A little of this, A little of that….

Simon and me

Simon and me

Readers!!

How are you? Snowed in? If you live in the north-east of the US, I feel for you. How you deal with all the snow is beyond me. Two and half inches are all I can handle. I wanted to update you all on what is going on at My Hotel Yorba. After being snowed in for four days and the boy missing three days of school, we are off to FL! We will be gone for a few days and I will not be updating the blog. I just didn’t want you all to worry.

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I got a Fitbit Force over the weekend. So far I have really liked it. I had the Nike fuel band and ended up giving it to The Boy. He is having a blast tracking how many steps he is taking and calories he is burning. (Please note, The Boy has no weight to lose. He is skin in bones but he likes to see it anyway).

I am looking forward to seeing all the steps I walk on our vaycay. The only issue I have had so far is that it is kind of hard to snap on. It has been getting easier each day but that first time was very frustrating. One thing I really like is that is tracks your sleep pattern. I have been waking up a lot during the night (I think I know why) so it is cool to see charted out.

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When we get back I have a lot to do. I have a few doctors I really need to go see. I am ready to get this port out. It has been nice but it is time to go! I need to know for sure why I am waking up in the middle of the night and having hot flashes. Yes, a side effect of the chemo! Oh YEAH! Good thing we planned only on having the The Boy….no The Girl or The Boy #2 in the future. Have I mentioned how much cancer sucks??

What I am Watching

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I am on episode 2, season 5 of Breaking Bad. So Good. Mr. White has become a dick and poor Jesse Pinkman and his face. Always getting the shit beaten out of him.

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Downton Abbey- Mr. Bates and Anna. Can’t they just be happy?

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Sherlock Holmes (PBS)- Such a good show. If you don’t watch you need to start now. You can go onto the PBS website or download the app and watch there. I also watch the CBS version, Elementary, and I love that show too. I really like it when he takes his shirt off. :)

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Before I sign off for a few days, I have a BIG SHOUT OUT to a friend, reader and cancer kick-asser (my spell check says that is not a word but whatever) Tammy J. Tammy J is being zapped now. She is a few sessions in and I think she is doing WONDERFUL! She has been fighting crappy cancer for about as long as I have. She should be done with her treatment in March, so keep her in your thoughts. In May, when I turn 41, she will be getting new boobies. New Boobies people!! I want new boobies for my birthday!! So, so, jealous……  —You must look for that sliver lining, no matter how hard it may be to find. Keeping fighting the fight Tammy J! I am thinking of you!

Have a wonderful week. I will post pictures from our trip soon. Be safe, Stay warm!

Done! Done! Done!

Hey Reader’s!

Yummy Iron Horse!

Yummy Iron Horse!

So I am done! Done! Done! Done! Tuesday was my last radiation treatment. I went in and the techs were so excited for me. After I got zapped, I got two big hugs from them. I thanked them for being so nice to me, for not minding when I came straight from the gym (stinky) and for being so kind to The Boy. I then went and thanked the ladies at the front desk. They had been so nice to me. I then got to ring the last treatment bell. Everyone clapped and cheered for me. I had to hold back tears but when I got in my car, I just cried. I called My Man and left a voice mail telling him I was all done and that I was crying ( I think he had figured that one out) and did he want anything from Costco.  I guess I was just so happy to be done with it all. It was like the world had been lifted from my shoulders and I could not stop the tears.

That night My Man and I celebrated with a bottle of Iron Horse. And on Wednesday, I caught a cold. I mean really?? One day off radiation and I get sick? That is why I did not post anything last night. I went back to work on Wednesday but by the evening I felt like shit. My Man even alluded to (in the nicest way possible) that I in fact I looked like shit! I was in bed and asleep by 8:30pm.

Nose bleed

Nose bleed

As I am writing this, my nose is bleeding. Second one in two days. UGH! I think it is all due to the crazy weather we have been having. One day it is 8, three days later 62 and now back to the 30’s and 40’s. My sinus’ are not happy!

