Cancer Bitch - Gets Marriage Proposal

Went to West Virginia over the weekend for a family reunion, but first we stopped at Johns Hopkins Friday morning for a CT scan. (I'm becoming an expert at those). Chris, the attendant, started a conversation about driving to Florida on family vacations (I'm an expert at that, too).

I told him the best part of the trip was stopping in Atlanta for lunch at "Steak N Shake." That sent him over the moon! He watches the Food Channel and raved about steak restaurants in Arizona and Texas. He said he was going to Philadelphia with some friend this weekend to tour. I told him he should definitely go to "Spataro's" for a cheesesteak, "DeNics" for a Philly pork sandwich and the Amish Market for Apple Dumplings. And definitely "Ishkabibbles" for Cheesesteaks on South Street - not Pats and definitely not "Genos." At this point Chris told me I was his soul mate and that if he weren't married and I weren't married, he'd propose!

Left JH to go to Parkersburg with the grand-girls. Had a great time in the hotel pool then spent Saturday at a Cornhole tournament. Went out to dinner and brunch. But was tired and disoriented on the drive home so I mistakenly called Dianne Burr and wished her a Happy Birthday (a month late. Meant to call Carol Van Dam instead. (now two days late)

Went back to JH Tuesday morning, where I got some good news - no problems detected on the MRI (the doctor checked them from China where he was vacationing). He also said the CT scan (thank you Chris) showed the lesion on my liver had almost disappeared and my tumor had shrunk again.
The bad news - one more round of chemo. Dammit. Any of the posse up for another trip to Baltimore?

Had to take a photo of the fabulous spuds Mary McCowin brought us from Idaho.
Can you tell which one is the real spud? We had stuffed baked potatoes for dinner tonight.
They were damned good! (at least the one on the left is - we're afraid of the one on the right! We're looking forward to lying on the greasy
beaches of Pensacola, soon.
And, for once, doing absolutly NOTHING.

Cancer Bitch - Now its Bananas

(Brenda with friends doing her favorite thing in the world - eating)

About the only thing I enjoy during my trips to Johns Hopkins is eavesdropping on my fellow patients. (once heard a guy talking about his backwoods militia group).

Today the discussion was what to eat - one patient confessed to another that she had pigged out on bbq ribs and potato chips. I ducked my head in shame. I ate a whole bag of chips over the weekend! (and a carton of ice cream and all 5 desserts at tea with Jamie on Saturday)

The nurse told me my potassium levels were still high, and I confessed that I had given up on collard greens but I was eating a banana every day with breakfast. She gave me a look that pretty well said I was hopeless.

Went to Hopkins today so that we could leave for Grand View, NY on Thursday. Nelly has a job interview at a clothing manufacturer on Friday in Manhatten- I told one of my doctors about it today and she gave me a list of places Nelly could stay if she gets the job - including the number of her daughter in the Lower East Side! The power of networking.....

I'll try to do better on my diet - after we get back.

Cancer Bitch - When Vegetables Turn on You

My chemo treatment was delayed today by over an hour because my potassium levels were high. They looked over my blood tests, hooked me up to an EKG - everything was fine and eventually I got the chemo. Posse member Beth and I drove to Silver Diner for lunch, then had to scramble for home when Steve called and said the home nurse had already arrived. I swear the fork was halfway to my lips!

I told Jackie, the nurse, about the potassium concerns. She asked me if I consume a lot of orange juice, bananas or kale. I had made a big pot of fresh collard greens last week and had been eating them every day. Case closed.

Some of you know that last Friday's trip to JH was a big old mess. I was scheduled for a CT Scan because my doctor was concerned about the occasions I experienced blurred vision and he said my face was no longer symetrical (like Lyle Lovett??). Turns out he had actually ordered a brain MRI. I knew it was a mistake when the nurse told me to drink 2 large cups of water to expand my bladder. What tha what? The MRI is now scheduled for Saturday morning. Holiday weekend.

On the way back from JH Friday, Steve, Doris and I drove to Ellicott City to meet sister-in-law Mary for lunch. We got lost. Repeatedly.

Today, we received a box from Amazon. It was a GPS system, sent by Doris. Steve loved it - got indignant-loved it. He then took it to his basement lair to play with it. I had only one emotion - THANK YOU DORIS!

Cancer Bitch - Baltimore in the Summer

Nelly at the Wheel

Drove back to Johns Hopkins in the summer heat (just got home air conditioning repaired - now the car)

8:30 AM in the waiting room and I hear an incessant buzzing - like a hornets nest. I look across the room and an elderly woman is on her cell phone and everyone else is just sitting there, either reading or talking to each other. I finally realized that I has hearing vuvuzelas. And the elderly woman was watching the world cup on her cell phone. THERE IS NO ESCAPE!

