Well, I am on a different hormone blocking medication to see if the change helps.
I know for sure that consuming alcohol makes my joints hurt more. Having taken all of last week off from enjoying cocktails, except for the Cubs shots, the pain was almost gone completely.
Yesterday, we celebrated the change in Oklahoma law that now allows microbreweries to serve full strength beer. We went to our favorite local brewery, had a beer there, and brought home a growler so we could have a beer with dinner, and some for today for doing yard work.
We also had a couple of shots of tequila.
I woke up this morning not with a hang over (the beverages were consumed over a space of about 6 hours yesterday), but with painful hands.
Bingo.
I started on the new hormone blocker on Thursday, because the doc gave me 4 weeks worth of samples. I didn't have to wait to get a prescription filled.
Hopefully, the insomnia (and pain) will soon be a thing of the past. Of course, I slept fine last night because I was very relaxed from the alcohol and the hot tub.
We are going to get the yard done today, instead of waiting until after work on Wednesday before we leave.
The rain chances increase as the week goes along, so we'd better not wait. Fortunately, the summer growth slow down has begun, so the yard won't look abandoned while we are out of town.
I refuse to ask my house sitters to mow the lawn!
Did some cooking yesterday for Dave's dad, and today, I will cook for us. I want to stock the freezer up a bit so that I don't have to come home to a cooking frenzy when I should be doing laundry and preparing myself mentally to go back to work after 10 days off.
If we have to, we will buy frozen dinners from the natural market.
Okay, off to get busy... enjoy your SundayFunday!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Counting the days
Our vacation keeps getting closer and closer!
REALLY looking forward to being off work for TEN DAYS, and not for doctors or surgery or anything nasty.
It's been a very long 2 years.
There really isn't anything much to report this week. It's just been a normal, relatively stress free week. There's been a little stress at work, but it's manageable, and I will adapt.
(They've instituted quotas, and given me accounts receivable to work. I am an expert at a/r, but have never had to meet a quota, which is absurd. However, since our corporate-wide budget did not allow for anyone to get raises this year, they are blaming poor collections. Like it's our fault that medicare and medicaid lowered their allowable payment percentages.)
The weather moderation continues, and we have the windows open this morning. It was in the 60s when we woke up! SO nice.
We'll probably have to close them later, but for now, it's nice to air out the house.
My sister and brother in law are on vacation this week, kind of taking a 50th anniversary tour of our one big family vacation in 1966. They're currently in Colorado, and will be riding the narrow gauge trains up in Silverton and Durango, then they will go over the mountains and down the other side, and head south into New Mexico.
It's amazing, but I remember parts of that trip in 1966, even though I was only 4.
I am happy that my brother and sister have both been back to these places multiple times over the decades. I have never gone back, partially because my ears don't work.
I have eustachian tube dysfuction. My ears don't equalize with altitude changes, and it is very painful, and takes days to resolve.
For the same reason, I have never gone up in the Sears tower. When I was little, we went up in the Handcock building, and the pain in my ears was terrifying. It was the first time anything like that had happened, and it scarred me for life.
When I was 4, however, it was before my severe double ear infections that came in grammar school, and I had no problems with going up in the plane, and driving through the Rockies.
I have had my ears tested, and the ENT said that the only option was to get tubes put in, like they do for kids. He said that it would be temporary, though, and I'd have to have the procedure re-done over and over, because the tubes eventually fall out.
Oh well.
Maybe some day they will develop a more effective and permanent procedure.
In other news, my brother is in Texas, taking his step son to college. There's a chance he might blow through OKC on the way home. I hope we get to see each other. If not, though, I will be up home in a couple of weeks.
Today is all about cooking and listening to music.... Hope you have a good Sunday, too, gentle Reader.
REALLY looking forward to being off work for TEN DAYS, and not for doctors or surgery or anything nasty.
It's been a very long 2 years.
