Update...

I had my simulation for my radiation treatments, which start on Monday. It was very interesting. They needed to find a position for me that minimized skin folds in the treatment area, because folds in the skin cause that area to get "double dosed" during treatment, and can cause sore/ burned spots. They also make something called a "cradle" for you to lay in during treatment, so that you are always in the exact same position every time. This was done with something that looked like a thin, blue pillow. It was filled with Styrofoam like beads. When they find the position they want, the air is sucked out of the "pillow", and it conforms to your body and becomes solid and firm. They then take an MRI to determine where they want the radiation to target, and then they draw on your skin with paint markers, and cover the most important points with clear bandage tape, to protect the marks. The whole process took less than an hour.

This was done yesterday. We then took 2 of our horses to Conroe to be freeze branded. The Montgomery County Horseman's Association holds a low cost freeze branding clinic every year. We have gotten 2 new horses in the last year, and wanted them marked, to protect them from being easy targets of horse thieves. They are now sporting patches on their flanks where the hair has been shaved off, and they have mild freezer burns, that I treated with generic preparation-H. It relieves pain, shrinks swelling, and is thick, and oily enough to stay in place. This is the recommended treatment. When healed up, the hair will grow in white where they were branded, and the whole process is much less painful than a hot brand.

Good Bye Jane't

I was awakened yesterday by a phone call from a horse friend. She was calling for another friend, who had borrowed her trailer to haul her 3 horses to my farm. The call was to tell my that Jane't had died. Janet Smith-Bozarth, AKA Mistress Jane't Virago Parva of House Morningstar, had some kind of seizure about 5:00 Am. Her husband heard her moaning loudly, and went in to wake her from what he thought was a nightmare. She was lying face down on the floor, and he couldn't wake her. After calling 911, he started CPR. The paramedics arrived quickly, and took over, but she never rallied, and was pronounced dead at St Luke's Hospital. I don't know if an autopsy was done to determine what caused her sudden death. She was 6 months older than me, just 54.

Everyone is shocked and saddened by her death. She was so vibrant and lively. I had spoken to her just the night before, after she and James had been out to feed the livestock at the farm. When I saw her on Tuesday she was fine. She sometimes used a cane when her knee bothered her, but she wasn't using it that day. She was active in the SCA, and planned to merchant at an event this weekend, and next. It is hard to believe that someone that vital could be gone in an instant. What time bomb was lurking inside her body that went off in her sleep, and ended her existence? She was a cancer survivor, like me. Unlike me she had uterine cancer, not breast, but she had beaten it. She had survived a fractured skull from a horse accident, and a fractured knee from an automobile accident. She never had children of her own. Her horses and birds were her children, and the many youngsters in the SCA whom she helped.

There have been many messages on the SCA lists that I'm on about how she had touched this life, and that one. How she was one of the early women to fight heavy, and how she has been active in the equestrian community. She leaves a large hole, that will be hard to fill.

Good bye old friend. Sleep in peace, or if you would rather, ride the clouds with Girlie, and Molly, until we meet again.

Dr appointment...

I think my Dr wanted to be at my appointment because he thought I was signing up for the osteoporosis drug study. The good news is I don't have osteoporosis. The bad news, I don't have the bones of a 30 year old. I have something called Osteopenia in my spine, with low normal bone mineral density in my femoral necks. Bone density is normal if it is at or above -1.0, osteopenic, if between-1.0 to -2.5, and osteoporotic if at or below -2.5. My spinal has a T score of -1.9. The Dr recommended I start taking calcium supplements, and will repeat the scan in a year, to see how my bones compare. I was worried that there was something really wrong with my bones. This I can handle.

Tuesday 5/20

Not a whole lot going on here, just day to day stuff. Last weekend the last of the pasture was brush hogged. Several more post holes got drilled and posts set. I started slowly planting some of the many trees. Slowly because we have had such a dry spring that the ground is so hard, I had to dig a little, fill the hole with water, let it sit, dig a little more, rinse repeat. I also organized some more in the barn.

