What are you up to today? This week?

[rackey]

I haven't been on this thread for awhile, so Deb, I am sorry to learn you are experiencing complications from treatment that was suppose to help, rather than hurt you. Doctors need to be more forthcoming and compassionate when it comes to side-effects, and they are suppose to weigh the benefits againsts the risks - hopefully with the patient's input as well. Doctors also need to listen before acting. You are a strong woman who has overcome a lot, so hopefully this will be just another phase for you to overcome in your pursuit to being well.

Jeremy hang in there. You are a bright and versatile person who will find satisfying work. Don't be so quick to dismiss the city legal position, as sometimes it takes a while before budgets can be approved and final decisons made. If that doesn't pan out, something else will.

As for me, I was tentatively going to swim in a friend's pool as he is closing it for the season. However, it rained all day yesterday and is somewhat chilly today. So I am catching up on some things around the house. I also need to go grocery shopping for a few items. I know - I am boring, but at least I have my Garfield house to look forward to, as it is currently being renovated. Also, some fall dollhouse shows are coming up.

[kat57]

Just a quick hello from Baldy here. (Pasting on my bravest,not quite fake,but way too toothy smile.) I have read all the wonderful well wishes and inquiries about how I've been since my 2nd chemotherapy session here and in the Bad News Kat topic (I really hope to change that title one day!lol) and today y'all have given me so many real smiles and some soft tears. I haven't felt like getting online for more than a week until today,but will catch you up just a bit.

I haven't had nearly as much of the awful body aches and pains from the white blood cell builder injections this time (Much thanx to 1 Claritin daily during the 5 days of those and 1 Lortab daily as needed!),but my digestive tract is trashed most days. I am sooooo sick of ImmodiumAD (most of you know what it's for-ugh!) and not being able to eat what I want to without horrid consequences.

The fatigue has increased as expected,so I mostly stay in my room in bed. And the ever present realities of Cancer have increased my depression,anger,and fears. So I just tried to stay quiet and to myself...talking about it only makes things worse for me. But,my mother and sons are my faithful caregivers and loving moral support (I haven't wanted to talk to anyone else lately.) that I am ever so grateful for!

Well,now that I've bummed you all out with my gloom and doom,let me say thank you with all my heart for all your prayers and positive energy-I have truly felt it! (And that is a real smile!)~Kat

[Anna]

Here comes a huge hug to you Kat! Do not envy you all what you are going through, not one bit and can only be here as a support "in the air" the emotional roller coaster is a helluva' ride on top of the body reacting to the meds as well. Sending strenght and courage!!,

:hug:

Hugs

[havanaholly]

Not that you'll want this now, Kat, but for later: {HUG}

[kat57]

Thanx,Anna and Holly,I needed that! I hope no one has misunderstood me-I don't mind sharing or listening to advice when I'm up to it,if y'all don't mind 'listening' to my belly aching! It's just that I am,as most of you here know by now,and ANYONE in my face-to-face life knows,a bit of a chatterbox,to put it mildly! But this has become so real now that it is scaring the bits out of me and some days I am really fighting to not crawl up into my shell and stay! So,I am grateful to anyone who is keeping me in their prayers and I'll do the same for y'all!Thanx!

On a lighter note,I guess I need to start looking into getting a wig-maybe it will help my mood,as I am so disgusted with looking at the bald headed me in the mirror! Oh,vanity,vanity!LOL But,really,old Uncle Fester keeps coming to mind-and that ain't pretty! Yikes!

[havanaholly]

...On a lighter note,I guess I need to start looking into getting a wig-maybe it will help my mood,as I am so disgusted with looking at the bald headed me in the mirror! Oh,vanity,vanity!LOL But,really,old Uncle Fester keeps coming to mind-and that ain't pretty! Yikes!

Bald is beautiful, Kat; here are two of my favorite people while they were fighting the fight:

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT.NLjhZUgo0AAxFXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0ZHZocmMzBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDUwOF8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=melissa+etheridge+bald

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT9WojhZUdVsAmetXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTB0ZHZocmMzBHNlYwNzYwRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDUwOF8x?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=robin+roberts+bald

[kat57]

Oh,yes,two amazing women,Holly! I have a special memory of Robin;nearly 3 decades ago when she was still on the local Mississippi news channel as a sports reporter and I shyly said hello to her at a marathon event over in Mobile,I was mesmerized by her beauty and sweet,gentle manner way back then-who knew what all was ahead for her??-wow!

I'm up early to go to a follow up appointment with my surgeon. Last time he said something about a breast ultrasound-not sure whether they'll do it today or schedule it,but I am anxious to see concrete proof of the changes in my tumor. I cannot feel it as much as when all this started,so,fingers crossed!!

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

(((((Hugs)))))) dear Kat.....

[havanaholly]

Kat, my fingers are crossed for you, too.

[pdlnpeabody]

On a lighter note,I guess I need to start looking into getting a wig-maybe it will help my mood,as I am so disgusted with looking at the bald headed me in the mirror! Oh,vanity,vanity!LOL But,really,old Uncle Fester keeps coming to mind-and that ain't pretty! Yikes!

I think I still have a purple Mohawk from my Goth days somewhere around here. It's yours if you want it and if I can find it. . .

Yesterday, we went to Kanapaha Botanical Garden as part of a homework assignment my DW's art teacher gave the class. They were having a "Painting in the Park" event last weekend. We walked around taking photos and chatting with artists painting different areas of the garden. The kids got tired before we found the garden maze, but they did get to see 3 sinkholes, a bamboo forest and the giant lily pads in one of their ponds. I took a few photos, but I'm tempted to go back without the kids when it cools down and photograph the entire park. I'll have the photos I did take, posted on my Flickr account today.

