Dad's still in the hospital, which isn't a big surprise. He's doing better on one hand, but they also have some concerns. He got up to walk a couple of times today and looks and sounds a lot better. He got nauseous and threw up while we were there tonight, and they have him on oxygen again because they're concerned he doesn't get enough oxygen when he's sleeping. He says it still hurts a lot, but he's off the morphine and on percocet. Maybe tomorrow he'll get out. We'll see.
Poor Nipper is probably going a bit nuts. Dogs like their routines, and life has been anything but this week. He's been alone most of the day and doesn't get his walks until late. We had to make it quick tonight, too, because a storm moved in. It was just a short one, with lots of thunder and lightning, but nothing severe. It wasn't much rain, but anything we can get is great, even if it does keep the dog in.
I met with the lady with the fitness center's cancer patient exercise program. Today was just filling out the paperwork and learning a bit more of what the program is about. Tuesday I get a physical assessment, and then the program itself will start Thursday. I'm really looking forward to this. I've never been a real athletic type, but I did do some yoga and weight training before the cancer, and I'd like to get back into it. I've just had a hard time getting motivated. Once I get going, though, it's like my body actually craves it. It's time to get going again.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Dad's doing OK
Dad had his surgery today, and it went as well as expected. He was pretty groggy, even after we got back from going out for supper. Mom and I stayed until about 8 p.m., and my brother stayed awhile longer until Dad told him to go on back home. I had my herceptin this afternoon, and we're shorthanded at work, so I didn't get to be with him when he went in for surgery, just afterwards. And actually, my nurse had trouble with my port today, so we were all wondering who was going to get done first, me or dad.
Dad was feeling kind of nauseous after they brought him to his room, but his doctor wouldn't actually prescribe anything for that unless he threw up. But it's hard to throw up when you haven't eaten anything for almost 24 hours! It was kind of hard to sit there and watch him in that state where your body wants to wake up but can't quite break out of the anesthesia yet. I guess that's how my folks felt when I had my surgery. It does help to know that someone you love is there, though.
He'll have to stay in the hospital at least a couple of days, so I'll probably go visit during my lunch breaks and after work. My brother will stay here at least through the end of the week, and Mom is taking some vacation time, so at least he'll have plenty of help when he gets back home.
I also had my MUGA scan again Monday morning, and it's down slightly again, to 50 percent, but still good enough to continue treatment. Thursday, I meet with someone from the hospital's fitness center about starting on their exercise program for cancer patients. I need to do something to start getting back in shape and dropping some of the habits I've fallen into the last few months. Sure, during treatment, I needed to rest in the morning instead of working out before getting ready for work, but not now. And sometimes during treatment I ate whatever and whenever because I needed to keep my weight up, but I need to quit snacking so much now. My work clothes are getting awful tight! Maybe this program will inspire me to get back into more healthy habits.
You know what's really hard? Going someplace like the hospital here where everyone treats you with such great care and respect, and then having to go to work where everyone is full of bad attitude and hard work gets no respect. It's getting so that there are some people I don't want to say much to because a simple "how are you doing" launches them into a five-minute tirade about their job. Of course, there's probably been some days where I've been that person. I really need to find something new. Or something new needs to find us.
Dad was feeling kind of nauseous after they brought him to his room, but his doctor wouldn't actually prescribe anything for that unless he threw up. But it's hard to throw up when you haven't eaten anything for almost 24 hours! It was kind of hard to sit there and watch him in that state where your body wants to wake up but can't quite break out of the anesthesia yet. I guess that's how my folks felt when I had my surgery. It does help to know that someone you love is there, though.
He'll have to stay in the hospital at least a couple of days, so I'll probably go visit during my lunch breaks and after work. My brother will stay here at least through the end of the week, and Mom is taking some vacation time, so at least he'll have plenty of help when he gets back home.
I also had my MUGA scan again Monday morning, and it's down slightly again, to 50 percent, but still good enough to continue treatment. Thursday, I meet with someone from the hospital's fitness center about starting on their exercise program for cancer patients. I need to do something to start getting back in shape and dropping some of the habits I've fallen into the last few months. Sure, during treatment, I needed to rest in the morning instead of working out before getting ready for work, but not now. And sometimes during treatment I ate whatever and whenever because I needed to keep my weight up, but I need to quit snacking so much now. My work clothes are getting awful tight! Maybe this program will inspire me to get back into more healthy habits.
You know what's really hard? Going someplace like the hospital here where everyone treats you with such great care and respect, and then having to go to work where everyone is full of bad attitude and hard work gets no respect. It's getting so that there are some people I don't want to say much to because a simple "how are you doing" launches them into a five-minute tirade about their job. Of course, there's probably been some days where I've been that person. I really need to find something new. Or something new needs to find us.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Oh give me a home ...
Wednesday, I got my fast-food lunch and headed to the city park to sit in my car, read my book and watch the buffalo. Yes, the city where I work has its own buffalo herd in an enclosure of about 30 acres across the highway from the historic frontier fort. They've numbered into the double digits, but in the last couple years the city has thinned out the herd, selling off the older cows and the bull last year (they went to a good home, not in someone's freezer) and kept their four calves to rebuild with some new blood. There's a nice shady spot on the east side of the enclosure to park and watch them.
