Looking out my window...

Doggy Tales

You know how cat or dog lovers (mostly cat) send around pictures or videos that show just how cute or smart or talented their animals of choice are.

Well. I received the pictures below. I have to admit they are cute. Photographs of dogs who had been left alone to their own devices. Enjoy them. Do they bring any old memories to the surface?

 

 This nice doggy apparenty didn't like the wallpaper.

 

 

This little puppy dog dug a nice nest into that $300 bed he got for Christmas.

 

 

And "Why can't we all just get along!"

 

 

 

I'm afraid to ask where the rest of her is.

This is a recent memory of mine. I had bought the Chief a million Pink Heart Peeps for Valentine's Day this year. One of his pure sugar delights. Apparently our dog Copper found them delightful, too.

 

 Pink Heart Peeps off the table and on the floor.

 

Pink Heart Peeps now outside the bags.

 

 

 

Despite the Chief's foot tapping on the floor, Copper continues to clean up after himself and get all those little bits of Pink Heart Peeps.

 

   

Just a reminder of how cute Copper is. It's how he gets to stay with us. Despite his eating the Chief's Pink heart Peeps.


But, that's not all. I have two memories of past dogs. Mutts rescued from the pound back in the Chicago Seven days. I had this nice mutt called Bo. We lived in a very old apartment in Old Town, Chicago. The walls were plaster. One day, returning from work, I found that Bo had eaten the plaster in the bedroom right down to the lathe. That same dog also tore up the lineolium in the kitchen one day.

A glutten for punishment, I got another dog from the pound, a cute little terrier we named Diddle. Bo and Diddle became good friends. But, with similar destruction tendencies. We had refloored the dinning room with parque flooring. And, one day upon return we found that poor little Diddle had diarrhea and poop in virtually every square. Not only that, he had chewed through some wiring and pooped on that. What a surprise to find the chewed liquid poop wet wire hissing and sparking.  Quite a sight.

I suppose some people would have given up and taken those dogs back to the pound. On the other hand, how often do parents take their kids who run away, or get into trouble, or flunk school, or drive while drinking (fill in your experience) and drop them off at their Birth Hospital E.R.?

Mother's Day Video for 2012

 

I just received an email from a dear friend.  Attached, is what I think wins the 2012 Award for Birder Videos. It seems, to me, to be the best video a mother could watch on Mother's Day.

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers I know and love. Even the feathered ones.

One day a Robin made a nest in a hanging plant. The owner of the plant moved it to a tree and taped it for all to enjoy."

 

 

"Robins: 4 Eggs, 4 Weeks"   

 

 

 

 

Truth in Advertising: Cancer Isn't Pretty

You know, a while back, I showed you my self-drawn, self-portrait showing off my rubenesk body with black spots indicating the Cancer on my bones.

I thought it through further and decided it didn't show you the real me and how Cancer can be ugly.

I should admit the outline of the form is one I created in High School Art Class. It was a sculpture. And was my prediction of how I felt about my body then, and how I thought it would look in my old age at 40.

I was a little off on the age part. And the pair of boobies. Other than that, it was very close to its prediction of the future. 

The Real Me             A Self-Portrait by SW Jensen

 

 

And for those of you who want to know what my sculpture looks like, well I still have it.

 

Self-Sculpture How I Look To Myself          by Sharon W Jensen

Little Robin Redbreast

In case you haven't figured it out yet, LOL, I have Breast Cancer Metastasis to Bone.

Even funnier, my husband The Chief, aka Bob, has been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. Hmm, maybe we should start our own Clinic!

Fortunately for him, and me, his cancer has  been caught at a very early stage and so he is bound to be cured. The doctor has given a couple of treatment choices, which Bob is considering.

My status right now is okay. Yesterday, and so far today, I have not had to take any extra pain meds. I have brushed my teeth standing up with little or no pain, as well as walked to the kitchen and back with no trouble. I hope this continues, but one never knows, do one.

I tried to lessen the number of "stool softeners" I take because I don't care for their side effects (uncontrolable little bubbley pops). But instead I went through two days of hellish constipation. I seem to be back where I should be today.

Sometime in May or June I will have another CT Scan of my bones, and I think, an MRI of my innards. After six months of treatment we want to see how those nasty intruders are doing. I'm hoping for a complete remission. But, knowing better, I will be happy if there aren't any more than there were to begin with.

