Sunday, January 29, 2023

January 29, 2023 Sunday--3:30pm

Going to post early because I have no idea what will be going on tomorrow but something will.

The good news this last week is that Leah called Sanford Monday and I have an appointment for a checkup with a new regular doctor in May.  

Sandford didn't waste any time.  I got a call from a nurse the next morning and we had a long chat.  She thought I'd be best off with a doctor who dealt with the bladder, prostrate, liver end of things.  (I had thought I'd like a lady but the two lady oncologists specialized in breast cancer.)  She was really nice and listened to me.  I couldn't remember the name of the mouth thing I have now and she knew it right off--mucositis.  I picked a young doctor I remembered had a nice face--Dr. Failing.  I got a call back that I had an appointment for Friday 3rd with the new oncologist Dr. Failing.

Keanna came to clean on Tuesday.  I was having pain in my side for a couple of days.

Wednesday Nicki called me back already because Dr. Failing wanted me to have bloodwork and my CT Scan before he sees me. I needed to have the bloodwork done before the scan because they need to know my kidneys are okay for the contrast they use.  I could go into the lab whenever.  She called me back and got the CT Scan for Monday afternoon.   So, I planned to get the lab work done Friday, CT scan Monday, and new doctor on Friday.

Thursday I started to get a rash across my midsection and left side.  I figured this was yet another one of the Keytruda side effects--the Keytruda rash.  

Friday afternoon Dagan ran me over to the lab and I got the bloodwork done.  By that time the rash had gone around to the middle of my back and was looking worse.  By that night the rash had formed blisters, become more painful, and I was running a low temp.

Friday night, Saturday, and so far Sunday all I have done was sleep off and on round the clock--I'd doze off and sleep maybe an hour, wake up in pain, fall asleep in another hour or two for another hour or two...repeat.  I finally called Leah this afternoon.  

I googled Ketruda rash and shingles.  They seem to be about the same, but I'm not positive if the Keytruda rash is also contagious.  Not sure what to do about the CTscan tomorrow.  I plan to call tomorrow morning (Nicki gave me her number) to see what they think.  I wouldn't want to give this to anybody--it is awful!  According to everything I've read online steroids are the thing I'd need for this new rash, too.  But I doubt I can get a prescription without seeing somebody first.  Who knows, though.

So--tomorrow--I might be getting a CT scan, I might be sent to the walk-in clinic to be seen and get steroids, or if I was lucky they could prescribe me some and Leah could just pick them up for me and I wouldn't have to go anywhere.  (Getting dressed sounds like a painful task.)  I might have to do both the walk-in clinic and the CT scan...who knows?  Regardless--something will be happening.  So, I am blogging now.

I will probably be asleep again shortly.

Let's just say I really, really wanted to get the CT scan tomorrow so I would know if the tumors are gone.  Especially now that it is looking like I can't take Keytruda anymore, you know?  Not that there aren't other types of immunotherapy out there (found out researching online) but it would take a long time for my body to recover enough to mess with it any further, you know?  It feels like my body has struggled for this last year to try not to give in to the side effects...but it is definitely telling me enough is enough.  

I am exhausted.

But I am SOOOO glad to be switching over to Sanford!!  Just talking to Nicki alone gave me such hope.  To have someone believe me and listen to what I had to say.  To have someone to talk to who didn't take offense to my searching for information online.

So, something will be done tomorrow.  I am hoping to get on steroids (even though I don't like them--lol!).  Seems like everywhere I found online on how to deal with side effects--from the diarrhea, to the mucositis, to the rash--they said steroids.  Same remedy if it was shingles, BTW.  (I had the first shingles shot but not the second one.)\

So, things are moving along rapidly with the Sanford shift (hurray!)...but I now have another new awful issue to deal with.  Hopefully I will have better news next week.

Meanwhile...I took this picture out of the bedroom window of the small birds at dusk in the tree...

...one of Miss Allie keeping an eye on me...
...and one of her half awake in her bed on the little lounger.
Not suppose to be above zero again tomorrow.  -21 tonight, it says.  So there are a lot of birds keeping me company all day long for meals--lol!  Haven't seen the rabbits, but they are probably coming at night or I have missed them during the day because I have been seeping so often.  They're getting fed, though.  Never fear.  ;)

Wish me luck tomorrow.  Top priority right now is steroids...then CT scan.  We'll see how it goes tomorrow.  Thank you for every kind thought my way!  *love and hugs*  Till next time...

Monday, January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023 Monday--2:30am

Good Early Morning again!

