Hi,
I have a new word to spell. Osteoporosis.
Since I seem to have developed it, I thought I had better learn to spell the silly thing.... even though it's not very funny.
Seems it's the reason I'm shrinking. I've lost over an inch in the last 2 years. I'm blaming the chemo therapy. I happen to have had a DXA scan (which checks your bones for osteopina & osteoporosis.... both of which I now have and can spell very well) just before my cancer episode started and I didn't have any signs of either problem then. Fast forward to this summer when I was at my G.P.'s office and told how tall I was (or wasn't in my case). I went home and made Marshall re-measure me to make sure I wasn't losing more than just my height, maybe my hearing was going too. Nope, I was definitely shrinking.
My current scan came up with osteopina in my pelvis & osteoporosis in the lumbar region of my spine. My radiologist is relieved to know that it wasn't his fault when he zapped me around my head & neck, they seem okay. My calcium & vitamin D levels are great so it's not my diet that's the cause either. That leaves the chemo drugs as my main culprit. Drat, fix one issue and cause another problem. I just can't seem to catch a break lately.
Tomorrow I start in on my new meds, Alendronate, 35mg tablet.... better known as Fosomax. I wanted to try Boniva so that I might end up looking as good as Sally Fields does in the commercials but my doctor said I probably wouldn't get that 'Gidget' look from the meds so I'm going with the Alendronate. I'm just hoping I don't react, have any side effects, or shrink any more. I haven't room to spare in the size department. No wonder the 9 year olds are taller than me in the pool.
I am truly tired of having to learn to spell new words, especially medical ones. Spelling was never my best subject.
xox
m
Day Lily!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Turkey Day
Hi,
Mother Nature is having a bit of a hissy fit here, it's snowing. Yuck. It looks like Canadian weather, wet, slushy, miserable.... I didn't like it in Toronto and I like it even less in Yardley. Is it April yet?
We are headed up to Marshall's cousin Cori's house for the family Thanksgiving event (food fest). Our contribution is a challah that I baked last night, an easy donation to the meal. The drive will probably be nasty but I am a passenger, not driver, so I knit the whole way. I'm working on a very large mans' sweater. It was my donation to a local hospital fund raiser for breast cancer.I offered to knit a designer sweater for whom ever bid the highest at a silent auction event. I thought I'd get a woman who'd like a hand knit sweater, but a man, a very large man, won the sweater. It's a little more knitting than I thought I'd have to do but no problem. He chose an Irish Aryn knit pattern, in grey and it's coming out lovely. I'm sure he'll be pleased with it. He eluded that if I did a good job on his sweater he might commission me to knit one for his wife (I plan to ask how big she is before giving him a price). I take it every where I go so that I can get it to him A.S.A.P. Knitting night & day it is still going to take me over 2 months to finish this job. Knitting for Andre the Giant takes a lot of time.
So today the US gives thanks, the turkeys at the White House get pardoned (I had no idea there were guilty turkeys amongst us?) and everyones' cholesterol goes up a dozen points. Therefore they are all thankful for heart medications and bi-pass surgery available to one and all with medical insurance. I'm sure the founding fathers would be shocked to see what Thanksgiving has turned into.... to say nothing of the Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza starting at midnight tonight.
Pass the cranberry sauce please.
xox
m
Mother Nature is having a bit of a hissy fit here, it's snowing. Yuck. It looks like Canadian weather, wet, slushy, miserable.... I didn't like it in Toronto and I like it even less in Yardley. Is it April yet?
