It was COLD

We did spend the last week in South Texas - South Padre Island on a family vacation.  It. Was. Cold.  South Texas is supposed to be warm - it wasn't.

Now I know to many the temps were not bad - they were spring/fall like, but when you go to the beach in South Texas - it is supposed to be warm.

But the house we rented was warm and cozy, and we had a great time.  I am in the process of gathering the photos we took to make into "books" for the family.

We are marking a new chapter in our family life.  We are not adding out additional children (the in-laws), we are not adding new children, we are beginning to see those children (the grandchildren) leave the nest.  Katie will, as I have said before, be leaving us in September for Marist College in New York.  That's a LONG way.  So we celebrated this change.

It all went very well.  Here is the first installment of pictures from this trip. As you can see by our outerwear - it was really chilly.  The winds from the Gulf didn't help things one little bit.

This was the only time we went "out" for something to eat.  It was a brewery on the island - with pretty good food as well!

The family (minus us old people) at midnight on New Year's Eve.  Not a good picture, but it was foggy and COLD

New stuff going on

Here we are - back at the SSB.  Seems like we just left, but ...

I have been busy ordering Christmas presents.  Yes, ordering them.  I hate fighting crowds.  I really thought I had this one covered.  The first three grands are getting older and they love $$$.  And that's great with me.  I would so much rather my funds go to them directly and let them get exactly what they want.  BUT last week daughter told me what grandson 1 wanted.  He wanted a basketball jersey -from a team that ISN'T the Houston Rockets.  That was a knife to the heart, but I ordered it. 

When you order you enter the world of the unknown.  I knew we would be gone from the 11th to the 17th.  I hoped that jersey would be delivered after the 17th because I knew there was no way it would come before.  It was to come the 15th.  NOW it has been turned over to the USPS from Fed Ex and delivery is TODAY.  Our carrier is so bad, we get our mail between 7-8 PM! 

So why am I so angry (other than the ridiculously late delivery of our mail) about this hand-off?  I also ordered a spring-form pan.  It has taken forever.  The delivery was set for the 11th - 14th.  It was ALSO handed off from UPS to the USPS. 

The tracking on this simple little thing is a pain to begin with.  It sat in California for days.  Then it was sent to Dallas.  From Dallas, it went to Ft Worth.  The first kicker was that it went BACK to Dallas.  Finally on to Houston.  There it went to the USPS - and the Houston Office is Never-never land.  Supposedly yesterday it was "out for delivery."  Nope - it was not.  Can't be located.  So the delivery date is now Dec 14-19.  AND if I don't have it by the 20th I am to contact Amazon and they will help.  Well, that pan was supposed to be used here in the wilderness TODAY to make a fruitcake.  Needless to say, I have decided to use another method because it didn't come by our departure date. 

I have LOVED Amazon for years.  Their promise of a two-day delivery was so great.  It. Never. Happens. Anymore.  DIL uses the wish list for her kids' list.  I use it.  I promptly ordered from it when we goe home the last time.  All things in the same order.  It took a week for the last one to be delivered.  They came in total piecemeal fashion.  I even contacted Amazon on chat because of the one that arrived last Sunday.

The person delivering said it was handed "directly to the resident."  We. Weren't. Home.  That set me off to begin with.  It was 6PM and we didn't get it handed to us.  The second thing, it wasn't even put on the porch.  It was dropped on the sidewalk.  I did let them know about that.  And there are many others in the neighborhood who have had the same problem.  I told them to tell Amazon.  It is the only way this will change.  If it doesn't - I am thinking I will drop Amazon like a hot potato.

So the rest of my day will be making two fruitcakes.  They are massive creations.  About 5 cups nuts and two and a half pounds of candied fruits.  All this held together with four eggs!  They are so hard to mix.  My shoulders are in such bad shape - I hope I can manage.  But they really are so good.

Our next adventure is right after Christmas.  We are doing a family vacation - all 12 of us.  The oldest granddaughter, as you know, is headed to Marist College in New York in the fall, and this will probably be our last chance for this.  We will spend New Year's Eve in South Padre Island. 

So (and yes I am going to use this term because there are many celebrations) Happy Holidays to you all!

