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November 22nd, 2009

02:09 pm - Where does the time go to. Well, I had my checkup at Moffits in Tampa. I think it was my second or third post radiation checkup. And I am proud to say I was so nasty to the radiologist that now I don't have to go back for six months. I think he was milking the insurance. I have never heard of a monthly checkup following radiation. We were tired of the three hour drive every month. So, time before last I put a nasty little message at the end of my list of compliants which he read off out loud and his intern got a big laugh. I said at the end, Radiation Sucks. He replied, I told you everything, you just have selective hearing. Well, that didn't quite do it. So this time he left us in the examining room for 45 minutes stockpiling patients in like six exam rooms. When he finally came in. I said, Did you wash your hands just now?!! He sheepishly walked over to sink and scrubbed up. That worked Now I don't have to go back for six months. Hey, be nasty enough and you too can get your visits stretched out. All is ok. I try to ignore any odd symptoms, as long as they don't hang around. Otherwise you get too paranoid over every little pain, cough, etc etc. We then took a two week trip through the Tennessee mountains and North Carolina. Too many to post here. Just put one up and give the link. Must go have a Reese's peanut butter cup. Oh, and I can eat just about everything except for hot peppers. Go me. Life is almost back to normal. Now if only my boobs would grow back. Maybe a visit to a plastic surgeon will be in my future. http://www.flickr.com/photos/66013135@N00/4062125404/ Current Mood: calm

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October 29th, 2009

06:59 pm - Fair Haven Perry Georgia Fair Haven Perry Georgia, originally uploaded by sparroweye. We are on our way to the Smokey Mts in Tennessee. This is our first night camping in Perry Georgia. So far the weather is not very cool yet. But this RV park is beautiful. I miss Girl so much. She loved walking around the campgrounds. Tiny does not. Should be up in the mountains by tomorrow. Atlanta area is still all torn up on I-75. Lots of construction work. Can you believe this has been ongoing for years. Later. I am on Wi Fi. Imagine Wi Fi at a campground. I love it.

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October 8th, 2009

09:13 pm - It is too hot here I swear I must find somewhere else to live. I do not like temps almost to 100 in October. Where is our Fall weather. If this is the start of global warming I am moving to Canada. I used to love winters in Florida. This one is not looking so good. If I have to live here I am getting that beach house. My garden is looking marvelous, just marvelous. But I don't like brussel sprouts. I just planted those for my daughter. She loves them, steams them. But I am curious to see them grow. They grow up and down the stalk like flowers. I am also growing tomatoes, brocolli, chinese snap pea, lettuce. But if we don't get some cool weather things will not do well. A Fall garden means having Fall weather. I miss my grandbaby. She will forget us now. Why when I finally get a grandbaby does she have to live 6 hours away from me. I have even thought about asking my husband if we can move back to Pensacola. I do like Gulf Breeze and we would not have to worry about hurricanes living on the peninsula side. My husband and daughter are just now watching Greys Anatomy. They are talking about penis pumps. Accckkkk... TMI TMI I do not watch that show. I just cannot watch medical shows anymore. I get too paranoid. I wanted to see that movie Whip It with Drew Barrymore. Did anyone go see it? It is still playing here in Gainesville. I watched a preview of it and loved it. My little town is not showing it. And when the heck is Breaking Bad coming back on? March!!!!??? I can't wait that long. Here are my tomatoes. Nice aren't they? And ps, I can now eat Bacon Lettuce and Tomato on toast, and bean burritos, and spaghetti. Pizza will be next. Current Mood: cheerful

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September 24th, 2009

11:23 pm - I want a beach house. Now!!!!! We drove home along the gulf coast. I loved this little town called Mexico Beach. I want one of those beach cottages. Uh oh. My laptop says low battery. Here have a ocean view of Destin beach. Early at 6am. Current Mood: happy

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September 21st, 2009

11:04 am - Felicity this week Current Mood: happy

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10:56 am - Bean Burrito extra cheese no onions please. Yes, I had a bean burrito. Without onions. Life is good. So good. We are in Pensacola Florida this past week babysitting our new granddaughter while her parents are in Hawaii on a belated honeymoon. And it has been bliss. Tiring but bliss. Just a few photographs of Felicity. She is a true ham, but a complete Diva. She can change moods in an instant. She has tantrums and throws herself on the floor at eleven months. If this is one year, what can the terrible two's be like. She is never sitting, always moving. We call her speed racer. The parents have only one day left in Paradise. They fly home tonight on a night flight from Hawaii. I think, no I am sure I have lost a pound or two this week from chasing a baby. But it was well worth it. Because she knows us now, and next time I talk to her on Sypke she will recognize me. I just wish we did not live six hours away. She can say Da Da and Jiggy (their cat) and I wuv you, and thank you. Most of the time she is a very joyful baby unless she does not get her way. Then, watch out. And make sure she has a soft landing place. Enjoy

