Free Beer!

Our doctor visit to see Dina was good - and bad! The good thing was that most of Mr. Indi's numbers are at least as good as last month with the exception of his PSA which has crept up from 72 to 88 - not a huge increase but going in the WRONG direction - Grrr! His hematocrit is 29.0 and his hemoglobin is 9.9 and that means that he will be able to have chemo again on Monday - another Grrrrr! His alkaline phosphatase is at 235 which indicates no significant increase in the bone cancer activity from last month - and Dina doesn't understand why he would be having so much pain if the bone cancer has not increased - a bit of a mystery that maybe Dr. J will be able to answer when he gets back from tripping around the world like a big time jet-setter!

Dina was not at all happy with the pain management schedule that we have devised. Too much Vicodin - sigh! So - she wants him to try the Dilaudid (another morphine based drug) instead of the Vicodin which is acetaminophen based and very hard on the liver. So that's what he did last night - AND - hasn't slept a wink because he's in so much pain - Grrrrr! The Dilaudid is a stronger pain killer than the Vicodin so I just don't understand why it doesn't work. I expect it can't find the part of his brain that needs to be dulled! Not surprised, really! I've long suspected that he's half brain dead! - Don't tell him I said that!

So - he's going back on Vicodin in a couple of hours because it is the only way he can get relief - I can't bear to see him in so much pain - and - he will be looking forward to more chemo on Monday - NOT!

After we got through with the docs, we went down to the shops to find his Lordship a new pair of slippers. His old pair of slippers met with a very unfortunate accident which I won't go into except to say they ended up wrapped in several layers of newspaper and stuffed at the bottom of the rubbish bin - they probably should have gone to a haz-mat site!

On our way back home from the docs, we stopped in the pizza parlor and saw Brian. He is very pleased that his lease has been extended for another year - he was in the throes of finding a new building but now has some breathing room. In celebration, he bought me and him a drink on the house - of course, Mr. Indi can't drink while on morphine so I had to drink his share. I tell you, being a primary carer, one has to make great sacrifices!

Today's pic is of a Cosmos that I took in San Diego.

Mutton Dressed Up As Lamb!

His Lordship stayed home yesterday - and I was happy for that. He had a terrible night and really needed to get some rest - although we ended up going to the local shopping center, spending pots of money, and then having lunch at a nice restaurant - Some rest!

He has wanted one of those man shoulder bags (purse) for quite a while but I haven't been able to find one until yesterday. It's quite nice - looks like a dispatch case from an outrider with the Butterfield Stage! Now all he needs are a pair of chaps and a Stetson - Hmmmm more ideas for Christmas presents!

For lunch, we ate at "The Elephant Bar" - a nice place with a jungle theme! ( Not the menu - the decor!) We have eaten there before and last time I had a delicious braised lamb shank with a lovely tomatoey gravy and nice fresh veggies - So!!! I ordered it again. Well, of course -tis never the same - this poor lamb was no spring chicken! It was chewy old mutton but it probably had a good life as it must have lived to be at least 103. Mr Indi had a stir fry sesame chicken concoction - he really enjoyed it.

Our waiter, Evan, was a sweet chap but he was more interested in my knitting - (I always take my knitting to lunch with me) - than in getting my glass of beer from the bar. He went on at great length to tell me about his Mom's many crochet projects. I was getting ready to stab him in the eye with my number 4.5mm needle when he remembered that he was a waiter and scurried off to get my drink. Cor - I was parched - shopping makes me thirsty!

Today's picture is one that I took of the rain falling in our garden on Tuesday morning. It may be the only rain we see for a while so I might frame the original!

p.s. Mr. Indi has docs this morning and we shall get the results of the latest blood tests. Fingers crossed!

Dawn of a New Day!

I just took this picture about 10 minutes ago. I thought it was apt to show a new day dawning and with any luck it is also the dawn of a new era. There are many reasons why I'm happy that Barak Obama won the election. The number one reason is that he doesn't smirk! I couldn't take any more smirking! After 8 years of watching the smirking Georgie, I was afraid we were going to get the smirking John - Arggggggg! But common sense has prevailed and the smirkers were trounced - good riddance!

