Monthly Archives: October 2013

Shrinkage can be a good thing.

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Hey Readers!!

I know it has been a few days since I have updated. I got back from the hospital Tuesday evening. Tuesday was a long hard day. I just wanted to go home! I won;t go into it because I am home now and that is all that matters. What’s new? Well, that little shitty tumor is getting smaller! Woot! Woot! Heard from Dr. Read today who e-mailed me the report and it has shrunk from 2.8 x 6.5cm to 2 x 3.8cm. He was pretty happy with the shrinkage (what? what?) and is going to meet with the Tumor Board tonight and talk to the surgeons. He wants to wait a least three more weeks before surgery so it can have time to shrink more. Very happy about this news.

I have been able to spend a little time with The Girls in the morning the last two days. Timber and I go up there with a morning snack and watch them eat and do there things. I have made some notes on my iPad of a few things I want to do when I get stronger. I need to get some pine straw to spread around the front and side of the coop but also where the old one use to be. Looks pretty barren right now. The Boy and I are still having to go out each night at duck to help them up to the coop. They have made nests in the straw under the coop and Poppy has been laying her eggs there. I think she would sleep there if we didn’t move her. I read that it could take up to three weeks for them to start going up and in on their own. The move really messed with them! But over all I know they are happy with their new home.

I have added some pictures I have taken over the past few days here at home and at the hospital. I hope you are all doing well. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas of what you want me to write about.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Timber checking out The Girls...chicken butt on the right.

Timber checking out The Girls…chicken butt on the right.

Hanging out with Timber and The Girls

Hanging out with Timber and The Girls

Morning Snack

Morning Snack

Hello!

Hello!

Because a duel port is not enough

Because a duel port is not enough

Guess who is bored?

Guess who is bored?

Out for a walk

Out for a walk

My Man

My Man

Lunch at the hospital

Lunch at the hospital

Blueberries are my favorite

Blueberries are my favorite

Me and the Boy

Me and the Boy

No Pictures!

No Pictures!

The Girls

The Girls

New hanging food and water containers. I love the room they free up.

New hanging food and water containers. I love the room they free up.

Scratching the compost.

Scratching the compost.

 

Ideas for loved ones in the hosptial

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Hey Reader’s!

Do you know someone who has sick and has to spend time in the hospital or at home in bed? Are you at a loss when it comes to helping them out or what to get them? Since I have had some recent experience regarding this, I thought I might give you some suggestions. I know a lot of people might not feel comfortable ask their friend or love one and I know the sick person might also feel weird or uncomfortable asking (like me!) for help.

Hospital rooms are dull and boring. If your loved one has to spend more than a day in one, try to make it as comfortable as possible. Friends gave us blankets that My Man and I took with us. The blankets in the hospital are thin, brown and dull. My one friend went ahead and washed the blanket she gave me and it smelled so fresh and clean! The other blanket was a pink breast cancer one (cancer is cancer) that is so soft! We then went out and bought our own pillows and new pillow cases. The pillows are far more comfortable than the standard hospital pillows. Plus the pillow cases can be washed before hand and smell of home, which where your loved one really wants to be.

It it can get very boring be stuck in the hospital. You can walk around the floor only so many times and midday TV sucks. No HBO or Showtime at most hospitals. Books are good however I found that while going through chemo, I have a hard time focusing on the words. No matter how much I try, I can only read a few paragraphs and then I give up. So what can you do? If your loved one has an iPad you can buy them a iTunes gift card so they can buy a movie to watch. I know you also can buy Amazon and Barnes and Noble gift cards too. Or if you or they have HBO you can log into to HBO to Go and watch movies or one of their series. I believe that Showtime also as website where you can watch movies on your tablet or computer. The last time I was in the hospital, I watched Argo and got caught up Boardwalk Empire. If there is a DVD player, you can stop and grab the latest releases. The first time I went in for chemo, My Man got Ted and Sliver Linings Playbook for us to watch from the Red Box at the grocery store. Audio Books are a great option too. As you know, I listen to a lot of them thru Audible.com and love it.

Another gift that I got and love was a pair of headphones. Ear buds no longer work for me. They just don’t feel right anymore. I love the feel of headphones much more than ear buds, they hug your ears. Plus every time I put them on I feel like a DJ! If your loved one has a spouse staying with them, they could use a pair too! My Man has had to use them the last two night due to my loud snoring!

Hospital food sucks. It really does. It also isn’t that healthy if you ask me. I am luckily that on my floor at Emory Midtown, there is a patient refrigerator I can store food in. The last time I went in for chemo, I brought in soup from Breadwinner Cafe. I packed in Tupperware and was able to use the microwave in the guest waiting room to heat it up for lunch. This time I brought in yogurt for breakfast, fruit, cheese and crackers and more soup for lunch. I also brought in a gallon of unsweetened ice tea! My Man and I have been drinking so much of it, he might have to go get another gallon. Not sure what to bring when you visit your loved one? Bring them food! Find out if they have access to a refrigerator and microwave. Do they have a favorite deli or restaurant that has prepare food to go?  If coming for a morning visit, call or text and tell them you are stopping at the bagel shop, what do they want? Don’t ask them if they want you to stop, tell them you are!

