Fun in Hawaii

At last we are here in Hawaii, after very long flights. Our first day on Kauai was terrific - we visited the lighthouse at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge and saw the lovely Nene, or Hawaiian Goose, the state bird of Hawaii. We also went to Haena State Park, which we quickly dubbed "Chicken Beach." As there are no mongooses on Kauai, there are a LOT of free-roaming chickens (who are VERY loud in the mornings...)

Off to Hawaii

Today we are off to Hawaii for two weeks. I've got the International Neuropsychological Society meeting on the big island of Hawaii, but before we go there Tim and I are off for a week's vacation on Kauai, the Garden Island. We plan to snorkel, bird, and generally have a great time! I will also get to have a 35 hour birthday today, what with crossing international time zones..

Happy Australia Day!

Today is Australia Day, a national public holiday where people celebrate what is unique and great about being Australian. It generally involves BBQs and time with friends and family.

Surprise!

In a welcomed turn of events, today discovered am definitely NOT menopausal...

Our garden grows!

Over the last few weekends Tim has worked incredibly hard to clear out weeds in our garden, and we have planted a lot of plants from the Greening Australia nursery. Here is what they will look like when they are bigger:
Hakeas (several species) planted along the rear of the fence with our neighbor.

Fan flowers, which line the side of the driveway and (hopefully!) will spill over the wall artistically.

Saw banksia, a native tree with gorgeous flowers that grows gnarled branches with a windswept look.

Native flax lilies, which I've planted around our mailbox.

A groundcover with a great name: Creeping Boobialla.

A Kanaroo Thorn bush

And finally, in back of the house we've planted a "Wheel of Fire" tree, a native which grows about 30-40 feet high with spectacular flowers.

Happy Birthday Joann!

Happy Birthday to my sister Joann!

Endocrinologist Discusses Concerns

Today I saw the endocrinologist at the hospital, for advice about several concerns. First, the doc advised that my symptoms of menopause from the chemotherapy might actually reverse of their own accord, and that 4 months might not be enough time for this to happen. So he ordered more blood tests to check the levels of estrogen in my body. This would be a good outcome but for now I remain "chemically menopausal."

We are holding off making a decision about whether I will take HRT until after the latest blood tests. I am at very low risk for any adverse effects from HRT, including increased risk of breast cancer, so I may consider a short trial of HRT, just to see if it makes me feel better (am still having occasional hot flushes, some disturbed sleep, etc.).


My main concerning symptom, though, has been pain in my hands, particularly the ring and little finger. I am having tests for rheumatoid arthritis (which so far it is not looking like) which is good. However, it might be that I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (which could be a result of the low amount of estrogen in my system due to the chemotherapy). (To see a fact sheet go HERE).

My symptoms are close (for example, tingling, hand weakness) but not exactly matching (for example, worst is my little finger, not thumb) those of classic CTS. So the doc has ordered a nerve conduction test which will diagnose the CTS as well as any peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage in extremities, usually fingers and toes, also a side effect of chemotherapy).

So will have further news on this as more test results emerge. For now am resting my hands when I can and am avoiding cutting things (as they are less sensitive and you can cut yourself if you use knives etc. when you have either perpheral neuropathy or CTS).

Bone Density Test and Results

Today I went to have a bone density test. The specific test I had was a Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, previously DEXA), a means of measuring bone mineral density (BMD) using X-rays. DXA is the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology. I was given the test as chemotherapy can cause decreases in estrogen, a female hormone which among other things helps build up and maintain bone density. There is also the possibility that I am permanently menopausal following the chemotherapy ("chemical menopause). A lack of circulating estrogen in the body means that I am at greater risk to lose bone density.

The bone scanning was quick, about 10 minutes. The area measured was the lower spine (as shown in the above image) as well as the hips (which are both the site which best reflects possible bone thinning as well as being a site at risk for fractures in bones are thin).

The results of my scan were good. My score was just at -1 or slightly above that for the sites measured. A score of zero is average; a score of +1 to -1 roughly accounts for about 70% of people and is considered in the normal range (scores above and below this are considered beter or worse than average). The cut-offs for bone density are as follows:

-- Normal bone: T-score better than -1.
-- Osteopenia: T-score between -1 and -2.5
-- Osteoporosis: T-score less than -2.5

So the docs are happy that my bones are normal. Their advice is to keep taking calcium supplements, do weight-bearing exercise (like walking), eat foods rich in calcium (for example, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, broccoli and salmon) and limit excessive caffeine (which can interfere with calcium absorption). There are many web sites that offer tips on improving bone health, like HOW TO BUILD BETTER BONES and TIPS TO PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS.

A Close Encounter, as Told By "Poor Tim"

"My project today was to take about this many weeds:


Out of this section of our front yard:


At one point when I was putting some branches on the brush pile, I felt something on my shoulder, and brushed it off. This is what it was:


You might look at that and say, 'it's just a stick, what's the big deal?', right?

Well, here is the 'stick' as it angrily crawled away...


and then went up the side of the trash can...



and finally settled on the first suitable branch it found:


That's right, it was the BIGGEST stick insect in history!"

POOR TIM!

(the name of this stick insect is the TITAN STICK INSECT, one of the world's longest insects, which can grow to be over 15 inches long... here are some more photos of them - notice the nice lady is HOLDING hers....)



Here is a rare photo of one dialing out for a pizza with everything on it...

Gardening Results

So today we really got stuck into finishing the weeding, the mulching, and the planting. It was very satisfying to see the finished results...



The plants are pretty small, but they should grow fast, especially with all the rain we have been having...

Working on our Garden

We have been working on the garden off and on, putting in a few plants here and there and pulling weeds, but this weekend we are getting serious about doing full scale weeding. A lot of the front yard looked terrible, as in the above shot. So we weeded a bunch, and bought a bunch of small "tube stock" of native plants...


These are small plants but they are pretty hardy, and if you buy small plants they can grow INTO their environment rather than have to adapt to it as a more mature plant...

Happy New Year!

Today we spent a quiet day doing enjoyable things (as my grandmother used to say that what you do on New Year's Day reflects how your year will go..). So we had a great breakfast, then hung out and read the paper. In the afternoon we went to see a movie, then in the evening we hung out with the cats. We also spent a little time on the web, and bought one of the lovely Lea Stein bakelite pins that we saw in Sydney. We found a much better price on the web at eBay. Hope everyone is having an excellent New Year!