Today is the last day of the Giving Thanks Challenge and I'm playing catch up again. Reid had doctor appointments that took up a big portion of both days and with Keith here I just didn't have time last night to post.
I'm thankful that yesterday Reid's appointment with the cardiologist went well. His cholesterol was down to 150, but the doctor put him on Lipitor because he wants it down to 100. This is because there might be problems later on with the coronary arteries from the radiation and he doesn't need any additional complications caused by high cholesterol.
Today I'm thankful that Reid saw the Oncologist and Plan B is finally getting underway. This is the prelude to the stem cell transplant. The plan is to admit him to the hospital on Thursday if there's a bed available. If not, it will probably be the next day. He'll be hospitalized for three days and then home for two weeks, back for three days, etc. This chemotherapy is given as a slow drip, so it can't be done on an outpatient basis.
I'm also thankful that the Social Security hearing went well today and he's been approved for disability income.
This is the last day of this year's Giving Thanks Challenge. Thank you Leah at South Breeze Farm for sponsoring this meaningful event.
This evening I'm thankful that we were all able to watch The Amazing Race together. Everyone was here except Troy, but I know he watches it too. It's a family favorite.
I'm thankful that we're so busy having a good time that I don't get online to post as regularly as I normally do. This one is late again, but no less thankful.
I'm going to combine a couple of days again in the Giving Thanks Challenge. Yesterday was a busy day and I didn't get a post written.
On Thanksgiving Day I was thankful that our family could all be together once again.
I know they look a little hot, tired and bored, but there's a good explanation. (And please don't look at all the junk piled on the coffee table. It's actually sometimes worse.)
As I posted previously our A/C went out again. It was warm and humid and with the oven going it was over 80 in the house. I had planned dinner for around 4:00 and thought the turkey would have to cook for 3 1/2 hours. Well, I was wrong. I guess I read the directions for an unstuffed turkey by mistake and our turkey took a lot longer. I was using two thermometers and it was like waiting for a pot of water to boil. They just weren't going up.
I had planned to serve dinner buffet style so we could take our plates outside on the deck. The idea was to get out of the hot house, but by the time the turkey was done it was dark outside and starting to sprinkle. So, we quickly set the kitchen table and ate there. (You'll notice in the above picture that it's dark outside.)
The turkey was very good. Nice and moist. Done to perfection if I must say so myself. The family assured me that it was worth the wait. Of course, I forgot to take a picture. No picture of the turkey and no picture of the family sitting around the table. (I was hot and tired and not thinking clearly.)
I did take a picture of the cranberry casserole and edited my previous post to include the picture with the recipe.
Troy made some pumpkin bread and it was very good. I remembered to snap a picture.
I also managed to take a picture of the apple pie. It had a praline topping. (Just in case a regular apple pie doesn't have enough calories.)
We also had fresh asparagus, potatoes, bread stuffing, and giblet gravy. No sweet potatoes this year and I forgot to put the Taffy Apple Salad out on the table, but no one missed it. Things weren't exactly perfect, but we had a good time anyway.
I've posted the recipe for the Taffy Apple Salad in the past. I believe others were having it this year too because I noticed people arrived on my blog after doing a google search for "Taffy Apple Salad" or "salad with apples and peanuts." (That's something you can check if you use Blogger In Draft.)
Within an hour or so of eating the temperature outside took a nose dive. Within a few minutes it probably dropped ten to fifteen degrees. I went around closing windows. I just wish the cold front could have moved in a little earlier.
Right now Keith is out in the kitchen making turkey soup which we'll have for dinner tonight. He doesn't head back to Austin until next Wednesday, so we'll have some extra time together. He brought Reid a couple of shirts and today he's wearing one. I hope I remember to take a picture.
Today I am thankful that it's cooled off and it's finally turkey soup weather!
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge click on the button on my sidebar.
