Friday we picked up Miles from JFK and was so happy to have him home. We then drove 4 hours to Keene NH for Phillips Graduation. On the way I got a call that all my tests were submitted and I was accepted to the trial and I WILL be on the drug that doubles the effectiveness of the hormone therapy. Im excited because I think this will really be good in shrinking the cancer cells and hopefully will result in a less invasive surgery.

Got to Keene and hung out with Phillip and had a early night while the boys went to the cigar lounge. Saturday was the big day. So proud of him. It was a long and winding road to graduation but he got there. I can’t wait to see his next chapter. Of course, he had to torture me by missing his last exam, the professor took off for Greece and there was a whole big issue about taking the test to graduate. True to form, he somehow talked himself into getting a proctor the day before graduation just to keep things interesting.

We had a great day and Im so happy to have everyone together. Then we celebrated Mothers day with Gma at the hibachi place. Always entertaining when she tries to catch shrimp out of thin air, plus drink sake from a squeeze bottle.

Grateful to have us all together. 🙂

Fantastic MRI today. Liver MRI which took ONE HOUR in the tunnel. One Hour. Plus I had a cage-like item on my chest, and had to hold by breath from 2-30 seconds at a shot. The good news is if I ever have to cross the Dead Sea in a coffin, I know Ill be able to hold my breath. Hopefully this is the last test till biopsy next week. Honestly Ive never had this many tests in my life.

On the upside I went to CVS and bought a hairdryer type item which has a brush on the end. Now I hate doing anything with my hair my I’m getting desperate because my hair has decided to become frizzy and weird. This magical device smoothed me right out. Yay for CVS.

Am now home in the midst of a Midsomer Murder and happily hanging with the husband. great end to a crap day.

Yesterday I had the bright idea of going to the Bronx Zoo. I called my friends, who, god love them, said “Sure!” and I thought Im a genius because I had no tests and it was a beautiful day and we had an absolutely wonderful time. We walked for 3 hours through the whole zoo, saw gorgeous animals and enjoyed everything the place had to offer. I love that zoo. Ive been bringing my boys there since they were teeny and it is truly part of our family culture. It was great to share it with my friends who hadn’t been in years and I think now appreciate how fun it is to just walk around and experience this amazing place.

After that, we went to Arthur Avenue, which is an Italian section of the Bronx, had a great lunch, did a bit of food shopping (specialty cheeses, bread and pastries) and got home happy and thankful that I have friends who put up with my caprices.

Today I had the liver MRI scheduled. I arrived and they looked at me like I was insane. Why, you ask? Because Dummy’s appointment was YESTERDAY. Ugh. They must think Im losing my shit, which I am, but Im trying to keep it on the DL. Soooo, made another appointment for tomorrow (thank god they had an opening) and Ill be back on track. Its amazing how I really think I have it all together then Im proved completely incorrect.

Yesterday was the Breast MRI. You lay on this weird little table, face down with your chest in holes facing down. Its REALLY uncomfortable. Then you face is in a pillow thing like on a masseuse table but without essential oils. Then you put in ear plugs and they shove you in the machine.

Then you’re in there for about 30 minutes with it banging away. You’re not supposed to move at all which is not easy because you’re thinking about not moving. Then you start breathing. Then you think about if you’re breathing too much. The whole thing is retarded. Whoever thought of this torture must have been involved in the Spanish Inquisition. Hopefully everything will be ok with this ridiculous thing.

The bright spot of the day was we went out to dinner with friends who are originally from New Orleans and we got to chat all about my favorite city. They even brought Mardi Gras beads for us to wear. It was a very nice evening to cap off a really crappy day.

Today I had the bone scan. You go to the nuclear medicine part of the hospital and in this area they use a very small amount of a radioactive substance, called a tracer. The tracer is injected into a vein. It shows possible cancer in areas where too much or too little tracer has been absorbed by the body.

After the injection, I then had to go home for 2 hours. On the way back I was driving behind the worst driver in the history of driving. She was brushing her hair, arranging her hair then brushing it some more, all the while weaving all over the road. Im pretty sure whatever she was doing was not improving her situation…

Back at hospital, they lay you down on a bed type situation, then strap your arms to your sides and your feet together like a lunatic in an asylum. Then you have to lay there without moving while the machine drops down to within 1/2 inch of your face and scans you for 45 minutes.

Everyone was very nice. But it was a pain. However, Dr just called and said scan was all negative, so good results.

Gma, on the other hand, is doing very well after her procedure. In good spirits and getting along. I gave her a whole regime yesterday which she said she’s following, so fingers crossed.

So today my mother (otherwise known as Gma) had to have an eye operation to open her tear duct. She was very brave but it was a VERY long day. First she gets in the car with the scent of BenGay following her everywhere. She had just put it on, then remembered she couldn’t have it on, washed it off, but it lingers. We get to the surgical facility and in order for her not to mess up her hair, she ties a scarf around her head, the sight of which is reminiscent of Patty Hearst being kidnapped by the  Symbionese Liberation Army. She then discusses with anyone who will listen how she “fell” this morning. She didn’t fall, she leaned against the bed, but then everyone was in an uproar (Did you lose consciousness? Were you dizzy? Are you a nut?) Finally we convinced everyone she was fine and off she went.

