home shopping network and opioids

Posted on July 28, 2019 by is there any more pie?

I’ll bet this morning’s blog post heading caught your attention!

Let’s talk about drugs.  Pain killers.  Opioids that people get addicted to and ruin their lives with…and then they end up broken and alone or in rehab.

This is so not me, in case a little zing of worry just shot through your brain.   The only painkiller I can tolerate is Percocet and it did its best to get me through the worst of the post-surgery pain.  I kept a notebook and wrote down each time I took it, never taking it less than six hours apart even when that final hour was unpleasant.  Several doctors tried to tell me I could manage with Tylenol.

They were full of sh**.

So…let’s be clear.  I haven’t taken any prescription drugs in over a week.  I’m looking forward to driving soon, when my arm cooperates, and I want a clear head.  I don’t know where I’d go, though, because trudging across hot parking lots would make the lymphedema worse (and I sure as hell don’t need “worse”).  Still, when radiation starts next week, I would love to be able to drive myself up to the city without hauling Banjo Man away from work or my daughter away from her busy life.

You’re wondering what this has to do with the Home Shopping Network on tv, aren’t you?

Just a bit of history:  about nine years ago was the Year of the Finger Surgeries.  I won’t go into the awful, lawsuit-worthy, pain-filled details, but suffice it to say that I was on antibiotics and pain pills off and on for many months.  The only side affect was an attraction to brightly colored quilting fabric and a tendency to buy a lot of it.  I made some wild quilts during that time (I could use my sewing machine with a bandaged hand, so no problem there), but I still have a lot of that fabric on my shelves.  And I have no idea how to use it up.

Present day:  I already told you about seeing the Geek Pot on HSN.  Of course I ended up buying it.  The demonstration on tv was inspiring, as was the potential for lots of meals.  It arrived a week ago and it is still sitting on the floor of the living room.  I found recipes on Pinterest, but neither Banjo Man nor I have the energy to learn a new trick and cook anything in it.  I’m sure we will eventually and we’ll be thrilled, but we’re not even close right now.

During my last drug-hazed weekend on the couch I ended up dropping in on the HSN network again.  This time I watched a demonstration of a perfect, miraculous product invented just for people like Banjo Man.  I didn’t know such technology existed.  It was something that would change our lives (according to the excited women on HSN) and I believed them.  Oh, how I believed them!

And…it was deeply discounted.  The answer to my prayers.  Easy to use.  Selling like hot cakes.

I couldn’t order it fast enough. 

It’s Banjo Man’s birthday present, so I’m not going to tell you what it is in case he reads the blog between now and the 31st.  I give him one hint a day and he is allowed to ask one question a day.  Today’s question was “Can I plug it in?”

Yes.

He’ll never guess, because he wouldn’t know that such a thing existed.  Hah!

So today–with no drugs to lower my shopping inhibitions and no HSN to tempt me—I’m going to HOPEFULLY finish stitching 110 blocks together for a baby quilt.  The little one was born a few days ago and I’d like her to have it before she starts walking.

I move so slowly these day.

Turtles are faster.

Sigh.

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I think I need this fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in family, quilting, shopping, the cancer fight | Leave a comment

long distance Peach Man

Posted on July 25, 2019 by is there any more pie?

This week I was once again totally overwhelmed.  Can you imagine what arrived by FedEx?

Peaches.  A dozen peaches.  From the Peach Man.

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A dozen miraculous, beautiful peaches carefully wrapped in a box from the lake.

I cried.  Banjo Man was totally choked up.  We both ate a peach and laughed at ourselves for the tears.  It was such an unexpected gift.  The neighbors above us at the lake had gone to a great deal of trouble to send such a treat.

So of course I had to make a pie.  A little 7″ pie.  With homemade crust.  I won’t tell you how long it took me to do this (hint: all freakin’ day!), and I had to wear my compression sleeve (when rolling out the crust), hand gauntlet, disposable gloves (to keep the gauntlet and sleeve clean) and rubber gloves (for the dishes).  Banjo Man had to haul the pie in and out of the oven every time I needed to check it (I haven’t found the perfect oven gloves yet).  Sigh.   It was definitely a labor of love.  I’m sure I’ll get used to this new, ultra-careful routine eventually, but yesterday?  Everything took a lot more time to do, plus my brain works very, very slowly these days and I am prone to making lots of stupid mistakes.

And I haven’t been in the kitchen for almost two months.  