There really isn't anything much to report this week. It's just been a normal, relatively stress free week. There's been a little stress at work, but it's manageable, and I will adapt.
(They've instituted quotas, and given me accounts receivable to work. I am an expert at a/r, but have never had to meet a quota, which is absurd. However, since our corporate-wide budget did not allow for anyone to get raises this year, they are blaming poor collections. Like it's our fault that medicare and medicaid lowered their allowable payment percentages.)
The weather moderation continues, and we have the windows open this morning. It was in the 60s when we woke up! SO nice.
We'll probably have to close them later, but for now, it's nice to air out the house.
My sister and brother in law are on vacation this week, kind of taking a 50th anniversary tour of our one big family vacation in 1966. They're currently in Colorado, and will be riding the narrow gauge trains up in Silverton and Durango, then they will go over the mountains and down the other side, and head south into New Mexico.
It's amazing, but I remember parts of that trip in 1966, even though I was only 4.
I am happy that my brother and sister have both been back to these places multiple times over the decades. I have never gone back, partially because my ears don't work.
I have eustachian tube dysfuction. My ears don't equalize with altitude changes, and it is very painful, and takes days to resolve.
For the same reason, I have never gone up in the Sears tower. When I was little, we went up in the Handcock building, and the pain in my ears was terrifying. It was the first time anything like that had happened, and it scarred me for life.
When I was 4, however, it was before my severe double ear infections that came in grammar school, and I had no problems with going up in the plane, and driving through the Rockies.
I have had my ears tested, and the ENT said that the only option was to get tubes put in, like they do for kids. He said that it would be temporary, though, and I'd have to have the procedure re-done over and over, because the tubes eventually fall out.
Oh well.
Maybe some day they will develop a more effective and permanent procedure.
In other news, my brother is in Texas, taking his step son to college. There's a chance he might blow through OKC on the way home. I hope we get to see each other. If not, though, I will be up home in a couple of weeks.
Today is all about cooking and listening to music.... Hope you have a good Sunday, too, gentle Reader.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Aches and pains and meds
One of the other potential side effects of my maintenance med, other the insomnia that I have mentioned previously, is joint pain.
I had already been experiencing some mild pain in my hands and fingers prior to starting the medication.
Now that I have been on the medication for a couple of months, however, the pain in my hands is markedly increased.
It wakes me up in the night, and dissipates as the day goes along.
I am also noticing an increase in the pain in my feet that had started in April or so when I returned to dance class.
There seems to be a pattern of an increase in the pain when I drink alcohol or eat foods that are proven to cause inflammation.
So... drinking less is a no brainer anyway. Done.
Trying to get back to a more "paleo" diet has already been on my mind, but now it seems to be an absolute necessity.
No more pasta, no more wrap sandwiches, and no more bread. No more "I don't feel like cooking, let's get a pizza."
Much more veggies and lean meats, meaning veggie snacks, like celery sticks, and sliced cucumber. (We have already been doing the cucumber)
Starting tomorrow, no liquor during the work week OTHER than our traditional celebratory shot of whiskey if the Cubs win a game, and I will make my shots very short.
Then, when I see my doctor later this month, I guess we need to discuss trying another one of the meds. I hate to put myself at risk for worse hot flashes, but this pain has got to go.
I can't live on ibuprofen, it's horrible for the stomach lining and the kidneys, and it causes increased water retention, which is already a big factor.
We are having a bit of a moderation in our weather at the moment. It only got up to 93 yesterday, and today is supposed to be 87.
I made the mistake of mowing the back yard yesterday, and should have waited until today. I got pretty over heated yesterday, but it was still a good work out.
We finally had a successful feral cat trapping attempt yesterday. We got one of the 3 month old kittens!
Rather than releasing him after he was neutered, we took him to the shelter in hopes that he can be socialized and adopted. His chances of a happy life are much better under those circumstances than back on the street.
Dave felt horrible for breaking up the family, so I took full responsibility for the decision, which was mine anyway. I hope he can forgive me.