Oh dear...I thought I was so smart writing this last weekend. It just happens to be a recipe, but I worked some "J" words into the text because that's what I thought we'd be doing today. Oh well...maybe I'll post this again next Thursday...kill two birds with one stone as the expression goes. Actually, I might not even have time next week because thankfully my son will probably be beginning chemo in preparation for a stem cell transplant. Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving
OK...here it goes. This is the post I had ready in advance.
JENNY is a "J" word and today we are studying the letter "J". What a coincidence.
Since we're celebrating Thanksgiving I thought I'd share a favorite recipe with you that is JUST delicious. I found it in the newspaper some years back and eating this is pure JOY. Cranberry Casserole will be a part of our Thanksgiving Dinner, but as I write this I haven't made it yet so there's no picture. We'll be eating it hot from the oven. If I remember to take a picture I'll come back and edit this post to include it.
Cranberry Casserole
3 cups unpeeled chopped apples
2 cups raw cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted margarine
Combine apples, cranberries and sugar in a 2 quart casserole. (I spray it with Pam.) In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, pecans*, and margarine. Top fruit mixture with oat mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for one hour or until bubbly and light brown. Do not overcook. Serve hot with turkey or ham or as a dessert with vanilla ice cream. Makes 8 servings
*I don't add the pecans to the oat mixture. Instead I sprinkle the pecans over the top for only the last 20 minutes or so. I've found they burn a little otherwise.
I love eating this stuff. It's JUST so good. JUST don't eat too much.
JUST have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!
Don't eat too much JUNK food.
Now head over to Ms JENNY'S blog for a list of this week's participants and for information on how you can join in the fun.
Friday, November 26, 2010: I'm editing this post to include the picture taken on Thanksgiving Day.
This one is so easy. I didn't have to take any time to think. It came to me in a flash...even with my almost 65 year old mind. Are you ready???
Today I am thankful that Reid will soon begin his stem cell transplant at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I am thankful that the latest biopsy still showed Hodgkin's Lymphoma and not anything else. I am thankful that he'll have the opportunity to make cancer history.
Reid had his appointment with the Oncologist this afternoon. His biopsy once again indicated Hodgkin's Lymphoma, so there were no surprises there. He seemed satisfied with that biopsy and hopes to begin Reid's chemo later on next week in preparation for the stem cell transplant. Reid sees the Oncologist again on Tuesday and then we will know more.
He will have to be admitted to the hospital for this chemo. It will take three days each time. I believe there will be a couple of weeks between each chemo treatment and he will have three treatments. I'm not sure I have that exactly right, but if not completely accurate it's probably close. I'm sure we'll learn more as we move along in the process.
We were told that the treatment is called ICE and there are three drugs. The doctor would like to add an additional drug that I understood him to say was a trial, but he's not 100% sure that will be possible. He will know by Tuesday.
Meanwhile Reid has his SSI hearing also on Tuesday. His lawyer feels pretty confident about his chances of being approved.
We will also be back down at MD Anderson on Monday for his follow up appointment with the Radiologist and Cardiologist. They are watching him for possible complications from the radiation he received. He was doing very well on the low cholesterol diet until the relapse and the chronic pain. He was not able to eat much while the pain was severe and lost twenty pounds. After that we were more interested in just getting him to eat something and the diet wasn't as strictly followed. He's doing better with it now, but with Thanksgiving I'm not sure how high the numbers will go. They're concerned about his coronary arteries because complications from the radiation can show up later, so he needs to watch his cholesterol so that doesn't cause any additional problems.
I've been doing a lot of worrying while waiting for the biopsy results. Yesterday I mentioned to Reid about today's appointment. He replied, "Oh yea, I forgot about that appointment." I joke that if I didn't do all the worrying in this family it would never get done. :)
Today I'm participating in Tuesday Show and Tail over at West Virginia Treasures. For information and a list of participants head over to Angela's blog.
The feral kittens are now over 7 months old and all of them have been fixed along with their mother. I started going outside and sitting on the back step with some cat treats. At first they wouldn't come near me, but I started to toss cat treats towards them and eventually they started eating them and coming closer.
