#1 A friend brought a flower bouquet to our Christmas in July party.
#2 Thing Two has gone through at least 7 tissues this morning.
#3 He did not take allergy meds yesterday.
Conclusion, in his own words:
One of these days I'm gonna sneeze out my esophagus.
Hi! You may remember me. I used to be a blogger, haha.
Sorry. Summer sends routine out the window in both good and bad ways. I'd like to think I'm getting more sleep, but I am pretty sure it's only that bedtime anad waketime have shifted further back. The city pool is open, so I've been walking the lazy river... well, duck-walking it actually, as it's less than three feet deep and I'm trying to keep my top half submerged to use the water pressure as compression to do my arm exercises. We went on vacation and are home again, so that's another cause of radio silence. And now there's Christmas in July party prep and a family get together and a summer check-in with students and we went to the drive-in movies and we've had probably a literal boatload of ice cream this summer (for sure a kayak, maybe a dinghy) and we're doing yardwork when we won't melt or sink- we've had some wild weather- and I'm going to PT twice a week and we are still painting the basement around all the other things. If summer is supposed to be a time of rest then I'm pretty sure we're doing it wrong.
But if it's time to squish in as much stuff as possible, then we are probably doing "fair to middling" as the saying goes!
Thing Three gets his braces off this week and is working albeit grudgingly on his required driving hours. Band camp will start up soon which is one of his favorite weeks.
Thing Two is jobhunting and living off PBJ despite us having all the meats. Dunno what he'd have done as a caveman. We giggle that he is indistinguishable from our plastic skeleton friend- the one currently on the front porch in swim goggles and swim trunks- both in circumference and paleness!
Thing One is plying tourists down South with caffeine and sugar at two different jobs and seems to be doing well despite the following text exchange:
Absolutely revolting start to the morning: smooshed a cockroach on the ground behind my counter and then five minutes later it appeared dragging its half-popped not-yet-corpse body along the edge of my counter.
To be fair, that's how a lot of people feel before coffee on a Monday morning. "I'm not dead yet."
Taking a stomp to the exoskeleton and then dragging all your innards up a vertical cliff is an entirely different ballgame...
I said "feel." "Must...get...to...Monday...morning...staff...meeting...nggghhh..."
Haha
***
Have a terrific Tuesday, everybody!
Oh shoot, I'm out of practice. Thanks to everybody who checked in about my blood clot! Poor Dada earned many gold stars for giving me all 60 Lovenox injections and now I'm back on twice daily Eliquis for the next few months. I have no movement restrictions so I'm going about business as usual, fighting through PT to get back range of motion and all the things. The party line seems to be "keep doing what you're doing and we will ultrasound the area this fall."
Me, shrugging, "okieeeedokieeeee."
AND today is my very last dose of the first year of a medication I'm to take for 3 years, so I'm a third done. Woohoo! My doc is pretty sure it's the main culprit behind my hair thinning, so it's looking like baby bird hair and no eyelashes or eyebrows for two more years. Good thing I didn't open the mascara I bought a year ago when it looked like they were finally making a comeback... it'll be all ready to go for back to school 2028!
NOW y'all go and seize your week!
Sometimes I really do forget I have a blog. Other times it's just a busy life season. Once in awhile it's both!
In the month of May, I've had about half a dozen physical therapy appointments and an OT check in on top of wrapping up the school year. Thing Three performed in both a band concert and the Memorial Day parade. I've had two follow up appointments from last year's docs, some dry needling, made a trip to my hometown for a weekend, snuggled babies at church, wrapped up one preschool class with a zoo field trip and an evening spring program, and this week is Thing Three's last week of school while I try to fit in all the online training I need to have done before the end of June. There was also a visit to a retirement home with the preK crowd in addition to my school fighting off yet another wave of germs. Yeesh. No wonder I'm tired!
