ginnyde

Wish I lived closer, would love to play.

My dear friend Jeanne lost her heroic battle with NSCLC this morning. As I mentioned a few days ago, she had become very reclusive and as much as her friends wanted to visit, we understood. I am heartsick. Jeanne is the person who started me on my obsession with golf. Thank you Jeanne. You will be missed.

6:16 a.m. here in Eastern PA, I think it would have been more fun to post at midnight, maybe after coming home from a party. Watching the weather, have an 8:24 tee time but it looks like rain is heading this way. Oh well, maybe this means I can finish cleaning some drawers and closets. Hope all have plans for some fun today. It is the last hurrah of summer. Have seen 2 good movies recently, The Help and Sarah's Key. I read both books and while not always happy with the film adaptations, I thought both of these movies stayed true to the books. Hope to see The Debt soon, I am a Helen Mirren admirer. My friend Jeanne, who has lc, has disappeared off the radar. We all know that she is very private but she has become a total recluse. If we call, they don't answer. We get very generic emails from her daughter. We are all sending cards and notes to let her know we are thinking about her. Sad. I think I have mentioned before that I am a reality show addict. New seasons of shows, Amazing Race, Survivor etc, start soon, got my DVR set to go. Off to check the radar. Happy Labor Day to all.

Ok Judy, I will be brave and open. As I have said before I come here everyday and read. But 8/18 was the 7th anniversary of Earl's death, so I really have very little lc information to contribute. But as I have said often I feel like I know so many of you. Irene slid by my house with no damage, although the house 2 doors down got 3" of water in her basement. These are townhouses, so how did that happen? I played golf on Monday and although it was 'cart path' only, the course was really not that wet. I live on this golf course. Bud, I walked about 3 miles on Monday and felt like I was the champion exerciser of the world. What you do on your bike is just amazing. A guy here in work is walking from outside Phila to ground zero in honor on the 10th anniversary of the twin towers. He is hugely (haha) overweight and we are all extremely worried about him. Also, he is walking up Route 202 which is an extremely busy highway. He plans on walking 15 miles/day. The most he has every walked at one time is 10 miles and then he needed a few days to recover. Days are warm, nights are cool, snow in Montana last night, please stay around summer. Hope this post makes it.

Felt the 5.8 earthquake up here outside of Phila. The earthquake was centered near Richmond VA. I am sure that the people in NY and at the Pentagon were pretty shook up. Judy MI, I ache for you. How can some men be so selfish? Wish I could come out there and give him a good bop in the head. Alan, where do you live? Seems like you are pretty close to me. Was down my son's house on Long Beach Island NJ this weekend. My grandson who has his learners permit drove my car a couple of times. I survived, but am now 12 years older. My dear friend that has been surviving NSCLC with BAC features for over 3 years is not doing well. She has totally removed herself from the world. Will not let any of her friends see her. Very sad, very sad. The weather here is just beautiful, low 70's and no humidity. I played golf yesterday and thanked God on every hole for the nice weather (not for my score, that's for sure). But today, I am working, so I can afford golf. Well, gotta go back to work. Only good news please.

That is great, great, great news.

Oh my, I am posting 2 days in a row and I really have nothing to report. It is 1:18pm now and since I only work Tues and Wed it is notw 3 hours and 42 minutes until my weekend. As you can guess, I have a tee time tomorrow, friday and monday. Am going to Long Beach Island NJ this weekend. My son has a house there and I haven't seen him and his family (4 beautiful, smart and funny grandchildren) since June. Am missing them big time. But I hate the beach, sandy pants is not my thing. So hopefully, I will kayak on sat and then leave after bfast on sunday. Never mentioned that I had a scare in June. Went in for a 'routine' colonoscopy and aspirated under sedation. Ended up in the hospital for 2 days. This is the 2nd time I have aspirated, need to research how this can be avoided. Scared the bejesus out of me. Judy, KW, where are you in NJ? Alan, some guys are jackasses and some are pussycats. But whatever, we gals like them. Judy MI, wow, wish I could fly Dr. Phil to MI and help you sort this mess out. I hope no emails, no vm's no tc's because you told him not to. I ache for you. Through absolutely no fault on your part, your relationship has changed. I think that's why the vows so for richer or poorer.......... My hope is that his fingernails have been bitten to the quick and he will welcome you with open arms and a firm resolve to sort this all out. Well I have been avoiding the bank reconciliation here in work long enough. It is the one from last March and I can not get the gosh darn thing to balance.

Haven't posted forever, been read everyday. Just lazy I guess. I was in Scotland while Eric was in USA. Glad we have that exchange program. And glad I was in the UK while the USA sweltered. I wore a hoodie the whole time, it became my uniform. Judy MI, you don't need this. You have so many physical worries, you don't need this emotional one. I don't know your husband, so this is not a direct criticism of him, BUT often men just can't handle a change to their routine. Men want their 'women' to fawn over them, to take care of their every need. Hopefully, your mini vacation wakes him up as to how much he loves you and how important you are to him. You know very well how tough it is to be a caregiver. And I do believe that us 'girls' to it better. Was in the UK for 17 days. Love English history, so it was a joy. Had been to London before, but not the rest of England or Wales or Scotland. Beautiful country. Much hillier than I expected. In work, so can't stay on. Think of you all.

How did I miss this. Great, fantastic, terrific news. May it continue.

Earl, for insurance purposes, had to have his brain MRI's at Fox Chase Cancer Center. For awhile we would go back down to Univ of Penn to see his neuro surgeon to read the films. I finally asked if they couldn't be read at Fox Chase. Absolutely, they said. Next appt. after next MRI, I asked his onc if he had the results of the scan. He said he would have to check and would come back if there was a problem. Never came back - no problem - right. WRONG. A week later Earl was demonstrating some wierd stuff. Called the arrogant you know what. OOPS, said he, there is a big problem. I don't think it made a difference in Earl's disease progression, but it sure did in our confidence level. I could go on about other incidents with this s o ?, but I just raise my own blood pressure. I saw him a few years ago in a restaurant and he was still as arrogant. He is no longer with Fox Chase, he is now at Penn.

