It Pays To Be 50!

So I was getting a few groceries at HyVee this morning and the place was packed! As I was checking out the gal asked me if I was 50......and I said "No" with a quizzical look on my face I am sure. I then said....oh yes I am I turned 50 in November. As it turns out those of us 50 and older get a 5% discount on Mondays and Tuesdays so there! My first senior citizen discount-I saved almost $3.00. Hey Karen, better start doing your shopping at HyVee on Monday or Tuesday!

Cabin progress report-David got the engineered floor laid in our bedroom a few weeks ago. This past weekend he put the finale coat of finish on the old floors and we installed (yes I said we- I cut boards and knitted while David put the floor in!) the floor in the living room. David got 2 coats of finish on that floor. Pictures pictures!

The kitchen area. Where you see David standing is the front door. The wall that you see will be his home made cabinets. To the right is the living room. The floors and walls are original in this room.

The living room. Ash tongue and groove flooring that we installed this past weekend. The walls and ceiling in this room are pine-new pine as it is a newly added room.

Looking from the doorway across the dinning room into the living room.

Down the hall to our bedroom. To the left is the guest bedroom and to the right is the bathroom. Floor in the hall and guest room are original, walls down hallway are new pine.

Guest bedroom. Original floor and two walls are original pine. We put new pine on two walls because we tore down all of the old walls to insulate and in doing so damaged many boards....SO we didn't have enough boards to re-do the walls. The new pine is lighter in color so it helps to make the place brighter.

Our bedroom with the bed ready to be put together! New pine walls and the floor is an engineered hickory (I think it's hickory!) We have a door going outside in this room which is to the left. We also have a spot for a washer and dryer which will be oh so nice. The closet is small small small but we are downsizing dang it!

And the bath. New pine walls, new floor tile and all new everything else. We actually moved the original bath into what was one of the existing bedrooms and then added on our bedroom. The bathroom vanity is actually an old commode that we bought from our friends Mikey and Jan. We found the sink basin at a junk shop. It is actually an old bowl that David cut a hole in and made a sink out of.

So as you can see it is coming along. After the wedding this next weekend we are going to go to the cabin that next week. We should have the cabinets in the kitchen and be all moved in! There is still plenty of work to be done but it will be nice to be in the cabin as opposed to the camper.

Man Do I Feel Dumb....But.....

Just finished my series of neuro-pshyc tests and boy oh boy it was three sessions of torture! These tests were performed because of my memory and cognitive difficulties and I'm thinking I must have flunked big time because I sure enough felt stupid. I can't even think of an example of any of the questions/situations that I had no clue the answers to but sure should have I am sure.

So even though I felt dumb as a brick I do feel better in that he sees a definite pattern in regards to my ole head. He says it is definitely the left hemisphere that is mush (not his words-mine) and my ability to learn and recall has been impaired. He says it would be his guess it is from the chemo as opposed to any thing else because it is so one sided. David and I go for the full results the second week in May. Doc says I can bring anyone along with me that I would like to hear the results and I said no no no....don't need anyone else hearing how much my brain has mushed!

The process itself, although painful and humiliating, was very interesting. And really very helpful to have someone, a professional, be able to tell with testing that something is amiss....it is not my imagination. So at our next appointment I will have to ask if this can regenerate, will it deteriorate etc etc etc. Whatever-at least I am here to tell the story huh? Perhaps one day soon this will be a recognized and talked about chemo side affect. I am betting once my oncologist receives the report he will study it and be more aware.

Speaking of my onc, tomorrow he should have more information in regards to the Tamoxifen and the ovaries. He had asked some of his colleagues from Jacksonville Florida but wanted to also ask the folks at Rochester as well. He is one of those guys that really likes to know everything that he can about something before he makes a recommendation....and I guess I have really come to appreciate that. After all, this is my life he is dealing with.

In a week and a half we will gain a new daughter in law. It seems like just a year and a half ago that they were starting to plan and here we are almost to the wedding day.

Ending today with shots of the first flowers that I spotted in our gravel pit on a walk with the dogs. I think there are Lilies of the Field and Jack in the Pulpit about to bloom as well but there are way too many wood ticks out now to go back...maybe next week without the dogs I will go to get pictures of those-I don't like waking up at 2am with a tick crawling on my neck and hand!

Oh I started a new knitting class...I am now learning how to knit socks. I don't wear socks...ever even in the winter. But these are so danged nice I may just start! Pictures of my first completed pair will surely be posted on the blog. Next week I learn how to make a 'Top Down Sweater'. Fun fun fun. It may take me 6 times longer than anyone else to make something but I don't care!

So, He's Not Sonny and Cher

Craig Morgan...who in the heck is Craig Morgan?

