Recuperation...and SOD!

Well, I'm doing just fine! I've been back to work already....Monday was a short day: only 1 1/2 hours in the morning, then I went back from 3:30 to 5:30pm. Tuesday was 'doctor day'...went to Medford and had my "post-op" check-up. Doctor said she's really pleased at how well I'm healing--and was surprised that I had returned to work the previous day. Don't worry: she said if was fine to go to work if I felt ok! And, I don't have strenuous physical labor at work...and I'm taking it easy. I'm moving more slowly in the mornings, so not getting to work until about 10:30, but I've been able to put in full days otherwise, and feel pretty darned good!

Our yard was being done while I was in the hospital. We now have "instant lawn", complete with underground sprinkling system! This is the best our yard has ever looked! We had a paver stone path put in along with some gravel pathways, and we had some boulders brought in for interest in the planting area. We are really happy with how things look! I got some humongous mum plants at Costco [for only $15 each!] to put along one side of the yard...they kind of match my old mum plants that have been in the half-barrels for the past few years. We put those on another part of the yard. Things are coming together!

Our exterior paint job starts in the morning [September 28] ! I hope the colors I chose will look good...it was an agonizing process trying to pick colors! I'll post pictures in a couple weeks when the job is done!

My scary month of breast cancer

After discovering a lump in my breast on Aug 17, I have been through many tests and doctor appointments...and a mastectomy last Wednesday. Today I am happy to be going back to work! It's been a heck of a month: Aug 17 found lump; Aug 20 first Dr. appointment as will need Rx for ultrasound; Aug 27 mammogram and ultrasound (this was the soonest they could get me in!); Friday Aug 28 phone call from doctor saying results were "suspicious for cancer"; Monday Aug 31 appointment made for biopsy; Sept 1 core needle biopsies taken; Sept 3 results back as positive for cancer.

Tues Sept 8 I went to speak with the surgeon in Yreka, who had done the biopsies, about what the next steps were to be. On Sept 10 I had a similar appointment with a surgeon in Medford who specializes in breast surgeries. I liked her and decided to have the surgery in Medford--it was scheduled for Sept 16.

When I was taken to my room after surgery I found out that the biopsy of the sentinel nodes during the surgery, showed no spread to the lymph system! What a relief to know we caught it in time! We thought I'd be going home on Thursday, but they kept me until Friday [because my bowels hadn't 'moved' yet...and I guess a nice poop is the ticket out of the hospital...LOL]

The ride home wasn't so bad...not a lot of pain. I slept when I got home--had to catch up as I didn't get good sleep in the hospital. I relaxed over the weekend [well, went to the pharmacy for a couple hours to get caught up] and am now ready to tackle a Monday morning at work!

I am so relieved, and thankful that we've caught this soon enough! Michael's been taking care of everything and cooking, too! I've had lots of good support from friends and family which certainly helped, too. I certainly feel so lucky and blessed to be doing so well! Onward!.........

Labor Day Weekend....

Labor Day Weekend....is when Happy Camp has the Bigfoot Jamboree! It's a fun time for a little community like ours; local folks form committees to create this year's festivities which start with a Friday night dance at the park, including food and craft booths and fun activities and another dance on Saturday, then a pancake breakfast on Sunday morning followed by the parade along the highway, and more activities/booths at the park on the river. Families and friends reunite on this weekend: kids who have moved away come back home to visit and enjoy, and a great time is had by all.

OUR 'kids' came to spend time with us...they came with some friends and enjoyed a camp out along the Klamath River. We got together at the Jamboree and also went swimming at a "swimmin' hole" near our house. Everyone had a great time. Pictured at the parade with Michael and me are Lathrop, his wife Kaydie [our granddaughter], and their kids in order by age: Keyari, Junior and Carmen.

Labor Day Weekend/Bigfoot Jamboree: come see us next year! :-)

Toby bounces back...

Well, our dear friend, Toby has done it again! He fooled us into thinking that seizure a couple weeks ago was to 'do him in'! We are happy that he has bounced back yet again after several days of rest. He's back to walking, eating and enjoying his time on this earth!

These seizures sure hit him hard. We got a prescription from his doctor for anti-seizure meds [phenobarbital], but it made him so groggy his old feet wouldn't walk straight! We decided there was no sense in making Toby spend the rest of his life doped up so much that he couldn't enjoy going on his walks, so we stopped the medicine. We're back to our short walks, and there are even some berries still on the bushes! He's doing fine and we are so glad!

