Merry Christmas!

Well, here it is Christmas Eve already. The presents are wrapped, the apartment is pretty much clean after weeks of having paper and ribbon scattered about.
We enjoyed a quiet Christmas Eve, I finished up the shopping this morning while Bert started into baking for Christmas dinner. Then we met the kids, as Rachel and Michael were so nice to pick Michal up from her very late (or early, depends on how you look at 3 am) flight in Baltimore. We joined up down at the river to watch Santa waterskiing on the Potomac. After weeks of freezing weather, today was a beautiful 55 degree sunny day. Still not warm enough for waterskiing in DC, but it was fun to watch, even if very silly! Rachel was so smart to bring a picnic, and while everyone else fought traffic, snarling and honking in a very un-Christmas like manner, we sat in the sun and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park! Then we watch the Seahawks whoop up on the Colts, and then enjoyed a nice dinner out at our favorite steak house. A lovely Christmas Eve, all in all. The only thing missing is all of our friends and family! Hope you are all having as nice and cozy a holiday as we!

December 21st

Pay day and chemo day! Guess the good comes with the bad....finished my last round of A/C drugs today, uneventfully. Feeling good, other than those same annoying side effects. Now its my fingers, tips are kinda numb and full of little ouchies. No big deal, but this dang cold weather doesn't help. Woke up to 20 degress this morning, no wonder everyone is complaining of dry skin, not just me.

Monday night Rachel and Michael came over, and helped us rearrange the apartment. Beginning to make room for Rae to move in when Michael heads off to Seattle in January. And we put our nice little Christmas tree up, but now I can feel it staring at me, waiting for ornaments! It has lights, and our little glass raindrops that remind us we are still Northwesterners at heart!

Last night we went to the movies, and as always happen in movies, the snow started falling right on Christmas Eve, and it was beautiful and snowy on Christmas day. Well, life ain't the movies is it, cause we are scheduled to warm to 50 degrees on Saturday and have rain on Christmas. Doesnt seem fair, after we have had one of the coldest Decembers on record here in No. Virginia. Oh well, Michal will arrive EARLY Saturday morning (1:30 am!) and Michael and Rachel will be here, so let it rain! We will all be cozy and warm here by the fire, all together, and I suppose I will get the tree decorated by then!

Friday December 16th

Another week gone by, and we are having an eventful Friday night (not), so seems like a good time to blog.

Michals friend Lisa sent me a nice new hat to keep my head warm, which arrived just in time for our 15 degree day.

Last Saturday, we stayed home all day, and then went so far as a movie Saturday night, and then Bert made me pancakes for dinner! Yummie on my sometimes particular tummy. Sunday Rachel, Katy, Meghan and I went wedding dress shopping. What a work out some of those dresses are! We ruled out all the dresses that are too heavy to lift off the rack, and all dresses where the train was longer than Rachel is tall~ that still leaves many many more dresses to sort through before any kind of decision is made. Then a big night of pizza, beer, football and West Wing at Rachel's house. Wow, do we know how to show Meghan a good time when she comes to town!

Had a quiet week, mostly because I am having a new side effect, sore feet!
By Monday my feet hurt really bad, and by Wednesday, I finally broke down and made a Dr. appt. But, with snow on Thursday, I finally went today, and the nurse told me not much for it but to suffer through it, and in 30 days or so, it will be fine. Thanks for nothing! She did prescibe that I put ice on the bottoms, and tonight they actually feel much better. Not ice, actually, but frozen vegetables! Bert says best use for lima beans!

Today was our staff holiday lunch. John took us all to downtown DC, and invited our significant others, and we had a very nice lunch and ate way too much, which is really why we are home doing nothing tonight. We had lobster and oysters and shrimp and that was just the appetizer. Everyone was there (we are such a big staff at 6!), so it was very nice.

Tommorrow, I am going to a day spa for a full massage! Looking forward to that.

December 8th

Knocked out the 3rd chemo round yesterday, so home today being lazy, and actually feel so good I am feeling guilty I am not doing more.

Berts and my 26th wedding anniversary today, so we snuck out tonight and had a quiet celebration at our local restaurant when Bert got home from work. The little 21 year old waitress told us we must have been high school sweethearts- ha, course it got her a big tip!

Spent Monday and Tuesday up in Boston, visiting ferry operators and Coast Guard. It was cold there, but they did not get the predicted snow so I was happy to get home earlier than expected on Tuesday night. Have to go back to Boston some time when I am not busy working, and see all the sights, especially Salem.

