No Christmas Cards This Year

Well, I couldn't let Christmas slip by without including the dogs. Once again they were good sports, but as you can tell I wasn't as inspired this year with their costumes. I'll try to do better next year.

Bryan will be in Monday, Sarah, Frederick, Carmella, and Joe will be here Tuesday. It's gonna be a full house!

Merry Christmas all!

Elvis puts up with me and my crazy ideas again.

Priscilla doing what she does best, and yes she loves to have her picture taken.

But I don't want my picture taken. That's Tubby, also known as "The Moron".

Tubby took a break from digging for gophers long enough to have his picture taken. That's mud on his nose, as usual.

Tubby, what a goof!

In memory of Miss Loretta July 2001-Nov. 2008

Done! (Medium Rare)

Vicki and Oscar hosted the finishing up party.

Oscar came dressed for the occasion.

The mold. I wanted to keep it for a souvenir, but was told it's bio-hazardous.

Well, I'm finally done with radiation. Last year at this time I was still doing chemo. What a crazy year it's been! Here's hoping 2009 will be better.

I started Christmas shopping on Tuesday. Thank goodness we can now do a lot of it online. I did a marathon shopping trip Thursday, and got most of it wrapped by Friday night. I'm really ahead this year. I'm usually just beginning to wrap everything on Christmas Eve, but I'm trying to listen to the doctors, and not "over-do".

Don was sworn in, or at depending on who you're talking to, on Friday. He won't take office officially until January 1. He's looking forward to being able to take Priscilla with him a lot. I never thought of coonhounds as truck dogs, but whatever.

I got all the lights up on the house last weekend, but of course the back ones keep blowing fuses. I never do have good luck with Christmas lights. I only got on the roof once, I was a good girl this year. One of the guys that work for Don did most of the heavy lifting, but I couldn't resist getting involved. It's just not Christmas til I spend some roof time.

Almost Done!

A constant reminder on the door to the treatment room.

"The Team" Nick, myself, and Chad

Well, I've almost made it. Last treatment is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:00.

I won't lie, it's been rough, but I haven't had to miss a treatment, and I'm finishing on schedule.

I can't help but wonder what exactly all this radiation has done to my body. I mean other than wipe out any stray cancer that might have been floating around, which is why I willingly allowed myself to go through this treatment. Since diagnoses I've had 3 pet scans, and I've lost count of the ct scans and x-rays. I figure by now I've probably been exposed to as much radiation as a human can safely be. Who knows?

The first day I realized that this was serious stuff was the day they couldn't start the machine because there were workers on the roof. They didn't want to cook some poor unsuspecting maintenance guy, so we waited until the roof repairs were done, then proceeded as usual. I then noticed that after I was "set up" everyone would run, and I'd hear that huge door close. I was left in the room with all that "stuff" buzzing around and through me. If the radiation can float up through the ceiling and roof, and do a number on someone up there, there's no telling what it's done to me.

Wouldn't it be ironic to survive chemo, radiation, and all the emotional crap that goes with it all, just to find out years later that "sorry, you have radiation induced cancer." There probably isn't really a cancer called radiation induced, but it sounds about right.

Anyway, I just have 1 more to go-yeah! I asked the guys if I could keep my block and have it framed. A block is kind of like a stencil, made out of some serious metal, that focuses the radiation where you want it to go. Nope. Seems my block is bio-hazardous. Figures.

I've been spending some time lately surfing you-tube. The kids are mortified, but thought I'd share this oldy with everyone. I think it's funny, and it's kind of fitting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aq5cqjUFOo

Thanksgiving with the Boggses

New for me this year was pie baking, but it wouldn't be a Boggs holiday without a fancy cake!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Ours was fast!! It seems like I cooked, cooked, baked, and baked some more, we sat down and it was over! Sarah wasn't able to come in this year. She spent the holiday in Atlanta, GA, with Frederick's family. The boys came in Wednesday. They were kind enough to help me pull the Christmas tree, and all the decorations out of storage. I finally finished the tree last night, but I still have boxes and newspapers scattered everywhere.

Radiation is still happening. I have 8 more treatments! I look like a boiled lobster! They are starting what they call "the boost" with today's treatment. It is a concentrated blast of radiation directed at the area where I had the lumpectomy. The good thing is that the part of me that is burned won't be getting anymore radiation. I've had 4 days off with the holiday, and I'm ready to get it over with!

I had an appointment with Dr. Prakash last Monday. Looks like I'm still on the 3 month scan schedule. I'll be having a Pet scan in February. Seems I have a cyst on the liver, and it needs to be monitored. It's probably nothing, but we can't be sure. The genetic testing is off for now. My insurance won't cover it, and I'm not willing to add yet another medical bill to the list. The good news I carried out of the meeting is that if or when I do have a recurrence, I will be able to use the same chemo I did the first time. I had really good response to it. The bag of tricks is still full.