Arm/shoulder-wise, things are... meh. I'm wearing my compression glove and sleeve daily, I'm doing my PT exercises more often than not, I'm still seeing more swelling than I'd like, but this may just be my new normal. I don't know how we're to know if the vein stayed open since the venogram without imaging, but none has been ordered yet and the follow up appointment isn't until the middle of next month. I'm wearing the reductor kit at night while I sleep, pumping in my cool Darth Vader vest and sleeve* daily and now have a mushroom-shaped pad? pocket? pouch? thing that I wear with the stalk end tucked inside a compression bra and the shroomy end sticking into my armpit. The thinking is that it will help bust up some scar tissue and increase range of motion by loosening all that up. Jury is still out. I've worn it to bed twice. I think I'll try alternating that with the reductor kit since when I do the kit then my hand is swollen in the morning but if I do nothing then this tightness isn't going to be helped even passively... I don't know. I now better understand being over something even while in the midst of going through something!
* Funny story- I was also issued a pair of shorts that attach to the pump because it's easier to order them and get it all at once than to add pieces later. I figured I'd never need the shorts, but whatever. Then I spent an afternoon vigorously yanking out honeysuckle bushes, including one extra hard yank which landed me on my "butt-ducks" as our kids used to say. I'd already been only a foot off the ground because I was using my legs in a squat instead of my back, but I still sat there laughing at myself for a minute. The next day, my butt-ducks and rear thighs were so tight and whiny that I thought, "hey! I can use the shorts!" So for two days that's what I did and, boy, if you've never had your butt-ducks rhythmically squeezed and released, it's really something. I don't know what, but it's something! I can just hear my Grammy and Gramps laughing at me!
I have little news to report on progress made in the basement since the death of the sump pump. We are looking at tile flooring because we know it's only a matter of time before the new sump pump also croaks and we have zero desire to rip out carpet and padding yet again. For the tile we have a first and second choice, we think. We have not taken measurements yet. We also have paint swatches since we were never wild about the color down there in the first place and it's been... well... this fall will be our 12th year here, I think, so we figured we might as well paint before we do the floor.
None of that was on the Bingo card for 2026. In fact, I have paint swatches taped up in the foyer because that's the room I'd painted most recently and it has held up the least well. When I showed Dada my colors, he sniggered and said it was exactly what was already on the walls and that at least I was consistent. I'd be offended except for the fact that he's right; they are almost identical. *sigh*
Thing Two made it home safely from his welding training this semester and has become a bump on a chair at the tall table. His basement bunker is out of the picture, so even though he's still not getting fresh air or sunshine, he's at least visible. Until he turns sideways, anyway, and then he disappears. He's so skinny! Miracles happen every day, and the proof is that my 20 year old Honda, Pepe the Pilot, survived the entire excursion of getting him to and from class daily through winter in Cleveland, involving both extremely rutted back roads and freeways of crazy drivers. Thank you for all the diligent prayers- they worked!
Thing One is working two jobs and having the typical summertime computer issues of something deciding to quit working and never mind that it has 8 years of art on it. Pshaw. Why should it boot up and do its job? This is in addition to whatever maintenance issues the jobs themselves run into. I believe the quote I heard was, "why is it whenever something happens we always have to tear out a wall??" Apparently when someone puts a coffee pot under a leak and then never checks it again... well, let's just say that we have all been introduced to our friend Gravity and that it doesn't bode well. Otherwise, having fun with the housemates and living the dream.
And we still have Boooooosley, who turned 9 on Cinco de Mayo, is no smarter than when we brought him home at 4 months old, and will probably live forever. Loudly. Ridiculous.
I hope all of you experience a GENTLE transition from spring to summer- goodness knows we all have whiplash here from Ohio being wishy-washy at best about what season it thinks it is- and that the end of the school year brings a routine in which you can breathe, and I don't just mean allergy relief. Take good care of you and revive your spirits.
So this will be a load of random, I'd planned to blog about the last of the teas from January but at this point I don't remember, so tough beans. Or tea leaves, I guess. They were mostly yummy and I've remembered to drink more tea this year than ever before, so it worked, I guess? Haha.
