Geriatric MM Warriors June 13, 2010

[kater]

Go SF GIANTS!!!!!! Happy Dancing! Woooooo Hooooooo!

 

[Wisteria1956]

Ditto, Kate! My nephew (the lawyer in SF) is better today so it's a happy dance day down there. He has a hernia, but also some kind of infection, which is now responding to the anitobiotics. Hoping there is no bone infection. That's the next test result we're waiting for.

 

[Wisteria1956]

Hey, Robin, I may as well spread the worry around, lol! You be a good girl and get that swelling down so you can get on with the healing.

I loved hearing about Ali's soon-to-be step children and what a difference she's made in their lives. Same kind of scenario over here. They don't live together yet, but I kind of expect they will by spring. He wants her to be in a better apartment in the meantime. Both of them live close to their jobs and yet 30 minutes apart so some compromise is in order eventually. They have taken things very slowly so as not to disrupt Adia's life with an experiment. J-P's Dad told him to be very careful not to hurt that little girl by letting her get attached and abandoning her like her other father did. So far, so good! We got her some new snowboard goggles for her birthday and they sent us the cutest picture last night with them on her smiling face.

We're off to do some grocery shopping. I'm making some stuff I can freeze for the return home. Mom can lift it out for me on the day - that will be so nice to look forward to.

I'm working on myself not to feel sorry for myself living in a hotel for a week. It's nothing compare to Tom's ordeal. I'm a sissy. I'm packing already - very practial things like flats for the hilly streets.

I have another prayer request in advance. The doctor will remove all of the lymph nodes to the right groin and go up into what is called the iliac chain kind of in the middle. There will be two incisions. There is a huge swollen lymph node there and I guess they will take out all of the ones in that area too. While they are there, they will reach over to the left and take some samples. Here's where the very specific prayer needs to come in - that the ones on the left are not affected! If they are, he will have another horrible groin surgery on the other side and that is a bad situation. This is called a groin dissection and it has all kinds of potential problematic issues like a wound that doesn't heal well, blood clots and swelling.

On the up side, the doctors were astounded at Tom's overall health. He has no health issues at all, is as hard as a rock and fit as a fiddle. They say all of the energy his body would have had to send to deal with diabetes, high blood pressure and the like can instead go right to healing his operation. Yippee! I'm so proud of him.

Hoping you all have a wonderful Sunday and that Diane hears soon about her job and Robin's leg settles down today.

 

[gettinhealthy]

Hi guys. Sorry been MIA. So busy this weekend. Had to go shopping yesterday for a winter jacket for Bailey to wear. She is growing sooo much! We weighed her, and she is up to 68.4 pounds! A weight gain of around 5#.

Did horrible with my eating this weekend I am sooo disappointed in myself. I weighed yesterday and was showing a 10# loss this week. Weighed this morning, and it was showing a gain of 8# back. Another resolve. I do so well during the week with work and structure.

Off to bed for me. Pretty tired. I'll catch up in the morning with all the new posts I've missed.

Oh, found a boxer baubble head at Petsmart yesterday too. Of course Mike got it for me LOL. I am soooo spoiled!!

 

[gettinhealthy]

Hi again guys!! It is another beautiful day here in PA. Rain showers moving in later, though.

Lisa, I will put your nephew in my prayers right beside Tom, you and Robin. I hope your nephew is feeling better each day.
That is so wonderful that J-P has found such a great woman to share his life with along with a wonderful child. I can just see you all together at Christmas! I know Adia adores you both as grandparents!! Nothing quite as soothing as laying in bed with grandparents. Brings back many wonderful memories for me.

Robin, your soon to be grandkids, heck, might as well just call them your grandkids LOL sound great also. I am so excited to become a grandma. I don't think there is a more precious "job" in the world. I don't want to be the type of grandmother that just sits around when they come to visit. My ex's mom is like that with her grandkids, and the girls don't really like going there. My one grandmother/father were like that also, but it was always fun going to their house. They lived on an old farm (no animals though. Just a dog) and we could play outside the whole time. My other grandparents were a huge part of our lives. They lived on the other side of town (about a 10 minute walk) and did tons of stuff with us. My mom and dad always were a huge part of my kid's lives also, and still are.

Ok, got to get ready for work. I am going to figure out a way to get this weekend business under control. I can't have another repeat of this weekend with my eating. Planning will be key I think. Feeling better about the whole eating thing today, as I know it will be a structured day.
Ok, catch you all later!!