The Majestic 

Last week The Girls had the roof on the run extended and they are loving it. I am too. No more ruined food and wet, soggy run when it rains.

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"I Love it!"

“I Love it!”

I have been thinking about what kind of chickens I will get soon. I am looking for two girls who are near the size of Turbo and Poppy and who are not too aggressive. I do not want to make Turbo mad, she is the head hen and needs to stay that way. I want a good layer and non broody hen.

Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock

Campine

Campine

Sussex

Sussex

Barnevelder

Barnevelder

Any suggestions?

Get up! Get Up! Get Up!

Get up! Get Up! Get Up!

These are the words I heard as I lay on the radiation table on Tuesday. I had just been put in position and the huge metal door was closing, when the tech came running in. She grabbed the controller and was trying to lower me down while watching a river (ok stream, a fast-moving stream) coming towards the room and the outer hallway. I jumped off the table and threw my clothes on and jumped over the brown rusty water that was now not only coming out of the storage door but the ceiling tiles!

Hallway into the Zapping room!

Hallway into the Zapping room!

"Pick up the phone people!!!"

“Pick up the phone people!!!”

The cleaners are not going to be happy.

The cleaners are not going to be happy.

Needles to say, my treatment was cancelled for Tuesday. This will push my end date till next Tuesday. Oh well. The Boy thought it was awesome and was taking pictures and posting them to his Instagram account. I am happy to say that the machine was not damaged and I was able to get zapped on Wednesday.

I hope none of your pipes have burst or heating die on you while most of the county is under a blanket of snow.  Stay warm. Stay safe Reader’s!

Just call Saul….

Mr. White

Mr. White

I have sixteen more treatments reader’s till I am all done with my radiation. This week as been tough. I am very tired, my head is very fuzzy and I have been waking up with headaches. Not fun. This week has been busy or feels busy because I have no energy but only two more days to go till the weekend. On Sunday my parents are coming into town, then my mother in law and brother and his family on Sunday. It is going to be full at The Hotel Yorba. I have decided not to stress about cleaning the house till Saturday. I just can’t deal with it right now.

I am happy to say that I don’t have a burn area on my chest yet. I hope it won’t be too painful. I see a gentleman at clinic everyday and his neck looks pretty burnt. Poor guy. He must have had some kind of throat cancer. Today I met the lady you has the treatment slot in front of me. We see each other as she is leaving the room and I am going in. We ended up waiting for our cars together and she introduced herself to me. Her name is Robin and she has a total of six weeks of treatment. She has a form of breast cancer. Instead of chemo treatments, she going to take a chemo pill for like five years! She was really nice.

Hair Update 2013

My eyebrows are all grown back and my eyelashes are coming along. I am also back to shaving my legs. I have some serious fuzz growing on my head too. My Man said I was like his own little chia pet. “Everyday I check to see how much your hair has grown!” Cha Cha Chia!  I am going to give my fuzz a few more days to grow and then I will post a picture.

Mr. White

I have finally gotten with it and started watching Breaking Bad. My Man got the DVD’s from a few friends and was obsessed with watching it for three weeks in November. He then moved the Blue Ray player up to the bedroom so that I would watch them.”you must watch it so I have someone to talk about it with!” I am currently on season 2, episode 8. Poor Jessie gets the shit beaten out of him all the time. I really feel for the guy. So far I am really enjoying the show. My Man says season 3 is even better.

Are you a Breaking Bad fan? What are you watching that you love? 

Happy Weekend!

The Boy and The Man in Red

The Boy and The Man in Red

On Thursday we braved the rainy weather and went to get our Christmas Tree. We have been going to Home Depot for years to get our tree. They have a large amount to choose from and the prices are great. They were having an event when we got there. The Boy got to visit with Santa, pick a prize out, won a Home Depot football, an Atlanta Aquarium key chain, had a bag of popcorn and some hot coco. The best part was that since we bought a tree and no one was there (crappy weather), we got four free tickets to the Aquarium! That is almost a $200 value! Far more than the tree ended up costing. Sweet.

