Update….

Sorry to be so late with another update.  I had this silly notion that when I finished the 30 radiation treatments that I would magically feel wonderful.  I tell you, it just isn’t so.  I am improving slowly; I can swallow better and talk better.  My tongue is still extremely painful and so I am not magically able to eat solid food.  I can manage cream of wheat and cottage cheese by eating slowing and drinking a lot of water while eating.  I fix soups with a lot of fiber and calories in the blender to supplement the Boost and Ensure I am drinking.  I am managing about 1100 – 1200 calories a day.  Since I had my surgery on September 4th to today I have lost about 22 lbs.  These were not pounds that I needed to lose.

The 27th is my family Christmas gathering and I am so wanting to be able to eat something good.  I have no taste buds so everything tastes the same.  My daughter is graciously cooking our meal.  I am fixing a spiral cut glazed ham. 

I missed the cookie exchange this year and I haven’t had the energy to do any baking so my son will have some goodies to take home.  I will try and fix a few things next week.

I ended up with a ‘winged scapula’ and I am undergoing physical therapy for that.  I finished my sixth session today.

I saw my oncologist yesterday.  I have been scheduled for a Pet Scan for 23 February to find out if there is still cancer in my body.  I am praying that there is not.

I sent only a few cards this year.  I apologize to the ones of you who sent me cards and I promise to catch you next year.  Thank you all for remembering me in prayer and with kind thoughts.  I love you all!

Have a truly blessed Christmas.

Beth

Thanksgiving Update…

This morning I had my 30th and final radiation.  It has been a long tough road and I couldn’t have made it without the love and prayers from all of you.  Thank you. The good Lord held my hand  and helped me to be strong.

Now begins the healing process.  My body is still filled with radiation and will be for the next week or so.  My  neck is fried deep purple and is extremely painful.  The  whole inside of my mouth is burned including my tongue which is very painful.  It is very hard to swallow and it is like I have a very severe sore throat.  And of course I have the Bride of Frankenstein hair.

I have a follow-up next week to have my skin checked.  I have a foul smelling cream that I was given to put on my neck.  I have been reduced to drinking the Ensure type drinks.  Since I have no taste buds they all taste the same.  It is still very difficult to swallow my pills.

I am thankful to still be alive and writing this post. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Love,

Beth

One year ago today, 17 November 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDlCCPalT4

My son and a friend from Chicago had come to visit me for the weekend.  It was a very warm stormy morning and I was glad to see them leave for home that Sunday morning because the weather forecast was not good.  They had only been gone an hour when they came back.  My son’s friend had a terrible headache and so they returned. As time passed my son mentioned going to the Red Lobster in Peoria for lunch.  I really didn’t want to go as the weather was beginning to frighten me a bit. No tornado watches or warnings had been issued for our area so finally we left for Red Lobster.

This was divine intervention.  We had just been seated at Red Lobster when our waitress told us there had been a tornado in Pekin.  The rest of the day and the weeks to come were chaotic.

So many homes on my street were damaged.  They have all finally been rebuilt.  My kitchen window was blown out and for weeks after I found shards of glass in my kitchen and living room.

If my son and his friend hadn’t returned that Sunday morning I would have been in the kitchen preparing my lunch at the time the tornado struck.

Today, one year later I am getting ready to leave for my radiation treatment.  After this morning I will have 7 treatments left.  I appreciate all of your kind thoughts and prayer.

Love,

Beth

 

What it is like for me….

I get up each morning at 5AM.  I have the first morning appointment in radiation  each week day morning.  Most days I am taken in on time but some days like this morning I am taken in a bit early.  Today was my 18th appointment, I have 12 treatments left.

The reason I get up early is so  we can leave home by 7AM.  This enables us to  get a parking spot in front of the building where the radiation is done.  First thing when I get up each morning I take a tablespoon of a compound prescription and swish it around in my mouth and then swallow it.  This is to coat my tongue and throat that has been burned by the radiation,  I have to wait 15 minutes for the numbing to start.  I then can swallow my meds which feel like rocks that I am swallowing.  In the interim I make my bed and get dressed.  By this time the 15 minutes are up I take my meds and eat a bowl of cream of wheat.