We are headed up to Marshall's cousin Cori's house for the family Thanksgiving event (food fest). Our contribution is a challah that I baked last night, an easy donation to the meal. The drive will probably be nasty but I am a passenger, not driver, so I knit the whole way. I'm working on a very large mans' sweater. It was my donation to a local hospital fund raiser for breast cancer.I offered to knit a designer sweater for whom ever bid the highest at a silent auction event. I thought I'd get a woman who'd like a hand knit sweater, but a man, a very large man, won the sweater. It's a little more knitting than I thought I'd have to do but no problem. He chose an Irish Aryn knit pattern, in grey and it's coming out lovely. I'm sure he'll be pleased with it. He eluded that if I did a good job on his sweater he might commission me to knit one for his wife (I plan to ask how big she is before giving him a price). I take it every where I go so that I can get it to him A.S.A.P. Knitting night & day it is still going to take me over 2 months to finish this job. Knitting for Andre the Giant takes a lot of time.
So today the US gives thanks, the turkeys at the White House get pardoned (I had no idea there were guilty turkeys amongst us?) and everyones' cholesterol goes up a dozen points. Therefore they are all thankful for heart medications and bi-pass surgery available to one and all with medical insurance. I'm sure the founding fathers would be shocked to see what Thanksgiving has turned into.... to say nothing of the Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza starting at midnight tonight.
Pass the cranberry sauce please.
xox
m
Sunday, November 21, 2010
homeland security
Hi,
I need to rant. That's not unusual, but this time I'm really mad.
Marshall & I just came back from Merida, Mexico. It wasn't a vacation trip, it was to help my mom get through a medical procedure and take some of the stress off my dad. That all went fine. My parents are back in Florida and we were glad to be able to be there to help out.
My issue is with our trip home from Merida, Mexico to Newark airport. We had to stop and switch planes in Houston. I will never fly through Houston again. The customs official was very nice but said that my finger prints weren't coming up in her system. As a 'permanent resident' I have to produce my green card (which is not green anymore just in case you were wondering), but they also check my finger prints and take my picture when I come back into the USA. It feels like getting a criminal one-over, Yucky! I then got separated from Marshall and put in a room to wait until Homeland Security is able to 'clear me'.
Do you want to hear what your tax dollars are doing? NOTHING! What a waste of money. There were 13 useless jar-heads in this office, strutting about, working slower than molasses on a cold day. I sat for almost 2 hours watching them move paper from one folder to another and drink a lot of coffee. There were about 20 travellers hauled into this waiting room. An East Indian woman in a wheel chair who looked about 124 years old, a kid from China, 3 business people from Mexico and assorted other men and women, plus me. We were a motley crew who didn't look anything like Osamin Ben Ladin but that's how you get treated. Trust me, there wasn't a terrorist in the bunch.
Why did I get pulled out? Because in 2005 I was turned away at the Detroit border. If you don't remember this episode, call me and I'll remind you, but the whole thing was a moot point the following day and I crossed the boarder into the USA.... Marshall married me to make me 'legal' in the States and I've gone in & out of the country for the last 5 years without a problem. This event was flagged in Houston for some reason and therefore I got held. When the pea-brains finally got to my folder I was told I was free to enter the USA. "Welcome home". I asked what the problem had been and the Homeland guard said I was 'deported' in 2005 so they had to check me out. I wasn't 'deported', I wasn't let in for 12 hours but I was never deported. I didn't want to argue with this peon, he was not worth another second of my time. Now I have to figure out how to get my name off this 'deported' list or I fear I will have this problem every time I come back into the States. What a useless waste of time and money. If you could see the single digit IQ's they have working at the Homeland Security Department in Houston you'd start planning the revolution now.
The whole airport theatre of scanning, & searching, & stripping, & no liquids, & no shoes or belts, & no pocket knives is utterly ridiculous. They aren't catching any bad guys, they're just pissing off travelers. If some nut bar wants to blow up something here there are plenty of targets to hit and they won't bother with major airports. There are easier places to wreck havoc if you are so inclined. I'm not, but I can see how someone else might be.
Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller magic fame) was on CNN with his own personal rant about Homeland Security and airport B.S. I like him, he's well spoken, talented and a bit wacky. At 6'6" I wouldn't want to be the one stuck patting him down in an airport. His thing is to have copies of the US Constitution to hand out to the security people to let them know they have just defiled his constitutional rights. Even thought I have no constitutional rights as a resident I wish I could be behind him in line at the security check. I'm with him on this issue. The faster we realize what a waste Homeland Security B.S. is the faster the USA will get back on track. Big Brother is a moron.
