On my journey at Dana Farber--Counting it all joy

So, I eat mostly veggies and fruits, don't drink or smoke.
But in May of 2015 I noticed a lump in my breast.  It felt like a small marble.  The doctor ordered a mammogram and biopsy right away.   Yes, it was cancer.    Something I never expected.
I remember hearing of a book years ago, written by a woman who got this news.  It was entitled "First You Cry".   I didn't cry.  It was shocking news to be sure....but it was OK.
Right away, I leaned on my strong faith in God for support.  Of course, my family and friends have been very supportive as well.
So, on May 21st I had the biopsy.
By June 16th I was in surgery at Dana Farber, which is a fantastic cancer hospital in the Boston area.
The next week, while taking out my sutures, the doctor explained that it was advisable to schedule another surgery.
She had taken the lump out, and also 5 lymph nodes nearby.  Only one of those showed cancer cells when examined, and years ago they would have taken lots and lots of those out.  Now, they take the closest to the lump and also go by the dye that is inserted prior to the surgery.  If the nodes light up, they are removed.
She said that the pathology dept. felt that the cancer cells were closer to the borders of the tissue removed than seemed safe.
So, here I am today, just returning from the second surgery.
The surgeon went in to the area where the lump had been removed, and removed more tissue---as a precaution, and I am praying that that will be sufficient.
I guess I'll find out next week.
However, I feel that I will willingly accept whatever comes my way during this life; and I can find joy in all situations.   Many people are praying for me, and I really appreciate that.
God is in charge, and He provides the comfort as we face difficult situations.
After this heals up, I will go for radiation treatments for maybe 7 weeks.  Every day, for just minutes.  The oncologist explained that if there are any stray cancer cells, the radiation will sterilize those cells.
I'll do what they suggest, and in the meantime, continue with a healthy lifestyle, including lots of fruits and veggies, no junk food, and some exercise, too.
The first surgery last month was done under general anesthesia.  When I woke up in the recovery room, I was aware that I had the most soothing, wonderful, peaceful dreams while I was under.
Having the lymph nodes under the arm removed was painful; but it got better each day.
Today, I elected to have local anesthesia.
I really was interested in what takes place in the OR.
Well, they started off with these small drapes, covering my whole face.   Hmmm....kind of like having cloth napkins completely cover your face for a few minutes.
When they were done with putting up the drape that is like a screen, separating my head from what they were doing, they moved the small drapes off my face.
The surgeon said the novocaine would be the worst part.  After that was injected, the operation began.  I'm pretty hardy about pain....but I could feel way too much for comfort.  Yes, it would be likened to when you are having some difficult dental treatment done, and you're trying your best to hold on and get through it.
I asked for more novocaine, and she gave me that right away.   Still, I felt that being injected, and felt pushing against my chest wall with fingers, some pulling, and the coldness of being cleaned up with their antiseptic wash.
Thankfully, I was in the operating room about only 45 minutes.  That counts getting prepared and being wheeled out.
They say the time in and time out and record that.
The bonus is going back to the room, getting your snack and leaving as soon as you want to.
When you have the general anesthesia, it's important to go to the recovery area first, then even upon leaving the hospital, they wheel you out in a wheelchair and some people feel a bit tired or wobbly from the anesthesia.
So, yes, it's a bit achy, but that's OK.  Everything is OK if the final result is a good one, I guess.
Truth be told, everyone at Dana  Farber is great and they make things easier on the patient.
Could I easily go through it again?  Sure.
I hope not to, though.  I am praying for no other cancer anywhere else in my body.
Still, my trust is in the Lord.
James 1: 2--8
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

The break-up

OK, Snow, I'm really breaking up with you this time.   It's the last day of February, 2015.

In the past month, I have slipped on black ice on my driveway, going flat on my face, (thankfully having only a small bruise on one knee) I have shoveled, raked my roof while standing in 3 feet of snow, and taken to smacking the icicles from the edge of the roof daily.

My boots seem continuously to be damp on the inside, so I am hanging them upside down in my toasty warm furnace room, near my laundry area.   I put them right-side up with I am going out again, and use double socks.

We have bought all available ice-melt, and of course, have to be careful to get the calcium chloride beads to sprinkle on the front step and walk because the rock salt will dissolve away chunks of concrete.

I have repeatedly brushed off the vehicles and scraped the windows.   This allows me to get to the end of the driveway, where I am surrounded by mountains of snow which are left from my husband snow-blowing the stuff from the driveway.  Yes, I am referring to 4 or 5 foot mountains at the end of the driveway. And of course, he has to clear a car length near the mail box or the postal service will refuse to leave our mail.