Here’s the pretty result:

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A rustic peach pie.

Despite the epic failure of the crust–I am clearly out of practice–we ate it with gusto.

And despite how awful this breast cancer experience has been, the kindness and love and caring from family and friends has been overwhelming and wonderful.

I’m going to go eat a peach now…

 

Posted in family, food, friends, lake, rhode island, the cancer fight | 6 Comments

rain and radiation

Posted on July 24, 2019 by is there any more pie?

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What a storm!  We’ve never seen summer rain fill the pit before.  Banjo Man ran out to take pictures from the safety of his shed.

Lightning hit a house a few miles away.  And one of our tomato plants lost the will to live.

Monday was our day to meet with the radiologist and have the “mapping” done for the future radiation treatments.  I learned that I would have 22 treatments (4 weeks +2) instead of 30+.   Eight less trips to the city!  Hurray!

The whole “mapping” process was pain free, stress free and fascinating.  There was a Cat scan and tattoos…and several lovely, funny women taking care of the whole thing.

The real thing starts next week, after a dress rehearsal on Tuesday.  So between physical therapy and radiation, August is going to be a very busy month.  But I could be done with radiation before September…and isn’t that something to look forward to!

 

Posted in rhode island, the cancer fight | 5 Comments

the heat wave

Posted on July 22, 2019 by is there any more pie?

We may have broken some records this weekend.  With a heat index of 110 Sunday afternoon, I wouldn’t be surprised.

I’m sure the beaches were packed and the traffic horrendous, but Banjo Man and I stayed home and–for the most part–inside.  Banjo Man watered our blooming tomato plants and I ventured out for three minutes each day to feed the birds and chipmunks.

The air conditioners in the windows did their jobs, helped along by a couple of tall fans.  We enjoyed cold dinners of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.

The newscasters kept warning people not to leave their children in their cars.  Not to leave their children in the car???  What kind of idiots have to be told that?  There are parents in this country who really have to be reminded??

The mind boggles.  Have we raised idiots?

I will change the subject before smoke comes out of my ears.

Meet my albino chipmunk:

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He has a white stripe down the center of his face, a white ring around his neck and some white on his tail.  I’ve never seen one before.  The other chipmunks bully him no end, but he sneaks up for food when they are not around.  I’ve read that albino animals don’t live long, mostly due to their poor eyesight, but this guy has been visiting for weeks.  We’re rooting for him.

The Funny Grandson enjoyed feeding the wildlife while he was here.  Our local chipmunks have never looked so chubby.  Every morning the birds and chipmunks would hang out by the rocks and wait for breakfast.  They knew that sometime before 9 AM the kid would come out with generous amounts of seed for them.

I’m heading north soon for a long day in Providence.  Physical therapy first, then we move on to the hospital’s cancer care center (valet parking–hurray!) for the introductory prep for radiation.  I hope the real thing starts soon.  My physical therapist promises my arm will be ready by then.  Fingers crossed!

Happy Birthday, dear daughter-in-law!  We miss you!  We hope your day brings all the good things that you deserve.

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Dinner at Champlins in Galilee.

 

 

 

 

Posted in family, rhode island, the cancer fight | 1 Comment

so much love

Posted on July 21, 2019 by is there any more pie?
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Really cool socks from my daughter-in-law.

I’ve been overwhelmed–in the best way–by the cards and gifts and thoughtful things that my friends and loved ones have sent me.

You all have no idea how much it has meant to me.  I want you to know that I have treasured everything.  Every kindness, every prayer, every bit of love you send my way.

You will never know how much it has helped knowing that people care.  I thank you so much.

I am feeling better.  In the last few days I’ve turned some kind of corner.  The pain is less intense.  The arm exercises no longer cause tears.  I’ve been making Banjo Man laugh again.  And this morning–drum roll, please–I wiped down my kitchen counter.

That was a very big deal for me, Couch Potato Extraordinaire that I have turned into.  For the past six weeks I’ve admired the new kitchen from afar and stayed away from things that would cut or burn me (lymphedema is something I have to deal with now), but today I boiled water and cleaned a counter.  Progress!  There are precautions galore and some things will never be the same (obviously), but I am slowly turning into “me” again.

And it feels pretty damn good.

Want to know the strangest–and funniest–gift I received?

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Releasing my present from the Havahart trap.

Barbara surprised me with a chipmunk.  She’d trapped it because it was eating her strawberries and, knowing the Funny Grandson and I love chipmunks, brought me another mouth to feed.  Honestly, how funny is that?!?

