On Saturday, I went to Barnes & Noble to find someone to help me set it up. I could have read the instructions, but that would have been too easy … plus I wanted first hand information and wanted to begin loading lots and lots of books onto this sucker. Salesperson Ginger was stellar. She was very helpful and tolerant of my jillion questions. In the end, I have over ten books already loaded, spent a good portion of yesterday reading Molly Harper’s second “Nice Girls” series … dying of laughter through much of it and now exploring how I can download a couple of ebooks I have saved on my computer. Fun, fun, fun.

Oh, and I’m told that I need to name my Nook. Any suggestions?

However, it could be worse. I’m feelin’ pretty good, my energy levels are going up and I actually lost five pounds. Gotta love that. Just not eating as much as I was. So this is a nice steady loss. We’re going to wait until the end of this second cycle before we check the tumor markers. So it’s the waiting game again. Yesterday I told Dr. D that I was 49 and jokingly asked him if he had any doubts about getting me to this age. He just gave me a look and said “absolutely no doubt whatsoever.” I love the confidence he shows. He seems as determined to help beat cancer as I.

So, the moral of the story is … when you have an oncologist who has a vested interest in helping you kick cancer’s ass … you stick with him or her. That’s the type of doctor you want.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

But I did see something yesterday on my way to work that I found disturbing. A motorcyclist ahead of me, balancing his bike and chatting on a cell phone. I don’t like it when I see people driving and talking on the cell phone. Seeing a motorcyclist doing it was doubly disturbing. Those are heavy machines. I would think it would take all your attention to maintain control and watch for traffic … particularly during the morning commute. Talking on a cell phone did not strike me as the brightest move this guy could make.

Don’t get me wrong. I want to get a motorcycle in the worse way. I think they’re cool and makes a statement of the type of person I am … or want to be. I just know that motorcycles and cell phones (at the same time) do not mix.

Here’s a short blurb …

“After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one. But she doesn’t count on falling in love with her former owner. Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better.”

I’m very excited for Edie and know that this endeavor will be very successful.

Second. I’ve managed to work my way through a problem I was having with my current WIP. I had to have a really (REALLY) good reason for my heroine to hate everything Supernatural. I believe I found it and have even written out the scene. Gotta incorporate it into the actual book and see how it works.

I’m very excited with the recent developments … both with Edie and myself. So I would suggest that you drop everything and head on over to either Amazon or Smashwords (or just go to Edie’s website where she has the links) and pick up Cattitude. Well worth the read.

Update — everything is still going pretty good. The fatigue still seems to be fading (although that could be my imagination), but I do have a few rounds of dizziness and a touch of nausea ‘pon occasion (which I counter with hard peppermint candies … works wonders). There are days when the headaches seem worse and days when everything feels pretty good.

One day at a time, folks. Ya gotta take it one day at a time. I’ll be starting my second round of CMF next week. This will be a pretty good indication as to whether the effects are accumulative or if this is it as far as side effects go for me.

Here’s hopin’ it’s the latter.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

Anyway.

I wasn’t gonna bitch about this subject quite this soon again, but man … it’s a hot topic with whomever I speak with. Those bloody orange construction barrels. It’s gotten to the point where I start my swearing a block ahead the instant I see one. ‘Cause you know where there’s one, there are more — and more — and more.

I’m all for using the stimulous money in road repair, but did they have to do it all at once? Couldn’t they have stretched it out a bit so that every freakin’ road heading West of where I live isn’t blocked by construction, which of course results in insane traffic snarl ups.

I know that Wisconsin winters make construction difficult, but c’mon. There has got to be some way to schedule this a little more realistically. Don’t know if this is the same all over town, but the Southside is a mess as is parts of the Milwaukee downtown area. And don’t even get me started on the expressways. The language I would use wouldn’t be pretty.

Sigh … always something new to remember. The good news is that I haven’t been feeling ill. Had a little bit of a dizzy spell the other week, and a somewhat tender stomach here and there, but that was averted with a couple of hard peppermint candies. Works wonders.

Today is a nurse visit to see how I’m going. The other good news is that I’m getting this broken foot checked out. With luck I can forego the walking boot. Can you say cumbersome, inconvenient and hot and sweaty? I knew you could. Summer is not the time to be clumping around in a huge boot. Then again, I really cannot think of another time when it would be good.

Not much news beyond that. I should be getting my new tumor markers next week when I go see Dr. D. I really do hope this works. Being on chemo (continuously) for over a year is truly a drag.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”

So far, although I’m on several prescription meds, I’ve been able to keep track of them and manage to take them at the time specified and on a regular basis. That’s sorta necessary. So, I guess the mind to be in pretty sound shape.

Even though I consider having to use one of those pill separators is a sign of declining youth, I’m still gonna continue coloring my hair (when I get it back), listening to raunchy rock and roll, watching my weigh and probably acting way too young for my age with the sole intent of being an embarassment to my daughter.

Weeeelllll … I’m recovered from the trip to Florida, the treatment is into its third week and going well, the foot is … well, still broken but not a deterrents since I don’t type with my toes, and as of this past weekend, my daughter’s birthday party has come and gone.

Plus, I’m finding that my energy level is slowly rising. Not as much fatigue with this treatment. So, I will once again attempt to get into the habit of waking at 4:30 a.m. and begin my writing day at that insane hour.

Starting tomorrow. The only reason I didn’t start this morning is because I hadn’t gotten a chance to wrap the little darlin’s birthday gift from mom and dad and I was up early rustling through the crawlspace for wrapping paper and bows and then digging her gift out of the trunk of my car. Not an easy thing to do when you’re trying to be quiet and not wake anyone.

I’d had one infusion of the Methotrexate and the Fluorouracil. They didn’t have a shortened name for the Methotrexate, but the Fluorouracil is called 5FU. Personally, I love that. Nurse Judy was already laughing and asked if I was going to blog about that reference. Damned straight I am. How can you not make a comment about how you’re gonna get F**ked Up 5 different ways with this.

Also back on the steroids. 60 mg a day. Had to. With my previous treatment, I’d get a bag of steroids before treatment to offset any nausea. Can’t just yank someone off of that without some nasty repercussions. So its oral steroids until they can start weaning me off. However, I’m determined not to turn into a chubby chipmunk this time around. The good news is that the CMF is not doing a heck of a lot for my appetite, so I’m not eating everything in sight.

Other good news is that my energy level may be rising. Not sure, because its been a bitch of a week. Preparing a b-day party for a little girl is taking a toll. I’ll see what next week brings. Today is treatment day and I’ll be getting my infusion of Meth. (LOL) and 5FU. I’m hoping that we’ll then be skipping the next two weeks and then starting the next cycle. I gotta get with the new schedule.

And remember to repeat after me …“YOU ARE A CANCER WARRIOR”