So Long, 2018!

   Let's get that marked off the list.
   I may or may not (probably not) be awake at the stroke of midnight to welcome in the new year. 
   Right now, I'm drinking chocolate milk mixed with Evan Williams eggnog. It actually tastes pretty good. 
   2018 didn't start out real good. I didn't have a job, but I was putting in applications. I put in a bunch of applications, but I wasn't getting hired, I wasn't even getting interviewed. But it was probably for the best. I was able to take Yvette to her physical therapy sessions and doctor appointments.
   And then to have her gall bladder removed. And after that I still wasn't getting hired. There had to be some reason I wasn't getting hired. God always has a plan, but it would be nice to have a hint. I did get 4 interviews. One, I got an email telling me that they had chosen another candidate. The other 3 I never got turned down, but I never got hired either.
   The strange thing was in all 3 of those interviews, they told me the same thing, "If you get hired, the first 90 days is a probationary period, if you miss any work, your employment ends immediately."
   That was in March and April. My van died somewhere in there.
   Then came May. Right before school let out. I went to see Laura Beth West, FNP. I had what I thought was just a swollen lymph node in my neck. I was half right, it WAS a swollen lymph node, but she thought it needed more checking out. As in CT scan the next day, travel to Memphis for a needle biopsy, get a PET scan, have lingual tonsillectomy, have a lump cut out of your neck, have radiation and chemotherapy then wait 3 months for another PET Scan. 
   Whew. It all seems pretty simple written like that. And it was pretty simple. It took a lot of prayer. A lot of faith. And a LOT of support.
   In no particular order: Yvette for sticking by me all the time and putting up with me. Hannah, Caleb, Micaela, Zeke, Zara, Gabe, Jeremiah and Brayden. Albert and Harold. Allison and Pastor Jamie for being there for my CT scan. Elicia for going with us to Memphis for the biopsy and taking me to KFC afterwards for some thick broth (KFC gravy). Regina for showing up at the hospital to stay with Yvette and Hannah while I had the lump cut out. (whew, let me stretch my fingers).
   Mike and Ann, Mike and Gail, Mr Robert and Mrs Claudine, Lila, Linda, Meredith, Beth, Tara, Janet, Uncle Charles and Aunt Carolyn, Ellen, Deana, Harold (different one), Richie and Valerie, John and Susan, John(different one), Robert, Mickey and Robbie, Mr Wilbur, Aunt Farra, NES teachers, Superman and everyone else who prayed for us, brought us food, or in other ways supported us.
   And the last one. The most important one  thank you God for bringing me through this ordeal and this year. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus. 
   2018. It was rough, but we survived. It made me feel very loved.
   I hope 2019 brings me a better year and I hope everyone who reads this has their best year ever.
   Now those Dang Allergies seem to be kicking in again.

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Merry Christmas to you

   I got a sewing machine for Christmas. I asked for 3 things. Sewing Machine, a quilt pattern template (More on that in the future) and a Clear PET Scan. I got them. Thank You, God!
   I had been doing some quilting by hand. I finished a quilt my mother had been working on before she got sick. Then I had gotten some material at Walmart that was nice, but I was working on dressing it up a little. Not much because my sewing skills aren't the best. But they're getting better....Maybe....
   But having the sewing machine 
Made me want to do it faster.  So I figured I could try out the stitches and see what kind of damage I could do.

Left side hand decorated

Material got bunched up

20" of machine stitching to pull out

How you pull out stitches.

It gave me something to do while I drank eggnog. Little known fact, more eggnog leads to more stitching to pull out.

   The stitching tryouts were different stitches straight stitches, zigzag stitches, twirls and loops and random pattern.

It monograms, too. It says Baby Quilt.

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Those Dang Allergies (part 2)

   So as we're walking to the van leaving the Kirkland Cancer Center I looked at Yvette and said, "If I had that gift card that was given to us for Christmas, I'd take you out to eat at Outback Steakhouse to celebrate."
   She said, "you can take me next time."
   Them dang allergies sort of kicked in again as I told her I didn't plan to go to Jackson but 3 times in the next 3 months. Once to get my port out, once for a CT scan and once to get the results for my CT scan.
   We get in the van and she is looking in her wallet and says "I have a gift card for Olive Garden."
   I asked "You've still got that card? How long have you had that? Is there any balance left on it? Is there an Olive Garden here?"
   The answers to my questions were Yes, 
Since she retired from VISD, and she was checking on it.
   I said I'll see if there is an Olive Garden here. There was. And there was the entire balance of the card still on the card.
   Her objection that I don't like Olive Garden led me to say, "no, but you like it, and that's what's important." Dang if HER allergies didn't look like they were bothering her again.
   We get to Olive Garden and she tells the waitress we're celebrating a clear PET scan saying I was cancer free.
   When the waitress brings our food she tells us to save some room, they're going to give us a free dessert to celebrate with us. I told her thanks and Yvette evidently had another onset of those dang allergies because her eyes started glistening again. Mine barely glistened at all. 
   Then the manager came by the table and said "I heard y'all were celebrating. We're going to cover your entire meal AND dessert"
   She stood there and talked to us for a free minutes and ALL 3 of us were evidently suffering from the same allergies after Yvette was telling her about our kids cause now the managers eyes were glistening so much they ran down her cheeks. 
   We finally leave and come home and when we arrive the kids are excited cause they've either gotten a text or read my blog from yesterday so they know I had a clear PET Scan.
   We go to our bedroom  and Yvette tells me she had a present she had made for me that she meant to take with us. It's in a bag on the dresser. She told me not to look in it and I hadn't. I opened it up and when I saw what was inside I went and hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 
   So then she tells me my allergies running down my cheeks.  I said yeah, maybe I need to go see Laura Beth, maybe she could prescribe something for these Dang Allergies.
   Here's what she got me. She ordered it sometime before Christmas and was going to give it to me after we got the results. 

