To My Followers

Hi, I know I haven't posted anything here on this blog for over a year but I felt that this needed to be posted here. Since I moved and changed my URL, I would like to ask those of you who have a link to me on your blog to update to the new one, pretty please. The new website url is http://fabgrandma.com  It would help me a lot to have those links to me changed to my new address. Thank you. That is all.

All Moved In

It has been quite a job to get it ready to go, but my new website is up and working! yay!  Now that I have moved, I would like to thank everyone who has been reading my blog here. If you haven't already, please update your bookmarks or feed readers to reflect my new url, http://fabgrandma.com.   That url will take you to the new FabGrandma blog. Don't forget too, if you have me linked on your blog to change that, too. That way you miss anything (ha, like I have something important to say, hehehe). 

FabGrandma Is Moving

I haven't been posting as much here lately, but it is because I am getting my new website all dolled up and ready to move in. While it is not exactly like I want it to be yet, I thought I would post a link to it so I can get some suggestions. If you want to see what it looks like, here is the brand new Fabgrandma link.

Click on over there and then leave me a comment to let me know what you think.  I KNOW there is a big ole blank space over there on the home page--I'm working on that. And, I am not real happy with the header, but I am working on that, too.  Do you have any suggestions for what you'd like to see over there? 

I am going to leave the original blog up, but I will be posting over there, so if you want to keep following me, please update your links.

UPDATED: my friend Lou from LCeel commented that it was not readily apparent where to leave a comment on the new website. That is something I am trying to fix, but in the meantime, you have to click on one of the post topics to expand the post, and there will be a comment form at the bottom. 

Oral Cancer Revisited

You know, when we have our children, we as parents always have dreams for them, that they would accomplish great things, that they would be successful, and that they would follow in our footsteps.  Today, I would give anything if my youngest daughter, Emily, was not following in mine.  You see, her husband, my Fab Son-in-law, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx last week. 

Right now, they are trying to be very optimistic, hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst. The only thing is, we don't know exactly what the worst can be. I do know that FabGrandpa and I will be able to guide them to some extent, to show them the road, to help them along the way. As I told her, "unfortunately" they have someone who has gone before them, to give them advice and to listen to their fears. While FabGrandpa and I had each other, and an online support group, Emily and her husband will have us, and I hope we will be able to help them in whatever way we can.  

Fab S-I-L is a surgery scheduler at a hospital in Atlanta. Right before Christmas, he lost his voice, so he went to the doctor to have it checked out. That doctor said he had a polyp in his throat, and scheduled surgery to remove it. When he got in there, he discovered that the mass was not what he thought it was, and just did a biopsy instead.  He was referred to a specialist at Emory University Hospital, who did a thorough exam, including a CAT scan. He is going to do another biopsy next week. We are hoping for good news. 

So, I am here to nudge you all, again, to get an exam for oral cancer at the very next opportunity--it is painless, doesn't take much time, and can save your life. Please, just do it!

My Vacation Kicked My Hiney

FabGrandpa and I went on a little trip to Atlanta last week. Our daughter, Becky, gave us tickets to a concert, and two nights in a swanky hotel downtown. We had lots of fun, but I'm tellin  ya, that trip kicked my butt!  

 

We stayed in our hometown of Douglasville for one night before heading to the Big A. While we were in town, we we stayed at Hotel Palomar. It was fun to be pampered for a couple of days.

I got to go to my favorite place in Atlanta, the Dekalb Farmer's Market, and to Whole Foods, where I found the most divine chocolate bar ever, Mo's Bacon Bar. 

Yes, you are seeing correctly--it IS chocolate covered bacon--food for the gods!

The concert was fun, the whole reason for the trip, Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa. Frank Zappa's son playing his father's music. It was a great concert.

 

But now that I am home,  I am having trouble gettting back into the swing of things. I don't know if it is the blood pressure meds the doctor put me on, or the hectic pace of the trip, but I slept for 14 hours the last night of the trip, and have done nothing but veg out since we got home. 

I am hoping this lethargy will leave me alone soon, because I have so much to do!

Survivor!