We REALLY hope that we get the other kitten next weekend. Maybe they can be together again.
Their mom has a new litter now, too.
It's aggravating that we had done so well with getting the last generation of breeders to get in the trap, but then their offspring became the new generation of breeders, and they have been too wily to get in the trap.
At least we have some hope of getting their offspring, with yesterday's success.
The person on the back of our block who was also doing TNR seems to have either stopped doing it, or moved away.
Off to clean the house and cook healthy meals for the week. Have a good Sunday!
I had already been experiencing some mild pain in my hands and fingers prior to starting the medication.
Now that I have been on the medication for a couple of months, however, the pain in my hands is markedly increased.
It wakes me up in the night, and dissipates as the day goes along.
I am also noticing an increase in the pain in my feet that had started in April or so when I returned to dance class.
There seems to be a pattern of an increase in the pain when I drink alcohol or eat foods that are proven to cause inflammation.
So... drinking less is a no brainer anyway. Done.
Trying to get back to a more "paleo" diet has already been on my mind, but now it seems to be an absolute necessity.
No more pasta, no more wrap sandwiches, and no more bread. No more "I don't feel like cooking, let's get a pizza."
Much more veggies and lean meats, meaning veggie snacks, like celery sticks, and sliced cucumber. (We have already been doing the cucumber)
Starting tomorrow, no liquor during the work week OTHER than our traditional celebratory shot of whiskey if the Cubs win a game, and I will make my shots very short.
Then, when I see my doctor later this month, I guess we need to discuss trying another one of the meds. I hate to put myself at risk for worse hot flashes, but this pain has got to go.
I can't live on ibuprofen, it's horrible for the stomach lining and the kidneys, and it causes increased water retention, which is already a big factor.
We are having a bit of a moderation in our weather at the moment. It only got up to 93 yesterday, and today is supposed to be 87.
I made the mistake of mowing the back yard yesterday, and should have waited until today. I got pretty over heated yesterday, but it was still a good work out.
We finally had a successful feral cat trapping attempt yesterday. We got one of the 3 month old kittens!
Rather than releasing him after he was neutered, we took him to the shelter in hopes that he can be socialized and adopted. His chances of a happy life are much better under those circumstances than back on the street.
Dave felt horrible for breaking up the family, so I took full responsibility for the decision, which was mine anyway. I hope he can forgive me.
We REALLY hope that we get the other kitten next weekend. Maybe they can be together again.
Their mom has a new litter now, too.
It's aggravating that we had done so well with getting the last generation of breeders to get in the trap, but then their offspring became the new generation of breeders, and they have been too wily to get in the trap.
At least we have some hope of getting their offspring, with yesterday's success.
The person on the back of our block who was also doing TNR seems to have either stopped doing it, or moved away.
Off to clean the house and cook healthy meals for the week. Have a good Sunday!
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Spider season
There's an additional season in Oklahoma. Spider season.
Webs between car and tree, car and carport, car and house. Huge webs everywhere.
Even huger spiders (one almost as big as my palm) in the driveway, or on the porch. Carcasses of huge spiders in the driveway, or in the HOUSE.
Dangerous spiders all around, black widow and brown recluse.
Another reason I dislike Oklahoma. Seriously.
Fortunately, there are sprays that help.
One of them gets sprayed all around the outside of the foundation of the house, and into the crawl space vents, and all around the doors and windows. It seems to help for a while.
Poison sprayed all around my house. How do you think I feel about THAT one????
Gods....
The other spray is pet safe, and gets sprayed around interior side of doors and windows, and under things.
I hate having to spray, but I can't live with that kind of wild life.
Never have been comfortable with them...and especially here, where they are MUCH larger than up north, and much more dangerous, and much more profuse.
In other news... Our friends from Switzerland (Dave has known them since the 1980s), who moved from OKC to Seattle in late 2014, have moved back to OKC. They moved to Seattle because Peter lost his job here, and his replacement employment was there.
