Last Monday (10/18) Dr Heine pulled two more teeth, so I went back today for him to check on the healing. So far, so good. I'll go back again in two weeks. In the meantime, I'm still on antibiotics and the anti-microbial rinse that tastes so terrible.
I also went to the oncologist today. Things seem OK, so I don't need to see him again for six weeks. I will go back to his office in two weeks to have my port flushed, though. At that point it will be five weeks since that was done, and I'm sure I will be feeling the port by then.
I was a bit surprised that in each of the waiting rooms there was another knitter. One was knitting a dishcloth and the other an afghan. I didn't take my knitting in at Dr Heine's office because I knew I wouldn't be there long, but I got several rows of a scarf done at the Cancer Group.
Before those appointments, I took some scarves and watchcaps to the Seaman's Church Institute and four shawls to Grace Church. While at Grace, I also attended the midweek eucharist service.
When I got home I finished the little bit I had left to do on a shawl for Rose. Sunday, when I put on my shawl before we went to her birthday party, she said she wanted one. I made quick work of that, didn't I? Of course it didn't need to be very big for a five-year-old.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Halloween already?
That's one of my nightgowns 'Grandmother' is wearing. And of course, I think Sara is a beautiful Red Riding Hood. Alyssa went to the party also, but they picked her up after they left here, so I didn't see her costume.
I have completed the knitting on Lexi's 'hand-knit sock' costume, but haven't gotten to Hobby Lobby to get the plastic canvas to fill out the foot of it. I think I'll do that on Wednesday.
Knitting:
These are the last three shawls I've finished. I like the brightness of this one. The color is called Rosewood.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Today was the annual parents/grandparents/other family member 'picnic' at the girls' school. Last year I went and had lunch with Lexi's class, so today I ate with Rose's. The older kids carry their trays to the gym and sit on the floor. The notice they send home about it says to bring a towel, because of sitting on the floor. Since it is hard for me to get up from the floor, I took an aluminum and canvas camp chair. We ate in the lunchroom today, because they were afraid a bunch of the trays would be spilled if the four- and five-year-olds carried them down the hall to the gym - at least one got spilled in the lunchroom. I took the camp chair again (I keep it in the trunk of the car), but didn't need to use it.
Rose is in the afternoon session of preschool, so lunch is the first thing they do every day. However, we let her ride the bus today as usual. I was the one who put her on the bus. She gets on at Alyssa's house, and we got there about an hour ahead of time. I unlocked the door, but sat on the front porch and knitted. Getting there that early was not a good idea. I don't know how many times I heard, "Where's the bus?" and "How many minutes until the bus comes?" I was giving her all kinds of outlandish answers. As soon as the bus drove away with her on it, I went inside to use the toilet, and then headed to the school. I only had a few minutes to wait once I got there.
After eating, I followed them to the playground for a few minutes. They have scooters and tricycles for them, among other equipment. The school has three different playgrounds, with different kinds and sizes of equipment, with each one being used for two or three grades.
When I left the school, I went to the senior center to visit with friends, but not many people were there. Many of them leave right after lunch and several had gone to Princeton KY today to visit a historic house and a vineyard.
Rose is in the afternoon session of preschool, so lunch is the first thing they do every day. However, we let her ride the bus today as usual. I was the one who put her on the bus. She gets on at Alyssa's house, and we got there about an hour ahead of time. I unlocked the door, but sat on the front porch and knitted. Getting there that early was not a good idea. I don't know how many times I heard, "Where's the bus?" and "How many minutes until the bus comes?" I was giving her all kinds of outlandish answers. As soon as the bus drove away with her on it, I went inside to use the toilet, and then headed to the school. I only had a few minutes to wait once I got there.
After eating, I followed them to the playground for a few minutes. They have scooters and tricycles for them, among other equipment. The school has three different playgrounds, with different kinds and sizes of equipment, with each one being used for two or three grades.
When I left the school, I went to the senior center to visit with friends, but not many people were there. Many of them leave right after lunch and several had gone to Princeton KY today to visit a historic house and a vineyard.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
A Day with Rose
After my shower yesterday morning, I was sitting on the side of my bed putting on my socks and shoes. The shadow on the wall looked like Rose was standing on her bed. I asked if she was, and she said she was making her bed. I guess for someone her height standing on the bed is the easiest way to pull the covers up. She really does a good job of it.
