What are you doing right now?

[Perfect Warrior]

& Mom's chemo is DONE!!! Her boyfriend was with her this time (yesterday) and the nurses were fussing about her being allowed only ONE visitor, so I left early. She got her PICC line out when they finished, and she's happy about that. I've been putting up with her getting me to be her personal online shopper this month, so all my due-in-a-week packages are hers. She had planned to come over when I roasted turkey, but she was so sick last time she rainchequed me twice (Once with only four hours notice. I ate what I had planned anyway that time.) She's taking the word 'raincheque' seriously and intends to come over for turkey-based supper when her packages are in.

Oh, and literally right now? I have turkey stew simmering on the stove. And it's all mine. Half is going in the freezer. Mom got a care package of the turkey & gravy yesterday so I don't see how she can 'raincheque' a package of it.

[Kat]

Cyrus... Nooooooooooooooooooo!

[Kat]

*waves back to the Q'ueen!*

[LamBear*]

Browsing the forums, trying to get caught up after a long absence. Cool, our sneezing/misery season won't come to the Hill Country in TX until Dec. and Jan. when the cedar pollen takes over. It's brutal.

Hello everyone. *waves cheerily*

[Cyrus The Great]

You are the Jacob Kell of post counts!

[Coolwater]

Warrior, could you do catch up work on the IT training? There seem to be a lot of tech jobs out there. (and you, too, Kat. You're always fixing other folks machines for free!)

I'm doing laundry and blowing my nose a lot. Stupid goldenrod.

[dubiousbystander]

I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you find something that works for you soon!

I'm still translating the German Highlander TV tie-in novel. It sometime weird, sometimes hilarious, sometimes good. I'm heading to the U.S. next week to visit family in Washington State!

[Kat]

That sucks. I know what you mean thought. *sigh*

[Perfect Warrior]

She's managed to avoid the I-word so far. *knocks on wood furiously*

This month I've been buckling down to trying to figure out a paying side gig. My IT training is a decade old, I haven't dealt with kids in ages. Is it time to apply to McDonalds? (But they want younger people. Their online application form even assumes recent schooling.)

[Coolwater]

Sympathy! Between clogs and infections, PIC lines can be a bear.

[Coolwater]

Nuh uhhh! Willum has wandered back in, too.

[Perfect Warrior]

It's been awhile since I posted, but I do lurk.


Had a job interview, didn't get the job. (Pack & slice for a bakery. It would have been a nice commute to a store I shop at.)

Mom's had her 4th chemo. Something happens every dang time. Plugged PICC, canceled because of a fever, etc. She's losing weight at an unrecommended rate.

Saw dad today for lunch. He's doing fine, thank God.

[Kat]

yeah... Sort of a habit that needs reforming.

[Coolwater]

Good. Webs and Z have been coming to APUK. Don't know if it's a last gasp or a resurgence, but it's nice.

[Kat]

hey'ya Cool!

[Coolwater]

Hiya, Kat!

[Kat]

*wanders in a little shyly* Hi all! Long time no see. Had some computer troubles over the last year, but... Hopefully I'm on my way back. Been Missing ya'll.

*takes double look at post count...* Why did I ever have Andrew change it to that? It might have been nearly my post count, but that's embarrassing. Considering it looks like most of ya'll didn't.

[Coolwater]

Our old TV died and even though it's probably fixable, Panasonic is out of the TV biz and we can't get parts. So, I've spent the whole day hooking up the new one. No manual. Still better than chemotherapy!!

[Haplo]

Trying to get a day off next week. Dreigha is having a device put into her back to help with pain

[Perfect Warrior]

Mom's chemo was cancelled yesterday because she had been vomiting earlier in the day, and so they're concerned she might be sick with something. There's irritation at the PICC site that they're swabbing and culturing, too. Can't wreck her immune system further if any of that is going on.

She was planning to take the bus back, but had her boyfriend take her back home. I'd been putting off a haircut, and finally got it done yesterday. The mind sometimes works in funny ways- did seeing mom almost bald, just a wispy cloud about her head (but nonetheless she got a proper haircut, not a buzz cut a few days before) push me to it? Mine gets too thick and sweaty when it grows out, now it's back to decent layers. If she had on her head what ended up on the salon floor mom would look better than usual.

The weather is giving us a brief break from the heat this weekend. Yesterday was hot even at noon (Usually hottest around suppertime) & the sundress-time heat is predicted to be back midweek.

[Colleengael]

Good thing they got her off the estrogen pills. It helped mom. Mom also started doing Tai chi and yoga to help build up her stamina and core strength and to help with her rheumatoid arthritis. She also crocheted to keep her hands limber. She really got into making soft hats for other chemo patients. Surprisingly she was very fond of my best of Highlander baseball cap because it was a very soft cotton blend and didn't scratch her head like most denim and canvas caps do. She even wrote a letter to Davis/ Panzer suggesting they market it as cancer patient friendly.

I hope you enjoyed Canada Day. I spent the 4th at home calming the dog. Most of the family had to work or spend the day with in-laws. It was in the 90s here and very humid. The dog didn't even want to go outside and had to be dragged out to relieve himself. Remember to give yourself breaks away from your mom each day. It will help relieve the stress of helping her during her chemo. Know that I have been in the same position and am here if you need to vent or ask advice.

[Coolwater]

It's bad when they don't think about the whole patient.

[Coolwater]

We're with you Warrior. Don't worry about it.

[Perfect Warrior]

The first dose was a week ago. She was there all day because the PICC line wasn't working. Put a drug into it to dissolve an assumed clot, x-rays, then finally replaced it. Every three weeks, and she wants me with her every time.
she's adamant about doing as much as she possibly can- she's put out about how this ruins her summer plans. Easily horribly wiped, but she's up at her boyfriend's cabin right now. The nurse at the cancer center gave her a talk that she had to 're-learn her body' (she's used to the limitations of arthritis) but it's looking like she's going to have to learn the hard way. I hope it's not too bad.

Diet? She has been put on anti-estrogen pills, and frets that her 1970's birth control and then hormone replacement after a hysterectomy could have contributed to her breast cancer. She also sometimes goes down pop-psychology rabbit holes, but that's not something I've ever encouraged in her. She has some reading material from the cancer centre on diet.

What *I'm* doing? It's finally a cool rainy day after a stretch of heat (possibly gumming up fireworks this evening (Canada day)) so I might get some baking done. & I have a document open for Camp NaNoWriMo, since July is the second month that writting dare runs.

[Colleengael]

Perfect Warrior...how is your mom doing? Has she tried changing her diet and the PH of her body chemistry. My mom did and was in remission for several years. Then the meds and diet her heart doctor had her taking caused her body chemistry to change back and so did the cancer. Her oncologist yelled at the heart doctor for prescribing a heavy soy diet to a breast cancer patient since the soy produces extra estrogen which triggers the breast cancer to flare up. Best wishes to your mom.