Saint Nick was here!

Saint Nick was here!

On Friday the machine that administrates my radiation was having issues. I ended up waiting 45 minutes before I got finally got zapped. The wait wasn’t so bad. They had a volunteer with a cart of snacks and water for us. The day before I walked in and saw two dogs in the waiting room. My first thought was “We can bring our dogs? Sweet!” Yeah, no. These we’re working dogs. I got to meet Bijou who is a Bichon Frise. He was very cute and sat next to me while I petted him. His owner said they go all over Atlanta visiting people and come to Emory once a month.

Iron Horse!

Iron Horse!

This week we have gotten lots of yummy wine! Six bottles from Big Table Farm and three from Iron Horse!

Yummy!

Yummy!

On Friday night, The Boy went to a Gingerbread House party. The party was at his friend’s house. His mom told me they had three grades represented: 3rd, 5th and 6th. She has 3 boys (bless her heart!) and this was the third year of having the party. When I picked him up, the boys were watching Duck Dynasty and my boy was eating a tube of icing. Nice.

Saturday

I slept in till about 8:45am on Saturday and it was wonderful. I am already feeling the effects of the radiation. I have been so tired and feeling just plain out of it. Sleeping in and having a day off from the radiation has made all the difference. I even went to workout with SK today! My left knee was killing me and I am weak on my right side but I think I did ok. I have a lot of work ahead of me to get back to where I was in June. But I am ready! I am going to head back to the gym tomorrow to do some cardio.

The Boy hard at work.

The Boy hard at work.

All done!

All done!

When I got home it was time to decorate the tree and watch some football. My team lost last week in an epic game against Auburn. If you saw the game you know what I mean. That being said, I really wanted Auburn to when the SEC Championship and they did. Now, my second favorite team, Michigan State, is playing and I want them to win for two reasons. I want them to beat Ohio State and if they do then Auburn goes to the BCS Championship game. I would LOVE FSU to lose cause if that happen, then Alabama would also go! But that isn’t going to happen. However Auburn must go and win the whole damn thing. See, the state of Alabama doesn’t have that much going for it. If it weren’t for Mississippi and Louisiana it would be ranked last in almost everything. But if Auburn could go and win the championship, then a team from Alabama would have won the last 5 National Championships! Auburn, Alabama, Alabama, Alabama, Auburn. Now you understand Reader’s! Cross them fingers! GO MSU!!! Sparty is the MAN!

 

I survived!

I survived Reader’s!

Yesterday was my first radiation treatment and I am happy to say all went well. Well, for me that is. Turns out I had company with me yesterday. I got a call from the school around 8:30am from the school nurse saying The Boy had a headache. As many of you are aware, the school nurse can’t give a child any kind of medication. So I threw some clothes on, put on a hat, grabbed some Tylenol and Timber and headed to the school. By the time I got there, he was already back in his classroom. The nurse called him down and I gave him the medication. He said his head hurt really bad and that he wanted to come home. I told him I had to go the hospital and that he would have to come and that there would be no TV or iTouch. He said he didn’t care. I wasn’t in the mood to argue and to be honest he did look pitiful.

Doc Chey's!

Doc Chey’s!

To make a long story short, after a couple of hours of sleep, The Boy seemed fine. We went and grabbed lunch at Doc. Chey’s which is by the hospital. He was perfect in the waiting room asking me all kinds of questions about the treatments. All the RN’s fell in love with him and he read his book without being told too. He wasn’t allowed in the room during the actual treatment but sat right out side of the room.

