Too Long....Lots of Pictures

It has been so long since I blogged last...  I don't know where to begin.  Went to a luncheon today with newcomers and they asked me to be the secretary....I must have sucker written all over my face because I said yes.  Oh well,  if you don't get involved, you can't complain.  At least that is what I keep telling myself.  Then shopping and bought pants two sizes smaller than normal!!!!  Maybe they are a little tight but....buttt......ha ha.

I twisted my ankle in the last week so it wasn't too great for working out today..but now it is feeling better.  I am trying to do the elliptical and then walk and then weights...  Maybe too much too fast.  No pain, no gain but according to the experts exercise shouldn't hurt just exert you.

Yesterday I went back to the endo doc and talked about doing the follow up WBS (whole body scan) as is the protocol for thyroid cancer follow up.  They have a new drug out called Thyrogen that is made in only one place in the world.  It is a radioactive type drug that allows you to do the scan without going off medicine and feeling so rotten.  It has been in short supply due to a shipping problem - hopefully they will get that fixed before January when we talked about having the scan done.  Otherwise it is off meds for 4-6 weeks and then 4-6 weeks to get the meds regulated again. UGH!  We agreed that it is not an immediate threat or requirement that I have this done so I will wait.  I learn something new every time I go or at least I start to understand it a little bit more...  If my kids would hurry up with their studies they could explain it to me better.  They monitor the TSH level in my body.  I thought this was the thyroid level because apparently I still have quite a bit of thyroid left even after the radiation.  The TSH is the hormone released by your pituitary gland in your brain to tell your thyroid to make more thyroid hormone.  They give you medicine so your brain will not tell the remaining thyroid tissue to go active and risk growth etc.  Enough Dr. 101.

Katie in front of Temple School of Medicine (also a Shriners Childrens Hospital for Research)

We had a terrific time with Katie in Philadelphia (and Ryan).  They have a really nice place and are so happy.  We are happy if they are happy.  We got there on Friday and ordered out pizza, played cards and to bed...we were beat.  Saturday, Katie and I got up and went to her work out center.  Pat and Ryan worked on Ryan's car.  His car was not starting in the morning without some sort of time delay that had to do with the security system...Pat figured it out and fixed it I think.  We will wait to see and hear from them if indeed it is still working.  We then got dressed and went downtown to the Med school.  It is beautiful.  It is brand new and SO interesting!  She took us all around and we even got to see the Gross Anatomy lab with someone in the lab working.  It is not like a college with bulletin boards up everywhere with hundreds of fliers on them and dirty trash in the common areas etc.  It is more like a business building with lots of theater classrooms - a training center. 

Katie at Temple in front of the gigantic bacteria sculptures!

The students all behave as if this is their job....to go to school and do what they are there for.    Really neat.  Ryan didn't go with us as he had to do some case studies.  He is on his pediatric rotation.  We went out for lunch to California Pizza Kitchen - my new favorite place except it is not located in Chattanooga .        :(     Then we went to the largest mall in the America - King of Prussia and did some late birthday shopping.  Katie needed some winter type going to class clothes.    We then went back to the apartment to go out to dinner.  Their choice ...Thai.  It was interesting.

                                                                 Thai Food!

  Not really my cup of tea but it was in a really neat location called Manyunck  (Man E Yunk).  Kinda like a Soho in NYC. I was glad that I had stepped out of my box and tried it. We walked up and down the street afterward and I had to try this frozen yogurt place that everyone was carrying around...such a cute name.....Whirled Peace.  It was fun and good.

                                                          At Whirled Peace.....(should we open whirled peace or sno to go?)

Sunday up, dressed and then to QVC!!!!!!!!  I had so much fun. It was so neat to see and SO interesting to learn about how they do what they do and SO amazing how much and how fast they sell stuff.  We saw In the Kitchen with David doing the Temptations and then Mr. Food and his cookbook!Way cool!!!!

From there off to Valley Forge...George Washington slept here!

  We had no idea that the park was that big.  It went on for miles but then again they housed a lot of troops there over the winter.  I can't imagine living back then and how hard they had it and still persevered to win for freedom!  I know no war is easy but their conditions would be against the UN now.

It was such a long drive. The leaves are changing in the Shenandoah Valley and very pretty.

Tomorrow is P.E.O. and then Friday is the big Fiesta for P.E.O. philanthropy.  Hope to raise a lot of money.  I guess about 90 people are going to attend.

Living Sweetly in the South,

Miss Jan