I was just thinking today, as I was in my bedroom with the sun shining in and warming it, my little food pump chugging away as I played with the Quack Pack and then read some light fiction, that life is good, despite the setbacks from this recurring cancer mess -- Of course, it helped that I am still on low doses of Oxycodone pain killer, which helps my outlook to be cheerful for sure!

Even my chilliness is working with me because I can get into bed wearing a thermal undershirt, fleece bottoms, wool socks and a couple of fleece upper garments -- With a couple of fleece blankets and a good sleeping bag spread on top as a comforter, I get nice and toasty warm without feeling overheated.

I have plenty of DVDs on hand, having increased my NetFlix subscription for the recuperation period, plus a friend dropped by and loaned me a couple of season's worth of Boston Legal.

Things could sure as heck be a lot worse!

Hey Pete!

Do you think that if we all get rats we will develop your great "Rat-attitude"?

Rattitude is in the outlook, sort of a glass half-full half-empty sort of thing -- It can be full-filling or destructive, depending.

From a former life, I have a good friend and colleague who has a bad outlook and is sometimes depressing to be around -- He was dubbed Captain Doom 'N Gloom, always seeing the dark side of things and believing in some conspiracies, like a lung cancer radiation cure that was suppressed by the AMA -- I sometimes have to limit contact with him when I am already in a dark mood myself.

However, studies have shown that having a pet is a really good thing, having a calming effect on the owner/caregiver (unless the pet is too much of a chore, of course, like an active terrier or something like that would be).

Senior citizens in group homes of various sorts show good results with placid pets like guinea pigs and bunnies, or even fish.

Actually, years ago after taking care of our college daughter's two guinea pigs while she was on a trip I was looking into getting some and that's when I stumbled across the rats -- I was very impressed at how tame and inquisitive they were in the pet stores, compared to other animals (including GPs; if they aren't introduced to humans early on, before they open their eyes, they remain somewhat shy).

Right now, the rats are especially interesting to me because they are still in the accelerated learning stages of the young, so we do new stuf almost daily.

But the pets are only part of the story -- It's just nice to be obviously healing and to know that I have at least one taste bud left (I can taste the salt in the saline rinse I'm using for my mouth) -- Next week I should be able to get started on outpatient physical therapy for lymphedema (which will end my visiting nurse visits per the Medicare rules).

I just packed up the 'misting' ventilating machine as I am getting along fine without it (and the cold air really chills me!) -- Still using the suction machine -- Getting rid of this trach tube will be a real treat, but I'm not really ready for that yet, however, I am getting much better sleep without waking up almost choking, hacking on gunk that's built up (Reminds me of waking up as a child in a household with three adult serious smokers -- For a long while, I accepted it as 'normal' that adults hacked and coughed and spat in the mornings).

Have been reading your posts and it is great to see you are doing so well.
Love your glass half full attitude or is it half peg full
Glad that your 3 are getting tamer and still giving you heaps of entertainment.
It was so hot here over the week end (over 40 Celsius which I guess is over 100 in your terms) that I sat directly under the air conditioner watching DVD�s with my cockatiel Cookey. He or she (still not sure) is either a great time waster or entertainment for me.
Not complaining about the heat as you no doubt have seen the devastation and loss of life from the bush fires around Melbourne.
Take Care
Gabriele

You have an absolutely wonderful attitude! If everyone could be as positive as you, the world would be a better place. Good luck with your struggles!

Pete,

Glad to hear that you are feeling as good as you have been sounding and that the Quack Pack is keeping you entertained. Goin gout for therapy next week might make you tired at first so take it easy.

Patty

Pete,

I agree with you. I'm also taking some Oxycodone which helps my outlook. I have gotten flowers and cards from my family and friends. My future husbands family brought me water ice, mac and cheese and really cute comfy pj's. Life is good and love to all!!

Pete D,

I would just like to say that you are a wonderful source of information, support and encouragement. I've only just found this forum and you have been a wonderful help to me. I wish you the best and with your attitude I'm sure you'll be fine.

Kelli

Pete

How was therapy today?

There was a young girl on TV a few minutes ago singing Ben (an older Michael Jackson tune I think) wasn't that a movie about a rat?

How are the rat games coming along?

Patty

Therapy is good; I can see the leg swelling considerably reduced and she's loosening the scar -- OTOH, the neck is going to take a while!

The rats are doing fine -- I may try some clicker training with them.

Here's how one woman deals with the stresses in her life -- Apparently she missed boarding her flight in Hong Kong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3E-PAPiuyE

Glad things are going well. As for the video, I think we all have moments that we wish we could just lay down and throw a tantrum like a 2 year-old! Most of us refrain though. - Kelli

I wonder what made boarding that plane so important to her? I wish I knew the language and could understand what she is saying.

So you might clicker train and mouth sound train the pack now? I would imagine that they can be trained to do the same thing to two different sounds or commands? Similar to me training the dogs with a voice and a hand command.

I am glad to hear that you are already feeling benefits from the therapy. I would imagine it is tiring though. I know that mine is. I have started reading out loud to the dogs to try to improve my speech. I notice that my mouth, chin and neck get tired if I read several paragraphs at a time. Tonight I am experiencing some numbness in my bottom lip and chin. I know that most of those nerves have been cut twice now with the dissection and the free flap operation. I guess that is where the numbness comes from.

Patty