More October still

[lavendertook]

Our leaves peaked Friday and are past peak today. So there's as much brown and bare as color now, but there's still a lot of color and green still yet to turn. It's been a beautiful week here. This pic is from 2 weeks ago:



Cats: Tuxie is doing well. I succeeded in doing 2 blood glucose curves on him a couple of weeks back--the first day was really high, but he was just getting over whatever digestive upset he had--whether it was from a lot of bad food or a virus. The next day, his values were very normal and his tests at the vet went well, except for raised pancreatic values, like me and Moo had. I need to start spot checking him, but I wanted his ears to recover from the pin cushion I had made of them. It's been great to see him climbing both cat trees again and he's been a cuddle bun. Moo is still being a painfully slow eater who I have to monitor for a good hour or so in the morning and evening so her food doesn't get devoured by the Tuxie monster--good thing they're cute.

Health: I had a tooth pulled and just got the sutures out yesterday. In 3 weeks I'll have an implant put in. I'm on celebrex for my foot and pinched neck nerve pain. I've had a couple of podiatrist appointments, am sleeping with a night splint on my left foot, which is helping, and getting orthotics made. More appointments to go. The neuropathy in my left arm from the pinched neck nerve is still troublesome, but the celebrex is helping with the pain some. Unless it gets a lot better in the next couple of weeks, I'll probably need to do some traction therapy for it this winter to try to stretch the neck discs some, after I get through with the dentist and podiatrist. I'm just not sure what that's going to require time-wise and whether I'll have enough work leave time for it. The hot flash and anxiety problems are ongoing.

I met up with a science fiction meet-up group for lunch at the Museum of the American Indians cafe in DC. I had my first fry bread, but it wasn't hot, so not that good--will have to get fresher fry bread sometime. I even had breakfast at Denny's that morning for my full Thomas-Builds-the-Fire experience, but driving into DC made me nervous, and my anxiety level was a little high to make the day fun, what with the election and my personal chemistry. There were beautiful beaded clips in the gift shop that made me think of deluxvivens. I've been thinking of her quite a bit lately. I really miss her. Walks in the autumn beauty and framing pics of it, snuggling cats, and good novels remain the best medicine for me. And watching SNL election skits online really helps.

Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/211499.html with comments

Comments

[shirebound]

It's been great to see him climbing both cat trees again and he's been a cuddle bun.

Hooray!

Your poor body has been through so much. Pippin and I are sending long-distance gentle snuggles and wriggles and loves.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweetie. Not liking the 21st C so much at all. *squooshes*

[aliensouldream.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear things are tough healthwise, love. But the new group sounds interesting and thank goodness for cat cuddles *hugs you*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I've been attending some of this meet ups events occasionally for a couple of years, so slowly getting to know some folks. We'll see if I can get these health problems sorted out--it just takes time. Yay indeed for cats! *hugs you*

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

aww...glad that Tuxie is doing well!

Oh yeah, and I'm glad the tooth extraction went well. Ick. I hate those. I'm supposed to get two implants...any time now. I'm still waiting to hear back from the oral surgeon about when it's going to happen...

I was thinking yesterday that we never had a really brightly covered autumn this year, I think because it was so warm. Like yesterday, the trees were still beautiful, but they were duller and starting to have that brown and deadened look. But oh the weather was so gorgeous.

Go figure, it's supposed to rain a bit on election day...:-p (oh man, the anxiety is killing me on that).

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I don't really know the difference between orthodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons--I think I'm seeing a periodontist for this. I'm really glad I switched forms he dentist I had before or I probably wold have been stuck with another bridge.

We had very bright golds and yellows, but most of the reds and oranges were subdued. Though there's been a lot of brown out, in spots we still have a lot of green. I think its browned out more on hill tops and whee the wind hits and there's been more color by water and on lower and sheltered ground. But ti's been a leisurely fall, and with lot son blue sky to set it off which has made it one of the best falls in years--we've had years with good color but no blue sky and that dulls everything out.

We had rain the day after--that whole pathetic fallacy thing going. Now the trees by the lake are much barer.

[addie71.livejournal.com]

I'm glad Tuxie is doing well.

I hope you're doing well enough soon that you don't have to go for the traction therapy. You've had more than your fair share of medical issues.


SNL election skits are wonderful. :DD

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. I'd like to avoid the traction therapy, but I'd rather have that than surgery later on. My Dad had huge problems with neuropathy due to cervical compression in his last years in his 70's. So I'd probably be better off working on it now than later.

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

Yay, glad Tuxie is doing well.

I hope whatever med they put me on has minimal side effects. It won't be tamoxifen, I don't think, because I'm post-menopausal. But I'm sure whatever it is will be dreadful. :-(

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

They'll probably recommend an aromatase inhibitor and probably aromasin (exemestane) like me. Some people have no problem with it at all and don't get hot flashes, so I hope you will be one of the lucky ones. I take a couple of things to keep it from being worse, so if you do go on it and have troubles, we'll talk, but I'll cross my fingers for you you won't.

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

I really hope I handle whatever med they recommend. I don't want to descend that slippery slope into taking more meds to counteract the side effects of other meds. That is not me. I'd prefer the absolute minimum, but I do know that as my cancer is strongly ER positive, I'll need something. Such a bummer. :-( Thank you for all the advice and encouragement!! It helps a lot!!! *hugs*

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

*looks at that bottle of Cymbalta I've been putting off starting* I totally hear you. I am still considering quitting the aromasin next spring and leave it at 3 years instead of the recommended 5, but if I decide to take the Cymbalta and it takes away my hot flashes and anxiety I will stay on it for the 5 years.

A woman in my scifi meetup group who had surgery for DCIS got on effexor with her tamoxifen a couple of years ago and has had no side effects at all with that combo.

We're the first generation on aromatase inhibitors and whether to trust your doctor and the studies with their sample sizes and whether to go with the best Western medicine knows so far and all the questions it leaves you with are all choices you get to make. When I know what your course is, I'll keep you posted on all I hear about it. Me, I'll be crossing my fingers you can stay on the minimum without side effects.

You are welcome. it helps me too to talk about it. I'm sorry you've had to join me in this sisterhood, but know you are not alone and I've got your back as best I can. I'm trying to keep up with googleable research on the field and will pass on what I learn that is relevant to you when I see it. *hugs*