Good News/Bad News

Mr. Fixit received the results of his latest scan after having been off the oral chemo meds last week. There was good news and bad news. The bad new is that the nodules grew; the good news is that they didn't grow that much--only millimeters. The doctor gave him a choice, go back on the meds or wait for another 3 months and another scan. The doctor said that he would recommend waiting for the next scan. Mr. Fixit decided to forego the medication for now because of the side effects. I really wanted him to start the meds again. I told him that the mild (as opposed to the symptoms some patients have) side effects are better than dying. It was his decision, however. I hope he doesn't regret this plan. It's very worrying for me.

Winter Has Went. . .

And Spring has sprung. The weather for the last few days has been nice. It was pretty cold at the first of the school baseball games, but last night I wore a hoody instead of a heavy jacket; it kept me warm enough. Both Noah and Owen are playing this year. Noah is on the JV squad and Owen in on the C team. Owen is in 7th grade. Levi’s rec league will start pretty soon.

The buttercups have bloomed and the forsythia is yellow. The tulips trees are gorgeous, and the redbuds are pink. Pretty soon the trees will begin to leaf, and I will be moaning about the heat.

Mr. Fixit is doing quite well. He has a scan in a week or so to check to see if there has been any changes since he went off the oral chemo medication. He has been working a lot for both sons, so I guess he’s feeling okay.

I have been walking almost every day and watching my carb intake. My weight just won’t drop and more. I’m so frustrated. I decided to go off the extreme low carb diet a few days ago. I haven’t been feeling too well. My energy level is down; just walking wears me out. I’ve been having some horrendous leg cramps at night, not the usual cramp in the calf muscle. These start at my ankle and hurt all the way to my waist. I thought maybe the diet was the problem. I began eating a more normal menu, but with a low caloric count. I gained two pounds in two days, but I felt much better. Back to only a few carbs again.

I haven’t been posting much lately (that low energy level), and I’ve missed the opportunity to “comment” on the political news. The choice of Republican wannabees is scary. Mr. Fixit and I went to vote in the Democratic primary. He had a little problem with the ballot. I ask the “watcher” if I could help him. She said it would be okay. I had to laugh. We voted for different candidates. That’s not so surprising I suppose. Even after 50 years of marriage, we still disagree on most subjects.

Since I haven't been feeling great, I have been reading, reading, and reading some more. I have also make a baby quilt, and knitted more mittens and hats that I'll ever need. I've also done a bit of cross stitching. I've been doing a lot of things that allows me to sit in my chair for hours on end. It's not wonder that I can gain two pounds in one day. According to my Fitbit thingy, I am using more calories that I am taking in. I should be losing weight, darn it!

This is the newest member of the Fixit family. Her name is That's Not my Cat. It's sort of a long story. She showed up at our house with only half a tail, a severe sneezing problem, and she was so skinny. She went to the house of the other cat lady in the neighborhood. WHen the other cat lady remarried and moved away, the cat came back to our house. I think she was abandoned and then hit by a car. I didn't want another pet, but she was so needy, I couldn't turn her away. She won't use a litter box so she has spent the winter in the garage. I won't tell you amount of money we have spent on kerosene. (The garage isn't heated.) She is now fat and sassy, and she's so affectionate. In fact, she thinks she's a dog. She will stay when I tell her to stay so we can drive out of of the driveway. She's very smart.

This picture makes it seem as if she only has three legs, but she does have four. Note the half tail.

This is Mr. Fixit and the cat. They have the same expression on their faces!

(Click on photos for more detail.)

But It Was Only Yesterday!

Fifty years ago Mr. Fixit and I were married. Fifty years is not long enough.

TaDa!

I just made my steps quota of 10,000 (that's ten thousand!) steps a day (or 4.7 miles). Not bad for a 70 year old lady. That's six circuits around the neighborhood and shopping in three different supermarkets. I would have to make about 10 neighborhood circuits without the shopping. I wonder how long it will take me to do it again.

Christmas Gadgets

For the past year or so, I have made walking a part of my daily routine. I try to walk every day, only missing when we have early morning appointments or I develop an ache or a pain that gives me a good excuse to skip it. I have adjusted for weather conditions. When it's hot, I try to get out before sunrise. When it's cold, I dress warmly. Unless it's absolutely pouring, rain doesn't stop me either.


Jason gave me a little gadget to motivate me. It a Fitbit Flex. You wear it like a bracelet, and it tracks the number of steps you take, the miles you cover, and the calories burned. It also monitors your sleep. Yesterday, I received a congratulatory email for taking 5,000 steps in one day.

I don't understand how the thing works. There was no calibration to gauge the length of my stride. It just so happens that I have a very short stride. If Mr. Fixit and I are walking and he takes the same number of steps that I do, he covers more ground because his stride is longer than mine.

The sleep monitor is also a puzzle. It knows how many hours I sleep and counts the "restless" times. Hmmm. . .

I wonder if Google has anything to do with this company. I think Google is trying for world domination, and this little piece of electronic wizardry could be Big Brother.

Even though my paranoia is running rampant, this is a fun little thing to have.

Christmas Wishes Do Come True

A few days before Christmas of 2013 a terrible experience began for Mr. Fixit and me—a malignant tumor was found in Mr. Fixit’s kidney. The cancer had spread to his lungs. It has been very difficult for both of us. He faced his mortality, and I faced the possibility of losing him. (Our 50th anniversary is very soon.) Yesterday almost exactly two years to the day we heard some very good news. The last scan showed that the last visible tumor in his lungs is now less that 1.5 centimeters and is now classed as stable. The doctor gave him the option of continuing or stopping the oral chemo medicine that he has been taking. The doctor said that Mr. Fixit has responded so well to the medication that he (the doctor) feels confident that discontinuing the medication won’t be harmful. Mr. Fixit jumped at the chance. He had very few side effects crop up caused by the medication. He developed a rash once, but we’re not sure that that caused by the meds. The dermatologist thought not. Mr. Fixit’s complaint was a digestive tract complication (to be blunt, diarrhea. TMI?) The problem became almost an obsession with him. He had to take medication that every day, and, even then, he suffered almost daily with the problem. It became his overriding topic of conversation. To be perfectly honest, and to my own discredit, I became very impatient with him. I know first hand the inconvenience and physical discomfort he was going through, and I tried to be sympathetic. Then I sort of snapped one day when he threatened to stop the medication on his own. I suggested, perhaps not as diplomatically as I should have been, that having diarrhea was a small price to pay for the life-saving medication. I’m not proud of myself for that conversation. To show the difference in our perspectives, Mr. Fixit became emotional (in a good way) that he could stop the medication because of his side effect; I am thankful that his battle with this scourge—cancer—has been successful. A very Merry Christmas for the Fixit family! ******************************************************* Note: One more Christmas wish. I may be pushing my luck here. Please, Blogger, please, show my paragraph breaks!!!

lol

The description of a movie on the Gettv channel:

“Night of Terror” 1933

“A reporter, a detective, a scientist, and a guy in a turban revolve murders.”

I love it!