Hello all,
I am home again after a very nice time at my friend's house. She made me a nice dinner of chicken,potato, cottage cheese and NO veggies or fruit, because I can't eat that. She said it was hard to cook such bland food. But it was good to me.
I slept well, have been on no pain meds. Last night we took a small walk around her neighborhood.
I got home at noon today and have been taking it easy. Carolyn ,Finn and Claire stopped in for a short time.
I am going to do nothing more today except watch TV. I have a doctor's apt. tomorrow at 9:15.

The GOOD news is that I am home and I POOPED B R O W N! Brown is such a nice color. I like it so much better than RED!.

I came home last evening. It is nice to be out of the hospital. I really have no complaints. AI am eating well and have had very little pain.

Carolyn and Finn stayed over last night and today I am going to my friend, Cathrine's. We worked together for Hospice and she has be so nice, taking care of me in the hospital and pampering me . She will bring me home tomorrow.
On Tuesday I meet with Dr. Woliver a Hematologist/Oncologist . My blood count is still crazy. (ie. Hemoglobin is 9.5 ,Hematocrit 27.2 Platelets 110.) It might be an Aplastic Anemia.

I want to thanks all who thought of me and prayed for me. I know that is what got me to where I am now. On the mend.
I still think the best advice is to not get sick.

Please know I think with all your thoughts and prayers I WILL be fine.

WHAT WILL MATTER

By Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustration and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do list will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave,.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged other to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.

What will matter is how long will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matter doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

I think I am ready for the big day.
Since last midnight I have been only on clear liquids.
At noon I had to take 4 delayed release shit tablets . After they begin to work I had to drink this disgusting drink.8 oz every 15mins for two hours. It was really ugh and now the loose crap is pouring out of me.
After midnight tonight I am NPO (nothing by mouth).
Carolyn is going with me. Dana will take off work to mind the kids.
I am going to write ,"What Will Matter" . It has meant alot to me.

I have not blogged for days because my computer was down. I have no idea what was wrong but, I could not get on the internet and today I can.
I am getting ready to have my operation on Monday. After midnight tonight I can have nothing but bowel prep and clear liquids. Ugh.
I spoke to the admitting dept. yesterday and the operation will take about two hours than I'll be in two different places ( can't remember what they are), and than to my room. Said I'll be in for five days but, I hope to be out sooner. I have heard from lots of family and friends. I am so thankful.
If anyone wants to find out about me please call Carolyn at 805 569-9460. She will be with me at the hospital on Monday. I am worried about her being by herself. Dana will take off work to mind the kids.
I will trly to send more later.

My wonderful niece and her husband, Mike and Alison Baker, actually FINISHED the Boston Marathon !... I can not imagine even running one block let alone 26 + miles.
I added a good luck message for them on, BostonSports.com . It is greeting #1852-1. When I tried to bring it up I could not find it.
Will write more later.

Sunday was a slow day. Didn't do much at all. Oh, I did go to lunch with my friend Barbara and did some shopping.
Today I went to breakfast with Sara. We had a great time discussing clutter etc. We than went to the book store and each bought, "The Clutter Cure". It is very funny. Some of the chapters are:
"But It's Still Perfectly good!".
"I'm Getting Sentimental Over You...and You...and You".
and Rosemary, this one reminds me of you and Santa. Oh, I mean Santas.
"It's Part of My collection".
Some points are
Collections Try to Take Over Your Life
"They don't mean anything by it". and "I"m Not That Interested in Santa Anymore, but People Won't stop Giving Them to Me".
Here are the "Dangerous Phrases " for this chapter.

1. "I'm saving my string collection for my grandchildren".
2. "So many of these were gifts from dear friends."
3. I could never replace it all if it were stolen".
etc.
You did a great job in the last few months , Mimi.

