Friday

I can't be witty today I'm not even going to try. Steve had a doctor's appointment with the urologist today, he was still having problems with blood in his urine and he'd been passing clots and bits of tissue too, so the doctor (who has a surgery center in his office) went ahead and did a cystoscopy and an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound to check the kidneys. They found a tumor in his bladder. To tell the truth I was shocked. I fully expected the doctor to say it was just a particularly stubborn urinary tract infection and send us on our way. So much for medical intuition when I need it! I didn't even have the presence of mind to ask him how big the tumor is, but we'll find out soon enough, I guess. I did ask him if he did a biopsy during the cystoscopy, but he said he hadn't. Steve was in enough pain with the cysto and the instrument for taking a biopsy is larger, so he decided to just wait until he does the surgery to remove it, which will be on September 2. I'm still a little bit on the stunned side, I guess. I did some reading on the internet - which was a little reassuring. What I didn't find reassuring was that when you Google "bladder tumor" all you get is bladder cancer sites. Geez, aren't there benign bladder tumors? Steve said the doctor did tell him that he was going to have to come in for cystos every 3 months for awhile and then if the tumor doesn't recur, every 6 months for awhile, but he said he thought he and Steve would become very good friends. (ha!) In doing some research on the web it sounds like it's a pretty superficial type of malignancy, and come back time and time again. I'm wondering between what the doctor said and what I've read if that's what it is. If it is malignant, I hope that's what it is, the other types of bladder cancer don't sound quite as easy to treat and have a lower 5-year survival rate. (Did I really just write survival rate about Steve?)

Anyway, I'm scared, he's scared, but you know, you take the cards you're dealt and you play them, that's the way it is. You can't go back, you can only deal with what you have. So that's it for my Friday. Hope everyone else's was better!

We did get Meg to school yesterday and that was kind of fun. I think she's going to like Doane - and she's going to get a good education there. I got a very good feeling visiting campus and hearing from everyone - excluding some of the idiot parents in or orientation group, but that's for another post.

Later.

Tuesday rambling...

I've got a bunch of little thoughts running through my head today...

My coworker at night is going to quit, basically. She told me the other day all she's trying to do is decide on when. Good news and bad news. She's totally undependable, gone at least 1 night a week and sometimes more, but at the same time, we're the only two people at night, so if she quits I'm alone until someone else gets hired. Which could be months, if ever. Sigh.

I read a blog the other night written by a young man about Meghan's age whose mother had stage IV malignant melanoma. It was so heart-wrenching to read, but when I finished reading the entire blog, I wondered to myself how it would feel to have a mother that I really loved and who loved me. One who had been there for me when I needed her, someone I could confide in and know she wasn't just dying to spread the gossip... I can't imagine. I think some of the tears I shed while reading that blog were for the mother I never had.

Today is Tuesday already and Meg leaves for Doane on Thursday. Steve and I both have the day off, so we're going down there with her to see the college and the town. I've never been to Crete. It's not very far really, only about 30 miles away from Lincoln, so only about a 90 minute drive. I'm kind of looking forward to a short car trip - and the bonus of seeing where Meg is going to go to school.

Steve had to go back to the doctor today for his followup. His hematuria (look that up in your Funk and Wagnell's) hasn't gone away, so now he gets to go see a urologist on Friday. I'm hoping this doesn't turn into something nasty for him. I'd feel better if he was in some pain and I could blame it on a kidney stone or something, but he feels fine. Hmmmmm.

Since I was working alone last night - co-worker took a day off, I typed like a mad woman. The cardio docs went nuts yesterday and we had about 40 reports. We've never had that many in one day that anyone call recall. I got them all done and did other reports besides, almost 1600 lines! My back and neck are killing me today though. I was looking forward to taking a dinner break tonight, but it looks like that's not gonna happen since she called in sick already. Ugh.

Well, those are some of my random thoughts. I think I'm going to try to catch a nap. I had my doctor change my Ambien to a lower dose because I thought I was a little dopey during the day, but I couldn't sleep last night. That might have been a mistake! LOL!

Later!

Refreshing day for Nebraska in August

I got up early enough this morning that I actually made it to church. Yay for me. I don't set my alarm to get up anymore, if I do I'm usually still so sleepy that driving anywhere is out of the question, unless I go to bed at 8 or so, but when I got up this morning and it was relatively early I grabbed quick shower and off to church I went. It was a pretty good Sunday School class and sacrament - didn't quite make it up early enough for Relief Society, but 2 meetings was better than none. With the same sex marriage law passing in California we had our requisite talk on the Proclomation of the Family again this month, from our High Council speaker, but he kept it short and to the point and we actually got out on time, which is rare for High Council Sundays!

I got home a little after 2 and Steve got home shortly after, so we took a drive up near Ft. Calhoun. We were lucky to have such a nice weekend, it got a little warm today, 89, but the heat index was tolerable because it wasn't humid at all. It's been wonderful! It's going to get warm again this week, so I'm glad we got out for a nice drive to enjoy the weather.

I should have worked some OT this weekend, but I really didn't feel like it, so I didn't. We've been doing pretty good, even getting caught up with the backlog of rehab work a little. We only had a little over 200 jobs on Friday, down from 500 a couple weeks ago. Whew!

After dinner it was actually nice enough to sit outside - until the mosquitos came out to dine on US - we decided it was time to head in then. It's been a peaceful weekend with great weather! What more could you ask for?

Later.