Saturday Night

I had a nice day!  Got up early and took care of business.  Had coffee at Sips with Cari when she went on break.  That's always nice.  From there I went to Trader Joe's to pick up salad dressing, a bag of slivered almonds which I toast for salads, a bag of frozen turkey meatballs, a jar of spaghetti sauce with basil, and some organically grown apples for my friend, Barbara.  I went into the drug store next door first and picked up wrapping paper so I can wrap Andrew's birthday gifts in the morning before we head off to his party.  While I was in the store,  I saw one of the clerks escorting a guy to the door and telling him, "..........and don't you ever come back."  I looked around and she had two  bottles of liquor in her hands.  He had tried stuffing them in his pants pockets and was planning on walking off with them.  She had a lot of guts to confront him.  It gave me the creeps.  I made sure he was long gone before I walked back to my car to put the things I bought in the car before walking to Trader Joe's.  I guess that kind of thing happens a lot but it's unusual for me to witness it.

I have some sad news about my Aunt Helen.  Most who have read my journal know that she has had a rough time this past year.  She is recovering from a broken hip and a series of other problems.  Well, she just found out she has stage 2 breast cancer on Friday.  Her doctor is optimistic about her chances for recovery but DARN ........  it just doesn't seem fair at all that she has to deal with another health issue right now.  She just had her 83rd birthday a week ago so I'm not sure what course of treatment she is going to take.  Nothing will be decided until she sees a surgeon.   The only people who know about this are my cousins (her daughters) and my sister and me.  Helen wants to wait to tell her siblings until she has all the information about surgery and treatment lined up.  I agree with that because my mom is a retired registered nurse and her youngest sister is a retired pharmacist and they will want to know all the technical stuff right off the bat.  It's hard, though, knowing this a not talking to my mother about it.

My grandmother, Helen and my Mom's mother, died of breast cancer in 1982 at the age of 89.  Her first diagnosis came 10 years earlier but she was treated with surgery and radiation and remained cancer free for 9 years.  When it came back, it was very aggressive and went into her lungs and was out of control before it was found. She died about 6 months after the diagnosis.  My doctor has always told  me that my risk of breast cancer is no greater because of my grandmother's cancer.  If my sister had breast cancer then I would be at greater risk.  So now, I worry about my mom and my Aunt Ruth.  Their risk just shot through the roof.  I know my mother has annual mammograms but I'm not sure about Ruth.  I would be surprised if she does not go.  She takes very good care of herself.   So, if any of you ladies who is over 40 and has never had a mammogram - GET ONE!  They are over in a flash and they will save your life.  The new ones are digitized and will show the slightest little bump and changes in the breast tissue. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammography  

If you are new to the subject of mammograms and want to know all about them.  Go to this site.  It will tell you everything you need to know.

Ok, that's the end of my public service message.

Tomorrow I will be posting pictures of the birthday party!  Should be great fun.  Shannon is planning a Sports Theme for all the little kids.  They are even having a Pinata.  Oh, Boy!!!