Ticking Things off that To-Do List

This week was fairly productive in terms of work. I managed to get my supplemental request in and a couple of interviews done for the Alaska Statehood project, and my travel arrangements to Norway completed.

Next week, I need to hopefully find a couple more people to interview, work on the placename density article, grade take-home exams, and write up a proposal to OSU Press.

Then, there's organizing next term's Tan Sack lectures, nominations for college-level awards, following up on my task for next October's tribal conference (figuring out how to offer attendees college or continuing ed credits), meeting with grad students, and developing criteria for some grad student support.

It's never-ending, and other than the grad student support stuff, they were all things that were on my to-do list. So, it's a good thing because I feel like I'm actually accomplishing something.

Yay!

Introducing . . . my new strapless camisole by Spanx!

Since my surgery, my plastic surgeon wanted me to wear an abdominal binder to help support the abdomen, especially the TRAM. But when I saw him last Monday, he said that if I could find a girdle or some other garment that would help support my stomach, that I could switch it since the binder is so bulky. I finally had a chance to look for such a garment on Thursday and I found a strapless camisole from a company called "Spanx"!

Apparently, they started as footless tights, that help do away with pantylines. And, the owner, Sara Blakeley, after finding someone to manufacture the product, hit on the name "Spanks" and then switched it to "Spanx". She says that: "Spanx is edgy, fun, extremely catchy, and for a moment it makes your mind wander (admit it). Plus it's all about making women's butts look better, so why not?"

Okay, yes, I was wondering what the name might refer to!

Anyway, the one I have is black and I double it up - I don't think that I should put anything tight around my breast area yet. It sure is more comfortable than the binder and it does give me the support I need.

I'm standing up straighter, although still not quite upright. I've been doing most household chores, keeping what I lift fairly light still. I have more energy every day. The way I see it, it's all uphill from here.

The only bummer is that I started taking Tykerb again last Sunday . . . and darn-it-all, my face is breaking out all over again! It was nice and clear for a few weeks. Sigh! Well, as my friend, Tammy, reminded me, better to have a few zits than the alternative. Eyes on the prize, eh?

Norway, Here I Come!

A few months ago, I was asked to co-chair a session entitled "Indigenous Cultures" for the Arctic Science Summit Week, to be held in Bergen, Norway from March 24-26. I agreed to do it . . . I figured that it would be a great opportunity for me to network with others, particularly European colleagues who might be working with indigenous Arctic peoples elsewhere. Most of my own research has been centered in Alaska.

Then, my surgery was scheduled - wasn't sure if I'd be recovered enough to go, but things look promising at this point. My plastic surgeon, when he found out that I was planning to go, suggested that I take someone along to help carry my luggage. Wasn't sure who I might ask, but then Scott was laid off, so he agreed to go, but then he needed to find someone for his daughter to stay with. That finally got settled in the past couple of days.

I had a couple of other deadlines to meet, but I finished those up and was finally finally finally able to look into travel arrangements. Most of the websites I looked into today stated that round trip airfare from Portland to Bergen were running anywhere from $1800 to $3000 per person round trip. I thought about using miles for Scott but it was gonna cost $1000. Finally (yes again), I saw that Scandanavian Airlines had a sale from Seattle to Bergen - and I was able to book two adults, round trip, for $1500 total!! Woo hoo! So, I booked it! I figured Scott and I can drive to Seattle.

Whew. I'm glad that's settled. It's been hanging over me for several weeks. Tomorrow, I book the hotel room. Yippee!

Keeping Busy . . . But Tired

I had a full day at work again today. Both days, I walked about 10-15 minutes from my son's school to my office. I think when I'm normal, I can do the walk in about 10-12 minutes. Today, it took me 15. I do walk slower. I was even able to walk across campus for lunch (about 10 or so minutes) today.

I did watch my v-ball game last night - my team just barely lost the second game, darnit! And, tonight, the granddaughter of one of my friend's had a birthday party this evening at a local pizza place, so Eddie and I went. Eddie had fun.

But I'm tired tonight. My lower back is achy - probably because it's doing more work than my abdomen. My goal is to take it easy tomorrow. And, get a good night's sleep tonight.

I'm in good spirits.

Back to Work

Today was my first day back at work . . . and I survived! I am a little bit tired, but I was able to walk from my son's school to my office without too much trouble. I'm starting to stand up straighter.