On January 10, 2001, my sweet husband, FabGrandpa, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. It was the worst day of our lives. We were stunned! We cried, we spent hours just looking at each other, holding on to each other, crying, trying to talk about the unspeakable. That is a day neither one of will ever forget. It was just the beginning. Today, I am so proud to say, "My husband is a 9 year survivor of cancer!" Let us all rejoice!

Oral cancer is something I had never heard of until that day. But look at this:

"More than 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 34,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, cancer of the testes, endocrine system cancers such as thyroid, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma). If you expand the definition of oral cancers to include cancer of the larynx, for which the risk factors are the same, the numbers of diagnosed cases grow to 41,000 individuals, and 12,500 deaths per year in the US alone. Worldwide the problem is much greater, with over 400,000 new cases being found each year. 

The death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high not because it is hard to discover or diagnose, but due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. Often it is only discovered when the cancer has metastasized to another location, most likely the lymph nodes of the neck. Prognosis at this stage of discovery is significantly worse than when it is caught in a localized intra oral area. Besides the metastasis, at these later stages, the primary tumor has had time to invade deep into local structures. Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because in its early stages it may not be noticed by the patient, as it can frequently prosper without producing pain or symptoms they might readily recognize, and because it has a high risk of producing second, primary tumors. This means that patients who survive a first encounter with the disease, have up to a 20 times higher risk of developing a second cancer. This heightened risk factor can last for 5 to 10 years after the first occurrence. There are several types of oral cancers, but around 90% are squamous cell carcinomas."    (from the website of the Oral Cancer Foundation)

FabGrandpa's cancer was found early, because it was on his tongue and visible. He had gone to the dentist for a checkup. His dentist told him he needed to go to an oral surgeon without delay. The next day, he was in the oral surgeon's office having a biopsy done. A week later we got the devasting news.  He was lucky that they found it so early, one factor that I am sure has contributed to his 9 year survival.

The exam for oral cancer is simple and painless. It can be done by a dentist, oral surgeon, ear-nose-throat doctor, or a general practitioner. All you have to do is ask your doctor to do it next time you go. 

 

"Besides a visual examination of all the tissues in your mouth, your doctor will feel the floor of your mouth and portions of the back of your throat with his fingers, in the search for abnormalities. A thorough oral screening also includes indirect examination of the nasopharynx and larynx, and involves manually feeling the neck for swollen lymph nodes, and other abnormalities such as hardened masses. Your doctor will also check the mouth for white patches, red patches, ulcerations, lumps, loose teeth, and review your dental x-rays for abnormalities. Be sure to tell the doctor if you have been a tobacco user in any form. Tobacco use is implicated in more than 75% of all oral cancers. After the physical examination of your mouth, if your doctor finds any areas that are suspicious, he may recommend a biopsy. This is simply taking a small portion of the suspicious tissue for examination under a microscope. 

You should always contact your doctor or dentist immediately if you notice the following symptoms in yourself or a loved one:

• A sore or lesion in the mouth that does not heal within two weeks.
• A lump or thickening in the cheek.
• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth.
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in the throat.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing.
• Difficulty moving the jaw or tongue.
• Numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.
• Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable."
  

Want to help us celebrate FabGrandpa's 9 years of survival? Make a $9 donation to the Oral Cancer Foundation today!  But even if you don't make a donation, make yourself a reminder to get an oral cancer screening the next time you see your doctor or dentist. It could save your life.

It's A Girl!

 

Remember back in the dark ages when we old grandma's were having our babies,and we had to actually wait until we woke up after the delivery to find out if we had a boy or a girl? Sigh...

We found out yesterday that our newest FabGrandchild is going to be a girl. We are all so excited and can hardly wait until May for her to get here. The proud parents, my son and his wife, are still debating names for her.  I'm just calling her Baby Girl until she's named. 

I was so happy to know there is going to be another FabGranddaughter, that I drove 35 miles to Tuscaloosa yesterday to go shopping.  OK, we also had to go get FabGrandpa some new pants, but seriously, I couldn't wait another minute to look at girlie girl baby clothes.

 

Isn't that just the most adorable outfit?

 

And ooooooooo

 

ahhhhhhhhh! cutie cute cute! You know Fabgrandma is going to be sewing for this girlie soon!