Had a wonderful time at the baby shower for Robyn. They have really neat friends, most of them are very creative. They painted on oneies (I don't think that is how you spell it) and bibs. When those women got finished they looked like they could be in a museum . Some of the sayings were,"May the Force be with You" and " I spent 9 months in solitary". etc.
In the week since I last saw Robyn she has gotten lots bigger in the baby department.
Operation update:
My friend Judy Smith , the Discharge Planner who suggested a private room has offered to stay with me until about 9PM the night of the operation. I will most likely be on her floor too. She use to work at a Cancer Center.
Two other friends one a LVN and one a CNA have also offered to stay while I am in the hospital and two others said they will stay when I am home. Also brother Frank offered to come back.
I plan on taking these friends and family up on this if I need to. I hope I won't need all this help.
Also, one of my classmates from Nursing school ,Bobbi Murphy, called me from Florida to tell me she was sending me Lourdes Water. When I told Carolyn she had no idea what it was, and she went all through Catholic school.
I am so blessed with wonderful family and friends.

OOPS! The 23rd is NOT Robyn"s Birthday. Her day is the 25th. I'm glad my op will be over by the 25th.
I spoke to my friend who is a Discharge Planner at Cottage Hospital, (where I will be). She said for me to call today and get a private room . I called the hospital and they said I have to talk to the, Case Manager. Lo and behold it is the same person, my friend Judy Smith. I have a call into her. I think the extra cost will be $100.00 per day. If that is all I will have to pay I think I will go for it.l

Here is the bottom line.
I am having a Right Hemicollectomy ( removal of right side of my colon). On Monday April 23rd. at 12noon. Sorry Robyn, I know it is your Bday. but, I want to be better for Dexter.
I went to the surgeon's office where they have a scheduler. Than the Oncologist called to say he thought it was a good idea. My blood work still came back neg. for Von Willerbrands syndrome and sometimes it has to be drawn 6-7 times to come up positive.
I will be on clear liquids on Sun. so until than I will eat everything I can find that is good and fattening.

I just talked with another Oncologist and he said in no uncertain terms that I should have to bowel resection ASAP. I know deep down that he is right. Tomorrow I will call the surgeon. Ugh.

Here's what a link to Mimi's blog might look like:

First I take the full web address:
http://mimi249.blogspot.com/

Then I put the little code letters around it and name it:
http://mimi249.blogspot.com/">Mimi's Musings

Then I put that in the paragraph I'm writing:
One of the blogs I read every day is my sister Mimi's blog called http://mimi249.blogspot.com/">Mimi's Musings. She writes about what she's going through with Weight Watchers, taking care of her husband Pat, and her friends and family.

Give it another try!
This is how I did it Robyn. Hope it worksBJ

Robyn

"http://www.childrenofhoarders.com/bindex.php">

here is the link from Children of hoarders. This along with instructions was sent to me by my darling DIL Robyn. Ruth Gordan did show up on Easter but, I told her to let Robyn and Steve have Dexter.
I am going to try to use this set up for other links.
I may be nuts.




It is a joke about Ruth Gordan. I think she is already dead. Also, I do not have a rick BF. YET.

Neither one lives near a cemetery.
I don't know where it came from but, they had a great time. Finn could not wait to tell me about ,"someone buried who''s name was,Warning". Isn't that funny Nana"? Also they saw a dead bee on a grave.
Finn: "Look a dead bee".
Aidan: " I guess now we have to say..A..C..D....E..ect."
Those kids are so smart.

We had a wonderful Easter.
Maureen, Francine, Charlie and the two boys, Aidan and Dylan arrived on Friday evening. They are staying at the home of Carolyn's neighbors who are out of town. The neighbors that is... Maureen and Francine are brother Frank's daughters. Charlie is Francine's husband and the boys who are 5 and 19 months belong to them.
Yesterday Robyn and Steve came up. they were going to stay until today but, decided to leave last evening. Robyn had a show tonight and was tired. Aidan And Finn ge along so well. They are so cute together. Steve and Robyn dyed eggs with them and than watched Finn's favorite DVD, "land of the Lost".
Today Ellen, Rosemary's daughter came up from Ventura. She is always so sweet. Ellen and Maureen are both teachers so they compared school notes. We had brunch. My baked eggs, sausage, bacon, fruit, buns etc. Than there was the Easter egg hunt etc. Only the little boys found eggs this year.
for some unknown reason Finn and Aidan want to go to a cemetery. I think Aunt Mimi is working some magic over them. Anyway, Ellen, Maureen, Francine and the two boys went to the Santa Barbara cemetery. They all said they had a good time.
Ellen went home from there. We played hearts tonight and I lost.

