Pssst….
July 24, 2008 | 2 Comments
I’m making way for new inventory in the jewelry shop, so…
The “LAST CHANCE SALE” is now in progress! Everything in the shop has been reduced between 25%-75%! Why last chance? Because if an item doesn’t sell at these LOW PRICES, it will be disassembled and made into something else - or the gemstones will be sold as overstock supplies.
Even if you are another jewelry artisan and simply want the piece for its components, I certainly won’t be offended - your design idea may be much better than mine. Many items are priced way below cost!
Big sale. Pass it on…
Oh, the Lemur. She is lazy.
July 23, 2008 | 1 Comment
Last night was the deepest sleep I’ve had in months. Ahhhh. And today, I ate really good food - and not in a rush because I was running late for some appointment. And then I went to see my dear friend Beej who cut my hair perfectly as always.
When I came home, I got Randy and Maizey high on catnip and watched them playfully beat the snot out of each other. Of course, I egged them on by throwing toys that neither of them could resist chasing - and they were so wasted they would collide and smack each other around for having the nerve to chase the toy that was obviously thrown just for them!
It was a fun, lazy day and I needed it. I might just have one tomorrow too.
Jerry called from the road a little while ago - the RAGRAI bikers are staying in Tama, Iowa tonight. This was the forth day of the ride and he said it was grueling because they bucked the wind the whole way. I think they went about 70 miles, too.
That’s either some kind of extreme dedication or a psychiatric disorder that they haven’t quite put a name on yet. Haha.
I mean, I simply can’t think of anything I’d love to do for an entire day that made my butt sore, my whole body sweat, and leave me panting and breathless. (No, not even THAT, you perv.)
Unless I had a really good lubricant. 
Totally different subject now:
A friend recommended a book to me a couple weeks ago and I’m right in the middle of it. Feeling stuck on creative projects? Procrastinating on doing your life’s work? Get this book immediately. It will kick you in the ass, pat you on the back, then kick you in the ass again.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Very good book. Just read it; you can thank me later.
Alrighta, time for another good night’s sleep. Be well… I’ll talk with you again soon. 
So far, so good.
July 22, 2008 | 3 Comments
I just got back from Iowa City; here’s the latest:
The gynecology oncologist that I saw (Dr. David Bender) was extremely knowledgeable and we established a very good rapport right away. After giving me a thorough physical exam he said that I don’t have any structural abnormalities (no palpable masses, etc.) and everything with my blood work checked out fine. But that still leaves the matter of the pre-cancerous cells that need to be dealt with and we’ve decided to take a conservative approach based on the facts we have right now. Mind you, once he gets the complete pathology reports the plans might change, but we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.
Details:
1. I am scheduled to see him again on August 5th to review the reports.
2. If the results *do not* show progressive cancer cells, I will be prescribed a higher dose of progesterone hormones (megestrol acetate) to substantially reduce the endometrial lining of the uterus. After 3 months on that medicine, the doctor would do an inpatient D&C in order to completely remove the lining. That procedure will eliminate the pre-cancerous cells and allow me to start with a “clean slate”, so to speak. I would then have to have regularly scheduled biopsies afterwards just to keep an eye out for any changes.
3. If the results *do* show progressive cancer cells, I’ll have to have sonograms and a bunch of other tests to pinpoint the problem and most likely a complete hysterectomy as soon as possible.
I am feeling pretty confident that everything will turn out ok in the end. If it doesn’t, that just means it’s not the end!
Right now I am just very tired from the stress of the unknown and the lack of deep sleep - and of course, venturing onto an overwhelmingly HUGE teaching hospital campus that is like a bustling city within itself. Seriously, I ended up paying for valet parking because all three ramps within walking distance of the office were completely full.
At least next time I will know exactly where I am going; that will cut down a lot stress right there.
So, that’s the latest. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and for sending positive energy my way. I could really feel it. It kept me warm as I sat in that cold exam room wearing nothing but a nervous smile and a flimsy cotton gown.
Love to all,
Information sandwich. Mmmm.
July 17, 2008 | 7 Comments
When I was in school, I learned the “sandwich” technique of broaching sensitive subjects - you know, where you have a light-hearted intro, then the main topic you’d rather not discuss, followed by a positive close. This was a good thing to learn, because as most of you know, I tend to just get right to the point without mercy - which blind-sides people at times. (Hey, bluntness is a virtue in my book and I don’t like to waste time pussyfooting around.)
Ok, here we go with today’s menu: A big, hastily-made sandwich, loaded with non-sequiter.
Hehehehe… I *love* Mutts Comics.
(Aright, now insert clumsy segue here…)
My doctors and I have been getting to the bottom of my Crimson Tide issues. Last week I had a biopsy done to my uterus and they found numerous pre-cancerous cells. The medical term for the condition is called “complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia” and as far as hyperplasias go, this is the one you don’t want to have.
