RIP Daisy dog

One of the most loveable dogs in the world went to heaven yesterday. Daisy Jones Campbell, an 18-pound buff cocker Megan rescued from the pound 11 years ago, was found in their family room when the family got back from a photo session for Jenna's 2nd birthday. The kids needed a nap so Megan just told them to wave goodbye to Daisy and they went to their naps. Megan and Alex buried her in the back yard while the kids slept. Tyler still thinks that Grampy is going to heal Daisy's leg (she had screamed in pain Tuesday night and had been limping but the vet couldn't find any broken bones so suggested pain pills to see if if was just a pulled muscle). Tyler asked if Grampy would fix her and send her back. Megan had to explain that Daisy wasn't coming back. Megan and I lost our two buff cockers within two months of each other. Daisy had not had good treatment prior to landing in the pound. When Megan got her, her hair was matted 1/2 inch thick necessitating a buzz cut so she could feel her skin when she rolled on the rug. She had seizures throughout her life so you just held her and helped her orientate once they were over. But she loved and was loved by all who knew her. She will be missed.

Am hanging on

Results from 4/21/11 CT scan "Impression: Two stable lesions in the right hemidiaphram and stable lesion in the left hemipelvis." So things remain stable. Avastin treatments continue every three weeks. So far so good. Lastest CA125 on 5/12/11 went down 15.8 pts to 113.0. As long as it continues to zig zag and doesn't trend upward, Dr. considers it stable. So am hanging in there. Went thru a rough gastro period where I was having gas so badly at night I was having sleep deprivation. I did get a lot of library books read, however. I'm hoping it has calmed down as I slept thru the night recently. It's heaven.

Happy Mother's Day

This past weekend Dylan babysat with Tyler and Jenna Friday night while Megan and Alex attended a play in Towson. Jenna adores her "uncadin" as she pronounces his name. Saturday night I babysat while they went to a 3-band venue in Balto with two other couples. I spent the night and Dylan brought newly groomed Ditto over on Sunday. Megan and Alex prepared a waffle bar brunch. While the kids napped, Alex got topsoil and mulch and then he and Dylan spread it around out front of their house, preparing for Jenna's birthday party next Sunday. After Dylan had to leave for work, I watched the kids while Megan and Alex trimmed shrubs and broken tree limbs at the back. Got a lot accomplished. Dylan had gotten some huge ceramic planters for our deck and we went out Saturday to pick up plants and herbs that he set out in pots around the new deck. It looks great, especially with the new white painted adirondack chairs, stools and table Dylan placed on the front overlooking the bike path across the street. Megan framed this photo Alex had taken for me.

New port stubborn

On May 2 went to Weinberg's Outpatient Clinic to have the new port accessed and blood drawn. While still someone sore, nurses got both medial and lateral areas accessed. But no blood. Laid down, stood up, coughed, turned head, just about all but standing on my head. Nothing worked. So they shot both full of TPA (kinda rotor rooter fluid to clear the pipes). After 20 minutes, both lines gave blood. Yeah. So I don't have to write my surgeon a nasty note. I had told him to insert a GPS disk so when I'm old an senile Megan can find me. He said they didn't have them yet for people, just dogs/cats. Bummer.

Drugs and prone in bed good

My friend Ellen took me to Mercy's new Bunting Center surgery floor for my port replacement surgery 4/25/11. Great facilities and wonderfully helpful nurses/staff. Right port had gotten infected so it was removed and new one put in on the left side. You're given a coded name so Ellen could to see exactly where I was on a color-coded monitor in the waiting room. When she went to grab something to eat on another floor, she was given a beeper. Also had the key to a locker in which she had stored all my clothes, etc. Went home with a prescription for oxocodone. While it was being filled, we grabbed an early light dinner (my first food of the day) and then went back to pick up the pills. My cleaning lady had been home that day so I slipped into clean sheets, fluffy pillows and oxycodone. Ellen easily convinced me not to go to work the next day. Ended up staying home Wednesday too. Felt better except for my right knee pained me. Don't know why because I'd been off of it for 3 days. But without the oxy, I was able to take ibuprofen which helped the knee. Not fair that you get one part fixed and another part deteriorates.