Atticus and Scout loved the cat treats, but Jem would just sniff them and walk away. Eventually all three of them came right up to me, but Jen just out of curiosity. I've held treats out towards Jem and let him sniff them, but he's just not interested. The other two gulp them down as if they were starving. I wish I could find something that would attract Jem because most of the time he keeps his distance.
I can now pet Atticus and Scout and I've even picked them up for very short periods at a time. I've managed to pet Jem a couple of times, but when he turned around and realized it was me he quickly walked away. I hope with patience I can make some more progress with him too.
Reid used his cell phone to take this short video. The sound isn't always clear, but I commented on how fat around the middle Scout was getting and he joked about her being pregnant. She's not. Like her mother and brothers she was fixed. They all have their left ears clipped which is done with feral cats to indicate they were spayed or neutered. Jem kept his distance while the video was made, so you won't see him. Atticus is the red tabby and Scout is the black and white one.
Is it just me? What's happening to Thanksgiving Day? I guess it was inevitable now that the brick and mortar stores find themselves competing with the online stores that are able to conduct business 24/7.
Toys R Us and Sears are going to be opened on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. Granted it won't be all day, but I still think it's a shame. I read that The Gap will have 90% of their stores opened this year and K-Mart, Target, Big Lots, etc., have already opened on Thanksgiving Day in prior years. I'm afraid this thing is going to keep escalating and soon Thanksgiving Day will be called Black Thursday and become another huge shopping day instead of a family day. Norman Rockwell must be rolling over in his grave.
Remember when stores would open at 6:00 or 7:00 AM the day after Thanksgiving? Now it's 3:00 AM! How can their employees enjoy Thanksgiving Day when they have to go to bed at 8:00 in order to get up for work the next day?
As many people as possible should have the opportunity to share this holiday with friends and family. I realize certain professions have always had to work on Thanksgiving Day. I'm thinking of policemen, firemen, ER doctors and nurses, soldiers, etc. Now many non-essential people are being called into work.
Let's take time to sit down and enjoy our turkey with those closest to us. We can always shop another day.
If anyone else uses Blogger In Draft could you let me know if you're having trouble uploading more than one photo into a post. I never had trouble until a few weeks ago. Now I can only upload one picture from my hard drive and then I have to leave the posting screen and come back in order to add a second picture. This has to be done for each picture in the post and it's time consuming.
I also just tried to add a You Tube video and had trouble. The screen with the thumbnail froze and I couldn't get the video added to the post. I guess I'll have to go back and do it by adding the html to the Edit html screen.
Anyone else having these problems? I was really enjoying Blogger In Draft until these problems cropped up.
Today I'm thankful for our A/C. It's really a necessity here for a good part of the year. As I type it's humming in the background and it isn't really all that warm right now. However, they say we'll have temperatures back in the 80's sometime this week. A/C is just as important to us as heat is to International Falls, MN. Yes, I'm thankful for our comfort which we tend to take for granted sometimes.
Today I'm thankful for the rebirth I saw on Galveston Island. We took a ride down there today and drove along the Seawall and then headed over to The Strand. I remember on one of our first trips down there after Hurricane Ike I thought the island would never be able to recover. I was wrong. It's coming back strong. They're not there yet, but they've come a long, long way.
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge click on the button on my sidebar.
Today I'm thankful that while driving along in a different part of Houston we spotted a Dunkin Donuts. They are few and far between here and we hadn't had any of their donuts in many, many years. We zipped right in and bought a dozen. (They were $6.99 a dozen and when we last had them I think they were $3.99 a dozen.) Sounds like a simple little thing, but we were thrilled and for that I'm thankful.
Reid had the biopsy yesterday, but it was not what was originally planned. The Oncologist told us that if Interventional Radiation thought it was safe he would have a biopsy taken from the mediastinum. If that wasn't possible at this time they would wait two months and rescan Reid to see if it was possible then. He indicated that there was something a little suspicious in the mediastinum and they needed to have a biopsy from there before proceeding.