I came across this on one of the cancer blogs that I read and thought it was good. I seriously have no clue who Craig Morgan is (I suspect you do huh Rhonda???) but I appreciate what he has to say not only in his song 'Tough' but in explaining the song.

Even though this is 'originally' about his wife who has breast cancer.....it is really about all women and how tough we really are. So ladies, stand up and be counted...we are one tough lot no matter what we have going on in our lives.

Hopefully this link will work (you may have to copy and paste it). If it does click on Studio 330 sessions and then the song tough (come on Lenny even you who probably doesn't like country music can do this!). After the song go back and click on interviews/Craig Morgan explains the song Tough.

http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/morgan_craig/videos.jhtml

On another note-spring has sprung....finally-

And there's nothing like a couple hour hike at 7 mile park with a good friend and our dogs.

And The Beat Goes On

La De Da De De-------La De Da De Da

Every time something new comes up in regards to my breast cancer this song runs through my head......you shush Lenny!

So it seems, much like a stubborn Grunst....my body is being stubborn. Stubborn has been good in that this ole bod has refused to let the bc get me so thank you very much. However, at my last oncology appointment he informed me that my body is not metabolizing the Tamoxifen very well. What the hell...why should it...it doesn't metabolize food very well either dang it. OK so I digress....anyway, the Tamox is an oral med that one takes to keep the cancer away. You take it until you are in full menopause and then you switch to a med that works for folks in menopause.

Since I seem to NOT be in full menopause (then what in the hell are all of these hot flashes about anyway I say!) the doc cannot yet switch me to one of the other meds that would hopefully be metabolized by my body thus work as it should.

He is researching a couple of options, talking with colleagues in Rochester and I suspect Jacksonville FL. One option would be to do blood work frequently and the minute it shows that I am in full menopause switch me to an alternate med...OR force those ovaries to stop working thus putting me in menopause. My cancer is estrogen fed so I really need to not be producing the stuff!

The doc seems to be leaning towards waiting and watching. Me, I tend to say yank those ovaries, who needs em. Not me at this age! Anyway, he doesn't seem all that concerned about it all so I will see what he finds out huh?

By the way, I LOVE Sonny and Cher...again you shush Lenny.

Happy Ham Eating Day To You

I know I know this is Easter and it is not ham eating day. But I love ham and that is what most traditionally have on this day. I however only get ham now at Christmas (since mom is no longer with us to make me my Easter ham)-for Christmas David's mom keeps me happily supplied with ham.

We are having beef stroganoff at our house today with homemade buns (like my momma used to make...ok ok so she didn't make them from scratch either but I did make them the way she made them and I ain't telling our secret!).

And of course during the holidays I tend to think of my mom because she was always the one that made sure we were very well fed. As I putter around my kitchen I feel her with me-hummm wonder if I make as many circles as she used to? Anyway, as you all know I am not and never have been a big baker but by golly I am pretty proud of this masterpiece. Isn't my bunny cake just cute as can be!

And I really did make it by myself-INCLUDING- the bunny pattern. This is no bunny cake pan folks so there!

Happy Easter.

Bobbi

Another Leg of My Journey

Started today. Back to Mayo for what is called an extraction. They drew 200 cc's off of each side. I no longer have rock hard melons sitting on my chest! I have to wait another 6 weeks, then go back to the plastic surgeon at which time he checks to make sure the muscle has not contracted and snapped back to the chest wall (thus closing the pocket meaning there would be no room for the REAL fake boobs). If all is well I then schedule a time for the exchange surgery-which will be beginning of June. My plastic surgeon suggested that I wait until I am finished with my Herceptin (June sometime) so that he can not only do the exchange surgery but could take out my port while I am under (otherwise my regular surgeon would take the port out during an office visit under local anesthesia). I am thinking that it sure would be nice to have it all done at once huh? I will have to ask my oncologist if he recommends taking the port out right away. Lots of folks leave them in for a year or so 'just in case'. I guess they are more difficult to put in if you need them put in a second time. It's almost unreal for me to think that this is almost done. I wonder how I will feel once I am no longer going to weekly treatments. It is you see a bit of a safety net....while doing treatments I am still actively fighting the beast. I will just have to wrap my head around the fact that there is no longer a beast to fight and enjoy no longer having weekly doctor appointments!

Cabin update-Our cabin appeared to be undisturbed last weekend which is a good thing! We did not get as far on the floor as we had hoped. For petes sake you would think with all of the remodeling that David and I have done we would know that things always take longer than you think...... We did however get the floor sanded. I ran the floor sander for two days straight, used muscles I forgot that I had! David got one coat of poly on the floor. I have decided that people who re-do floors for a living do not charge near enough for their work! My friend Mary just had hers redone and she got one hell of a deal in my opinion!

Eagles-man there were eagles everywhere last weekend up north. Not a single good photo shot was to be had though.