Dropping by to say hey to you all. And to let you know the latest on myself...

I've been sleeping a lot lately. The oncologist said I am suffering from depression now. So he gave me a prescription for Celexa. I have not taken any yet, I will start on it tomorrow. He also gave me a prescription for some new nausea medicine called Anzemet. I won't be getting it filled though. Too expensive. $360.00 for just five pills. I cannot afford that! Can you imagine? Thats over $2000 for a 30 day supply. Ridiculous!

My chemo appointments are now once every three weeks. The oncologist said I was doing good, and my blood work was good too. I just wish I felt better was all.

I wish I had something else to post besides my health.

I hope life is treating you all kindly.

Thank you so very much for coming to my blog.

(((HUGS)))

Well, thought I would drop in to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking. I have been very sick from the chemo, and just have not felt like getting on the computer. Well, here's what's been going on with me....

It seems I am to be having chemo every three weeks now, instead of the once every two weeks. Last chemo session, my oncologist sent me for a chest x-ray. I thought it was to make sure I did not have pnuemonia, as I have had bronchitus for several weeks now. Well, he informed me after the x-ray that he was looking for cancer cells in my lungs. When he said that, I felt as if I had been kicked in the stomach. I very timidly asked, well were there any? His answer was no, your lungs are clear. So I have had a bit of good news to tell you all.

So, hows life treating all of you? I hope very kindly. I wish only the best for all of you.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Also, thank you so very much for all of the healing thoughts and prayers. I would say they are working, wouldn't you?

(((HUGS)))

Nothing new here really to write about.

Sorry I have not posted in awhile.

I have been so sick from the chemo,

I just did not feel like getting on the computer at all.

I am feeling a bit better right now though.

Just thought I would drop a line or two to let you know whats going on.

Thank you for the well wishes and the prayers.

They are all greatly appreciated.

(((HUGS)))

Last week I had some important blood tests, and a CT Scan with contrast done, to see what the cancer was doing. I went today to get the results, and they were all negative. The tumor is very small, and we want to keep it that way as long as possible, so there is no break from the chemo. Even the tests for VRE came back negative as well. So now the hospital can quit treating me like a diseased animal. Every time I went there for anything to be done, they would put on these gowns that look like biohazard suits. I thought it quite ironic that they were trying to keep me from infecting everyone and their hospital as well, when they were the ones that gave it to me in the first place. Well, I never thought I had it, and the tests proved me right. So, I am continuing chemo. My next treatment will be on July first. And then every two weeks after that. I want to thank all of you for your healing thoughts and prayers. I would say they are working!

My brother and his wife have been here visiting me. They are members of grab too. He is Terminalman, and she is Tweetybird405. They will be here till the middle of July. Both of my sisters will be coming for a visit next week, so we will get a family photo done. That should all be fun.

Hope all of you are well and happy, and enjoying some beautiful weather. I also wish everyone a safe and Happy Fourth of July.

Don't eat too much BBQ!

Thank you for coming to my blog.

I hope all of this makes sense as I'm kinda tired right now, and need to hit the hay so to speak.

(((HUGS)))

Well, had chemo yesterday. Normally I don't get nauseau after chemo for about four days because of the stuff they give me during chemo. But this time it hit last night, and has not let up since. Plus, the chemo has been messing with my blood sugar. So, the chances are pretty good that I going to be put on insulin tomorrow when I see my regular doctor. My blood sugar has been in the high 200's, and that's without eating. When I eat, depending on what I eat, it will be over 300 to 400, and thats not good. I knew the chemo was supposed to mess with my blood sugar, but after the first three treatments, it has been fine. But after the fourth one, it has shot through the roof. When I seen the doctor last week for bronchitis, he said something about slide scale insulin if my blood sugar did not drop by tomorrow, and it hasn't. And believe me, I'm not eating anything bad for me. This is all from the chemo. Oh well *sigh*. I will let you know if I am on insulin tomorrow when I get back. I will just post it in the reply section of this blog, or update it, ok?

Hope everyone of you have been well and happy, and enjoying some beautiful sunshine filled days.

Thank you for coming to my blog.

