Checking In

Hi all:

Thought I'd better check in!  Went to Chatt. last week to be with my best friend (her husband Steve is the one undergoing lung cancer tx) a few days.  Steve (her husband) is doing pretty good with lung ca tx.  No bad side effects from weekly chemo but really really fatigued from the radiation.  He has one more chem next Mon.  and 7 more rad. tx to go.  Then he cools down for about 7 weeks I think and will repeat pet scan to see where they are.  He may have another round of chemo depending on pet scan results.  However, spots are shrinking in lung so that's good news!  I lost my sweet precious aunt in Albany, GA last Thurs so went to vistation and funeral this past Mon/Tue.  This is the aunt that lost her daughter in April 2010 before Charlie passed away in August.  She was 94 and was a breast cancer survivor with no recurrence!  However, she had lost down to 75 pounds (never was very big) and had caregivers with her the last four years and she was able to stay at home where she passed away last Thurs.  She was such a hoot and called me her "bad penny" as I kept showing up!  She was my daddy's younger sister by 3 years and they were as she says "two peas in a pod"!  I'm so glad I got to go see her in 2010 and twice in 2011. And I talked to her frequently and always sent a birthday present and Christmas present.  I heard from her right after Christmas before she went downhill.  She had a virus and pretty much went downhill from there as the doctor had told her if she caught so much as a cold she would not be able to fight it off as she had no reserve.  But we had a good talk right before T'giving.  Her older daughter did a tribute to her at her service and one of the things she said she marveled at was her mother's contentment with her circumstances.  She said "My mother went from being fairly independent to having a stroke, broke her hip; having caregivers and just two outings a week (church and the beauty shop!) and she lost a daughter after a lengthy illness with cancer.  I remember when my cousin passed away and she went to be with her those last days she said, "Mary T needed her mother to tell her it was okay to go!"  Fortunately her mind remained sharp to the very end and we are so very grateful for that.  My nephew Brian has had some setback with seizure problems and nursing home/rehab apparently not giving the dosage of medication the doctor has prescribed!  Did see him when I was in Chatt. last week and he was pretty perky.

Will probably be grounded for awhile now as my financial status is not great right now, but come Aug/Sept. I will begin to draw my teacher retirement and Charlie's SS.  I will never be so glad turn 60 July 27!  As I had to be 60 to draw retirement and the widow's benefits from SS.  Am still working at Jo-Ann's part time but they've had to really cut the hours back and am doing some substitute teaching.  Also have been able to start working on loan modification for the house so will keep plugging on to the that light at the end of the tunnel and so grateful there is a light there as there are so many people out there that don't have light; it's just getting to that light!  Well, I think that just about catches y'all up on everything.  Love y'all and God Bless!

Jan (Basketfcase)