How I am I Spending My Summer Vacation

Remember back in the day when you returned to school and your first assignment was to write about what you did over your summer vacation? Come to think of it, I think even Lauren and George had some of those assignments. You always wanted something in your summer memories to be special, different, or something the other kids would go "wow" or "cool"...you certainly did not want to admit the truth that you had laid in the air conditioned house, watch TV and were really bored. Side bar...coolest summer vaca was when Kathy and I attended an Apollo launch as a NASA VIP with my mom, who was a NASA VIP. It was a down and back one day affair, with a plane ride and private tour, but it was way cooler than the car trip that everyone else had taken. While our kids did have some pretty good summer vacas..I still think watching (and feeling)a Saturn V rocket leave the launch pad is still top of the list for memorable vacas...yeah, space geek, I am. Fast forward, after a couple of years of business travel with Ed, semi retirement travel and full out retire travel...the last six months have been lacking in cool, interesting or wow...it has been boring, and I feel deprived. When we (I mean me and my travel partner, Ed) first started the 2012 medical year, we promised that we would reward ourselves we I finished my last chemo treatment,before I began radiation (usually a four week recess) and after he finished his knee replacements. Well, how's that plan working you ask, since I am finished with my chemo and Ed is three weeks out from his right knee replacement. The medical community all wants to see us before radiation starts...as if I might explode or something during rads...like a marshmallow in the microwave. Monday was Ed's day with Dr. Siff. What can I say, the boy responds to having his ego stroked...Siff gave him yet another gold star for being his best patient. Wanted to hire him to teach his other patients how to rehab after knee replacement. The man who was too stiff that morning to drive downtown, sprinted out of the very crowded office and nearly jumped over the furniture to retrieve me. He skipped to the elevator...he has a couple more weeks of three day a week PT, where he continues to showoff his flexibility and brag about the zero complications he has had. He has made loads of new friends... Told you we were bored. Tuesday was my turn...back to the plastic surgeon...for after, but before pictures. You know how much I love having my picture made to begin with...it is a head on crash of fantasy, reality and the whole "adds ten pounds" thing...hate them...just ask my family. So, a shirt off shot, cringe...while my neck up are not,part of the shot, I would know the girls before and after surgery in a heartbeat if said pics show up on a gallery of clients. Just hope I didn't sign that right away somewhere along the line. After regaining my shirt and dignity, I recognized that I was a mere 1.5 miles from the new Trader Joe's store in the Woodlands. Summer field trip...105 in the shade, yeah, let's go...if nothing else to people watch. I am familiar with TJ from my Tucson visits. I was curious how a Texas TJ would do..when you have HEB, Central Market and Whole Foods..Texas born and breed...and everything is bigger in Texas, thing going on..the bar can be pretty high for outsiders. There were lots of confused shoppers...this is not a big store...this is more for high end, empty nester or professionals, not mom with 5 kids. Got my party snacks...great selection and price, my chicken sausage (want to compare to my HEB) and the obligatory bottles of "two buck chuck" ($2.99) ...aka Charles Shaw wine, now rebranded as Trader Joes wine. Think that a midtown location may have been wiser, but since I have plenty of trips (30+) this summer, I will bring my friends along for their summer field trip, when we go to radiation and lunch. Oh yeah, there will be more shirt off pics after they nuke me. Dr. G said that it might make the skin look like a dried out citrus fruit, or they could change shape or size...like I said, no big bucks on cute underwear yet, can't wait. Today, is Wednesday, I was out the door solo by 7:45 for All day appointments with the mother ship of MD Anderson..complete with the usual awful traffic on 59 just as you get to downtown and crawl to 288. Eddie knows how to go through downtown and get back on right before 288 and avoid the mess. I thought I remembered, apparently not, chemo brain, whatever, I was on a one way going the wrong way during rush hour...the good Lord watches over me, thank goodness. If Eddie finds out, he probably won't let me leave the 'hood by myself..so mums the word. Anyway, it is more pictures after and before...shirt off...but don't know,if I would recognize them in a line up. Can I tell you how much easier a mammogram is when the girls fit on the platform, without help...not too painful either. Even the tech remarked how much smaller they were, since she had my before surgery shots. Interesting side note, she said you could tell how they had rearranged the furniture with the reduction. Most painful moment would be the close up of the ratty chemo port...so it is not confused with any of the other pieces of furniture..as if...I am currently waiting for my ultrasound, where they use way more than the recommended dose of goo. If I am lucky, I will be finished early and head back home before the traffic builds. Today's reward stop will be at Pensky's for a spice fix. Hey, you have to look forward to these small vacas. Next couple weeks will be pretty much like this week, hot, humid and doctor's waiting rooms. Radiation after the 18th looks more like a holiday since it suppose to be quick in and out. Gee, I hope you all aren't jealous of how I am spending my summer vacation. Will keep you updated on our unique staycation...until then, hope your summer travels are safe and full of good and happy memories.