I also saw my plastic surgeon, Dr. H., today. He took the tape off the stitches and now I should be able to sleep without having to sit propped up. I can already feel my abdomen getting a bit stronger when sitting up.

So, I'm on the mend. Yay! I even got an interview in today on one of my projects! And, I'm gonna go watch my v-ball team play tonight. I got to cheer them on even if I can't play!

My Budding Politician?

As I mentioned last Monday, I gave testimony on drug repositories to the Health Committee for the Oregon State Legislature. We got there a few minutes early and went to Sara Gelser's office. She was great - she immediately took Eddie and gave him a pin and then took us to the House Chambers, which were empty at the moment. There, she brought Eddie to the podium and let him pound the gavel.

Sara Gelser asked Eddie if he wanted to go into politics and he said, "no, I don't think so." But, he does look rather handsome up there on the podium, doesn't he? : )

The Oregonian Article

The Oregonian ran the story today about drug repositories. The article was by Don Colburn - he interviewed me last week. Here's the link:

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/02/oregon_legislation_considers_r.html

Please help support the bill!

A Story From One of My Students

Danee' Lee Cliver is a student in my Natural Resouces and Community Values class this term. I told them via email that I'd testified for drug repositories in Salem on Monday and here is what she said:

I think a drug repository is an excellent idea. About 4 years ago my grandpa passed away from lung cancer and we wondered what to do with all his pain medication that was left. A few of them were very powerful and expensive. It would have been nice to be able to donate them to someone else...or a drug repository. It was such a waste of medicine and money.


Danee' gave me permission to share that story on my blog. Thank you, Danee'!

Another Round of Thank you's!

Today, one of our grad students, Courtney, delivered soup and bread and cheese for dinner. The soup was made by her partner, Dale, and it was very good.

Yesterday, my chair (David) brought over lunch for Eddie and me. My office manager (Karen) had signed up to bring me dinner yesterday, but we were in Salem, so we're going on a lunch date instead.

Tomorrow, Dave and his wife (also a breast cancer and Hodgkins' survivor) said they were bringing salmon. Oh, yummy!

On Saturday, Leah and her daughter Jenna brought over homemade lasagna, salad, and brownie cake dessert for Valentine's Day. Mmm mmm good.

Thursday and Friday night, we were served pizza and salad, compliments of Bryan and family, and Loren and family.

Last Wednesday, Missy and Andy brought over Thai food. Last Tuesday, Nancy brought over a pork stirfry, and the Monday before that, Sunil brought over homemade Indian food.

My plastic surgeon said that I needed to be sure to take in calories. I can assure him, with colleagues like that, taking in calories is NOT a problem.

Thank you everyone! I loved the food!

But I'm tired . . .

After testifying today, we stopped by Kohl's for a few minutes (and Eddie played the Wii at the game store) and I started getting a bit of an aura in my right eye (I could see this flashing iridescent crescent out of the corner of my eye). It lasted for a few, maybe 10-15 minutes. My dad used to get those before the onset of a migraine. I've only had it a few minutes and generally, they represent being stressed at some level.

So, we drove home, got dinner at Applebee's, and since then, I've been tired. So, I'm just hanging out on the computer.

This just tells me that I still need to rest more and take it easy for a few more days. The less excitement the better!

I am glad that I was able to testify, though!

Testimony

Believe it or not, I am normally a shy person. I always tend to get nervous during public speaking events. I remember my voice shaking a lot during the first class that I taught. That doesn't happen too much anymore, but the times when I have to address new audiences - like my peers at OSU or colleagues at NSF - my voice still shakes.

Well, today, my voice was shaky and I almost started crying when I reported that I was a breast cancer patient. I got through my testimony, though, and said that while I've been fortunate because I do have insurance, I also have a couple thousand dollars in medications and durable medical supplies at home that I won't use and would like to pass on to someone that doesn't.

During the hearing, one rep, apparently a Republican, stated that they should go ahead and approve the bill and get it out of committee already. Other committee members had stories to tell: the chair had had lymphoma and was left with $600 in drugs in his fridge; the vice-chair may have worked in a nursing home or some other care facility and he said that they would throw away bags full of unused medicines. He then commented, "why haven't we done something about this before?"

The Board of Pharmacy also testified and stated that they have talked about this issue before and that they are generally in support of the bill.

