add it. Sometimes pepper and a bit of oregano too, and I don't add beans or zucchini.
Oh and one last thing - if it seems like your noodles (and I like to use vermicelli cause they are thin, angel hair would work, or regular spaghetti in a pinch) are lost in the soup, try to resist adding too many extra because they swell!
0 -
I am thinking of all of you dealing with any type of fire or problems. So serious. I hope so much for rain for you all. Be safe please
0 -
Micmel, I will take your half assed rain dance, thank you very much!
Elderberry - yes, the smoke is bad here. People on a lake near us have been put on evacuation alert. As I type a wind has picked up, pine cones are pelting the roof and just this morning I raked up the last of the debris from the last wind that blew through here. It's like we can't catch a break! Neighbour is probably wise to keep his gate locked. People drive these rural areas and see a rough dirt road heading into the bush and assume it's a great place to dump their garbage, have sex and toss out condoms or unload the quads and go for a burn. It's never the locals up here who act like dickweeds in the forest, it's the far- awayers who think all forest is held by the crown and thus free for all to frolic in. Uh...no. His locked gate does keep out people who flick lit cigarette butts out the window. While I am not myself a gate locking sort of person, in this weather conditions, with what we know about the behaviour of many humans, a locked gate is a safety measure for all of us.Sondra - I will watch for jelled soup. I get that with my cabbage soups sometimes but it liquifies again when heated. I have never borwned pasta but imagine that it imparts a subtle flavour profile to the soup. See how I used those fancy words, flavour profile, a sure sign that I am a skilled cook. Not.
0 -
Well, the Covid numbers are going back up in my area. Missouri - the next State over - has had A LOT of cases. I am Southern Illinois, so not that far from the Missouri border. And our County numbers are going up too. I have been pretty much staying in all along-- no social life. But I was feeling more eased "I am vaccinated". Now, I am hearing of breakthru cases in the vaccinated. And with my low counts..... So guess gonna have to be MORE vigilant. Maybe stop PT? Only 2 employees vaccinated there, and none wear masks in the building (I do, of course). And my monthly ladies church group- stop that as some not vaccinated and partially wear masks around me (pull off part of the time). So relooking at my activities and batting down the hatches again. Sigh.....
0 -
candy I’m with you. The numbers here are rising too. I’m putting myself back on lockdown. They’re calling it the pandemic of the non vaccinated.
I had a conversation with a lady who had Covid her children and husband all infected. She said it wasn’t that bad and she’s not getting a vaccine. They own a restaurant...
I have some little project to do here at home so I’m staying in.
Booboo thanks for checking in. So happy you got away and are spending time with family
Tanya
0 -
Tanya and Candy, I feel the same way you do. I was feeling really optimistic for a few weeks, and I even went to a restaurant. Now the numbers are climbing way too fast. My area is not a hot zone, at least not yet, but I think Covid will be surging across the country before long. Yesterday my dh and I agreed that it is time about to go back to isolating ourselves. We will continue to see our children and grandchildren who are vaccinated, but other than that, our exciting travels will consist of trips to the doctors’ offices. So thrilling, right? Next week we have planned to have all our sons and their families here for a family cookout. We will still have that, and I am excited that everyone will be together. It doesn’t happen often enough. There will be 18 of us here.
Booboo, it was good to see your post. What part of Maine did you visit? I am glad that you enjoyed the cool damp weather. I think that I was beginning to mildew here in NH, and I was glad to finally see the sun yesterday.
I hope everyone is doing well. I know that most of you don’t know me, but some of the “oldies” probably remember me.
Hugs and prayers from, Lynne
0 -
Oh, 50'sgirl, I think of you as an OG. You have been on BCO as long as I have been-- longer even, meaning I have "known" you my entire time on here.
I hope you have a good cookout, but 18 people.... I would be afraid. Are all of them vaccinated? I have not been in a group larger than 8-10 since Covid began. Except for my doctor visits and sitting in the busy waiting room !!! It is like I cannot be with a group anymore--- don't know how to act. Haha.
0 -
Runor - browning the noodles keeps them from overcooking in the soup and gives them a bit of toasted flavor. If you haven't done this before, keep a really close eye on them and keep stirring (yeah, bits will fly in your face but a spatula works pretty well). They can go from pleasantly tan to burned real quick. I pull them off at pleasantly tanned stage because the hot oil will keep them cooking for a little longer. With thin noodles this is faster than thicker ones
We upgraded our masks last week to FFP2 for travel and grocery store use, but otherwise we've been staying close to home. Friday is OH's birthday and we had been planning to go to an outdoor lunch but he said he's happy staying in and grilling instead.
Ah well, I've got cold apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, so all is ok tonight.
0 -
Tanya: a woman runs a restaurant and won't protect herself, let alone her customers? WTF?!!
I have a b'day party to go to on Monday. All of them are vaccinated and I trust them when they say so but I'll have a mask in my purse. So far 50% of Canadians are fully vaccinated and a goodly number have had their first dose. I don't want the border open until at least Labour Day. I haven't seen the woman I call my American sister since December 2019 when she came up for Boxing Day. It sucks. I am so glad there is an internet and Skype.
I think any sensible person is nervous about "going out there" . The ones I worry about are the ones who say "I'm young. I don't get sick so why get the shot?" or "I worry what the long range effects will be" What? Like in 10 years it will be discovered that all the vaccinated folks back in 2021 develop some weird neurological issue?. I am worried about the weird neurological issues that are happening now with unvaccinated people. Covid-19 may be a corona virus just like the common cold but WOW it sure isn't a common cold. Then there is all the weird nonsense and conspiracies. I have run out of suitable swear words.
runor: we are having quite cool weather here. It feels like rain but at best we'll get a few drops. I am enjoying the cooler temps. That 37 C -- we just don't know how to deal with here on the coast. It was awful.
