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Spring 2012
Partly cloudy, cool and windy today, but still not bad. Think the rain is going to miss us.
Absolutely worth it Cheryl. I had a (benign) positive result a few years ago which scared the bee-gees-us out of me. I am faithful to the annual screening and the place I go is very prompt, gentle, friendly, etc., but still....getting one's boo..s squashed is not the high spot of my week :) But thank the Gods such technology is available.
My family history for cancer, though, not breast, is not good. Mother non-Hodgkins lymphoma, twice now; currently in remission; two of her brothers (out of 3), bladder cancer. So my internist keeps say, oh, there's no proven connection, but I say, so far as you know now. And get the old checkups.
OTOH, most of my relatives on my father's side live(d) into their 90's. And no cancer at all. So I am optimistic.
A truly beautiful day today, around 70, little breeze, low humidity, deep blue sky. I can live in a climate like this. The crops in the fields (I live in farm country) (primarily corn and soy beans) are coming up nicely. It gives one a sense of renewal to see the crop cycle every year doesn't it? I take drives through back country roads frequently just to see the peaceful scenes, and the cows and horses grazing (lots of horses around here). It's peaceful and soothing and stress-reducing for sure.
Another fabulous day today and the same predicted for tomorrow. Leaves about 2/3 out now and everything looks so fresh and new. What a wonderful time of the year!
Both of my grandmothers had breast cancer, so I am considered at risk. But both of them were in their late eighties when they got it. And it was successfully treated. My aunt, whom my mother claims is not related by blood (but I am not sure about) also had breast cancer. I suspect that she is a great aunt's child that my grandparents adopted. Anyway, I am sure to get my annual exam. I read a great joke somewhere about how to prepare for a mammo... something about lying in the driveway and having someone run over your boo* with a car, placing it between blocks of ice, etc. etc.
A mammogram was like the worst of labour pains, the very worst. It was the utmost agony. I would think having a car run over your boobs, and then backing up over them quite slowly is about accurate.I think you can also get a sonogram so I would go for that next time but they don't do it on the island.
Good luck Miriam. Just keep saying to yourself it's over in a minute, two, three....
I know some people really suffer to have their mammos done, one of my friends even gets bruises! I'm lucky as I don't think they're that big of a deal as they're over quickly although it probably feels like hours if you're in severe pain. Just a note: in the US mammograms along with self exams are considered your first line of defense. Breast ultrasounds are used as follow up after a mass has been detected as they can tell the difference between a solid and cystic mass (cysts being filled with fluid) Cysts are usually benign, solid masses need to be biopsied to determine if they are benign or malignant. That's what happened to me a year ago--I had a solid mass and a biopsy which turned out to be benign. Lucky me! In some cases MRI scanning is also used, but it is cost prohibitive and only used in special cases like woman who have scarring from trauma or some other breast disease going on.
Okay, I'll get off of my soap box now.
That was interesting Cheryl. Given me something to think about.
When a mammogram and/or ultrasound is positive,it is always followed up with MRI or other more definitive imaging. I am a breast cancer survivor. After my first positive mammo I had an ultrasound. The tumor that showed up on the mammo did not show up on the ultrasound. Hence,further imaging was required.There are several alternatives to a mammo that detect breast cancer much earlier than either the mammo or ultrasound.However, as Cheryl mentioned,they are cost prohibitive and the patient usually has to be in a high risk category before insurance will pay for the testing.I have been told that a breast tumor has been in place for 10 yrs by the time it is detectable on a mammo BUT a mammo still has the capability of detecting tumors while they are in a treatable stage.
Continue to get your yearly mammos ladies. They may be uncomfortable,but they are far less painful than surgery,radiation, or chemo.
I can't do mammograms, not possible anymore because of some surgery I've recently had, and I don't have insurance anyway not being an American, so I guess I will have to explore the alternatives expensive or not.
peg wrote: "When a mammogram and/or ultrasound is positive,it is always followed up with MRI or other more definitive imaging. I am a breast cancer survivor. After my first positive mammo I had an ultrasound. ..."Petra X wrote: "I can't do mammograms, not possible anymore because of some surgery I've recently had, and I don't have insurance anyway not being an American, so I guess I will have to explore the alternatives ex..."
What a bummer about the no insurance. Are there any programs available you might be eligible for? Not knowing how your health system works I'm not sure what's available to you.
peg wrote: "When a mammogram and/or ultrasound is positive,it is always followed up with MRI or other more definitive imaging. I am a breast cancer survivor. After my first positive mammo I had an ultrasound. ..."At sites that have gone to digital imaging mammography tumors can be detected earlier than 10 yrs which has been a giant leap forward in the fight against breast cancer. Not all facilities have made the switch so it is good to ask when you have your mammo done if your provider has digital imaging mammography.
Many congrats on being a breast cancer survivor!! I think every one of you are heroes!
Digital imaging is so much quicker too--no more waiting for film to be developed to see if the picture "took" so to speak. Instant imaging and also interesting to look at too, I think anyway. In and out in 10 minutes flat.
Thanks Cheryl. I'm not so sure about being a "hero" but I will say that cancer is a life-changing experience.
Cheryl S. wrote: "What a bummer about the no insurance. Are there any programs available you might be eligible for? Not knowing how your health system works I'm not sure what's available to you. "I can't afford insurance. I don't think we have programs. I have another operation scheduled for June 12th (and then one more to go after that) so I'm out of funds this year. In pre-Amazon and Kindle days I would have been ok, but... no point in being a Luddite about it, that's how the book business is conducted these days.
MissJessie wrote: "Digital imaging is so much quicker too--no more waiting for film to be developed to see if the picture "took" so to speak. Instant imaging and also interesting to look at too, I think anyway. In an..."I think x-rays of all kinds are "beautiful" but then I worked as a Registered X-ray Tech for 45 years. Out of all the advances I saw over that period of time I think digital mammography is one of the best.
My heuchera are blooming way ahead of schedule and are behaving in another unexpected manner. Usually mine send up long plain stems with the flower blooms at the ends of them. This year there are leaves all the way up the stems--never seen this before.Wild wind gusts here all morning, lots of little branches down again. Settled down in the aftn and has become a beautiful evening. Heat, possibly into the 90s predicted for the next two days.
Things are blooming ahead of schedule here too. I have even been picking strawberries all week.Today was beautiful in the mid 70s after two full days of thunder storms and high winds.Thankfully everything survived.
Did make it to 91 degrees today with strong winds. Now a little thunder storm has come up, thanks heavens, everything is dried out after today.
Wow,temperatures in the 90s already! It's way too early for that. I hope the rain brought some cooler weather for you,Cheryl.
It is starting to get dry here. I am watering already! It is MAY still!
We've caught up on our rain! Went from 10's below normal for this area to now about 4"s. Thank goodness! We were so dry, water restrictions, fires & fire warnings everyday since Feb.
The last 2 days have been spectacular! Sun, nice breeze and mid 70s. Perfect in my book. More rain on the way, but that's okay, we're still behind too and every little bit helps.
Temps are now on the rise & soon will be in the high 80s w/a chance of thunderstorms through Tuesday. Our sticky humidity is returning little by little. I will say it's been a nice break to not have it be uncomfy humid through every season like usual. Just hoping it doesn't come back with a vengence at some point though lol!
Rained off and on all morning and now drenching rains with flash flood warnings are predicted for tonight. At least I got a lot done on those nice days. Tomorrow supposed to be wet as well so think it will be my greenhouse shopping day.
Over 4 inches of rain in the last 24 hours and still coming down, actually it's pouring right now. Guess we are now caught up from our deficit from last year.Made a trip to the greenhouse this AM and got stuff for the cemetery as well as planting my own pots. Also got a new clematis to plant on an old ladder I have propped up in a corner of my garden. This one is called Texensis Gravetye Beauty and is a deep raspberry pink, the blooms have a bell shape with the petals flaring out on the ends. It's different than any other one I have so I hope it does well. I love clematis and try to add a new one every year, so far I have 9 strung around different places in the yard.
The peony by the back door is blooming and perfuming the whole area. Unfortunately the rain is beating it to the ground. I'll try to prop it up if and when the rain stops.
Cheryl, a couple of the clematis I rescued last year are purple with the bell shaped, flaring flowers. And two are pink with regular open flowers! I was so worried they would all be autumn clematis, which can reseed to the point of being a nuisance!We are very dry here. I have been pulling out golden yellow iris, and weeding, and there is no moisture in the soil for six inches or more.
As I work in my garden this summer, I am trying to keep in mind the clutter control mantra, "if you don't love it, don't keep it!" since I need to move towards lower maintenance requirements. Hence the pulling of the golden yellow iris. They have good borer resistance, and multiply freely, but I am just not keen on the color. It clashes with the lemon yellow of the house. I also have several Stella d'or daylilies that may go for the same reason. I put some of the iris out on the curb with a free sign, and they disappeared, but I have a basket full left. I wonder if they would go this weekend?
A few years ago I dug up all my golden yellow iris for the same reason, they clashed with everything. No one wanted them as they are very common here and they do spread. I tossed them on what was at the time my compost pile. Of course they rooted themselves and grew. They get almost no sun and I do nothing to take care of them and yet they come back year after year. They're blooming right now. The irritating thing is all the other iris I have planted after very carefully choosing colors that would work in my garden have been dug up and dragged away by the squirrels.
Dry, cloudy cool day today with more rain on the way for tomorrow. Makes getting my garden planted a little difficult.
We have had a lot of rain again this week but I was in the garden when it tapered down to a light drizzle. I was a muddy mess but most of my veggies are in. This weekend is supposed to be sunny here. I can't wait to be able to enjoy some sunshine.
Poured rain again this AM so did errands and picked up some fillers for my pots at the greenhouse. Got in about 3 hrs work outside before it started to rain again. I was a muddy mess too but just had to get some stuff in the ground.Planted my new clematis, put a couple morning glories by my garden bench and planted out all my zinnia starts. Not much, but something.
The weather we're having is giving me whiplash. Today was rainy and in the 50s, very damp, with a bone chilling wind. Tonight more storms and increasing humidity predicted and then a possibility of 90 degrees tomorrow with, you guessed it, more storms. The temp changes we've had have been nuts! I have my furnace on right now and believe me if we hit 90 with high humidity tomorrow I will turn on the AC.
This is a stone fruit year in Virginia! My apricot and peach trees are both loaded with fruit. I've had to prop up peach limbs to (hopefully) keep them from breaking. The first apricots have begun blushing orange. In another week, I'll be picking apricots in earnest. Can't wait!
Petra, your sweetwater sounds fascinating and delicious. What a delightful description.
I was able to give a few iris away, but have many more. I know what you mean about the iris we want, Cheryl. Mine just disappear too. Recently noticed the batik iris is gone.
Sunday we hit 92 degrees with 70% humidity and storms at night. Really nasty. Yesterday, still humid but got better as the day went on, more storms at night. Today we barely made it to 60 degrees with wild wind and there is a lite frost warning for tonight. If I lose stuff, I lose it, I'm tired of trying to outsmart the weather.
I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! For the first time in at least 4 years (I've lost track lol) we were off from Hubby's American Legion Memorial Day ceremonies and were able to enjoy our weekend & honor the fallen at a more leisurely pace. We have been hot Hot HOT since Friday not to mention the horrendous humidity. Truly disgusting. %'s in the high 90s! From the coast to the mountains. I went through our northern home journal & we've never had to have the air conditioning on for Memorial Day weekend up there until this year! Thank God for the break in temps today and I've been able to open the windows for the first time since Thursday evening here on the coast!