The other night I had to go out and it was after dark.  These days I am cautiously backing into the driveway, so I can nose my way out onto the street, rather than backing out.
I got to the end of the driveway, and while inching the front of the car out, I thought the coast was clear.   Suddenly, I spied a reflection of headlights on the snow mounds across the street, signaling that another car was coming along, soon to be passing the end of my driveway.

I waited and sure enough, a car passed.  I continued to inch along and got out onto the street.
Oh, yes, the streets in our neighborhood..  Right in front of my house, the street is pretty good.
But further down the street, because of frost heaves (which I am told will level out later) the street appears to be a ribbon of sorts.  parts of the pavement almost seem like speed bumps.  I'm really not exaggerating here.  There are deep gullies and elevated bumps that surely will damage someone's car if they travel that route.  I avoid that part of the road in our development.

Snow, you make the yard look so beautiful and enchanted when you first arrive.  There's nothing like seeing you cling to the trees in my yard and you look like you're out of a dream.
Now, I'm ready for the nightmare to end, Snow.   There is nothing between us that needs to continue, if you know what I mean.

I am dreaming of working in my vegetable garden, and you are in my way.

Yes, I heard another report of another few inches of snow coming, as we hear about every week this winter, and I am just tuning the reports out now.  We're on our last bit of snow melt, our muscles are sore, my boots have just about had it this year, and I've gone through many pairs of gloves while struggling to clear the car and yard.

The cat wants to go out!

There's no other way to say it, Snow--you are no longer welcome here!

Had enough of the color-obsessed media...

I was just listening to the news where they were talking about a certain color person shot by a certain color police officer. I was thinking....we've sort of been fed a steady diet of that from the media in the past couple of years. I propose that we start zeroing in on HEIGHT. It's about time! "Yesterday, a short man was shot by a tall policeman in Boston. Witnesses said that the short man was driving while short, and the police officer pulled him over because of his height. The tall officer denies this and an internal investigation is being done." And......"A group of tall protesters blocked traffic yesterday in downtown Philadelphia, demanding equal rights. Their claims include being denied long enough sleeves while shopping, and not having enough long shoes available in their state. They were wearing shorts in protest of the lack of extra long pants available in most stores. A short group attempted to disrupt the tall marchers, waving signs emblazoned with inciting phrases such as 'Giraffe necks--stay home' and 'Too tall--too bad', along with 'How's the weather up there?' "

Saw this article on FB

http://shariaunveiled.wordpress.com/2013/11/28/the-truth-behind-the-genocide-in-srebrenica-what-the-west-doesnt-want-you-to-know/

NO SUGAR banana bread

I have been making this for Bill, using NO sugar, which works well.  (He has type 2 diabetes.)
I looked at the shelves at the store, and decided on the Stevia, which comes in sort of a lg. bag, for scooping out and baking stuff.
Although the pkg. suggests that you add some of your regular sugar, for help in rising, and browning; I wanted a recipe with NO sugar, so I substituted the cup of sugar in this recipe with Stevia and applesauce. 
Bill loves this and I have been making it into 6 large muffins, rather than the bread.
You could add nuts, raisins, etc....I just make it plain:

Ingredients:
1 C. granulated sugar  OR ( 3/4 C. Stevia & 2 Tblsp. applesauce)
8 Tblsp. or one stick of unsalted butter, room temp.
2 large eggs
3-4 ripe bananas, depending on size
1 Tblsp. milk
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 teasp. baking powder
1 teasp. baking soda
1 teasp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter a 9x5x3 in. loaf pan.   (or 6 lg. muffins)
Cream the sugar and butter in a lg. mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In sm. bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.  Mix in the milk and cinnamon.
In another bowl, mix tog. the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.  Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hr. to 1 hr., 10 min. until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Set aside to cook on a rack for 15 min.
Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Another adventure

 So, my friend, Sheila, who lives in Orlando came back to town today and we went to lunch.  We decided to try Canova Italian Restaurant in Attleboro, across the street from the train station.  The food and wait staff were excellent!
Just as a man was leaving, Sheila stopped him, because she realized it was her Uncle Ed.  What a surprise for both of them!  He sat down and chatted with us for awhile, and it was nice hearing his stories of years gone by.
Then, we walked across the street, near the train station to investigate this little shop called The Ugly Dog.  Hmmm.....I actually thought it was simply a bookstore; and I was thinking of used books with "dog-eared" pages.  Actually, though the proprietor, Kim told us it was named after her dog, who was a rescue. (He became more beautiful as time went on, she claimed.)
When we first walked in, we realized that we had stumbled upon a nice little gift shop, in addition to a book store.