Need more suggestions? Toilet Paper! The toilet paper in hospitals is not soft! Find out the kind they use and bring them some. My friend Rebecca did that for me after I complained and since then we have brining our own. Also Kleenex. Once again, the hospital’s is very tin and rough.

Think if it were you. What would you want with you? A favorite stuffed animal? I picture or plant? Have a favorite snack you always eat after dinner? Ask your loved one. Talk to them about their needs. Since they can’t be home, bring home to them!

 

Chemo Brain…I got it.

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Happy Saturday Reader’s!

It looks like a nice day out here from my hospital window. I hope it is nice where you are. My 3rd chemo ended around 11:30pm last night. I was able to get a few hours of sleep before I was waken up at 2am and then again 4am. I think the doctor on rounds came in around 6:30 but I wasn’t really awake when she spoke to me. I then fell back asleep till the phone rang. Wrong number. Nice. It was 8:45am and my chemo was due to begin at 9am so I just stayed up. I then noticed My Man was gone. Seconds later I got a text from him asking what I wanted for breakfast from Rita’s Bluebird Dinner. Yummy! I gave him my order and 15 minutes later I was in heaven!

My chemo went well. I have two more cycles to go through. People ask how I am feeling. I am tired, run down. My brain isn’t working at full speed. You may have noticed while reading the past few blogs. Chemo brain, that’s what I got. I also get a tingling feeling at times but no numbness. And I pee, a lot. Which is a good thing but annoying. Good news is that my white blood cell counts went up yesterday! Woot! Woot! Very happy to hear that.

Today we are watching football. Can’t find the Alabama game on the TV here but are getting updates. doesn’t seem like much of a game anyway. RTR! We are watching Michigan State. They need to get their game on in the second quarter!

The Boy, my Mom and my Dad came down for a visit. The Boy went to piano and guitar this morning and my dad picked up some items for the coop/run. They have been having to put Turbo and Poppy on the ramp at night, so that they would walk up into the coop. My dad thinks part of the problem is that they can see their old coop and want to get into it. So this morning he and The Boy moved it so that they couldn’t see it anymore. They are having no problem coming out in the morning. My dad and I think it will just take a few days for them to figure this out. In the meantime, we will help them out. My dad and The Boy also moved some dirt into the run to make a dirt bath for the girls. He said they went straight to it and had a blast.

Not too much else going on here. Just ate my lunch of chicken salad with crackers and cheese and an apple. I bought all of it on Wednesday to bring in to the hospital. I have ordered only one thing from dinning, orange juice. And yes, it tasted terrible! WTH? It is orange juice! I couldn’t even finish it. 

Have a wonderful day Reader’s! Enjoy!

Run Boy! Run!

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Hey Reader’s! How is your Friday? Mine has been uneventful. I had my second round of chemo at 8:30am. At the moment I am getting my Mensa and Thiamin. Last night my RN was Tiffany and today it has been Theo! They make my stay so much easier.

Today The Boy participated in his School Boosterthon Fun Run which raised money for his school. This is the second year that his elementary school has raised money this way. So much better the selling wrapping paper! Since I was in the hospital I asked my mom and dad if they could go cheer him on and take some picture.They were more than happy too. My dad said they had music and someone using a bullhorn to cheer the kids on. My dad and mom yelled at him go keep up the good work! He ran the total 35 laps which they were told was about 2 miles. So proud!

Boosterthon Run!

Boosterthon Run!

The boy in back with his hair flowing!

The boy in back with his hair flowing!

Getting ready

Getting ready

Run Boy! Run!

Run Boy! Run!

The Boy and Nana Pete

The Boy and Nana Pete

Ran all 35!

Ran all 35!

I am so proud of The Boy this week. He came down after to school and told me all about his day and the run. My dad told me how kind he was to his classmate who is special needs during the run. That’s My Boy! I got his weekly graded work folder to review and he did really well this week.

Shout Outs!
Brad and Angie H.: I must say I wasn’t expecting the shirts, they made me laugh out loud when I saw them. But the more I thought about I realized I do Love Brad and want the world to know! Thank you guys!!!

Carol T.: Thank you for the hat! It is super cute!

Tammy J.: I hope your treatment is going well and you aren’t feeling to shitty! Thinking of you!

Reader’s- We lost a fellow My Hotel Yorba Reader today. I have known Katie C. for over two years. She and I were financial advisors for the same company and were part of an all women advisor group. I have never met Katie in person but via Facebook, we found out we had a lot in common. Frist of all cancer. Katie had breast and liver cancer and had been fighting it for over 2 years. But that did not define who she was. Her love of The White Stripes and all things Jack White, they defined her. He wonderful husband and darling little daughter, they defined her. The fact that she fought her ass off for the last two years, that defined her. I am told she was peace when she passed. That she did it on her own terms. And that too is what defined her. I will miss you Katie. Please come visit me in my dreams.