Thought I was finally going to get through a May without catching a cold but not so! I've had one since Friday.
Well, spent my morning coffee break looking at pictures of skunk skat and racoon skat - looks like it's a racoon that did it's business in the middle of a veggie bed last night. At my last house the racoons even ate the jalapeno peppers. Have got to do some work to keep them out of the garden, sigh. Have a deer fence that connects to 6 foot tall wood fence (no biggie for them) but I think the main problem is that since I'm on a slope there's plenty of room under the gates (so they can open and shut). I don't think those water scarecrows will work as at previous home they'd play in the sprinklers. Other than a dog, any hints and tricks for protecting my beds are welcome!
Racoons are such pests! When I was young my family had problems with the little devils. Not only did they eat our fruit and veggies, they stored their harvests in our rain gutters. We didn't know what they were up to until our roof started leaking.
Did some web searching, the only thing that seems to work is predator urine (oh joy - just what I want to smell as I garden). My mom had issues in New England with them chewing a hole in the wood house to get in to nest in the attic. Took multiple trappings (got to the point she was thinking of spraying their tails with paint to make sure the trapper wasn't letting them out at the end of the street). All holes had to be covered up with metal - it was QUITE the effort to get them out of the house (she tried the moth ball thing but I don't think she'd heard of the ammonia one I saw in a few places).
I've never seen a racoon except in pictures and they just look in incredibly cute and cuddly to me. From what you all say though, looks are deceiving!
They are the cutest things in the world though not to be cuddled; lots of teeth. We have them in abundance here since we live in the woods; every day usually a half grown one comes up on the deck and eats the fallen birdseed. They are usually night critters but this one is confused.When we lived at our previous place they got into the attic several times. They chewed thru the shingles and the soffet and facing and sheathing. Had them trapped and expensive repairs. A few months later they were back.
Had the ENTIRE perimeter of the roof (and this was a large tudor) sheathed in sheet metal 3' up from the edge of the roof (under the shingles). Very expensive repairs this time.
They came back again. Chewed thru the edge of the house up near the roofline, and also THRU THE DAMN METAL. Further expensive repairs made.
Trapped them again. They were still gone when we moved but I bet you money they have plagued the current owners.
There is nothing quite as irritating as laying (lying?) in bed and hearing the little devils scurrying between the floor joists above your head.
Elevates the blood pressure no end.
Sometimes when nocturnal animals are active in the daylight they are rabid.Be careful!
One night years ago at my parents we looked out the dining room window to see 7 of them having a family picnic at my Dad's bird feeders. My kids were enthralled, my Dad, not so much.
So far, things are surviving the racoons. I FINALLY got a post up with some pictures of the veggie garden: http://ceodraiocht.wordpress.com/2012... Now, to just get out and plant that fourth bed.
Next up for gardening is a post on the daylillies I got from an eBay seller. Guessing Jo will give us a "Summer" folder before I get that one penned.
The contractor I'd planned to use for the flower beds is moving so slow, it's discouraging. Seedlings in pots languish in the 100 degree days we had. Thinking about just dumping some of the leggy unhappy ones in the compost. May have to start looking for another contractor (a process I hate). Once he gets here, he does good work, but getting him to write his bid and get here is worse than pulling teeth. sigh, if only I were still in my 20's and could physically do it all myself.
Very nice pics of lovely, healthy plants. I thought they were going to be of racoons though!
Your beds are gorgeous, Maggie! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures.
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Spoiled by having a mammorgram......"
Bravo on having your mammogram. One of my best friends was just diagnosed with breast cancer on her yearly mammo. All was clear a year ago and her lesion is very tiny so we are all hoping this early diagnosis is a huge plus. I know having them done can be a pain, but so worth it!!