The Big C Word

Last May I felt very impressed to do some testing that was being offered near by at the Higly High School. The testing was easy and consisted of an ultrasound of the carotid artery in the neck to test for stroke, an ankle arm index to test for blood flow, and an abdominal aorta ultrasound to check for an aneurysm in the abdominal area. These all tested out OK. The person testing said since they were so close to the thyroid gland when they do the carotid test, they will look at it. Low and behold he found some nodules on the thyroid, one large one on the left node and several smaller ones on the right node.
Well that started me going to the doctor and as a consequence, on August 14th I had my entire thyroid removed. The large nodule was cancerous but the smaller nodules were fine. One lymph node was removed and it was clean.
Now I have to have radioactive iodine radiation to kill any remaining thyroid cells in the body. So now my schedule includes finishing the temporary thyroid medicine I'm on, on September 19 and then going for two weeks with no thyroid medicine. No one can live without the thyroid hormone. It regulates your metabolism, the heating system of your body, heart, skin, hair and a zillion other things. Also I have to go on a two week diet of no salt. Everything has salt in it including all dairy products. This is because the thyroid produces iodine and the doctors want the radioactive pill I take to show up only for the remaining thyroid cells in the body.
The hard part is that for three days I have to be isolated from everyone including the dogs. My meals will have to be brought to me and left at the bedroom door. I have to wash my own bedding, dishes etc so no one will touch them. I will be radioactive and glowing. Ha.
But the part that will be hard is no thyroid medicine in my body. I will be very tired, might lose some hair, can get palpitations, be hot or cold, dry skin, moody and no telling what else. It can be done. I've heard of many other people going through it so I can do it also. Fun, Fun Fun.
Anyway, I'm going to do as much as possible until that time. I'm going to quilt camp and a trip to see our grandson in Texas.
I'll keep you up to date.

Happy Birthday to Me

I can't believe its my birthday already, so soon - Sunday, August 31. Boy does time go by so fast. I don't believe I'll be doing anything for my birthday, though. When you get my age,(I won't tell you how old) it just becomes another day. Julie will be baking a cake. That is already planned with the cake mix sitting out ready to put together. It will be chocolate, my favorite.
I hope to get something for my birthday. I've put in a request for an embroidery hoop. We'll see if that happens. If not I'm just glad for the embroidery stuff I have. Boy can these hobbies be expensive!
But anyway Happy Birthday to me.

Just Released

Sunday I was released from the ward's Relief Society Presidency. I enjoyed the last year and a half, learned a lot, got to know more sisters in the ward, did some service and taught too many lessons. I'm just kidding about that. Teaching was one thing we all didn't enjoy. But now I am tickled pink. You should have seen me after I was told our presidency was going to be released. Jerry said I was smiling ear to ear.
I have been called as a Family History Consultant. I love family history besides sewing. Sunday after the release, we came home and as usual took a short nap. I dreamed. My great-great grandfather, William Ernest Lipps was there so it seemed although I didn't see him. We had communicated somehow and I got a reply from him. Someone in New York had received a paper from him all folded up. I could hardly wait to see what was on it. When it was unfolded there was a picture of a man, no one I had seen before and it wasn't William Lipps. There were other papers but the phone rang and I woke up. Now is that a coincidence about being a family history consultant or not? Anyway, I thought that was pretty interesting. Jerry told me to continue my dream that night. But it didn't happen. Here is a picture of William Ernest Lipps 1824-1909.

The Dogs in Our Lives

We have been watching The Greatest American Dog. It has been so much fun to watch. Dogs sure bring a lot of joy into your life also alot of work. Our two Cocker Spaniels, Molly and Maggie, were just groomed so I thought I would show our Great American Dogs. Their tricks are not the greatest but at least they do a few.

This is Molly and her favorite toy, a purple bull. When someone comes over, she always gets her toy to show them. Maggie's favorite thing to do is roll over. For a treat, you don't even have to ask her to roll over. She just does it. Maggie has the funniest howl. She will howl when she gets excited or when she wants you to hurry up so she can go for a ride in the car. Here she is howling for her favorite treat, chicken jerky, we get from Costco. She loves them.


Molly will sit up on her hind legs. We can't get Maggie to do that yet. But then Maggie will roll over and Molly won't.













Here Maggie is shaking hands. Both dogs can do this.