(((HUGS)))

*Update*- Well the doctor did not put me on insulin yet. She gave me a pill to take. He said it might make me bottom out, so I am to carry hard candy with me at all times. He also gave me phenagram for the nausea to take instead of the compazine, since it was not working. They kinda make me drowsy, so guess I will just have to take naps! LOL

Thank you for coming to my blog.

(((HUGS)))

Well, as many of you know, I had chemo on the 20th of this month. So far I am doing pretty good with that. It was my fourth treatment. Yes its making me feel puny today, but its supposed to do that, right? Well, to make a long story short, my AS has also flared back into life yesterday. Man that pain sucks. I had honestly forgotten what it felt like, its been under control for so long now. I don't know if the chemo had anything to do with it or not. So, I am eating Prednisone to try to make the pain go away. Plus I am having some sort of lung issue going on as well. So the steroids are doing double duty on me right now. Most people that take Prednisone say they feel as if they are starving to death for food. I don't seem to get that way with them. They make me nauseas. So, I am taking the compazine, and it is doing double duty as well. I am a bit depressed right now, I caught myself thinking about things better left un-thought of. Plus, the pain was doing me in as well. So, if I seem a bit grumpy, moody, or weepy, please excuse me while I go through this emotional meltdown. LOL

Thank you to you all for trying to keep my spirits up. I just seem to have too much going on health-wise at the moment is all. And thank you for being my friend.

(((HUGS)))

I have been asked, by some people here, how many chemo treatments I will behaving. This is the answer to that question, when I asked my oncologist today before I had my second chemo treatment.  When someone has cancer, and it is all removed, and are considered cancer free, there is a scheduled amount of chemo treatments to be done (usually four), and then tests are run. If there is a chance there is still cancer, then more treatments are prescribed. But, when  the cancer has Mestatisized (like mine is), chemo treatments go indefinitely, until the chemo will not work anymore. When your options run out, you are then considered terminal. They give you what is called "a count down". Meaning, get your affairs in order, do what you have always wanted to do, but have not done yet. The average life expectancy for this sort of cancer I have, is ten years. Well, that's the longest anyone has ever lived with it anyways. I plan on being here for a lot longer then that. I am a fighter. Ask any of my family and friends,  and they will tell you this much.   They had to give me phenagram today for the nausea. Combined with the benadryl, I was sleeping for the whole session today. So, I am still very tired.  Last time I had the chemo treatment, I thought I caught a cold. Well, the same thing happened again. So, the nurse said I need to discuss this with the oncologist next time I see him as it could possibly be an allergic reaction. Lets hope not, as this means that's one chemo I will not be able to have, and lets face it, there are only so many different types of chemo out there.  So, I am still off here most of the time resting. Just wanted pop on here and give you all an update.  Thank you for coming to my blog. You all are the best friends anyone could ask for!

(((HUGS)))

My first chemo is tomorrow.
It is for five hours.
The doctor said "Lets get you started on some medication".
So, I sat and waited while I thought he was writing up some prescriptions.
When they finally call my name, they tell me about the chemo,
and I see a list of seven different kinds they will be giving me.
Turns out, "medications" is chemo.
I thought that was sort of funny...
Well, the results of the PET scan were good.
They said they could not find any cancer.
But, they said there was something around my lower bowel, close to my abdomen.
The oncologist thinks that is the cancer.
But, he said it is small, so its not an old cancer, and it will be easier to get it to go into remission.
I did not think that it could be an old cancer.
Not with all of the blood tests I do, and all of the CT scans
that have been done of my abdomen,
especially in the last year, with contrast, and without.
I feel better then I have in about three years.  Is that irony, or what...
Dunno how good I will be feeling tomorrow.
Yes, I am nervous. I was really nervous today too.
I must have made about 13 trips to the bathroom. LMBO!

Thank you for coming to my blog, and caring enough to do so.

I hope all of you are well and happy.

I also hope you all have a very Blessed Easter.

