Teddy Bear Coin Laundry

I can not remember at all the last time I stepped foot in a laundromat. It may even be as far back as maybe living in LA with my parents and our place had no washer/dryer. I may be wrong but I might be right. Anyway, our apartment complex has a laundry room but for the last few weeks the dryer hasn't been working and who knows why they haven't called to get it fixed. About 2 weeks ago Olivia did laundry and when she pulled her stuff out of the dryer it was still as wet as when she put them in :o( no fun and waste of a $1. So we've both been putting off doing laundry because we didn't want to waste the money and find out the dryer was still broken. So last night we spent our evening at the Teddy Bear Coin Laundry in Moraga. I don't think I've ever been such a quiet and clean laundromat. We had about 4 loads each, I was down to wearing my ugly clothes, and we finished it all in about 2 hours. Wash, Dry & Fold. I think that's about the only thing I like about going there, you get it all done at once. I can sometimes be lazy about folding and putting away my clothes when doing laundry at home. Oh and WOW doing your laundry at the laundromat is expensive. It cost us $2.00 to do a load of laundry and it was a small machine and I think it cost about $2.50 to dry it :o( It's only $1.75 to wash and dry at our house.

Tonight will be the first night I am home before 9pm :o( it's been a very busy week. I can't wait for the weekend to get here.

On the hand front, my hands are still feeling pretty good this week....YAY!

I am on the last few rows of the "secret" knitting project. Double YAY!

and I think I found the motivation to lose weight. A weight lose contest with my friend, Ms. Amy. The prize, a pedicure. The not so good part, our weigh in day to see who has won will be the week after I get back from Hawaii :o( eewwww. Hey but at least it'll make me be good for the next 5 weeks :o)

Hawaii

1 month from today on April 28th at this time I will be sitting on the beach in Maui...wooohooo. I can't wait. The last real vacation I took was 2 years ago when I sent to Zihuatanejo. It was an awesome trip although a bit expensive, okay a lot expensive, for Mexico. I still had an awesome time though. I went with a really good friend and her parents. My goal of taking a vacation once a year didn't quite work out last year but with the whole traveling for running, money gets tight. Those darn marathon trips aren't cheap and last year Rocky and I had a few other small trips we went on. This year though there will be only once race to travel to and we aren't traveling for Rocky's family reunion because it's going to be here so a real vacation is a MUST. We are both in need of one. I love my job but could use a week of relaxing and not answering the phone, emails or my boss yelling from down the hall...haa, haa. We are going to spend a week in Maui. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Olivia's parents for letting us use their condo :o) so all we had to do was book our flights and our activities which will include snorkeling and going to a traditional luau. We can't wait. It'll also be our first real vacation together....hope I don't drown Rocky :o) just kidding. I'm really excited and will be counting down the days.

Ultrasound Therapy

That is my new favorite thing. When I think of ultrasounds I think of babies and preggy women getting checked to make sure the baby is okay and of course to see how big it's getting and what the sex is. But ultrasound is used for other things as well, like therapy for my poor little hands.

Ultrasound therapy uses high-energy sound waves (those above the range we hear) to help ease painful joints and muscles. Ultrasound treatment is done by a physical therapist or occupational therapist who guides the waves into the body from the head of a ultrasound machine.

Yesterday I had physical therapy and she does the ultrasound wand thingy for about half an hour. It helps out sooooo much and my hands feel so much better afterwards. I figure I spent $25 sometimes on a meal so $25 for a session of therapy is well worth it. I go back again next Tuesday. My hands today are doing okay. I'm not sure if it's from the therapy or maybe I'm just having a good day :o) The weekend was bad. I'm noticing that my left hand is much better but the right one is still pretty painful. My therapist said to be patient...haa, haa, she doesn't know me well. She said it took a long time for my hands to get this bad and it'll take a long time for them to heal but the good news is we are making that happen. So I keep doing my exercises, go to physical therapy and take my motrin. I sure hope the motrin doesn't kill my stomach. So far no issues but I know mass quantities of it isn't good for your insides.

Weekend was great. It was fairly mellow. On Saturday we went to the run, had breakfast with a few TNT friends, took Patch to the doggie park and then had dinner with Rocky's brother and sister-in-law. Sunday was a nap, knit and catch up on TV day.

I'm almost done with my part of the "secret" knitting project and for more of my knitting goodies go here.

Brenda in the News

This time the article is not about her recovering from transplant and going on to finish a marathon and a triathlon. This time it's about Brenda fighting very hard for her life. She has a sever case of graft vs host disease and this time the fight has become much harder.

