So here's the short of it, 
We live in such a changing world - and I am a beneficiary of some of those changes. 

And here's the long

Today I had a mid-day meeting at our central office; it ran a bit later than I expected.  By the time I was leaving Here and Now was playing on our local NPR station.  They were doing a story about the 10 most promising technologies and one of the stories was about Dual Action Anti-Bodies.  They specifically talked about Herceptin and the very promising research that's being done by Genentech in southern California.  I feel very lucky to be living at this time. 



Altogether they reviewed 10 Emerging Technologies for 2010.  The others were pretty fascinating as well - for me especially the one about building medical implants out of spider web like material. Knowing that we are building a world that some of us will hardly recognize from the world of our childhood made me think about my Grandmother VanSant who rode one of the last stage coaches that ran in Kentucky and watched one of the early space flights on TV in our house.  Her son was working on that space mission!  I can hardly imagine what the world will be like by the time I am in my 80's!

Happy Birthday Sophie

So here's the short of it,
    Happy Birthday Sophie!

    I Can't Count!

And here's the long

 Today is Sophie's Birthday

Liga found the place Sophie has been getting out of the yard.  We left for lunch and then the doctor about 11:15, and when she got home about noon, Sophie was out.  She's been able to push the upper fence gate open from the inside, but then couldn't or wouldn't come back in that way.  So she just would come sit on the front porch and cry!  Liga fixed it up until we can get some time over the weekend to take a look at it.  

I can't count!  Today was Herceptin number 46.  I have to have 52 in all.  So I have 6 left.  WOW!

I had a good doctor visit today.  Dr. Schlabach is prescribing some physical therapy for my legs.  He thinks the muscle weakness in my quads could be from the Taxotere way back in chemotherapy, or from Herceptin, or from the Arimidex. He does think the muscle cramps are most likely caused by my Arimidex.   He's having me add Vitamin D and calcium supplements to my regimen to see if they help alleviate that difficulty.  

Dr. Schlabach shared some of the results of the 10 year studies of Herceptin that are beginning to come in.  91 - 92% of women using Herceptin have a 10 year survival rate.  The disease free survival rate at 10 years is in the 80 % (I think he said 83%).  So those are pretty great statistics.  

I also had full blown blood work today.  I'm no longer anemic, and I can really tell that, and all my other counts are looking good as well.  My PT rate is good, so I'm steady eddy on my coumadin dose for right now.  I'm eager to get off of that stuff!  I wonder if they will do another scan of the area that was occluded before they let me come off of it.  

I've been very tired today.  I'm not sure what that's all about, but I'm going to head to bed really soon now.  

So here's the short of it,
Sophie is getting out of the yard!

And here's the long

Well, Sophie has figured out how to get out of the back yard!  Yesterday she was out and I imagined that I had left the back gate open.  But this morning apparently she got out while I was at work, and then this evening Alan and I went out for awhile and both explicitly remember that we told her to stay home and watch the house and we'd be back soon. When we arrived home a couple of hours later, she was not in the back yard, and not in the house.  I heard her whining at the front door, and when I opened it, she was standing there with a very pitiful look on her face!  We haven't figured out where or how she's escaping.  We'll have to watch like hawks!  I'll never forget how we plugged up every hole we could find to keep Hank in and then discovered that he was running all the way across the tennis court and getting a jump off the picnic table to clear the fence!  It was pretty amazing the first time we saw it.  We'll get her figured out.

Work was good for me today.  I finished up a big project I've been working on and have gotten started on another one.  I got to the office and didn't even leave the 3rd floor all day long.  I took my lunch in and just kept right at it.  I'm only working a 1/2 day tomorrow since I see Dr. Schlabach in the afternoon.  I'm writing down all the questions I have for him and am hoping that I don't forget something. 

So here's the short of it, 
Much flooding and devasation in West and Central Tennessee.  Record breaking rainfall.  

And here's the long.

Today I felt a bit stronger.   I don't go barefoot much these days, because of my feet - even in the house.  But I'm barefoot in the bathroom frequently because of showering.  Tonight when I walked across the tile floor, I could actually feel the tiles a little.  I'm still nowhere near normal, but I'm so delighted that I can tell I'm making progress.

We seem to have escaped the rains that wreaked havoc in Memphis and Nashville.   Some of our Nashville cousins have posted pictures that show just how awful the situation is there.  I heard that there was flooding in the lobby of Opryland Hotel.  After having been there just last week, I'm having such a hard time imagining all that space under water, and I can't imagine the economic impact of losing the guests and conventions who are booked for that venue.  I also heard a news story that a professor at Tennessee State who went to try and save some goats was surrounded by water and had to climb a haystack.  Apparently the President of the college took a flat bottomed boat and rescued him just in the nick of time.  There was no word about what may have happened to the goats. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the folks who have suffered so much damage and loss. 

Tomorrow I have a big project I want to get finished up.  I am going to be in the office for most of the day and just get focused and finish it up.

So here's the short of it,

And here's the long

The rains that have devastated so much of West and Middle Tennessee have arrived in Chattanooga.  It seems that we are to expect flooding in the low places that are usually prone to high water.  Mom is settled in with a flashlight and our phone numbers in her cell.  She shouldn't have any problems unless another dumpster gets stuck at the bridge.

This morning when I got up, I went out and planted those tomato plants we got the other week at the Crabtree Farm sale.  I'm especially eager to see two of the heirloom varieties - the Cherokee Purple and the Green Zebra.  I wonder how I'll know when the green zebra is ripe!


It felt pretty good to be out digging in the garden today!

Steve and Pat stopped at Mom's this afternoon.  They had been headed for the Kentucky Derby - courtesy of their children, but the awful weather convinced them to do a detour instead.  They ended up spending the night at Cumberland Falls.  So they got here mid-afternoon.  Joyce made a quick stop as well on her way home from a visit with David.  It was nice to get a visit in.  Mom made a nice dinner - chicken and dumplings and all the fixin's - Liga and Valdis were able to join us.

So here's the short of it, 
Cramps are still bothering me.

And here's the long

Last night I had lots of cramping throughout the night.  It was in my toes, my feet, my calves, and my thighs.  It seemed like every hour or so I woke up with a cramp.  They weren't the really hard long ones like I sometimes have, and I didn't wake up screaming, but they were pretty intense and kept me from getting a very good night's sleep.

I slept in a bit this morning, but I had a massage with Kelly at 9:50, so I was up and at 'em.  I had a really good massage - it's been really one of the best things I've ever done for myself.  I've been feeling so much better since I've been going.

This evening we had the pleasure of being with some really good friends to celebrate birthdays.  What a lovely evening!  the dinner was great and the company was wonderful.  I'm glad that I'm feeling well enough to be with friends for special occasions. 

Joining Hands

So here's the short of it, 
Tonight at temple there was a prayer that really touched me. 

And here's the long

Standing on the parted shores of history
We still believe what we were taught
Before ever we stood at Sinai's foot;

That wherever we go, it is eternally Egypt
That there is a better place, a promised land;
That the winding way to that promise
Passes through the wilderness.

That there is no way to get from here to there
Except by joining hands, marching together.

 ---------

Thank you for joining hands with me during this time I've spent in the wilderness.