A Skydazzler's Life Unwrapped...

Phoenix Monsoon Season 08-July 13th

I didn't have a ton of time on our short trip to update the blog on our doings.  I can now fill in the blanks on our trip to the Mayo Clinic and Phoenix, AZ.  All be it short, it was very exciting and fun in many ways.  Sunday afternoon we were on our way to pick up our nephew Sam and take him to dinner.  We only found out that morning upon arrival to Phoenix that Sam had moved there a couple months before.  We started down one of the main drags in Scottsdale/Phoenix and noticed some big thunderhead clouds were forming.  You know how Bryant and I love a good storm, thunder/lightning etc., so we took some pictures and headed toward the freeway.  All of a sudden it started to rain.  I mean downpour rain.  The windshield wipers weren't keeping up with the amount of water coming down, so we ducted into a Jack-In-The-Box parking lot along with several other cars to get out of the street.  The rain kept pouring down...the only cars on Scottsdale Blvd were SUV's providing some of the biggest water rooster tails I've seen from street vehicles! The parking lot was flooding, water up to mid point on the tires of the cars and above ankle height for those brave enough to actually walk inside JIB for food.  Next thing we noticed was how flooded the street was.  It looked like a raging creek down the sidewalks, complete with mini rapids flowing.  Cars coming out of parking lots were surrounded by water to the drivers door.  Unreal!  The rain slowed so we took off, only to see how much water had actually hit the streets, closing intersections and freeways.  We heard on the news the next day that the monsoon Phoenix stormdumped 2.5 inches of rain in just over an hour.  Now that's a lot of rain.  (and they complain about Oregon, it takes us all month to get that much rain..lol...at least in the summer..wink)  We did get out to get Sam and had a nice visit and dinner at Chili's.  Sam's looking good and doing well.  He's working hard and getting ready to get busy with his music!  He's a great kid and we were so glad we got the opportunity to see him! 

CT Scan here I come!

I have my six month check up tomorrow at Providence Cancer Center up in Portland.  Same old thing...haha. Get up early, ( a fasting appointment) shower and head for the Plaza.  I have my CT Scan  or CAT Scan appointment at 8:45 am.  By 9:15-9:30am I will be searching for that morning cup of coffee! hehe Then we go have some breakfast, hang out around the Portland area until my appointment with the doctor at 1:45pm.  That's when we get the results of the morning scan.  Ugh-the waiting is the worst. I am one of those instant type gals.  Tell me what you see before I hit the door!  I'm sure all will be fine.  I've been feeling great and have lots more energy these days.  If you think of it, keep me in your prayers all the same.  The Lord and I can always use the extra help.  Prayer helps us all.  I will post the appointment results tomorrow night.  Love you all...

More than a cold...

Husband made me call the doctor yesterday.  Just wanted him to check this rattle cough I have.  Ugh...he was right. It is bronchitis. He gave me antibiotics to head off pneumonia.  Decongestant, cough meds, fluids and rest.  Ugh.  I feel like a pharmacy.  Then the doctor told me to stay home a couple days from work, mumbling something about me getting some rest and not being obsessive compulsive...blah, blah blah.  haha.  Now that was rude. LOL I think I've bruised my ribs, though from all the coughing.  Poor hubby, I think it's his turn for the earplugs so he can get some sleep.  I hate chest colds.

Snuffle, sniffle..I have a cold. Blech...

As much as I've tried to avoid it this season, I've just come down with my second cold of winter.  The first one didn't last long and was more like a sinus thing.  I was lucky.  A week or so and I felt better.  This one snuck, sneaked, was a bit sneakier than most colds?  I think it started on Valentines day.  A little snuffle here and there.  Then Friday I was achy and definitely had the sniffles.  When I woke up Saturday morning...  iiiiieeeeeee it had hit below the nose and jumped right into my chest with this cough that sounds real close to a bark.  I've been taking the good old Airborne to boost my immune system and a couple of different cold medicines.  I am going to get out the humidifier tonight and see if that helps.  Number one task right now is to keep it from going any further!  I feel bad though and I hope I didn't pass this cold off to any of the grandkids.  We've been with them a few days with the birthday parties.  It would be hard to tell though, since Garret and Randa came down with a cold at the same time. I took a vacation day tomorrow for Presidents Day and it looks like it could or should have been a sick day.  Oh well, you can't win them all.  At least I get the day off to rest and that is exactly what I need right now. Sniff, sniff...snuffle...blech. 

The Latest Scoop...

I had my January Oncology appointment complete with CT scan on this past Tuesday, January 8th at Providence Cancer Center.  Long story short...the check up was fantastic!  My scans are clean, clear, free.  Praise the Lord.  This was a milestone appointment.  (I was under enough stress/pressure with this appointment, glad I didn't know that bit of news before hand...chuckle) Seems that I am doing very very well, okay extremely well.  And now I graduate to a six month appointment.  I don't have to go back until July.  If and when my scans come back in July clean and pretty (and of course they will)...they (Dr. Curti) will then extend my checkups to once a year!  Can you believe it?  I thought I would need to wait until year 5 to go once a year. This is such exciting news!  I am so blessed. Excuse me, got to go for now...time for a happy dance! :-)

I had a check up. No Cancer!! Free & Clear...