[chapchap73]

Trying to get rid of some nasty food poisoning I picked up over the weekend. The good side is that I've lost 5 pounds in 2 days although I can't recommend this as a viable weight loss solution. :lol:

Got Gibbs (my avatar) back from the vet this evening looking a little like Frankenstein. Poor baby had to have some cysts removed; he's looking a little funny with shaved spots and stiches in about 5 places. At least nothing was cancerous! The other two mourned his absence by chewing up my checking account statement.

[CheckMouse]

Food poisoning is no fun! Glad you've recovered okay.

Today is my NOTHING day. Coming to the end of the State Fair - what a marathon that is. Just turned in my time sheet for 59 hours in the last 5 days. I'm off today and tomorrow, then back on for the last four days of the Fair. I love that fair, but it does take a toll! Unfortunately, I seemed to have picked up a germ or two and am now fighting off a cold. Short nights, hundreds of people, public restrooms -- how could I possibly find a germ in all that?? A little while ago I said to my DH that I hadn't accomplished anything all day today. He said, "Yes, you have - you are recharging your battery." I think I'll stay plugged in a little longer, and keep charging!

[Selkie]

Sounds like a good idea - to recharge I mean.

[KathieB]

It is almost 3 am and I'm prowling the internet after watching an episode of "An Idiot Abroad". If you've seen or heard of the program, you'll know how low I've sunk. All because I had a diet Coke with pizza for supper. I KNOW I shouldn't drink caffeine after 10 am if I want to sleep at night. *sigh*

[havanaholly]

Both DH & I have a paradoxical reaction to caffeine, so it doesn't keep us awake; but certain food fats will do a number on my system and Sunday night I was awake until 0400 Monday AM; I read Carl Hiaasen's Hoot again, so it wasn't a total waste.

We have to run errands on the AL side of the river today, so we'll get to hit the thrift stores.

[Cheverly]

Wow, Sarah & CJ... hope you both feel better soon (and Gibbs too, sweet baby)!! Kathie, I haven't seen "An Idiot Abroad", but I imagine it's a lot like "The Kardashians". I really can't stand reality TV. The sad thing is that I feel my generation started it since we got hooked on The Real World on MTV (back when they actually used to play videos) and it's been a non-stop slew of ridiculousness since. Such a slippery slope to societal ruin...

This week is just work and minis once I get home. I've decided to go ahead and move my craft room into my daughter's old room, so I'll be painting it and making that transition this weekend. I'm so excited!

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Yup, no caffeine for me after noon if I want to sleep. And cool-o Cheverly! More room!

[jbnmini]

Hugs to Kat, Deb and Sarah!

CJ- love that your State Fair has a mini division! I would love to enter my dollhouses, but our local fair has a dollhouse category that is only for completely scratch-built. :/ I am not a scratch builder. I wish these people were intelligent enough to know that just because it may be from a kit doesn't take away from the creativity & skill it takes to create the finished product! Or at least have 2 categories: scratch-built and kit houses. Then to boot, our State Show has no dollhouse division at all! sheesh. OK- enough of my soapbox. LOL

This rest of this week is gonna be busy: My daughter and her hubby are coming in for her friend's wedding on Saturday evening. I am helping her friend do some of the flowers, plus our whole family is in charge of setting up for the extended-family reunion Saturday afternoon! It's gonna be a crazy day! At any rate, I'm looking forward to having my daughter and son-in-law home for a bit.

[CheckMouse]

Jackie - Sorry about the narrow-mindedness of your local fair. The only advantage of a kit is that the pieces have already been cut out for those of us who don't have a workroom with all the necessary equipment. Skill and talent are required to take those flat pieces of wood and create a delightful house out of them.

I found out the other day that our Fair lumps all scales together. They have Category (dollhouse) and Class - kit, scratch-built, furnished, unfurnished, etc. No mention of scale. So my little bitty house was competing with the big boys. In the same Class, a 1:12 got 1st place, and another 1:12 got 3rd place. Made me feel better about getting 2nd place

[Selkie]

Our fair has NO category for them at all. The only way you can enter them is if you scratch build and enter it in the Category - Woodworking - Class - handmade toy.

[pdlnpeabody]

Hope you're getting better, CJ.

The only kits I build are plastic cars, boats and planes, but I noticed early on that kit houses really are only a shell that require a lot of added materials, work and creativity. I don't know if a separate class might be in order, but banning them all together isn't right.

I went to a follow up appointment with my new PCP this morning. He had mixed news. I have a hernia behind my sternum. I have no idea how I got it or if it's related to the sharp chest pains I get several times a year, but he wasn't worried about it. The other news is that I already have another kidney stone. It's been less than a year since I was free and clear, but it's already almost 3 mm in diameter. Not a surgical issue yet, but I would much rather pass it now than get roto-rootered in an O.R. full of medical staff again. Regardless, it's certainly not worth complaining about. Knowing what Kat and several of our other GL family members are going through, I only have minor hiccups to deal with. At the very least, everyone will get another funny story to laugh about sooner or later.

I almost forgot- I let Julianna play with the unfinished Tudor house for the first time a few days ago. Now she wants to keep it. The day before she wanted the MacKenzie B & B. either way, it doesn't look like anyone will ever buy either of them anyway, so I guess it isn't a total loss.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

My DH had kidney stones last year, right after I thought he needed more calcium in his diet....my bad! He had his blasted and that worked real well. So far he has been good--(stopped the calcium supplements right away!)

[Cheverly]

Heidi, haven't heard from you lately, and I hope you are well. Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you this morning. :hug:

[havanaholly]

I'm on supplemental calcium AND vitamin D₃ for osteoporosis; so far, no kidney stones...

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Holly, you might want to look into adding Boron too.