Let Us Eat Cake

Good day. Warm day. If you are bundled up.

No health changes.  Still good. Wednesday we will see if levels have increased. Tomorrow is March. Wow. On the 5th I step down Prograf again. Yay.

Dexter turns 4 tomorrow.  Here is the cake for people, not for dogs.

 It is a giant fail. One layer stuck to the pan. I had parchment paper and didn't use it. Oops. And it looks a bit rough.  Just waiting for Kent to come home from playing music so we can try it. It's 100% home made, so that must count for something.  

Happy thought for the day:

Friday

Just another day. Feeling good. Got a bit done and went for a short drive. Still no stores or being in public.

 Happy thought for the day:

Wings

Kent is building an airplane and put the wings on today. Now it looks like an airplane.

I was studying all day with a small nap break. I just had to rest my eyes for a minute...

Feeling good. No GVHD symptoms yet.

Happy thought for the day:

Clinic Day

I drove myself to clinic and back. No snow or ice or rain. I had blood drawn, saw the PA, and that was it. Home by 11.

The numbers were good. Up a little on hemocrit, magnesium, and plateletes. Creatinine was down, so better kidney function. Potassium was hanging normal too.

Back in a week.

Happy thought:

A Box Of Sunshine

Today was a cloudy day and we woke to a yard. We had that all daylong. Lots of paw washing going on.

I got a gift of homegrown sunshine. Stacey and I have been friends since the second grade. Although she and her family live in Arizona, I am honored to be friends.

Thank you, Stacey!

Happy thought for the day:

Turns To

2/23/15

Still feeling strong and normal.

I tried to start my project to renew my CFI, but it turned into another project. Tomorrow I will start.

Metrologists are calling for winter weather tonight through tomorrow morning. We still will have highs in the 40s, so if we get snow or ice, it will melt.  Then I have clinic Wednesday morning. There is another chance of more snow/ice on Wednesday night. So this rookie driver should be fine.

Studying tomorrow, for sure.

Happy thought for the day:

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

It was a perfect Seattle day. At least it was warmer today than it had been.

Making progress health wise. Feeling good.

Making progress on the hair. A few more inches and I will have a short haircut. I guess it's not going to come in curly. Or full grey. Just brown. I can't get out in the sun to see if it will lighten up. I have had enough exposure to radiation and need to baby my skin.

Made a great soup with chickpeas and artichokes. Yummy and good for magnesium.

My neighbors still have me on the prayer list. Thank you!

Online bulletin:

http://parishbulletin.com/Bulletins/21885/StMaryJackson(2015)February22bulletin.pdf

 And another one from Uncle Bob and Aunt Ann in California

http://st-isidore-danville.org/Bulletins/2014/12-28.pdf

Happy thought of the day.

Interesting choice for fruit. When life gives you lemons... make limoncello.

Did Nothing Today

Well... Not exactly nothing. I got the laptop cleaned up. Now I have about 3 days of 8hr studying to do to renew my CFI. I will take tomorrow off and hit it on Monday.

Health wise, the same. All good. 

Happy thought:

Went Shopping Today

Medically speaking, I am doing well. I almost feel like my old self.

I just found out an old friend's daughter has been battling lymphoma. She is 4 years old. My heart aches for them.

I went shopping today. Sort of. I drove myself to Walgreens and picked up a prescription using the drive through.

I got the mail and found a nice surprise.  Thank you, Aunt Pat!

I made Creamy Cajun Pasta and Sticky Toffee Pudding for dinner with the Hamiltons and Kim. And trashed the kitchen. But it's clean now and it's bed time.

Happy thought for the day:

Nothing Day

Nothing going on today. Feeling good, and getting stuff done.

It's pretty cold out and I got some bored dogs. Thank goodness they play with each other.

Today I made beer cheese soup. Yum.

Happy thought:

Clinic Day

I'm Well. I drove myself in. It's like riding a bike. Easy. There was an additional half hour's worth of traffic. Not too bad. I got my blood pulled and back to the lobby to wait for the PA to see me. I saw Al, another patient with a different disease, who got great news today.  He can now drive, be in full public, and his next appointment is in 3 months. Wow. He was not a transplant patient, though.

I looked for my nurse, Selena, and was told she left. Quit. Oh. That's why she has been saying she was going to miss me. Now I get it.

My numbers were down again, but the PA said they looked good. My red blood was down and I needed to be typed and crossed (a four hour wait) then a bag of whole blood infusion (another hour). I whined. She said a hormone that makes red blood is created in the kidneys and that's where I am having trouble. Because of the prograf which we are tapering off. There is a weekly shot I can get to stimulate red blood cells. She went to consult Dr. Holland. He changed the minimum threshold needed before infusion since I was not symptomatic. I have energy, no shortness of breath, no dizziness. Cool! Whining works!

I am dying to have fresh flowers, but they are still prohibited in case they are carrying dirt, disease or bugs. Makes me so sad, especially since I have a daffodil blooming, and we are expecting sub zero temperatures and high winds.

