Trick or Treat

Yesterday I got the treat of taking Jack trick or treating at the Aquarium. We had a good time once we were there, but since the summer when Jenn was sick, Jack hasn't wanted to be anywhere his parents weren't. They say that it is a phase that he's going through, but I'm not so sure. I think he is afraid that it's going to happen again. After we got home and Jack had his nap, we were playing with the pillows on the couch. Jack decided to get his nubby frog pillow from his bed. When he brought it into the living room it triggered a memory of the night he had trouble sleeping and he and I slept in the living room. I was surprised that he wanted to talk about it. I reassured him that Mommy was only taking a class today and would be home by supper. After that he was fine. I think the fear that Mommy is going away again has been worrying him.

The Shirts Other People Wear

I was at a restaurant for lunch and a woman walked in wearing the funniest pink tee shirt I've ever seen. It said

"Of course they're fakes, my real ones tried to kill me!"

I haven't laughed that hard at a shirt in a long time.

Eenie, Minnie, Minee, Mo

I went to a lunch and learn at work last week about sleep apnea. The doctor who gave the talk was friendly and funny, but he didn't present anything new or exciting. He did however, bring a lot of literature about his organization. One of the brochures in the folder that he passed out to everyone was about a doctor associated with his group that specializes in weight loss. The brochure was nice but pointed to her web site that I think is magnificent.

This is what I think is so good about it. For the most part, if you are searching for a doctor and you don't have a referred physcian, then you have to go to your insurance providers website and hunt find what doctors are in-network. Then you go on google or bing and do a search of that doctor. If you are lucky, the doctor will put up a web site that will give you basic information about the practice like this site, and if you aren't you end up having to trust sites like this one. Don't get me wrong, I personally agree with the high recommendation that they gave this particular doctor. But then, I don't know anything about the people who did that rating and you know, we could have very different oppinions about the same things. Basic information about a practice gives me a heads up sometimes, but I would like to know more about a doctors treatment philosophy and personality before I sign on as a patient. In Dr. Beasley's web site she answers most of the questions that I would want to know before I ever have to pick up a phone and call her. There is the important information like office location and hours and what insurances are accepted. But then she tells me what to expect when I come for the first visit, and what to expect at follow-up visits and what a likely follow-up will be. She also tells me the methods she thinks are appropriate for care. And she tells me what not to expect. I tell you, I trusted her before I picked up the phone.

I wish all doctors could do a web site like Dr. Beasley's. It would make it so much easier when I'm looking for a doctor. I could avoid wasting everyone's time by looking for things I think are great and for things that I think are deal breakers.

I made an appointment with Dr. Beasley in a couple of weeks, and I will let you know how it goes. Unless it doesn't work out and then since I've already spread her name around and I couldn't keep it anonymous, I'd probably just not say much.

Deleted Post

You may have notice that the last post was deleted. After re-reading it I realized that it wasn't what I wanted to say at all, though the jist was correct. I have been contemplating changing the theme of this blog. I started blogging years ago when I was going through a divorce and needed to vent. After a few years, my life changed and the blog then changed course to reflect the things that I was going through like my son being in Iraq, and being a single mother. Then I found out I had breast cancer, and my blog was filled with the details of treatment and the emotion of having cancer. But somehow mid-way through treatment, someone hacked into that blog site and my blog was deleted with numerous others. In the aftermath of losing that many transitional years of blogging, I changed over to blogger and the pink tee shirt was born. But now, well, breast cancer will always be here. It doesn't go away after the treatment stops. But it isn't the all powerful lion stalking every room like it used to be. Now it is more a slumbering calico in the corner. Lately my blog is filled more with my children and grandchildren than anything having to do with cancer. Not that we can't fill a mediblog even with cancer quietly napping. Jack's hemophilia, Jenn's diabetes, our flaky hearts, just to name a few. I'm wondering now what direction this blog should take. I'm thinking something along the lines of "Swimming in the murky end of the gene pool". But that seems a little harsh.

I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out

One of the perks of my job is that every now and then I have access to cheap or free tickets to sports events. Last night I went with Tim and Jenn and Lizzie to an Atlanta Thrashers game. Atlanta lost miserably, but the game was fun and we had a good time. It is just good to spend time with family every now and then.

Eye Candy

Clifton is my first grandson. I think that because I have known him longest he has a special place in my heart. But then Jack is so like Tim and Lizzie, and he is so funny and so out there that he has a special place in my heart. Then there's Anthony...He smiles and kicks his legs when he see's me. He says Nanna over and over again because he knows it gets my attention. Yes, he has a special place in my heart. I will use vacation time to care for them. I sit on the floor to play with them. I listen to them "read" to me...over the phone.

Sleeping the day away

A five year old, a toddler, four adults a TV going and a bathroom ceiling falling in and sleeping beauty is still napping. Amazing what a determined teen can sleep through.

Silence Broken

The silence was broken by hundreds of excited family members waiting on a field, screaming to welcome their soldiers home. They marched onto the field and sang a few songs. The families were then released to find their soldier. Matt is home. He could not wait to see his boys and even was willing to use the excuse of a needed diaper change to wake up a sleeping toddler that he had to leave before his birth. Matt is home. The world is set right if just for one night.

WAITING

Sitting on the bleachers on the field, waiting for the soldiers of the 1-64 3rd ID to return from Iraq, and there is a party going on.
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Sent from my Virgin Mobile.

Blessed Silence

A few days ago I told my son that I needed him to shut up. I wasn't being ugly or mean. But I really needed to see that he no longer was able to get on the internet. The reason, if he's not on the net he's on a plane and on his way home. Tuesday his facebook account went silent. We heard nothing from him yesterday and today again, he isn't on the web. Tomorrow I will drive down to Hinesville after work. My grandson is excited because I'm going to visit with him. He doesn't know yet the surprise that is waiting for him. I will be glad to be eclisped by my son, because he will be home.

We Have a Date

We have a date and I know better than to give it out. But this time it seems hard and fast and I am making plans to be on the air field. Hoohah!

Time to turn the town pink

It's October already and time to turn everything around us pink so that people will be aware of breast cancer. I can't say that before I was diagnosed I was particularly aware of anything about breast cancer, but that came to a rather shocking halt. The October that I was in treatment, I found it annoying to be surrounded by pink ribbons every where. I remember picking up a package of toilet paper and thinking "Great! I even have to wipe my butt with pink ribbons!"

Here in Atlanta, we do pink very well. The buildings in this picture are known as the king and queen buildings. Every October the crown on the queen building is lit pink in to bring awareness to breast cancer. The building just behind the queen building, Northside Hospital, will don a huge pink ribbon. I find it ironic that I spent 4 months of chemotherapy stareing out of the infusion center window looking at the king and queen buildings and Northside was were I had my surgery. So bring on the pink, Light up the building and we will all be walking around town dressed in all our pink finery for the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk and the Atlanta 3-Day. I think awareness is a fine thing if it reminds one woman to get a mammogram and her cancer is found early enough to cure it, or it encourages a young woman to disregard her doctors nonchalance and insist on a mammogram and a biopsy when she finds a lump. Yes, awareness can be good.