I parked and got out my Mclunch and opened my book. After awhile, the four of them got up from their wallow and grazed along the east side of the enclosure, up the hill to the southeast corner. After a bit more reading, I looked up again, and they were playing, butting heads and play-fighting, running around the others and kicking their heels. They really looked like they were having fun! I watched their antics for a bit, then finished my lunch and went back to the book. Then it was close to 2 p.m. and time to head back to work, so I grabbed my trash to dump it and the buffalo had disappeared, probably to the other side of the enclosure. Oh well. But as I got into my car and got ready to leave, here they came from around the lean-to type shed, running at full speed, mouths open, tongues hanging out, dust rising! They ran to near where my car was, then veered to the south end of the enclosure and ran around some more. There's only four of them, and they're still pretty small, but it was a cool sight. They finally got tired of running and headed for the big watering tank near where I was parked. It's big enough they can all have plenty of room to drink, but no, they all had to be in the same spot, so there was much shoving and shoulder-butting and snorting, like a bunch of little kids fighting for cookies but without the snorting. Maybe.
If I had a bunch of money, I'd get me a place about 30 or 40 acres with hills and a stream and trees and get me a herd of buffalo.
I parked and got out my Mclunch and opened my book. After awhile, the four of them got up from their wallow and grazed along the east side of the enclosure, up the hill to the southeast corner. After a bit more reading, I looked up again, and they were playing, butting heads and play-fighting, running around the others and kicking their heels. They really looked like they were having fun! I watched their antics for a bit, then finished my lunch and went back to the book. Then it was close to 2 p.m. and time to head back to work, so I grabbed my trash to dump it and the buffalo had disappeared, probably to the other side of the enclosure. Oh well. But as I got into my car and got ready to leave, here they came from around the lean-to type shed, running at full speed, mouths open, tongues hanging out, dust rising! They ran to near where my car was, then veered to the south end of the enclosure and ran around some more. There's only four of them, and they're still pretty small, but it was a cool sight. They finally got tired of running and headed for the big watering tank near where I was parked. It's big enough they can all have plenty of room to drink, but no, they all had to be in the same spot, so there was much shoving and shoulder-butting and snorting, like a bunch of little kids fighting for cookies but without the snorting. Maybe.
If I had a bunch of money, I'd get me a place about 30 or 40 acres with hills and a stream and trees and get me a herd of buffalo.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Vacation's almost over
Tomorrow I head back to work and I am really dreading it. The week off was pretty pleasant, despite the news (Dad's bone scan was clean, by the way). It would be great to be a trust fund baby or a lottery winner or something that allowed me to never worry about how to pay my bills and just do whatever I wanted.
But it's back to reality Monday, and the old grind. A friend is in town for Easter though, and I guess a dinner out is in the works for Monday evening. That'll be good.
This weekend was hot and windy, about 20-some degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, and about five times as windy. We did get Dad's lawn mowed and the front and east lawns here mowed, but I didn't really get to the hill. Sounds like I have some big, impressive estate, doesn't it? My property is along a creek (well, it's more a less a river by local standards), and on the west side is a hill that slopes down to the creek. It's got several trees, including a big, dead, cottonwood that will probably fall and kill someone one day, and it's a bitch to mow. Here's a peek:
That's the garage toward the upper left. It's hard to see through the trees, but there's a lot of grass there to cut. And the bindweed patch is already starting to take over. It's actually pretty nice to have, though, on a hot day when the trees are all leafed out and you can go sit in the shade on the bank and watch the fish swim and turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees. Nipper loves it too, except for the part where he gets hosed off before going inside.
But it's back to reality Monday, and the old grind. A friend is in town for Easter though, and I guess a dinner out is in the works for Monday evening. That'll be good.
This weekend was hot and windy, about 20-some degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, and about five times as windy. We did get Dad's lawn mowed and the front and east lawns here mowed, but I didn't really get to the hill. Sounds like I have some big, impressive estate, doesn't it? My property is along a creek (well, it's more a less a river by local standards), and on the west side is a hill that slopes down to the creek. It's got several trees, including a big, dead, cottonwood that will probably fall and kill someone one day, and it's a bitch to mow. Here's a peek:
That's the garage toward the upper left. It's hard to see through the trees, but there's a lot of grass there to cut. And the bindweed patch is already starting to take over. It's actually pretty nice to have, though, on a hot day when the trees are all leafed out and you can go sit in the shade on the bank and watch the fish swim and turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees. Nipper loves it too, except for the part where he gets hosed off before going inside.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
More bad news
Just when things start looking up.
My dad went to the doctor a couple weeks ago with some bladder problems. He was told he had an enlarged prostate, and they also did a biopsy. It came back showing "some cancer." He had a follow up visit with the urologist today, and we found out it's extensive -- six of the eight areas they biopsied show cancer.
The good news is it sounds like it's curable. Dad seems to be opting for surgery, removing the prostate, and the doc said this is a very successful option for a lot of men. They'll check the nearby lymph nodes, but he said the bone scan Dad had today looks clean. He'll find out for sure on that when he sees his primary doc tomorrow and a radiologist has looked at it.