Everything went well - even got out of there in record time. But the home nurse didn't show up. So now I'm exchanging telephone calls with "Home Solutions" while they try to figure out where she is and what went wrong and if they can get me hooked up tonight. If they have to do it tomorrow, I'll have to wait until Friday to get unhooked. We are not amused.

(Addendum - nurse called. 8:30pm and she's on her way. She forgot)
(addendum#2 - 10pm. Nurse just left. She's a substitute and no one told her she had to come today. At least I got my meds)

Also saw sign today at Camden Yards that pretty well sums up our situation!

Cancer Bitch - On the Upswing

Got good news today. Dr. Zeng says the tumor has shrunk, and I've gained weight. The bad news - blood pressure is up and I can't eat just everything. (I've demolished entire cartons of Haagen Dazs with the excuse that I've got to get my weight up).

So, I'll allow myself the Eastern Market Lunch crabcake - I'll just skip the french fries and soda.

Also, got to start another round of chemo next week. Sigh.

Cancer Bitch Graduates

I did it y'all! And the invisible posse turned out in force - whether at graduation, at the party, or with cards and flowers.



Mother in law Doris, Brenda and Lil (Brenda's Mom)





Doris and Mo drove in 7 hours from West Virginia, Mom and Sister Dawn flew in. Cousin Charles and Allene surprised me at the ceremony after flying in from Denver.

I came home Friday to find Gail and Doris cleaning the house (and questioning Nelly's boyfriend)

I appreciated every bit of it.

Now for the confession. I overdid it. I will now admit on this page that I am NOT superwoman. I cannot graduate, party all day, then do it all over again on Sunday. (Although "Iron Man 2" was the bomb) I woke up Monday feeling like hell, but understanding completely I did it to myself. (I hate it when Lynn is right)

Went to Johns Hopkins today, and everything went fine. I'll be resting for the next two days and reliving pleasant memories of family and friends over my own personal superbowl weekend!

Cancer Bitch and Drugs

I'm learning many things on this journey - just because they give you a lot of pill bottles, don't necessarily take them. All. At the same time. And move them away from your bed so you don't pop something random at 3am and wonder why the hell the bed is starting to move like a toboggan at the Winter Olympics!

Had a trip to the emergency room after class on Saturday, temperature spiked to 100.7. I didn't want to go, I was exhausted and lethargic, but Steve dragged me into the car in the driving rain. I figure the emergency room visit would just make me feel worse - but it didn't. We went to Inova Fairfax, where, after checking me in, I was immediately shown a private cubicle (elapsed time 5 minutes). Two blood tests later, they said they couldnt find anything, my temperature had dropped so they kicked me out. They all gave me their numbers to check back on the blood tests and everyone was as friendly as could be.

Lets go back a few years - one Saturday night when she was 5 or 6, Nelly ended up at the emergency room at DC General. She had spent the night with a relative. Said relative called me at midnight and elegantly pointed out that I needed to meet her at DCG because Nelly fell against the corner of a wall and , cut her forehead, and was "bleeding and her meat hanging out." I was there in two minutes, they arrived in a cab (got mad cuz I wouldnt pay for it). I rushed her in got her checked then sat and waited for service. Nelly had a dish towel wrapped around her head. I spent two hours sitting amidst drunks and gun shot victims watching Billy Dee Williams informercials until I noticed Nelly was bleeding. I jumped up, dragged her to the counter, plopped her down on it and went all "Riki Tik" on their asses. Needless to say, she got immediate attention. I wonder if she would have that scar on her forehead if I had taken her to a better hospital.



Yesterday was a LOOOOONG Hopkins day. Got there at 8am, and was told I should have yet another CT scan, then chemo. This time both Steve and I slept through the chemo. The only problem is, and elderly blue-haired lady in the cubicle next to mine was arguing with the nurse about her blood results, "What do you mean I tested positive for cocaine? I don't use cocaine!" I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Oh, also found out that one of the drugs the doctor gave me was an "anti-psychotic" that fights nausea. Yeah, it also makes you lazy as a lizard and dizzy. They took me off that. And the $400 drug? There's a generic. Sigh....

We got back from JH at 5pm and found a wonderful treat in the doorway - a box of Wolferman's English Muffins, scones, coffee and cinnamon creme honey. Paradise!

What comes up, must come down. JH called tonight - have to go back for surgery tomorrow. Just. damn.