I was felt up by 3 women! Woot! One thing you will have to get use to while going under treatment for cancer, is that strangers are going to see most of if not all of you, butt ass naked. Yep. Naked. Wonderful. Just when you feel at your best! NOT.  Anyway, my ladies were really cool and even asked me what kind of music I wanted to listen to while they zapped me. The Black Keys were Tuesdays featured artist. The whole thing took about 20min. I think today’s will only take about 10min and I am going to ask for The Avett Brothers.

After we left and got home, the boy did his homework and went to play on his iTouch (I caved). We were planning on meeting his dad at Home Depot to get our Christmas Tree but when I went up to get him, I found him passed out. I took his temp and it was 101! What? What? The Boy was sick! He had a temp all night and complained about his head and tummy. When I took his temp this morning it was 99.5. I told him to go back to sleep. My Man will be staying home with him today while I head to treatment.

I am told it will take a week or two to notice some of the side effects of the radiation. The two I have been told about is fatigue and burning of the skin where they zap me. The burn should fade a few weeks after treatment is over.

It has been rainy here in the ATL for the past few days. The Girls are not liking it at all. I hope that the sun comes out soon! How about where you are? Sun? Snow? Rain?

I look ridiculous…

Reader’s!!!

How was your Friday? Good day? Sun shinning? The sun was not shinning in the ATL but the temperature was in the low 60’s and a bit humid but overall it was nice out. My day began with getting The Boy ready for school. He was spending the night at a buddies house so we also had to pack a bag with his clothes in it to bring to school. I went along for the drop off to school and then My Man drove to Brueggers Bagels to get us coffee and breakfast. I stayed in the car since I was still in my PJ’s. After breakfast, I did some work and then got ready from my three appointments at Emory Midtown Hospital.

My first appointment was a CT scan where they mapped out where they will zap me with radiation. The technician who ran the scan was very nice. She is going to have a baby in about two weeks! One thing Dr. Higgins failed to mention was that they were going to mark my chest up with a black sharpie. Yep, I have ten black sharpie marks across my chest. Each one is covered with a clear sticker. And I will have to keep them until JANUARY!!!! January people! She told me not to scrub at them in the shower. I then informed that I would be going swimming next week. She wasn’t thrilled about that but in the end she gave me a black sharpie and stickers and I promised to make sure that if they started to fade, I would remark them and put new stickers on.The marks are to help “line me up” for my treatments. I look f-ing ridiculous Reader’s. Ridiculous. I have ten black sharpie marks and four fresh scars on and around my chest. Won’t I look sassy in a bathing suit?!?

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I meet up with My Man in the lobby of the hospital. He had been working and was on a conference call. Afterwards we walked a block or two and had some lunch.

Nice Keyboard

Nice Keyboard

Then it was back to the hospital for my chest X-Ray. The wait wasn’t too long and the X-Ray was very fast. We then went down two floors for my appointment with Dr. Pickens. He was only 45 minutes late! I had my stitches taken out and then met with the Doc. He basically went over what happen during surgery and that my x-rays looked good. We talked about why he thought radiation was a good idea and My Man ended the conversation saying he hoped we never see him again. We had gotten to the hospital at 10:30am and left at 3pm.

My Man has lost his wedding ring. He realized when we got into the car to leave for the hospital yesterday morning. It has to be somewhere in our around the outside of the house. We have been looking for hours. We took the sofa apart, moved it off the carpet (so much fur and so many cat toys under there!) but found nothing. However, the couch and carpet are all nice a clean now. He is now outside raking leaves in hopes that it fell off while we walked from the house to the garage. I feel so bad for him. It has been driving him crazy.

Today we are taking The Boy to get a haircut, Timber to get fluffed and buffed and his nails trimmed and we will be packing for our trip to Florida. I am also taking My Man out to dinner tonight for his birthday which is on Monday. My Man is getting so old!! :) I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday aka Caturday!

You want some of this?

You want some of this?

Meow! It is Caturday!

Meow! It is Caturday!