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September 6th, 2009

11:05 am - More photographs For whatever reason my hummingbird photograph would not upload with the butterfly one. Does any watch Drop Dead Diva on the Lifetime channel? It is my new favorite show and I am dreading their season finale. I just cannot do without that show. It is creative and fantastic writing. Funny and sentimental. No stupid fart jokes like they keep doing on Two and a Half men. I am getting sick of the story line on Two and a Half Men. And what is with Monk skipping two weeks. I swear, they are cutting down the amount of shows they produce per season so much that is now like, "What, the show is over for the year, but, but, it just started!!!!!" My other new favorite show is Warehouse 13. Lets see if I can upload my photograph. I had three hummingbirds, a male adult, female adult and one baby male. She used to have two babies. This year only one. Current Mood: cheerful

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10:45 am - Never enough time for blogging And why is that. Because Facebook sucked me in. All my family are on there. It is not fun because they have umpteen zillion applications like Farmtown, etc etc which people want to suck you into adding. I think I am going to stop using Facebook. Or just go there once a month to update. I start seeing my Ear Nose and Throat doctor this Tuesday who did my surgery back almost a year ago in October. I will now alternate between the radiologist and the ENT doctor. I just want to get to the three or six month checkup stage because we want to travel and all these spaces out checkups are making it impossible. I now eat more than I drink supplement. This morning I had raisin bran with banana, egg, bacon. Toast is still a bit difficult. I can eat diced cucumber and tomatoes with ranch dressing. I think I might be able to make my own tomato sauce and possibly be able to eat spaghetti. I tried some fried potatoes with onions my daughter make last night and my throat did not burn. But I was nervous because of the onions. We are going to Pensacola Fl next Wednesday for two weeks to babysit our granddaughter Felicity while her parents (my son and his wife) are in Hawaii. Our son says Felicity goes where ever you don't want her to, she does not like her toys, prefers all their electronics which she knows she is not allowed to touch. They have never put her in a playpen (horrors she might cry) He said we will have to keep her in daycare or we will not survive the week. I say, "What a spoiled rotten child" Never seen a playpen. What, do they follow her around the house 24/7 Oh, and her mother shops only at organic food stores and makes Felicities baby food. Well, they better have that freezer stocked with it because I am not making organic baby food. I have only seen Felicity once, last Oct when she was a week or two old. Now she is 11 months old. Its a shame I got this illness and that they live more than a day's drive away. I now weigh almost 120. I hope when I get totally off carnation liquid diet that I can maintain this weight. Since I last updated here, we lost our best friend. Our old dog Girl. It broke my heart She may have been 10 years old. We don't really know as she was a stray. The Vet said it was either her heart or lung cancer. Then this week we lost our cat Bo of old age. We only have left our young black cat, Inky and our Tiny, our Doxie. I think I am not having any more pets. But I would really like a new kitten as Inky is grieving terribly over losing her best friend Bo. They used to curl up together and wash each others face. I had to give her a big dose of catnip on her scratch pad to mellow her. Ok, this is all. Here is a recent photo from my yard. The hummingbirds just left. Sigh. Onward Fall. And Fall migrant birds. Current Mood: jubilant

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July 31st, 2009

04:54 pm - Great News!! I saw my radiologist on Monday at Moffits Cancer Center in Tampa and he said I do not have to come back for three months. In the meantime I will be seeing my ear nose and throat doctor inbetween. But at least she is only an hour away versus 2 and a half hours to Tampa. Also, I will not have to get a pt final scan because of the fact my cancer was so small and has never been detected anywhere since last October when it was removed. So, I will think positive and believe that the 35 radiation treatments have killed any microscopic cells. Also I gained 10 pounds. I now weigh 114. At one time my weight was 104. It will take 1 to 3 years but my salivary glands will slowly grow back and eating should be easier. That is because my treatment was on this brand new Tomo radiation therapy which sprares the salivary glands. I saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was a bit too long. Maybe I will wait on the dvd to come out for the next movie. I am back to taking photographs again. Our summer has been blistering hot but now we are getting our daily thunderstorms so it is much better. Current Mood: bouncy

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July 12th, 2009

11:26 pm - Beach Bums Beach Bums, originally uploaded by sparroweye. I spent the day at Washington Oaks Beach State Park. It was a great day. My daughter and husband came also. Kimmie and me under the beach umbrella.