OMG!!! Last night I went to a," Clutter Support Group". Yes, me a person who has been in need of clutter help for about 50 years .
It was really quite interesting. About 8 people all with the same problem. The leader said it is a "disorder" along the lines of ADD, ADHD and Asperbergers . Carolyn came with me. Actually she asked me to go with her. They said it often runs in families. Carolyn asked if you can ,"get over it". They said it is like alcoholism in that you can learn to control clutter. I want to believe this because it will make me not continue to think I am such a mess.
They mentioned a web-site, Children of Hoarders.com . Check it out.

Today I finished shopping for food for the weekend and toys for the little kiddies.
I have the pasta sauce cooking and will make the egg dish later today or in the morning.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Ruth Gordon is coming and will have a wonderful gift for me.
Can't wait to see Robyn and Steve.

Today was shopping day. I got most of the food for Easter Friday,Sat, and part of Sunday.
I will have Italian one night and Chicken on one. I think Dana is making BarBQ on Sunday.
Sunday brunch will be big because some will be leaving early.
I will make my famous baked eggs (made with 3 different cheeses, eggs, bacon, etc. I will put some hot peppers in one of them.
There will be 13 people.

Well I went to see the surgeon yesterday. The Path. report said,"severe dysplasia/carcinoma in-situ with focal severe dysplasia suspicious for invasion". He would like to do a surgery in a couple of weeks. The other option is to have another colonoscopy than I ,"will most likely need surgery anyway. I will talk to my other doctors etc before I make the decision. But, I want to be better when Robyn and Steve's baby is born at the end of May. Not too good of a report but, it is what I expected. Had another blood test done for Von Willerbrand. The results have to be sent to an outside lab so I won't get the results until next week.

Note to Pat R: Yes, G4TV is the same company as Steve's. If you Google G4TV than go to The Feed. His is under sjohnson. He also got a job for another HSHS grad. Mike Dilanzo. They went to college together too. Let me know if you get in to it.

I am back in town.
I had the most most wonderful weekend with my wonderful son and his equally wonderful wife.
Arrived about 2pm. Carolyn and Dana dropped me off. They came in for a short time and Steve and Finn played some wii golf. Than of course I had to try it. I played golf and baseball. It is so remarkable, You hold the little thingy (joy sticks?) just as if you were really bowling or golfing . There are all kinds of sports you can play. Football, bowling , basketball and a lot more.
We went to lunch at a nice place on Sunset Blvd no less. They live near there in fact, we walked.
Sat night we just sat around and talked about life in general and my new soon-to-be born Grandson. Robyn looks great and feels good. She certainly has not let being PG slow her down.
Sunday morning I went to church. Everything was in Spanish. It was truly beautiful. There were at least 1000 people, lots of pomp as it was Palm Sunday.
After church Robyn made us French toast and fruit for breakfast. Umm.
We were going to go to a movie but instead we took naps.
Robyn had to be at the theater two hours before us so Steve and I played Uno on the X-Box. It is soooooooooo much fun.
We went to the show . It is so fascinating. All impove ( I don't know how to spell it and it won't correct-you know what I mean). The audience draws pictures that are scanned into a computer that than puts it up on a big screen. The actors are on stage and using joysticks can move all parts of the people the audience drew.
You will soon be able to see what I mean because Stephen is having it put on his company Web Site. G4TV-The Feed. More later.