Blogging as long as I was still awake and couldn't sleep.  :)

It is the Chinese year of the rabbit in 2023.  According to google it is supposed to be a year for "focusing on relaxation, quietness and contemplation".  The rabbit symbolizes "peace, prosperity and longevity."  Sounds good to me!  Relaxation is even listed first--my word for this year from the angel cards.  I was born in a rabbit year (1951), but I didn't realize that there is also a rotation of elements that changes, too.  This is a water rabbit year and I was born in a metal rabbit year.  Interesting.  Do you know what symbol you were born under?  What element?

Well, let's see...last week I left a recorded message that I just wanted to talk to Gerald but didn't have an emergency or anything broken...so he hasn't stopped by yet.  But I have the paperwork ready on the sauna for him.  

Was very slow moving this past week.  Mostly was baking, cooking, doing laundry, and all those exciting things--lol!  But after I'd finish whatever I prioritized that day I was pretty shot...enough so that I didn't even work on letters.  Just binge watching a series on Netflix called Deadwind--with subtitles.  Looks like it may have gotten cut off by covid, though--not sure.  Anyways, when I have to read and watch a show I can't do anything else--so I save those for when I am basically a noodle.  :)

Still been below freezing so lots of guests at the Critter Cafe.

Some partridges were waiting for their turn.
Believe it or not that was all the critter pics I took this week.  I should grab one of Miss Allie before I'm done here--lol!

Monday
The company came to work on the cement floor.
They cleaned it up--whatever their term is for that.


Kind of grinding/sanding off the top layer.


On Monday Ian tried rented snowshoes at the golf course.
Here he is being silly with his poles.
Next time Leah said they might try cross country skiing.

Tuesday
Okay.
The floor.
Now out of these stain color samples we decided on the top center color.
Walnut brown.  Looked like a nice rich brown on the darkish side.  That was what we were expecting when they came back to do the staining on Tuesday.

Now I haven't seen it in person and have only seen the same pictures you guys are seeing...but I also only saw the samples in the same photo above that you're seeing and not in person for those, either....and they hadn't polished it yet...but...
...it is nothing like we expected.
Looks way lighter and more grey.
If the light hits it right it does show a little more brown...
...but mostly it looks a dark grey to me.  
A grey with a brownish tint?  To me it looks closer to a lighter version of the color sample to the right of the walnut.
You can see it looks obviously darker than the pale cement back behind the furnace and water heater.  So it is better then pale cement grey--yes.  Definitely.  But when you are paying several thousand dollars for it...
...well, it is not the brown color we were expecting.
Leah saw it first and was surprised.  She sent me the pictures and that was the first thing I thought, too...not the color we expected from the sample.  Dagan came home from work--and thought the same thing.  All of us were disappointed--separately.  So...Leah talked to them, I believe, and instead of them coming back to polish it...now they are going to see if there is some way they can make it darker for us.  They may have already put the sealer on, though.  They're going to try a couple experiments on samples at their shop this week and get back to Leah.  Will probably be back out next week it sounds like.

If nothing else, it is not plain old light cement grey if they can't fix it.  Looks better than that, at least.  Do you guys think the three of us are being too picky?  I guess I trust Dagan and Leah and they're the ones who have seen it live and in person, so to speak--and they were surprised it was so light--and more grey than walnut brown.  Maybe they need to have better samples to show people that are more realistic...or show prospective customers photos of places they've done maybe?  Hindsight, eh?

Well, so--a delay.  But that is the way it goes with construction.  We'll be dealing with plumbers and electricians...and supplies needed...you never know how things will go.  This wasn't the worst that could happen...and however it ends up it will be okay.  And it will be polished and sealed so it will be easy to clean...and I will have a few rugs around.  :)

(But it still would be nice if they could have it look more like the sample--fingers crossed.)

Meanwhile--the other cup and mug came!  
First the agave cup arrived.
I didn't show you the infuser last time.
They're really nice--holes very, very small so only tea dust can get through.

Then the last one came.
The cherry blossom cup!
They are all so pretty...and different designs.  Makes me happy.  

I've already grabbed just the cup for water for taking my pills in the morning.  Maybe I could dedicate one of them to be my pill water glass--but that would be a waste of a good tea cup!  Maybe I actually should have a real dedicated pretty pill glass or cup.....

Anyways, I've been sleeping well and longer more nights (and later)...but some not sleeping very long.  Was up all night one night this last week.  At least it has been quite a while since that has happened.,,and it was just the one night.  whew!

Keanna comes on Tuesday.

Been relaxing.
More because haven't felt the best...but doing okay.

