Thursday update...

I picked up the horses, had the shoer out to reset my work horses, and went to the Dr about my fever... I'm NOT working this weekend. I have to stay home and take it easy, medicate myself, and the Dr said I could return to work on Monday... I only work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so that didn't help.

MDACC called me and they want to do another CT scan, and a Bone Scan... I'm not sure what they are looking for, but it can't be good... Pray for me...

Thursday 5/28/09

Well, the Pack-Rat is gone. They picked it up yesterday.

My job interview went well. I'll have another with the director of the school, and after that, I'll have to teach a one hour lesson on whatever subject I choose. If all that is good, I'll have a teaching job in the fall.

I think I have the H-1 N-1 flu. I'm running fever, coughing, and have diarrhea. It started yesterday afternoon, but I didn't take my temp until last night, so just thought I was tired. I had a bitch of a headache, and stiff neck, so I took my temp. My normal temp is 97.5, but last night it was 100.5. My joints hurt, and I was very tired. I fell asleep trying to watch the 10:00 news, woke up to watch Nightline, got undressed, and fell into bed. This morning, My temp is still elevated, but not as high, just 99.2.

Today I'm picking up 3 horses to board, and I'm working Friday-Sunday. Joy! I need to stay in bed today, but that's just not going to happen.

Quick update...

We emptied the Pack Rat yesterday. BOY! what a job!. Now we can call the company to come pick it up, and save $215.00 each month.

I won't know anything from my CT scan until Tuesday. The holiday weekend has slowed things down. I'll update here...

Mike leaves Tomorrow to return to Spain, and we will celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary on June 7th, while he is gone. We planned on going to dinner and a movie yesterday, but by the time we finished moving stuff, and feeding the livestock, I was too tired, and we all needed showers. We would have made the 8:45 showing, maybe, and we were babysitting our grandson, who's bedtime is 9:00. We will try again today...

CT scan...

I'll be leaving to head to town for my CT scan in a short while. I re-read the possible side effects of the Cipro, and one of them is changes in liver function tests. I'm hoping that is all this is, and all will return to normal soon. I'll post here as soon as I know something. I do feel tired quicker than I expect to, and that could just be the fact that my digestion was so screwed up for so long.

I weighed myself this morning, before breakfast, and I am down to 166.5 lbs. That is lower than I think I've weighed since 1985. I would like to lose another 20-25 pounds, before I stop.

Mike and I started moving stuff out of the Pack-Rat container, and into our own bigger storage container yesterday. We moved about 40% of the stuff. It is really interesting how we are doing it. We load boxes and stuff into the front-end loader bucket on the tractor, drive between the containers. and unload it. Much easier than using a dolly and dragging it the 100 ft. or so between them. Once the pack-rat is empty, we can call the company and they will come and pick it up. We plan on finishing moving stuff tomorrow.

MDACC update...

Well...I went to MDACC yesterday to have blood drawn and a bone density (DEXA) scan done, and went back today to see my oncologist, and get the results. They weren't what I had hoped. My ostiopenia has progressed in my hips, though my spine seems stable. I was hoping that everything was stable, or even to see some improvement. This was a disappointment, but not a big deal as yet. He suggested a weekly tablet to treat it, but one of the side effects, is stomach trouble, and I've had enough of that to last a while.

The big deal is my liver enzymes. A normal Lactate Dehydrogenase level is between 313-618. Mine is 1576 IU/L. I've also been feeling tired, which I thought had to do with the digestion upsets I've had, and I've had pain in my left chest wall, behind my breast, which I thought was a pulled muscle, but it has been there for about 10 days now. When I take a very deep breath, I get a sharp pain. The Dr listened to my heart and said it sounded fine, but due to the combination of the 2, he has me scheduled for a CT scan on Friday afternoon. He wants to rule out emboi, or something to do with my liver I think. He said not to obsess over it, but of course, as soon as I got home, I hopped on the Internet to see what I could find, and it seems like either my liver is inflamed, or something is going on with my heart and lungs. Neither of which is a good thing.

One bright note, My tummy has straightened out, and I can eat what I want now.

Mike is going for his pre-surgery testing tomorrow, and he is scheduled to leave on Monday for Spain. We celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday.

test results...

The lab tests were all negative, so I've stopped the antibiotics. I'm hoping that this is the end of it. I'll take the pro-biotics for a few days, to replace all the good bugs that were killed along with the bad ones.

I'm heading to MDACC in the morning for blood work, and a bone scan, to see if my ostiopinia has progressed, or if it has improved. I go back Wednesday to get the results, and see my oncologist.

Still having stomach trouble...

I'm still having trouble with my digestion. I saw a Dr. last Thursday, and she had me collect 4 different stool samples, then put me on a different antibiotic, in case the Cipro had allowed the over-growth of a drug resistant bacteria. She also recommended the BRAT diet. It is killing me to eat crackers, potatoes, and bread, plus it doesn't stay with me so I'm hungry all the time. I try it for a day or so, then try eating regular food, but when the runs return, I go back to Bananas, bread, etc. I hope I hear something tomorrow from the lab. They also drew blood, to check my white count. I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

We are making progress on the new fence line. Only a few more posts to set, then the fun begins. Putting up the wire, or electric tape, and buying and hanging new gates.

Happy water fowl...