Have a wonderful weekend Reader’s. Hug those you love a little extra hard. Be kind to a stranger. Don’t flip off the idiot in the car in front of you who is to busy texting then driving. It’s not his fault, he was born that way.

I will be doing the chemo thing and watching football….RTR!

The Majestic

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Hey Reader’s!

I am writing you from room 7129 at Emory Midtown. I am all checked in and have started getting my fluids. This will last for four hours before my first round of chemo starts at 8:30pm. My meeting went well with Dr. Reed. He did say my white blood cell count was a little low but that just means I may need to take more shots after I get home. I also will have to monitor my temperature, which I do anyway. I told him I have three thermometers, one in my office, one by my bed and one in the family room! I never know when I will feel the need to take my temperature!

The Majestic!

The Majestic!

Last night Matt, the chicken man, finished up with the chicken coop/run. It looks so great! I was so afraid it would not be ready before I went back to the hospital. The pictures are a bit dark due to the time of day but I will take more when I get home and post those.

I had Matt paint the door into the run red to match our red door. He also placed four roosting poles inside the coop for them to roost on at night. I hope they remember how to do that since their old coop did not have them. 

Around 7pm my Dad, Mom and I went to get Turbo and Poppy out of their old coop/run and move them into their new coop/run. I was able to grab Turbo pretty easily and brought her into her new home. Poppy on the other hand was a bit harder to get. My dad tried to grab her, I tried to grab her, nothing. She is a fast one. I finally came up with a plan. I had my mom use a rake to force Poppy into the coop, my dad locked her in and I opened the back of the coop and grabbed her. Once I got her she leaned her head into me, it was kind of sweet.

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To be honest, I think the girls were a bit overwhelmed by their new home. They didn’t have much time to explore before it got dark and it was time for them to go to sleep. We weren’t sure if they would know to walk up the plank to get into their coop. The Boy and I went up to check and sure enough they were in the back corner underneath the coop. I got down and climbed under the coop and grabbed Turbo. I then put her inside. Poppy came out from under the coop on her own and let me pick her up and put her in. They were both very chatty for a few minutes but then settled down and went to sleep.

Happy Girls!

Happy Girls!

Nesting boxes

Nesting boxes

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This morning The Boy and I took a flashlight out to take a peak at them. It seemed as though they had just woken up even though it was still pretty dark out. I was able to look out my window while I was getting ready and see Turbo walk down the plank. My Mom and I then went outside to check on them and Poppy made her way down the plank. You could tell she was a bit nervous and almost fell off but she caught herself and made it down ok.

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The Playground area

The Playground area

I love the “playground” area! Matt used the ladder and one of the swings from the play set to make roosting area for them to use. Turbo tried to get on one but fell off. She need some practice. I can’t wait to get home and watch them. My dad is going to get some regular dirt to put on top of the red clay, to make a dust bath area. I put a mixture of all-purpose sand and wheat straw inside their coop.

A reader, Tammy, wrote and suggested we name the new coop/run. Keeping in the spirit of Hotel Yorba, I have named it The Majestic. The Majestic is the club over the Magic Stick bowling alley where My Man and I first saw the White Stripes play.

We are so happy with The Majestic. Matt did a wonderful job. If you live in the ATL area and want a chicken coop, let me know!  

 

 

 

Getting Ready!

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Good Day Reader’s!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Tuesday. Today I am getting ready for my last cycle of chemotherapy. I check into the hospital tomorrow and still have a lot to do. My parents are on their way over from Birmingham as I type. We are going to go out to lunch at Breadwinner where I will grab two containers of  yummy soup to bring to the hospital for lunch. We are also going to stop at Trader Joe’s to grab some things. Such as more chocolate! I knew My Man couldn’t help but eat most of what I bought last week. I am also going to by some yogurt and fruit. I am going to make a fruit of salad to bring for snacking and yogurt for breakfast. No more burnt bagels for me! Who knows what else I will get, it is Trader Joe’s after all. Just like Target, you go in for one thing and come out with thirty.

Me and my bother!

Me and my bother!

My brother is traveling for work this week and was in the Atlanta area last night. We met for dinner and he spent the night. We took our bald picture (it is staying in the vault) and one with my favorite hat.

The Boy and his new tent

The Boy and his new tent

The Boy is raising money for his school and will be participating in a fun run on Friday. The weather is supposed to be perfect for it. I am sad I won’t be able to go and watch him run, like I did last year but I know he will have a fun time. As The Boy received pledges, he won gifts. The last one he got was a tent. It is much nicer then I thought it would be. However, now that it is open, none of us can get it closed. Why does that always happen? They make these impossible to close!

The Boy

The Boy

The chicken coop/run is still under construction. I really hope he can finish it today. I wanted to get the girls all moved in before I checked into the hospital. However, when I go through all the still needs to be done, I just don’t see it happening. I will take some pictures this evening and load them on the computer, so I can at least show how it is coming along. It looks really good. I can’t wait till they are moved in. They are going to love it!

Ready for my new home!

Ready for my new home!

Have a wonderful day!!