And Dad's still pretty upbeat about everything, so that's good. That's probably the most important thing is attitude, really, and I'm glad he's approaching this the way he is.
My dad went to the doctor a couple weeks ago with some bladder problems. He was told he had an enlarged prostate, and they also did a biopsy. It came back showing "some cancer." He had a follow up visit with the urologist today, and we found out it's extensive -- six of the eight areas they biopsied show cancer.
The good news is it sounds like it's curable. Dad seems to be opting for surgery, removing the prostate, and the doc said this is a very successful option for a lot of men. They'll check the nearby lymph nodes, but he said the bone scan Dad had today looks clean. He'll find out for sure on that when he sees his primary doc tomorrow and a radiologist has looked at it.
And Dad's still pretty upbeat about everything, so that's good. That's probably the most important thing is attitude, really, and I'm glad he's approaching this the way he is.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Maybe R. Kelley can do a song
Poor Nipper (my dog).
Mom had stuff to do in town most of the day today, so he was alone for awhile today. That wasn't the worst of it.
I came home a little after 5 p.m., like normal. Mom wasn't home yet, which didn't surprise me. I opened the door and called Nipper, but he didn't appear. I grabbed the newspaper and the mail and stepped inside. Still no Nipper. I set everything down and called, no sign of him. I checked Mom's bedroom, he wasn't in there. He wasn't in my room either. Now I'm feeling some panic. I turn and look, but he's not in the living room, either. I call him again ... and I hear a soft *scratch* coming from my room. I walk in, push open my closet door, and there's Nipper!
I have no idea how long he was in there, but he sure was happy to get out, running in circles, wagging his tail. He had to pee pretty bad, too. It probably wasn't too horrible -- we have walk-in closets, so he had plenty of room to lie down, but he was in near dark for however long. He must have gone in and bumped the door. It will close on its own if it's left past a certain spot. I have no idea what he was doing in there, though. It's not like I stash food or anything in there.
I hadn't planned on taking him for a walk because the weather was a bit stormy, but the clouds seemed to have passed by then, and he certainly needed to get out after being cooped up for however long. Poor guy. He doesn't seem traumatized, though.
Mom had stuff to do in town most of the day today, so he was alone for awhile today. That wasn't the worst of it.
I came home a little after 5 p.m., like normal. Mom wasn't home yet, which didn't surprise me. I opened the door and called Nipper, but he didn't appear. I grabbed the newspaper and the mail and stepped inside. Still no Nipper. I set everything down and called, no sign of him. I checked Mom's bedroom, he wasn't in there. He wasn't in my room either. Now I'm feeling some panic. I turn and look, but he's not in the living room, either. I call him again ... and I hear a soft *scratch* coming from my room. I walk in, push open my closet door, and there's Nipper!
I have no idea how long he was in there, but he sure was happy to get out, running in circles, wagging his tail. He had to pee pretty bad, too. It probably wasn't too horrible -- we have walk-in closets, so he had plenty of room to lie down, but he was in near dark for however long. He must have gone in and bumped the door. It will close on its own if it's left past a certain spot. I have no idea what he was doing in there, though. It's not like I stash food or anything in there.
I hadn't planned on taking him for a walk because the weather was a bit stormy, but the clouds seemed to have passed by then, and he certainly needed to get out after being cooped up for however long. Poor guy. He doesn't seem traumatized, though.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Windy weekend
If I hate the wind so, why do I continue to live in one of the windiest states? I wonder about that sometimes, like when the wind howls at about 40 mph constantly for three days.
I did get some outdoor work accomplished, though. I finished raking up around the birdfeeders and cleaning last year's growth and collected leaves from the garden on the east side of the garage and got my wildflower garden partially cleaned up before some dark storm clouds moved in Saturday. Cutting down the pampas grass was the hardest part. It must have grown to about 10 foot tall last year, although winter's winds knocked the fluffy tops off it. I ended up using my small electric chain saw to get through it.
Today has been laundry, a walk with Nipper and some reading. Tonight is probably more laundry and reading.
Next Saturday I work, and then I'm off for a whole week, as my brother will be coming up for a visit from New Mexico! We don't have anything special planned, although I'll have my usual Tuesday treatment and Mom and Dad have some doctors' visits, too, I think.
That's my exciting life.
I did get some outdoor work accomplished, though. I finished raking up around the birdfeeders and cleaning last year's growth and collected leaves from the garden on the east side of the garage and got my wildflower garden partially cleaned up before some dark storm clouds moved in Saturday. Cutting down the pampas grass was the hardest part. It must have grown to about 10 foot tall last year, although winter's winds knocked the fluffy tops off it. I ended up using my small electric chain saw to get through it.
Today has been laundry, a walk with Nipper and some reading. Tonight is probably more laundry and reading.
Next Saturday I work, and then I'm off for a whole week, as my brother will be coming up for a visit from New Mexico! We don't have anything special planned, although I'll have my usual Tuesday treatment and Mom and Dad have some doctors' visits, too, I think.
That's my exciting life.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
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