Today--whenever I do wake up--I need to do laundry again.  :)

There are warnings about freezing drizzle--again.  32F for a high today it says...so we might get above freezing.  Nice!  It's harder for the critters to dig through a layer of ice.  The ice makes driving trickier.  More accidents.  Apparently people forget how to drive on ice or are just impatient sometimes or late for something and not thinking...you see them speeding past you...and later sometimes in the ditch.  Of course, then there is the dreaded black ice you can't see no matter how careful you are driving (or walking)--but easier to deal with if you are going slower.  Oh, winters in the North Country.  ;)

We had some sun again yesterday--two days in a row, I think.  Nice!  The days are getting longer.  We'll have 9 hours and 13 minutes of daylight today.  I hope you all have a really good week!  Till next time...

Oh, and I asked Miss Allie if she minded a picture.

She had been almost asleep with her head hanging over the folding table next to my chair because it is just too annoying to be on the chair with me when I am typing and she really wants to catch a few winks...but she reluctantly obliged.  ;)

Have a relaxing week.  ;)

Monday, January 16, 2023

January 16, 2023 Monday--1:100am

Good very early morning as long as I am still up!  ;)

You know I couldn't resist a couple pictures of the arctic hares getting along with the cottontail.  First one... 

...and then another one joined the feast.  The cottontail is still under the table behind the first hare.
I forgot to tell you last week that I did hear from Kathy (SIL) that they are interested in Grandpa's desk!  I am so happy!  I wanted it to stay in the family.  Plus she said my sister, Renee, has beaten the infection and was going to have surgery soon to replace the missing piece of her skull with something artificial.  Her brain will be protected again...has just had skin over it.  AND that Renee is more back to her old self again!!  Hurray!  Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes.  :)

Okay...what I purchased from Dick Blick.  

Well, I have to go all the way back to a adult night class back in the 90s that I took on how to use pastels.  I had bought a set of hard pastels.  Couldn't imagine being loose and free with my art...not me.  Well, I learned in that class that hard pastels and pastel pencils are used for more control and smaller details.  But there was no way I was buying soft pastels, to be honest.  I wanted control and detail--lol!

Jump forward to college in about 2002...an art class where we had an assignment to do a picture in pastels.  All I had was the same hard pastels I had never really used again.  (So messy--chalk dust all over the place.)  Was told again that the soft pastels were better--made for blending and looser more expressive work.

The few art classes I had in college I always heard that I should loosen up--lol!

Then came years of being housebound and watching artists and all kinds of people on youtube who used soft pastels and something called oil pastels.  I discovered mixed media and art journaling...and so began the desire to learn how to be a looser woman--lol!  ;)  Then the past two years of Wanderlust videos I have seen people using soft pastels and oil pastels regularly in their mixed media.  So...I have been tempted so many times to buy some.  They have been in my cart at Dick Blick numerous times...and in my Amazon cart, too...but I never could take the plunge.

As you know I have been getting the year-long Wanderlust weekly videos now for a couple of years...and just started my third year.  Last year they started having six weeks of videos at a time on a certain type of medium...which is fun.  And this year what do you suppose the first six weeks are covering?  Of course--pastels!

So I really took the plunge.  Ordered a better quality set and a cheaper set of oil pastels...
...and a set of half-size better quality soft pastels...
...with a set of Woody pencils thrown in for good measure.
I know!  Sounds ridiculous.  I haven't even been able to participate in forever...but I am hoping to get to at least one of the six classes on pastels.  If not--I now have the supplies for when I can do the classes later on.  I own all the class videos so I can do them whenever I am able.  Forever the optimist, eh?  Wish me luck.

Anyways, Keanna came on Tuesday to clean...and could tell I was in much better spirits and feeling better.  (I actually had pants on for the first time in 6 1/2 weeks--lol!)

Leah and the boys stopped by to grab some bird seed from my garage for me...and the garage door keypad wouldn't work.  They stopped in briefly to pick up some things I had for her.  I called and left a message with the office about the garage door.  (There is seldom anyone actually in the office.)

On Wednesday the maintenance man, Gerald, fixed the garage door.  We were chatting and I mentioned to him that I had been too sick to deal with selling the sauna this last fall like we had planned so we were going to sell it in the spring.  (He had seemed interested in it last summer.)  Well, he even asked if he could come in and take some pictures.  Sure!  He wanted to see the information so he could get the model number and such--but I told him all my desk paperwork was piled in a box and I didn't know when I would get to it...but when I did I would let him know.