PS - I splurged and got myself a nice Christmas present - which is why I have been so long in getting back. Before Harvey, I was having great problems with the Toshiba computer.  My guru put in a new something - CD drive I think.  Well - it didn't want to load.  So I rushed out and bought an Asus.  What a piece of trash.  I spent more time looking at a black screen than anything else, so Costco ran a special.  I got myself a nice new Dell laptop - and I love it.  I am really broke now, but a happy broke girl!

Taking a deep breath

We have been at the SSB for 8 days now and heading home tomorrow - yea!!!

It was the "traditional" Thanksgiving trip = this being #14.  We had all the family plus one.  My DIL's ex-cousin (marriage failure) joined us so that made 13.

I am so glad our hunter (with us buying the materials) built the "cabin" because we were all comfortable.  It is a two bedroom house - really beautiful.  So that meant we had five bedrooms full of bodies.

Nights were spent around the fire pit and most days had a number out hunting.  They managed to kill three bucks - the one G killed was a bit of a mutant.

Of course, our time here is never easy.  We came up on Saturday with the kids beginning to arrive Monday night.  Things were fine until about 8 PM Monday night.  G went to shower.  He called me in and he was sitting on the end of the bed with blood everywhere.

We finally found the source.  A TINY spot on his ankle.  He is on blood thinners since he had a DVT in April.  I got a bandage on and we called the hematologist.  He said if he was still bleeding in 30 minutes we needed to go to the ER.

The ER is 45 miles away.  It was DARK and deer were everywhere.  I don't see well anyway, but night is horrid.  Fortunately about 9, my daughter's family got here.  They loaded us up and we headed to the ER.

The ER doc finally had to put a small stitch in the bleed - it was a ruptured varicose veinule.  So bedtime was about 1 AM.

Things went well and we had to go BACK on Friday to have the stitch removed.  The ER was so busy, and I don't know why we waited until mid-day to go, but that's what "someone" does.  But all went well and the rest of the time has been "normal."

I got all the laundry done - finally.  And both houses are clean and ready for the next onslaught!

Hope your Thanksgiving was passable!  Holidays can be so bad!

Quick summary

The surgery was to be about 2 hours but ended up being more like 4.  The "cyst" wasn't totally fluid filled and being so large he had a problem removing it - had to cut it into pieces.  But it was all totally laparoscopic so I have three inch to an inch and a half incisions.

He found some "suspicious" tissue, but the frozen sections found no malignancies - at all.  He said there were benign fibroids in the uterus - but I knew that from the time before menopause!


I have no pain.  I am sore - as would be expected even from a wound.  Recovery has been very easy with "body functions" finally becoming normal once again.  I see him again on Tuesday and fully expect to get a release to do all normal things - like driving.

success

In hospital.  Recuperating.  It was all laparoscopic and from what I can remember - no cancer.

More  later

All set

So I am definitely scheduled for Tuesday.  Had my "informed consent" appointment and got the prescriptions for pain after, did all the pre-op, including paying.  Now I just have to be there.

I was hoping this was really outpatient, but I will be kept for 23 hours.  This is going to be cyst draining and removal AND a supracervical hysterectomy.  He is hoping it will all be laparoscopic and so am I.  I don't want (to use the doc's words) to be cut from stem to stern. 

So we will see.  And he keeps saying he doesn't believe there is cancer involved.  At most possible pre-cancerous. 

I will check in later!

It's official - almost

Katie will be a Red Fox next year.

They called me this morning because they couldn't contain themselves.  They couldn't wait until they got back.  She got the scholarship and will be attending Marist in the fall.

She sounded gleeful.  I asked how she liked visiting with the professors, and she was quite impressed with the Dean of Chemistry and Biology - her majors.

Still - I'm gonna miss that girl!

Addendum to HOCO picts

I didn't have this picture when I posted those from the night of HOCO.  The couple she is standing with is her aunt and uncle (my son and DIL).

She wanted my daughter to dress up for pictures that night, but my daughter is with the booster club, therefore, WORKING the game.  She was not going to "dress-up" since she wouldn't be walking the field to present Katie.

She is in New York as I write this (in fact the entire family went) on her recruiting trip to Marist College.  As it turns out, their plans to tour Manhatten first changed because they want Katie to meet the professors today.  Touring Manhattan - and the 9/11 Memorial was the way they got brother to go on the trip.  And if Reagan isn't happy - no one is happy!  I don't know how this is going to go for the others, but Katie has already stated she wants to be a Red Fox - so I guess this is her future for the next 4-8 years (depending if she still wants to go to Med School or not).