Contra Costa Times Top Headlines
Posted on Sat, Mar. 24, 2007
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Triathlete beating cancer fights a new disease

CONCORD: Brenda Donato struggling to overcome complications from bone marrow transplant

By Ryan Huff

CONTRA COSTA TIMES

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Brenda Donato has conquered many obstacles in her 36 years, including a marathon and triathlon. And after four rounds of chemotherapy, she's in remission from acute myeloid leukemia.

But time is running out to overcome her greatest challenge.

The Concord woman is fighting chronic graft-versus-host disease, a bone marrow transplant complication in which the donor's immune cells attack the patient's healthy tissue.

Doctors have told Donato she perhaps has a matter of weeks to live. The disease is common with moderate side effects after transplants, but for Donato it has taken a rare turn and damaged more than 80 percent of her lungs.

She's barely able to speak.

But she still finds ways to express herself through blogging. In a recent online posting, Donato wrote that she's waiting for a miracle to happen.

"This is real. This is happening," she said. "It's not exaggerated or embellished and yet I still think I can heal. In complete denial, absolutely."

Even against these odds, the mother of two young boys keeps her positive attitude.

"I know I can do this. I don't feel like death is close, even though it is thrown to my face daily and hourly."

Donato was in supreme shape just 10 months ago.

She had completed three months of chemotherapy and her cancer was in remission. Donato joined Team In Training, a group of athletes that competes in active sports while raising research money for leukemia and other blood cancers.

In May, Donato competed in the Wildflower Triathlon in Monterey County, finishing the one-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and six-mile run in less than four hours.

A week after the race, she told the Times that mastering the course gave her hope she would overcome cancer too.

"Crossing the finish line of a triathlon is a major accomplishment," she told the Times for a profile story. "If I can do that, I can beat this too."

And she has come close to doing so.

After the leukemia returned last summer, Donato found a bone marrow donor, allowing her body to fight off the cancer. But the new bone marrow wasn't a perfect match -- the cells attacked Donato's tissue as if they were battling an infection.

Although the cancer disappeared, another disease emerged.

Still, Donato manages to keep a confident attitude even as she battles chronic graft-versus-host disease, her friends said.

"Through all this she has been so inspiring and encouraging," said friend Heather McCullough. "Her positive outlook is there for her children (Trevor, 10, and Jarrett, 7). As a mother you want to be there for your husband and children."

McCullough is helping to organize an April 5 fundraiser that benefits Donato's medical bills and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The donations are already beginning: The Nines restaurant in Brentwood is hosting the event for free.

Donato's family hopes, if nothing else, more people will learn about leukemia and perhaps donate money toward research.

"Brenda wants people to be aware," said her sister-in-law, Aimee-Lynn Newlan. "All she wants people to do is sign up for the donor registry, give blood and go work out. If this helps any other family, we'll be happy."

Reach Ryan Huff at 925-977-8471 or rhuff@cctimes.com.

IF YOU GO

Brenda Donato's friends and family invite the public to an April 5 benefit to raise funds for her medical bills and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The event, which includes a silent auction, raffle and poker tournament, starts at 6 p.m. at the Nines restaurant, 100 Summerset Drive, Brentwood. For more information, call Heather McCullough at 925-765-3916. To send a donation, make checks payable to Brenda Donato and mail it to the Brenda Donato Foundation, 21001 San Ramon Valley Blvd., Suite A4, P.O. Box 177, San Ramon, CA 94583.

Whine, Whine, Whine...

.....seriously do I ever stop whining about something being wrong. My hands hurt, I'm pooped, I'm loopy from the insane amounts of motrin i'm taking, I'm pooped again....GEESH!!! Snap out of it lady :o) haa, haa. This week my allergies have been horrible. I feel like I have a cold but it's not, it's just really severe allergy symptoms. Okay, I'm done crying...LOL!

It's been another busy week at work and a little busy in the evenings. We met for knitting on Wednesday and started, as Amy calls it, the "secret" project. It's coming along nicely and I'll post pictures on my knitting blog once we are all done with it.

Hands are hurting :o( but have been doing my exercises. I need to get better about doing the hand soaking thing (soak in cold and hot water for 10 minutes/2x per day). I've been a little annoyed though at my doctor because I feel like we could have worked on this hand thing a year ago and it wouldn't be so bad now. I told him about last year and he dismissed it and told me to stop knitting. Yeah, not a solution to the problem. So now a year later my hands hurt like hell and even doing things like blow drying my hair are hard. I'm not a happy camper.

This weekend the mentor led run is at Lake Merritt and I'll be heading out there with Patch and most likely Rocky to support the team and walk the 3.2 miles around the lake. It'll be good for Patch and I. Rocky's been good and has been trying to run around it at least once a week. We have about 5 weeks til our vacation so we both need to get working on those bathing suit bodies and quickly :o(

Plans for this weekend are fairly mellow. Maybe meeting for din din with Rocky's brother and sister in law. Other than that I plan to relax and knit on the "secret" knitting project.

Busy Girl

I've been a busy girl the last few weeks. We moved our offices down the hall from where we were into a bigger office which we totally needed. Our other office was pretty small and we were getting cramped in there. We have finished moving everything over but I still have quite a few boxes to unpack and get stuff to get filed away. That's the not so fun part about moving.

My hands are doing okay, I have physical therapy again on Thursday. I have been doing my exercises and trying to make sure I type correctly, that's been the hardest. I have been having a little pain though but I think it's because of all the moving and having to carry things.

I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon for a bit but I'm back on and back on track. I went grocery shopping and stocked up with my meals so I should be good for this week. I am also going to try very hard to not drink sodas during the week. YIKES! I took a class dance aerobics class last Saturday and loved it and it kicked my butt cause all my little muscles were sore. I've gotta come up with some type of class to take on a regualr basis though.

Sunday I went out and cheered our team on at the Emerald Nuts 12k. It was a great day for running although a bit chilly for spectating since it was right along the water in SF. Jeanette and I had fun though and we got lots of pics of the team.

This week should be fairly mellow. Wednesday I am meeting with a few of the girls from our Stitch-n-Bitch to start a special project for a special person (one of our team honorees) who's not doing so well. I will not write specifics cause I know that person reads my blog so it'd ruin the suprise :o)

Physical Therapy

I had my first physical therapy appointment yesterday and it went well. The best part was that my PT lady said I don't have to stop knitting...YAY! :o) She did some therapy with the ultrasound machine and then she had me do some stretching exercises. I have to do those same exercises at home. I also have to submerge my hands in a bowl of cold water first and then a bowl of hot water twice a day for at least 8-10 minutes. I need to be more conscience about how I type at work. I have a bad habit of laying my hands on my keyboard pad while I am typing and that is a big NO NO. You are suppose to use it to rest when you aren't typing not all the time. I am doing better at it but it feels weird and my hands get tired. I also just need to be careful with my posture at my desk. All of these things are affecting my hands. I know I don't always have the best posture at my desk. I will see her again next week and then after that she said I can call her when I feel I need to see her. It's a $25 copay for me so she said she knows the money adds up and if I do everything she tells me that this should get better and I won't need to see her too often.

The weekend was a great. We had the coached run and honoree potluck out at Lake Chabot. It turned out to be a gorgeous day. I took Patch with me and he had a good time. We even went on a one mile walk. Saturday night was the mentor social and we had a great time and go to meet lots of new people from the team. Sunday, Rocky and I had lunch out on the patio at Pyramid, we had to enjoy the great sunshiney day. He had a gig that evening but it got cancel so instead I spent my afternoon knitting (knitting update) and we watched a movie. It was a mellow day.

I am LOVING this awesome weather :o)

Prognosis

I went to the doctor yesterday because I have been having some major pain in both my hands. I've had the pain for at least a year but it has gottne progressively worse in the last few months. Last year around this time I was knitting a bunch and was training for my triathlon so my doctor thought that with the repetitive motion from the knitting and the holding on for my life on my bike was causing the pain. I have not ridden my bike and I went through a period during the holidays that I wasn't really knitting and the pain was till there and getting worse. I finally decided to go in and get checked out again. My doctor doesn't think it's carpal tunnel so I guess that's a good thing. He thinks it's just a bad case of tendinitis. So he has put me on mass quantities of motrin and wants me to start physical therapy. I have my first appt on Monday. I have a feeling that knitting is not going to be allowed for a while :o( My other problem is I don't really get to rest my hands cause I type all day. It'll be interesting to see how the physical therapy goes and what they'll tell me to do/not do. I started taking the motrin yesterday when I left the doctor and I can already tell it's working. YAY!!

Walking Update - I got home a little early yesterday so I threw some cloths in the wash and Patch and I headed out for our walk. We headed in our usual direction so he wouldn't freak out. I think we'll try the new direction again next week.

