11-30 First Tat

I got my first ink yesterday. They are called radiation tattoos and they are used to position the beam. Three tiny little pin pricks in deep blue. 

The red is magic marker just to help them get me aligned. 
I met the Radiation  Dr and got the details on the procedure and scheduling. Lots of information, I will share with you all as I go along. They agreed to a reprieve for the month of December and I start in January. As for trying to bargain with him to get less than 6 weeks; that was a no-go. He says it is "all or nothing". 


Meantime the port-a-cath can come out and I've scheduled  the removal with the surgeon who put it there. (Merry Christmas to myself)
If you don't know what it is here is the link http://www.bardaccess.com/port-powerport.php
It is implanted under my skin near the collar bone on my left side.  

11-29

This afternoon I see the Radiation Oncologist, get blood work, visit with my regular Oncologist and see someone in research. I also have PT after work. It's going to be a long afternoon.
In other news, no new hair growth.I'm asking around to find a stylist who will be willing to transition me through the coming year (and maybe charge me for a guy's cut instead of women's full price!) 

11-28 Post Holiday

I busied myself around the house all weekend and resisted the temptation to "shop the sales" 
Michael and I did trim a tree out on 360. People started on them early this year and that spot is now completely filled.
 The Papa Noel tree tents are up and selling. I can't decide if I am going to put up a tree inside. We are supposed to have work done on the ceiling downstairs that includes repainting so the whole thing has to be covered in plastic and some of the furniture moved......

10 Vodka and closets

I was still thinking about the vodka pie crust here are a few more odd uses.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/vodka-uses-460424

Spending my long weekend cleaning out closets. When I saw the photo boxes I had to stop and go through them. This is me in May 1969, a few months before my 6th birthday.

11-24 Turkeys and Vodka

Here's a photo of me at 8:30am prepping my side dishes for later today. I'm only making sweet potatoes and pear crisp but knowing that the oven will be on I am also throwing together a  spinach quiche and some zucchini gratin for myself. I never learned how to cook "just one thing". Partly from my frugal Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing and partly from my restaurant  background. However I do find cooking very therapeutic and don't mind the clean-up either. 
Back to the bottle of vodka on the counter. I found this pie crust recipe all over the net a few years ago. Here's a link to one of my favorite food bloggers...she gives you tons of detailed photos.  I've used this crust recipe many times with great results. Even with wheat flour. 
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/pie-crust-101/

The camera is on top of the fridge for this angle. 
The other night I was in the grocery store after yoga and passed by a cart where a little girl was sitting and I heard her say "pirate". I thought she was looking at a box of cereal but then I noticed she was pointing to me. (I had come from yoga and had on the pink bandanna I'm wearing here).


Second photo here courtesy of my friend Saira who made these too-cute cupcakes for her daughter's class. 

Hoping all of you have time for family and friends today.

11-23 Choosing Insurance for 2012

It's the time of year to make insurance elections for 2012. You can bet I am going to choose the "good plan" this time around. 
a few comparisons; This should cut my costs quite a bit.

2011             2012

Deductible               $1500.00       $200.00

Out of pocket Max    $5000.00       $1000.00

Co-Pay                    $30.00          $20.00

Coverage                 80%              70%
out of paycheck       $480.00      $1536.00

Wishing you all safe travels and an enjoyable holiday weekend. I'm excited abut having 4 days with no appointments and extra time for yoga. 

11-21 A dozen lashes

 I have about a dozen lashes on my top lids and 5each on the bottoms. Eyes still a bit red and tearing. Hair should start growing back in 8-10 weeks. 

yep, that's a sleeveless top. We've had a few warm days the past week. 

11-20 Walk this way

Setting goals. Told myself I could walk 3 miles in an hour this morning. Did it in 48 minutes. Town Lake makes the time fly by and the warm weather helps too. 

11-18 Thanksgiving early

Thanksgiving pot luck lunch today at work. We've had this tradition for years at Bay and it's nice to share food and sit and eat as a group. We're booking more orders now for early next year and all of us are stumbling with entering 2012! 

New Beanie, Thanks Diane!

11-17 Be Happy

"For every minute you are angry, you loose sixty seconds of happiness"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
ok I'm a realist so I might re-word that as sixty seconds of potential happiness......

This photo makes me happy....super cool DIY rope rugs. 


and here's another...some yard art

11-16 Second Opinion

Some of you know how sideswiped** I was by my Dr.'s news last week that I now  need 30 rounds of radiation. She says it's always been on the program for me but I seriously don't recall discussing it. Maybe I was too focused on the Chemo?
Anyhow, now that the rush of the last 6 months is fading I feel like it's time to get another opinion,  possibly other options or at the very least a different point of view. If I have to work with an Oncologist for the next five years I want to feel like we are communicating. 
Today I'll see a different Dr. and see how it goes. 


**for "sideswiped" insert: Furious, Ticked Off, Pissed, Upset, Shocked....

11-14 What were they thinking?

Good intentions but slightly misguided...?