We were told to watch Reid's My MD Anderson page where appointments are posted. If the biopsy appointment appeared then we would know that they felt it could be done at this time. So, we showed up yesterday fully expecting the biopsy be taken from the mediastinum.
Jim went back with Reid for the pre-op stuff and when he came out to wait he told me that they had been told it would be taken from the back. That's what was done and we didn't see any doctors afterwards, so we'll have to wait until his appointment on Tuesday to find out what is going on. Reid later told me that the Physician's Assistant indicated that it wouldn't be safe to take it from the mediastinum because of veins and blood vessels. There was too much of a chance of hitting one. This time the biopsy was a CT scan guided one.
Meanwhile, we'll have to go down to MD Anderson today for more pain medication prescriptions and to have Reid's chemo port flushed. It was to be flushed once a month and it's time again.
On Tuesday we'll know more and I'll try and post at that time. Your warm thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
I'm playing catch up this morning, but I'm no less thankful the last couple of days. I just didn't have time to get over here and post. I'll try and do better this evening and post day 17 then.
I'm very thankful for food. We never go to bed hungry like many do in this country and other parts of the world.
I'm also thankful for the water we drink. In many parts of the world they do not have clean, safe drinking water.
I'm thankful that Hurricane Season will officially end on November 30th and that there have been no hurricanes along the Gulf Coast of the United States this year. The weather has cooled off and I believe we can all breath a sigh of relief now.
On Thursday, November 18th Reid will have another biopsy done at MD Anderson. This one will be taken from the mediastinum. Then on Tuesday, November 23rd he'll see the Oncologist again. Your warm thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
Today I'm thankful for the deep blue sky and white fluffy clouds that I saw this morning while driving to the next town. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the sky.
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge click on the button on my sidebar.
Today on Veterans Day 2010 I am grateful to all of our past and present military men and women.
I am especially thankful for all the Vietnam veterans who bravely served during that difficult time in our Nation's history. Because of an unpopular war, we failed at that time to welcome you home as the heroes you were. For that I am very sorry. Welcome home.
This week I couldn't think of anything, so in desperation I googled "H Songs" and pulled up the song House Of The Rising Sun by the Animals. This song brought back a lot of memories for me.
I graduated from high school in 1964 and this song came out the same year. I can vividly remember my friends and I sitting around and speculating that this song was possibly about a brothel and not a gambling casino. At the time we thought we had discovered something naughty that only we knew about. We would listen to the words over and over again and try to read between the lines. What had we stumbled across?
You have to remember that we grew up in a different time. Lucy and Ricky slept in twin beds and obviously the stork brought Little Ricky. There was no cable TV. We didn't even need a movie rating system because our parents told us what we could and couldn't see. For the most part our music was pretty innocent.
Now we were listening to this scandalous song.
Here are the lyrics. Can you find anything scandalous?
There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one
My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans
Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he's satisfied
Is when he's on a drunk
Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun
Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain
Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one
Only when doing research on The House Of The Rising Sun did I discover that the song was originally about a brothel, but the Animals changed the words so it would be acceptable to radio stations. There must have been rumors circulating at the time and that's where we picked up on the brothel idea.
Times sure have changed. Radio stations play just about everything today.
I grew up during innocent times. Speculating about this song was probably the biggest scandal I came across during my formative years.
Now sing along...
Head over to Jenny's blog for more information on Alphabe-Thursday and a list of this week's participants.
Today I'm thankful for all this crazy technology that allows me to sit here at my desk and connect with people all over the United States...and the world!
Who would have thought? It's all pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.
I can google a question and have an answer back in seconds. I can find thousands of recipes in an instant. I can visit places virtually that I'll probably never be able to visit in person. I can connect with people that share the same interests I do. The list goes on and on.
Yes, today I'm thankful for the technology that has opened up the world to me.
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge head over to Leah's blog by clicking on the Giving Thanks Challenge on my sidebar.