 

[Wisteria1956]

Kathy: Don't attach to much to the scale, remember. You could be fluctuating with water weight. I doubt it's possible to flub up enough over a weekend to gain 8 lbs. It will go back down. Sounds like you might need to plan ahead on the weekend like you do during the week.

Did I tell you before my grandmother's name was Ada? I have her cherry wood four poster bed and and bedroom furniture in my guest room. It's the bed I used to take my naps in when she watched me when I was little. If I had been able to have a little girl, I always wanted to find a prettier, more modern version of her name. I could never hit on one I really liked. Adia couldn't be more perfect! She's named from the Sarah McLaughlin song. I tried not to see it as a sign in case they break up, but I couldn't help it, lol! I decided even if they don't get married someday, we can still love her for now.

 

[Wisteria1956]

They think our nephew had a staph infection, but they don't know how he got it! He's somewhat better although still in the hospital. Thanks for the prayers! He also has a hernia, but I doubt the two are related?? Don't know.

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Good Tuesday Morning Girls! The leg is feeling a bit better, but of course I am looking for immediate results, so this is a time of re-considering my inner self and attempting to be patient...I have Faith, so all will resolve itself in good time! Am sticking with my WW points, so thats a good thing and its really not too hard to do, but I sure do wish the leg would cooperate so I could get some gym time in.

Kate - Whew! I knew you would be on board with the puppy caper, but was worrying about where to find the stuffed boxers, so thats a huge relief! Even though Kathy is on to us now, I know between you and I we can still pull this off...Im working on a new code language for us to use, so will let you know when I have it figured out...do you know pig latin?
Bristol, Tn is not too far from me, and I was actually there at the night race a couple years ago...we brought our RV, parked right across the street from the entrance a couple days before, and did the camping/tailgating thing with all the other crazy folks. It was a great time and we only had a quick hike to get in. We should plan a get together there next year and maybe we can get Kathy and Mike to come down again! Its not a lot to rent a good sized RV and it really was so fun! And this from the girl who totally detests camping! I was good with it due to the availability of kitchen and shower, LOL, even though it took some getting used to...my butt was bigger than the entire diameter of that little shower, and my ex-man is 6'6" 280 pounds! It was more of an entertainment feature than anything!

Lisa - sounds like JP got some good advice there...when Ali and Steve first started dating, they kept the kids out of it for quite awhile...they both felt it was important for them to concentrate on the relationship itself and not to really involve the kids too much until they were sure about how THEY felt about each other! Since Ali's Dad has been missing in action since she was 18 months old, she was sensitive to not letting the kids get attached to someone who might not stick around. Then they dated another couple years before she moved in, so I can only say that slow and steady really did work for them!
Prayers continuing for you guys, and of course I have complete Faith that there will be no other nodes on the other side to create trouble...Im sure that Mm and all the healthy eating has made you both strong and fit today so you are more than prepared to battle this disease and triumph! Prayers continue for your nephew too..those staph infections are truly a mystery in so many ways...

Kathy - dont forget Diane's reminding us over and over to stay off the scale! LOL, If I remember correctly you were one that never did throw that scale out the window, but maybe you could just use it to weigh Bailey and the puppies for awhile instead! It is exciting to be a Grandma, and even more so for me since all but one of my grandparents had passed before I was born or before I was 10 years old, and the remaining ones lived very far away, so I can honestly say I dont really have any fond memories of any of them...so I am very excited to be able to spend this time with them and to enjoy the blessing of watching them grow and thrive. My mom and I absolutely adore Steve and have also been welcomed into his family, which is his 81 year old mom ( a fantastic lady who parachuted out of a plane to celebrate her 80th birthday!), and his 8 brothers and sisters and all their assorted spouses, significant others, and kids...they get together on Christmas eve every year and have made us a part of the family and a part of the celebration for several years now. Since our family was small, we have been so blessed to enjoy and be part of these huge, crazy, joyous celebrations!

Im wondering if the Great Puppy Caper (alias boxer-napping) could really be a fun idea for a kids book? HMMMMMMMMMM

 

[Wisteria1956]

We leave today to pick J-P up at the airport and go to the hotel in San Francisco. The oncologist called last night to confirm the results of the biopsy. It is the same cancer as before so the surgery is on, as it is the best option. I'm taking my computer with me so I'll check in from time to time. Love to you all!

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Good Luck and Godspeed Lisa! We will be praying harder than ever!

Where is everybody?

Diane? any news on the Wednesday interview? Still praying for you too!!

 

[gettinhealthy]

Robin, I am here sort of. My laptop cord broke and Mike had to solder it again this morning. This is the 3rd time he's done it for me. I need to take my whole laptop to get fixed and updated a bit. I a least have my desk computer and phone when I have have to get here during the day.
I will try to get back here this evening after work

 

[Diane W.]

Lisa - Strong prayers for all of you! It will be so comforting for you to have JP with you. By this time tomorrow Tom will be on the road to recovery.

Hi Robin - Thanks for asking! I met with 3 more people yesterday. It went well and they will make a decision by the end of next week.

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Wow, it got quite chilly overnite here! Time to get out another quilt!

Diane - sounds great and positive, praying you hear good news very soon!

Kathy - you dont have to tell me about computer issues, LOL, I cant believe I waited so long to get mine taken care of...wish I had a laptop but cant afford one right now, so having the desktop cleaned out was a good thing...unfortunately can only sit here at the desktop for short periods of time these days...darn this leg anyway!

Lisa - I know you probably will not be here today, but praying and have a feeling of peace that all will go well...let us know when you can!

Thinking this cool day will be a great opportunity to make some more soup!

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Hi all!

I was just checking in and since I didn't see anything from Lisa, I checked on the CaringBridge site. Here is what she had to say this evening:

Tom is going to his room now after a 12 hr. day. The surgery went really well and he did great in recovery. 5 hr. surgery to methodically remove disease and check left side, which looks good. He'll be on bed rest for 5 days or so. Must heal before any other treatments to battle any microscopic cells

It sounds like the best we could hope for for now.

Well, I am off to bed for now, I will check in this weekend.

 

[Diane W.]

Hi everyone!

I'm so happy that Tom's surgery went well. What wonderful news.

 

[Wisteria1956]

Happy Sunday! Wish we were in Maui with Kate!

Diane: I am so excited about your positive interview. Thinking about you every day and praying you get the answer you've been waiting for.

Bev: Thanks for updating everyone! I didn't take my computer to the hospital. Tom had a good day yesterday and has a gorgeous private room with a view of the city. His doctor said although there was significant cancer involvement on the right side, it was well differenciated so he felt it got it all. That he could see, of course. I suspect the plan will be to have chemo and or radiation to combate any errant cells. Afterall, that's how we got in this mess in the first place. Tom is confined to bed rest for 5 days. He has an epidural for the pain and is in no pain at all. He's on solid food, but they brought him cold beef last night and he doesn't eat red meat. Gross. John-Paul and I carried food in yesterday that was fresher than hospital food. There are plenty of nice restaurants within walking distance. We've learned the bus/train situation pretty well. Last night we went down to the Wharf to stroll, buy gifts for the girls in his life and have a nice dinner. Of course, we also watched the Giants game. Go Giants!

The first day was very hard on J-P and hard for me to stay strong for him, but it was probably much better for me to be in that role than falling apart. Tom had a horrible time getting the epidural and J-P was crying. They made us go around the corner but we could see his feet kicking and hear awful pain. They had put an IV in by then, though, and I think maybe he got some of that amnesia medicine because he doesn't remember a thing! What a blessing!

Enough about us. You all take over and I'll check back in tonight. It's cloudy in SF, but the sun is shining in our hearts!

I could never adequately express how much your thoughts and prayers have meant to us all.

 

[Simpleone]

Good afternoon all! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

At the top of this page is a promo for Disney that asks, "Has a moment ever hugged you?"... my thoughts went right to Lisa's post just now, yes it has! Such good news about Tom, Lisa, I'm thrilled for all of you. When you wrote of his epidural experience, oh gosh, I blinked back tears. I've never had one of them, (four C-sections..knock my a$$ out!) and boy I'm thinking I hope I never have to! I understand about having to be the "strong one" in situations like this. My dad is just beginning his second battle with the big C as well. My mom goes to pieces just going for his checkups and shots. I have to be there to hold her together, which inturn holds me together, funny how that works isn't it? ...I think it's an inner strength thing we develope early as mothers. I hope this is just the start of more and more good news for you all. He will be back to his big strong self before you know it and life will begin anew for you once again.

This old master redo is kicking my fanny...hard! It's looking wonderful, and we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just finished painting the room and bath. I've refinished that room of woodwork and decided to sand, restain and re-poly the doors, which led to deciding to refinish all the doors..guess how many interior stained doors we have in this house?,.... 17!!! Gads! Yes, I'm taking them down one by one and redoing them all, snowball effect! Oh well, it's keeping me busy, that's for sure.

We had Audri's first birthday party yesterday.(pics to follow on facebook). I made two very large pans of lasagna and there was enough cake, ice cream and cookies to feed an army. Yes, I had it all and am paying for it today. I feel like I'm right back on the first day of Step I. Which reminds me, Robin how is Weight Watchers treating you? Are you loving it? If I wasn't so completely convienced of my carb intolerance, I'd be right there on it with you!

Diane, I'm still thinking and have my fingers crossed for you and your job search. I know you'll let us know as soon as you hear something.

Kathy, are you still hangin in there on Step I with me?

Okay, I think that's it for now, back to work I go!

You all have a peaceful rest of your weekend.

 

[Virginiaponygirl]

Hi All, Sunday is winding down and I am trying to be good and sit with my leg elevated, but its not that easy to do unless I am lying down and that is already getting old!

Lisa - such great news and we were all so happy to hear! Having never had an epidural, I am now convinced there will be no need to EVER have one! Did you guys go through the chemo/radiation thing the last time? And if so, was he able to tolerate it fairly well? I know there have been such major advances and sometimes the nausea, etc isnt too bad...praying for THAT for sure!

Pam - WW eating isnt a problem at all, but since I can barely move around at all, I am not exercising like I had hoped...drat! Im pretty sure I am carb intolerant as well, so have been limiting carbs to some 12 grain toast, a few beans and brown rice...staying away from all fruits except a few berries insome yogurt too, since they seem to spike my sugar. Got some Kashi cereal too, when I need something crunchy it seems to work! Im thinking about e-mailing the leader and asking if I should drop my points a few since I am basically immobile right now...and I am trying to ignore the 35 "extras" they give you to use over the course of a week...they really stress that you HAVE to eat ALL your points, so Im trying to write everything down and get right to the number each day.

Bev - thanks for keeping us updated when Lisa cant! I havent checked caring bridge since I can only sit a few minutes at the computer and would rather take the time to check in here with you guys!!


Have been e-mailing with Carol the past week or so...she and I keep in touch fairly often and she has been filling me in on her latest diet effort....her doctor actually recommended she try the hcg diet...I know I know...its growth hormone, but has been used for years and years, just isnt popular right at the moment. She has lost 50 pounds in 4 months!! OMG, Go Carol! She says she feels great, has had no side effects at all, and tells me that it is hormone and not chemicals, so none are actually expected...and you apparently take a very small dose...it is very calories restricted 600-700 daily and very specific foods, but contrary to any other very low calorie diet, the hormone causes you to burn stored fat instead of muscle. She has done a month at a time, then gone off and not gained back, so she reports that the losses are actually about 1/2-1 pound a day! She sounds so excited and says she feels absolutely terrific!

I am off to the doctor tomorrow afternoon...leg is no better and it feels to me like I have possibly got a second problem too: recurrence of a Bakers Cyst I had on the back of my knee years and years ago...like my poor leg needs anything else right now! But I have tracked the recurring pain to behind my knee and Mom says she can see the swelling there, so Im sure the doc will be sending me off again for more scans etc...ugh...lets just figure it out and get it taken care of! Save your prayers for Tom and for Diane's job please! Just a quickie for me! Love you guys!

 

[Wisteria1956]

Robin: I guess we're a small enough group now I can reveal the type of Tom's cancer. It's very, very rare. He had penile cancer and had surgery alone the last time. They said it was Stage 1 and they got it all, but cells must have escaped up into the lymph system. Disney will probably beep me if I name the organ, but it is full of lymph nodes so the cancer is extremely dangerous and deadly. He had to have about half removed. We joke and say it's a good thing the lesion was on the far end. You have to keep your sense of humor, right? So there was no need felt for chemo originally. It was a horrible shock to have his groin lymph nodes involved now. The prognosis generally is very, very poor, but we literally have the most famous surgeon in the world. He has written the textbooks the other doctors learn from. He thinks he got all of the cancer and seems to be optimistic. The reason we know this doctor is he did a bit of reconstruction on Tom last year so he was happy to help us. It's very hard to get in to see him normally.

I got so worn out today I left J-P at the hospital to watch the Giants with his Dad so I could take a nap. We're going to have a late dinner. He has to fly back tomorrow, but he'll be back soon for Thanksgiving.

Sending prayers for Diane's job and Robin's leg. Yes, we have room to pray for all of our needs in this group, PonyGirl!

 

[Wisteria1956]

I often wonder what ever happened with Carol and her husband.