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June 24th, 2009

01:47 pm I am having a real battle trying to gain weight back. I just dropped below 110 and it scared me. Seeing my family doctor on Monday to get a little different perspective as the radiologist does not seem to care about the rest of me, just my throat. Had a double birthday party on Saturday. My daughter turned 37 and her daughter turned 16. Here is a video I hope you can see it. Its on my facebook. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=589812194&ref=profile Current Mood: anxious

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May 31st, 2009

09:11 pm I made pork tenderloin, squash cassorole, macaroni and cheese (homemade) apple pie (homemade, but I made that last night. I had help. My cousin Pam stirred the white sauce for the macaroni and my husband and Pam peeled and sliced all the apples for me last night. But, this was a milestone. My first meal cooked in about 12 weeks. I managed to choke down some of each cassorole and one bite of pork. Forget the pie, it won't taste right. My taste buds are still all messed up. Here is my wonderful cousin Pam. She is the sister I don't have. We grew up together just miles apart in Miami, Fl. and we slept over each others house almost every other weekend. She is one year older. People think we look alike. I think we do too. She gave me all her old size 6/8 clothes and they are baggie on me. Just think, I must wear a size 5. I don't think I wore a size 5 in my life. I think when I was a teen I wore a 9. Current Mood: cheerful

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May 27th, 2009

06:47 pm I am still here, still only weigh 110 pounds. Finding it hard to find things I can eat. Dairy drinks give me mucous. Scratchy things stick in throat. Sigh. Cream of wheat, soft boiled eggs and soup get mightly old. I have no appetite. I think if they gave me back my xanax I would have a better appetite. So, here is my latest flip of my pond. For you Karen. Current Mood: amused

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May 12th, 2009

06:05 pm - So, I dont get out much I have now been home from radiation treatment for almost two weeks. After two weeks the mucous and pain are supposed to start receeding. I can't wait. Just imagine so much mucoiousis (think thats what they call it) That you alway feel like you have two layers of slime in your mouth and throat. And it's thick and coughing it up is hard but I have learned out to without throwing up. Because I can't afford to throw up a meal because I only weigh 115. I look iike a skeleton to me. I can't wait until I can eat real food instead of carnation instant meals, ensure, scrambled eggs were working but not putting enough weight on me I am on so much meds that I broke out in hives all over my whole body. And anybody who gets head and neck cancer, if they offer you radiation or try and tell you its all there is. Go to M.D. Anderson's in Houston Texas and ask for anything else, trials, alternative treatments. I really think radiation therapy is medeival and needs to be banned. So, I am watching Ellen and on my laptop. My son Paul gave me the latests Canon Rebel camera and I cannot even get excited about it. That is how down I am They took away my xanax. Just blip, gone. Claimed it was not addictive and I did not need to be weaned off it Instead they still have me on lorazapam which can really be hard to get off of. I am beginning to hate and have no confidence in the medical profession. I do not see any baby owls yet and wondering what happened. My daughter is here from 7am until 5am when my husband gets home. What do they think i might OD or take too much of something? My cousin Pam is coming next week to stay for two weeks because my daughter may be starting a job at J.C Penny. I sneak out of the house as much as I can. Usually I escape when my daughter goes over to her house to let her dog out and fix a sandwich Then I walk around the yard and look at my birds and flowers. I had a bluebird family and she laid six eggs and then just walked away and left them. I don't know why. Before I could not taste anything but I think a bit of taste is coming back. I brought home my mask from treatment. I put flowers through the holes in it < Current Mood: blah

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May 7th, 2009

05:55 pm - Home since last Wednesday I finished all of my 35 radiation treatments. Now all I do is sleep and take meds and try and drink liquid foods. But it is hard because of all the muoous which will last for two weeks. So, I throw up a lot. I have lost down to 113 pounds and I may have to go back up to Moffits for a tube feeding. And my neck is deeply burned and finally peeling. So, I sleep a lot. But just wanted you to know I was still recovering. I also have hives. NOt sure where this came from Ok thats all Current Mood: anxious

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April 4th, 2009

10:31 am - I learned to knit I learned to knit, originally uploaded by sparroweye. Just to let you know that I am still among the breathing. But sometimes I now have to add a pain pill to my xanax arsenal. Three and a half weeks to go. I must limit talking due to dryness in mouth and throat. Now the sore throat is so bad it is hard to swallow. I drink Carnation meals 560 calories a box. Later...... I learned to knit at Hope Lodge. Home for the weekend.