So here are mom and dad

Progress

So surgery is set for October 30.  That is not going to be a good time for G because he WAS wanting to head to the SSB for opening weekend.  BUT had we not spent a week there this at Columbus Day, I had an appointment with the GYN and this could have been done probably this week.

I am relieved it is set and nervous all at the same time.  But this IS progress.

Sad

Well, she didn't make HOCO queen.  EVERYONE thought she would.  Obviously the family.  Her friends.  The school faculty.  BUT she talked to be the afternoon of the game.

She told me that three of the girls were sticking to the rules closely.  They were handing out candy and the like for publicity, but one of the girls (one who was barely allowed to run) was using cupcakes to solicit votes.  She would make the kids show their phones (apparently that was the way they could vote - but I don't know) that they had voted for her, then she would give them a cupcake.

This girl also knew she was wrong because after she was crowned at halftime, she took the offense - that she didn't do anything wrong and the other three were cheating too.  You know how that goes - the best defense is a good offense.

Katie was the first one presented on the field.  When they read off all her accomplishments during her high school career - it took a long time.  All the others (boys and girls) had to have their accomplishments read very slowly - everyone noticed that.  She has been academic and athletic All American for three years - she is in three different honor societies.  She is quite a young woman.  And absolutely I am a very biased grandmother, but I also have been around young people all my life as a teacher in secondary school.  She is a great kid!

She has picked up and is looking forward to the swim and water polo seasons.  She is making her college recruiting trips.  This weekend she will be at Marist in New York where they will probably offer her a scholarship.

So this was her before the game

Katie with my son and DIL

What has been happening

Had my follow up appointment yesterday.  I couldn't sleep Tuesday night.  I tried and tried to put the appointment out of my mind, but that doesn't happen for me.  I am prone to insomnia anyway, and it was present with a vengeance.  I do have Ambien, but I don't want to take it too often so I just suffered.

The second blood test (and Lab Corp STILL hasn't posted that nor the Oncologist) was a bit elevated, but he doesn't believe that it is elevated enough to indicate ovarian cancer.  He still believes this is just a benign fluid-filled cyst. His plan is to laparoscopically drain it - without any of it spilling into the abdomen - and (here I am a little foggy) then do a hysterectomy - again laparoscopically. 

I asked why he was going to leave the cervix.  He said it means nothing has to be done vaginally so less risk of infection or other problems like that PLUS no hospital stay and quicker recovery time.

He isn't in a big hurry for the surgery.  I have to contact his surgery coordinator (his wife!) who wasn't in yesterday and may not be in today.  So I will make sure I make contact with her next week.  I got to thinking that while this thing has been there a while, it IS affecting my kidney, so it really needs to be done soon.

He DID say that if any cancer is found, then I would have to be referred to a gynecological oncologist surgeon.  But he doesn't think that will happen.


Yesterday was the high school homecoming parade.  We are a small little town surrounded by the big Houston.  That was so apparent yesterday.  My children went to this high school and were in the hoco parade.  Now my granddaughter was in the parade, again, but this time as part of the Homecoming Queen court.  We will know if she wins Friday night.

As usual, I have to post a picture.  But first, the car belongs to a classmate.  These two have traded barbs for years.  He pushes her buttons!  My daughter and I were afraid this was a terrible hoax on his part, but he really wanted to do this for her.  He was waxing it up to the time the parade began to look its best for her.  Me thinks there is a little hidden passion for her in his heart!  (that's my daughter in the front seat)

Looks like she will be going to college in NEW YORK!  I have always thought of her as a mature "old soul" because of the way she is.  Even as a baby, she seemed ahead of her age.  But now this grandma is thinking "she is just a baby!!"  Oh how I am going to miss this girl.  Since she will be on an athletic scholarship - she won't be home a lot.  Guess I best begin saving what I can to make the trip to New York!

Finally

At least half "finally."  After TWO emails, I got the lab results (probably) figured out.  They finally sent a response.  They are faxing the results to the Oncologist (again) and mailing me those results.

BUT even though they say the labs went to the GYN, they are not appearing.  I give.  I see him on Wednesday.  I will find out then.

This bunch makes me wonder.  I was worried when I gave the blood way back there for the Oncologist and I was correct in my worry.  I just am not going to pursue this one any further - at least now.

"Borrowing trouble?"

I waited with baited breath for October 3 to come around.  That was when Lab Corp said my test results from the GYN would be published. 

So at 6:03 I opened their web portal.  The doctor's name was there.  But no results visible nor downloadable.

This doesn't look good.  The results of the CA-125 from the oncologist were never published there either.

So now I wait until the 10th when I see the doctor.  I would call, but I just bet the office wouldn't tell me either - so guess I will wait.

Promising news

The GYN looked at the CT.  He really believes this is a fluid-filled cyst and not ovarian cancer - even with the marker elevated.

He ordered a second, different blood test for ovarian cancer just to check, but his plans are to drain the cyst, then using the laparoscope remove it and then probably the left ovary and most of the uterus leaving the cervix as long as the pap smear is clear.

So now I am headed to my cardio doc for the heart approval and EKG.  Then I will see this doctor again on the 10th of October.  Please continue if you will.

Frustration

So my lab work was on the 14th.  The results STILL are not posted - so I called the oncologist's office.  I waited until today because he is only in the office on Tuesdays.  I didn't want to play phone tag again.

Guess what - I got the same recorded message I usually get.  Talk about disgusted.  I really am ready to change oncologists.  If he wants to be a part-time doctor good, but I want a full time one.

To cut to the chase, two hours later they called me back.  The CA-125 is high and "indicates" ovarian cancer and I am to have it removed.  I wanted to vomit.  So, like a normal person these days I resorted to the internet.  Mine is 229.9.  There were people posting who had values in the thousands that didn't have cancer.  There were also people under 100 who did.  So it is still a crap shoot.

My appointment with the GYN is tomorrow morning.  Finally.  I really believe this thing is what is causing my extreme back pain.  From reading, they can.  If that is the case I can't wait to have it removed ASAP!  Couple that back pain on the right with arthritis that means I should have a shoulder replacement on the right - sleeping is a problem.

So tomorrow hopefully more answers.  But I really am seriously thinking about a new oncologist.  I have my eye injection tomorrow and the oncologist/hematologist G is now seeing (because my oncologist/hematologist that he WAS seeing couldn't be reached when he had his DVT and was in the hospital) is right around the corner from the Retinal office.  I am going to talk to them in person.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Waiting for the lab to post my recent blood work, but I should know better.

I was a week ahead of thinking when I would see the GYN.  I have gotten to where time means almost nothing to me.  I usually don't know the date - it pretty much is irrelevant to me.  So when I made the appointment - I was a week ahead.  But that is actually a good thing.

When I made the appointment for the blood test - I chose the location because I wanted to do it correctly - fasting.  (G and I have a disagreement about this - he doesn't believe fasting it a necessity for the metabolic panel and I have always done it that way). 

When I got there, check in was with a machine that read the driver's license.  New, but ok!  It confirmed I had a 9:30 appointment that was 13 minutes away.  The waiting room was, of course, packed.

The technician came to the door and called Karen Unintelligible.  Twice.  I really didn't understand her and thought it was way early.  She came back and called it again.  I didn't want to make an ass of myself by getting up to respond to the wrong name.

I sat there and finally went to the window.  Sure enough, it was for me, and I was marked as a "walk out."  The lady at the desk was so soft-spoken and the waiting room was loud.  Crying baby, TV, etc.  So I stood on tippy-toes to get my head in as far as I could.

My buttock muscles do not do this often.  I could feel the pull.  So I am beginning to hurt.  AND she couldn't find the doctor's information.  He had sent the orders via email - on a hospital request form that had none of his information on it.  It took a good 15 minutes.  My muscles were screaming.

I got taken back for the collection.  I wondered why this cute, shy girl followed.  Then after the phlebotomist found the vein, she asked that girl if she was ready to do the collection.  Since I ONLY have procedures done in the left arm to avoid a problem on the right because of the mastectomy all those years ago, I was a little worried.  Alas - it went well!

I was told the results would be to my doctor by Monday morning.  Nope.  I knew that was false.  This lab never gets the results out that quickly - ever.  Here we are today and still no results posted.

So it's good I was a week ahead!  Hopefully I can take the recent results with me to the GYN - NEXT WEDNESDAY!

Boo

I always thought my being here was pretty much a secret - especially from family.  Nope.

I have been found.  My granddaughter, looking for pictures of herself, found me!

Katie - what you read here is now between you and me.  And this place is a secret from everyone else in the family!

And the urologist said

He showed me the CT.  Yes - I have a cyst.  Looks to be fluid filled.  Now sit down for this part because I almost fell off the chair.  The thing is 16 cm.  That is about 6 1/2 inches.

G asked when I had my last pelvic.  It was a while.  I know - that's bad.  But I just procrastinated.

Now the urologist said since it wasn't solid, that is good.  He can't say for sure, but because it isn't solid it probably isn't cancer.

My OB/GYN is retiring at the end of the year, and his office staff are horrible.  So I decided I would go to a new one.  I didn't want to fight with the old ones to get in ASAP.  So I called one highly recommended - who is close to being a neighbor!  I see him next Wednesday.  I told them all the specifics including (since I made sure he is in the same hospital setting) the CT being done. 

Doing further research on postmenopausal ovarian cysts - doing the blood test is normal.  It doesn't necessarily mean there is cancer even though this shows the cancer antibodies that would be produced.  So that part is normal.

So we will see.  I know there is a surgery in my near future.  Labs tomorrow - results hopefully by Wednesday!!

So far - NOT so good

I had the CT today.  The results are back.  And it doesn't look really good.

The oncologist, who is one of three doctors interested in these results, called.  Well, his nurse called because he is only in the office one day a week - and that was yesterday.  The results show a large ovarian cyst on the right side.  He wants me to have a specific blood test - the CA 125. 

I am used to these tests.  With my breast cancer, I have had the CA 27.29 for years.  These tests show "markers" that tumors release.  There are limits that are considered OK.  So I am to have that done - probably on Friday.

But I have an appointment with the urologist tomorrow morning.  I will tell him what the oncologist has said and we will go from there.

The oncologist also said I need to now bring in the OB/GYN.  This thing - whatever it turns out to really be - has to be dealt with.

So you know what I know now.

Update

The scan is set for next week.  That was in case there was the IV dye was to be injected.  It was not ordered that way, and the Oncologist office has just been in touch again -but had to leave a message.  The wonderful hospital that was has been sold to a terrible hospital chain who is only interested in the bottom line - not patient care.  They finalized the sale Sept.1 and began laying off people Sept. 1  This was a hospital owned by the doctors and they wanted a very nice hospital.  Guess they are all retirement age and decided to cash out.  It is where I had my mastectomy done eleven years ago.

Yesterday I was worked in to see the urologist the nephrologist wanted me to see.  He confirmed something is pressing on the ureter and urine is backing up into the kidney.  The "who, what, when, and where" will be more determined by the Cat scan.  I will see him the day following the procedure.

He asked if I had been having pain.  With my disintegrating back, no.  I have had pain in that area for thirty years.  It was worse, but I had not gotten a cortisone injection to ease my sciatica, etc in over a year.  I just attributed the pain to all that.  When you get old with your various aches and pains, new ones don't necessarily tip off a problem.  If that were the case, I should see a doctor almost daily!

Seeing this doctor made me happy that all of my doctors are in the professional building associated with the hospital and that I have had the diagnostic testing done there.  I was supposed to pick up the ultrasound from the nephrologist (whose office was next door).  The nephrologist had "pulled some strings" to get me my appointment yesterday.  They had a cancellation over the weekend and I got in.  I left a little early to stop by the nephrologist to get the paperwork and to my surprise THEY WERE CLOSED!!!  They didn't tell me they were closing early and they knew what time I had gotten the appointment!  I was really quite upset.  I was feeling that my meeting with the urologist would not be nearly as productive as I had hoped because he wouldn't have that part of the puzzle.

When he came in, I told him my plight.  He gave me a rather coy smile and said he had the results!  Since this is his main hospital for practice - he can get all records like this!  So that is why I will see him the day after the CT.  He will have those results. 

So in the meantime, I have called the oncologist to make sure (after the nephrologist told me to) that the kidneys are going to be included and that there will be no IV dye used - only oral.  I have been a little put out with my oncologist.  It seems he has become part-time - only having office hours on Tuesdays.  And HE didn't call me with the results of the ultrasound. 

G had a deep blood clot a couple of months ago (DVT) and had seen this doctor for hematology.  The hospital couldn't reach the doctor when he went to the ER.  So he now has another hematologist who is also an oncologist.  I have considered "switching horses in mid-stream" here!

If this turns out to be another cancer, I may go to the world-famous cancer hospital here - M.D. Anderson.  They have cutting-edge technology.  I am afraid that will be a necessity.