I'm almost 65 years old, so I'm old enough to remember polio. Yesterday I did a post about being thankful for the invention of the X-ray and that got me to thinking once again about one of the biggest medical breakthroughs in my life. I'm talking about the polio vaccine that was discovered by Jonas Salk back in mid 1950's.
Today, I'm thankful for the Salk vaccine (and the later Sabin oral vaccine) which has almost completely eradicated this horrible disease. Sadly, there are still a few places in the world where polio exists, but for the most part it's been eliminated.
Growing up in the 1950's I still remember when some of the O'Brien kids up the street came down with polio. It was a scary time.
I was a Polio Pioneer in 1954 and had one of these buttons shown in the picture below. I still remember how they lined us up alphabetically at school and we went in for the shot. I wasn't too crazy about getting the shot and was so envious of Peter Zenkel. :)
Now polio is something we hardly even think about.
Yes, I am very thankful for the polio vaccine.
For more information on the Giving Thanks Challenge click on the button on my sidebar.
Ooops....didn't get to post yesterday, so I'm combining day 7 and 8 for the Giving Thanks Challenge sponsored by Leah over at South Breeze Farm. Please click on the Giving Thanks Challenge button on my sidebar for more information.
Day 7: I'm thankful for another beautiful day. I don't ever want to take these days for granted. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cool...just perfect!
Day 8: I noticed on Google this morning that it's the 115 birthday of the X-ray. Isn't that amazing? It's technology that is still used today and will probably never be outdated. My son has had many CT scans, PET scans, etc., but the first thing they always do is take an X-ray. It's still the first thing they go to when attempting to make a diagnosis. So, today I am grateful for the 115 year old X-ray that has evolved over the years and probably saved many, many lives.
Today I'm giving thanks for Ashley who keeps Reid company. I've written about Ashley before, but he is so loyal and waits outside Reid's door for a chance to sneak in and make himself comfortable. He thinks the recliner belongs to him!
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge head over to Leah's blog by clicking on the Giving Thanks Challenge button on my sidebar.
Reid had his appointment with the Oncologist yesterday and we learned that the biopsy was inconclusive and he'll need another one taken from the mediastinum. The one last Friday was taken from behind his left clavicle. If the Interventional Radiologist feels it's safe to do he'll have the one from the mediastinum done soon. If not, we'll have to wait two months until he's scanned again to see if it can be done then. The Oncologist doesn't want to do a stem cell transplant without a biopsy first. He also expressed some concern that the mediastinum looked a little suspicious and we're not exactly sure what that means. He said everything is very slow growing which is common after a relapse, so it doesn't seem like there's a big rush. Still, the waiting drives me crazy. Reid is calm and realistic about the whole thing. He says, "It is what it is." I'm thankful for his attitude too.
Today I'm giving thanks for the nice lunch Jim, Reid and I had at Olive Garden after Reid's appointment at MD Anderson. In spite of everything he's been going through Reid rarely stops smiling and we all had a very nice time. For that I'm thankful.
For information on the Giving Thanks Challenge head over to Leah's blog by clicking on the Giving Thanks Challenge on the sidebar.
Today is day 4 of the Giving Thanks Challenge sponsored by Leah over at South Breeze Farm. Click on the button on my sidebar for more information.
Today I am thankful for the rain that we so desperately needed and the cooler temperatures that finally arrived. I love it! The A/C is finally turned off for a while and I actually had to wear a light weight jacket today. Yes, Fall has finally arrived along the Texas Gulf Coast.
I've been missing class lately, but thought I'd jump in here with a "G" post because I had intended to do a post election day rant about GARBAGE anyway. I was pleased to see that this week's letter fit right in with my GRIPE post.
For a list of this week's class members and information on how you can join in just head over to Ms. Jenny's blog, Jenny Matlock..."off on my tangent."
So what's my GRIPE? Take a look. My son took this picture for me with my cell phone yesterday outside our polling place. (That's me in the blue jacket.)
Actually, this is just a portion of the signs that were placed around the Senior Activities Center where we vote. This scene is repeated wherever there's a polling place...at churches, schools, city hall, etc. When I went inside to vote I jokingly told them that I always count signs and vote for the candidate with the most.
