Jayne: What're you gonna tell the others? Mal: About what? Jayne: About why I'm dead. Mal: Hadn't thought about it. Jayne: Make something up. Don't tell 'em what I did.

'Ariel'


If the Apocalypse Comes, Beep Me

Birth, death, illness, new job, vacation...if it's happening to you and you want us to know about it, post it here. These threads are intended for announcements only. Want to offer sympathy or congratulations, or talk about anything? Take it to Natter. Any natter here will be deleted.


Pix - Jan 14, 2024 1:17:50 pm PST #5649 of 5666
We're all getting played with, babe. -Weird Barbie

The doctors think Dad has less than 72 hours remaining. I will post again when he is gone. Thank you, all, for your support.


Pix - Jan 16, 2024 1:44:46 pm PST #5650 of 5666
We're all getting played with, babe. -Weird Barbie

My father, William Robert Taylor, "Bill" to all who knew him, passed away about an hour ago. I have been with him most of the past three weeks all day, every day, but he was such a private person that I am not surprised he waited until no one was in the room. I went to the beach near the hospital with Tina for 30 minutes to sit and remember and be near the ocean, and the nurse said he went just after we left. I came back and said goodbye and now am going to try to move forward. I am so glad his suffering is over but so filled with grief for the fact he will no longer be in my life. To honor him, pet a dog or help out someone without expecting anything in return. Or give someone a hard time. All of these would make him smile.


Pix - Jan 18, 2024 1:29:50 pm PST #5651 of 5666
We're all getting played with, babe. -Weird Barbie

For anyone not on the Book of Face, here's a link to Dad's obituary.


Jessica - Mar 15, 2024 7:46:24 am PDT #5652 of 5666
If I want to become a cloud of bats, does each bat need a separate vaccination?

If you tune into this radio show at 12:40 EST (EDT? whichever one we're in now), you will hear Dylan being interviewed as one of this year's winners of the Ernie DiMattia Emerging Young Artist award!


Beverly - Mar 16, 2024 3:37:25 pm PDT #5653 of 5666
Days shrink and grow cold, sunlight through leaves is my song. Winter is long.

I have no news to share. But every time I read the thread header I hear Sam Jaffe's "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity" as the preface to every episode of Ben Casey. It's stuck in my brane like a popcorn hull between my teeth.


EpicTangent - Mar 26, 2024 8:35:23 pm PDT #5654 of 5666
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

Had an appointment with Oncology (my main doc's NP) today. There's some evidence that I may have metastasized. Right now it's not definitely cancer, but it's not not cancer either. The CT I had in the hospital showed a "concerning" node on my peritoneum and enlarged lymph nodes. I'm supposed to have an appointment in the next 2-3 weeks with my Oncologist to discuss next steps. I have a PET scan scheduled, but not until May, so that will probably be moved up to get confirmation. Whatever it is, I'm trying to take comfort that it's caught pretty early, but I keep crying thinking of having to go through treatment again, especially considering the bladder and kidney issues I'm already having.

I thought I was getting better. I don't want to re-set the needle.

And in case that's not enough, my mammogram (a couple of weeks ago) showed something concerning so I also have to go in for a breast ultrasound.

So anyway, please send energy, prayers, ~ma my way. I'm at the lousy "not knowing" part and I'm feeling pretty rough.


EpicTangent - Apr 03, 2024 8:39:18 am PDT #5655 of 5666
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

PET scan this afternoon. Please continue to keep everything crossed for me!


EpicTangent - Apr 08, 2024 12:13:16 pm PDT #5656 of 5666
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

Ultrasound follow-up of mammogram this afternoon. Again with the crossing of everything, please! Lots of "it's nothing" energy, s'il vous plait!


EpicTangent - Apr 08, 2024 5:32:28 pm PDT #5657 of 5666
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

Your "it's nothing-ma" worked a treat! A couple of fluid-filled cysts that we'll be keeping an eye on, but not the disease that shall not be named! Though perhaps I should have asked for a little bit of speed on that -ma; the ultrasound tech left "for just a minute" to discuss findings with the dr. Then left me alone for...I don't know how long, at least 20-30 minutes, long enough for me to have an "I can't do breast cancer on top of everything else!" meltdown and discover that the room had no tissues. Who the hell has a room where they - however often - break it to people that they have cancer but doesn't have tissues in it?!?! Madness!!

Tomorrow at 11:30, meeting with the oncologist to find out what we're going to do about the *probably* cancer recurrence. Again with the ~ma, if you please!


EpicTangent - Apr 09, 2024 3:38:14 pm PDT #5658 of 5666
Why isn't everyone pelting me with JOY, dammit? - Zenkitty

So, still not 100% definite, but my oncologist is pretty sure it's a recurrence of the cancer. They're going to do a biopsy to get to 100% sure, but the odds are in cancer's favor. My doctor is thinking oral chemo rather than infusion, which is good. And possibly a clinical trial that targets a particular gene that my cancer exhibits. I'll know more after the biopsy.

And after really pinning my dr down for info, I came away with the understanding that I'm not likely to ever "beat cancer", I'm going to have disease-free intervals, interspersed with recurrences where we'll beat it back for a while.

I'm still processing.