I dumped and rinsed the duck's wading pool today. It was really a mess. Here is Ramon and an un-named duck enjoying the fresh water. It didn't stay fresh long though



















The handsome grey, white, and black fellow is our lone survivor from the 2 baby geese purchased when we got started in this foul adventure. I spell it that way because water fowl splash all their water out and make mud, then poop in it so it really smells foul. We have 2 more goslings, in the dog kennel, waiting until they grow a little more before they join the rest of the flock. We have 28 Muscovies, 2 runner ducks, 4 Peking ducks,( the big white ones, like the Aflac Duck), and about 6-7 Rouen ducks. They look like mallards, but are domesticated, heaver, and don't fly as well. We also have about 12 young pullets, which are chickens too young to lay eggs. We are using more than 100# of grower feed a week right now...
.

Birdie update...5/17

Birdie, who is a thoroughbred, has more white spots than Indy, who is an Appaloosa. In TBs, they are called bird catcher spots, after the first recorded TB to have them.



Here he is pawing the ground. He has a rubber mat under his feet to keep him from digging a hole.




Here is how his leg looks after more than a month. It is healing slowly. The grey powder is to dry up the excess granulation tissue that so often forms on a horse's leg when it gets cut. Without drying/shrinking it back, the skin won't close, and you have a chronic sore. It doesn't bother him, but I must remove the crusty scabs, and put more powder on it every day.

Today

Here are pictures of our new storage container. It is in better shape than I expected. It has a few dents, but I sprayed it with the water hose, and it doesn't appear to leak. Now as soon as we move everything out of the pack-rat container, we can have them pick it up, and save $215.00 a month.

I still have the runs. I called the clinic, and they want to see me this afternoon at 1:30. I've taken all the Imodium I can have today, and eaten a probiotics bar, and still feel bad, no energy, kind of hollow inside.

Wednesday 5/13/09

I have a man coming out tomorrow to tell me if he will cut and bale my fields for a share of the hay. He wants 75%. I'm hoping for 60%. He used to advertise 50%





Grampa running the auger...



A new row of fence posts is going in here at the farm. We are fencing off the driveway, so that we can safely leave the horses in the big pasture, and leave the front gates open. We set them back far enough to mow the ditches with the big tractor.

We are getting a battered, used shipping container today. Instead of costing $2000 delivered, we are paying the driver $200.00 and 2 bottles of scotch, with another bottle going to Mike's friend who found it for us. It is supposed to be water-tight, but too battered to sell.

This evening we are gathering together with the boys, and our little family, to eat for Mother's day and husband Mike's birthday. Daughter-in-law is traveling in Ireland, so won't be able to attend.

Cipro...

It is Tuesday. I haven't taken Cipro since Saturday, but I still have the runs. I've taken Imodium, and probotics, but I had to get up at 5:30, clean myself up, and change the sheets on my bed. I had soiled myself in my sleep. If anyone wants to give me this drug again, I better have anthrax. I know there are other drugs to treat bladder infections...

Thursday update...

We are home from the clinic. Mike's procedure went fine, and aside from some diverticulitis, he is good. The Dr said to add more fiber to his diet.

I have a bladder infection. The Dr prescribed Ciprofloxacin. I took the first dose before I read the information sheet(s)! It has some really bad possible side affects, including photo-sensitivity, and possible tendon damage! If I hadn't been in a hurry to get started on treatment, I would have gone back and spoken to the Dr about a different treatment. How am I supposed to avoid sun exposure, and exercise, when I have horses and other livestock to feed, and I'm working Friday-Sunday, sitting in a parking lot, on a horse?

Our Thursday...

I thought I would only be holding Mike's hand while he waited for his procedure, but I've developed a raging bladder infection. I've made an appointment with a Dr at the same location where Mike is having his colonoscopy. While he is having his IV started, and all, I'll be poked and prodded for my infection. We are quite a pair, racing to the toilet every 30 minutes or so... At least I'll get to eat breakfast in the morning...Mike keeps saying that "this is the last time I'm doing this." I keep telling him that he only needs to do this every 10 years, when I have to repeat it every 5.

Mike...

Husband Mike will have his surgery July 1st. The surgeon has about 3 weeks lead time on his cases, and Mike leaves to return to Spain at the end of May, so we are waiting till he returns, and he will have the surgery, with recovery time before he has to go back across the big pond. He will have his colonoscopy on Thursday. He won't be eating any solid food Wed, just clear liquids, and chasing that with a double dose of laxatives. No fun! It will be my turn next month.

New visitors...

This is a black-belled whistling duck They are more closely related to geese and swans than ducks, but are duck sized.

I saw a pair of these strange looking ducks here at Little Moon Farm today. I wasn't sure what they were at first, but as I got closer, it was obvious they were some sort of duck. I went on line and found them. I didn't take this picture, but I did take several with my phone. They weren't close enough to get good detail for here, so I got this on line. Now that the ponds are full again, we are seeing a wider variety of birds and other wildlife.

Husband Mike returned on Thursday. He went to the Dr today, and he has 3 hernias. One abdominal one, due to an old surgery to remove his spleen, and 2 in his groin area. He has an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, and has a colonoscopy scheduled for Thursday. He is not very happy right now, and is hoping the surgeon will say to postpone the colonoscopy for now. If he does, I'll try and get his time slot, as I'm scheduled for sometime in June when he is off to Spain, and I have to find someone else to drive me home. It isn't something I'm looking forward to either, but I was told that, due to my family history, I need on every 5 years, instead of the normal 10. Are you reading this Mary, Rich, Sue, Tim? I hope so, as I would hate to lose any more siblings before their time.

I'm feeling great. Due to the Atkins diet, I've lost 40 pounds since July. I'm scheduled to return to MDACC later this month for a follow up check, and a bone density scan.

Nature's Bounty...

Yummy, Yummy dewberries.







Here are the berries I picked in about 15 minutes this afternoon, at the farm.