The republican rep had questions about implementation - about making sure that rural residents have access, too - but that part wasn't really discussed.

I think, in the end, that this bill was approved to go out of the Health Committee - it looks like it's going forward to the whole legislature for a vote.

How cool is that?

Testifying Today

My state representative, Sara Gelser, introduced a bill to create drug repositories here in Oregon. They are hearing testimony on the bill today in Salem and she asked me to attend . . . so I guess I am! I'm feeling up to it. I'm a bit nervous because it's a new public speaking venue for me . . . but I'm gonna try to pretend that these folks are my students. Plus, I'll have my statement prepared already . . .

Wish me luck!

Enjoying the Warm Sunshine

We had some sunny skies today and a high of over 50. Earlier today, Scott and I went for a walk on the waterfront - it was a longish walk - and then we grabbed lunch at a local pub and sat outside on their patio. It was really nice.

But now, I'm feeling tired. So, that means taking it easy tonight . . .

No other news, other than I got my taxes completed the other day! Whew.

Got the Drains Out - Discovered Facebook!

I saw Dr. H today and got the drains out - yay! I'm not released to drive for a couple of days . . . that's okay. I've been feeling tired, which means that my body is working hard to heal. So . . . just watching movies. I did get my taxes finished tonight, though. Glad that's over with.

My brother added me as a friend on Facebook, so I finally put up a profile . . . I ended up chatting with him for a few minutes and then, several people I went to school with (high school and undergrad) became my "friends". I've started corresponding with them - so that's fun!

Well, time to get some rest.

Doing Well

One week post-surgery, I'd have to say that I'm doing pretty well. I don't have a lot of pain. I figured out why I had continued to feel light-headed and couldn't read - my eyes were dilated for a few days after taking off the Scopalamine patch!! The patch can also cause dizziness. This patch is often used for motion sickness and I wore one for three days.

I think my eyes are back to normal and I don't feel light-headed any longer. Yay!

I still have some discomfort in my abdominal area, but only when I cough. I have to be careful about how I stand up from sitting or how I sit from standing, but overall, I'd have to say it's been fairly easy.

I was pretty tired yesterday, though, feeling really lazy. Just watched some movies. I did a bit of work on my taxes. I hadn't slept well the night before. Dr. H says that while I'm healing, my body has a lot of metabolic demands. I need to take in a lot of calories. No problem there!

I slept okay last night, though. I have an appointment with Dr. H today - I will probably get the drains out and will be released to drive. Yay!

The Artful Bras Project

One of my friends, Brenda, sent me this link - apparently a group of women quilters in South Carolina put together an Artful Bras exhibit touring South Carolina. Then, they will auction the bras off to help low-income women after they've been diagnosed with cancer. Aren't they great?

My favorite is "New Life" for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the message it gives.

Here's the link:

http://www.quiltersofsc.org/artfullbras/artfullbras.htm

Great News

My ob/gyn's office called me a little bit ago to give me great news:

Neither of my ovaries had cancer in them and the skin that Dr. H excised from the right breast area did not have cancer either.

Great news, huh?

I expected this news, but it's always great to get confirmation.

So, doya think I got this thing licked? I do. Of course, I'll be ever-vigilant and will make sure that I continue doing the things I've been doing to get me to this place. But . . . I think I'm out of the woods!

Yippee!

An Interview with the Oregonian

Yesterday morning, I chatted for awhile with Don Colburn, a health reporter at The Oregonian. He wanted to know how I became interested in drug repositories and what drove me to contact my state rep, Sara Gelser. I hope that I was coherent. I think it's a good solution to unused drugs. I hate wasting things - I'm definitely of the "reuse/recycle" mode. It's a shame that drugs, which are so expensive, just get thrown away if they can't be used.

I have had prescriptions in the past and even now that I probably won't use - one prescription costs $3000/month! I also have some "durable medical equipment" - some dressings from the wound pump and also other dressings I had for that open skin wound. Those dressings are probably worth about $1000. I'm loathe to get rid of them. It would be wonderful if there was a place that I drop them off so that someone else could use them - especially if that someone did not have the financial means.

Right now, with prescription drugs, the recommendation for unused drugs is to mix it with kitty litter or coffee grounds and send it to the landfill. It used to be to dump them into the toilet, but antibiotics have gotten into our ground water, so that's not a good alternative. I've heard, too, that you can return drugs to pharmaceutical companies, where it is said they will incinerate them, but imagine the air pollution that that might cause. I'm also cynical enough about pharmaceutical companies - and one of my colleagues has said that there has been proof - that I think they would take the drugs and then turn around and resell them in third world countries.

