Patty's epic adventure

  Saturday 10/30/21 It’s been two weeks since I posted anything. I regret that. I want to be able to look back on this blog as a diary, of sorts. I want to remember this year. I don’t want to forget. We had a lovely trip with my little brother and his wife to Branson. I had a wonderful time and I felt like I got plenty of rest. However, I slept 18 hours when we got home. I rested up for four days and then David took me to Las Vegas. Stacy was out there and I wanted to see her, so we made the trip. The flight on Southwest was absolutely horrible. They delayed our flight three times and then they canceled it. I was so mad. We didn’t get to the hotel until 1:30 in the morning. I went up to the room and slept quite often, but once again, I was still exhausted when we got home. We landed in 50 mile an hour winds. It was quite a ride. When we finally pulled up into our driveway, it was obvious that the neighbors had cleared the branches off of our driveway so that we could pull in. We fo...

  10/11/21 It's Monday!  Everyone loves  Mondays, right?  I had a nice weekend.  Friends kept popping over, inviting me over, feeding me, etc.  I got over the wicked crap from last week and just about all that's left is fatigue and a sore arm.  However, there's no way to know if it's from one of the vaccinations or just leftover from radiation.  I don't care.  I feel like a new person - sorta.  Not quite.  Well, ok, a little bit new.  Now that I think about it..... I still feel old, so, nevermind. I even went to town with David today and he got me a new lawn chair rocker.  My old one busted and I love to sit in one when we take the RV somewhere.  It was only about 15 years old..... reckon it was time to toss it.  David got one, too.  They're maroon.  Aggie maroon.  He's still flying high after the game on Saturday when they beat Alabama.  He came home in a really good mood! My MRI is tomorrow ...

  10/8/21 I haven't written for a few days because I was asleep.  Yes, that's correct.  I slept the past 3 days.  I got a flu shot and a pneumonia vaccination on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.  My arm got so. very. sore. from the pneumonia shot and it bled and bled.  It was still bleeding at 7 p.m. that night and I was sporting a beautiful hematoma.  I was soooo tired.  It was freakin' unbelievable.  I had a headache and then my joints started to hurt.  Good golly.  They were bad.  Then the chills began.  They were uncontrollable.  I was shaking so hard I couldn't even take a drink.  I went to bed and David had to keep piling on blankets and quilts.  My face was very hot, but my hands and feet were like ice.  My temperature rose to 2/10th of a degree short of my needing to call the hospital.  I was totally confused and talking to no one.  Then the nausea set in.  David helped me get a coupl...

  10/5/21 Well, it's October 5th.  This is my one year anniversary.  Pretty sad anniversary, tho.  I found the swollen lymph node one year ago today.  My Epic Adventure began on that day.  I had absolutely no idea what my next year would be like.  It's a good thing, I reckon, because I don't believe I would have made the same decisions.  Let that sink in. My life has changed drastically.  Forever.  Without my missing 43 lymph nodes, I am sorely restricted with the things I can do.  It's truly unfortunate and it brings my spirits down - sometimes in leaps and bounds.  I take 14 different medications every single day, many of them twice a day.  That doesn't include creams and eye stuff.  That's just oral medications.  I try to keep my attitude up as much as I can.  Some days, I'm just not that strong.  The good days are what keeps me going.  That, and the promise of a somewhat decent retirement with ...

  10/1/21 I went to 3 appointments at MD Anderson today. Was there from 7:30 to 11.  Long morning.  David dropped me off and came back to pick me up.  We are staying at Courtney’s house this weekend since we’re down here. I did pretty well at the pulmonary tests, but I have a pleural effusion in my left lung.  That’s fluid between the chest wall and the lung.  The cause can be infusion of liquids during hospitalization, radiation, and cancer.  Gee, which one do I choose?  We will just watch it for now, but that can also be the reason for my cough.  So, with my screwed up esophagus and that, it’s no wonder I’m coughing. I get short of breath a lot, so now we know why. I will have more X-rays to follow it. It’s Friday. Everyone be careful tonight. I heard there’s a DUI checkpoint, down the hallway, between the kitchen and the bathroom. Stay safe.