It's Pet time here...
Hi.
For me, Pet time never means time to go walk a dog or feed a cat, or watch a hamster spin wheels. No, for me, it means the six month scans I have to detect cancer activity.
I've been having PETs since they began, so that goes back a lot of years. Some times the news is good, some times the news is bad. My son Tod ( todgolberg.com) figured out once that from Dec. of 2003 until now the longest I have gone without being under some care for cancer has been six months. Each time my hair would grow back, el zappo again, and the hair would recede from view, or my weight would drop again.
I've been trying to put on 20 pounds since last May when I dropped nearly 20 during radiation therapy. I was on my way, was finally back up to 120 with just 10 more pounds to go when the latest cancer hit this last December.
I drank Ensures until I couldn't look another one in the eye, drank milkshakes and thought I was holding my own.. my weight stayed pretty much at 120 all through the latest radiation therapy.
Then, if you read this blog, you know I had truck load of dental work done and am walking around with seven temporary teeth awaiting the permanent crowns and bridges. That set me back.
" Only a soft diet," the dentist said. That coupled with my still not being able to swallow anything with an edge ( think romaine lettuce or celery or even a steak) and I was pretty much still a Smoothie drink person. I've been downing three of them a day plus all else I can chew and swallow within the limits set by my teeth and my throat.
As I drove to the office of the radiation oncologist on Tuesday ,I had a gut feeling I had lost weight, rather than gained. My arms are like sticks is a pretty good indicator.
I lost five pounds. Not unexpected, my radiation oncologist told me, and once I can gain more weight ,load in the calories, my energy level and legs that feel like rubber ( and look like it, too , thanks to loss of muscle mass) then I'll be more on the road to recovery.
He didn't feel any signs of lumps or bumps in my neck and feels confident that in that one area, my PET will verify his feelings.
He encouraged me to get back to Palm Springs, go have some fun.
Good idea, but I have to wait until I can do the drive, plus find out what my primary oncologist has planned for me. The original plan, back last December was for me to do radiation first, and then some chemo.
My meeting with the oncologist is set for the 20th. My daughter Karen ( visualchronicles.com) will go with me. We'll get the results then and have our chemo discussion.
I want to gain some weight before any chemo -- if I lose more, I have nothing to fight with other than sheer will power. And, I need to get to Seattle to see my mother for her 95th birthday in May and I already have plans to go back home to my hometown of Walla Walla, WA for a week in June.
Last time I went for Mom's birthday and a trip to Walla Walla I was in chemo and had a blood transfusion the day prior to my trip, so I know I can do it even under the worst of scenes. Just prefer not to do that!
The PET went okay yesterday. Or , I should say, as okay as one of those ordeals can be. It's a long three hours , full of nervous thoughts. When I was being put in to the tube for the scan , the tech said, " breath normally". I wanted to say " let's trade places and see how normal YOUR breathing is," but I just said okay.
So that's it on the medical front. Keep positive thoughts for me for the 20th. Okay?
Imus...
Today when I saw that USA Today put the story about MSNBC and Imus above the masthead I had to wonder what that says about our news today. Is he the most important news? Shouldn't he have been in the inside pages?
I will be among the first to say that the words he said on the air were all wrong, all bad, all the same things others who were disgusted and angry feel. He's got a long history of saying things that are hurtful to all minorities, has used words that sting about Jews, about blacks, about women and for some reason has gotten away with it over the years.
Was it Freedom of Speech or Freedom of the Press that allowed his ongoing poor choice of words to continue for so long or was it the revenue his shows generated?
Why didn't someone protest long ago?
Do I think a mass firing was in order? No. Some punishment, yes, but not being fired. The man apologized. I think being pulled off the air for a period of time, some loss in wages, but not being fired. It goes against his freedom of speech. Rap artists don't find their offensive lyrics pulled off the air - -and if anyone should face the music, it is them.
Just my view.
More on this later, for now, I must change clothes and head to the elevator for the early dinner served here --- Everyone eats before 5:00 and even though I have lived at this Alta Cocker place for months now, I still am not used to dining at such an early time.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jan
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