Sorry

I apologize for not blogging. I am SO tired from teaching and working extra hours for these kiddos. I am trying to get some of them to pass an old grade. We are doing something called "Summer School Now" and it is a credit recovery class. I have eight kiddos and they have to get the credit for Spanish 1. How do you fail Spanish 1?! I mean, really, it is SO easy. Anyhow, I get home kind'a late and I am way tired. I will blog soon. Promise.

Good News

Wow. Its been quite a while. I hit the ground running over here. School started last week and I can't believe how tired I got right away.

Well, as stated in the title, good news indeed. I will copy what my sister said on her email so you can read the good news yourself:

First piece of news -- the whole fiasco with the handicapped parking application ended up being a huge mistake by the doctor, and she apologized profusely. I never did bring it up to mom & dad, but talked to the doctor directly (she's also my family physician) who assured me that when she filled out the application she was thinking of a different couple who comes in together to see her -- and not of mom or dad, so no need for concern with dementia right now... thanks be to god.

Well, that's one large little mistake there. Anyhow, now about mom:

#1 --here's what I heard her say about the breast cancer: 1.5 cm in size (not really big)
type -- duct infiltrating
nodes were negative
no metastases
estrogen positive
progesterone positive
HER 2 negative

this all means that it is a stage one -- and her chances of recurrence are 20 to 25 percent after surgery -- doing hormone blocking therapy pills cut this percentage in half

here's another important part -- studies have shown than in women over the age of 70 whose surgery was a lumpectomy (partial masectomy) and who have hormone therapy, radiation and/or chemo seem to be of no more help in changing recurrence. BUT she first wants to do another test (where she sends mom's tumor to the pathology lab) to make sure this is the case (it's a new test, only been used in the last one or two years)

#2 -- about the lymphoma -- hers is called "follicular lymphoma" -- it's non-Hodgkins, low grade (slow growing)

chances are that it's not going to be a problem -- it's a non-curable, but you can live with it for 10 or 20 years

mom's CAT scan showed nothing on the lymph nodes in chest and neck, but she has some shadows in her abdomen

Doctor's suggestion is to do nothing for now, and repeat the scans in four months to see if anything has changed, grown etc.

#3 -- the bottom line even with both cancers -- is just to watch and see how mom does, if anything else develops -- and if this last test of her tumor affirms the doctor's view -- to give mom hormone blocking pills -- I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THIS TEST.

#4 -- our father is taking hormones that in effect make him a "woman" (hot flashes etc) and our mother is taking hormone blockers -- I find that kid of funny :-)

I find that funny too. Quite the flip flop there.

And on those bit of news, I say

Bueno, bye.

Back in the ATX

Made it back to Austin.

My poor little Lucy - she's gone through a lot of traveling. I should explain that Lucy is my car. Its a pretty old red car - Mazda Protege. Since she's a red head and I'm Cuban, I could only name her Lucy.

I have had so many emotions with all this with mom and dad. I was talking to a friend tonight about it. It just seems like they will be there forever since they have been there all of your life. It does not seem like they will ever go away. Its so strange realizing that they will go away. As a Christian I do believe I will get to be with them again. Its just that I am going to miss them terribly when they do go.

And it really seems like they will go soon. I mean, how do you fight something that is bound and determined to take your parents away. Let's see - mom has TWO major cancers going, dad has one and possibly Alzheimer's. They both have elevated blood sugar. They both don't exactly eat well. The list is there and it seems that all is going against them.

One of my mom's friends almost made me cry one day. See, I worry about them and that they have some way to be taken care of. My sister is good at it, but she has her health and things to deal with also. Like I was saying, we were just standing around talking about nothing major. This woman looked at me and she said, "Don't worry about your parents. We take care of them like they were our own parents." I had a lump in my throat. I tried hard not to cry. I think she noticed cause she gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

I watched the movie Bella tonight at church (Youth Group - I'm one of the adults involved in the group). Watching this family on screen I came to the realization that I may not have that whole family reunion, dinner together, fun and heart warming times for much longer. Oh, I do have my sister and her family but it just doesn't feel the same. She is Americanized and my Latino heart just doesn't feel the feeding that I do at home with my parents, or on one of their dinners.

There are so many emotions going through me right now.

Sadness. Heartfelt gratefulness. Fear. Joy.

I think of them every day and every night. I wonder how they will get along there without me doing stuff for them or watching out for them.

They've been doing it without me for a while - I think they may be able to continue without me.

I better stop now. I think I may have a good cry and get on with life. Teachers start tomorrow and I will be talking about all this with them. All good friends that worry about me.

Bueno Bye.

Old folks like old cars

and when I saw this Pontiac Firebird, my heart went all a flutter.

"What a piece of junk!"
Luke Skywalker

"She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself."
Han Solo

Lettuce or a dollar bill? You decide.

Macy's sense of humor

Gotta love it.

Coming attractions

Tomorrow is María's birthday. We get to eat Italian food since that is what she wants. She's been on an interesting kick - she has been getting acupuncture for the pain and now is into a "healthier" life style with a few new teas and a diet consisting of mostly fish, even though Michael does not like fish. Wonder how Italian food fits into this.

Went shopping today at Macy's - one of the last few that has survived in OK city. Got some clothes by this brand I never heard of before - Cubavera. Great shirts.

Thursday is mom's appointment to get a full body scan. She is not looking forward to it. She hates that scanner. Told her that if she wanted I'd set up one of the iPods with music to relax. She nixed it.

Hoping to leave here by Thursday so I can have the weekend to get back into the ATX way and back to school on Monday. Mom wants me stay Thursday night and leave Friday. This is the same woman who is concerned about me driving without AC.

OK, After this I'll add some pix. Enjoy.

Bueno Bye.