I had my three month check up with the Oncologist on this past Tuesday.  You know, the all day appointment up at Providence?  It starts early with a CT scan at the hospital and then I meet with my doctor in the afternoon to get results.  No matter how positive you remain that your cancer will not return, no matter how confident your attitude that you are a survivor, these appointments are a bit scary.  It’s just a fact of life now.  I’m sure I am not alone in my feelings either. I am sure most cancer survivors feel the same thing.  Mainly because there are always statistics out there that say it can come back. Ugh! And as much as we’d love to hear it, there are no 100% guarantees in our lives.  So we all go for our check ups and for those preceding days, hours or minutes, we hold our collective breath waiting for those words we pray to hear. “Your scans look great, no cancer anywhere”.  Whew…big sigh.  A slight tear of relief, then the huge smile of knowing you are again blessed.  I now move to the next level and get to go every 4 months.  Milestones big or small are none the less worthy of celebration.  I will take each and every one, embrace it and cherish it. And have a huge Mango Margarita at Chevy's! LOL

Not Moving Fast...

I don't feel bad, I don't feel sick.  I just feel blech.  I'm not sad or depressed.  Actually the opposite. I just don't seem to have a lot of energy, not my usual vim as one friend said.  My attention span is that of a puppy. Yes, I said a puppy. We all know what that is. LOL.  I haven't been sleeping well, a touch of insomnia I think, so part of this is being tired.  Or now the weather has been weird, a low pressure system has moved in since last week. Lots of humidity along with the heat.  We normally don't have this overcast and clouds with 85-90 degree temps.  I didn't do much this weekend, didn't feel up to doing anything besides sit and play games on the computer(it was kind of fun...snicker).  I've watched a couple movies, ran a few errands (Target), cooked a few meals, washed clothes and have gone to work every day since our vacation.  I've got an appointment with my Endocrinologist this week.  Hopefully this is just more trouble with my thyroid and I may need an adjustment on the meds.  Either that or I need to start working out to force getting that energy back.  haha, I know sounds stupid right?  But that's what they say.  Start exercising and you feel better, sleep better and have more energy. We shall see.  How is everyone else out there?  Feeling a little bleh, blah too?  Or is it just me?

First Post of June

I haven't been blogging lately, sorry. Not because I haven't wanted to, just been extremely busy since Memorial Day weekend.  Bryant and I went on our very first Cruise Vacation.  Thanks to the generosity of Bryant's sister Laura & husband, Jim. The six of us ( Rudy & Sue too) went on a 5 night/6 day Royal Caribbean Cruise to the Western Caribbean.  It was amazing.  I will do a whole post on the cruise and get some pictures up of our vacation.  Can't believe how much fun it was.  But that whole week before we left we were finishing errands, packing and getting ready to be gone from work for a week.  I'm telling you, I am a fan of cruising now! We had a such fun exciting time!  When we got back I had my 3 month oncology appointment up in Portland this past Tuesday.  I again had the CT exam in the morning and my doctor appointment in the afternoon.  My scans came back free and clear! Whoo hoo!  No sign of cancer anywhere.  I met my new doctor, Dr. Curti.  He seems very nice and I liked talking with him.  He is a very positive person which I really like.  Said I am doing great and only have two more 3 month appointments left.  That means September and December.  Then I get to go for six months at a time for 3 years.  Still no word on Dr. Ross.  We've heard a bit more tidbits of info but nothing concrete.  Sure hope she's doing well and plans to come back to practice soon.  I miss her.  She is an amazing doctor and a very special person.  Okay that's my first news for the month.  There has been a lot going on and I will share as soon as fiscal budgets are put to bed at work!  Love you all...write me sometime and let me know how you are doing too. 

Free & Clear!

I had my all day, 3 month cancer check up yesterday up at Providence.  I had the regular CT exam in the morning and then the doctor appointment in the afternoon and from the title of my blog you have probably guessed I am again, free and clear! NO CANCER!  Whoo hoo.  I am so blessed and thankful that I continue to have great checkups!  It's happy dance time! hehe...I don't have to go back until June.  I only have 3 more of these every 3 month appointments to get through, then I am down to twice a year!  My biggest task ahead of me now is to find out where my doctor is going to show up.  She isn't working at the Oregon Clinic anymore.  They (meaning any personnel in that office) won't tell me why she left or where she is going.  Don't you think that is a little odd?  Actually this has been going on since the first of the year.  I received a letter saying that Dr. Ross had made the decision to leave the Oregon Clinic and that January 31st would be her last day.  They did say I could give them my email address and they would pass it along. (I don't think they ever did pass it along) I also found out that she was taking the month of February off and then making decisions from there.  Decisions about? They wouldn't say or won't say.  It's just weird.  She was taken off the website before the door... you know...hit her in the behind.  It leaves me to speculate.  Is she okay?  Will she continue to work?  Why the time off and why the break with Providence?  I pray that she is okay.  The relationship between a patient and their Oncologist is a special one.  There is a trust, a trust with your life.  She gets it.  She gets me.  I miss her, and thankfully not for medical reasons right now, but I need her in my life.  So my quest will continue. 

Endocrinologist Appt

This thyroid thing is a bit more complicated than I thought it would be.  I went yesterday to see the Endocrinologist regarding the needle biospy they tried to do and my lab results.  This doctor said he was in fact surprised they didn't find a nodule to biopsy when this tech did the ultra sound.  He did clarify though, that if it had been anyone other than Dr. Green who said he couldn't find it, he would send me somewhere else. He says Dr. Green is the expert at the Hospital, so unless I start having other symptoms, the nodule this is dropped for now.  How to treat me?  Well he's only seen 5 patients like me(both conditions) in all his years of practice, so he is going to treat by trial and error.  He has no real plan except for the immediate.  I am starting on synthetic thyroid medication to see is that will spur the thyroid into action without putting me into a "hyper" state.  So we shall see.  A gradual increase of the amounts in 8 day increments and we shall see what it does.  If I notice symptoms (I have them anyway, so how do I notice?) to call the office.  I go back in two months to check levels.    So my plan...check into another doctor who I have heard good things about and get another opinion.  Oh my... haha