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March 27th, 2009

05:43 pm - Friday in Tampa Sorry I have been absent. We are in Tampa and I will be home Saturday at lunch time. We have to make up a treatment Sat. morning because their tomo machine was down last week for Thursday and Friday and they do not like you to be two treatments behind. I had an ultra sound of my thyroid on Tuesday. Everybody say prayers that all I have in my thyroid is a cyst. That is what they feel it is but these people do not take anything for granted. I could not have that treated at the moment anyway until I am healed from this radiation treatment. I can still eat but soft things go down easier. I will be drinking carnation breakfast drink in two weeks to supplement as it has 504 calories per serving. You have to order it, as it is no on the shelves at the pharmacy. In my whole life I never thought people would be telling me to EAT EAT EAT. I plan on trying banana, peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes with ice cream this weekend. An oncologist nutritionist says peanut butter adds protein. Veggies are hard to eat unless mushy. So fiber is hard to get in. I put flax meal in yogurt. I took this moon photo last weekend. Enjoy. My daughter is enjoying my owl family. I miss my dogs so much while I am here that I cannot allow myself to think of them. Sorry for being AWOL. Current Mood: blank

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March 14th, 2009

11:11 pm - Three down and Thirty-Two to go. I am home for the weekend. But will be leaving for Tampa again tomorrow after lunch. I have had three Tomo Therapy treatments. So far, I do not have a bad throat or side effects. That happens after week three. A man who is on his 13th treatment told me to get some aloe vera juice. I did and it tastes horrible. But I will use it as he said it enabled him to be able to swallow. I have already noticed a change in taste. Last week we stayed at the Fairfield Inn but tomorrow we are moving into an apartment at the Hope Lodge in Tampa. I will be home on the weekends. I will try and take some video of the Hope Lodge and upload it here. The place is really beautiful. And as soon as we can we will make a donation. It is operated and owned by the American Cancer Society, except for the fourth floor which belongs to Moffits. I have bluebirds checking out my bird house but a chickadee is already in it. And the chickadee is not budging. So, I put up another bird house. I really hate having to leave my dogs at home. But my kids are taking care of them for us. At least I do get to come home on the weekends. I hope the seven weeks go by fast. It will probably be months before I feel like my old self after I finish treatment. I will try and update when I can. I will be taking my laptop with me from now on as I will have a place to lock it up. Here is the latest photo of my new granddaughter, Felicity. She has such blue eyes. I hope they stay blue. Current Mood: hopeful

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February 27th, 2009

09:09 pm - March 11th That's the date they gave me for treatment on the Tomo Therapy machine. My team of doctors (I love the sound of that) have decided because I do not fit in any category or profile. That they do not want to treat me with traditional radiation but this new machine which incorporates a CT scan each time they give you radiation. So, that your treatment is adjusted by the computer daily. It also spares the salivary glands and you have less dry mouth problems. My friend Hilary in Kent England sent me a bouquet of Iris's from The Channel Islands. I was totally gobsmacked. It was so unexpected. And we only just met this year. I need to get back to painting or some hobby. I like these little plastic men called Munny's that you draw on. They have a store in Tampa, Florida and when I go for treatment I am going to buy some kits and try doing them. It looks like something that would keep my mind busy. I had a bluebird checking out my bluebird house. But I think a chickadee has claimed it. My husband has the respiratory flu or whatever this crud is that's going around where you get the worst sore throat ever and hack up chunks of gunk. I went to GNC and got some Sambucol syrup (elderberry extract) And he and I are both taking it. I am sleeping in the spare bedroom. I hope he stops running a fever tomorrow. This all started with a severe sore throat. Then the coughing started. It reminded me of this very scary flu I had one year where it hurt so bad to cough and the congestion was like glue and you could not cough it up. I remember thinking I was going to die. Television has gone crazy. They are doing reruns after just showing one or two weeks of new shows. Ok. this is all I know. Later. Current Mood: amused

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