2 posts in one day!

Well I told you I would follow up. Everything went just fine. The hip x-rays were read by both the medical oncologist as well as my radiation oncologist. The word is that while I can't start weight bearing exercise for a couple more months yet from a cancer standpoint the hips look fine. Warning to any men following this blog you may want to tune out now. So sisters you know how much fun a mammogram can be, right? Well now think about the tech including a piece of hardware like oh say a port in the tissue that she is going to squeeze flat! Let me just say Ouch! Guys you can come back now. In between the scans and the doctor appointment I ran up to Maitland to drop a check at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey and got to see a baby great horned owl. Let me tell you that was cool! The adults are huge birds and this baby is nearly full grown but still with baby feathers and awkwardness. The folks at the Center are rehabilitating her as she broke her wing badly when she fell from the nest. In this case she won't be able to be released back to the wild. When they get her fixed up and grown up she will be used for education to help her species and other birds of prey. Just wanted to share my fun bird encounter with you all too. TTFN Wendy

An overdue update

Hello, I realized that you haven't heard from me recently. Shame on me, but the good side of that was there was nothing to report. Maybe after today as I have a few scans and see Dr. Constantino later. At home Michael and I have been working on the garden and it is looking good. Hopefully our cold protection efforts this weekend will be successful in saving the tender crops like the just emerged beans and the newly planted tomatoes. It was 29 degrees this morning. As things grow up a bit more I will get a photo to share with you. Otherwise it has been pretty routine. One special thing this week is that we are celebrating Phyllis'(Michael's mom) 85th birthday today. She had some celebrations at the park where she lives over the weekend and this evening we get to take her out to dinner. Then later this week we are going down to Ft. Myers. Me to attend the ECHO board meetings and Michael to go play with Chris Bundschu. I thank all of you who are following this blog. It is great to know there are such awesome friends in my corner. Look for another post soon as I will let you know if anything or nothing comes out of today's scans and appointments. Love, Wendy

The day started out beautifully

As I was driving in to MD Anderson Hospital for my regular chemo treatment I passed a pasture just about at dawn and in the paddock was a young black calf running and jumping. to top it off the morning had patches of fog and the sun was just coming up and lit the fog so that it was pink. Pink fog with a cute black calf playing in it. Beautiful and surreal! The chemo treatment went fine and the new port work just like it is supposed to. That was a good thing. The last time it was just after the surgery and it really bruised up afterward. I think everything is nicely healed and it has settled in to be no excitement. Now I have two full weeks with before my next medical appointment, scan or treatment. WAHOO!! And to end the day Michael and I worked on planting more in our vegetable garden. Yes this is Florida and I planted my garden the beginning of February. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for another four weeks. But I really think it will be okay. Michael has done a great job at building the garden and I hope I can deliver some vegetables. Just wanted to let everyone know that all is well here. The next information will come after I have x-rays on the 18th. Love to you all. Wendy

Thanks for the inquiries, I am doing great!

Hi there everyone, I have been delinquent again in keeping you all informed. Sorry and that means a number of you had to actually inquire. So I am glad to report that all is going well. This week I actually don't have any medical or doctor's appointments, Yahoo! The past Saturday Michael and I participated in the Walt Disney World Holiday Bird Count. Our zone to look for birds was around the Magic Kingdom. It was a gorgeous Florida day with nothing but sunny skies, a light breeze and temperatures in the high 70's. We saw lots of beautiful birds from Bald Eagles to tiny Blue Gray Gnatcatchers. I am including some photos from that event. Wendy

At home Michael and I are working on getting our spring garden going and just generally enjoying the great weather. This week we will celebrate my Dad's 79th Birthday. Happy Birthday Papa!

Any Port?

So today Dr Chambers installed a Power Port. This is a mechanism that maintains a catheter in a vein that the doctors access to deliver chemo treatments. Oddly enough it is in the right side of my chest not the left. My friends out there who are sailors will get the humor. The procedure went fine and Michael and I were home by early afternoon.while my shoulder aches some I am happily ensconced on the couch with a dog on my feet and Michael is preparing dinner. I am very lucky. It will be a quiet weekend for us and I hope a good weekend for you all.

Happy New Year!

Here we are in 2013 and I hope you are having a great start! It is beautiful here with bright blue sky and warm temperatures. I pray that you will have a wonderful year. I am doing well a week after the last radiation treatment. The fatigue has eased and healing has begun. I am spending longer on the stationary bike every time I ride it and that makes me happy. Tomorrow I plan on getting back in the pool for a nice swim since the weather is so nice. I can't get too aggressive for a couple of months while my bones heal and fill in the gaps, but that doesn't mean I have to be still! Michael is watching me like a hawk to make sure I stay inside my boundaries. This week is already a blessing as I don't have any medical or doctor appointments, and that is a first since November. Not that I am complaining, the team at MD Anderson has been wonderful. I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate them. So I hope that the New Year finds you surrounded by your loved ones and that the coming year brings you many blessings and opportunities to bless others. Love, Wendy

Merry Christmas Every One!

Hi there, I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Careful with those cookies and egg nog! May you revel in silly joys of the season, like the kids playing in th e boxes rather than the toys and the fruit cake that you got from you aunt. Actually I got awesome bottles of wine from my aunt (who is clearly a really cool aunt!). From my husband though along with a number of very nice things I got the funniest calendar of goats in trees. Who would have thought that anyone would have enough photos of goats in trees to make a 12 month calendar!! I laugh everytime I see the calendar or even think "goats in trees"! Anyway I hope you are having fun and enjoying Jesus' birthday!