Vicky & Wally

Today, as I sit awaiting the completion of my LAST chemo treatment, I thought I would tell you a story...of Vicky & Wally...this is certainly not a love story, it is more reality TV...Pickle style. 30-40 years ago, young ladies, women, and girls in general did not share their undergarment purchases...with anyone other than family/husband or occassional Doctor or oooo, blush, a lover. These items were foundations...not objects du art that required bank loans or are on full display with various skimp outfits. In my price range the fancy of panties, bra and slips (yes, we wore slips..full slips that matches our bra, panties and garter belt..which pre-dated panty hose, but I understand and has made a comeback---no thanks) were the Vanity Fair collection....I, in fact, still have the ensemble that I wore leaving on my honeymoon. Only wished it still fit. I guess that I stuck with my matchy, matchy sets of underwire bras/undies from VF until after my second child was born....to this day, I know it was the fancy panties that got me into a second pregnancy so quickly after the first. By that time the "girls" had added several letters to their alphabet and my cleavage started right under my chin. The final straw was when the underwire would poke out, work its way out of the bra and magically appear from the top of my shirt. Changes were coming...maybe even a hint of thing to come, lifetime of boobie issues. I think they call that foreshadowing... Anyway, two kids in diapers, one income, new house, a new car...on the budget line item, matchy matchy would have to be scratched for the more practical...foundations purchase. Kmart, WalMart (Wally) --- multi pack panties, no lace here, and bras in a box-- Playtex (living, as they were known) which came with large enough numbers, high enough multi letters and no wire to poke the crap out of me when I was holding two kiddos. Matchy matchy would be special, not,everyday. That and a little snip, snip for Eddie, assured us of no more panties surprises. I would treat myself and Eddie to at least a couple of sets of matchy matchy fancy sets, but day in day out---Wally was my go to. Fast forward to the present...or at least the last 5-10 years....Victoria Secret, Soma, and a whole range of pricey undergarments that I did not know existed until I stumbled upon the on the Internet or in NYC...wow, I could go broke putting fancy threads over my fat butt. Our budgets have changed...no kids in diapers or college, or needing their own underwear...so I could splurge. I would stick my toe in the pool on occasion and shop at Vicky...here again alphabet and letter issues, and underwire, too. So, I would return to my friend, Wally, with an side trip for vacas to Macy's (with a coupon--old habits never die). After the second surgery, I had been instructed to purchase supportive sports bras for the first six months, while the girls settled into a more normal position. Thank goodness there was a warning label in that...they were high ..a normal bra would have been right under my chin.... Well it is 4.5 months, so I beginning to get the itch for some new undies. However, I will say, I have enjoyed the sport bras phase...I now see why women love them, never got it when the girls were so big, it,just did not do the job. After redecoration of the mantle, encouraged by my mom's and sister's gift certificate for Soma, I have spent a week (in my spare time...when not being Flo-ren) previewing what it would be like to have bras in sizes that didn't look like car tags numbers/letters. Ahhh, fantasy vs reality can be so cruel. Silly me, the front had changed, the back had not. One thing about the bigger bras, the back is bigger, and smoothed the lumps and humps back there. Guess I never fully appreciated that aspect of 6-9 hooked bras with 2.5 inch straps...I just,saw to ruts in my shoulders, pain in my neck and mid back....traded that all in for Much more manageable girls, but had no idea they were covering for a jelly belly and back muffin top. While the jelly belly is one of the chemo side effects...really...they call it something more clinical like fat building due increase cortisol levels and the triggers of said cortisol by the T & C therapy..great another thing that makes me look bigger. I have a sneaking suspicion that this side effect will hang on longer than the treatments...just a guess, seeing how reality is a cruel mistress and all. Let's shop...I started at the top, for my budget (hey, I told you I am cheap) and did Victoria Secrets...more of the back of the store items, not the front, hot patterns, colors, or words like PINK on my fat butt...that would be no. Even had a coupon. Told you pink flamingos was my signature wearing of the pink/ribbon move. No sale, with pouty lip(read dejected) I left without a cute pink bag with tissue wrapped garments. On to Soma, repeat of day with Vicky, more pouty, more grumpy. I contiuned my journey from store to store..speciality and department, on hot Texas days...my mood became worse, no purchases or even possibles for my list after six months, which I have now been informed will be until September, since radiation can make things change, too. Yeah, yet another breast cancer item to be survived. So, Please wait before committing resources to the new undergarments. Sadly, I have come to the realization, that except for vaca/date wear, me and Wally will be going steady for the coming years. Some times, reality bites. On the positive note of the day, the last flamingo will be placed in the yard this afternoon. Had to hide it, Ed and George have become so interested in the flocking that they have tried to help me by offering to put it out for me. To which they draw back a nub, this is my victory...period. Additonally, with Eddie's second knee, a driving knee, he could not be part of today's victory dance and bell ringing (that the reward MDAnderson gives your for surviving the chemo). Deb picked me you and has driven me to to my the appointment time...which as we have learned is merely a suggestion. Luckily, they have started a new procedure here...it starts with communication and ends with a better time management program in the infusion clinc...so we,should be home before 3:00 this afternoon. I would like to say my "words of wisdom/input" has helped in their procedural changes (Hey, once a Type A organizer, always a Type A...we like the control stick, too) It has been a journey...it does change you, but not in a bad way...it does make you more mindful of your blessings, more forgiving of others faults (cause you let go of the small and petty things), and you treasure the things that matter most...family, friends and health. As I turn this corner, into the final lap...6 weeks radiation and putting my flamingos back in the box at the end of every week...there is a light at the end of the tunnel...remember you can do anything for 90 days, don't try and eat the elephant all at once, and keep a positive attitude. Wing salute! Please forgive any errors, IPAD is not the greatest for blogs and spell check...there is probably an app for that but I haven't have time to look.