   I'm gonna close out like I have been:

Thanks for Reading!

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Thank You for Your Support!

Writing this has seemed to trigger those Dang Allergies again.

   

Those Dang Allergies part 1

   December 27, 2018. Kinda stressful day. Going to get the results of the test I had been waiting for almost 7 months. Plus, my phone had reminded me it was my parents anniversary so it made me miss them.
   Let me be honest with you, I was kinda nervous about getting my results after the voicemail I had gotten the previous afternoon. The thought had gone through my mind that they wanted to wait until Friday because they weren't going to have the results. But I know that they had my results from my previous PET Scan written up within 3 hours. That left me with the niggling thought that they wanted to delay giving me my results because the scan showed that they hadn't gotten it and they needed to set up a treatment plan. 

   I didn't tell Yvette that, hoping it as was just Satan talking to me.
   Strange feeling that, hoping that Satan is talking to you. 
 But first, we have to leave home. Hannah and Micaela were up because they were going to leave to go home. They both gave me hugs and gave me good wishes. 
   Yvette went with me to to Jackson for my doctor appointments and my port flush. We get to see the first doctor at 8:30. He asked how I was doing and I expressed I was a little frustrated and told him about the voicemail from the afternoon before. He said, "Let me settle that for you, I can give you the results, the PET Scan came back clear, that's good, we still want to check you to make sure nothing comes back. But I need to take a look and make sure that what the scan shows matches up with what we are seeing. Hey, Cancer, here's your ribbon: go away, don't come back

 I looked over at Yvette and her eyes seemed to be glistening. Probably allergies bothering her. But I know what is fixing to come. I've had this before. The last time the nurse

 told me to 'just relax and it will make it a lot easier.' Hmmm...I asked her, she's never had this done to her. But when he looked down at my throat by sticking the scope up my nose, that looked good. 

   They schedule me for a CT scan in 3 months and release me to go see the other doctor. Whew.

   We go upstairs  to the second floor and after they finally get my port flushed so I'm good for a month. And they release me to the 3rd for to see the doctor. They weigh me and take my blood pressure. I've lost a pound. In less than an hour. At this rate, I'll waste away to nothing in 9 days. But they're not worried, so I guess I shouldn't either.

   I get it in a room to wait for the doctor. The nurse said 'he's got one patient in front of you.' So I get on the exam table to wait. And wait. And wait. There's another exam table in the room that's more like bed height. Yvette lays down on it, and goes to sleep. I sit there, wrote the blog I posted gateway, play candy crush until I run out of lives and finally decide to go to the bathroom. Just as I open the door, the doctor is starting to knock so almost had one of those 'get hit in the face but the person on the other side of the door moments'.

  He asked if I was going to the bathroom and I replied that I was. 

He said, "oh I'll be back in a few minutes, you go ahead."

  I told him "no, you go in there, I'll hold it. I don't feel like waiting another (look at my watch) 45 minutes."

  He came in, told me the PET Scan came back clear but they wanted to schedule me for a CT scan in 3 or 4 months. Yvette said that the other doctor had scheduled one for 3 months from now.

   So he asked about taking my port out, and I said that'd sounded good to me. He said we'll call when we get that scheduled and let us get up scheduled for a visit the day after your CT scan. And the nurse will be in here in a second to take the needle out where they had accessed my port to flush it.

   He left, I went to the bathroom and as I walked back to the exam room it REALLY hit me, I'm cancer free. They wouldn't offer to take the port out of that they thoought I was just going to need it again in 3 months. 

   Now those dang allergies are messing with ME. The nurse comes in takes out the needle and says I can go schedule my appointment. Got that appointment scheduled and we start to leave.