I'm not sure when the article will run in the Oregonian . . . when it does, I'll post a link. I think it's important to get support for Sara Gelser's bill in the Oregon state legislature . . . if I can get my act together, I'll contact people and ask them to send letters of support to their legislators! If I'm feeling up to it, I may go testify on this bill on Monday in Salem.

Thank you to Don for reporting on this important issue!

Another Round of Thank you's!

I have had several people commenting on my blog or sending me emails (yes, like you Erin!) to tell me that they're keeping me in their thoughts and prayers and I just wanted you all to know that I really appreciate it.

I also wanted to thank Sunil and Nancy for meals that were delivered on Monday and Tuesday night. Mmm hmm, good food!

I had a weird thing happen with my tongue and the back of the roof of my mouth - I woke up yesterday with both feeling tender and sensitive to acidic foods. I think that what might've happened is that in the middle of the previous night, I took some Tylenol and another time, another dose of melantonin and I'm afraid that I may not have completely swallowed it, so it may have melted in my mouth and maybe some of the inner part of the pill irritated the tongue and the roof of my mouth. When I saw my tongue last night, I grew worried, but tried to remind myself that tongue cells replicate fairly quickly (ever burn your tongue and within a day or two, it's normal again?). Well, luckily, my tongue and the roof of my mouth feels better today! Whew!

I also need to thank my folks. They've been hanging around with me, keeping me company, and running errands. I had a lot of people who offered to help, but I already knew my folks would be available to help . . . there's something about having family around where you don't feel awkward about asking for help that does decrease one's stress level. They've also helped with cleaning the incision sites (where the drains are coming out of) and putting antibiotic ointment on it. That kind of stuff is hard for dad who gets queasy (like me) at the sight of blood. So, another huge thanks for them! They've been great with Eddie, too.

Eddie's father has taken him more, too, as I recover, and I appreciate that support - I know that he's being taken care of and that's a huge relief!

Have a great day!

One Year Ago Today . . .

I was waiting to hear about whether or not I could go on Tykerb/Xeloda and I was waiting to hear the results of the CT scan that I had either that day or the day before. The title of the post was "Waiting Again. . ."

Things are certainly a lot more positive than they were a year ago. There were a lot of unknowns about my treatment and whether or not it would all work. But it has worked. It's been a long road, but the treatments have worked and I finally have boobs again.

It's just a matter of recovering from this surgery. Scott asked me this morning if I planned to do any work. I said, "not today. It's my intention to take it easy for the rest of the week." I'm still feeling a little light-headed and this sense of dizziness seems worse when I try to read or work on the computer. So . . . I'm gonna watch a movie. My friend, Josh, lent me their copy of Amadeus about 8 months ago, so I think I'll finally watch it! It's better than listening to all this over-saturation in the news of the octuplets. I'm reminded, now, why I rarely watch the news on TV. They go over and over and over the same story with maybe a small change each time. I'd rather read about stuff once it's over and done with . . .

Have a great day!

Drug Repositories

Last spring, I found out about drug repositories in other states (google drug repositories) and when I mentioned it to the local breast cancer support group, several women thought it was a good idea. I wondered how I could get our Oregon state legislature and a colleague said to contact my local rep, Sara Gelser.

Sara's assistant just contacted me on Friday, the day of my surgery, and told me that Sara's introduced the bill in the Oregon State legislature! How cool is that!

So, for all of you Oregon residents out there, email your local state reps and tell them you want to support this bill to create a drug repository here in Oregon!! It's better than dumping unwanted drugs down the toilet (where it gets into our groundwater) or mixing it with coffee grinds or kitty litter to be put into the landfill.

How cool is that!

I'm home!

I stopped taking narcotics and antinausea meds in the hospital in the middle of the night Saturday night. By late afternoon on Sunday, I was able to finally eat a turkey sandwich (my mouth felt like cotton). Once I was able to eat solid foods, Dr. H discharged me, so I came home this morning! Yay!

I do have some pain - but really minor (a 1 out of 10), more like a discomfort that Liz talked about. I really don't even feel much of the pain until I cough and I seem to be coughing quite a bit from a build-up of fluids in my lungs.