My Texas family has returned home, so the house is quiet.  Very quiet.  No one has asked me to play UNO for days.  I’m suffering withdrawal and eating ice cream bars all by myself.

Monday starts the radiation portion of my “to hell with cancer” program.  I’m not sure what “mapping” means, but there is going to be some kind of dress rehearsal for the radiation treatments.  I’ve been told that small tattoos are in my future.  Who knew?  Once the treatments start we’ll be going to Providence every day for six weeks.

I’m ready for the next stage.

Today is my father’s birthday.  He would have been 94.  I like to think he’s watching over me and cheering me on, just like all of you have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in family | 4 Comments

the mystery ride

Posted on July 20, 2019 by is there any more pie?

Last Monday we loaded everyone up in the car and headed to Massachusetts.  This was a big day.  I had rested for two entire days in order to have the energy to make the trip.  Banjo Man had taken the day off work.  Directions and parking information in hand, we set off at 9:00 AM.

Where were we going?  Ah, that was the mystery!

The Funny Grandson thought we were taking him to Math Camp for the day (“Bad Grandma” gave hints to make him think that) so he was less than pleased.  We assured him there would be “healthy snacks” and lots of fun math problems to solve.

Glum, he muttered from the third seat, “Stop torturing me.”

His father was beyond excited and had been for a week, when we’d first conceived of the plan.  Now Son #1 is a stoic guy.  It’s hard to tell when he is excited about something.  But when we arrived at the New England Patriots Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium, Ben turned into a 12-year old boy.  He couldn’t believe the size and scope of the building–three stories, with the Pro Shop on the ground floor–and a view of the stadium through distant gates.  I’d known (from the website) how big it was, but I’d kept that info to myself so not to spoil the surprise for the big guy, too.

The FG burst into relieved laughter and couldn’t stop grinning.

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This is not Math Camp.

Now I know most of you out there hate the Patriots and would rather ride a dying donkey in the desert than visit their Hall of Fame, but…bear with me.  If you have a chance to go to your team’s Hall of Fame, you should.  Because it’s a good time.

My daughter-in-law was a great sport and took lots of pictures.  We kept our eye on the FG so his father and grandfather could absorb all the Patriot joy and info.

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The entrance: walking through a giant football helmet.

There were so many interactive exhibits, displays, photo ops and videos.

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The “locker room”, where you can try on real jerseys and equipment.  The FG is wearing one of Brady’s actual jerseys.  And the dirt and sweat was real.  As was the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall nearby.

How about getting in on a huddle?

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As we were crossing the main plaza, on our way to the elevators and a restaurant for lunch, we saw Bob Kraft walking nearby.  He was heading into the stadium, but I never thought to stop him and get a picture.  Tourists visiting from L.A. who were close to the gate did, though.

We ate lunch in Patriot’s Place, the large shopping plaza next to the stadium, and stopped for ice cream on the way home.  Once home, all of the exhausted Patriots fans took naps.

It wasn’t Math Camp, but it was one heck of a good time!

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Posted in family, rhode island | 2 Comments

life without mosquitoes

Posted on July 14, 2019 by is there any more pie?
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Amber enjoys the cooler temps, the wine and the bug-free back yard.

We can’t believe we can enjoy the patio without getting bit by mosquitoes!  Maybe it’s because Banjo Man had so much brush cleared around the property?  That’s one theory.

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Banjo Man’s Salada Caprese appetizer.

I wear mosquito-proof clothing, as I am not supposed to risk bug bites for the time being.  But there’s not a mosquito in sight.  I’m safe.

Banjo Man is almost delirious with joy over this new phenomena.  And he loves his basil plants, too.

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This all looks very civilized. 

Posted in family, food, rhode island | Leave a comment

the oncotype

Posted on July 13, 2019 by is there any more pie?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score.

I never had either.

It is now my favorite word, my favorite test, my favorite scientific breakthrough in the complicated world of breast cancer.

The Oncotype DX  provides “risk estimates for distant recurrence and/or breast cancer-specific survival based on individual tumor biology” (the DNA of your very own tumor).  In other words, a low score = a low recurrence rate and no need for chemotherapy.

My cancer team was not at all enthusiastic about sending a slice of my tumor to California for this test.  It’s not standard procedure for Stage 3 cancer with cancerous lymph nodes.  They wanted me to start chemo right away.  BUT Angela did a lot of research, made phone calls and came to the conclusion that I should have it.  She explained to us that the Oncotype would be used on Stage 3 in a few years.  Studies so far had been very positive.