Hang in there. Spring is just around the corner.

Happy thought:

Nope

Happy Birthday, Dad!  I told him about going to Denny's and Firehouse subs today to collect his free meals. Wonder if he did.

Nope. Didn't make it to clinic today. I will go tomorrow. The appointments are for bloodwork. I don't expect to need anything else.

Today I did another step down on my prograf. Still watching for signs of GVHD. Nothing yet.

It's cold, so no walk today.  The dogs played inside.

Kent enjoyed some Dexter snuggles.

Happy note:

Snuggled In

We are expecting ice for the morning drive to clinic. I am not sure I will make it. We will see what actually happens overnight. Kent has the Subaru at work, and no, I won't take the MG. Safety first.

I got more phone calls straighten out the mess of bills. It's ridiculous. People, do your job! But heck, what else am I going to do. I will sit on hold all day. And I do.

First Flight

Health update:  Doing well, no problems.

Found this on Pinterest.  Thought it was funny.  http://www.buzzfeed.com/janeclaireh/17-things-you-dont-say-to-a-woman-with-short-hair-cqtr

Our neighbors, the Sims, celebrated the first flight in a new airplane Aaron built.  I got out to witness.

It was a bit chilly out there.  Chip is in his blue coat.

Happy thought for the day:

Happy Valentines Day

Another great day health wise. No GCHD yet. I'm thinking I don't need to blog every day with nothing to say, so I'm thinking of blogging only on clinic days.

But for now I have a daily happy to share.

And my cake!  Kent made it himself.

I hinted that roses ($18 from Ingels) would be ok. Kent reminded me I still can't have fresh flowers or plants just in case there are bugs or dirty dirt with bacteria that may make me sick.  What a pain.  Oh well. The cake made up for it!

Not So Bad

It was a nice day.  It's not so bad without the wind.

I drove the Subaru home from the shop.  We like it and want to keep it, so we fixed it up. We still need a second car, but it's not urgent. Kent will get a newer sedan.

Our houseguest left today.  I was going to crockpot some dinner, but lost interest when he left.  So dinner was a thrown together skillet of "let's see.... What do I have?"  It was pretty good.  Tomorrow will be red beans and rice. Wish me luck! I have never made it before. How hard could it be? I do have andouille sausage so that will be the saving grace.

My hole from the port is healing nicely. I am on lookout for GVHD symptoms and thought I had a rash on my forehead. I waited a bit and it was gone.  Maybe my shower was too hot. Ahhh... Loving the shower!

Had a visitor today. Jennifer came over with magazines and a cute trinket. Butterflies. The symbol of change.  Thank you, Jennifer!

Later in the day Mark visited for a bit. He has a micro biology background and explained about viruses and bacteria and such. Yup. Staying in isolation. Scared straight again. No hurry to do grocery shopping, or fun shopping or lunches. I've come too far to get sick now. It's still cold and flu season and there are sickies everywhere. The new walking dead.

On to the sweet thought for the day. Thank you Bunco Babes. I missed you last night!

Big Pink

It's big pink cold again.

We are all snuggled up after dinner watching news. It's even too cold for Kent to go out to open mic night. So he practiced in the office.

Everything is going fine, medically speaking. Feeling pretty normal. How nice is that?

Happy thought for the day:

I Can Drive!

I just got got the news today that after waiting 7 months, I can now drive.  I still cannot be in public, but at least I can take myself to clinic.  (I will miss Buffy.). Thanks for the ride in this morning! Then Kent picked me up.  I drove home.

Kent only flinched and reached for the steering wheel once. I wish I was kidding. He was very nervous and made me nervous too.  On the way home we stopped at the mechanic's shop. We have an oil leak at the....ummmm.... I kind of didn't listen. Maybe Rod end? Between that and the catalytic converter, we are looking a a heafty bill for the 2001 Subaru. It may be time for a newer one. But our only other car is the MGB. Now with me driving, we may need something more practical.  But really, I will drive myself to clinic once a week until May. Nothing has to happen quickly.

Clinic wasn't really fun today. They had to test to see if I was making tears. The I told her I was, but she didn't believe me.  The tech put little cups in each eye for 5 minutes, saw the tears, and threw them away. What a waste!

Then I had my pentamidine treatment so I don't get pneumonia. It tastes icky.

I got more information today. I will stay on acyclovir for a year after ending my prograf medicine.  I already talked to ALPA Aeromedical and I will be able to fly while taking it. So I just need to get cleared by my doctor. Patience, patience...  More signs of chronic Graft Vs Host Disease were explained to me today. While waiting, I overheard a girl suffering through GVHD. She says her rash is so itchy she wanted to peel her skin off. Boy, I hope I don't get it.

I have two friends here getting over colds. Get well soon, Darlene and Dave! Wish I could help you two with your projects. Sorry.

I got a walk today.  I made cake! Our guest has a sweet tooth like us. I will use him as the excuse to indulge. It may not look like much, but it is awesome!

Happy thought for the day:

Caught Up

Lookey here!