But, I have boobs! Yay!

And, Dr. C took out my ovaries. While she had the camera looking at my insides, she took pictures of my liver, my gall bladder, my uterus and fallopian tubes in addition to the ovaries. The good news? There's nothing on the liver. It looks whole and pink and healthy. No lesions. Great news - means that the cancer has not spread there. So, as far as we know, it's only in the bone marrow.

Dr. H also excised the bad radiated tissue where the wound was (no more open skin wound!) and they sent it to the lab to test for cancer. I don't expect the lab to find any. I'll keep you all posted.

Otherwise, I'm trying to keep a low profile - need to figure out a comfortable spot on the couch.

Whew. Glad it's over and done with. Now, on to the healing!

Saying "See ya Later"

My son's dad just came to pick him up. I won't see Eddie again until after my surgery - either Saturday or Sunday. The surgery's becoming more real to me and I started to cry after I closed the door. I'm gonna miss the little (tall) guy.

Eddie was asking questions about why I'm getting new boobs and why I had to get rid of the old ones. I told him that they had this disease called cancer in them and that if I didn't get rid of them, I might've died earlier than I wanted to. So, in order to live to see him grow up into an adult, I had the old boobs taken away.

I said that I was happy to be getting my new boobs. And, I will be. But, saying goodbye is still hard.

I think I just need to think of it as if Eddie was just going to his dad's for the week-end, which he is.

Refinance update

I ended up getting a new appraisal, since my new lender wasn't able to get hold of the other appraiser. I got the appraised value today - and it was higher than the other one, so now I'm going to be well within the range for a refinance.

Whew.

This means that once the underwriters get to the application, then the refinance will go through and I should save at least $300/month.

Cool.

A day for really good news. And, I got to hang out with Scott.

Now, I need to pay bills and pack for the hospital.

I'll be back in touch after the surgery!

And, I have great students

I've been pretty up front with my students about my metastatic cancer and the fact that I'm going in for reconstruction surgery tomorrow. I'll be out for three weeks - the students will get by with guest speakers, exams, group projects, and films. I have a TA for one of them - Sam - who has graciously agreed to help with the films.

But, I was surprised when the students in my class today all signed a Get Well Soon card for me. It was sweet and so unexpected! Thank you guys!

Yesterday, I met with Maureen, the Mandala Lady and she gave me a 13x13 mandala to color just for answering a few questions about her coloring books. Then, my colleague who is on her way to Cuba gave me a "Celtic Mandala Coloring Kit" yesterday. Way cool!

And, I found out that things look hopeful for a supplemental on the King Island grant, which will help pay for the programming for an interactive web map.

Another cancer blogger - and two more colleagues that I met last May - have all wished me well. My colleagues and their families are all thinking about me.

Cool, eh?

A very good day. Things bode well for tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for thinking of me! That knowledge that you're sending good energy and prayers will be carried into surgery. I'm pretty sure that I'll by just fine! Thank you again!

Scott's Gonna Hang with Me

Scott won't be able to be here tomorrow, during my surgery. But he is going to come down from Portland today to hang out for a few hours. He'll be back down on Saturday and Sunday, too.

Thanks, hon!

Nighttime anxiety

I haven't felt too anxious the past week or so. More happy and excited. But I think the anxiety decided to come out last night. I was awake from 2:30 to 4 or 4:30am last night. I'll be tired today . . .

It's not so much the surgery but the stuff I should do prior to surgery. Too much! I just need to take the attitude that what I can done is fine and what doesn't get done . . . well, it can wait a few days.

It's more important to spend time with loved ones than trying to get a lot of mundane stuff, done, right? Time to get the priorities straight . . .

Dee's Boob Tunes Playlists

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I created some CD's that my surgeon said he'd play while I was undergoing surgery. Here are the lists and, if I have a reason for it, the reason why I chose that particular song. I listed to the first one today as I walked to work . . . I've been in a good mood all day! I think that bodes well for surgery, right?

