Third Thursday

Week 3, chemo 3.

X-ray, breakfast, treatment room.

Worked today. Hooray!

Fun in Tennessee

Tennessee was the subject of Rachel Maddow’s lead story tonight. It seems that the NRA National Convention is being held in Nashville beginning Friday. The state is thrilled to be hosting 70,000 delegates and getting the benefits of the money they spend and the publicity they bring. And most of the declared and possible 2016 Republican candidates for the nomination for President will be speaking (although the Republican Governor of Tennessee was not invited to speak).

The Tennessee Legislature currently has a Republican super majority and loves to pass gun laws. One current law permits legally permitted gun owners to carry guns in public places, except where specifically permitted by the local government with jurisdiction over the spaces.

These are things that have happened in the last couple of weeks:

1. A bill was introduced that would allow legal gun-holders to carry guns in all parks, superseding any local laws that prohibit guns.

2. An amendment was proposed that this should also include the Legislative Plaza and the State Capitol (where guns are currently banned).

3. The bill has currently been tabled.

4. There will be, according to advertisements, 14 acres of vendors and displays at the convention. None of the guns at the booths can be in working order - firing pins must be removed from all guns.

5. Attendees with legal carry permits will be allowed to carry at the convention.

6. Except during the entertainment (Jeff Foxworthy, Alan Jackson, etc.)

7. Concealed weapons will be allowed at the speeches by the potential Republican candidates.

8. There is currently a guy in Nashville (the Radnor Lake Rambo) who walks around schools and other public places, wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a rifle (sometimes bolt-action, sometimes automatic). He has a permit for open carry, and has broken no gun laws by doing this. The police have no idea what to do about this guy.

Never a dull minute!

Rainy Monday

Rain on Monday makes

For good cards at bridge. We got

New floor lamp. Hooray!

Spring Sunday

We went to visit Margaret and Bobby this afternoon.  We went the back way, through Soddy Daisy and across the Sequatchie Valley, rather than taking the interstate.  The redbud trees along the highway were as full, plentiful, and colorful as we could remember.  We came home on the interstate and they were almost as spectacular there.
Margaret and Bobby were doing well.  Jesse was home for the weekend, so that was a special treat.

Seeing Stars

I know yesterday’s eclipse was spectacular - but it was cloudy here, so we didn’t see it.

However, we had a great show of the International Space Station tonight. The skies were clear and the ISS passed almost directly overhead for us. Wow!

We get e-mails to alert us as to when the ISS will be visible in our area (weather permitting). Click here to get to the site to sign up for notifying e-mails.

It is amazing!

Five for Friday

1.  Swimming and coffee
2.  Haircuts  (YEA)
3.  Skyped with Jean
4.  Tina came by
5.  Talked to Margaret

Chemo #2

John did okay during the treatment today. It does pretty much shoot the whole day. We didn't get home (or have lunch) until after 2. I had a short nap and John slept until after 5. I was cold from the treatment center until after my nap - thought I had more clothes on this time. John tells me to go out into the lobby to wait, but I hate not to sit with him. His lab work was okay prior to this treatment. We'll see what happens this week.

Warmer Wednesday

Today was another lovely day. John got to get in his exercise on the River Walk. He loves soaking up all that sunshine.


Judy brought us potato soup for dinner tonight. It was delicious and made with that very special ingredient, LOVE! Thanks, Friend.


I’m still pretty zonked from the lack of sleep the other night, so I’m off to bed. Tomorrow is a chemo day, so we’ll be at the hospital all morning.

Zombie Day

I pretty much just phoned it in today.


The phone rang at 3:30 this morning.  Caller ID said "blocked call".  I answered and nobody was there.  Hung up, and it promptly rang again.  Same thing.  I let it go to the answering machine next time - same thing.  So I just left the phone off the hook and we went back to bed.  John got to sleep, but I never did.


John went to radiation, saw the radiologist, and had his consultation with the dietician.  I went to the post office to mail the tax stuff and then to the grocery stores.


I thought for sure I'd be taking a killer nap, but got only a short one.  So I think I'll go to bed early tonight.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Panic

After the usual Monday stuff (now including John’s 7 a.m. radiation appointment), we came home to find the TV not working.

NOT WORKING?!?!? How can this be on a day when the Lady Vols are playing in the Elite Eight? I got on the phone with our cable provider. We tried lots of ons and offs and do-this and do-the-other. Nothing worked. Finally he set up an appointment with a tech house call tomorrow afternoon.

TOMORROW?!?!? OMG! Having to watch the game on the little non-HD television in the room without comfortable chairs. ARGHH!

John went to take a nap to rest up for the game, and I watched the news on the little TV. After UConn had annihilated Dayton, I woke him up. The first thing he did was try to do something with the TV. As an old electrical engineer, the first thing he tried was a total reboot, i.e., unplug the cable box from the wall and then turn it back on.

Well, damn! After some “whirring” and “thunking”, the stupid machine popped up a picture, with the Lady Vols and Maryland going at it. The old man still has “it”! Unfortunately the Lady Vols didn’t - and Maryland is going to the Final Four. I hope they give UConn a good game.

RIP L'Empress

One of my favorite blogs has been "A Place of My Own".   L'Empress was a lovely Connecticut lady.  I met her online, but never had the joy of meeting her in person.  We found an immediate connection over our passion for women's college basketball.  Unfortunately our two favorite teams were mortal enemies.  She was a graduate of and obvious fan of the University of Connecticut - the arch-enemy of our Tennessee Lady Vols.  We never let that stand in the way of our virtual friendship.  She had just moved into a retirement community and was hoping for many more years of life.
I wish she had been able to see her beloved UConn Lady Huskies win a 10th national championship (as it's looking likely they will do).  I'm sure she will be cheering for them from her new vantage point overlooking the basketball court.
RIP, L'Empress

Sunday Stealing

The Dirty Dozen Meme


Stolen from: The Archives

1. This weather is really..... changeable - just like Spring

2. You think you've seen it all, you should see me.... dance

3. I'm sure you would still love me even if... you knew me better.

4. I think I have finally realized... that life isn’t perfect.

5. Since the last time we linked up... a week has gone by.

6. I get super embarrassed... at my birthday party last week.

7. I really thought by now... I’d have learned more than I have.

8. If I thought no one would read it, I would write about... a few secrets.

9. I knew I was in the wrong place... when I woke up in a high-fashion, high-dollar store in my dream.

10. I am so not above... doing dumb things.

11. Let's pretend... was a children’s program I used to listen to on the radio on Saturday mornings. (DAMN, but I’m old!)

12. Just you wait...  "‘Enry ‘Iggins, just you wait!" (What else could I say)

Simply Saturday

We had a lovely day, albeit cool. John's still doing well. He did have some problems with his a-fib when he tried to exercise today, and will have to check with his docs on Monday about that.

Tina and Carol fixed dinner for us, Stephen, Missy & John (7 in all) - pasta and meat sauce, caprese salad, bread, green beans dessert. What special friends! And delicious food!

Almost forgot to mention the nail-biter ballgame. While dinner prep and post-dinner cleanup was going on the Lady Vols were doing very poorly against Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen ballgame. And then they managed to come from 17 points behind to send the game into overtime, and finally pull out the win. Now on to Maryland in the Elite Eight on Monday.

Five for Friday

1. Radiation treatment #3.
2. He took donuts for the techs and nurses.
3. I got my delayed massage this morning.
4. John’s a-fib kicked in when he exercises this afternoon. He doesn’t need this, too.
5. Women’s Sweet Sixteen started tonight.

First chemo

We got up before 6, and got to the cancer center just in time for his 7 a.m. radiation appointment. He was finished with that at 7:20. We had to wait about 30 minutes for the Oncology office to open, and then got started with signing in, taking vital signs, and a little more waiting.