After the dew dried, we went outside and picked up black walnuts. I thought she might have a problem with my using my 'reacher/grabber' when there wasn't one for her, but she understood that she's much closer to the ground and can easily bend down to pick up the nuts. We each had a mop-bucket that we put the nuts in and then dumped them in a pile in the spot I've used for that purpose for years. By spring the squirrels will have carried them all off. We'll need to pick up nuts again in a couple of days; they keep falling. I'd let them lie where they fall, except that we might want to mow again, although since it has been very dry, we may not need to.
After resting a bit, we took the wheelbarrow and the pruners and walked around the house cutting things that I didn't want growing where they were. The wheelbarrow got very full. We then pushed it to the burn barrel and put all the cuttings in. We can't burn now because it's so dry, but the stuff will be there when we are allowed to burn again.
After lunch, we walked to the building where we can pay the water bill (about a tenth of a mile). I thought it was Wednesday and Friday that they were open, but it's Monday and Wednesday. The building was originally a bank, so there's a night drop in the back wall. They leave it unlocked so people can drop their payments in any time, so I took advantage of that. On the way back, Rose asked where we were going now and I told her, "Home." She didn't like that answer, so she flounced off ahead of me.
Later I handed her a tack hammer and had her pound down some of the nails on the front porch. (None of the pictures came out well.)
Sara came home about 4 o'clock and they left soon thereafter; Sara wanted to do some grocery shopping, and Rose was begging to play with her friend Kyra.
Medical:
Yes, Dominic, you can believe it. Of course, remission is not cure. They will continue to monitor my blood, and I may be put back on Revlimid as a maintenance treatment if the protein in my blood goes up. Also remember that, as my friend Sara Lewis says, tests of blood and bone marrow only show the status of that particular bit of blood or marrow.
After the dew dried, we went outside and picked up black walnuts. I thought she might have a problem with my using my 'reacher/grabber' when there wasn't one for her, but she understood that she's much closer to the ground and can easily bend down to pick up the nuts. We each had a mop-bucket that we put the nuts in and then dumped them in a pile in the spot I've used for that purpose for years. By spring the squirrels will have carried them all off. We'll need to pick up nuts again in a couple of days; they keep falling. I'd let them lie where they fall, except that we might want to mow again, although since it has been very dry, we may not need to.
After resting a bit, we took the wheelbarrow and the pruners and walked around the house cutting things that I didn't want growing where they were. The wheelbarrow got very full. We then pushed it to the burn barrel and put all the cuttings in. We can't burn now because it's so dry, but the stuff will be there when we are allowed to burn again.
After lunch, we walked to the building where we can pay the water bill (about a tenth of a mile). I thought it was Wednesday and Friday that they were open, but it's Monday and Wednesday. The building was originally a bank, so there's a night drop in the back wall. They leave it unlocked so people can drop their payments in any time, so I took advantage of that. On the way back, Rose asked where we were going now and I told her, "Home." She didn't like that answer, so she flounced off ahead of me.
Sara came home about 4 o'clock and they left soon thereafter; Sara wanted to do some grocery shopping, and Rose was begging to play with her friend Kyra.
Medical:
Yes, Dominic, you can believe it. Of course, remission is not cure. They will continue to monitor my blood, and I may be put back on Revlimid as a maintenance treatment if the protein in my blood goes up. Also remember that, as my friend Sara Lewis says, tests of blood and bone marrow only show the status of that particular bit of blood or marrow.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Good News
When I saw Dr Heine on Tuesday, 9/28.he said my mouth is healing fairly well, but I need to continue taking the antibiotic and using the mouthwash, no matter how bad it tastes. He also said that the tooth next to the one that was pulled recently needs to come out, too. However he wants to wait as long as possible to let the Zometa work out of my system. I'll go back to him next week.