(((HUGS)))

Well, I got good news and bad news today when I seen the oncologist. I do have colon cancer again. It is all through my abdomen. So, the tumor the surgeon got was a drop in the bucket. If he could have got it all, he would have. The good news is that the sort of cancer I have, does respond well to chemotherapy. The bad news is, it's going to get me anyways. It is a re-occurring cancer. So, I will be on chemo for the rest of my life, off and on, basically. He said no one has survived past ten years with this type of cancer that I have. It is colon cancer, but the name he said was a ten dollar word, and I cannot recall it for the life of me. So, if I get rid of it, its coming back. And eventually the chemo will not work. I see the surgeon on the 26th for a follow up, and to get an appt. to have the port a cath  put in (surgery). Then, on April 1st I am to have a PET Scan. And, then I see the oncologist again on the 7th of April to discuss my options, and to whether I will have my first chemo treatment then or not. So, like I said, good news and bad news. But, I will tell you this. If there is going to be a survivor of this cancer, its going to be me. I am going to fight tooth and nail for my life.

I want to thank all of you for coming to my blog, and caring enough to do so. I will probably not be on here very much. I guess it depends on how I am feeling. I do appreciate your friendship. I have the best friends in the world!

(((HUGS)))

As most of you know, my health has not been very good lately.Today, was my follow-up appointment with the surgeon that did my bowel re-section surgery that I had done on Feb. 6th. He found a tumor while doing that surgery. I forgot to ask the size of the tumor (I know, silly me). But, I did ask him if he thought that he had got all of it and he said "no". He said that where the tumor was located, he had put some clips in, to help locate the area for radiation treatments. I have an appointment to  see the oncologist on the 24th of this month. So maybe I will know more then. The doctor I seen today said that more than likely they will be wanting to put a port-a-cath in before they do Chemotherapy. Am I a bit scared? Hell yeah! Will I beat this? Oh Hell yeah! I will do what I have to do to live. This may sound a bit melodramatic, but I have always fought for what I wanted all my life. So this is no different except that I will be fighting for my life. So, if I am not here at grab as much as I used to be, please know that I am resting and recuperating right now. I think of all of you often. And I appreciate all of the healing thoughts and prayers that all of you have been sending my way. I am very grateful to have all of you as friends. You are all beautiful gems, that I treasure. Thank you for being my friend.

Hugs and Kisses!

 A  nurse wrote this:
            I'll never forget the look in my

patients' eyes when I had to tell them

they had to go home with the drains,

new exercises and no breast.I remember

begging the Doctors to keep these

women in the hospital longer, only  to

hear that they would, but their hands

were tied by the insurance companies.

 So there I sat with my patients, giving

them the instructions they needed to 

take care of themselves, knowing full

well they didn't grasp half of what I 

was saying, because the glazed,

hopeless, frightened look spoke

louder than  the quiet 'Thank You' they
muttered. A mastectomy is when a

woman's breast is  removed in order

to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue.

If you know anyone  who has had a

Mastectomy, you may know that

there is a lot of discomfort and  pain

afterwards.

Insurance companies are trying to

make mastectomies an outpatient

proc edure. Let's give women  the

chance to recover properly in the

hospital for 2 days after surgery.
 

It takes 2 seconds to do this and 

is very important. Please take the

time and do it! Please send this to 

everyone in your address book. If
there was ever a time when our

voices and  choices should be

heard, this is one of those times.

 I hope n pray you will take the 30

seconds to vote on  this issue and

send it on to others you know who

will do the same. There's a  bill

called the Breast Cancer Patient

Protection Act which will require 

insurance companies to cover a

minimum 48-hour hospital stay for

patients  undergoing a mastectomy.

It's about eliminating the 'drive-through' Mastectomy  where women are

forced to go home just a few hours

after surgery, against the  wishes of

their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia

and sometimes with  drainage tubes still attached.

 Please bear with me, this one is a work in progress. I add to it from time to time. This one is my favorite one. I hope you all enjoy my blog, and I hope you leave a comment as well. Hugs to all of you!   

Dear Lord,
There's a young man or woman far from home,
Called to serve their nation in a time of war;
Sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep them safe,
We pray You keep them strong,
We pray You send them safely home,
For they've been away so long.

Bless those who await their safe return,
And those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
No matter what the cost.