I feel better now for raving. Thanks for listening.
xox
m
I need to rant. That's not unusual, but this time I'm really mad.
Marshall & I just came back from Merida, Mexico. It wasn't a vacation trip, it was to help my mom get through a medical procedure and take some of the stress off my dad. That all went fine. My parents are back in Florida and we were glad to be able to be there to help out.
My issue is with our trip home from Merida, Mexico to Newark airport. We had to stop and switch planes in Houston. I will never fly through Houston again. The customs official was very nice but said that my finger prints weren't coming up in her system. As a 'permanent resident' I have to produce my green card (which is not green anymore just in case you were wondering), but they also check my finger prints and take my picture when I come back into the USA. It feels like getting a criminal one-over, Yucky! I then got separated from Marshall and put in a room to wait until Homeland Security is able to 'clear me'.
Do you want to hear what your tax dollars are doing? NOTHING! What a waste of money. There were 13 useless jar-heads in this office, strutting about, working slower than molasses on a cold day. I sat for almost 2 hours watching them move paper from one folder to another and drink a lot of coffee. There were about 20 travellers hauled into this waiting room. An East Indian woman in a wheel chair who looked about 124 years old, a kid from China, 3 business people from Mexico and assorted other men and women, plus me. We were a motley crew who didn't look anything like Osamin Ben Ladin but that's how you get treated. Trust me, there wasn't a terrorist in the bunch.
Why did I get pulled out? Because in 2005 I was turned away at the Detroit border. If you don't remember this episode, call me and I'll remind you, but the whole thing was a moot point the following day and I crossed the boarder into the USA.... Marshall married me to make me 'legal' in the States and I've gone in & out of the country for the last 5 years without a problem. This event was flagged in Houston for some reason and therefore I got held. When the pea-brains finally got to my folder I was told I was free to enter the USA. "Welcome home". I asked what the problem had been and the Homeland guard said I was 'deported' in 2005 so they had to check me out. I wasn't 'deported', I wasn't let in for 12 hours but I was never deported. I didn't want to argue with this peon, he was not worth another second of my time. Now I have to figure out how to get my name off this 'deported' list or I fear I will have this problem every time I come back into the States. What a useless waste of time and money. If you could see the single digit IQ's they have working at the Homeland Security Department in Houston you'd start planning the revolution now.
The whole airport theatre of scanning, & searching, & stripping, & no liquids, & no shoes or belts, & no pocket knives is utterly ridiculous. They aren't catching any bad guys, they're just pissing off travelers. If some nut bar wants to blow up something here there are plenty of targets to hit and they won't bother with major airports. There are easier places to wreck havoc if you are so inclined. I'm not, but I can see how someone else might be.
Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller magic fame) was on CNN with his own personal rant about Homeland Security and airport B.S. I like him, he's well spoken, talented and a bit wacky. At 6'6" I wouldn't want to be the one stuck patting him down in an airport. His thing is to have copies of the US Constitution to hand out to the security people to let them know they have just defiled his constitutional rights. Even thought I have no constitutional rights as a resident I wish I could be behind him in line at the security check. I'm with him on this issue. The faster we realize what a waste Homeland Security B.S. is the faster the USA will get back on track. Big Brother is a moron.
I feel better now for raving. Thanks for listening.
xox
m
Saturday, November 13, 2010
short.... just short
Hi,
The month of November is whizzing by. I have no idea what I have been busy with but the last two weeks seem to have disappeared and the next two are definitely action packed.
Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting party for friends & neighbours. My swimming buddy, Brian Sweeney, is a wine wholesaler and expert of the grape. He's bringing 6 different wines and offering tastings and discussion on the product. We have about 30 people interested in attending. Everyone is throwing in $10 to cover the costs of the wine and bringing something for 'pot luck' food/munchies. I've made chocolates, focaccia and hummus.... things that I think go well with drinking. I'm hoping it a success. It would be fun to do as an annual 'fall' party. I'll let you know how it goes.
Monday Marshall & I are travelling to Merida, Mexico. Not vacation time: we're meeting up with my parents because me mom is having a medical procedure done down there and we felt that they may need help. Long story. We will be back on Friday. Hopefully nothing will go awry and we'll get to enjoy some real Mexican cuisine.
Next Saturday I'm teaching at Princeton.... not the university but at a dance venue. I volunteered to lead a salsa class. My first foray into teaching dance in New Jersey. They usually get a nice crowd out for these events. I hope they are kind to me. My friend and dance-pal Carmen is offering to be my dance-dummy. I will take her up on this offer since she is petit enough for me to lead and not look too dorky with.
On the 23rd I spend the day at UPenn Hospital for my next big check up. Since I can't study for these tests I just go in and do my very best. Hopefully they will find nothing of interest and I will be good to go for another 9 months, or even a year if they let me. No news is good news in this scenario. Fingers crossed.
Madison is coming up for Thanksgiving on from the24th-28th. Dinner with Marshall's family on the 25th up in northern N.J. and we're at the end of the month......wow, was that fast or what?
I think someone shortened the month. Actually, I think they have shortened the whole year. I can't remember December coming around so quickly in the past and that means 2010 is over. I'm just getting the correct year written on my cheques and it's already a new number in 6 weeks. Crap! Time to start practicing writing"2011".
Short..... I also seem to have shrunk almost an inch in the last 2 years. The years are getting shorter and so am I. Totally depressing on both counts.
xox
m
The month of November is whizzing by. I have no idea what I have been busy with but the last two weeks seem to have disappeared and the next two are definitely action packed.
Tomorrow we are hosting a wine tasting party for friends & neighbours. My swimming buddy, Brian Sweeney, is a wine wholesaler and expert of the grape. He's bringing 6 different wines and offering tastings and discussion on the product. We have about 30 people interested in attending. Everyone is throwing in $10 to cover the costs of the wine and bringing something for 'pot luck' food/munchies. I've made chocolates, focaccia and hummus.... things that I think go well with drinking. I'm hoping it a success. It would be fun to do as an annual 'fall' party. I'll let you know how it goes.
Monday Marshall & I are travelling to Merida, Mexico. Not vacation time: we're meeting up with my parents because me mom is having a medical procedure done down there and we felt that they may need help. Long story. We will be back on Friday. Hopefully nothing will go awry and we'll get to enjoy some real Mexican cuisine.
Next Saturday I'm teaching at Princeton.... not the university but at a dance venue. I volunteered to lead a salsa class. My first foray into teaching dance in New Jersey. They usually get a nice crowd out for these events. I hope they are kind to me. My friend and dance-pal Carmen is offering to be my dance-dummy. I will take her up on this offer since she is petit enough for me to lead and not look too dorky with.
On the 23rd I spend the day at UPenn Hospital for my next big check up. Since I can't study for these tests I just go in and do my very best. Hopefully they will find nothing of interest and I will be good to go for another 9 months, or even a year if they let me. No news is good news in this scenario. Fingers crossed.
Madison is coming up for Thanksgiving on from the24th-28th. Dinner with Marshall's family on the 25th up in northern N.J. and we're at the end of the month......wow, was that fast or what?
I think someone shortened the month. Actually, I think they have shortened the whole year. I can't remember December coming around so quickly in the past and that means 2010 is over. I'm just getting the correct year written on my cheques and it's already a new number in 6 weeks. Crap! Time to start practicing writing"2011".
Short..... I also seem to have shrunk almost an inch in the last 2 years. The years are getting shorter and so am I. Totally depressing on both counts.
xox
m
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