Spring, the season of rebirth, is definitely here. I have been able to get back to my home office (out of my bed) and take photographs of the birds I love and the surrounding flora.

And to prove it I will show you a series of photos I've taken of a new Robin in our neighborhood. He appears to be young because his feathers are poofy, and his breast has markings that won't be there when he is an adult.

Robin About To Bathe                Photograph by Sharon W Jensen

Robin Falling into Bath                Photography by Sharon W Jensen

Robin Regaining Composure in Bath       Photo by Sharon W Jensen


Robin Enjoying Bath                      Photograph by Sharon W Jensen

Robin Splashing Water With Wings    Photo By Sharon W Jensen

Robin Getting Ready To Leave   Photograph by Sharon W Jensen

Robin Taking Off in Fog               Photograph by Sharon W Jensen

 

And for our finale:

Prairie Fire Crabapple Tree In Bloom     Photo by Sharon W Jensen

Hope everyone is enjoying the season, where ever you are.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Pain of Fibromyalgia.

I've been holding off on writing a new post. Because, I haven't been feeling well for over a week now. I really didn't want to share that with you. Frankly, I didn't want to share it with my self. But...

I'm not perfect. I decided to let you in on that secret. For the most part, I've been doing well in keeping my "happy, calm, and joyfull" mantra on a daily basis. But, not lately. A contributing factor has been some problems in the world of family. And that's all I'm saying 'bout that.

More importantly, I've been having, once again, problems with insomnia. And that tends to make me cranky. However, what has been the hardest is dealing with pain levels (8 out of 10) that are normally under pain pill control.

This is not to say I don't have fun once in a while. The Chief often breaks out in laughter in response to something I've said. Sometimes I've meant to be funny, but sometimes I didn't.

The thing about the pain is it reminds me that I'm sick with Breast Cancer Mets to the Bone. One of those diseases with no cure. But, then again, all the diseases I have are without a cure:

Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Hypothyroidism, Hypertension, Renal Failure, Lymphadema, and so forth.

So, there's the Bad and Ugly. What about the good?

 

Well, the Good is that winter is over. After three straight days of 80 degree weather I turned on the air conditioner...yeeha! The birds are back. So far we have seen our Robins return, along with the Finches, the Mourning Doves, the Cardinals, and a Chickadee.

And The Chief brought me spring flowers in bloom...first Daffodils, and currently Hyacinths.

And we are thinking of watching a second time the DVDs for the series Doc Martin. It's hysterical.

And I've been able to sign lots of petitions to fight against those Republicans (apologies to any Republican friends I might have) trying to take away women's rights.

Writing about the good things just made me feel better. Now ain't that a stitch!

 
Birds of a Feather in Spring . Photograph by Sharon W Jensen

Battling Cancer Cells Through Imaging

 

I fall asleep listening to meditation music (received DVD from my sister and downloaded it into my iPhone.)

Since I received it I have been looking/thinking about what would be a good image for me to meditate upon showing me fighting off the bad cancer cells. One was Democrats fighting off any Republicans that were disturbing my health and wellbeing.

But, today I found just what I was looking for on my SIL's blog:

 

 

 

 

Thank you Kathy. With this Whipper Snapper's help, I'll be back to my old self soon. Yeehaw!

 

My Dog Knows I'm Sick With Cancer

If you have been reading my Blog you know by now that we have a wonderful Cockapoo named Copper and that he is not only handsome, but also very smart.

And since my diagnosis of Breast Cancer Mets to the Bone, I've noticed changes in his behavior. For example:

He stays with me more and watches me very intently. This is not unusual behavior for dogs... Studies have been done showing dogs know when their owner is sick with cancer.

But, here is what makes me laugh in awe:

Whenever I call out "Bob" for something, Copper (who is lying on the bed with me) will immediately sit up and give out one loud, sharp bark. If Bob does not answer within a minute, well too bad for Bob 'cuz then Head Nurse Copper will jump off the bed and into the hallway and bark once again. Only this time, louder and sharper. He will then stand there waiting for Bob to respond. If for some reason Bob does not acknowledge Copper's command of "Come quickly. Mama needs you!" he will go to wherever Bob is and repeatedly bark until Bob comes to ask me what I need.