I have lost some more weight (3 lbs last week) but I am not in the danger zone yet. I am forcing myself to eat as I declined the feeding tube.  It takes a long time to get a cup of soup down.  The blender has been a blessing.  Bean with bacon soup has been a staple as is cream of chicken and mashed potatoes.

Yesterday I saw an associate of my beloved Dr. McGee (my radiation oncologist).  Very nice looking young man but not nearly as nice as Dr. McGee.  I finally asked the question that I have been afraid to ask, what is my prognosis?  This Dr. M said Dr. McGee  would have to tell me but he did say my radiation has been very aggressive and they do have good results with it.

My daughter has cheerfully taken  me each day and missing part of her work day on Wednesday.  Thank you Marcia.

Thank you to Nana Diana for the prayer blog she did for me.  Such a wonderful caring lady.

I am not intending this blog to be a complaint.  I am just saying what my day is like now.  God has been good to me and I am ever thankful.

Love,

Beth

Update….

I have finished 10 of the 30 radiation treatments.  The radiation is directed to my neck and head so they are pretty tough.  The worst side effects are to my mouth.  It is raw inside.  I have been given a compound prescription that is helping a bit, numbing my mouth  and throat so that it is easier for me to swallow meds.  Eating is difficult but I have resisted having a feeding tube inserted.  So far I haven’t lost a disastrous amount of weight.  Sadly I don’t have any extra weight to fall back on.

The radiation frizzes (burns) my hair so I look like the bride of Frankenstein. I can live with these side effects if it kills the cancer.  I will not choose to go through treatment a 3rd time though.

I think about all of you often.  I just don’t have the energy to visit you all.  Most of my time is spent just getting through  each day.  I have the good Lord to thank for helping me to do that.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Until later….

I have been trying to keep up with you all but it has been difficult.  I am not getting the energy back like I did before.  I am getting ready to start the radiation (on the 13th I think).   The radiation will be on my neck and throat and I have been told by the doctor that there are a lot of bad side effects.

I have decided not to blog at all for the next few months.  I am praying that I will feel better when this is all done.  I won’t forget any of you.  I am so grateful for the prayers and kind thoughts you have sent my way since 2005.  May God Bless you all!

Love,

Beth

Cardinals clinch National League Central championship….

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24728748/cardinals-clinch-nl-central-championship

Photo from CBS sports

Most of you know that I am a St. Louis Cardinal fan and I have been for many years.  One of my favorite memories is of my dad sitting in the front yard listening to the Cardinal ball game on his little transistor radio. 

I really hated to make mention of the Cardinals winning because I seem to jinx them when I get carried away.  So I will just say ‘Go Cards’ and leave it at that.

I just received a call from my oncologists office and my appointment has been changed till late afternoon.  I am not very happy about that as I hate a late afternoon appointment.  If I would have rescheduled I would have been looking at an appointment several weeks down the road and that just wouldn’t do.

I hope you all have a good week.  It is hot and summery here with the temp to reach the upper 80s today.

Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Another birthday come and gone…

and I marvel at the fact that the good Lord saw fit to let me have another birthday.  It was a lovely day too, in the 80s with sunshine.  Lunch at the Red Lobster was great.  I had the never ending shrimp special.  I had the parmesan shrimp and breaded shrimp with salad and baked potato and of course the cheddar bay biscuits.  So good!

It has been 3 weeks now since I had the surgery. On the day I was having surgery I sat in the waiting area with a young father.  He had cancer in the throat, tonsils, on the tongue and the lymph nodes in his neck.  He was having the same surgeon as I, Dr. Parrish.  We had a conversation and he told me that he had just recovered from an illness that he had been told would be terminal.  He didn’t tell me what it was and I didn’t ask.  I remember thinking at the time what a courageous guy he was and I told him that I would pray that he would be OK. 