Summer proves both delightful and challenging for me, and for the same reason: the lack of routine. During the school year, my alarm is set for 5:15 and I'm good about getting up when it goes off. Most of that time it's dark because we live in Ohio. I enjoy the quiet, laugh to myself about having to share the single bathroom with three other people in the house where I grew up and delight that I don't have to do that here, and then I get both my quiet devotional time and my 15 minutes of yoga in before other people start rolling out of bed. While it's early, I crave that time and that quiet because afterwards it's anything goes! I might be called in to sub, a kid could miss the bus and would need a ride, someone else might need dropped off at class elsewhere, errands might need run, and so forth. Just life. Nothing seemingly stellar or amazing, but if I don't get that quiet stuff done first, all day long I feel behind and slightly aggravated that I "threw off my groove," to quote one of our family's favorite movies, "The Emperor's New Groove". In summer, there's no need to get up early because there's no bus to catch or school to help out, so I don't set an alarm. Consequently, I wake up all over the place timewise and it's been making me crabby because I feel like half the day is gone and I've accomplished nothing. I guess that's why our identity isn't supposed to be tied up in our occupation or what we do to make money. We are human beings, not human doings.
Our weather systems have just been parking and idling and playing havoc with allergies, sinuses, headaches, and I don't just mean me. It hasn't really cooled down at night so we haven't opened windows to air out the house and it hasn't rained enough to matter for what feels like weeks. The predicted rain seems to continue to not materialize despite my weather app showing more rain clouds than not. The poor dogs are SO hot, Honey especially. I've tried opening windows first thing, but as first thing isn't as early as it would be 9 months of the year, I got a faceful of "soup" (humidity) so the window got shut pretty fast. I know it won't last forever, and I despise being cold, so I'm trying to not let it get to me, but it irritates me to be boiling outside and then freezing inside because of the AC. Yes, I know it's a #FirstWorldProblem and there are people with actual hardships out there, but as my blog is free therapy, I may as well get my money's worth. Wait...
I've been telling Dada that this summer of 2025 is my Summer of Pout. Not much is looking like I expected it to look by this point in the year. I assumed (ha, there's my first problem) that with the end of the stereotypical cancer treatment that I'd get to go on my merry way, maybe with some new longterm meds, but otherwise unscathed.
Fool.
I didn't count on my right arm measurements landing me in a compression sleeve during tank top season. I didn't anticipate wearing a rash guard on vacation and not soaking up every available sunbeam to help get me through Ohio winters (because that's seriously how my brain works- I am solar powered!) I also didn't foresee having the rest of my lady parts being evicted and starting menopause for real, having already been in chemically induced menopause from chemo. Twice. And because the eviction is surgical and not magical, that means no baths or getting in any bodies of water for swimming for the rest of the summer, essentially, as our pool closes when school starts. I wasn't allowed in until my radiation blasted skin healed and now I won't be allowed back in. Another #FirstWorldProblem, but definitely a contributor to the Summer of Pout. I don't even get in a lot of the time normally, but now it's the "I can't" factor.
Also, high protein diet yet again to prep stores for healing after surgery, and no alcohol. Why do I only want it when I can't have it? 95% of the time I'd take ice cream over a fun drink, yet here we are again needing to abstain medically. Yes, I KNOW it's actually a poison and isn't good for anybody anyway, but I have a six pack of those fun, colorful Smirnoffs and I just want one. Grrr. *sigh* #FirstWorldProblems!
With the lady parts eviction comes the "no driving" mandate until I feel better and am off any heavy painkillers, which I don't even want to start taking, so of course that's when band practices start up. Would you believe that there are already SCHOOL SUPPLIES in stores?! I don't want to talk about it. I want to kick something. Like a box of school supplies or something. It is not even the middle of July!
Now that I sound like a total Debbie Downer or Negative Nancy, let's pivot to the blessings.
We had a lovely vacation in OBX again and there will be post(s) about the ocean and all that. We got quality time with my brother who hadn't joined us there the past few years. The sweet old man dog at the beach house is still alive and kicking and will still smile over his shoulder at you when you give him butt scratches. The young pup will play until she drops and was also happy to see us. We missed my aunt who was traveling on her own adventures at the same time, but enjoyed all the talks and time with my wise uncle who gives fantastic hugs. My great aunt, who will be 96 at the end of this month, is also holding her own and we had a few hilarious visits with her. I want to be back there already.