He used to work at a company that sold saunas so he knew it was quality when he first saw it and knows it wasn't cheap.  He's tempted, I know...but it's a lot of money.  Anyways, I told Leah and she said she had the paperwork (they have the same exact sauna) and would drop it off when she came to bring in bird seed for me.  And we discussed that since it was Gerald he could borrow the info packet and she and Dagan would be there to help take it apart...and also that since it is him that he could always make payments.  Great idea!  He would probably trust me, too, since he's been here since I moved in.  Plus he wouldn't have to rush arranging pickup like you do on Facebook Marketplace, etc.  

So, I will get a hold of him this week and give him the info to borrow and tell him about possibly making payments and Dagan and Leah helping him move it.  Then he can think about it and make a decision.  I really hope he will buy it.  He knows it is really nice and appreciates it already...always has since he saw it the first time.  He's such a nice man.  Again--fingers crossed.  ;)

On Thursday Leah and the boys stopped by and brought in the bird seed and some more packing boxes from the garage.  We also rearranged things in my freezer because Leah is picking up 1/2 a cow's worth of beef this Wednesday.  So I have a lot of things thawing out in my frig--LOL!  Been baking something every day...fish, chicken. Tomorrow will be cooking up some ground beef. 

I showed Leah this cupboard of cups and glasses. Chaos!
She didn't want anything and has been paring down her collection, too.  I plan to get rid of most of it.  Get down to a few cups and glasses that I really do love and will use.  (Been re-watching Marie Kondo this weekend, too, for motivation--lol!)  This pretty tea mug arrived while they were here!  It's a poppy tea mug...
...with an infuser and a lid.
Could also just use the cup by itself...but I prefer my Yeti thermal cups for my coffee.  I tend to sip coffee off and on all day long.  When I drink tea it is one cup and much more deliberate--lol!  

On Friday this lotus tea cup came...
...with infuser and lid.
What's funny is I ordered two sets of two pretty tea cups on sale...and every single one of them is coming on a different day--lol!  I'll show you the other two when they arrive.  Each set had a mug and a cup version...all different designs.  Whoohoo!!  These two are each actually from the opposite "sets"--LOL!

I already have my Yeti cups for coffee and one Yeti cup I only use for plain water.  But for all other drinks (carbonated, vitamin waters, etc) I have been using those plastic cups with the straws.  I want to replace them with some nice thermal ones that I will actually like to use.  Ones that give me joy!  And I will need a few so I have cups for the boys when they come down to visit me.  Planning ahead.  

I may be downsizing in certain areas where I get rid of things and replace with things that bring me joy--yes.  Like I did with my white dishes.  (Every time I take down one of my new colored plates or bowls it makes me smile.)  Fewer things, but things I love.  ;)  

Marie Kondo would be proud.

Allie and I have had some quiet days.
Sunday...was the first day we have been above freezing in 31 days!!!  The Critter Cafe wasn't as busy as it has been with such a heat wave--lol!

Okay--Leah sent some pictures!

The boys up in the school room busy with some craft projects.
They had told me when they were here that they had been to the zoo this week...
...in the cold...
...and that they saw more animals than they did in the summer.  

The fox was racing around, they told me.
Even the otters were out playing.
So they had a good time.

And the exciting thing this week...
Dagan and Leah finished emptying the basement for the guys to come and work on the cement floor tomorrow morning!  Leah made the Naked Basement Video...but couldn't move it over to my computer for some reason.  So I did include a link at the end here--which I really, really hope works so you can see the whole tour where Leah explains everything.  Let me know if it works.  Fingers crossed.

In case it doesn't I will include a few pictures...

When you come down the stairs to the right is a storage area--long and narrow--that is underneath their entryway upstairs.  Will be shelves in there for general storage.
This is under the stairs aiming toward the maintenance room.
To the left when you come down the stairs will be my apartment with a pocket door.
This is where my kitchenette will be--kind of on the side on the stairwell.  To the left is where that long storage area is.  To the right will be the door to the maintenance room.  My washer and dryer will be tucked under the stairs in there.
This is the side wall and window in the big room that will have my living room and kitchenette.
On the opposite side will be the studio and bathroom.  Boy--I really hope this link works so you can get the tour and a better idea of my little future apartment.

Okay--I think it finally came through and might work!  Let's see!

We'll have pics and a video of it when the floors are done, I think.  Going to be a walnut brown stain.  Can hardly wait to see what it looks like.

Allie likes to be able to hang out in the empty packing boxes.  Well, you know...cats.
Not expected to get above freezing again in the near future.  25 today and then back into the teens and probably snowing some more, I guess.  Good thing I have lots of bird seed.  ;)

Well, I am going to post this and see if the link works for me.  Let me know if it works for you.

Till next time...
Have a marvelous week!!  :)  :)