Kim showcases the work of local artisans and Sheila bought a few gifts for relatives, while I had my mind set on a silver bracelet made from old-time silverware.  Possibly spoons, possibly butter knives.  I don't know; but I was attracted to one bracelet which was market 1953, indicating the era of the silverware used.  The neat little bracelets snap together on your wrist with two tiny magnets that are more powerful than they look.  I couldn't resist, and had to remove the tag and wear it out of the store.
If you're in the Attleboro area, find the train station, and just below that, you will see the Ugly Dog in a tiny plaza underneath the station parking lot! 
We will definitely go back there again.

COLONOSCOPY

A lot of my readers are waiting to hear about my colonoscopy. Some have had theirs done, some have heard horror stories and some are just worried. I have decided to spell out my experience with almost every detail, to put others at ease. First of all, I was scheduled to have my procedure done at a West Bridgewater site. It's in a plaza...but it's not exactly like shopping.
They had called me in advance and mailed detailed instructions ahead of time; and being a good patient, I vowed to follow the rules exactly. And they stressed "no driving" afterwards. Somehow, they stressed this to the point that I suspected that they were a branch of the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Have they heard about my recent accidents? I got hit by others...really.
So, the evening before, I dutifully drank this magnesium citrate, a "sparkling laxative" as the bottle describes the contents. This was followed by Gatorade. I got the frosty kind. They emphasized not to get the red or purple colors. OK I did that, and the second dose would be scheduled for 4 a.m.
Hey -- I wake up sometimes anyhow, so why not drink more of that stuff, rather than go on the computer or start laundry?
I went to sleep, telling myself to wake up on time, and slept like a rock! Seriously, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock: 4 a.m. Whew! Am I lucky, or what?
I took my second dose as scheduled.
My husband drove me over to West Bridgewater and sat nervously in the waiting room. It's always nice to have an ADD person take you to a medical procedure.
Somehow, I tend to waltz into things like this without much of a care...and I was sitting with the nurse, as she gave me my wrist band and we went over the paperwork, where everything is double-checked in advance.
Then she said the P word.
She said that they would be giving me propofol and....she got that far and I said "Propofol?? AArrgh! That's what Michael Jackson took!!!!" She said "Well, that is not to be used in a home setting. We use it every day here, and you will be monitored the whole time."
I was completely calm till she said the P word. I couldn't get Michael Jackson out of my mind. Oh well....there was no backing out now.
I got into a johnny and waited for my turn. Meanwhile, behind a curtain I heard them bringing out David to recover. "Daaaavid....David...David, it's time to wake up! Can you hear me, David? It's all over. Daaaaaavid."
Soon it was my turn, and I was wheeled into a small treatment room where they got me ready with intrusive oxygen tubing in my nose (I didn't like that.) and hooked me up with all of the necessities to proceed. They dimmed the lights and monitors came alive with brightness near me.
The young woman from anesthesia started to inject my Michael Jackson milk into my IV and told me that I could now go to a happy place, and asked where that might be. I said "Oh...um...my cat!"
She looked surprised (maybe thinking, "This is already making her loopy"...) but I clarified: "Well, by that I mean that my cat curls up in my lap and it's very peaceful."
"Oh" she answered, and asked me where I got my cat, etc...while watching my reactions. I explained that I get them all at my back door, feed them and take them for their medical treatments. Then I said to her "OK, I am really feeling that now---I'm getting woozy." She smiled and nodded.
And that's when I let complete strangers take charge of my next half hour.
In my mind, 1 second had elapsed, and I was back in the recovery area, with a little can of apple juice and a package of Goldfish on the hospital tray next to me. Also there I found pages of a report all filled out, stating that everything was fine. I looked at the monitor next to me and saw my BP was 117 over 78 and I thought. "Well, that's good."
I sat up and for just about 3 seconds felt dizzy; but welcomed the juice and Goldfish crackers, which made everything right, after not eating for the previous day and a half. I wondered if Daaaaavid ever woke up.
So, after having the doctor and a couple of nurses come by and smile and talk with me, (I don't have to go back for 10 years.) I got dressed and started out the back of the building where my husband had left the car. I asked if I needed anything else, and they said I should take the papers on the tray. I hurried back to get those, and the nurse said "Slow down! Don't hurry!" I realized that I have a habit of doing that, and I know they don't want people to fall, etc...so I slowed down to keep them from calling the walking police.
They also grilled my husband, making him promise that I would not drive all day, to which he agreed. (What have these people heard about my driving, anyhow?)
They told me to go home and sit around, not doing any housework. I said "Oh good."
Actually, we stopped at KMart, and I waited in the car. Then we went to the Milk Bottle, where I had oatmeal, and Bill had lunch...because if you have a diabetic husband with ADD, you probably should do this. That's all I'm saying about that.
I think if you are going to recover from anesthesia...you should probably do it at your favorite restaurant, such as the Milk Bottle. I know my granddaughter would agree. We go there every Saturday after gymnastics.
Then I went home to my Happy Place.
Yes, I sat and watched TV with my kitty on my lap.