An empty bill file. 2014 is finally paid up, except for 4 bills.  Now on to 2015.  As Kent says, we are willing to pay whatever it takes to get me well.  True, but, I have insurance and want to be sure they do their part.  That's what I did today. Made lots and lots of phone calls. Let's hope what's left they get straightened out.  I have help. I have an advocate, Karen, looking out for me and she is a very skilled fighter! Thank you!

After sorting that out, I had a visitor, Beverly B.  She brought gifts. Totally not necessary, silly girl, and very much appreciated. Thank you! (I almost forgot to document before diving in!)

I didn't get anything done on the photos on the laptop today.  Maybe tomorrow after clinic. I didn't get my nails finished either. Just a clear coat. Crazy long nails!

Hair check.  Not crazy long.

I have been craving a muffuletta sandwich. Step one done.  Make the olive salad. Yum.

Clinic tomorrow.  I have a ride in with Buffy. Let's hope I sleep well tonight. I hate yawning all the way up there. Let's also hope for good bloodwork results so nothing will be needed. I do have a pulmonary appointment, but hope to be home by noon. Paws crossed!

Happy thought for the day:

A Little Rain

Happy birthday, Sis.

Today was a little rain and some thunder and lightening. But at least it was a nice warm 68 degrees.  Thursday it is supposed to be a high of 39 degrees. I can't wait for the day it will be consistently warm and I can ditch the long underwear.

Today was spent working on the computer again. I am deleting photos and videos like crazy to recover some space on the hard drive. So far I have deleted 40GB worth. But the computer still has a hitch to it. It takes too long to load a program. So I will press on.  I had no clue how long this will take. It is very slow going, so more of the same tomorrow. For a break, I hope to make time to change my nail color. Hmmm... Pink next?

The worst part of these days is I am having trouble sleeping. Too much sugar before bed? I do my best sleeping in the morning. I have to drag myself out of bed. Can't sleep in. It will only make it worse. I will go to bed early tomorrow... Or clinic on Wednesday will hurt very badly!

Happy thought for the day:

Looking Ahead

Happy early Birthday to my sister! Her birth week celebration begins on Monday the 9th. I will cheers to you with glass of wine. It will be one of my 2 allowed each week.

There is so much talk about vaccinations.  Some parents are electing not to get their kids vaccinated against measles.  There is a fear that it causes ADHD. I have seen no proof of this. I have no immunity to anything out there, so I will be getting all of mine done.  I believe it will begin 6 months after transplant, so mid April. The many vaccinations and boosters will be spread over a few weeks. I won't be fully safe for a few weeks after that. I will check with the CDC website and be sure I get what's recommended for the countries I will be traveling to.

I am dreaming of the day I can run off to the ocean and celebrate by doing what I want.  That will be a while.  I must continue to live in my bubble. But, at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It was a good day with a 3.5 mile walk (saw Annie and Krea),  and had Linda as a visitor. It was warm enough to sit outside... With a cup of tea.  Once sunset came, it was getting chilly in a hurry.

Dinner was late.  Kent missed it because this was his one of two nights to go to work. Oops. He will have to have it as leftovers. Meatloaf, mixed veggies, and homemade bread.

Who needs it most? Apparently our houseguest, Terry, needed Dexter's attention this evening. Poor, Dex. His work is never done.

Happy note for the night:

Saturday

I had two big moments today. For the first time I used a hair brush. I don't think it did anything. There really isn't much to style.

I also took off the steristrips from the hole where my line was.

That's going to be a nice scar to match the one at my clavicle.

Other than that it was a gorgeous warm day. How nice. I still haven't cleared up my computer. It takes so much time. I could just delete everything, but I just can't. I want to save some really good ones. There were so many rescue dogs, I have to save one of each dog. It's so stinkin' sad I can't remember all the names. But they are written down. I just need a little jog for my memory.

Snack is here.  Gotta go!

Happy thought for the day

Been Meaning To...

There are quite a few things I have been meaning to do.  For instance, pay some heafty medical bills, back up then delete photos and videos from the laptop (now it has 23GB free out of 220), and talk to ALPA aeromedical.

All of that got done today. Well, the computer is not done done. I am on 2010. It's fun going through the photos and deleting all but the important ones. Remember Lindy puppy? We rescued him at 3 months old, barely surviving parvo. So cute, and such a sweet boy. It took unusually long to adopt him out since we didn't want to advertise and get swamped with applications. We enjoyed our time with him, and like the new family who found him.

I keep getting calls from the nurses from my insurance company. So I called back today. They just wanted to check on me. So I gave her the good news. She wanted to be sure I was happy with my staff at Northside. Yup. It's like they have done this once or twice before.

AnnieBug is using the bunny as a pillow.

Dinner was chicken piccata.  Yum. Lemons, capers, good sauce.  Finally.

When taking my pills, I  have to wait 2 hours after eating and 1 hour after eating again. So chocolate cake has to wait.  Whatever I am doing is working. My weight is 115 pounds.  Getting there. At least I have company while I wait.  

Happy thought for the day: