julie

Thanks Chalie Yea, the energy is coming back but very slowly . It's frustrating because you count the number of days since surgery and keep thinking you should be back to normal ,but you still get so tired so fast. So I still do things in shifts, like this morning I went to the store,then came home to rest. Fell asleep for a few hours, then got back up to make a library run,then came home to sit down again,so it's irritating that you can't do more . II talked to a lady whose brother and sister both had the same surgery and she said it was several months before they felt back to normal. Right now, they are just trying to get my thyroid levels back to the right numbers.It's been about 10 days since I started the pills,and will have bloodwork next month to see what the levels will be. Depending on them,they will either raise or lower the dosage. It's really surprising how much your thyroid controls so many other areas of your body and if they yank it out, how exhausted it makes you . Somedays you are just so tired, you can't even mentally handle anything. Your brain actually feels too tired to think or worry . I'll get straightend up again though,I'm sure . I just have patience about as long as a tsetse fly ,so I want to feel better NOW .

Thank you Alexistar ~

Yes, Claire, it certainly was good news . I tried really hard to be brave,but yesterday was a rough day .Each hour seemed like a day . It sure was good to wake up today and know the answers, so I can turn the nerves down about 10 levels.

This topic got me interested because I love "snooping " into what others are reading like if we are somelace where lots of strangers are ,say a picnic or restaurant ,and you see other people reading I'll go to just about any lengths to see WHAT they are reading. I walk by r-e-a-l slow, trying to get a glimpse of the cover . Sadly, the eReaders make that more of a task . I will sometimes just go up and ask them what they are reading . As for me, I don't read much of anything that others would consider strange ,I dont think ,at least ???? I will actually sometimes choose a book just because of the title ,say if it's funny to me . My favorite so far is " I Still Miss My Man, But My Aim is Getting Better " . ,or the Elvis Cookbook titled "Are You Hungry Tonight ?" I DID kinda ponder what to take to the hospital for my reading material. I found a really fascinating book ( at least I think so ) called Where Are They Buried,How Did They Die ? I kinda thought it would be a little off-kilter to bring that to a hospital,so I left it at home .

I think I agree with the majority . I'd tend to be more interested if it were an author I was familiar with and had read at least one of their books, but there's nothing wrong with tossing in a new author for those looking for something "new" to read . It might give us some new ideas of books to try that we may not have known about before .

Hi guys Frankie No worries, it's ok . Nothing to get upset over . Thanks for the dancing cows --- Poppy Yes, I'd even trade books and cake for friends . And they are both high on my list of favorites ,just like they are yours . You guys are better, though . Chrissy Thanks, yes, it is such a big relief ... In the beginning when the doc said I have a year before they can say I'm Cancer free,and another round of testing at the end of that year to make sure ... I wondered how in the world I'm gonna go with this hanging over me for a whole year ? I think the doc summed it up quite well -- take one day at a time, don't try to look at a whole year, look at a day . At least for now, it's a big relief to have this beginning news ,and hopefully the one-year news will also be good, but I need to quit thinking that far ahead. As the Hubster said, How many people might be walking around today with the same thing... the one year, or the 5 year .... I guess you just get up each day and be thankful for that day,then move on to the next one . Kat Yep, you're right. I'll definitely do my follow ups, try to have a little bit healthier lifestyle,and keep thinking about the positive . I think it's best if you can do that and not worry yourself to death about something that might never happen . Maybe the end of year news will be just as good ,and I really dont want to think thast far ahead right now ,so I'll just think about today .

Thanks, Kat Yea, I guess most people would say it's the waiting for news is the worst part. Once they tell you what you have and what needs done, you feel like you at least have a list of things to do to try to get better,but when you are waiting to hear news, there's really not a big list of stuff you can do and each hour that goes by,your brain starts heading into bad territory ,and you begin thinking What if ... and then what... you know ? It's best if it all happens fast and you get answers fast,less time to wait and wonder . It also makes you think about all the other people out there today,,just like me, who are waiting to hear news of the same type. You really never think much about it til you are in that situation yourself,then it makes you think about all those other people too . I heard someone say once that having Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to them. I thought that was the strangest thing I have ever heard ,but I think what they meant was that it "wakes you up " and makes you think a LOT about the important things in life and what matters most. You quickly learn that all the "stuff" you have isnt going to help, that having a nice house or beautiful clothes or looking good ... none of those things matter any more. The only thing that is important to you are the PEOPLE in your life. Nothing else counts . Cancer kinda puts us all on a level playing field . You are there with rich people , poor people, every race,color,etc. NONE of those things matter . Youre all on the same ground ,looking up at a REALLY big hill you need to climb . Then you start looking around to see how many people are up at the top,throwing ropes down for you to grab hold of to pull yourself up . I found out that there are LOTS of people in here that own some really long ,sturdy ropes and arent afraid to throw them out to pull up someone in need .

Hi All I just now got word back from the Doc. Good grief, I have been sweating bullets all day . Good news, the Radiation is only showing up in the neck area which means they see no Cancer anyplace else at this time. WHEW . I was trying my hardest to be brave ,but the longer the day went, the more I crumbled . GEEZ, this W A I T I N G is the worst part of it all . A special thank you to all of you who have sent me good wishes and positive thoughts. I really do appreciate each and every one of you .

Thanks VF Home from the scan. They sent the results to the main Cleveland Clinic building to be read today . Sure hope to hear good news ,the sooner the better. This waiting drives you bonkers . Will check back in when I have news .

No Instructions Needed -Am American Boyhood in the 1950's ----Robert Hewitt Wow this has got to be a first in a long time, 2 books in one day ! This book was written by the same author who wrote the book I just completed this morning . This book was SO much better. It was basically a memoir about growing up in the 50's . The author must be at least 10 years older than me,because he was naming off things that happened to him in the early 50's and I wasn't born until 1958,so some of the things he mentioned , I wasn't familiar with,but most of them I was. It was a very quick read but also very interesting. Brings back a lot of the old-time favorite things I did as a kid . He starts out from the time he was a toddler and ended the story today,,as an adult, older man,explaining how much fun he had growing up and the things he did for fun in each age group he went through. A lot of it rang a bell with me as I did many of the same things he did. It was a much simpler time when you could trust people more and people were friendlier and much more trustworthy and helpful .Not as much of a dnagerous place as our world is today. Everyone,adults included,seemed to be more innocent . He talked of the tv shows, movies, candy bars, toys ,and how the kids could keep themselves entertained for hours on end ,just hanging out and using imaginations. The simple enjoyments of eating supper togther as a family every night. The dads going to work,the moms staying home, wearing aprons,and cooking home-cooked meals . The fun at school ,the teen years ,the football games ,etc . This book covered so very many really good times and great milestones in a person's life, it brought back wonderful memories ,and makes you wish you could start all over and do it again . This book will get 4/5 for bringing back so many good memories of the good old days .

Miss Poppy Yes you are entirely right. It's always inspiring to me when you see someone on tv or read a book about an ordinary person who ends up having an extremely difficult even happen to them in their life , and they are able to take that awful event and not only overcome it , but figure out a way to use it to help others, or improve their life so they don't repeat the same mistakes that may have been made to them . Everyone faces obstacles in their lives. Some are really huge and difficult, while others are just small issues ,but you are correct in saying, it's not the EVENT that happens to them, it's how they react to it and what they DO with it that makes them or breaks them . This book wasn't written poorly ,no spelling or punctuation type errors, More of just thinking if it would have been told in a little more of maybe a "suspenseful" way, it would have had more impact . I think I'll go ahead and read the other one now. It really won't influence that book by reading them out of order,because they both tell of a different type story. I think the first one tells mainly about growing up in the 50's . Bill Bryson wrote one like that which was great (Thunderbolt Kid) . I think he's a few years older than me,but most of the things he mentioned ,like foods, tv shows, etcc were things I remembered too . Hopefully this guy's other book will be more of an enjoyable read like that .

Winnie & Gurley :The Best Kept Family Secret -by Robert Hewitt This story is a memoir of a family and the secrets of their past. It's written by a man who grew up in a good family for the most part .His grandmother spent many years living with them,and there were some undercurrents of problems amongst the adults .but he really didnt pay a lot of attention to it all . As most young kids do they just grow up,and as long as their family conflicts don't impact their lives too severely , they ignore them . The reason he wrote this book is that he wrote another one previously,all about growing up in the 50's . I guess he got lots of emails after that first book,asking him to please write more about his Grandma . I haven't read the first one yet,so not sure why people wanted to know so much about her,,so these will be listed backwards. I have the first one and will read it next . Anyhow he started digging into his family's past,and learning more about the situation .He found a treasure trove at his Grandmother's childhood home ,which was a trunkful of letters, pictures,postcards, etc that helped him to piece everything together . I didnt get to know the Grandma from the grandson's point of viewby reading the books in order,but it sounds like he was satisfied with her as a Grandmother and didnt really understand why no one else seemed to like her very much . After reading more about her younger years, you understand why people didn't like her . She was a very demanding ,nitpicky person and was miserable with her life,so she wanted to make everyone else just as miserable . You really don't understand why she was like that until more layers of the family are told . This story hit a nerve with me,because I have a very close relative who is EXACTLY like this grandmother : never satisfied with life, always running other people down and making us all miserable . I've always wondered why she was like that ,but never knew her as a young girl or teenager,or newlywed,so missed out on all those pieces of her life . Anyhow without giving the story away, this guy finally tells you the "family secret" ,which isn't really anything I thought it might be .It was a surprise,but maybe the way he told the story, you really didnt get overly wrapped up with any of them to the point where this "secret" made much of an impact on you . I'd have to say overall,to sum the book up , I enjoyed it because it had lots of pictures of the old postcards, diary pages and letters ,and I love looking at those types of things so that part was interesting . The whole family story would have probably been much more intriguing if it had been told by a writer with a little more experience under his belt but this is one of the Kindle low-cost books, so it wasn't written by a polished writer . I usually enjoy those Kindle books, because I like how some of them are told .Sometimes,when they are told by an amateur writer,they seem to be more interesting ,but this one could have used a little more polish to spice it up a bit . I really dont want to divulge what the secret in the family is in case anyone might read this someday,but let's just say it is possibly why the grandmother was like she is. You might think that if you heard her story,you might feel more sympathetic to her,but in the end, all it did was make me dislike her even more . The book will get 3/5 just because of all the pictures,etc ,but the writing would only give it a 2/5 . Kind of a shame, it could have been a lot more interesting if told by someone more "polished " .

Hi Kidsmum Thanks for checking in . How long did it take you to start feeling back to normal after starting the thyroid meds ? So very sluggish feeling. It will definitely be a relief to get the test results . I'm not very patient with this feeling like this for so long . It gets very frustrating doesn't it ? Take care ,

Hi Kat Yea, I like reading about the old West and all its characters. Very entertaining time in the history of our country . I have the book Doc ,and in fact started it back when I got it,but got sidetracked by who knows what. It was really interesting and like the way it was written,so not sure why I put it on hold. I'll be sure to pick it back up at some point . It looks like you enjoyed it too,with a high rating . As for the tiredness, the docs told me it would get a lot worse before it got better,so I was prepared to feel bad,but didnt realize just how low you would get before beginning to climb back up. It's almost like a car that is running out of gas .. it still sputters along ,and you think it's gonna give out before you make it to the gas station. Really odd feeling .Wednesday was probably the lowest of all. WOW , I have never felt that awful. BLINKING seemed to be an all-day event. Anyhow, I have started to gain some steam. Still frustrating when you want to do more and you are totally worn out,but I guess I can't expect much else just yet. Thanks for asking ,and don;t worry aboutt me getting enough sleep. I'm like a 90 year old. I fall asleep about 20 times a day . Awake one minute, asleep the next . Take care --

Hi VF Yea, I guess looks-wise, Bill and Custer had the same type hair,etc. They both wore their hair long ( Bill,not in his young years, but after he got older and had his Wild West show.) They both had light curly type hair,but I think Custer's was more tinged with red . That's why the Indians thought his scalp was such a prize,being the color it was . Bill had a lot better "ending" to his life than Custer did. He died a terrible death and took lots of men along with him by being in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess would be the nicest way of putting it,although some blame his lack of skills at leading men in battle ,and that's why they were all slaughtered as they were . I really havent read extensively on it ,so not sure if he was only doing what he was taught or whether he made a really big mistake . I do know he had many admirers,but also just as many enemies ,since they say he was very vain and sorta-like the showoff type . As for me, I'm ok . Starting to gain a little energy back. I made it to the grocery today,but the stuff is all out in the car. I had to take a rest break before carrying it in . Monday is my scan,so I'm hoping for good news on that . I guess that will give me a little better idea of what we're looking at . Hoping it's ok and maybe I can get back on track here a bit anyhow . Thanks very much for asking. How's life going for you ? I hope it's well and you are happy .

An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill ( Colonel W.F. Cody ) --Buffalo Bill ,1847-1917 This was a Kindle Freebie I've had for a long time,so decided to read it and clear out a few of the older ones,plus in keeping with my last book, I thought I'd stay with the "Western-type" book for one more . This story is interesting if you like reading all about the Old West and its inhabitants,told in first person by someone who wasn't originally from there,but who made it his home as a young man. He tells of his early family life and how he became the main breadwinner of the family at an early age,so he thought there were lots of opportunities out west in which to earn money for someone so young with not much education. His mother thought education was very important,but he always seemed to have his mind elsewhere ,feeling that sitting in a schoolroom was a waste of time when he could find something better to do . Buffalo Bill lived during an exciting time, for the adventures were never ending for someone like him out West . He told of his early years as a scout for troops or settlers, how he became such a good buffalo hunter and how he became very good friends with popular people of the day ,some good and some not so good. He summed up a good portion of his life in this book,but told it in more of a fashion that men would find interesting I think,more so than women. He told very little of his home life or how he met and married his wife. He did give a very small accounting of that,but the main piece of the story was telling of lots of adventures he took,and how he decided that the Wild West show might be a good idea. I think it made him sad to see how the west had changed during his lifetime, for not only himself,but the animals and wildlife and the Indians and their way of life. He had been chased and probably murdered by some of them during his time out there among them( if they had caught him ),but he also made very good friends with many of them too . It's a pricelss telling of a piece of life that is sadly gone and will never be back,but it is a treasure trove of information of you want to know what is was like back then. I'll give this one a 3/5 ,mainly because I would have liked to hear more about his home life and kids and such,but he chose to tell of his first love, which was the West .

Miss Poppy I'm glad you are enjoying the Bryson book . I don't think he is the least bit offensive. He pokes fun at everything in a way that would make even the most somber person chuckle a bit . He seems the sort that would be fun to hang out with,as he probably pokes fun at himself as much as anything else . I know what you mean about the kid's books you got attached to. You still have fond memories of them even after all these years . Some of them I can remember exactly where I WAS when I finished the book . Like Old Yeller ? We had gone camping and I was reading it in the car on the way . We got there, the parents got the whole camp set up and had a fire going and sitting around it,with my mother bellering to "Put that book down and get out here ". I wouldn't leave the car til the book was done. VERY sad ending ,but such a good story . Then I got GRILLED because I sat in the car reading for so long when I was supposed to be having Family Time. What's the matter with you,sitting around with your nose in a book all the time ?? Have you ever heard that people who are obsessive readers as kids, do it because they are using it as an escape from the things going on around them ? I used to be puzzled when I heard that ,wondering if it is true with all kids who love to read,or isi t just meant for kids who come from troubled families ? And sometimes you hear adults say they read to escape what is going on around them. Do you find that it's true or not ? Anyhow, keep chuckling along with Bill. I love his books. They make me feel as though I were traveling right along with him ,chuckling at all he has to say .

Kat Thank you , The nausea is gradually lessening each day . Yesterday morning I felt better,but after I ate, the nausea started up again,so I ate very small amounts of food at a time, and it didnt seem to be as bad,so I think it is improving each day . I'm glad I am allowed to have regular food again . That diet was gross . Kylie Yes, I read that same book ,and like you ,it was a long time ago but it was really interesting . I like books set out West like that . I haven't read the follow-up books to it either though . Too many books and not enough time to squeeze them all in .

Hi Miss Poppy It sounds as if you thoroughly enjoyed the book. I'm a little slow on the uptake,so wouldn't really be able to keep track of the story as well as you have done. I know Atwood is a very popular author. The only one of hers I have read is Alias Grace . I'm not sure if it is based on an actual case or not ( I read it long ago ),but it's about a young lady who is in jail,I believe for murder ? I think . Not sure I remember the story it's been so long . It was a very good book though and written very well . Maybe one of these days I'll SPROUT a few new brain cells then be able to read more than The Cat in the Hat.

Hi Miss Kat Yes, that's right, it was hard for the kids ,but it was so odd that even in cases where the child would see the Indians slaughter their parents, they seemed to somehow overlook it and gradually form an attachment to them . I guess they knew they had no family to go back to,so they became close with the Indians who kidnapped them . Maybe the Stockholm Syndrome thing ? You eventually get so used to that lifestyle and those people that they become your family . Some of the kids cried when they were "traded" back to the Whites to be sent back to their relatives. They didn't want to leave the new life they had. I think maybe kids are more resilient to change sometimes than adults are . And thank you for the cyper-hugs and Nuclear Cheerleaders .

VF Yes, I agree, it'd be interesting to be able to be out west and ride horses. I'm not sure I'm cut out for the Indian lifestyle, but I think most young boys would love it . Miss Poppy Yes, it must have been hard on the older people who left bad conditions in their own country to move to a new place where they thought life would be better. Sometimes environment is important. If you live in a place you don't like,then it is hard to be happy . Sofia Thanks very much for your well wishes . It is appreciated .

Ok, I had to keep my brain busy this weekend,so I chose a book that is totally concentrating on a subject from another time and place . This was the first book I purchased for my Kindle,so thought I'd read one of my older ones . Captured : A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch 3/5 This story is taken directly from the author's family history . One of his Great Uncles(many "greats " ago), back in 1870,was captured by Indians . It seems that it was a fairly common occurrence in the area of Texas their families lived in . They were mostly settlers from Germany in that area,and several families had kidnappings,either of kids or sometimes ladies. The main age group the Indians seemed to choose were kids between age 8-10 ... they also kidnapped ladies,but very seldom did they hold them and keep them. They usually were raped and killed . The little girls who were taken were usually given to a woman in the tribe who may have lost a child,so the Indians brought her a replacement . The girls were treated well for the most part, and became a part of the new family, being taught all the ladie's jobs in the tribe. The boys were raised to hunt and fish and ride horses well . As they matured, they became very attached to their Indian family and actually liked their way of life. Very few ever missed their old ways and didnt want to return home after a time. There were white traders who traveled through the different areas and when they would spot a white child ,they would try to get some information from them on who they were and where they were from. At this time, the government had a system in place to barter with the Indians to trade the child for money or food or horses, or other possessions . This is how some of the kids got to return home . The book started out interesting,then had a huge "dry spot" in the middle that went into too much detail . In the beinning, the author tells about going to look for the Great Uncle's grave,which had no headstone,just a small marker of some sort. He began researching the story and trying to piece together this family mystery . Sadly, there weren't many people left who knew the story,so he had to do some digging to locate other kids who had also been kidnapped during the same time frame,and ask THEIR families questions. They DID know some of the details of this uncle,so the author gradually pieced it all together as best as he could . The book tells of Indian raids and customs, and told a different side of them than you usually hear . It made you look at them in a whole new way and makes you wonder who the "bad guys " really were . I think the Whites played as big a part in being " bad guys "as the Indians did. They treated them very poorly, took all their land, made empty promises, etc . So by the end, you truly dont know who to root for . The ending of the book told about this uncle who had been captured and how his life turned out once he was back among family. It seems he had a really hard time adjusting to his old ways ,and couldnt ever get used to sleeping on a bed, living in a house and other daily things we all do. He was very quiet and never discussed his time away,so people in town more or less steered clear of him and little kids were afraid of him . One day, he just disappeared ,and went to live way out in a cave for the remainder of his life . It seemed he was happier there . At the end, the author goes back to the spot where this uncle had been kidnapped ,and also crawled up into the cave where he lived his last days ,and made sure he had a proper tombstone on his grave . It was an interesting book because it makes you think about these kids and how they were able to adjust to such a different life,and how they actually became friends and felt like the Indians were their true family. None of them held ill will against them ,most of them preferring the Indian lifestyle . I'm giving this 3/5 because of the dry part in the center,but other than that, it made you think and learn, which is what all books should do .