Dee's Boob Tunes #1
1. My Xeloda by Heather Kenagy - Heather composed this song just for me and it describes the side effects I had from Xeloda, a chemo drug.
2. Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic - I thought of this song last year when my surgeon started "pumping up" the tissue expanders.
3. Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane - My son really liked this song a year or so ago. We listened to it alot. I like the message - Life is a highway, I want to ride it all night long.
4. Soak up the Sun by Sheryl Crow - Among other things, she says she's going to soak up the sun while it's still free and also, "It's not getting what you want, but wanting what you've got", a good message, I think.
5. Why Don't You and I by Santana and Santa - I really like the music on this one and then it's about two people taking on the world, going to the moon, and also "heads we will and tails we try again", which to me means that even if you get tails, you try again until you get heads - no giving up, in other words.
6. Freewill by Rush - I like the idea that you have a choice and freewill, that our lives are not preordained.
7. Against All Odds by Phil Collins - self-explanatory, eh?
8. Kaaka-gguq Cauyalriitqa by Pamyua - Pamyua is a Yup'ik Eskimo music group who use Yup'ik lyrics, both in acapella and also using various R&B or jazz-like arrangements. This one is acapella.
9. Far Away by Nickelback - Okay, the reasoning for this is kinda mushy. I started listening to Nickelback around the time that I met Scott, my partner. This song says, "I have loved you all along". It's how I felt about Scott - that I'd always known him and loved him. We just clicked, ya know?
10. Beat It! by Michael Jackson - again, self-explanatory. Beat Cancer.
11. Trees by Marty Casey and Lovehammer - My friend, Josh, told me about this song and I found out that I really liked it. About two people in the trees, dreaming and going through life together.
12. This Love by Maroon 5 - What can I say? I just like it.
13. Here I Am by Lyle Lovett - Just a good, fun song. You think it's about two people in love (and I guess it can be), but then at the end, it's about you and a cheeseburger!
14. Express Yourself by Madonna - about not settling for second best.
15. You and Me by Lifehouse - okay, go ahead and say it. I'm a hopeless romantic!
16. Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves - yes, it gets monotonous. But just try not to dance or have a bounce to your step when you listen to it.
17. Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' by Journey - My friends and I saw Journey and Def Leppard in concert a couple of years ago. Lots of fun. I've always like the song.
18. Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer - Hmm. Maybe we have a chance now with our new President.
19. Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard - see #17. Great great song.

Dee's Boob Tunes #2
1. Thank you by Alanis Morisette - Always a good thing to say Thank You.
2. No One by Alicia Keys - My sister heard this song last fall and told me that she thought of me when she heard it. It wasn't so much the love song, but the words "everything's going to be all right. Things will get better".
3. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by George Michael and Elton John - self-explanatory - don't give up on me.
4. Drops of Jupiter by Train - My sister had this song on a mix she made up; once I heard it, I decided to download it and it became a favorite. Then, I found out that Scott really liked it, too. To me, it's about saying the sky's the limit - go and find yourself.
5. All My Relations by Ulali - I love this group; they are an all-woman Native American group that usually harmonize together on their songs. They are very very powerful. This particular song has voiceovers by the singers about remembering our histories and the tragedies and remembering those who will come after and those who tried to keep their traditions intact. A great message.
6. We are the World (USA for Africa) - this song still brings up emotion for me - our family listened to it on youtube over Christmas.
7. Brown-Eyed Girl by Van Morrison - 'cuz I'm a brown-eyed girl myself.
8. Walkin' on the Sun by Smash Mouth - I just like it . . .
9. I Needed to Fall by REO Speedwagon - My sister and I, our kids, and one of my guests and her son saw REO Speedwagon at the Lane County Fairgrounds in August 2008 - a summer concert. I liked them in the 1980s and it was kinda fun to see them again. For me, it means that maybe you need to fall to come back stronger.
10. Love and Memories by O.A.R. - just like the song
11. No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne - Surprised?
12. Lonely No More by Rob Thomas - I like Rob Thomas's voice and I don't feel lonely anymore - not like I did last May . . .
13. Cauyaqa Nauma by Pamyua - another song of the Yup'ik dance group that I really like. Part of the lyrics are, "My drum, my people, my song makes me whole"
14. Word Up! by Korn - wave your hands in the air like you just don't care - a good thing to practice, I think. Dance and don't care what others think about it.
15. The Trouble with Love Is by Kelly Clarkson - yep, that hopeless romantic. One of my favorite all time movies is "Love Actually" and this song is on the soundtrack.
16. Faithfully by Journey - see #17 in the previous list
17. Crimson and Clover by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - a good classic song
18. Hold My Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish - I've always liked Hootie's voice and this is a hopeful kind of tune.