When I first went in to my assigned room the patient there was getting ready to leave.  She and her husband/boyfriend? were causing quite a disturbance and flounced out of the room in a huff.  After they were gone I watched the cleaning lady go through the drawers in the stand next to the bed.  She filled a garbage sack with bags of chips and other snacks. The windowsill also was loaded with cans of pop, etc.  The nurse later told me that this couple had almost cleaned their kitchen out.  Then the next morning I had a woman roommate who kept the bright lights on and the TV on 24/7.  I could hear her talking to her mother and she was sobbing.  By the 3rd day I told the doctor that I was ready to go home. 

I see the oncologist on Monday and I will find out about the radiation.  That comes next and I will be glad when that is done.

My birthday flowers.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Doing nothing today….

Today is my birthday so I am doing nothing.  My daughter is taking me to my favorite place for lunch, Red Lobster in Peoria.  I am hoping that the all you can eat shrimp special is still going on.

Happy Birthday to my Twin in Tennessee!

Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Thank you!

I can’t find words to say how much I appreciate all of you, my blogging family.  So many of you have been with me since before my husband died in 2006 and not once have you left me to fight a battle alone.  I have made so many new friends through my 9 blogging years.  You are all special to me.  Thank you! 

My daughter has been a God send to me, always stepping in to help and my son has given me such comfort with his telephone calls.  My sister in her time of grieving has also called me several times a day. My Twin has comforted me with her telephone calls.  I am truly blessed.

I am trying to get back in my normal routine which includes laundry, cleaning and all of that good stuff.  I will be by to visit today, the Good Lord willing.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Time to move forward….

It is time for me to pick up the pieces of my life and move forward. The past can’t be changed so I am hopeful for a brighter future.

Many of you know that my niece in WV passed away.  Her funeral was held Sunday at the same time as her ‘daddy’s’ memorial was held.  Two new guardian angels looking down on us below.

I see my oncologist on the 27th and I will find out when the radiation will start and how long that it will take.  I realize now that a finish date by Thanksgiving is not possible but  definitely in time to do some Christmas shopping.

I am finally starting to feel better pain wise.  I have been able to cut back on the pain meds and yesterday was the first full day I didn’t take any.  That is good as I take so many meds anyway.  My swallowing is better although my speech leaves a lot to be desired.

I have set a goal to visit as many of you as I can this week, a few a day to begin with.

Thank you for all of the kind thoughts and prayers for my sister’s family and for me.

Love,

Beth

 

Update….

A few weeks ago I asked for prayer for my niece in WV and her dad.  My niece had undergone emergency surgery on Aug 11 and her dad had been admitted to the same hospital because of pneumonia. Sadly my brother in law passed away on September 1st.  His daughter still remains hospitalized.  Today the family asked that all life support measures be removed and family and friends are gathered around her.  I am heartbroken that because I am undergoing treatment for cancer that I can’t be with them all.

I am so very appreciative for all of the prayers and kind thoughts that you all have given the past couple of months.  Thank you to Diana for the prayer blog she did for me.  I love you all!

Beth

Update…

Sorry to be so late with an update.  I saw the ENT surgeon on Friday.  The drain was removed and the doctor told me that the stitches looked good, etc.  I am still having pain and trying to pace out the pain meds.  I don’t have any energy yet and I have depended on my daughter a lot.  She has been really good as a backup and I am so thankful for her.

An appointment was made with the oncologist for Sep 29.  My goal is to get all 35 radiation treatments done by Thanksgiving.

I do have lots of tales to tell from my hospital stay and I will get to those when I feel like posting again.  I was given a choice on whether to be discharged on the 3rd day.  Things were so hectic in my hospital room that I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Looking  down my street last October.

Beth

I am home..

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  I will be back online in few days to let you know how things are going.  I will try to come visiting you all in a few days.

Love

Beth

Sad news….