 (To be continued)

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And The Survey Said----

  The PET Scan that I had yesterday, the day after Christmas.
   We got the results today.
  I wasn't sure if we were going to find out or not. The nurse from the Oncologist's office called at 4:05 or so. And left a voice mail wanting to change my appointment from 9:30 Thursday to 9:30 Friday.
   And said they wanted me to call back and just leave a message to let them know if it was convenient for me.
   NO. I was scheduled to see my Radiologist at 8:30. Because they made that appointment based on what the Oncologist had scheduled. I was scheduled to have my port flushed. Based on my appointment with the Oncologist.
   I tried to call them back when I got the voice mail at 4:40. There was no answer at the Doctors office. There was no answer at the Kirkland Cancer Center. I tried talking to the doctor on call and he tried to call the Doctors office. He couldn't reach anybody.
   So NO it wasn't convenient to reschedule. I've been waiting 3 months to get this done. It's kinda a BIG Deal. 
   Now I'm sitting here waiting to see the Doctor that tried to reschedule. But it's kind of anticlimactic. Dr. Georgiou already told me:

  PET SCAN CAME BACK 

CLEAR!

🍾 🎊 🎂

   Edited to add what I thought I had finished with:

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An - ti - ci - pa - tion Or Antici ----- pation

   It all depends on whether you're thinking of the ketchup commercial or the Rocky Horror Picture Show pronunciation
   Christmas Eve. Anticipation Day. That day that lasts forever when you're a kid. Tomorrow is Christmas. In 2 days I get my PET scan. In 3 days I get results from my PET scan.
   If you see me and I don't seem in the holiday spirit, it might be because I've got that on my mind.
   On the other hand, I've got whiskers on my chin. And I hope that's all that's growing after the chemo and radiation. My weight has been holding steady. It still burns my tongue when I eat something spicy. But it's the Christmas Season, so I can't pass something up just because it might burn me. 

   I finished the baby quilt my Mom had been working on when she got sick. It took me a while to decide to do it. Even longer to get the work done. My quilting skills ain't the greatest. But I've started another baby quilt. It's partially pieced together and partially decorative stitched. It's not going to be pretty, but it's a start. An experiment you might say.
   Either way, if you have a second, could you pray that my PET scan comes back cancer free and I can resume a somewhat normal life. That would be a great Christmas Present. Of course, the Greatest Christmas Present 🎁 was Jesus Christ. 
   That's the guy Christmas is named after. He told us to love one another. He was passing along a message from his Father.

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🎄Merry Christmas From Me and Mine to You and Yourn, Merry Christmas .🎅 

 ✞  Jesus is the Reason for the Season! ✞

Wait. What does that mean?

   "Keep Christ in Christmas."
   You probably hear it from someone. And it sounds good. If you are a Christian, you may have even made the comment yourself. But why limit Him?
   If we're Christians, Christ is always in our lives. Hopefully always in our thoughts and actions, too. Otherwise we're not being really good at that whole Christlike thing.
   Jesus said we were supposed to love our neighbors. He even explained who our neighbor is. Sometimes, though, it's hard to love them. I'll give you an example:
   We used to rent/work a small farm near us. We had cows in a pasture there. One nice cold December day the weekend before Christmas I
When I was probably 12 or 13 Daddy sends me to put hay out for the cows. That Ford tractor with a weather break wasn't too bad, but it wasn't as comfortable as one with a cab would have been.

Or staying in the house reading a book (which is where I would have prefered to be). But I put on enough layers of clothes to stay warm. I put out hay for the cows at home. Then I go put out a couple off bales at the old house. One more to go. I pick up a bale and head there, annnnnnd as I get close I can see the cows aren't in the pasture. They're in the field where we had had soybeans.😕 I drive out in the field and get their attention and they follow the tractor with the hay bale into the pasture. But now I've got to find where the cows got out. They hadn't gone out through the gate we just came through, cause I had to open it. I can see the other gate that's close by and it's closed. But now I need to find where the cows got out.

   So I get off of the tractor and start walking around the field checking the fence. I was dressed for riding on the tractor with the weatherbreak. NOT walking around trying to find out where the idiot cows had gotten out. 😒  I've walked about ½ of the fence and I get to the gate at the back. Nope, it's still closed. I'm getting cold now, those rubber overshoes

I'm wearing aren't real good for walking, the wind is picking up; Christmas spirit is waning away from. I keep walking and ¾ of the way around  I can see where there is a cedar tree laying in the pasture. There hasn't been a storm to blow a tree over. 🤔 I get to the tree and I was right. That wasn't blown down by a storm. It was cut down with an ax. 🙁 and THEN, they cut the top out of it. They cut down a 20' tall tree so they could cut 5 or 6 foot off the top.

They used a bow saw for that. I know because they left it laying by the tree. I walk a little further and found the other gate into the field. It was a wire gate

that we never used. They had opened it, drove into the field, stole a 🎄 and drove out leaving the gate laying on the ground in the field. 😡 I closed the gate back, walked to the tractor carrying the bowsaw, and practicing my cussing. 
   I didn't have any Christmas spirit in me at that moment. I probably didn't have any Christ in me either. But I recovered enough for when we went Christmas Caroling the next night. 
   I got home and told Daddy the whole story. He said they probably needed it more than we did. I said something about they could have closed the gate. He told me that only reason there was a gate there was because somebody had cut the wire to go in and cut a tree for Christmas a few years before. He had made the "gate" in rain and sleet and was going to fix it right when the weather was better. 
Anyway
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