Another rough night for Toby

Well, our dear friend Toby dog had another seizure last night. He's about 14 1/2+ and has been having more frequent bouts of this type lately. He also had to be put on heart medication in July and that seems to be helping his congestive heart failure...he's able to breathe more easily now.

A couple of months ago Toby had a seizure like the one last night. After about 3 days of rest he was back to being almost as 'normal' as he had been prior to the attack. He was eating and walking again, enjoying his life.

Toby loves to walk! Even at his advanced age, he walks. It's his usual routine after he eats: he has what seems to me like a smile on his lips, looks up at me with big brown eyes that seem to say, "OK, let's go walk!" We feed the dogs morning and evening, so Toby goes walking twice a day. He likes walking down the path along the front field...it's actually our neighbor's field, but he lets us walk in it. The path leads to his house and in his younger days, Toby would walk over to visit and be neighborly...it's a long way so we discourage such long walks for Toby now. We walk part way, Toby enjoys all the sniffing, then we turn back.

Other times, Toby prefers to go up into the woods behind our house. Last year we were able to go along the path there much farther than we have lately. Even earlier this spring, he was able to walk much farther, though he huffed and puffed. These days he enjoys shorter, less strenuous visits to the woods. We can still enjoy the shade there and the beauty of the trees, the crunch of leaves and pine needles beneath our feet. Of course, I can't tell, but Toby says there are extra special interesting things to sniff there! He also enjoys walking down the driveway [it's 200 ft long]--there's another opening to the front field from there, too---and during summer we pick blackberries along the way! He likes those!

I'm missing our walking today... We are hoping Toby will recover well from this recent seizure, but at his advanced age we are bracing ourselves for the time Toby must take that final walk to the other side...

Lazy Days of Summer and Blackberries

Well, we had quite a heat wave a couple weeks ago, then we enjoyed some milder temperatures [merely in the 90's and no longer in the 100's!]. Today the heat is rising again. Luckily it cools down overnight here. When we awake in the morning it is cool enough to wear our fleece wear...long sleeves and pants! We change into light and short clothing once the sun is overhead and warming things up.

The dogs, old boy Toby, Garner and Penny, like to walk with me out in the front field. The past few weeks we've been enjoying blackberries! Toby loves them, Garner acquired a taste for them last summer, but Penny still turns up her nose to them. Garner and Toby like that: more for them! :-)

I'm trying to teach Garner that it is not wise for him to pick the berries himself....I think he'll finally figure it out. Right now he gently bites the berries at his nose level, but cannot get the berry off...at least he doesn't seem to be getting mouthfuls of thorns! Oh, and I'm only picking berries HIGHER up on the bushes for our consumption! No pre-licked berries for ME!

Toby's very patient. He has trained me over his 14 years to pick the plumpest and sweetest berries to hand feed to him. The other day I gave him a berry that was apparently not sweet at all! The look on the Tobster's face was all-telling, and he refused my next offering. But, it's hard to resist for long, and Toby truly trusts me, so took many berries after that sour one. Berry picking has become a MUST DO for Toby on our morning and evening walks.

Penny, dear Penny....just doesn't know what she's missing! She has tried to enjoy the berries like the 'boys' do, but just doesn't care for them. She'll lick them, take them from me and drop them on the ground! She happily lays down and watches us pick and nibble and then walks back home with us afterward.

I'm going to pick enough berries to bake a pie tomorrow...it's a first-morning chore--gotta bake while it's still cool in the morning. Maybe I'll pick enough extra to freeze some... yummmmmmmmmmm! A little bit of summer tucked into my freezer to enjoy later when the rains and snows come~~~~~ :-)

Gee, it's been a long time since...

I've written anyting here on the blog! I've enjoyed someone else's recently, so thought I'd better give this a better try. :-)



And, it's been a long time since I last posted a picture here...and the one of our dogs needs to be updated, because we lost our dear Star November 11, 2008...she was hit by a speeding truck on the road in front of our home. She's been dearly missed, but her shining memory still lights up our hearts!



It's also been a long time since we started our home remodel! We broke ground Sept 1, 2008 and we are now NEARLY finished! It's been a long haul, but, HEY: what ELSE have we got to do with our time?! Hahaha! We are really pleased with how things have turned out, and if I keep up this BLOG thing, I'll put in some updates here with pictures. Let me know if you'll pop in now and then to see updates to my blog. Your response may just keep me going! ;-)