Copper will watch us as we talk and when he feels assured that everything is okay he will lie down and go back to sleep.

The whole routine reminds me of the old TV show "Lassie" when the Collie runs into the kitchen barking at Timmy's folks. The usual translation is something like "Come quickly, Timmy's in the well."

Although I'm not in the well yet, it warms my heart that this little puppy (7 years old) loves me and makes sure I'm okay.

Copper The Healing Dog      Photo by Sharon W Jensen

30% of Breast Cancer "Survivors" Will Be Diagnosed With Metastatic Cancer

Radiology Markings for Spine Treatment 2012

The picture you're viewing is my tummy with the markings that show where the treatment machine needs to line up with in order to zap the right area of my spine.

It's not a scary procedure, even though two huge machines exchange places. One zaps the area from under me to the spine and the other zaps the spine from topside through the stomach, etc. This is the zap that has the side effect of nausea. Some days I just make it home to throw up. Planning a little more carefully this week, I'm not eating anything and am only drinking water. In addition I'm taking a nausea pill before we leave for my zap appointment.

The table I lay on is very hard. My legs are put into a form to help keep my legs still. Keeping still is the most important thing I can do. Otherwise the zapping will not be in the right place.There are always two people who move me this way and that to make sure I'm in the right place. They're very nice to me and try not to hurt me unnecessarily. The staff who treat you for any of the procedures you might have to endure are very important. If they are not kind, concerned and empathetic you need to find another treatment place.

And don't be afraid to ask questions, because you will have them.

As I've been searching online I found a good resource for Breast Cancer Metastases to the Bone. The link is below. I'm still angry that women aren't told they have a 30% chance of getting this...no matter how many years they've been "cancer free." 

I had my Breast Cancer back in 1998. Here it is 2012, 14 years later. I thought I was a "survivor."

A "survivor" for almost 14 years, and now I am one of the 30% with a Cancer that can't be cured. A cancer that I will be battling the rest of my life. And boy will I battle, 'cus I plan on living into my nineties.

And here is the link to the site I mentioned earlIer: http://www.metavivor.org/METsupport.php

WE CAN DO IT!

 

Today, as the Chief was driving me to an appointment, we were quickly approaching a truck that had it's brake lights on.

Now the Chief and I have different driving styles, to put it mildly. And unfortunately I am a Nervous Nelly passenger. So, I loudly said something about slowing down. Now I know he's a good driver and I also know that saying that to him did not set well, even as I said it.

I turned my head towards him and sweetly said... "Honey, that made me feel a little bit nervous and scared. AND you KNOW I'm supposed to feel calm, peaceful, and joyful at ALL TIMES!!!

We smiled at each other and happily went on our way.

YES (power fist) We Can Do It!

Fibromyalgia? Or, The Big C?

 

So, starting where I left off. Tests became a hobby of mine. And then, an x-ray of my lower back was taken to see if back surgery was needed. Unfortunately, that x-ray did indeed show my back was a mess and could use surgery. But, there was a "shadow" on the x-ray that needed checking out. And, that's when they found the Cancer.

Yup, Cancer. Makes my Fibromyalgia seem a little wimpy. In 1998 I had Breast Cancer which was successfully treated. Now I find out that certain cancers are Metastatic no matter how long between original onset and new.

After several tests it was determined that I had Metastatic Breast Cancer on my bones. The good news is that it has not spread into the bones or any organs.

I have started part of my treatment (one shot a month that takes 20 minutes and one pill each day the rest off my life.) And I will start radiation treatments soon. It was my lower back that had been hurting so badly and it turns out that is where a lot of the cancer is (especially at the T12 disc). So Friday I will be having two procedures - burning off some of the cancer and then repairing the disc with cement so it will be able to support the spine.

When that heals they will start the radiation on my back in the same area.

To see the cancer they did a CT of my bones...and the result reminded me of the dot-to-dot drawings that kids do. Black ugly spots on all my bones; my head looked as if I were wearing a crown.

The pain has gotten so bad that my best bet is to lie in bed with hot or cold packs. I miss being at my computer, looking out my window, watching my birds. But, as my dear sister told me...."it's only temporary, you'll be back."

And I couldn't have a better person to care for me than my handsome husband, the Chief.

Self Protrait of Bone Scan by Sharon W Jensen