They hated everything about Seattle, though, so he quit his job, and moved them back here a couple of months ago. Without a job.
He still doesn't have a job.
It's scary for them, but they have faith that they will be okay before the money runs out. I sure hope they're right.
Anyway, they have revived their tradition of having a party at their house to celebrate Swiss National Day, and it was so nice to be able to attend again, with many of the same people we have seen at their parties in the past.
I made Welsh cakes, because the idea was to bring something to eat or drink that says something about who you are.
Since Dave and I are both of Welsh descent, that was an easy decision.
We also tried to stop and buy a bottle of Helfrich (my maiden name) label wine from Alsace, but there wasn't any at the store where we have found it in the past.
The party was nice, as always, except for one thing.
One guest witnessed to me about her cancer journey (VERY minor compared to mine. She had a lumpectomy and 3 chemo treatments), and how scary it was, but how THE LORD JESUS CHRIST got her through it.
How did we get on the subject?
Well, that was initially my fault.
It started out with general small talk about growing old, and I said "It's better than the alternative!"
She actually disagreed with me about that, and, in reply to her disagreement, I said:
"It's all about perspective, I just got through with 15 months of chemo. I'd personally like the chance to grow old!"
That was my mistake.
She piped up and proudly said "*I* am an 18 year survivor of BREAST CANCER!"
I congratulated her, and that was the end of my being able to say ANYTHING about it.
She went on to say that getting cancer was the most positive experience of her life.
And, unfortunately, Dave, who has the next part of the responsibility for what happened next, insisted that she explain that comment.
It would have been fine...I totally respect that ANY cancer journey is a scary one, and I totally respect religious faith of ALL kinds, and, of course, it's GREAT that she survived.....but she ramped up, and hardly stopped to breathe once she got going.
The only question she asked me about any of MY experience had to do with aesthetics... was I considering reconstruction?
Because she wears a prosthesis due to being lop sided, and she doesn't like being lop sided, and blah blah.... I was allowed to respond with a shake of my head, but no real words, because she just kept going.
She was not sharing, she was lecturing...and she was all about holding the floor to go on and on about The Lord and how he told her everything was going to be okay, quoting the bible "at" me.
Dave, and other person at the table, got up, and they walked away.
I was alone with her.
I literally felt cornered. Trapped. Like an animal in a cage.
It was very awkward, and strange, and I was VERY glad when our host asked for everyone's attention so that we could learn a Swiss song and some Swiss traditions.
Other than that, the party was lovely.
She never spoke another word to me the whole evening, never asked me anything at all about my journey, aside from the question about reconstruction, which, to me, is the one thing that matters the least in all of what I went through.
When it was time for her to leave, she hugged me long and tight, then looked deep into my eyes, hands on my shoulders, and called me her "sister in cancer."
Ugh.
It was SO WEIRD!!
I guess I should get used to it. Stuff like that is probably going to happen a lot. Especially in the bible belt buckle where we live.
Anyway, it was good to see our friends again, and put it out there that we will get together again soon under more intimate conditions.
Besides the party outing, this weekend has been routine.... mostly about cleaning, laundry, and yard work.
Dave did errands for his dad yesterday, while I vacuumed the floors and area rugs, did laundry, and cleaned the bathroom.
Later today, I will be cooking, as usual.
May your Sunday be lovely, and may you not be plagued by ranting, one sided, evangelical conversations!!
Webs between car and tree, car and carport, car and house. Huge webs everywhere.
Even huger spiders (one almost as big as my palm) in the driveway, or on the porch. Carcasses of huge spiders in the driveway, or in the HOUSE.
Dangerous spiders all around, black widow and brown recluse.
Another reason I dislike Oklahoma. Seriously.
Fortunately, there are sprays that help.
One of them gets sprayed all around the outside of the foundation of the house, and into the crawl space vents, and all around the doors and windows. It seems to help for a while.