Snow here tonight, coming down pretty good after false warnings all week. No commute tomorrow, have to stay home again, so let it snow! Just so we can get to the airport tomorrow night and pick up Meghan, who is coming from Atlanta for the weekend!

December 4th

A whole week went by, and and got lots done this week, but none of it was blogging! A busy work week and busy weekend getting ready for Christmas. Even went out to dinner with friends Friday night. Today we went to our favorite Christmas event here in the DC area, the holiday sing along at WolfTrap Park. The Marine Corps band plays, and Bert, Rachel and I all sing really loudly and really badly! Oh, and ring bells during Jingle Bells. Bert always makes hot buttered rum, and Rachel got holiday cookies, but it was cold!! No snow, but felt like it could. Snow forecast for tomorrow.
I am off to Boston for two days, and then scheduled for chemo This Wednesday (round 3).

Had my blood work and Dr. check up last Friday. All was great, Anne says I am making this look really easy. Worst thing I had to report was heartburn. Which seems important when it was going on, trust me!
What do you think of the new hair?

Thanksgiving

A great Thanksgiving celebration was had by all as you can see! Bert's sister Mary and her husband Ron joined us, and of course our Mikie was home for the celebration. Only one missing was Michael, who spent the holiday with his family in Connecticut, but we were lucky enough to keep Rachel home with us. We had a great day of feasting, Bert did a fabulous job of cooking, and I had a big nap while all the work was going on.

After dinner we went to the movies. A great day over all.

Tuesday, 22 November

Dr. check up today went great. Results from the CBC (full panel of blood tests) looks great. No problem with white blood cells, no depressed immunity. Thats good since everyone else around me seems to have a cold! Got a flu shot today, too. Dr. said if I had an easy time with the nausea the first time, it shouldn't get much worse. So, I am ready for the next round of chemo tomorrow!

Friday November 18th

What a busy week. Or maybe it just feels that way since it was the first week I think I have work five full work days. Not a single doctors office, no going home early. Amazing how great it is to feel normal. Plus, the work week was demanding and busy, didn't feel like anyone was keeping work from me, to be certain I didn't "over do" it!

Went out last night to movie and dinner with my friend Trisha. Saw Prime, don't bother. It was funny that it was only 2 of us in the theatre, so we could gab whenever we wanted. Then went out after the movie with other friends for cocktails and stayed out til midnight! Ain't I something!

Getting ready for Turkey Day! Only 5 days till Michal arrives!

wednesday, cold Weather 11/16

OK, so in spite of Rachels lessons on how to Blog, you can see I am having trouble getting the hang of it. Tried to change the heading on my entry, and ended up posting only the headings! I will have to get a second lesson from Rae.

Finally, Wednesday, winter arrived in Northern Virginia. When I left for work today, it was 75. When I got home, it was raining to beat the band, and 40 degrees. Felt so good I went back to my volunteer group tonight, and helped pack 2200 backpacks for local school kids. The city figures that for many of these kids, the book inside is the only book that these kids own! Pretty amazing in a county where the average home price is something like $800K. The project was fun, and its nice to be busy and normal. Beth's Blog

one week since first medically approved poisoning

Beth's Blog

Beth's Blog

Tuesday, November 15th

Feeling great today.

I get a shot 24 hours after each chemo dose, to make me produce white blood cells. They gave me a 15 minute, I think, description of all the side effects, and how my bones would be all achy and sore on Sunday and Monday. Made it thru both days without a twinge. My only complaint today is the hot flashes caused by the medications, and since it is 75 degrees, in spite of being the middle of November, I keep complaining that the apartment is too dang hot!

First Chemo Treatment!

Mom had her first chemo treatment on Wednesday morning. She had to be at the hospital at 9am and didn't leave until 1pm! They fed her soda and crackers and let her listen to Harriet the Ipod, and she stayed warm under the nice blanket knitted by Joanna. All of the nurses were jealous of the beautiful handknitted blanket!

She spent the last two days feeling a little tired but mostly good. She's taken a lot of naps and a lot of drugs to counteract any nausea or sickiness.

Dad and Rachel and Michael are taking great care of her!

Thanks for all the cards and notes - its great to have all your support!

Looking Hot!

Here's Mom doing what she does best - being in charge!

Beth's Blog

Hello Friends and Family! Here's a great spot to find out the latest news on what's going on with Beth!