Not to get all dramatic here, but 20-50% percent of the women diagnosed with this are found to have invasive malignant cancer growing once the doctors get in there for a good look around. My local gynecologist (whom I absolutely love, adore and trust with the care of my body parts that I absolutely love and adore as well) is recommending a complete hysterectomy as soon as possible. He has referred me to a gynecology oncologist so we can learn more.
So. I am scheduled to go Iowa City next week for more tests and exploratory stuff and whatever is learned will decide the next step.
Besides the initial mention of the dreaded “cancer” word, the timing on this could not be more inconvenient. Jer and his sister are leaving for RAGBRAI on Saturday and they will be gone on the bike ride for the entire week. I’ve told him that I want him to go (in fact, insisting that he does), but I would leave the decision up to him. Thankfully, he and Linda have decided to go ahead as planned, which is a huge load off my mind. He’s been training SO hard for a whole year and there’s no way I want to be the rain on that parade!
I don’t know how to explain it other than to say that if he canceled the trip it would be more stress inducing and would invite such levels of unhealthy guilt - both of which are things I don’t need, now or ever.
Frankly, my intuition is telling me that the timing is perfect - it just doesn’t seem that way when human-made schedules are involved. I feel in my heart that I’m supposed to experience this part of the journey on my own because I am going to learn a lot and I would be too distracted if others were included.
So, that’s that. I will let you all know how the next round of tests go, ok? Send me some good energy if you can spare some.
(Insert second clumsy, segue here.)
Hey, it’s my sandwich! And Swiss cheese is my favorite.
~ xoxOXox
Fortunately, I never give up.
July 12, 2008 | 2 Comments
I really don’t know what my problem is, kids. I cannot focus on *anything* anymore. It’s driving me bat shit crazy.
Just when I think I am starting to concentrate and get things done - POOF! - I am either interrupted or I remember something else I need to do right away and try to tend to it. I am starting to wonder if it’s due to getting older. I mean, I recall turning 40 and having my eye doctor tell me that it is normal for vision to start to decline around that time. Is there a certain age when your brain just starts to hit the skids and you walk around like a doofus for the rest of your days?
Heaven help me if that is the case, because we all know that I never had far to go to reach Queen of the Doofi status in the first place.
Maybe it’s apathy. Or my meds. Or too much stuff going on at once. All I know is that my brain feels discombobulated.
I think it all started this spring with the tornadoes and flooding. (Freakin’ scared the shit out of me; I know people who lost everything - one family in the Parkersburg tornado, and two families in the floods.) Every time we get a bad storm I keep thinking a funnel cloud is going to drop out of the sky and land right on our house. Odds are it won’t, but ya never know.
Then when I visited my sister it took me about a week or two to mentally settle back in here.
Just in time for my parents to visit.
Which took another week or two to mentally settle in again afterwords.
And then learning this Mac, which I love, but oh my god - I swear I tried to close the screen on the upper right hand side at least eleventy-thousand times before I got the hang of it and started looking in the upper left corner. And I know I invented new curse words as I figured out how to navigate and learn the language of the system. (Nasty Mac-Fuckinstein… that’s the name of my machine, dontcha know.)
Did I mention the peri-menopause thing yet? I didn’t? Well, let me tell you, it sucks big, hairy, hot-flashing donkey balls, my friends. I’d avoid it if I were you.
(You fellas might want to tune out right now while me and the girls commiserate.) 
To further illustrate the situation, let me just state that the University of Alabama no longer owns the moniker “The Crimson Tide”. Yes, it is that bad. Like for an entire month and a half. If this continues, I advise all of you to invest your money in feminine hygiene products, because you’ll make a killing in that market, just off of ME.
Come to think of it, why aren’t we all investing in that stuff anyway? It’s always going to be a necessity. 
Oh wait, we can’t invest in the Tampon Futures Market because we’re spending all of our !@#$% money on the Tampons NOW Market.
Gawd. 
In national news:
Gas prices. Crappy presidential candidates. General government ineptitude. Christie Brinkley’s ex-husband is a pervert. Younger Spears wench popped her critter. Jesse Jackson wants to cut off Obama’s nuts.
That about covers the “vital” information for now.
*sigh*
Welcome to the here and now.
My name is Christine Thurow and I am a professional artist, living in my lovely home state of Iowa. My humor is sarcastic, my wit dry and my appetite for unbridled hedonism, ravenous. Did I say hedonism? I meant intelligent exchange.
Repeat after me...
Luscious Looty & Booty
Flickr
Doin' It Dubuque Style, Baby...
More Good Reads
Webrings
Much Love to:
You are lil' kitten number:
