12-31-10 Is this year over yet?

Sorry I have been so silent lately,  I am somewhat stabilized on the drugs I guess.  And this is my new normal.  My biggest issue is that I don't have any of my lovely "bounce" back.  And I am having some nasty skin issues this week.  Of course it is a holiday weekend.  And no one is returning my calls or emails.  At either Cancer Center.

I posted the question regarding the skin issues on the discussion boards  (http://community.lls.org/community/bloodcancer/livingwith/cml) but the boards are having technical issues and I don't have any responses yet.

But those boards are absolutely a life saver for me.  There is a discussion group for just about everyone, caregivers, family members and each type of leukemia group has a sub discussion about what it is like to live with this crap.

I am hoping that the new year is better.

I have three resolutions for the new year.  Each designed to bring some more fun back.
1.  Make a new recipe once a week.
2.  Go to see each of the different month's exhibits at the Conservatory http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=21
3.  Get out and do one cool Tacoma event per month.  This town actually has a lot to do, and I am just hiding here in my house.

I went to the conservatory this week to see the Paperwhite exhibit.  They had amazing amaryllis as well.

Well, that about wraps up my year.

I wish everyone the best of health and happiness in the coming year.

Caroline

12-19-10 Fabulous Cookie Swap

Yesterday was the second annual cookie swap here at Casa Edmiston.  What a grand time was had!!!!  About 12 people showed up all bearing tons of cookies, so much so that we had to get a second table out of the garage to hold them all.  I had originally set up a 6 foot table, but half way through it was completely full!!!

I had spent quite a bit of time and energy to clean the house, which, I have to say, looks amazing when all the clutter is gone.  Sigh.  And I baked 6 different types of cookies to make sure that there was enough.  Which was a good thing since the first guest was a bit odd.  She asked to come a half an hour early, I thought to drop off her  cookies and then return later to pick up an assortment.  No, she wanted to take her assortment right away, she had another party to go to, and she needed to bring cookies to that one.  WHAT?  You want to take half of the cookies that I had baked before any of my other guests get there?  She is one weirdo.  I was so stunned, I let her.

But like I said, there were do many fantastic cookies brought by all, that it was ok in the end.

Everyone stayed for a very long time, for which I am truly grateful, I understand that this was the weekend before christmas and there was lots to do for everyone.  So it was doubly cool that they took the time.

I find the hardest part of hostessing is trying to sit and talk with everyone.  The house is really set up into two conversation areas, and I was bouncing back and forth between them, trying to make sure that everyone got some attention.  I even had guests from as far away as North Seattle and Snoqualmie and Olympia.  Very touched that everyone made it.

I was terribly clever and made a bunch of food that was pre-done, nothing had to be tended to once the guests got here.  Some deli meat and cheese, crackers, rolls, deviled eggs, Boy Dip (a mexican style dip that men just LOVE--it makes them grunt in happiness---truly, it is so funny to watch them, I have even seen one man hover over the crockpot that is filled with the meaty dip and glare at anyone who comes to take some, all without realizing he was doing that.  *giggles*), potato chips and dip, and all the coffee, tea and cocoa one could drink.

I think our coffee maker (a Keurig) made a few more converts at the ease and fantasticness of the coffee it makes.

I am paying for all the work and energy today, but it was totally worth it!  By last night, there was a lot of angry skin problems, couldn't sleep, my feet were burning up, and I was just exhausted.  Today there are other problems, but again, totally worth it!!!

I will NOT let Leukemia stop me.  I had an interesting thought the other day while listening to a Country song.  Dying is easy.  Living is hard work.

Kind of a downer ending to a happy post.  But real.

12-17-10 Holiday Cookies

Tomorrow is my annual cookie swap, so I have been slowly cleaning the house, don't really know what happened to the girl that was helping me, she called in sick one week, and poof, she was gone.  Oh well.  Have to find someone else I suppose.

The cookies have all come out great.  I made about 7 different cookies, with at least 4 dozen of each.  Each guest will bring their own 4 dozen cookies and we will all swap them out.  I have purchased cookie boxes so people can wrap them up and be ready to distribute as gifts!

I am looking forward to this a great deal.

So last I had written, the hot tub broke, the basement flooded and the tarp had blown off the trailer.  JR unfortunately said "well, at least the house won't fall down in the next week."

Silly man, tempting fate like that.

Three days ago, I went out the front door, and the house was falling down.  Specifically the gutter was hanging by a thread on the side of the porch.

I just laughed.  There was nothing I could do.  It wasn't going to go anywhere.  Ah well.

JR did not find any humor in it.  Sadly.

And then our neighbor Brian earned the Best Neighbor of the Week award.  Yesterday he knocked on the front door and asked me if I would like him to repair the gutter!  OMG!  Can you say fabulous.

So he took our ladder and 10 minutes later had fixed it!!!!!  He got my undying gratitude and a box of cookies!

This was the day after the window guy called me at 8:30 in the morning to tell me he was on his way.  (we did not have an appointment)  I was on my way out of town to Seattle for the day to see a client.  I phone up Bill on the other side of us, and he agreed to come over and supervise the window guy and lock up the house.

At the drop of a hat.

I have the BEST neighbors!!!!!

Also just had a wonderful holiday lunch with Steve and his wife, Jeanne.  Such nice people!  We met at Anthony's Seaport in Des Moines.  Yummmm.   And now I am going to crash.

I had three good days in a row and am now exhausted from feeling well.  I even managed to sleep the whole night through last night!  Woo Hoo.

Happy cookies to everyone.  And yay for congress for fixing the estate tax issue.....more on that later.  must nap now.

Been a While

So the latest Dr. report says the white blood cells are holding in the normal range, the red blood cells are as well.  The drug has worked remarkably well for that.  There is some concern with my liver numbers (don't know what that means) and she is concerned that the side effects are so severe still.  So we have another appointment in 2 weeks to check blood levels again.  If I am not doing better with side effects, she wants to talk about switching the medication.  I am not thrilled with this idea.  Better the devil you know..........at least this one is working!

Am now battling with the pharmacy company.  They cancelled my prescription without any documentation of why, and never called me.  Sigh.  They have apologized, but they have to redo the whole thing, and it takes time.  So I am almost out of medication and waiting for them to get their act together.  They also did something weird with the overall prescription and modified it from its 1 year amount to only a 3 month amount and now want a new prescription from the Dr. for the next shipment after this screwed up one.  But it took me 20 minutes to get that information out of them.  When were they going to tell me that little tidbit????

I have decided that I do not like having leukemia and want it to go away now....................I am tired of this.

Also, the basement flooded.  And the hot tub broke.  And the tarp blew off the trailer.  And JR is gone for two weeks with the Army.

Ack.   All of this will get sorted out.  Chin up, right?