It is sad that there are people who think it is okay to just dump their shit everywhere and behave like the morons they are. No, I don't blame your neighbour for locking his property. I was just thinking there are extenuating circumstances right now and every second might count. Please stay safe and ready to go. Do you have pets? I know if I had to leave quickly my cat would do his amazing disappearing act.
0 -
Dear 50sgirl,
We just got home (back to my sister’s home in PA) this morning after driving all night. We were in Bridgton, ME for a week at the same house on Highland Lake that our family has rented for over 25 years. I absolutely love Maine, at least in the summertime. We decided to try the driving overnight thing for the first time ever, and we easily made it from Bridgton to my sister’s house in West Grove, PA in 8 hours. No traffic other than around NYC, but minimal compared to normal. It rained 3 days, and I loved every minute of sitting on the screened in porch, in my blanket, with a nice cup of coffee. I will cherish that memory forever.
I’m staying another week in PA as I have lots of friends and family to see. My sisters have pulled together a family reunion next Sunday, so it will be nice to see even cousins I haven’t seen in awhile.
I hope you are all doing well. I am definitely feeling travel fatigue and am in bed already at 7:30pm! I’ll make an early night of it and then see what tomorrow brings. My biggest issue is getting quickly overheated doing almost anything—but maybe because the place in ME had no air conditioning (luckily didn’t need it). Once I get overheated, my body seems to just shut down. I sweat profusely, and then start shaking. It happened to me 3 times, but my sister said it was because I was doing too much. I guess I was doing the things I always did, but now realize I can’t do them anymore. Sad. But I had such a great time, I’d do it all over again.
I’m in for pocket duty for anyone who needs it.
Love to all
0 -
Little behind and catching up.
Candy, I have heard places having higher numbers, likely not just US. A lot of the infections that are severe are in those who are not vaccinated, if fully vaccinated, the disease is mostly non severe. Not anywhere close to severity without vaccines and areas with low vaccine percentages have a higher rate reported. I can definitely understand the importance of assessing your own risk as well when choosing what to do and not to do as well. Best of luck.
I think that being vaccinated is safest for all BUT I myself will keep masked in public places. I don't often eat at a restaurant and am sure to take the most remote table. I won't be fully in effect until two weeks from Tuesday of this week. I also don't want to get cold and flus that may be going around. The numbers from the pandemic will go up and down. I hope more people will get vaccinated or there will be outbreaks for a long time.
0 -
BooBoo~ sweetheart do what you can do . Enjoy your family and I’m glad you’re traveling. Lots of Northern storms. Humid and hot in pa. You’re close to me. I’ll smile thinking of that . Have a great reunion. Hugs my friend 💜
0 -
absolutely an OG!!!! 50's girl. Sweet woman.
0 -
Mel,
If I had a car, I would do everything in my power to see you. You are a sweet woman! I will be forever indebted to you for starting this thread as it was, at times, a lifeline for me.
0 -
Hello all.
Booboo- I am happy to read of your good time in Maine. I hope you have a good week in PA and a FUN family reunion next weekend. Hug to you.
Pocket duty list for this upcoming week---
Kittykat- PET Tuesday.
Me (Candy)- Appointment with RO and liver surgeon for information to make a decision Tuesday.
Mara-- MO appointment for CT results Wednesday.
0 -
Laurie, glad as well that you are enjoying Maine and will enjoy PA with family I am sure. Enjoy all of it. I will always think of you fondly. Though we met virtually, I do feel you are a friend as are others and you are on my mind a lot.
Went shopping today, tried to get keys copied when out with DB but struck out at both Home Depot (machine broken) and Canadian Tire was unable to copy two of my keys. I have a hardware store in walking distance from me so I will try there.
Other than grocery shopping and being out with DB, been setting up my computer networking as I have started using so many devices in my surveys and other things that make me some extra money to help pay the bills and some extras as well. I actually enjoy working with my computers and getting most out of my internet. Just different as there is no room for a desk so I have to get creative with space. I think computers and finding ways to make money are good for me since I don't know that I am up to working a regular job. This way, I earn enough to put towards groceries, cat food etc and not have to raid the savings and investment account from my condo sale. I have disability but that does not increase at all while all other costs go up. Stretching my money and groceries, supplies and getting more are my talents I guess since I am NOT talented when it comes to sewing, crafting etc.
Hope you are all having a decent weekend. Pocket duty for all who need it,, thinking of those that are near fires and hoping wet weather has or will be coming for you.
0 -
I hope everyone is safe and the rains have moved from us to you. Thinking of Runor and anyone dealing with fires.
Hello Mara! Hello Candy!
I’m bringing cannolis to pocket duty! Love to all0 -
Had a quick weekend trip to Michigan for my brother's memorial Mass. I was in charge of selecting music and along with my brother’s nephew, we lead the congregation in song. At my niece’s request, I selected upbeat music and it was a truly joyful celebration of life. The priest was a fishing buddy of my brother and his homily was heartfelt and warm. A nice luncheon was at the Croswell Opera House. My brother and SIL served on the theater board for eons and my SIL had been executive director at a time when the arts were rapidly losing fundingand helped to bring the Croswell back to a thriving venue. It saddens me to see how dementia has attacked my SIL. She has a harder time connecting the dots but when she does, she’s so sharp. All these damn diseases that rob us of our loved ones 😔😔😔
0
