Addie

Didn't get around to writing the Decadron limerick today...but here is an old one. First I gotta ask you if anyone is aware of what "boyfriend pants" are? My understanding is they are panties for females but the cut of them is sorta like men's underwear. Obviously for the younger crowd... Those of you with teenage girls probably know exactly what boyfriend pants are. Anyway, the first time I heard mention of them...I wrote and posted this on another message board I frequent: I’m intrigued by these things, “boyfriend pants” If I knew what they were, would I chance.. Trying to wear them? It seems That to cover my “beams” With “boyfriends”, might alter my stance! I’ve been wearing my briefs for so long That even bikinis feel wrong And I’d surely not dare To wear men’s underwear Or be caught dead displaying a thong! Yet still, “boyfriend pants” sound appealing I wonder, are they quite revealing? It would be rather fun To have one for each bun Based upon which two boyfriends I’m stealing! I can see myself clad in Brad Pitt I think he’d be a wonderful fit But then, who’d take bun two? And just what would I do If it happened I needed to sit? If I wear “boyfriend pants” must I stand? For the rest of my life, rather than Being seated or prone, And never alone, Cuz two guys are attached to my can? It all seems just too much to dare As attire for my derriere Plus, two boyfriends, I figure Make a butt look much bigger And folks would be likely to stare! So I’ll stick with my briefs for a while Never mind if they’re not much in style They don’t ride up or pinch But they cover each inch And laugh less at my butt, than some guy’ll !!

Oh, Susan...what a wonderful tribute to Rachel. It makes me think someone like you - a best friend - either wrote it or helped to write it. Rachel truly was as lovely inside as we all thought her to be, here. Thanks for posting this. She'll be missed all over the country and we lost her much too young.

Even if it WASN'T I was still gonna have my two oversized mugs of it daily. It kick-starts my brain! And they used to just say it was bad for us. Sheesh! I do know a gal who was drinking 20 cups of it a day, though~! She started having some real gut issues and the first thing the doc told her was to GET OFF THE COFFEE. Can't imagine drinking so much. Water, maybe...coffee, no.

Which time? When I woke up at 11:30? 1:30? 3:15? 5:30 or the last time at around 7: when I had the charley horse in my left calf??? That last time....you don't wanna KNOW what I thought OR said! The Evil Decadron lives...in terms of my sleep pattern. I'm doing fine in my battle against cancer...but the dang steroids might do me in!

And I thought I was chatty! Congrats Don...and I think this puts you solidly in the lead for the most posts with the best support/advice per post. Your good words and support are always appreciated!!

Fay...glad you're out of the "horse piddle" as my DH likes to call it...and home for a bit to rest and get stronger. I know you can do it...and I WILL be around on 9/7 to send up lots of good thoughts and vibes on your behalf! The best laid plans sometimes don't work out the way we think/hope they will...but just know you've got a lot of people here who'll continue to hold you in our thoughts till ALL of this is behind you and you're home again, feeling pretty chipper! But I really think the hospital sent you home because of all the chicken sh*t in the parking lot...ya know? Pink bus or not...the Chicken Cult ain't always very tidy!

Ginny and I are on the same wave lenght....hemorrhoids was my first thought too! Lisa, we're in Newtown. Not too far from you. I know Sharyn is in Milford and Ellen and Len (elnodel) are somewhere near the sound too, I think. World keeps getting smaller, doesn't it? I may have time to work on my limerick form poem this afternoon....if I don't fall asleep. But I will post it when I finish it and will TRY my hardest not to make it too raunchy!

Actually, Ginny.....I was awake in the middle of the night Sat. or Sun. (can't remember which night as I'm awake in the middle of ALL of them anymore ) and was writing a limerick in my head! I got up to use the throne....and wrote down what was in my head...IN the dark. I can actually still read it...but unfortunately the first line of the limerick was gone by the time I used the facilities and started to write it down. Need to resurrect that first line and then I'm off and running! BTW, Gin....there is a PM I sent you in response on the 21st I think...which YOU have not read yet. Check your inbox...okay? It was pre-Decadron so it may not be too funny...but will be sincere!

