Ten years

 This coming Dec. 31st marks ten years since I met my first oncologist, and received my full diagnosis of stage four breast cancer.

It marks the end of ten years of treatment, too, as neo-adjuvant chemo was started just two weeks later.

That's all I have to say about that.

New Year's Eve snacks have been planned!  I am going to try something different, and not at all healthy, this year!

Bought a tube of crescent rolls, and I will bake them with different fillings.... cream cheese and smoked salmon, pasta sauce and mozzarella, garlic butter..... 

We also have pot stickers, chips and dip, crackers, salami, cheese, olives, and grapes.

We both work from home on New Year's Eve, so I can start baking goodies right away after I clock out.

Our movie tradition is "Harvey," with James Stewart. We will probably stick with that, and have some bubbly at bedtime, if not midnight.

I will make the usual black eye pea and ham soup, with cornbread, on New Year's Day.  

Back to work at the office-IF there are refund checks to process- on the day after.  If the holiday throws off accounting printing the checks, there's no reason for me to go to the office, and I will happily work from home.

Had a nice, quiet Christmas Eve and day.  Our guests for dinner enjoyed the food, and we enjoyed being together. 

We opened gifts, and went to the movies on 12/25.

The decorations were all taken down on the 26th, in honor of my mom's death on Christmas night of 1996.

My appointments on Friday all went well.

There's still a shortage of IV fluids, though, due to hurricane Helene, that causes patients to have to receive part of our treatments without the benefit of the added fluid.

Last time, I had to take the steroid as a pill.  This time, for some reason, it was given as an injection that was "pushed" into the IV, without dilution.

The pills gave me HORRIBLE sweats last time.  The push seemed to produce the "normal" level of cold sweats.  I only had to change my sleep wear twice this time.

Still had to wash the bedding, but it wasn't soaking wet in the night, like it was last time...just damp.

Got all of my chores done yesterday, and am baking another quiche this morning.  This is the last of the pie crusts that I got for free from Kroger delivery, and we have really enjoyed having them.

I used a lot of  "virtual" coupons, and $5 in points on my grocery order for this week, and got a  full load of groceries, plus the extra New Year's snacks, for $71.

I really love Kroger delivery!  

My pay check this past week included the two weeks of vacation time that I took as a "pay out," so I have a cushion in the bank for that first bill from the oncology center.  

Since I might retire this next year, I did my health savings account program a bit differently, and needed to have some money set aside for my out of pocket portion, which usually comes due right away.  

I'm having the same amount taken out of my checks for the HSA, but the full amount that I usually set aside won't be available all at once, like usual. 

That way, when I leave my job, the installments into HSA will just stop, and I won't have to shell out a bunch of money all at once to pay off any remainder of the annual lump sum.

I'm grateful that the scans I had on Friday were paid for by this year's insurance benefits!

Dave STILL can't get an answer from his human resources department about how we are supposed to continue with the full insurance as it is for both of us (especially me) after he retires.

He has a meeting set up for next week, though, and HOPEFULLY someone will have an answer! This is ridiculous.

Anyway, my January appointments will be a doctor visit, and a treatment, and that will probably max out my annual out of pocket. I hate that part!

Thankfully, though, it usually takes a while for the bills to come.  Not sure how we will handle them after retirement.  I guess we'll find out!

ANYWAY, on a happier note, the quiche is in the oven, and this week, it's yellow onion, roasted red pepper, broccoli, spinach, gruyere, and bacon!

I have no hard plans, or required tasks today, so I can take it easy.  It's supposed to be a beautiful day, so maybe I will get in the hot tub this evening.  We shall see!

Have a good week.