I think Barak Obama will have a difficult job for the next couple of years and I don't envy him the task of cleaning up the horrible economic mess that the country finds itself in - but I think he is bright and eloquent and I do believe he cares about the nation and will bring together a team who will be well qualified to tackle the problems. Good luck to him.

Mr. Indi came home from work at about 10:00 a.m. yesterday and couldn't even carry his briefcase from the car to the house. He was doubled over with pain in both his back and his chest. He thinks that part of his problem is constipation from the morphine -(a notorious bunger-up) - and even though he has been getting plenty of bran and fruit down his neck, his visits to the loo are less than satisfactory - in fact a rabbit does a better job! So, last night he drank a half a bottle of Magnesium Citrate - a fruit laxative - in the hopes of having a good....errr.....you know what! AND, that reminded us of a very funny story.

Several years ago, my elderly uncle and his lady friend (both now gone to join the choir invisibule) came to visit us. We didn't know it but they were both chronic alcoholics (yes, even worse than me!) and used to start on the vodka at 8 in the morning. We didn't realize this as they mixed it with orange juice and drank it out of a Tupperware juice glass! At the time, my Mom was also visiting us and had been having irregularity problems. I had bought her some Magnesium Citrate to help matters along. The stuff comes in a bottle that resembles a 7-up bottle. You can guess the rest.........Uncle's lady friend ran out of orange juice and used the laxative to mix with her morning vodka! We were supposed to go to San Francisco for the day but the poor woman was stuck on the loo for about 6 hours! Let that be a lesson!

I got my car back - tis much better and I am $496 poorer. Ryan loves me!

Finally!

After 2 years of having politics for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have finally reached election day! Phew! I am so sick of it all and will be celebrating the end of the race with a couple of beers or three later this evening - I would like to say that I don't CARE who wins - but that isn't true. I do care and I hope it's Barak Obama. John McCain is a nasty, shrivelled up, forgetful old man who thinks that because he was once a POW that he is qualified to be President. Well, if his choice for VP is any indication of his judgement BWAHHHHHHHH! Silly old George Bush clone. Go back to Arizona where you belong - the country doesn't need any more Republican damage.

Here in California, we have been bombarded with propaganda against the law that made gay marriage legal earlier this year. Most of the hate is coming from the so-called religious right. They want to repeal the law and SAVE MARRIAGE. What a load of crap. There is nothing wrong with my marriage or anybody else's marriage - my marriage isn't hurt in the least if gays marry. I think people who love each other should be allowed to marry and if these so called religious folks can spout so much hate in the name of the Bible - then I'm happy to be an atheist. I don't have time for hate.

Mr. Indi has gone to work today - sometimes I just despair! I can't keep him at home. He seems to have got a fairly decent pain control schedule working and he wanted to test his ability to drive and function properly while taking morphine and Vicodin. Fingers crossed! I think he will be OK.

I have just been down to the end of the driveway to get the morning paper and it's RAINING - It is wonderful and wet and drippy and I'm so happy for my poor gasping plants. As soon as it gets light, I will take some photos of the rain!

I got word yesterday that a very kind friend of mine has just learned that her husband, who is already an invalid, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Jan, I will hold you and Tony in my heart xxxxxx

The picture is of a hanging basket I grew a couple of years ago - a pretty begonia.

She Sells Seashells......

Yesterday, the clocks went back. I got up as usual at the crack of dawn. The clock said 4:25 a.m. but as we hadn't reset the clock it was actually 3:25 a.m. Hmmmm! No wonder it was so quiet! I didn't hear a sound coming from his Lordship's room and was happy that he seemed to be getting some sleep.

So, at that time in the morning, what is a girl to do? Well, I did what any true blue knitter would do - I worked on my latest project - a lovely pink cardigan for my granddaughter. The yarn is a beautiful color called "seashell" and it has that pretty iridescence that you see on some seashells. I passed a peaceful couple of hours knitting until I heard the ghoulish tap -tap - tap coming down the hallway and I knew it was time to make him a cup of tea!