Knitting Update go here

Weekend Happenings - We've got a coached run at Lake Chabot tomorrow follwed by the Honoree Potluck. The weather is suppose to be nice which is always good for us who are just standing around supporting :o) I am going to bring Patch with me. We are doing a St. Patrick's Day theme, we don't have a run next weekend, so I'll be wearing my green shirt with a St. Patty's hat and Patch will be wearing his St. Paddy's Day shirt that says LUCKY on it :o) Saturday evening we are going to a mentee social at a participants house. He is cooking his famous Tri-Tip which I hear is delicious. I can't wait to try it. Sunday morning will be a relaxing morning and Sunday evening Rocky has a gig. YEP, another busy weekend.

Sunshine, Sunshine...RAIN!

Um, where did the rain come from yesterday. We've had such great weather and then yesterday afternoon it rained. Today? nice weather again and I even think it's suppose to get into the HIGH 70's this weekend :o) which I'm totally looking foward to. I got home early enough to still be able to walk the doggie but since it was raining I didn't. I've got a doctors appt later in Walnut Creek so on my way back to work I'm gonna pick up Patch and bring him to work with me. It'll get him out of the house and I'll have some company since I'm the only one here today. Last night I did get some knitting done though and finished my hat I was working on. For a full knitting update go here :o)

Nice Day for a Walk

So my poor doggie doesn't get out much cause I always get home late and I haven't been doing any kind of physical activity caues I've just been lazy. So yesterday was another great day. It was in the mid 70's and now that it's staying lighter out I decided to take Patch for a walk. My goal is going to be to get out everyday for at least 30 minutes with him. I got home a little early last night so we headed out about 5:30. We took the Iron Horse Trail towards Danville. The first 10 minutes were great but once we crossed over Rudgear, new territory for Patch, it didn't go so well. We were walking at a good pace until all of a sudden Patch started pulling backwards and wanted to go home. I guess he was confused and not so sure about our route cause I've never walked him in that direction. He kept pulling and at one point sat down and just looked in the direction of our house. My doggie is funny. Anyway, I manged to make it the 15 minutes out and then 15 minutes back for a 30 minute walk. He was much happier on the way back. My biggest complaint....the darn mosquitos. Boy those suckers got me and if they got me they probably got Patch too. The highlight of my walk....my new pink shuffle :o) OHHH wait, I also fell :o( Right as we were crossing the street and I was going to step up to the sidewalk Patch pulled me and I fell :o( luckily no one was around. According to mapmyrun.com I went 0.97 miles...not too bad.

I'm not sure if I'll get to walk tonight. I've got a few errands to run and I'm a big baby about being on the trail in the dark so I may have to wait til tomorrow.

Another Beutiful Day

How I wish I was outside walking around enjoying the beutiful day. My car said it's 72 degrees, I am wearing dressy capri's, heals and a short sleeve shirt today and I'm loving it. I am sick of wearing socks, boots, pants and sweaters everyday. YIPEE it's nice and sunshiney. Ohhh, I even bought my first pair of 2007 flip flops yesterday :o)

The rest of our weekend was fairly mellow. I didn't even take a shower til noon on Sunday. I was so pooped from the being out on Saturday night. We got home about 1am but geesh I'm getting old. My calves and hips are sore from dancing :o( boo, hoo. Tonight will be another stay at home and relax evening. Well, right after I feed my belly :o) We had lunch and walked around a bit yesterday then came home and took a nap before heading out to Daly City to have dinner at Rocky's parent's house. Patch played on and off but I think he was still exhausted from the long walk we took him on on Saturday.

I plan to start daily walks with Patch this week. I think if we at least get out for 30 minutes everyday we will both benefit. I know he hates being stuck in the house all week and only getting out on the weekends. It'll be good excercise for both of us. Oh and if you want to read about Patch and his crazy antics, go here and read about what he did while we were out to lunch.

Happy Sunshiney Monday!

Pics from Saturday night :o)

Gorgeous Saturday

WOW today turned out to be a super duper nice day. Rocky and I even wore capri's and t-shirts all day. Since it was such a nice day we decided to take Patch on a nice walk. We headed out about 10ish. Stopped by the Burrito Shop and got breakfast burritos and sat on a bench at Lake Merritt to eat them. We then headed out on Patch's first 5k...hee, hee. We walked the entire lake, about 3.2 miles. He is pooped now which is perfect because we are about to head out for the evening. We are going to a fundraiser for one of the girls I did the tri team with. It's at The Cellar in SF and it's a tradition that we all always go. We are meeting Olivia, Phil and Karen for dinner first and then we are heading out. Should be a fun evening.

Tomorrow our friend Brian is running the Napa Marathon...GOOD LUCK Brian!