Tag Archives: blood tests

Budgeting and the new week

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Well, really, a new budget is needed since the old one is completely blown. Today, I’m going to write up new numbers and see how they stack up. June should be a better month for a number of reasons. 1. B will get a bonus and that will get us back on track. 2. We’re not going to give my son any school money, as he’s done for this semester. Also, he’s going back to his old job, so this will definitely help. 3. At least one of our bills has been reduced by $125. so that’s helpful. 4. We are going with a HARP refi and that will reduce our payment. This hasn’t happened yet but I hope by July 1.

We are still working on paying off the Federal taxes  that we put on the cc but it still will be a few months. The only extra this month is our AAA membership. So, we should be able to snowball money in the CC. We’ll see. It seems it’s always something.

Today I go get my blood tests.  I should know by Thursday what my numbers are. So I’m going in to do that , then pick up a few groceries(cat food)….. Plus I might drop off the Goodwill stuff, just to get it out of the car.

Dinner tonight is pasta with sauce and salad. I’m making a bolognese sauce in the crockpot.

This week I’m in the bedroom zone. I’ll probably tackle the closet as that seems to be my nemesis.

 

 

It’s HOT!!

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It is very hot. Today 100, tomorrow a 101. then a little break of 93, then all next week close or at 100 degrees. I do not like the heat. I feel like the air is suffocating. UGH…

The doctor visit was good even if he was an hour late. Good thing we don’t schedule anything else. He did say, after I asked him, that to up the dose of Pomalyst will make my neutrophils go even lower. So, obviously thats not good. I also told him I was hoping to get an appt with Dr. Libby in Seattle. He didn’t say much about it. He did think since i’ve had a lot of chemo, the 3 targeted drug regime would be hard on my bone marrow. Not sure if down the road that will matter as, it’ll be do what we can. I’m even thinking of discussing another SCT but for me I think that would be a last resort. If Pomalsyt is too hard on me I will need to go to Velcade. So, on a positive note theres still options.

Well, on to news. YES… my kappa light chains went down over 200 points. very good. But my neutrophils need to come up before I start another cycle. Im really hoping by next Wednesday when I get a blood test. I guess we will see. I have felt a little off the last day or so, not sure what that is.???

Today is the coffee chat with Friends of the Applegate library. I’m going to go and see who shows up. Its also a book club day which I will not go to. Not so much as I don’t want to go the library as its going to be too hot to go out at 4pm.

B and I went to Trader Joes after the doctor appt. I will put that on July’s grocery bill. Everythings paid for the month, with just the water bill and Verizon still out.

Dinner is pita bread stuffed with spiced tofu, veggies and a blue cheese dressing fromTJ’s that i really like.

Friday Budget stuff

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I did apply for unemployment from my ‘dismissal ‘ at work. My daughter doesn’t think i’ll get it as I was extra help. Probably not but even a little would help.

I’m redoing our budget as I won’t be bringing in my little checks. They do amount to just under $400 a month , so I need to find that in the budget somewhere. Probably household where Home depot tends to suck money right out. Mostly its summer  stuff and then fall projects. Everything else is set. Water varies and is higher in summer, but cell phone, electric etc are pretty much set amounts.  Im still working on our big fail bills in one savings account, and after this next pay period I should have that done.

Then,I think I want to focus on adding an extra amount on B’s car. He gets a car allowance which we absolutely need, and it pays the car payment and gas. But if we could knock that out in 2 years we would be in better shape , as he’d still get the allowance but we could just save that money.

Food is always variable. I spend too much I think,but it doesn’t seem like a lot goes to waste. So, if I stick to menu planning groceries could go down by maybe a $100.

We did get slammed with the copay on my bone marrow biopsy. I should really complain. No one ever said it’d be 20% ,do thats actually a pretty big bill since the procedure was (get this , and don’t be shocked)..over $10,000. yes, folks, over 10 grand for one procedure. I will not do that again. I’ll suffer through in the doctors office and take atavain.  So I have at least 3 months more of payments on that.

Well, I’m off. Blood test today, so results next week. I can’t say I feel any different, so I’m not sure how my kappa light chains are. But we’ll know next week.

Then my daughter wants to pop in to Kmart or Target for something.

Dinner is tacos.

Lab results and foot issues

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So, my white blood count and red blood count are low.

humm, not good. But not dangerously low but my neutrophils are back down to 1200. Well, I have another couple of weeks off so that should help bring them back up.

The foot is arthritis, I guess.  I’ll see a podiatrist sometime in the future. Maybe a cortisone shot.My son had his consultation with the oral surgeon. He should have his wisdom teeth out in the next month.

I should get my  SPEP test back in the next day or two . I love the online results. No stress talking to someone.