We have 3 more horses in residence as of today.

I planned on renewing my brand and getting a DBA today, but my printer is out of black ink, and I spent the morning trying to get the cartridge refilled, but the chip on it was bad, so no good, and I had to order ink from Dell, which means several days without a working printer.

I'm back to near normal. I'm feeling more energetic, and am trying to get more things done each day, rather than sitting at the computer. Mike and I worked in the back yard and back porch on Friday cleaning, sweeping and trashing junk. Saturday was heavy trash day and we wanted to get stuff out early. Anything metal was picked up by recyclers, before the fact, including a length of ducting that Mike left in front of the fence, but not on the curb. Someone helped themselves.

Yesterday was my husband's birthday. He is double nickles this year. We went out to dinner with our family. Our youngest son couldn't make it, as his manager was fired, and he had to open and close the store. I bought Mike a set of battery operated power tools for his gift. He wanted a 2008 Mustang GT, but that just isn't in the budget yet. These will be very useful when we need to work away from the barn, but need power.

I have a follow up appointment at MDACC tomorrow, to get the results of my bone density test from last week. I hope it isn't bad news. My regular oncologist changed last weeks appointment to this week so he would be there, instead of his colleague. I'll write about it after I get home. My back is doing much better, since I'm taking my joint stuff, and taking Aspirin as well as Tylenol. I take Tylenol first thing in the morning, and aspirin in the early afternoon, then Tylenol when I go to bed. This seems to work well, and I take a break and sit down, if it starts to hurt.

ETC.

I'm feeling stronger everyday. I'm doing my range-of-motion exercises twice a day, and taking my vitamins. I'm trying to exercise, but I'm not a good self starter. Maybe tomorrow...
I'm getting my hair back. It is very short, but it is slowly getting longer and thicker. It is just fuzzy right now, but soon...

I love this time of year, when the horses have about shed their winter woollies, and look all shiny and new. We have two new g. pigs. They were rescued by a friend, who has too many and we have males also, so don't need to worry about a population explosion. They are slowly getting used to being outside. They were always kept indoors, and don't quite know what to think about sunshine, cool breezes, and fresh, green grass. The 2 sets of 2 are in side, by side cages on the ground, where they can get acquainted. This weekend, they will get their own enclosure together, as the pen with the rabbits and ducks was getting too crowded. The two hens have their own movable chicken enclosure already.

Grandson was under the weather today. I hope he is recovered by the weekend, as we are supposed to camp out at the property again to minimize fuel usage, and maximize working hours. I'm hoping to get more fencing done. I want to plant a vegetable garden, but, until we fence the yard off from the horses, there is no point, as the horses would eat everything as soon as it popped up.

Monday is husband Mike's Birthday. He will be double nickles this year. I think I'm going to get him a good set of cordless power tools. We now have electricity in the barn, but there are times when we need power tools away from there, and extension cords won't reach across 49 acres.
He really wants a new Ford Mustang, but the budget won't stretch that far yet.

Tuesday PM

I went to MDACC today for a scheduled bone density scan. I was scheduled to see an oncologist tomorrow, for the results. This was not my regular Dr, but one of his associates that I had seen once before, during my treatment. I received a call this afternoon from MDACC telling me that my Dr wanted me to wait till next week when he could see me himself. I now have a 10:00 appointment with Dr Pusztai next Wednesday, 5/21.
I'm a little worried that they found something on the bone density test that he feel he needs to address, and didn't want his associate to handle it. I feel fine, but I have been having problems with my back. It is much better, since Chemo is finished, but still not totally gone.

The Dr had suggested I join a 3 year study of osteoporosis drugs that are thought to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. I was ready to sign up, till I read the flyer on it. Our insurance would have to foot the bill for all medications, and tests, and some of the side effects are really scary. I've decided not to sign up at this time. I don't see the point of taking a drug that might kill you, to prevent the recurrence of something that might kill you.
I'll take my chances on the one I know I have a good chance to beat, and it won't put me at risk of all sorts of bad things. If I need something for osteoporosis, I'll go with a tried and true medication, not something untested, with known side effects that are likely to cause me grief.