We have gone to the pool a handful of times and I've gotten in once to float along the lazy river. In my rash guard. But hey, I got to get in! Maybe next year will be better.
Thing Three had his annual Dr Jon appt and he's doing really well. All our kids are string beans, so he weighed in at 113# and 5'8 and 3/4". He's freshly 15 and is all limbs and feet. He's changed so much just in the year since Thing Two's graduation that my brother thought he WAS Thing Two when he first saw him. Completely cracked me up.
Thing Two has been improving with the driving practices. Still unsure about what this fall holds for him school and workwise. Sometimes life is TBD!
Thing One has met an online friend in real life, which is always an adventure, and they've been hanging out a good bit. I know a lot of art is happening!
I'm thankful that my arm measurements were trending back down closer to my normal and that I never made it into the actual red zone for lymphedema. I'm back in the green, but just by a hair, so the recommendation was to keep the compression sleeve on and do some exercises. The sleeve in summer is a right pain in the butt, but I do know that it's to help and not frustrate me. I'm trying to get back into my yoga and quiet time routine because downward dog and child's pose and so forth are exactly the stretches recommended. Two birds, one stone, etc.
I'm thankful we have a home. It's easy to take for granted until you see footage of Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan or the floods in Texas or whatever the next disaster is that rolls in. Trying to be thankful when things are going like they do everyday, not just when something big happens. Or doesn't!
I'm grateful for my "elite of husbands" and the time he's taken to haul me around to all these appointments. He has every right to be crabby as they're cramping our style, but he cheerfully escorts me around and I don't know what I'd do without him. Love you, babe.
I'm excited to have breakfast with some girlfriends on Monday morning. That should be a thing. Everyone should get breakfast with their friends on a Monday morning! I bet attitude and productivity would improve across the board.
I'll try to not let it be a month before I blog again. We are doing well. Thanks for checking in! If you want something to pray for, please ask for the surgery to go textbook smoothly with no complications, no infections, etc. We appreciate it. I'll keep you posted.
I'll end with a joke Thing Three told me:
What's the difference between a snow man and a snow woman?
Because I drove Ori onto the rocks, which should be #OriOnTheRocks or something, we had to get a new-to-us vehicle. Welcome, Midna, a 2010 Honda Accord. Since our clan has 3 cousins born in 2010, we figure it's a good vintage year. Thing Two and Triskal, our late Newfie, and Pepe the Pilot are/were all 2005 models, haha, and we've had great luck with those.
Midna is a character in Twilight Princess, a video game in the Legend of Zelda franchise, for those of you who were somehow unaware of Thing One's oldest obsession.
Cadaver, do you even have a license?! Hmm. At this rate, you might have yours before Thing Two gets his...
I'm halfway done with chemo, woooHOOOOOOO!
Thanks for all the prayers, you guys. The port has been working well. All I needed was a position change at my last visit, meaning the nurse tilted my chair back so my feet were elevated and that turned the blood draw from "sluggish" to "there! That's better!"
Getting weighed at the doctor's office is a loaded issue for a lot of people, but it cracks me up every single time because my doc has one of those in-floor scales like a vet uses where you try to fit ALL of your dog's paws on and make sure you're not also standing on a corner and getting them to sit and STAY and so forth. Each time I step onto this rectangle, it goes CHA CHONG as if I were a rhino or a hippo or something similarly humungous. It's such an ego hit. I've given up worrying about which shoes will be lighter or that I'm wearing compression socks, a sweater AND a scarf and all the other ridiculous layers. My port is about two inches under my clavicle so I have to be in a tank top so I can slide the strap down my shoulder for the nurse to access it. But it's February in Ohio, hence the sweater and scarf. A collared shirt of any kind won't work because the fabric will keep ramming up against the IV stuff, and I tried a button down shirt but that hitched up weirdly too. I much prefer my scale at home, haha! Oh well. This too shall pass. I suppose it'll keep me humble, even as it makes me think of Law & Order...