As a "survivor" I got another cancer goodie bag for the 5k. 
Contents: 
*pink shopping bag
*drawstring sports bag
*pink T (other race participants got white)
*pink Hat
*a packet of coffee
*a packet of tea bags
*a ceramic "muffin" thing-a-ma-bob 
*a mauve-ish colored apron 

umm, yep, that's right.  ceramic muffin thingie. 
 Pandora is a jewelry company. So why the dorky references to baking and cooking. 


here are a few  things I would have rather had:
*a trashy/fluff magazine for all those hours spent in Dr. offices
*a 15 minute neck rub or foot massage
*$5.00 coupon for Whole Foods or to Amy's or to Thundercloud or...you get my drift


This other stuff is up for grabs so if you see something you like you know where to find it. And no worries, I have no plans to re-gift these over the holidays. 

12-13 Fun Day Ahead, added to later that day

Me and some 30k other people will be downtown for the Susan Komen 5k this morning. 
We had a nice warm weekend so we get to wear shorts (Yeh!).
I'm waiting for the gang to show up and we are car-pooling. Will post more later today. 

 I did two things today I'm not supposed to....spent hours in the sun and ate raw fruit. Both felt great. 

11-12 It's a good day

It's a good day when I can take a 2 hour yoga workshop. I've only been to 2 yoga classes in the past 14 days and I'm really looking forward to this. 
Baked a coffee cake and some zucchini bread & muffins  for tomorrow's brunch. My taste is still off but my 6 year old neighbor says the zucchini muffins are good and I take that as a great compliment coming from a child! 

11-11-11 Auspicious Day?

White Blood count .9, I'm back on Levoquin for a week and no raw veg or fruit. 


Some trivia for 11-11-11
**The number eleven is the fifth prime number 
**Blackjack players love the number eleven. It usually means time to double down, but not always..

 Most predictions and opinions concerning 11/11/11 are based on or rooted in its mathematical uniqueness as a number.

11*11*11: There are three possible scenarios:

1. Something good happens— There is absolutely no scientific basis for this belief. There are no known logical premises for this belief. The belief that something good will happen is based solely on spiritualism, faith, and/or innate optimism. This belief is not necessarily a bad thing; we don’t know everything; the probability is not zero.

2. Nothing happens— This is the most likely scenario. Just because an unusual date number sequence occurs doesn’t mean that something extraordinary will happen. Usually it’s a non-event.

3. Something bad happens— There is absolutely no scientific basis for this belief. There are no known logical premises for this belief. The belief that something bad will happen is based solely on pessimism of reality. This belief is not necessarily false; after all, things are generally/usually a mess. The probability is not zero.

I LOVE that...3 possible scenarios.....something good happens, nothing happens, something bad happens.....

Live your day however you choose and see what happens. 

I'm hoping for a good day, THINGS  will happen. 

11-9 Hump Day

"By letting go it all gets done"--Lao Tzu

11-8 Boobs for buns?

 buns from Danish baker Kohbergare doing their part in fighting breast cancer. Part of the profit from the sale of bread with this clever package design by Envision go to benefit The Danish Cancer Society
Everybody gets in on it. 

If I actually had a long term condition of not being able to taste what I eat I think I really would go insane. This is one of my most challenging side effects. I feel hungry, everything tastes like paste so I get no brain to mouth satisfaction and then the chemo in my gut is churning and flip flopping but the anti nausea meds keep it all down. Ever have one of those days when you want to get sick because you know how much better you will feel as soon as you do? That's how I feel for about 5 days out from the session. 

10-7 Steroids, hot flashes and metal mouth

Came home from my appointment Friday and found this beautiful flower arrangement some friends had brought over. Gorgeous. I've never had an orchid before. 

Wide awake at 2:00am, stared at the ceiling for a few hours. Finally went back to sleep only to wake up at 5:00am soaking from a hot flash. Metal mouth has set in and my teeth ache. The day can only get better. 

11-5 Largest bra?

To promote breast cancer awareness, the British ad agency Chillisauce placed a huge bra across a building in London. At 30 meters across, it may be the largest bra in the world. It must not have been very effective, because they had to use scaffolding to reduce bounce.


I'm up and around. Moving a little slow, low fever but no chills!

11-4 later in the day

Even though it contained  a few hours of chemo I  can honestly say today was a great day.

Thanks Jackie for the customized crown!

And my wonderful nurses who baptized me in confetti.

11-4 Round #6

“You can do anything, but not everything.”~David Allen


OMGosh, took my wig off the other day and left it in the downstairs bathroom and forgot about it. Nala Kat found it an almost made a nest out of it. Needs a good wash and it should be ok.
I find myself reaching for a hat these days or a light-weight scarf. They don't pull as much or add weight to my head or get in my face. I love the look of the wig but can't wear it eight hours in a row. 
Hi ho hi ho its off to chemo I go......
Round six today and I expect it will go by in a flash. Freezer and cupboard stocked up for my weekend lock-in. 

11-2 Nails

My nails are suffering. They are  yellow and full of ridges and white spots. I'm surprised they are still growing. My hands are chapped from all the  hand sanitizer I am  using (Dr's orders). 

"Things fall apart so that other things can fall together"--anonymous