God, bless America and her heroes...
Amen

Our Daddy Wears Combat Boots

Daddy's come in all different shapes and sizes.
Some daddy's wear suits and ties,
Some just any 'ole thing will do.
Some daddy's work 9-5, Monday through Friday,
Some even work 24 on and 24 off.
And then there are daddy's that go
And just come home whenever they want.
Our daddy is different than these.
He goes to work in "hunting clothes".
He never has a set schedule of when he will work.
He says our Uncle Sam decides
When daddy will go and when he will come home.
I don't think I have ever even met my Uncle Sam,
But he sure does mean a lot to our daddy.
I'm really not sure why, but about 3 months ago
Uncle Sam must've called our daddy in a rush.
Cause we only had a couple of days to say goodbye,
Not sure when we'd see him again,
And even still we don't.
We sat and cried and watched him pack--
Very, very, fast.
See he was on telephone standby,
So when Uncle Sam called back - he'd have to leave in a rush.
We tried our best to help him fill his mobility bag.
I brought him his new tennis shoes that mommy had just bought him.
I told him they could make him run really fast if he had to.
But he just shook his head and smiled,
And hugged me and said,
"Thank you baby, but daddy won't be needin' them,
You see, Uncle Sam bought me these here shiny black boots that I have to wear."
I looked at his eyes and I hugged him again,
I never meant to make my daddy cry.
Well, we all waited and waited, jumping at every ring.
Finally 3 days later it happened, the sound we feared the most.
When daddy said "Hello!", it was our Uncle Sam on the other end.
And he told daddy to tell us goodbye.
Daddy hugged us and kissed us and hugged us once more,
Then off he went to his big 'ole plane.
We're still so sad, even now.
Halloween and Thanksgiving have come and gone,
Yesterday we put up our tree.
It was a sad, sad day.
Our tree looks different then ever before,
Instead of red or silver or green,
Only Yellow Ribbons from the tippy top,
All the way to the floor.
If I knew where my Uncle Sam lived, I'd write him a letter
And ask him if my daddy could only be home in time to give me all I want for Christmas - him.
We say our prayers at every meal and every night.
"Dear God, please bring daddy home safe and bring him home soon"

By Loretta Bean

AN INFANTRYMAN

The average age of infantryman is 19 years, a short haired tightly
muscled kid who, under normal
Circumstances, is considered by society as half man and half boy, not
yet dry behind the ears but old enough to die for his country

He never really cared much for work and would rather wax his own car
than wash his father's, but he's never
Collected unemployment either.

He's a recent high school graduate and was probably an average student,
pursued some sort form of sports
activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girl friend
that either broke up with him when he left or swears to be waiting for
him when he returns from half a world away.

He listens to rock and roll music, or jazz, or swing-and 155mm
howitzers.

He is 10 to 15 pounds lighter now then he was at home because he is
working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble
spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip
a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less. He can recite to you
the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either
effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes-and latrines - and can apply first-aid like a
professional. He can march until told to stop, or stop until told to
march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but not without
spirit or individual dignity.

He is self-sufficient. He has to sets of fatigues, he washes one, wears
the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes
forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook
his own meals,
mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you, if you're hungry, his
food. He'll even split his ammunition
with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands as weapons and his weapons like they
were his hands. He can save your life- or take it- because that is his
job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay,
and still find ironic humor in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death that he should have in his short
lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to
create them. He has wept in private and public for his friends who have
fallen in combat and is unashamed. Just as did his father, grandfather,
and great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.

Beardless or not, he is no boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has
kept this country free for over 200
years. He asks for nothing in return except our friendship and
understanding.

Remember him, Always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with
his blood.

**He is an Infantryman!**

Author: James E. Freeland
& Chuck Taylor

   

        

God Bless The USA

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd work for all my life.
And I had had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.
I'd thank my lucky stars, to be livin' here today-
'cuz the flag still stands for freedom and they can't take that away...

[Chorus:]

And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today-'
cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA -
well there's pride in every American heart and it's time we stand and say...

[Chorus]

That I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
and I won't forget the men who dies who gave that right to me
and I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today-
'cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land - God Bless the USA!

'Cuz there ain't no doubt I love this land - God Bless the USA!

                                                            

 

      

          

     

 
      

 

Prayer:
"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.

In Jesus Name,  Amen."