I know in NJ where I grew up there is no campaigning allowed within a certain distance of a polling place. I no longer remember how many feet, but it was probably at least a couple of blocks. There were never signs dotting the landscape around a polling place and there were never signs left behind when the polls closed.
Here it almost seems like a contest to see who has the most signs. They all put them up...Republicans, Democrats, Independents, etc.
Now here's my GRIPE. After the polls close why can't they take them down and throw them in the GARBAGE? Yes, a few take them down but I suspect that's because they want to reuse them in the future. Most are left behind. I drove past city hall this afternoon and probably 80% of the signs were still there. In past years I've seen city workers go around to each of the polling places and throw out the signs. Why should they have to do it? It was raining today so it was probably taking them longer.
I just feel that if people can put up the signs they can take them down.
Actually, I have two GRIPES. I don't like signs left behind. (I feel the same way about garage sale signs.) And I don't like "robo" calls, but I've already posted about that here.
I was also telling my son yesterday that I thought when I was growing up in NJ in the 1950's the bars and liquor stores didn't open until the polls closed. I'm not 100% sure about that one, but would imagine it would no longer be the case anyway. Out of curiosity has anyone else heard of that?
Thanks for letting me GRIPE.
Now head over to Ms Jenny's blog and visit as many of the other "kids" as possible.
Today I'm again participating in the Giving Thanks Challenge sponsored by Leah over at South Breeze Farm. For more information click on the Giving Thanks Challenge button on my sidebar.
I'm thankful for all the little creatures that bring us so much joy. (You have to be an animal lover to appreciate this one.)
Their antics make us smile. How did they drag the dog food container across the kitchen floor from the pantry?
I'm going to join in again this year with Leah at South Breeze Farm for the 2010 Giving Thanks Challenge. I'm a day late, but just didn't get time to blog yesterday. I'll begin with two things I'm thankful for today...one for yesterday and one for today.
1. I'm thankful that Reid's biopsy procedure went well on Friday and he had little discomfort. (We'll learn more on Friday when he has his appointment with the Oncologist.)
2. I'm thankful that this is election day and I have the freedom to vote for the candidates I choose. (I'm also thankful that there will be no more "robo calls" for another year!)
I have chosen to follow blogs anonymously so there is no obligation on your part to follow my blog. I follow blogs that I truly enjoy reading and not because it's expected.
YES, BORN AND RAISED IN JERSEY!
MY TRIP BACK IN TIME: My Family History Blog
Gone, but not forgotten...
1945-2012
OUR SON, REID WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HODGKIN'S LYMPHOMA - OCTOBER 2009
I'll be posting regular updates on his progress. We are very hopeful and thank you for your warm thoughts and prayers.
REID BEGAN TREATMENT WITH ADCETRIS - MAY 22, 2012
Reid relapsed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma after a autonomous stem cell transplant. He had participated in a clinical trial for Adcetris, but it was determined that he had received the placebo in the trial, so he began treatment with the actual drug on May 22, 2012.
ALLOGENIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANT - DECEMBER 21, 2012
Reid received his brother Keith's stem cells in an allogenic stem cell transplant on December 21, 2012.
DECEMBER 2012
CANCER FREE
December 19, 2014 Reid is now cancer free for two years!
October 2015 After a summer scare Reid is declared cancer free once again. On December 19, 2015 it will be three years cancer free!
July 2017 Other than chronic graft vs host disease Reid is doing well.
TO FIND SUBJECTS OF INTEREST IN MY BLOG
Scroll down to find an alphabetical listing of Labels or Hyperlinks for the various subjects on my blog.
"It is said that God never gives us more than we can handle. If that is true then God sure must have a much higher opinion of me than I do." --Michael L. McPherson
"CHLOE" - The latest addition
She joined our family in April 2015.
OUR LOYAL FRIEND "SOPHIE"
I miss you! Thank you for your unconditional love.