My brother in law, Hugh, passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.  My niece Dee shows some improvement.  Rae asked me to let you all know how much she appreciates your prayers and asks that you continue to pray for her family.

My surgery is scheduled for Thursday. Thanks for remembering me.

Love
Beth

update….

I had an EKG and lab on Tuesday at the hospital.  On Wednesday I was to have the needle biopsy.  It turned out that the PET Scan had shown a false hot spot.  I had another CT Scan while I was in the hospital and  it showed that the right side of my neck was clear.  My doctor called me Thursday and confirmed that the surgery would only be on the left side of my neck.  I have had some emails asking what kind of cancer this is.  I guess you would call it neck cancer, I can’t think of anything else to call it.  My surgery is scheduled for 4 September and 6 weeks later I will begin radiation treatments.

I am so very thankful to you all for the prayers, cards and emails! 

My niece remains in very serious condition.  Her dad was rushed to the hospital with pneumonia on Thursday morning and is not doing well.  My sister has her daughter on one floor at the hospital and her husband on another floor.  Please continue to pray for all of us.  Thank you!

Love you all.

Beth

Update….

The PET Scan showed something else on the other side of my neck.  I am having another needle biopsy on Aug 20th.  I am having surgery on September the 4th.  Then about 6 weeks after the surgery I will begin radiation.  I have the same two doctors that I had before, Dr. Parrish and Dr. McGee.  I have great faith in both of them.  I do appreciate all of your prayers.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Also at this time my niece Dee, in WV is in the hospital fighting for her life.  She had emergency surgery on Monday and is greatly in need of prayer.  Thank you so much for including Dee in your prayers.

Love you all.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Pet Scan finished…

and I will see the ENT surgeon next Friday to find out what comes next, most likely surgery then radiation or chemo or both.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Beth

Update….

The biopsy report is back.  I have cancer again.  I will be scheduled for a full body pet scan and we will go from there.  I am devastated as I had prayed that I was in remission.  Please continue to remember me in your thoughts and prayers.  Thank you!

Love,

Beth

I just found out that the pet scan is scheduled for Friday.

Biopsy finished….

and now the wait begins which I was told was 3 – 5 days.  It was pretty tough.  It took 4 needles before they got enough cells for a biopsy.  I wasn’t given anything for the pain so by the 4th try I  just stayed still but the tears were flowing.  Very painful. My daughter stayed all night with me. 

Something very nice happened to me today though.  My son in law’s brother sent me a gorgeous real tomato so I will  be having a bacon tomato sandwich for supper.  Thanks Tim and Val.

Not a very good picture.  I am so delighted to have a real tomato.

I will post an update as soon as I find out what comes next.  I will face whatever it is as best I can.  Thank you all for the prayers, telephone calls and cards.  They have given me hope and strength.

Love,

Beth

Update….

My biopsy is today.  I am praying a lot.

Love,

Beth

Update….

I wanted to let you all know that I am waiting to be scheduled for a needle biopsy.  I just talked to the doctor’s office and they are to call me tomorrow.  It appears that I am not in remission right now although it  won’t be clear until I get the biopsy done.  Pending results of that I will have a Pet Scan if the test is positive.

Please don’t forget me as I will be back as soon as I get this thing under control again.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Beth

Taking some time off…

I will be taking some time off from blogging due to some serious new health issues. 

 Please remember me in your thoughts and prayers.  Thank you!

Love,

Beth

Lots of rain…

Flash flood warning  around here as this has been a rainy spring and summer.  We got another heavy rain again last night.  I am not sure of the rain totals but they are above average.  I hope this will not affect the farmers too much.  I noticed on Friday that the corn is all tasseled out  here.  

http://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/timeless/Tassels.html

Photo courtesy of Purdue University

I have been lazy this weekend.  I do need to go to the store after a bit. 

Have a peaceful Sunday!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Wild Berries, Peoria Illinois

After a visit to one of my doctor’s yesterday my daughter and I stopped at Wild Berries for a late breakfast.