She sat with us during the team meeting (this wonderful woman cleared her morning appointments and rescheduled her patients so she could be with us) and insisted that the test be given (I would have wavered and given in had she not been there.  I mean, who am I to contradict the cancer pros?).  After about an hour and half of discussion, we all agreed that I would have the test and, if insurance didn’t pay for it, would foot the bill.  And we agreed that if the Oncotype came back in the “single digits” then I would not have chemo.

No one really expected the odds to be in my favor.  I had less than a 10% chance of avoiding chemo, but for us it was worth the money.

According to some of the studies, the survival rate is 97% if your number is under 18.  We wanted to know my number–low or high.  Because “high” had its own consequences.

Want to know what my number was?  (sound the trumpets, please)

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When I saw that text Thursday night I gasped so loud that Son Ben came rushing upstairs to find out what the strange sound was.  Amber was right behind him.  I was crying so hard I couldn’t get the words out, just “It’s okay, it’s okay” for a few minutes.  Then I told them the good news and we all hugged and we all cried.

It had been a very stressful day.  I had seen my surgeon at 9 AM only to find out that the painful swelling on my side was not fluid (and easily fixed) but lymphedema (not so easily fixed).  Then Amber had driven me to the physical therapist, who took one look at the mess that is my chest, arm and side and said sympathetically, “It’s going to be a long road ahead for you.”

After mopping up my tears in the car in the parking lot, Amber patiently (and expertly, city girl that she is!) drove us to Federal Hill.   We bought frozen ravioli, sauce, treats, and cheese at Venda’s (Amber’s Happy Place) and filled the cooler we’d stashed in the back of the Highlander.  Then it was on to Zooma’s, another gorgeous Italian restaurant on Atwells Avenue.

I was going to have wine, but wisely decided on taking a pain pill instead.

Happy daughter-in-law!

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Then we went next door to the bakery.  Check out the cakes in the window:

We even had enough energy left to cook the ravioli (lobster and smoked mozzarella) for dinner that night.  Banjo Man was still in Pennsylvania on business, so it was a low-key, early-to-bed night for all of us.  Until the test results appeared on my phone.

Then it was time to tell Banjo Man, daughter NancyK, son Will and my brother.  Everyone had to celebrate with me!

Because “3” is now my favorite number.  

 

 

 

Posted in family, food, rhode island, the cancer fight | 6 Comments

two of a kind

Posted on July 8, 2019 by is there any more pie?

I couldn’t resist taking these pictures of Banjo Man and his oldest son.

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How much longer are we going to be here?

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I think we’ll hear about that new recruit today.

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I thought they were so darn funny sitting like that as they waited patiently for the Funny Grandson to select a doughnut (which was a very exciting event for the FG).  Maybe they were talking about Nebraska football?

These guys crack me up.

 

Posted in family, rhode island | 3 Comments

a special operation

Posted on July 7, 2019 by is there any more pie?

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Laying across my sewing table is the Funny Grandson’s beloved Winnie the Pooh.  Well-loved Winnie has been in desperate need of stuffing and repairs for several years now, but the FG couldn’t bear (pun intended!) to let anyone–even his seamstress grandmother–touch his friend.

We came close last year, but at the last minute the FG panicked, changed his mind and took Winnie back to bed where he was safe from scissors and needles.

But yesterday was different.  As I sipped my coffee, the FG brought Winnie to me, handed him over and said solemnly, “I’m ready.”

I examined him carefully, explained where I would cut (the seam up the back) and how and where I would insert new stuffing.  The FG agreed and then left the room.  So I carefully started surgery and opened up Winnie’s back.  I quickly realized that all the old, padded cotton stuffing should be removed and replaced, which I did.  Then I stuffed the arms and legs with new filling and received the FG’s approval for the level of stiffness.

I needed more stuffing–I had borrowed poly stuffing from my “Knitted Knockers” (these are lightweight knitted “breasts” made by volunteers and are **wonderful** for tucking into that new void in my bra)–so a trip to Walmart was necessary.  It didn’t take long to stuff Winnie back to his original state and stitch up his back.

He looked wonderful.  The Funny Grandson beamed.

I swear that bear smiled at me.

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Posted in family, grandmother stuff, rhode island | 4 Comments