Today I saw Dr Winkler. He had very good news - results of all those tests he's had done recently. There is no myeloma in the bone marrow sample he took, and only a very small amount of protein in my blood. Therefore, all of the myeloma medication has been discontinued. They will continue to monitor me, of course, but for now we'll say I'm in remission. I go back next Wednesday to have blood work and see one of the nurse practitioners and then on 10/27 to see Dr Winkler again (more blood work, of course).
There is arthritis in my lower back and some pinching of nerves related to it, but nothing I'm complaining about yet.
Knitting:
Sunday at the almost-monthly breakfast one of the men's groups at church does, our deacon told me that he had taken one of the shawls I made to his aunt, and she loves it. Later, at the 'peace' another parishioner told me that her granddaughter (not quite two years old) had been given one of the shawls. I never thought of making shawls for children, but sometimes I run out of the yarn I'm using or I get tired of working that particular pattern, and the shawl turns out small. I always figured that people come in many sizes. I was thinking of adults, but now I may make a few even smaller on purpose. I know Lexi likes to wear the shawl she claimed, maybe other children would too.
Babysitting:
Yesterday, I had both Lexi and Rose most of the day. It's fall break at school, and all the young adults were working. In the late morning, we went to Mayfield and visited the Art Guild and then the Senior Center. Then, while I was still talking, I let them go to the playground that is next to the Senior Center. I went down there a bit later and watched them for a while. We had taken sandwiches with us and ate them at the Art Guild, but by 2 p.m. they wanted a snack, so we went to Alyssa's house.
Sara got there about 3:30, and she and Rose left. Alyssa and Trevor both got home shortly after 5. I had let Lexi go across the street to play with her friend. I sat on Alyssa's porch and knitted and watched Lexi and her friend (I'm not sure how to spell her name) doing cartwheels, backbends, etc.
Lexi is not used to sharing me and shows a little jealousy, although she claims she's not jealous of Rose. Rose thinks Lexi is bossy, and at times I agree. I need to ask Lexi's Nana how she is with her Gill cousins. Of course she's been around them all of their lives, and shared their grndparents, so it's a bit different.
Today I saw Dr Winkler. He had very good news - results of all those tests he's had done recently. There is no myeloma in the bone marrow sample he took, and only a very small amount of protein in my blood. Therefore, all of the myeloma medication has been discontinued. They will continue to monitor me, of course, but for now we'll say I'm in remission. I go back next Wednesday to have blood work and see one of the nurse practitioners and then on 10/27 to see Dr Winkler again (more blood work, of course).
There is arthritis in my lower back and some pinching of nerves related to it, but nothing I'm complaining about yet.
Knitting:
Sunday at the almost-monthly breakfast one of the men's groups at church does, our deacon told me that he had taken one of the shawls I made to his aunt, and she loves it. Later, at the 'peace' another parishioner told me that her granddaughter (not quite two years old) had been given one of the shawls. I never thought of making shawls for children, but sometimes I run out of the yarn I'm using or I get tired of working that particular pattern, and the shawl turns out small. I always figured that people come in many sizes. I was thinking of adults, but now I may make a few even smaller on purpose. I know Lexi likes to wear the shawl she claimed, maybe other children would too.
Babysitting:
Yesterday, I had both Lexi and Rose most of the day. It's fall break at school, and all the young adults were working. In the late morning, we went to Mayfield and visited the Art Guild and then the Senior Center. Then, while I was still talking, I let them go to the playground that is next to the Senior Center. I went down there a bit later and watched them for a while. We had taken sandwiches with us and ate them at the Art Guild, but by 2 p.m. they wanted a snack, so we went to Alyssa's house.
Sara got there about 3:30, and she and Rose left. Alyssa and Trevor both got home shortly after 5. I had let Lexi go across the street to play with her friend. I sat on Alyssa's porch and knitted and watched Lexi and her friend (I'm not sure how to spell her name) doing cartwheels, backbends, etc.
Lexi is not used to sharing me and shows a little jealousy, although she claims she's not jealous of Rose. Rose thinks Lexi is bossy, and at times I agree. I need to ask Lexi's Nana how she is with her Gill cousins. Of course she's been around them all of their lives, and shared their grndparents, so it's a bit different.
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