Terrific shrinkage!! Hope it continues until it's ALL GONE!! Keep us posted, okay?

For this fabulous news, Gail...I am now handing your pork chop back to you to hold for yourself....since it NO LONGER REPRESENTS ANY WORRY ABOUT TEST RESULTS!! I hope you celebrated this great news??? Either here in Cin's pub....or better yet, in reality!! Edited...as I got ahead of myself (or behind myself ) and addressed this to Joanie, not Gail. Had to correct it. Sorry Gail...but I'm no less pleased to hear the news!!

How'd I miss this great news last night? Oh I know....I was sleeping Congrats, girl!! You and Doc Witta ROCK!! Keep that good news comin'!! Hugs....

Bless your heart, Leslie. I just had chemo and rad yesterday...not a big procedure like our Cindi. Actually I updated last night on my "Doubling up" thread. I will only get chemo for TWO days this cycle instead of THREE in an effort to keep my counts from tanking. So after today, I'm done with the onc for this cycle! But prior to chemo yesterday my numbers were pretty good...especially the white count. They did NOT give me any Decadron yesterday by infusion...so I'm still just on the 4 mgs. oral... which last night had me up about 5 times. Every two hours from the time I piled into bed - which was sorta early. Then my early morning was capped off by a horrendous Charley horse in my left calf about 5:30 this morning. So...I'm a bit draggy this morning...and despite my best efforts NOT to nap yesterday (so that I COULD sleep at night) I have a feeling I'm gonna do some sofa time today. No biggie. It's just this awful oral Decadron THAT I CAN'T WAIT TO GET OFF OF (or for you, Kasey, "Off of which I can't wait to get!" ) The stuff doesn't have me quite as wired as I was when my dosage was 8 mgs. daily...but man, is it terrible stuff? I might have to write a poem about the Evil Decadron. Would you all like that?

Hoping the 2 wk. break and lowered dose turns out to be the magic bullet for Mike. Keep us posted..once he starts back up again. Good thoughts coming his/your way.

Well, today went well enough that I've not napped since I got home...AND I ate a Big Mac for lunch too! They didn't give me any more Decadron by infusion...so I'll just get my 4 mgs daily this cycle. BUT...this will be a short cycle...only two days of chemo instead of three...because my onc is worried that with radiation too...my bloodcounts will tank. So this cycle only, I'll get only 6 mgs of the Topo instead of 9 mgs. and I won't be getting the Neulasta shot on day 4. My counts were good before today's chemo...and that is after 6 days of rad. WBCs were 15....5 over the top of the normal range. Platelets were close to 300 and my RBCs, HGB and HCT are always a bit low, but not dangerously so. I got an Aranesp shot today to keep the red cells from going lower. So...feeling good so far! And instead of having to go in 4 days this week...after tomorrow, no more chemo...just rad. every day. Many thanks for all your good vibes and wishes...as it's keeping me afloat more than you know! Focus on our Pubmaster now....okay? We need to get Cindi back behind the bar where she belongs. No more of this lollygagging in a hospital bed being pampered....ya know?

Tomorrow is day 6 for WBR and day 1 of cycle 10 of Topotecan, IF my counts are good enough to start the chemo. And I'm hoping they will be because the chemo is doing a good job of keeping the liver tumors stable and I don't want to have to postpone the chemo. So...I know we'll all have our "hands" full tomorrow with Cindi's talc procedure, for one..and good thoughts going out in many directions....but if you have a vibe or two to send my way for good blood counts...I'll be grateful for them. Hope everyone's week goes well...and even if it doesn't start out so well...by week's end, I'll be hoping for an upswing for everyone here.

Yes, ma'am, $12. is a very reasonable price. Our town Welcome Wagon did a cook book....oh, 18-20 years ago. We chose the plastic spiral for the binding...and as I remember the charge was $10. then! So $12. is quite reasonable. Thanks for all your hard work, Andrea.

Spring....as it's renewal....the cycle begins again. Fall is lovely and I AM in N.England, after all...but after 22 yrs here, spring is now my favorite. Which is better....chocolate sauce or caramel/butterscotch sauce?