Signs - not really any. The whole night that Earl was dying I kept telling him he was my heart. To this day, I sometimes feel my heart feel very full. Yep, I know he is there and always will be. Also, the first time he was in my 'remembered' dreams. That was a very happy experience.

Of course, I am still here. Can't leave my friends.

I am here, I am family, I am 7 years out. Not much to offer, but still so very much here.

Haven't posted for forever, feeling mighty guilty. But then again isn't an Irish Catholic Mother supposed to feel guilty all the time. Judy, the FEAR post was awesome. With your permission I would like to print it out to give to my friends with lc that do not come here. Southern Judy, I hope you get untangled ASAP, that can not be fun and must be very constricting and frustrating. Annette, Annette, Annette, what can I say. Is there no one else that you can off load the nephew from hell with for a couple of days a week. Hope your Mother's rehab is swift and successful. Me, it is just golf, golf and more golf. My tee time tomorrow is 11:15 and the temp is supposed to be 86, so I will be sweating with the oldies by the second hole. Going out to dinner with one of my lc buddies on Friday night, actually it is with my goosepooper group of which she is a member. The name comes from a short, executive course we play early on Sunday mornings which used to be covered with Canadian geese (who should be considered illegal aliens) and the appropriate stuff that geese leave behind (haha behind). We adopted the name and then also said that not only did it help our golf game but our dancing with all the crazy stepping we had to do. I am off to have dinner with my step-daughter. We have really reconnected lately and I am loving it. I do read everyday and feel very connected to you all.

Oh my, haven't posted for awhile and so much has happened. Judy KW, I have all things crossed that you start to feel better. My daughter and her family are in Port St. Lucie this week at a 'club Med???' Coming home tomorrow. Annette, I inherited my husband's son when his mother could no longer handle him. It was a time of great stress. He died last year at only 43 from all the damage he had done to his heart from drugs/alcohol. My dear Earl had great sadness about him. Judy, first you article was amazing. Being a caregiver is not for the faint of heart. However, being a wife of a retired or work at home husband is grounds for justifiable homicide. I am not having a good week. My water heater broke before I got up yesterday morning, so I took a cold shower and could not wash my hair. People in work were quite frightened. Got home from work and my laptop had died. Only 1 1/2 years old, guy in work says it is probably the power supply. I had to spend $$$ on things like a new roof, a water heater, etc. I like to spend $$$ on vacations, new clothes etc. Hahaha, not for a while. Becky - hair, Annette - hair spray = my mother once brushed her teeth with tile grout and took a hair coloring (the purple stuff that took the yellow out of gray hair) pill as a vitamin. Gotta go back to work, need to pay for the hot shower I had this morning.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay toooooooooooooooooooo maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany.

My golfing friend Barb died from lc this morning. She was a teeny weeny little thing who could drive a golf ball a country mile. I will miss her.

Love the good news.

I don't know why I don't find this depressing. Fun, joyful etc. for sure not. But I do find it very rewarding. I do get a little scared if I put me in the picture. My mission volunteering here is to make some smiles with the patients. Life is too short for all of us and I know I would like to take my last breath during a good laugh. I don't think I am irreverent and I try and play it by ear with each patient. My volunteer 'partner' does not seem to enjoy the people contact, patient or family, and prefers stocking the rooms inventory etc. Not me, I enjoy the people contact and have met some amazing people, most are calm and accepting. The hospice where I am is wonderful. Lovely rooms, each patient gets a handmade afghan which the family gets to keep. There is a kitchen with any number of snacks and goodies for the patients and their visitors. All visitors are welcome 24/7 including babies and animals. There are social workers and chaplins available. So, yes, it is a sad time, but it is done with dignity and respect.

Last night at hospice we had 8 patients, 4 of whom had lc and 3 with copd. Damn, damn, damn. We need funding and awareness. The good news is that one of my copd patients outfoxed hospice and is going HOME tomorrow. Another, left and went to a nursing home.

Prayers coming. I truly hope everything is alright.

Hi Mare, glad to see you.

My neighbor died on Sunday from lc. He was only dx'd a couple of months ago. Rest in peace Joe.

Happy Anniversary Judy and may this be the first of many, many. I really have no reason to be here, but like many, I have made too many 'friends' on this site and need to see how they are doing. Except, unfortunately, I do have 4 lady friends with lc and one is not doing well and is now on hospice. And just found out that a gentleman acquaintance has been dx'd stage 4. Thank God for Lungevity. Their spreading the awareness of lc and raising funds for research can only be good. Thank you for this post.

On sunday, the forecast for thursday, was 54 and sunny. On monday, 53 and partly sunny On tuesday, 50 and mostly cloudy On wednesday, 48 rain and possible snow showers in a.m. On wednesday I called and canceled my tee time for thursday. It is chilly in Philly. I am so sad about our NED. I truly thought he was invincible but hopefully the steroids work and ned is back here with his kindness and wisdom. Had a woman at hospice last night, mid 70's, never smoker. Only dx'd 2 days ago with stage IV with brain mets. It was very sad, the mets were doing a major job on her personality and she was very nasty to her daughter. Hate this disease. Judy I sure hope you get some relief from your tummy issues. Certainly puts a crimp in your social life. Judy North - glad you met someone else with the cold from hell. Bud, my legs hurt just reading your riding miles. Ann, today is my FRIDAY, I only work tues and wed. Good luck on your run for President, will we have to call you Madam President.