Eek - a mouse and the tale of crumbly nails
I didn't think I would panic about a mouse in my house but I'm not a happy bunny or anything else at present!! Hubby texted me this morning to say there was a mouse in the kitchen. I thought he meant one that he'd seen at work not in our kitchen so wasn't initially phased. However, this evening as I was making a cup of tea, a mouse came from the cereal cupboard and went under the cupboard by the sink. I tried very hard not to scream and calmly told Laura to fetch Daddy. He hunted around and couldn't find it but did come across some paperwork and a packet of biscuits hidden under the cupboard!! When I emptied the cereal cupboard I found some poo on its floor which made me feel ill. I was distinctly unhappy. I can't find any holes in the boxes so have the uncomfortable inkling that it is actually climbing in the boxes and eating cereals. I feel like throwing the whole lot away!! However, for tonight, I have put all the boxes in plastic bags so am hoping I won't find a suffocated mouse in the morning. Laura is very worried about this as she is worried it will go hungry and wants me to put down some seeds and water for it overnight. So, I do this or not!! I'm currently trying to find a humane mousetrap and came across a very Heath Robinson contraption via Google. It comprises of a plastic tray, a metal baking tray, a coctail stick and a bamboo kebab stick plus the ubiquitous peice of cheese. (Although sources close to Google tell me, mice are fond of chocolate). It makes Blue Peter craft ideas seem easy!! I'll have to get hubby to make one up later!!! Unsurprisingly, Laura had already known about this idea from somewhere! I think I'll leave that subject there now and go onto more mundane matters.
I don't want to get too excited but I think there is a layer of fluff appearing on my head. Typical, now it's warming up to get my hair back. I remember last time, it seemed to stay that while for a while before it became obvious hair growth so will have to wait and see if anybody else comments.
Unfortunately, my nails have not got the message that the taxotere has stopped. They are flaking away and it looks as if I chew them and also smoke 60 a day as they are going a strange colour. For some reason, the yellowing is worse on my toes and one of my little toe nails is disappearing. My fingernails by the lower cuticles have lovely stripes and ridges on and judging by some of the false nails I have seen, some people actually pay for this look and I've got it free. Yippee for me!! I hate having short nails - I can't pick anything up. Hope they come through stronger eventually.
I am less tired than I was and have missed out quite a few afternoon sleeps but still need to go to bed early. I'm very tired around 4-5pm but at least hubby has been home then so has helped with the cooking.
Tonight, Woody went to cubs to do archery at the local scout camp. He came back hungry, thirsty and muddy!! He wants to do his Information Technology badge so spent yesterday making a poster for it. Hopefully, next week he can get his badge.
AJ keeps talking about his birthday which he wants at home!! Wondering about the Bouncy castle route but seems a bit risky. Will need to have a further think but not tonight as my bed beckons.

Rollercoast world -
no, not the one you can play on the computer but life with cancer. Two weeks ago. I hit rock bottom and today I'm in the hidden bit so you don't know now if you're going to go up or down!!!
Firstly, I'll tell you about 2 weeks ago and then what has happened inbetween.
Two weeks ago, I had the long line put in. It was quite a stressful experience but I was also relieved that now the nurses would be able to take blood and give me chemo without hurting me. The only info I'd been given was not to eat anything for 3 hours before 8.30am!! I got up at 5am, had a bowl of cornflakes and went back to sleep. I had to lie on my back and put my head to the left which was then wrapped in a paper turban thing so I couldn't move my head or see the right side. I'd signed the consent form with the male consultant and so thought he would be doing it. Well, he didn't tell me he wasn't!! Suddenly, a female voice said they would do the ultrasound to find the blood vessel and I assumed it was the radiographer that I'd met earlier. She then said 'the aorta is very high and I think the carotid is behind it'. This worried me - were my veins misplaced? I asked if this was normal and she said 'it wasn't unusual'. What did that mean? I then asked her if I'd met her and she told me I hadn't but had seen her across the room. How rude. I thought it was common manners to introduce yourself even if you are just watching let alone actually doing the procedure. After the local anaesthetic, she tried to put the line in but with a note of panic in her voice suddenly said 'it's stuck' by which stage my heart was doing funny rhythms. I kept expecting it to straight line!! Nobody asked me if I felt OK! Eventually, they told me my heart was being irritated by the line and it was OK. To cut a long story short, the consultant tookover and it was done in a flash!!
I then saw one of the consultant oncologist who was concerned that I'd lost the sensation in my toes and so would only give me a lower dose of taxotere this time. He then looked at my skin and said it looked the cancer had returned in my chest wall. When I asked what they could do, I was toild they could try another chemo. He then asked me about how I felt my prognosis was and after much discussion between us, he said he felt there was only a tiny ray of hope of cure and that it was a case of controlling problems. I was devastated and spent the next hour or so in tears with 2 friends trying to comfort me. They then went home and another friend came.
To distract me, this friend asked me why I'd called myself 'dippykate' . I tried to explain that the chemo had made me do very strange things so it seemed appropriate. During that afternoon I showed that I was still 'dippy' by, firstly, saying to one of the nurses who asked me if I felt happy caring for the line and replying yes the other nurse had shown me when it had been her. I then couldn't remember if I'd had any piriton and then had a strange conversation where I talked about 'suitcases' when i meant 'swimsuits'. However, overall, the 'dippy' moment came when my friend managed to drop the parking ticket down the loo so that when we left it wouldn't work and she had to explain to the parking men what had happened. At least, we didn't have to pay!! That was probably, the only funny part of the day.
I reacted really badly to the chemo this time. My joints were so painful, I had to call the doctor out at 1am and then my temperature kept going up and my throat was really sore. I spent all my time in bed! In the end, I went into hospital for 24 hours where yet again I had no white blood cells and I was also anaemic. I did feel better when I left as I'd had a rest and I had been rehydrated without any painful jabs or blood tests - thanks to my new line!! I also felt really low and that I was beginning to reach the end.
Today, it all changed and for the better. The more senior oncologist feels my skin reddening is just due to a reaction between the chemo and radiotherapy changes and not cancer at all. I will still have a full body scan but he feels it will all be clear and to stop the chemo and just stay on herceptin till September!!
We came home hardly able to believe what we'd been told but still aware that the scan could change things yet again. Hence, the rollercoaster bit!!
Still, I've now booked the holiday Greece and I want this long line out for then so I can go swimming and snorkelling even if I end up having to pay for the next one I don't care at the moment - I want a good holiday and be 'normal'.
Will this rollercoaster be on the way up or come down? - I don't know but I'm going to make the most of the high at the moment!!