We had a lovely waitress.  I hope I am remembering her name right as Amber.  I apologize to her if I have her name wrong.  She gave me permission to use her picture on my blog.

 

First for me a cup of coffee with Irish creamer.  I am not supposed to have caffeine so it was a treat.

You can see I like catsup on my hash browns.

Sausage gravy biscuit.  I ate about half of the hash browns, most of the 

biscuit/gravy and about 3 bites of the eggs and one piece of bacon. 

The food is really good here.  I had just had some worrisome news at the doctor’s office and it took away my appetite.  My daughter really enjoyed her breakfast.  She had cinnamon roll French toast with scrambled eggs which looked really good.

I am off to get a CT scan this morning.  I will catch you all when I get back.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Good Fences #12

Another fence discovered while hitting the garage sales.

I am linking to Theresa at

http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Have a great day!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Whoopsie Wednesday….

Now how in the world did this happen??  http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/smallpox-vials-discovered-lab-storage-room-cdc-says-n150806

“Six vials of potentially deadly smallpox virus have been discovered in a place they shouldn’t have been — an unused corner of a storage room at a Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Maryland, federal health officials said Tuesday.”

“Smallpox was responsible for between 300 million and 500 million deaths in the 20th century. The last case of smallpox in the U.S. occurred in 1949; the last naturally occurring case in the world occurred in Somalia in 1977, the CDC said.”

Is this just a little bit frightening?  Makes me wonder what other goodies we have in this country just waiting to be discovered.  Well, I am going to play a Scarlett and not think about that today.

We all have sad things happening in our lives that we rarely speak of.  Believe me I am one of those persons.  Instead I am focused today on what a glorious day it is to be alive and I thank God for that.

The sun is shining and I have windows opened in my house letting the delightfully cool air blow through.  The temp is to reach upper 70s today and that is a rare July day in Illinois.

Yesterday my daughter and I went to Costco where I resisted the urge to buy the gigantic packages of toilet paper that were on display as you walk in the door.  I also resisted the packages of bottled water that had 70 bottles.  Now I could have used the water but I didn’t like the thought of having a heart attack while I was lifting it so I left it alone.  Times like that it would have been nice to have a good strong guy along.

Picture taken of a wild canary  by my niece in WV using her cell phone.

Have a wonderful day!!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Nostalgia….

Theater fire, Paxton IL

 

Remembering the last time I used my camera to make a video. 

This fire happened 3 blocks from my house.

Have a great day.  Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Simply Sunday….

and a lovely one at that.  It is nice and cool right now but it is to reach upper 80s today,

I got all of the cleaning done yesterday, including the bathroom and floor mopping.  I am glad that is done for a few days.

I have a roast in the oven right now.  I will have that with carrots, mashed potatoes and green beans.  Yesterday I had a bacon tomato sandwich.  I bought the tomato at the store.  Those tomatoes are not real and I can’t wait for a real one.

My flowers I planted around the lamp post are really looking good.  Not sure where the pink petunia came from.

Have a lovely peaceful Sunday.  Don’t forget to thank Him for another day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Suddenly Saturday!

Yesterday was a beautiful day to celebrate our nation’s birthday!   It was sunny and cool and the temp was in the upper 70s.  I went to my daughter and son in law’s for a nice 4th of July meal.  Cheeseburgers, brats, deviled eggs, fruit salad, baked beans and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.  It  was all delicious.  Thanks Mike and Marcia!

Today I am determined to run the sweeper, dust the furniture and clean the bathroom.  Already the thought of it is mind boggling.

I have been having fun the last few days playing with my iPad.  There are several new free apps that you can download.  My favorite downloads are Crackle, CBS and A&E where you can watch full episodes of TV shows.  My Twin talked me into buying the iPad last year and I love it.  Thanks Twin!

I am having withdrawal pains because there were no garage sales this week because of the holiday.

