Monday, April 10, 2023

Good but tough Easter. My 2.5 year old great nephew was a joy to watch and he and Mike got along wonderfully. Such a cutie.

My nephew's wife (mother of the 2.5 year old) who we all love told us that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has a lot ahead of her. She is only 39 and they had been trying to have a second child but that is out of the question now. She is confused about whether to stay with the oncologists at her local hospital vs going to the major cancer hospital in Boston. She feels a rapport with the local people who already have a plan but hasn't been connected with anyone significant in Boston. They just gave her an opinion based on her testing at the other hospital but would probably redo everything before giving a definitive one. And she feels like it is critical to move quickly and "get it out". Regardless she faces surgery including at least some level of plastics, radiation, and tamoxifen. A lot to absorb. Somehow it brought back all the feelings we had when my eldest was diagnosed. A lot for everyone to hear including my SIL (her MIL) who has been under treatment for lung cancer for 4 years now. She has changed a lot in the last few months. She lost a lot of hair, her face swelled from prednisone, and she generally just looks like she is 10 years older than she did just a year ago. But her cancer is reportedly under control.

Today brings final packing, picking up a rental car to get to the airport tomorrow, and a bunch of errands needed before we leave for the airport at noon tomorrow.

Time to get moving. Have a moderate Monday.

Oh Liz, that's so sad. Cancer is the worst especially for the young who should be out living life not enduring grueling treatment plans.

It was a low key Easter here. I did pick a project from my list and I organized all the tools in the garage, getting them out of haphazardly tossed boxed and onto my new slatwall I had put in by the closet people. My tools are all kind of random - stuff I needed from projects past and now have, but it's nice to be able to reach it all without digging through a cardboard box.

It's a good thing I'm tall! They had to install it on the top half of that wall because the bottom half is concrete. You can also see the edges of the massive pile of furniture still in the garage. That's a project further down my list for another day.

I can hear the sprinkler people milling around out there. Which is good because I can't turn on what I have and it's warm out there. In the 80s the next two days and 78 yesterday. Just a few weeks ago I was complaining that the heat had been on for 3 months straight and now I'm wondering when I need to turn the a/c on! Right now I have a lot of sliders open and the breeze is glorious as my aunt would have declared...

Today I have a hair appointment, but that's all that's on the list. A walk maybe too.

Take care and have a good day!

The garage looks very organized! Nice job!

Awesome tool room CC! Looks like an ad! diane

Liz so sorry to hear about nephew's wife. Deciding on a treatment plan is tough. I can understand her desire to just get it out. For what it's worth, I had my surgery in my usual medical group, and I felt I got great care. They then referred me to an oncologist at a big well known oncology clinic, and the oncologist had doctor of the year awards from a local magazine. I had a terrible experience. I went back to the medical group I use, and even though their oncology practice is smaller, I am MUCH happier. On the other hand, my cancer was stage A1, so treatment is pretty straightforward.

CC, your garage looks like a showroom. Maybe I'd do more chores if my garage was so pretty.

So I tested again, and I do have Covid. I really have no big symptoms, I tested again because I had a weird headache and my husband said I looked sick. But anyhow, I could go to work, except I can't now that I have a positive test. So I'm burning more sick time. On the other hand, the weather is suddenly outstanding, and DD is home. I did think about pretending I hadn't tested, but, although my case seems very mild, my SIL is pretty sick, flu like. I wouldn't want to pass it to another staff member or student and have them get miserable sick. Let them catch it from someone else.

DH took his first shot of Wegovy. It's A weekly dose. He might not feel anything this week, the starter dose is small, and each week it will increase in strength.

Diane S, I have to confess that I really like Peeps, the classic yellow chicks are my favorite, nostalgia I guess. Next favorite is the bright pink bunnies. I eat them as is, no microwaving or letting them harden as I've read some people do.

I love marshmallows, but don't care for peeps. It's the sticky outside instead of the powdery outside I think. More for you guys!!

Greetings all

Evening post since DH has some awful show on. 1899 about some spooky ship. No thanks.

Yep Peeps - either love them or hate them. I had a pink peeps that I think was meant to be a bunny but it was deformed ad had no ears. Just a blob with two eyes. And a sort of scar that looked like it had once been a conjoined twin Peeps. And they also now have a lavender bunny shaped Peeps that is supposedly blueberry. That is so wrong.

DD sorry you have covid but glad you don't feel terrible. Make the most of it I guess,

Liz so sorry for your sick niece. So unfair for such a young person with a young family. Cancer is indeed terrible. I have a friend who just retired fairly young and had things all planned out but just got diagnosed. Not what anyone plans for Easter.

Not much excitement here. I did some studio work and had to make a grocery run to get liver sausage so I can get dog pills down.

It's pouring rain here. Let's hope it stops tomorrow before the drive to scrabble. first world problems.

Diane S

I couldn't get into 1899. Too weird and I was distracted by the dubbing and wondering why some words matched despite it being in German. And then I read it was not renewed so you'll forever not know what happens. No thanks.