Dee's Boob Tunes #3
1. Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp - a classic
2. Blackbird by Sarah McLachlan - take these broken wings and learn to fly
3. Good Love is on the Way by John Mayer - the hopeless romantic in me
4. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N Roses - I just really like it
5. Mean Mad Mama by Carver Sapp - Carver is another cancer blogger and she sent me her song . . . it's about being angry at the greed of this world
6. New Sensation by INXS - Had to include it - I'm getting new boobs - a new sensation!
7. You're Beautiful by James Blunt - not that I think I'm beautiful, but I do like the song.
8. Centerfold by J. Geils Band - again, I'm not a centerfold by any means, but the song came out when I was in high school and I remember my fellow students performing it - a fun song.
9. Miss You Much by Janet Jackson - I just like the song
10. Spiders and Snakes by Jim Stafford - remember that one? I remember my dad singing this one a lot and I hadn't heard it in years until a couple of months ago when it was on the radio. I just started cracking up.
11. The Heart of Rock and Roll by Huey Lewis and the News - again, a fun song. I remember that the Portland area stations used the song that was recorded when they played in Portland in which they yell "Portland" in it after naming some of the other cities like New York, etc.
12. Waiting for a Girl Like You by Foreigner - the hopeless romantic
13. 100 Years by Five for Fighting - yeah, a more serious one about the passing of time and to appreciate the time you have
14. Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac - another classic
15. Change the World by Eric Clapton - hey, we should all change the world, huh?
16. Free Your Mind by En Vogue - a song about not adhering to stereotypes and to be yourself
17. Ants Marching by Dave Matthews - The music is catchy, I think. I like Dave Matthews's voice and it seems to be talking about the impersonality of modern life. Maybe a cautionary tale wrapped up in bouncy kind of music.

That's what I'll be listening to on Friday!

And, I have great colleagues and friends

Yesterday, another colleague asked me about meals and I directed him to the other colleague who said she'd organize it. And, my friends said they'd be thinking about me on Friday when I undergo surgery. Thanks, guy!

Gives me the warm fuzzies, for sure.

In other news, our volleyball team won our match last night - we lost the first game (our own fault: our serves weren't going in and we weren't returning their serves), but once we settled down, we won the next two games fairly easily. The team is now 2 and 3. They'll go the rest of the season without me, but they can manage!

Go, Oh Shoot!

I have great parents

I've been feeling a bit anxious and stressed today. I was relatively productive, but I still had a whole list of things to do. Could it be my upcoming surgery?

Then, after coming home and eating some popcorn, my stomach felt upset - bloated - and a bit lightheaded/motion sick. I drank some ginger tea and laid down on my stomach and it gradually felt somewhat better. It's still a little bit upset, though.

I've also felt really rundown and low energy - like I could've gone to sleep around 7:30pm.

I called and talked to my folks - they'll take care of my son on Wed when I have a faculty meeting and then we chatted about my surgery on Friday. Dad said that they'd bring me to the hospital at 6am and they more or less planned to hang out at the hospital all day. I told him that I was going to be out of it and that it probably wasn't necessary, but they want to be there.

I have great folks, huh? They are one of the reasons why I'm doing so well . . . I think just knowing they're going to be there for me will bring me a degree of comfort.

Thanks, mom and dad. I love you.

Sunny Warm Phoenix!

Phoenix was great! I spent too much time indoors, but just walking around the little that I did in sunny 70+ degree weather was great. My sandals were perfect. I wore my capris.

I enjoyed meeting my colleague's colleagues. As I mentioned, I went down to work with Arthur, who was in my cohort at UAF, and Peter, who was our professor there. We met with Arthur's colleague, John, about how to develop a cyberinfrastructure or data management grant for social science data.

While the work was good - the best part was hearing about Peter's and Arthur's work - it was the visiting after hours that was more fun. We got caught up on a lot of gossip at UAF - we know a lot of the same players - as well as the news with other Arctic colleagues.

Arthur then took us for a quick visit to the Desert Botannical Garden, who also had an installation of Dale Chihuly's glass artwork. Really cool stuff!

Had some good time hanging with Scott. He probably won't be able to get to Corvallis until Saturday, the day after my surgery. I figure I'll be sleeping most of Friday evening, so that's okay. The cool thing is that the next time he sees me, I'll have boobs.

Yay!

Okay, I need to get some work done . . . have a great week everyone!