Gezz, I hate all this doctor stuff but what are you gonna do.?

Just keeping on!

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It’s Tuesday. So it’s my work day. Tuesday is usually our busy day. We’ll see. It rained last night and it’s nice this morning. It’s a very pretty fall. We’ve lost at least one more tree to bark beetles, so I think that’s 5. Not sure what we will do. I just hope that’s it, but it looks like I see the top of one more starting. We still have the date for November for the big oak and one pine. It’s a lot of money to do but I think it’ll be worth it. These down the hill will just have to wait.

I started some crock pot pintos for dinner and I’ll make chicken enchiladas after the tortillas thaw out later. I’ll make enough to freeze at least one dinners worth. Last week I did 20 stuffed potatoes and 12 bean burritos. It makes sense to make what we eat and not stuff that’s just extra. When I started batch cooking, I made all sorts of recipes from the freezer cookbook. But some weren’t really to our liking. So, live and learn.

So far still feeling pretty good except my ball of my foot, which I’m guessing is a bunion or arthritis ? I’m going to get a referral to a podiatrist but that may take time. Tonight’s my last revlimid for this cycle and then it’s wait for blood test and doctor appt.

Other than that nothing too much going on. That’s nice really.

Monday, my no dex day!

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It is so nice to have sorta a normal day today and yesterday. Not being on dex let’s me get some things done that on “normal” dex weeks I don’t do. So yesterday I did some gardening. We’re going to try out the square foot garden idea. We have a big garden and herb garden but iwant to try and grow all our vegies this summer and have enough to freeze. My daughter is a big gardener and really does most of the seed starting etc. but I have always gardened even as a child. We bought a new lemon Meyer tree to replace the once that got hit with frost and now don’t produce. So we will keep that in. Pot. And put in the green house come winter. It’s so great to have your own lemons. So today we are going to put in more lettuce, chard, radishes and whatever else I can find. It’s suppose to start raining tomorrow so it’s good timing.

i had my blood test this morning and what a hassle. I got there 7:20, no lab work is there. So I think ok, I’ll go over to Starbucks  ,get a coffee and wait till 8 and then call the cancer center. So, that’s what I do and find out he forgot to put the order in , so I have to wait for the nurse to come in at 9. So, home I go and she calls like 15 min later and puts the order in. So back to the lab at 9 and I’m back home by 9:17. Still a hassle.then I ask her to please be sure my revlimid order is in as this is my week off but I start Friday. Ok, she’ll call him at the other center. So, I’m the patient, should I be the one having to figure this all out?.

 

I feel like a pin cushion!

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So this last week I’ve had 3 blood draws. My regular monthly, a tobacco one for our health insurance, and a fasting lipid for cholesterol. 

Geez, is it over? then I still need to see my GP for the wellness exam. What a PITA. as, I’ve said , I don’t like to be over scheduled.

its still rainy, cloudy here and it’s getting to me . It’s not cold at least but still I need some sunshine. 

Our budget is totally shot, as my husbands maybe bonus didn’t come in and now were way off in the money department. I swear, it’s always 3 steps forward, 4 steps back…:(

so, I need to transfer from the little savings I’ve been doing just to cover the first of the month.ugh,!!

Rainy Monday

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It’s still going to rain today, so no gardening. But it’s not cold at least. 

When the sun does come out I think a lot of things will sprout. We still need to plant out potatoes. Kinda late but we’ve planted later and still had a good crop.

Someone came and finally took our two male ducks who were harassing the chickens. I hope she had the right space for them. I didn’t really ask her as my husband handled it. Oh well,  I hope they’re safe and happy. The yard is MUCH more peaceful and the girls are happier. 

It is dex Monday, and yesterday was dex Sunday. Ok, but I didn’t really do any zone cleaning and today is the kitchen. That’s always my biggest area because of cooking and grease. But my kitchen is small so that helps. I just haven’t been as motivated lately. I’m still doing the daily stuff but I’d like to do more.

this morning is going out with B to get our tobacco blood tests for insurance . What a PITA Is all I have to say. I just had my blood. Draw last week for my monthly labs, now this draw, and later this week another for cholesterol . Ugh…. Too much. I do not like over schedule weeks and usually don’t. But this I hope won’t be too bad. 

I’m going to declutter the pantry later or at least organize it . It’s a mess(again). If the weather gets nice I may go out to the barn. As I said it’s not too bad, but needs some straightening up. Now mind you this is a funky barn, dirt floor that B has covered with tarps and old rugs, but it still an area of storage for all his work samples , and my son has his exercise equipment out there. Plus Christmas decorations, bikes and stuff like that. I think a good clean sweep is in order

Well, I’m off to wash cabinets and turn on the oven for cleaning.