Meanwhile, Im in the waiting room with an entire Russian family. Now I understand that if you have a relative that is having a procedure in a surgical facility (ie: NOT brain surgery in hospital) someone should be there. However, there was 3 grown daughters, a husband and 2 kids under 4, there for 3 hours. Call me crazy but when the kids were whining (through no fault of their own) why couldn’t someone take them home? Clearly the procedure wasn’t life threatening and they all had phones. Call each other for god’s sake. I was cranky.

We then got her home, tucked into her nightgown, with a tuna sandwich and a cup of tea. Now she just has to get through the myriad of drops and ointments for the next week. But the surgery was a success according to the doctor and that’s one less thing to hear about. Tomorrow is my Bone Scan, so another day, another doctor.

Yesterday was great. My friend Mary L. anon for a coffee. d I decided to walk around the mall because it was raining out. We, like the old biddies we are, cruised the mall, walked around it 3 times and still did not reach our normal 3 miles. We’ve decided the mall is not really for us because we keep getting distracted, plus I keep eyeing the Starbucks and torturing her to stop.

We finally stopped, then Mary had the idea to go to a Sample Sale down near Greenwich. We went and I got some crazy pants but in the end I love them because they’re so not me. Just have to pop them over to the tailer to have them fit to my stubby little legs.

Came home, did a little work and it really felt like a normal day. Then I got a great basket from my friend Janet which involved chocolate. Again struck how I could never get through my life without everyone I have in my life.

Todays adventure is taking my mother to have an eye duct repaired. We’ll see how that goes, but I’m pretty sure it will be dramatic. Ugh.

Today was CAT scan day. All these tests are crazy because at the moment, different doctors are ordering different things and the tests are all over the place. Today I got the CAT scan moved up to this morning. You can’t drink or eat 4 hours before so no breakfast for me. Once there you have to drink 2 glasses of Dilute barium sulfate then get more intravenously injected radiocontrast agents. The absolute best part was when they inject the intravenous meds it feels like your whole body is warm, FROM THE INSIDE. So basically you feel like you’re going to pee at any moment then they stick you in the machine and you have to hold your breath. Its a good time all around.

Then I was starving and was a disgusting person and went to Mcdonalds for lunch. But I have to say, it was 11:45 and those french fries were delish. And the Diet Coke, at any time, is manna from Heaven…

Ok, so Dr. C. just called and according scan, no other breast cancer was found. But, Hurrah, they found some kind of hemangioma in my liver. Actually three of them. Come on. Really? She said probably all benign, but now I need ANOTHER contrast MRI, in addition to breast MRI to see what this shit is. I think the more in depth tests that we do the more things we’ll find. Most will be minor things but Im not sure I want to know everything wrong with me….

So later in the week, bone scan, breast MRI, and liver MRI. Blahhhhhh.

I swear to god if I have to give up wine the fur is going to fly.

Yesterday was a stay at home, no doctors, hang in jammies day. Couple of great things. My son Phillip was published for the first time! He wrote an article and it was accepted by the Keene Sentinal, which is the town he’s graduating college from in 2 weeks. Im so proud of him and I know he’ll do great things…see article below

https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/from-devastation-to-double-major-ksc-alum-shares-story-of/article_55e02c5e-3a2e-5639-a20b-77e4c7105e61.html

We got good news about Miles too. On Facebook there was an article about the probability that if you threw temper tantrums as a toddler you will be a wealthy adult. We’ve determined the Miles will be a BILLIONAIRE and as such will be tapped to take care of his dilapidated parents…

After all that excitement, we just sat around and watched my favorite murder mysteries. For my whole life Ive loved Agatha Christie. My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE film is Murder on the Orient Express. I love to watch Poirot, Miss Marple and really any English murder mystery. I love that the locations, sets and props are correct. I love that everything is tidy and wrapped up in the end. I love that even though you’re dead, you’re stylishly dead. And my husband, god love him, sat there and watched them all with me. This guy is ridiculous because he’s SO GOOD. He’s been with me every step of the way and I really have no idea how I could ever go through life without him.

Plus he just brought me an espresso. What more could I ever want?

Today was going to be a good day because I had no doctors appointments scheduled. I could have just relaxed at home…but no. Being the idiot I am, I decided to get the car serviced. I show up at dealership and long story short, the service time ends up being 4 hours.

For some reason, after sitting in the waiting room for said 4 hours, I was overcome with depression and ready to cry. I don’t know what plunged me into the abyss. Whether everything just hit me, or I had too many nutter butter mini cookies, or it was their television choice of Lets Make a Deal followed by a soap opera that finally did it. I also got the call that PET scan is STILL not approved and I now have to have some bone scan and had to rearrange all appointments for next week. It’s just too much. I’d like it to be done now. But its the beginning, and I, evidently, am up shits creek.

I feel like a Big Giant Baby. I should be dealing with this a drop better than I am. When I think about it, my situation could be a hell of a lot worse. But its still crappy. Just sayin. Tomorrow Im going to do something fun and Im going to try and forget about all of this for the day, damn it.