Men are not good patients!

After the last five months, I have come to the conclusion that men, in general, do not make good sick people...God help us all if modern science figures out how to let a man carry a baby for nine months. After my last post from Methodist Hospital with George, I added the fifth flamingo to the flock...yet another Tuesday event. If it is Tuesday, the Pickle clan is at some medical facility received some treatment, artificial body part or reworking the plumbing. Obviously, Tuesday is a big surgical day in Houston...which baffle me as to why getting to the room after the surgery and wake up time is such a fire drill. Does not matter which of our fine medical centers you have chosen for treatment, it is hurry up and wait for your procedure (even if your arrival time is 5:30 AM), poor, if any information...until you speak with the doctor after the procedure, a quick post op visit, then the four hour wait for a room. Excuse me, they know how many are coming, how many rooms they have, how long the surgery normally last, so why do these places fail the math word problem, every time. There should be an app for that... Oh well, last Tuesday (June 5th), Eddie had he right knee replaced (for those keeping score-that is 6 surgeries on Houston Pickles, 1 c-section surgery on a Pickle/Day since the first of the year). Is there a trophy or something for that? Patient Eddie is not a good patient..he hates hospitals...he conned his Doctor into letting him come home in 2 days...yikes! So on Thursday morning, he had me arrive at 9:00 AM to spring him from prison. I knew we would not leave until 1:00, they want to charge you for the next day (probably why rooms aren't ready when people come out of surgery) but he was sure we would be out for 9:30..I win. Besides being a grumpy old man, he was in loads of pain, complete with nausea and vomit...of course, let's go home and let Florence Nightengale take care of him. (my friends call me Flo-ren for short). So, home we came. Did you know That if you have your knee replaced, you can't bend down to barf in the John? I guess that is why the area behind your sink is called a backsplash...clean up on aisle 3. It was a ver-r-ry long weekend...while he tried to be undemanding, when you have limited mobility, there are simply things you can not do...and Eddie is not patient. We have spent the week doing the physical therapy, but he is totally unsatified with his progress...remember he got a gold star for his left and was completely able to flex his knee by end of week three. So, it has been a long week at Camp Pickle, for sure. George has done well, stitches removed, just waiting for the all clear to resume eating a more normal diet. While he has been fine with his low residue (read white bread, pasta, and potatoes) he has tried of fin and feathered meats... He is looking forward to something red on a hoof...between my taste bud/semi queasy all the time issues, Ed's flat out queasy/barfing, and George's restrictions, I am more of a short order cook attempting to cook a meals that appeals to everyone. Will be glad when this part of our joint journey over...I feel like I cook for Luby's every day. Come Monday (curve ball for the Pickles, 'cuz chemo is in Tuesdays) my friend, Deb will be driving me to the MDA in the Woodlands for my last Chemo treatment...can I get a hallajuah! I am so looking forward to placing my last flamingo in the yard...and saying goodbye to all the pesky side effects that have been my constant companions for the last 16 weeks. I will not miss any of them, there will be no farewell party. I will have four weeks before my 6 weeks of daily radiation begins. I'd like to brag that I doing something fun and exciting, but, MDA, and all the others doctors on my dance card want to have a dance with me before I start to radiation. Add Ed's doctor visits and PT sessions, and there is no rest for the wicked and weary. I am sitting in Lauren's house watching my precious grandchild, Eli, who is almost four and a half months old...and keeping Cali busy while Lauren and Drew work. Tomorrow is Father's Day, Drew will celebrate his first, Ed's his 29th as truly wonderful fathers to their children. We are blessed in so many ways by the men in our lives...even though they are not great patients.