Our day was fairly quiet but I did take the rental car out for a drive down to Temecula for lunch. It's a nice little car with plenty of zip and even though I was averaging 80 mph, there were idiots passing me at 100. Must be bloody barmy! We had a nice lunch although Mr. Indi seems to have lost his appetite (probably due to the drugs) and he only wanted tortilla soup. We were back home at about 2p.m and Mr. Indi spent most of the afternoon in bed resting his back.

Today he has blood tests and I'll drive him down to the clinic at 8 a.m. He will be working from home for the rest of the day and I hope to get a bit of gardening done in this lovely cool weather ...70F today!

Today's picture is one I took last Juneish of the pier at San Clemente - as taken from behind a plastic barrier - hence the ghosts!

And the Beat Goes On.......

On a scale of crapability, we are now up to a 9!

Mr. Indi - being the great guy that he is - went to the store early yesterday morning to get milk that I needed to make a bowl of cereal because I can't take my meds on an empty stomach. And, even though he is hobbling about with his walking stick, he didn't mind a little trip to the market. He came back in the house and told me to look out of the kitchen window at the car that was parked in the driveway. YIKES! There was steam pouring out from under the hood! I HATE CARS!

The next few hours were spent calling the Auto Club - waiting for a tow - following the tow truck to the mechanic - driving to the rental car agency in Mr. Indi's heap of junk - Oh, err, I mean lovely Pontiac - waiting for a car and finally arriving back home at 11 a.m.

It will take at least until Tuesday to fix my car - blown radiator - and so I shall be driving a Mazda 6 for a few days. It's actually quite a nice car and a pretty color - greyish purplish silver - like an old ladies hair color!

We waited all day for some rain but we had nary a drip even though it seemed to be raining all around the area. Still, I'm not complaining because at least it is cooler and the clouds have blocked out that horrible big orange shiny ball thing in the sky.

Mr. Indi is still tweaking his meds schedule. He is having to take more Vicodin than before; one every 3 hours in conjunction with the morphine every twelve hours. I'm watching him closely to be sure he doesn't start zoning out on me. I shall be glad when we can discuss this drug situation with Dr. J.

I don't know what the purple flowers are. They were growing in the park in Redlands.

Tap...Tap...Tap

Mr. Indi has discovered that using a walking stick is very helpful for his back. He had been afraid that his back would go out completely and and was walking very stiffly but by using the stick, he is able to put some of his weight on it and relax a little.

My old walking stick was not in the least bit satisfactory as the duck's head handle had become wonky and wobbled up and down as you walked! It also had several nasty marks and scratches and Mr. Indi didn't feel that it fit with his debonair man-about-town image! Ehhhmm! So, off we went in search of a new stick. They had a nice one - very manly and suave - at the local Payless Drug. Mr. Indi made the young lady at the counter laugh when she cut off the information tag and was going to throw it away. He said" Wait, I need that. It's the operating instructions!" Silly old sod! It was well worth the $22 as he is feeling much more comfortable walking with it. Of course, I have to put up with the ghostly tap...tap...tap in the middle of the night - but hey de ho!

We are still keeping the log for the meds. It seems as though the regimen that we started on Thursday is working out although he tried the extra strength Vicodin and that doesn't work as well as the regular Vicodin - strange! I wonder if "time release" drugs don't work well on him? Must ask Dina or Dr. J.

Yesterday, the weather was spectacular. Grey, cloudy, a little breezy, smashing! I hope it keeps it up. Halloween was a fizzle. We get hardly any children coming to the house any more. All the neighbors kids are grown and/or moved away and because we live on an isolated cul-de-sac with no street lights, other children are afraid to come up the hill. Sad really - I miss the opportunity of being able to scare them! I now have to eat all that candy by myself!

The picture is of bromiliads at the Los Angeles County Fair.