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all mothers had the kind of day they wished for. I spent the day at the farm. We camped there Saturday night, to save on fuel. Diesel is as high as $4.29 a gallon. That is outrageous!

It was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm, with a nice breeze. We puttered around, organizing things in the barn, while husband Mike brush hogged the pasture, and grandson played on his slip and slide. About 6:00, we saddled up, and rode around in the pastures for about an hour. I'm chafed and slightly sore, but it felt good to be back in the saddle again.

Yahoo!!!!

I had my drain removed today. I also had an ultrasound of my left arm, and there is no sign of a clot, so I'm off the blood thinners. According to my oncologist, I shouldn't have needed to go back on them. I don't think any of the nurses actually spoke to him, but spoke to another doctor who wasn't familiar with my case, and they said I needed to continue the fragmin. He said, because we knew what had caused my clot, (the port line in my arm), and the cancer was removed, which contributed to the forming of the clot, that after the tumor was removed, I was OK to discontinue the drug.

He ordered the test, after I pitched a fit, but wasn't surprised that the clot was gone, and the problem resolved. I'm very happy that I'm cancer free, drain free, and don't have to give myself injections any more.

I have 3 weeks before I start my radiation treatments.

Monday 5/5

We had a busy weekend. My daughter planned a big birthday party for my grandson. He turned 5 on 4/29. My Son-in-law BBQed brisket and chicken, made potato salad, and cole slaw. They bought a slip and slide that came with 2 boogie boards, and a wading pool. Now that we have water, and lights, staying late isn't as big a deal as it used to be.
Family and friends were invited, and some camped out over Saturday night. My parents, sister, and all three of my kids, as well as their spouses were there for a short while, along with my nephew, his two boys and my sister's foster child.

My sons and daughter-in law left after a couple of hours. My youngest son cut his thumb pretty badly at work last week, and it was giving him fits, so they went home. I didn't get to see them because I had to chase down parts for the well so we could hook up a hose. We bought the wrong part on the way down and I had to go exchange it for the right one. While I was gone, they left, but they did get to see their grandparents, who flew home to PA today.

There was buried treasure to find and dig up, and 49 acres to run on, except the small pastures, where we had the horses confined, to allow the gates to be propped open.

Unfortunately, some feelings were hurt, and my sister and parents went back to my sister's house. One of her grandsons went into the barn and got down a toy that had been but up because the kids were fighting over it, and it was one of the birthday toys, and rather fragile. When my daughter told him he couldn't have it, to put it back, he threw it down hard, as if to try and break it. My daughter doesn't have much patience with other's children, and told him to stay out of the barn, and away from the toys inside. My sister only heard, You can't play with the toys, and decided to go home. This was shortly after her foster child had come running to her in tears because he was told to stop doing something on the slip and slide, and he didn't stop, so he got fussed at.

I felt torn. Here was my sister, and my daughter at cross purposes. My daughter felt no one was watching the kids closely enough, and my sister feeling like her kids were being picked on. They packed up and left before the BBQ was done or the cake was cut. I felt bad, because my parent left with her, cause she lives closer to the airport, and they were staying at her house.

I hate when people get feelings hurt.

Today I met with my Radiation oncologist. I'll be starting my radiation treatments on 6/2. I have to go for a SIMULATION on 5/27. They will decide the best way to position me for my treatments, and fashion a cradle for my upper body and arms, so that they are always in the correct position during the treatment. I'll also get markers drawn on my skin so that they can aim the radiation in the right place. She also showed me some stretching exercises to do once I get my drain out. It has been 19 days since my surgery, and I still have my drain. I think my body is reacting to the drain as a foreign body, like it did with the suture in my left arm, and that is why I'm still producing too much drainage to have it removed. They should remove it on Wednesday, since my surgeon said they would remove it 3 weeks after surgery, regardless of the amount of drainage. I hope so. It is very painful. It pulls on the suture holding it in place when I move my arm.