I think in football, they call that broken field running, Cin! And you just do as much dodging and snake-like moves as you can girl...to keep on ducking those bullets. Thanks for the very complete explanation of the procedure, too...because otherwise I really had no clue what a talc procedure is...OR what VATS means. Do ya ever get the feeling that you could hang out your own shingle for all you're starting to understand about this disease, whether or not you EVER wanted to know it? Many, many good thoughts will be with you tomorrow, Cindi. 5 days in, huh? Well...better they keep a close eye on you than not...but sure hope to hear something asap that all went well and you're on the mend. Remember....DON'T WORRY!

Aw, crud. It's tough to get your mind all wrapped around surgery, only to have it postponed. The up side, is that you'll be heading home. But I hope things work out so that they can do what needs to be done for you, Fay...and then you can again return home and stay put, eh? Yes, you should be getting a pile of mail even after you leave the newly renamed Duarte Chicken Cult Hospital and Pub (well, Debi, Ry and Cindi DO have a lot of influence, you know? ) Hope that cute guy from Chippendales has good legs too, as he jogs on over to your place to deliver it! Keep us updated, Fay, please? You are such a good advocate for yourself...that I learn from you all the time.

You didn't realize how much you'd be missed???? Sheesh, Dougie....we thought you well understood how much we enjoyed your journal entries and looked forward to them. You take them away from us...we're gonna get surly! I, too, am so sorry to hear about your friend...and also sorry your scan reports weren't ALL good. But I sincerely hope they were MOSTLY good and that you are hanging on to your humor and upbeat approach to all of this. A nice cruise on the S.S.Remission sounds wonderful...and I hope you don't mind if I "borrow" that phrase and pass it along to a friend. She's been battling a relapse of breast cancer from 11 yrs ago, for the past 3-4 yrs....doing well enough that she and hubby are spending a week at a time on their sailboat this summer!! I bet she'd love the name, even though she's not fully in remission....YET! We look forward to your return and your journal entries. Next time you need to take a break from here...just ask Ry for a hall pass. She will FINE you if you don't, you know! P.S. Your brother sounds like a great guy...but I bet you already know that.

You know what they say, Oliver? You can live on "stable" for a long time!! My liver tumors are being kept stable too...after a 50% reduction from the first three cycles of chemo. I start cycle 10 on Monday!! No ill effects (unless you consider having a head that looks like a baby duckling's arse an ill effect! ) and soon as they get rid of the little buggers in my brain...I'll be looking forward to Christmas too...this coming one AND the next! Glad to hear your good report AND that they will keep a close eye on you to make sure things stay the way they are!!

Darlin' Fay... FINALLY, I find this thread that says you'll be "in" for a month. Can't believe I missed it before. I'm hoping they are erring on the side of caution when they spewed out that time frame...and that it turns out to be much shorter than a month. Not to again use a chicken reference but you're one tough bird and my money is on you for getting sprung sooner! Why did Fay cross the road? To get away from the green jello!!!!!!!! Do what you need to do and take good care of yourself until the Pink Chicken Cult Bus gets there with reinforcements...alright?

Congrats. Having spent the last 34 yrs. surrounded by an over-abundance of testosterone...I had to wait for my future DIL to feel like I finally have a girl. But feel it, I do. Just think...while the boys are out getting dirty, finding frogs and playing any game that has a ball included in the equipment....you and your daughter can head for the mall or do more girly things. Such fun. Best of both worlds. Congrats again...

Go ahead, Ry.....fine his butt....that'll teach him! Lissen up, Doug...you do this to us again and put such a strain on our worries...and we'll troop out there in Fay's pink bus and toilet paper your front yard, ya hear? Am very glad to hear all is well...but you better have SOME KINDA GOOD EXCUSE for disappearing like this. We can't wait to hear it.... (imagine the sounds of many feet tapping, impatiently)

As the old saying goes..."Mama said there'd be days like this. She just didn't tell me they'd sometimes last for weeks!" Hope your bad day is LONG gone by the time Monday rolls around again, Ann. Enjoy the weekend...even if it takes an extra Margarita or two to do it! (Have one of the extras for me...since I've been forced onto the wagon for the time being. I keep saying GIDDYUP!!!!!!!!!! but no drink appears. )