Hi VF Yes, in a way it's good to have the medicine I guess,but in another way it's a little scarey . You have so many restrictions after taking it .You have to use separate tableware ,and wash it and all your laundry separate from the rest of the laundry . Everything in the bathroom must be washed down after I use anything in there . I am not allowed in public for 4 days,sine the dosage they gave me was so high, if I touched another person, it'd be dangerous to them . No kids or pregnant ladies at all around me . The hubster has to sleep in another room so he doesnt get too high a level of radiation . I'm not even allowed to touch the food he will be eating,so that one has been a challenge,since he can't cook,but we are managing . So I guess I'm glad they have something to kill the remaining cancer cells,but it also makes you worry what the stuff might be doing to the rest of your body if it's so dangerous . I never knew a whole lot about it myself til I am learning it firsthand . I just hope it works and zaps all the bad stuff that might be left .

Thank you Poppy - I'm trying my hardest to be a trooper. Thank you , Andrea for the good wishes . Miss Kat - I have an uncle ( last one left ) who is probably close to 90. That poor guy has had every known ailment, and he keeps on getting up and facing it every day . I have another cousin who has had so much bad luck,so many really sad things happen to her ,and she is still happy. I asked her how she can be happy when so much has happened in her life. She said " There's always somebody out there worse off than me " . I guess those words stuck with me . I truly admire people who are TOUGH . I think it's such a good quality . Sooo. if I can be even half as tough as they are, I'd be proud . It's really odd ,when you find out you have Cancer ......I've always wondered ,how can people who have THAT diagnosis still FUNCTION in life ? I guess now I am finding it out first hand. You just function because you have to . It wouldnt do me any good to yank all my clothes off and go screaming down the street. I'd STILL have cancer . (and probably a ticket for Public Indecency ). I've kinda been logging my daily stuff on my profile page. Maybe a way to keep track of how things go each day ,and to get it OUT . As for family, my hubster is the best on the planet. I tell him he is like Plymouth Rock. Always there ,and strong . Nothing ever rattles him ,and he has been so good to me . Sadly , that is where my immediate family stops. I guess I shouldn't say anymore on here about it ,but I have a pretty SAD family situation . Believe it or not, THAT hurts much worse than having Cancer, being scared ,and not knowing what the future holds.

Hi folks Thank you so much for all the good wishes . You guys are all so nice . The "test" yesterday really didn't amount to much . It took longer for them to fill out paperwork than anything else. Once I signed it all ,they called the Nuclear medicine Doctor and he talked to me on the phone about the medicine and gave me further instructions. His differed a bit from what my Cancer Dr said ( diet-wise and medicine -wise). He told me I have to stay on the iodine/sodium free diet for 72 hours after the test . He said if I eat items that have that stuff in them too soon,the medicine wont have the full effect of targeting the leftover thyroid cancer cells that may still be in my body . So, today and tomorrow yet to go on this crappy diet. He also said not to start the thyroid pills til Monday . The test was simple - they take you into a tiny room with TWO DOORS on it .They bring in a paper cup of water and this little thing that looks like a small thermos bottle . The guy puts on gloves,then unscrews the lid of the bottle .,Inside it,there is a small plastic tube with one pill in it . He says to take a sip of water,then pick up the TUBE (DO NOT TOUCH THE PILL ) ,and pour the pill down my throat from the tube . So,that was that. They told me to exit these doors that are about 7 steps away and go directly home . So that was all it amounted to . The Dr yesterday said that most people dont get any side effects from the pill,but in some cases they have stomach trouble from it . I am one of those cases . My gosh,the nausea is terrible. It hit about an hour after I got home and is still there today . I'm hoping it will lessen as the amount of the medicine in my body lessens . So, even if I WOULD have been allowed to eat today, I wouldnt feel like eating anything. Even if I had CAKE I wouldnt eat it . This is gross, but the "TASTE" in your mouth feels kinda like you have been drinking your hand lotion mixed with your car oil. You can brush your teeth and gargle for an hour, and the taste is still there . Really GROSS . The only PLUS I can see in this ,is that I should certainly drop some poundage . Just wanted to drop in and thank you guys for all your kind thoughts & words . I appreciate it very much . Hopefully I will feel better today.