I'm still picking up the taste/smell of chemicals more than I would be if I were not having chemo, which makes some things a little weird- like sugarfree gum starts off tasting a bit bizarre until it softens and then is dreadful once it's lost its flavor- but my appetite is good and most things are behaving the way they are supposed to.
Only six more chemo sessions left. I'm trying to stay healthy, though I've been thrilled to be able to sub some. I spent Wednesday with some energetic kindergarteners and we had a pretty good day! I even stayed awake during their quiet time, so I'll count that as a win. Heh heh heh.
Weatherwise, things have been rather disgusting and depressing... we've had two Thursdays in a row of cancelled everything because of ice. Thing Two keeps laughing about his chemistry lab not happening because that is Thursday afternoons. At some point this week, I'd checked the weekly forecast and just about had a fit when it said 7-9" of snow predicted for NEXT Thursday. They've since changed that to 0, thankfully. This is not the east side of Lake Erie. Been there, done that. Thing Three gleefully slides in his tennies down the ice rink that is our driveway whilst I follow along in my huge boots with arms out, penguin style. A friend mentioned falling and said, "years ago I'd have bounced. Now I just thud." I hear that, and what I desperately don't want to hear is the *SNAP* of any bones!
Energy level is much better than it was during last autumn's AC chemo, and it leads me to moments where I have to talk to myself:
Me: Why am I so tired? All I did was XYZ.
Myself: Listen here, you had chemo on Tuesday. Your body still has to use energy to clear out all the dead cancer cells, remember?
Me: Oh yeah. I guess I AM doing more than I thought...
Myself: Yeah. Go crash on the couch for a little bit!
And I: And then we can bake cookies!
Hey! Have you blown away? My mother says they've been experiencing our leftover wind. Sorry about that. It was a little crazy here for a few days. Sadly, Bosley is too fat to blow away... darn.
We are all hanging in there. I had funny things to say that I thought of in bed last night when I was supposed to be sleeping, but I forgot them. We're back in the swing of classes now that school is happening regularly. I'm done with an entire month of chemo appointments. Trying to stay healthy. Going to test out my immune system by spending some time with preschoolers this week. Enjoying that we've had actual sunshine for a few days! Amazing how just that will elevate my mood, even if it's still cold.
Thing Three finished up his pep band requirements for the season. He seems to be enjoying phys ed this semester and is still lamenting having physical science. I don't think any of our kids have liked that class.
Thing Two also hasn't blown away as he plods around his college campus, so it must be all that hair holding him down. Or maybe he just faces the wind sideways and it slices right past him.
Thing One, awaiting more art commissions, has been cheerfully taking me to chemo and giggling through the doodles and sketches that happen there. I love watching the glee and the passion. It makes my heart happy.
Dada's been really busy with work this week, but not traveling and we're all thankful for that. They've moved back to the office three days a week so there's been finagling of who is getting or taking Thing Two to class and all of that. For the most part it is working out. If someone would get his driver's license, things would smooth out even more, but there's this saying about leading a horse to water but not being able to make it drink... yep, that fits.
Overall, we are doing okay. I'll knock wood and say a little prayer that it stays that way! Stay warm and enjoy that sunshine!
Thing Two had his annual checkup with Dr. Jon, the amazing pediatrician we've had for 19 years now. He is a great sport, so we figured he'd get a kick out of some Shenanigans. Cadaver made an appearance to the absolute delight of the nurses and we waited to see if Dr. Jon could pick out the real Thing Two...
Thank you to Mike who coined the title. Thing One brought home two plastic skeletons, one to have fun with as a passenger in her car and one for Thing Two's upcoming birthday since he was a Halloween baby and loves all things spooky. WE have been having a ball with them:
Nobody guessed what Thing Two bought in Washington, D.C. and I can't say that I blame any of you. I, too, was not expecting him to come home with a yellow umbrella! He loves that it folds inside out, has a button that does all the work, and he uses it in the slightest of sprinkles to put the dogs out. 😊