The picture below is to show how the rebuilding catty corner across the street from me is coming along.  There is finally some progress being made.    You can’t see it but the house next to the one on the corner has a stone foundation laid.

Have a wonderful weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Proud to be an American….

Happy Birthday America!

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Good Fences #11

A fence I spied while hitting the garage sales last week.

I am linking with Theresa at

http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Have a wonderful day!  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Hi Ho Hi Ho….

It’s off to the dentist I go.  I have one word for that and it is YUCK!  I really hate going to the dentist.  I hate the cleaning which actually only takes about 20 minutes.  It is just the thought of psyching myself up to go.  Since I had the radiation last year I have to see the dentist every 3 months, so double YUCK on that.

After all of the storms we had the last week or so today is beautiful!  Sunny and a high in the 70s.

This photo was taken   by Cory Bitner of Monday  night's storm in Canton, IL  Canton is located about 20 miles from here.  I don’t want any more storms for awhile.  I do think it is an awesome picture though.

Have a great day, enjoy the sunny cool day, or if it is still hot and humid where you are the cool down is coming.  If you are one of my Australian friends I know you already have a cool down.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Running late again today…

We had thunderstorms and wind last night.  My garbage can was blown around and I had to go out in the dark and rescue it.  The weather radio kept going off so I was late to bed which meant I was way late getting up this morning.  I have been rushing around this morning as I have to leave for a much needed appointment at the beauty parlor this morning.

It is bright and sunny this morning and the temp is to be much cooler for the rest of the week.  I can live with that as the heat and humidity has been terrible this past week.

Have a wonderful day.  I will catch you all when I get back from getting beautiful!

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Running late on a Monday….

I am  not well organized lately.  I was out for errands this morning and since I got home I haven’t wanted to do anything.  Definitely don’t want to do anything that resembles housework.  I have all of these lovely books that I have purchased at garage sales this summer.  I just finished reading book 4 of The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts.  In addition to these 4 books in the last two weeks I have read a couple of hard back books too.

Right now I am reading Urge to Kill by John Lutz.  I have never read any of his books before and it has been hard following the author’s jumping around in the story.  Parts of the book are interesting and since I am halfway through 468 pages I guess I will finish it.

Photos courtesy of www.amazon.com

We had thunderstorms last night and this morning with heavy rain.  We will have had over 10 inches of rain for the month of June.  That is practically unheard of in Illinois for the month of June and the day isn’t over yet!

Have a good week!  Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Happy Sunday…

Matthew 6:34  “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow.  God will take care of your tomorrow too.  Live one day at a time.”

 

Have a peaceful Sunday.  Stay safe and be happy!!

 

Love,

Beth

Answers….

Asked by many blogging friends: “What is behind the stone fence at the Port of Ashland?”

There is a boat dock behind there.  If you noticed the bridge in the distance, it is the bridge that connects the state of Kentucky with the state of Ohio.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Port-of-Ashland/155255737817988  I imagine that Keith in Kentucky could explain it better than me.  Definitely my WV sister could as it is not far from her house.

The nice lady that I met yesterday at the Crap 4 Sale is not on Blogger or Wordpress.  She has her own independent blogging address.  I gave her my blog address and I hope if she is reading this she will get in touch with me.  I didn’t buy anything at the sale because it was mostly baby and children’s things.

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Do any of you ever feel sorry for yourself and envy those around you who may have more material possessions than you?  I have to confess that on more than one occasion I have indulged in a bit of self pity.  I had a lesson yesterday in humility.  I met a lovely lady at a garage sale yesterday and we chatted for awhile.  For me that is one of the fun things about garage sales, meeting and talking to new people.  I commented on what a lot of stuff that she had and she told me that a lot of it was donated by friends.  She said that within the past year she had 3 brain surgeries and owed over $100,000 in hospital bills. She then proceeded to tell me about it.  I listened because I know personally how much it means for someone to stop and take the time to listen to you.  I told her that I had fought a battle last year too and thank God we were both here to talk about it.

*************************************************

Have a peaceful weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth