Summer's Over, Fall Sets In

 

It’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged, and much has gone on with me.  I’ve had 16 radiation treatments, and am on Tamaxofen for the next five years.  100% cured.  Getting to that last has been a real trial.  Radiation does take it out of you, and I am tired.  Apparently I’ll be tired for another couple of weeks. 

Of course, when the medical profession finds one thing they then find something else that needs be checked out and something else, etc. ad nauseum.  First there was something on my sternum, which turned out to be nothing (after a PET Scan and a Biopsy) and now there might be something on one of my tonsils.  OMG.  Will this never end?

In the middle of all this, I developed tendonitis on my right ankle.  Good Lord!  It’s incredibly painful and I’m now in a walking boot and going to physical therapy.  And doing exercises here at home, too.

To a happier subject, this morning Tripp and I went to agility class.   He is getting better and better at working at a distance from me.  I’m terribly proud of him, and he is completely my Velcro dog.  Tyson is still going to Family Dog 3 (K) and loving it.  We’re working on a new trick and a new dance.  I’m still looking for the right music, currently stuck on “Don’t worry, Be Happy” as that sentiment really suits him.

When you get a scary diagnosis, one is tempted to reevaluate a lot in life.  Rigbee has become increasingly expensive to maintain and use.  While I have no trouble driving him, he is difficult and takes a LOT of effort.  I started looking at Class B campers and two things stood out – price and that most of them are too confining.  Still, I saw some on the internet nearby and decided to go take a look.  Nothing wrong with looking?

Well, not interested in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.  If anything goes wrong with it, I can’t imagine the cost to fix.  Nice Class Bs are also built on the Ram van and Ford Transit.   I’m not overly fond of the Ram, and would prefer a Ford.     So I looked at one, it was very cramped and disappointing.  Then the next one I looked at, I fell for as soon as the door opened. 

It’s a 2021 Coachmen Beyond on a Ford Transit dually body.  I never even took a test drive.  We dickered a bit, and I traded in Rigbee, and 6 weeks later, Turas came home.  It took 6 weeks because I couldn’t find Rigbee’s title and getting a replacement from the CT DMV is a horror story on its own.  But at last it was done, and this sweet little camper is mine.  He gets between 14 and 15 miles per gallon which is 2.5 times what Rigbee got. 

The grandkids helped me empty Rigbee and we Filled the garage.  Then Vita and I went through everything and I boxed up quite a bit to donate.  There is still a lot of stuff, and most will NOT fit in Turas.  There is no external storage and very little internal.  I must be more aware of what I need instead of just throwing everything at it.  I need to continue to pare down what I take, where. 

I’ve created a “kitchen box” with my propane stove, pans and dish pan etc.  because Turas has only a single burner, induction stove and the microwave.  The kitchen box can go in the tiny trailer with chairs and the dogs’ pens.   I bought a small sauce pan and I need to take a magnet to get a small fry pan.  Of course, I could take one of my cast iron pans.  I just don’t like the weight.

Turas has an ELECTRIC AWNING!!  Yay!  I only once used Rigbee’s and the wind took it and that was another repair bill.  This has a wind sensor and will automatically retract if needed. 

This weekend there was a retirement party for my dear friend, Mary Snow.  Her children threw the party as a surprise, and she really was surprised.  It was a wonderful time down at Devil’s Hopyard.  I decided to drive Turas to show off and get more comfortable driving him.  He’s a dream to drive, especially in comparison to Rigbee.  Everyone admired him and I took great delight in being a showoff!

Among the things I realized, I cannot really bring a full-sized guitar.  Good thing I have 2 ¾ sized guitars, and will bring one to Maine next month.

Also with this, I can bring my pups along everywhere and they can hang out, in air conditioning in summer and heated comfort in winter. 

So where did the name “Turas” come from?  My friend Doreen found it.  Turas is Irish for journey, and seems a fitting name for my new little camper.

 Well, that's all for now!

 

 

 

Summer '23

 

It’s been an interesting summer so far.  The animals are doing great, which is a blessing.  I had a mammogram back in April and while I was away in Texas, letting Crazy Cousin Louise have all the fun, I got a call to have another mammogram to confirm or deny the presence of “something.” 

So, testing commenced and a biopsy was done and I was diagnosed with a DCIS… which translates to Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ.  Or Stage 0 breast cancer.  100% curable.  Great news! 

Of course in order to remove this little beastie, I had to go through an MRI.  When they want to view the breast via MRI, the body is raised and the breasts dangle down below.  It’s interesting.  I have claustrophobia.  Not terrible until it kicks in and it did.  Could Not do it the first time.  I was determined the second and used Xanax to get through it.  Since I never take that stuff, I was kinda giggly the rest of the day.

July 12^th Flopsy had a “partial mastectomy” a.k.a. a lumpectomy although I never felt a lump.  All went very well, minimal pain (and I’m a wuss when it comes to that!) and I’m constantly wearing a bra or the binder they put me in after surgery.  All of that is good, I’ll have radiation therapy for a while and take tamoxifen for 5 years.  I meet with my oncologist this coming week.  Not a big deal.

I have been dealing with another issue though.  I can’t breathe.  Do anything and I get short of breath and end up sitting down.  Before surgery, I had to be okay’d by my cardiologist, and I had a stress test the end of June.  No surprise, I passed with flying colors.  Strong heart, lousy arteries.

My p.c.p. decided a regular old stress test wasn’t sufficient.  She sent me for a Calcium Score CAT Scan.  Everything was ok except for one artery which came back with a 99.99% blockage.  So that’s still on the table.

With everything confirmed, my surgeon saw something on my sternum. So she ordered a chest CAT scan.  That confirmed something with my sternum.  Don’t know what yet.  I’ll be getting a call from a thorasic surgeon sometime this week.  Dr. Rubino (breast surgeon) doesn’t do chest surgery.

Betty (step-mom) had become very concerned about my breathing and at her behest I made another appointment with my pcp.  Dr. Angelee is wonderful. 

She made me walk around the clinic and called Manchester’s ER.  No ambulance, I could drive myself but she was concerned about a PE – pulmonary embolism.  Those can kill.  I spent 5 hours in the ER, doing my best comedy routines to keep the nurses, aides, etc.  in good humor.  That really did work.  They enjoyed me.

Around 8:00 I called my daughter, Trudy and asked if Francis could go over and feed my animals.  Of course he could.  Some time after 9 p.m. I looked up and there was Francis walking into my little cube.  My 16-almost-17 year old grandson stayed there with me until they sent me home.  My animals were fed, Trippy didn’t bite him and Blackie loves him.  He’s the best.  I have a pneumonia that actually looks like covid-19 in the scans and x-rays but is not (I’ve been tested 2x in the last couple of days.).  And my asthma is out of control.  So I have antibiotics, cough medicine and an inhaler.  I’m tired a lot.

Betty called herself “a pain in the ass” about wanting me to see the doctor.  She is not.  She is the best present my father left me with: a wonderful, caring step-mother.  Her birthday was last Thursday and as soon as I feel better we’ll be going out to brunch to celebrate it. 

Sometimes in this life we just have to admit that God knows what she’s doing.  When Trudy moved in next door so many years ago I had no idea that I would gain a daughter, a son-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren.  How fortunate I am to have them.  They’ve moved but they’re still my family.  My granddaughter Vita has been coming over and helping me with chores around the house, and she’s a delight.  The youngest is Portia, so much fun and so smart.  Well, they all are.

CCL goes to Texas, Part 2

 

Bernie is working at Jaimes’s new ranch, running equipment and doing work which requires a certain amount of technical expertise – like driving a tractor and using the equipment which runs off same.  The barn staff is rather immature and break things.

Margie and I went over there (Hutto) to help Bernie put a playscape together for the guy who owns the property.  This is no ordinary playscape.  It’s a two storey monstrosity with picnic table, climbing wall, slide, swings, roof.  OMG.  I got a sunburn that thankfully turned to tan.

It’s nowhere’s near done.  But we spent the entire afternoon working on it.  My dogs hung out under the trees with a large bucket of water.  Callie followed Margie around as always.

 

 

*****

Margie’s van has been giving her the “check engine” light and it’s been in the shop now 3x to get it fixed.  Yesterday was shop number 3.  Because of the weather forecast (mega storms), Bernie did not go to the ranch but instead we piled into Cindy’s truck (borrowed) and the van and headed down to Lampassas to take the van in and get the brakes done on Cindy’s truck.

I took the boys, not wanting to leave them for so many hours and of course Callie came.  We went shopping (didn’t buy anything) and then hung out at the dealership until Cindy’s truck was done. 

It’s an hour each way to their preferred dealership, and on the way home I got some really cool pictures of the sky – storms coming in and clouds at all different heights in the sky.  Then we got home and I pulled the slide in and brought my dogs into the spare room (away from Moon, who believes Trippy is snack food).  All Eleven dogs were in the house for the duration.  They were amazingly well behaved, occasionally giving us a chorus of barks/howls but mostly really good about it.

 ****

Currently, the roofs on the three main buildings (house, barn, metal shop and wood shop) are being replaced due to mega hail damage.  So Margie and I are stuck here whist the work is being done.  It’s noisy and there are nails everywhere outside.  We can’t let the dogs out, and mine are trapped in their little yard.  At least it’s not horribly hot out.