Once into the treatment area, he picked out a chair and we settled in for the duration. This appointment was longer because there's extra stuff with the first session. The nurse had to get signatures and give instructions and information, etc. She finally started the drips about 9. I think he wound up getting five bags of stuff (saline, anti-nausea, benedryl, and the two medicines), and was finally unhooked and dismissed about 12:30. The nurse said the subsequent sessions would not take that long.

These folks do everything they can to make the patients as comfortable as possible. In the treatment room, the chairs are recliners; there are blankets, coffee, water, snacks, bathrooms, and no overhead music or TV.

But then we were home for some lunch and naps. Tomorrow he'll go by himself, just for the radiation treatment. So far, no side effects. We'll see what the next few days brings.

It begins

We had another gorgeous day today, with sunshine and highs in the high 70s. It's all-day rain tomorrow and then back to below freezing over the weekend. We are enjoying all the gorgeous trees in bloom, though (and the pollen and sneezing that go along with them).
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We went to the cancer center this afternoon for the set-up and first radiation treatment. They hade a mold for his body to rest in on the table, and gave him three tattoos. He's currently set up for 7 a.m. appointments. We're both morning people, so that's not a problem. His first chemo is tomorrow and will follow the radiation treatment. I’ll drive him on the days he has chemo, but he’ll probably go to the radiation by himself (unless he starts feeling bad towards the end).

So it's started.

It goes on...

Last night, all my parts decided to ache at the same time, so I took a muscle relaxant and a pain pill. I went to bed (and to sleep) at 9:30, and slept until after 7 this morning (with only a few potty breaks). Obviously I really needed that.
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We went to the oncologist this morning, and John’s treatments will start tomorrow. He will be having 7 weeks of chemo and radiation simultaneously. The radiation will be every day and the chemo once a week. He has his radiation “dress rehearsal”, which will include the first treatment Wednesday, and then the first chemo treatment will be on Thursday.

The doc says some people have almost no side effects, a few might have to be hospitalized, and all points in between. Whatever, John was definitely ready to get started, so we’re off to the races. Stay tuned.

"Normal" Monday

Today was just a “normal” Monday - Y, Panera, home, bridge. Tomorrow we have what we hope will be the planning and schedule-setting appointment with the oncologist.

The Lady Vols are headed to the Sweet Sixteen.

I’m achy and am having a hard time staying awake. I hope to get to 10 pm before heading to bed.

Weekend visits

Jean went to visit with Margaret and Bobby Saturday morning. She and Sue overlapped there, so got to visit with each other. Sue came here Saturday afternoon. She left here midmorning, heading back to SC. It was great to have visits with them - just don't see them often enough. Next time will probably be at the beach the end of June.

John has borrowed a recumbent bicycle and an erg (rowing machine) so he can get some exercise here at home. To my surprise (but not his), they both fit in our living room without moving too much stuff. I wouldn't want them there permanently, but it'll work for the duration.

Accomplishing that, plus laundry is about all we got done today.

Sunday Stealing

The I Meme


Stolen from: The Archives

I am... Mary

I want... to be healthy as long as possible

I have... the best family and friends

I wish... people would just be nice to each other

I hate... hatred and prejudice

I fear... that Congress will never be able to accomplish anything

I hear... birds outside in the morning

I search... for information on Google

I wonder... if people will ever learn to get along

I regret... I don’t regret - it’s a waste of time

I love... my family and friends

I never... say “never”

I ache... all over sometimes

I always... try never to say “always”

I usually... try to make peace

I am not... ready to stop traveling and seeing new things and learning

I dance... never

I sing... when I’m alone in the car

I sometimes... like to be alone

I cry... much too often

I am not always... as calm as I look

I lose... my temper over stupid things

I am confused... about why people do the things they do

I need... more time

I should...lose weight, exercise more, otherwise take better care of myself