Not that I'm counting

Today happens to be Day 275 of one of my year-long medications, Nerlynx. That means I have 90 days left of taking these three tiny pills. That means progress, and I'm really excited. I'm also crossing my fingers that I don't go in to my doctor's appointment to then be told, "um, we've now learned that it's recommended you continue this one for five years. Or ten." Ha! 

I think I'm good there, as in the literature it says, "Nerlynx was also evaluated in an exploratory analysis at five years, which showed similar results." 

It comes in small plastic bags that read CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG with warnings about proper disposal, which cracks me up every time because it's not a chemotherapy drug. It is called an extended adjuvant oral therapy and it's taken after a year of Herceptin, which I did because my breast cancer was ER/PR+ and HER2+. From the packet of information about Nerlynx:

"Normally, HER2 receptors on healthy cells send signals to tell them when to grow. In HER2+ breast cancer, some cells have too many HER2 receptors. These cells grow and divide uncontrollably.

Other HER2 treatments may work by interfering with the HER2 receptor from outside the cell. Nerlynx interacts with multiple HER family receptors and works inside the cell to block multiple growth pathways. This alters the signals that lead to cancer growth."

Really, the only thing to be avoided while on Nerlynx is grapefruit and grapefruit products, which isn't a problem as I am not a grapefruit fan anyway. 

Other than the significant issue of two months of diarrhea (which I still can't spell, so thank you spell check) the list of additional side effects haven't bothered me much, except "tiredness" (and how do you tell if you're just tired from life versus tired from a medicine when you're taking more than one of them?) and "nail problems including color change". While I'm not experiencing the color change part, I've noticed they are more prone to splitting and snagging, and while I'm sure some of that is also age and genetics, I'd never had issues with toenails before this medication and now I do. I used to be able to run around barefoot and even be barefoot while working in the garden and then on this med I have had infected big toenails and it's yucky and annoying and sometimes painful. Just go away already! Truly the little things in life can make you or break you, haha. 

So, three more months and this too shall pass. 

Upon scanning the list again, "swelling of your stomach area" also gives me pause. Maybe that's why my waistbands are different and not because of the Christmas cookies and Valentine's Day candy and... let's just go with that. I'm not a huge fan of looking 3 months pregnant when I am not. And I'm not. That ship has sailed. Thrice. Or maybe it was three ships. Haha!

Anyway, I just wanted to guys who've been along for the ride to know what was happening. I'll see my oncologist next week, but for now all is well. T-90 and counting! Woohoo!

“Guess this is goodbye, old pal...”

If you're not familiar with the above quote, I'm happy to enlighten you. It's from a scene in "Into The Woods" in which Jack has to give up his cow, whom he views as a pet. He sings further, "you've been a perfect friend... I'll see you soon again. I hope that when I doooooo, it won't be on a plate." Busts me up every time.

I kind of had similar feelings for this old friend. This was gifted to me by the teachers I worked with when I finished student teaching in Norristown. I took excellent care of it for forever and then the kids started using it, and, well, you can see for yourself. It went the way of the dodo, I'm afraid. 

No shame, though. Rest well, faithful little lunchbox. For the record, it was an Arctic Zone product and I highly recommend them. We have several other ones that are holding up well to the abuse my kids put them through, so keep them in mind come back to school shopping. If it can withstand the impatience with which it gets shoved into backpacks and squashed by binders and gym shoes AND be tough enough to be clipped to the outside of said backpack on other days to be smashed into the bus seat repeatedly, it's worth its weight in gold. 

Impeach the groundhog

Yesterday I bought these:

because I knew this was coming.

No lie; as I typed the above words the phone rang. Of course it was our superintendent and I could hear the resignation in his "Good morning, (inhale)," haha. Me too, buddy, me too.

Anyway, within that final picture a papa cardinal hides. See if you can find him. You can click on it to make it larger.

Since there's no school and we will be shoveling, you know where to find us if you need us!

Blather

Eggs.

Eggs, eggs, eggs. 

Maybe I've mentioned this before, but I took a creative writing class in college, which I loved. We were told to write every day. If we didn't have anything to say, we were to write about what we had for breakfast. Diana Hume George said that, "sooner or later, something will break through the eggs."

I haven't blogged lately, one, because life has been fairly status quo and, two, I have to fight with my own children to get any screen time on my own device. We've been shoveling snow. We've driven to church, karate, stores, all without incident. We've been in the Pit of Despair (AKA homework), we've been cleaning up fewer kitchen raids performed by Honey Houdini, we've been craving sunshine.

The big kids' scheduling papers for next year have come home and need returned by week's end. I can't believe we will have two Thingz in high school next year. Wow.

I had my annual well check with my general doctor and all was well. Got my flu shot and my tetanus shot and glowered at the scale. The things one does.

This week I'm set to get a haircut, haha, because I have enough hair to need trimmed. I've missed my hair this winter because the back of my neck gets so cold without it. The things one takes for granted. Yes, I have scarves. I could fix the problem, I'm just reporting. 

I'm starting to get seed/garden fever, which is right about on time for me. So many gray Ohio days leave me craving color. I'll have to assess what's left of my seeds since Honey also decided those would be fun to decorate the sunroom with. Sometimes when I walk her past the Garden of the Dead (no, that's not a cemetery, it's just that it got frigid early this year and I didn't get quite everything out of the garden in time) I can still smell the petrified basil. I'm bummed I didn't get every single tiny tomato and red currant out there. I really enjoyed them this year. Soon, soon, according to the groundhog. He clearly is unaware that the safe, frost-free day around here is like Memorial Day weekend. Early spring, indeed. My poor birdies are swarming the feeder that I keep chasing plump squirrels off. There's a gang of them and I swear they're using lookouts. I keep expecting to see them in denim vests. Darn it, he's back AGAIN!

Release the Hound!

There are currently not one but two pairs of skivvies on the floor in the Old Lady Room. I promise they will not be there for Friday Night Games, even if I have to threaten the owner with beatings. I wonder if more people would come if we changed the name to Friday Night Beatings. I bet a lot of moms I know would be in line with their offspring, haha!

Made some broccoli cheese soup the other day. Thinking Taco Tuesday tonight, never mind that the boys will want the meat, the shells, and the cheese and that's it. And ketchup. 

Just doing the things. Adulting. Putting on pants. All is well. Perhaps that's where the blessings lie, just in the every day. Is it lie or lay anyway? Whatever. Enjoy your moments. Savor the hot drinks and the cold ones. Give lots of praise for the hot running water for your shower. Brighten others' days as you can. Salt and light, and cups of coffee and conversation and real love, messes and all. 

Fresh perspective

Dada got to have some fun mixed with work last week in Mexico. 

Lunch in a grotto:

Mass at the Lady of Guadalupe Basilica

A pyramid I don't have the name for. That can be your homework. He was in Mexico City. What are the choices? He said it was a steep 45 degree angle but he did it!

I'm glad one of us is getting sun, at least.

Heavenly Shenanigans

I teased him that I wasn't aware Peggy Gray had a Mexican location. He said these were the small ones and that the larger ones were dinner plate sized!

He also sent me a shot with a VW bug which makes me jealous as I've always wanted one. He said there are lots of them there and I thought probably because there's no salting of the roads regularly to destroy their undercarriages. I remember seeing a ton of them in Arizona when we visited in my childhood. I wanted one that was spray painted to look tie dyed. My friend Mar wanted a white one to paint cow patches on. Maybe someday. Just not feasible with three long-legged kids, a Heinz 57 and a Great Pyrenees...