Poison sprayed all around my house. How do you think I feel about THAT one????
Gods....
The other spray is pet safe, and gets sprayed around interior side of doors and windows, and under things.
I hate having to spray, but I can't live with that kind of wild life.
Never have been comfortable with them...and especially here, where they are MUCH larger than up north, and much more dangerous, and much more profuse.
In other news... Our friends from Switzerland (Dave has known them since the 1980s), who moved from OKC to Seattle in late 2014, have moved back to OKC. They moved to Seattle because Peter lost his job here, and his replacement employment was there.
They hated everything about Seattle, though, so he quit his job, and moved them back here a couple of months ago. Without a job.
He still doesn't have a job.
It's scary for them, but they have faith that they will be okay before the money runs out. I sure hope they're right.
Anyway, they have revived their tradition of having a party at their house to celebrate Swiss National Day, and it was so nice to be able to attend again, with many of the same people we have seen at their parties in the past.
I made Welsh cakes, because the idea was to bring something to eat or drink that says something about who you are.
Since Dave and I are both of Welsh descent, that was an easy decision.
We also tried to stop and buy a bottle of Helfrich (my maiden name) label wine from Alsace, but there wasn't any at the store where we have found it in the past.
The party was nice, as always, except for one thing.
One guest witnessed to me about her cancer journey (VERY minor compared to mine. She had a lumpectomy and 3 chemo treatments), and how scary it was, but how THE LORD JESUS CHRIST got her through it.
How did we get on the subject?
Well, that was initially my fault.
It started out with general small talk about growing old, and I said "It's better than the alternative!"
She actually disagreed with me about that, and, in reply to her disagreement, I said:
"It's all about perspective, I just got through with 15 months of chemo. I'd personally like the chance to grow old!"
That was my mistake.
She piped up and proudly said "*I* am an 18 year survivor of BREAST CANCER!"
I congratulated her, and that was the end of my being able to say ANYTHING about it.
She went on to say that getting cancer was the most positive experience of her life.
And, unfortunately, Dave, who has the next part of the responsibility for what happened next, insisted that she explain that comment.
It would have been fine...I totally respect that ANY cancer journey is a scary one, and I totally respect religious faith of ALL kinds, and, of course, it's GREAT that she survived.....but she ramped up, and hardly stopped to breathe once she got going.
The only question she asked me about any of MY experience had to do with aesthetics... was I considering reconstruction?
Because she wears a prosthesis due to being lop sided, and she doesn't like being lop sided, and blah blah.... I was allowed to respond with a shake of my head, but no real words, because she just kept going.
She was not sharing, she was lecturing...and she was all about holding the floor to go on and on about The Lord and how he told her everything was going to be okay, quoting the bible "at" me.
Dave, and other person at the table, got up, and they walked away.
I was alone with her.
I literally felt cornered. Trapped. Like an animal in a cage.
It was very awkward, and strange, and I was VERY glad when our host asked for everyone's attention so that we could learn a Swiss song and some Swiss traditions.
Other than that, the party was lovely.
She never spoke another word to me the whole evening, never asked me anything at all about my journey, aside from the question about reconstruction, which, to me, is the one thing that matters the least in all of what I went through.
When it was time for her to leave, she hugged me long and tight, then looked deep into my eyes, hands on my shoulders, and called me her "sister in cancer."
Ugh.
It was SO WEIRD!!
I guess I should get used to it. Stuff like that is probably going to happen a lot. Especially in the bible belt buckle where we live.
Anyway, it was good to see our friends again, and put it out there that we will get together again soon under more intimate conditions.
Besides the party outing, this weekend has been routine.... mostly about cleaning, laundry, and yard work.
Dave did errands for his dad yesterday, while I vacuumed the floors and area rugs, did laundry, and cleaned the bathroom.
Later today, I will be cooking, as usual.
May your Sunday be lovely, and may you not be plagued by ranting, one sided, evangelical conversations!!
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