I don't have a lot to report on.

My Christmas was nice. I spent some quiet time at home with my family. I also got to hang out with my aunt, uncle, and younger cousins. On Christmas I opened gifts with my family, watched The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, ate a yummy roast dinner, and got beat by my mother in a few hands of poker. Its not fair....she had never played before. Its ok...really...we weren't playing for money....and we had fun.

The rest of my weekend was spent catching up with friends and avoiding the snow that was accumulating outside my window. Fortunately we had enough snow that I didn't need to go into work on Monday. I love that I get snow days as an adult. Yee haw...and extended holiday.

It was back to work yesterday, but honestly it has been slow. I feel that I cannot get work done even if I want to because everyone else seems to be on vacation. I have tried to contact three colleagues this morning....to get my work done...and they all appear to be out of the office until Monday, January 3rd.

Lets see.....hmmm...what else is new. I went to see
House of Flying Daggers the other night. I liked it and it was beautiful, but....I think I'm getting a little sick of the genre....and it was too melodramatic for me. Went to dinner at a friend's recently. The soup she made was yummy. Also got dinner with another friend last night. Braved the storm on Sunday and had a late lunch with some other folks. Watched the movie Monster on Monday. Although sad...and disturbing.....I did enjoy it. I would recommend this film to anyone.

I should run along. Happy New Year!

We finally bought a new car. We got a 2005 blue Honda Civic EX. We love it so far. Although I already managed to drive into a shopping cart. It shouldn't have been in the road anyway. Good it wasn't a person or another car. I'm still getting used to the visibility. Of course I had a freak out the other day because the cd player was crackling. I think it happened because it was a homemade cd. I tried a store bought cd and it worked fine. There was a lot of squeeking going on in the back seat this morning. I'm wondering if it is the basketball in the trunk. Oh and the window cleaner sprayer doesn't seem to be working on the left side. I'm hoping it is just frozen and not broken. We are currently getting ice...and snow afterall. I guess I just feel that a brand new car should have no quirks. No such luck. I'll try to window cleaner again later.

I haven't written in an age. Sorry. I have been consumed by the process of buying a new vehicle. I think about it all the time. I have been worrying about the fact that other than my friend Joe...all car sales people are creeps. I am always wondering..."what are they trying to pull over on me?"......"do they think I'm stupid because I'm a woman?"...."can I get this cheaper somewhere else?" This is all very stressful for me. We went to test drive cars on Friday. We are going to test drive another one tonight. I went yesterday...and spent another weekend day a few weeks ago doing this. I just want this whole process to be over. Right now it is between the Toyota Corolla....the Honda Civic...and the Ford Focus. Two weeks ago the Focus wasn't even part of the equation. Today I was thinking about a Volkswagen. Argh....we just want an automatic four door vehicle with air conditioning, a cd player, anti-lock brakes, and cruise control...that is reliable, will hold up in a crash, and will last us for a while. What is so difficult about that?

It's 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning and I can't sleep. I have been up since 5:15 a.m. I didn't get to bed until almost midnight last night...which is late for me. Hmm.......I'm not sure why this is happening to me.

I finally got my flu shot yesterday. Thanks to Laurie Williams at the BIDMC and the City of Somerville for enabling me to do so. Ahh.....to be in a high risk group. I feel ready to fight any flu that comes my way.

Happy gay marriage anniversary to folks in Massachusetts. Unfortunately the debate isn't over in this country. Our President is determined to allow...even encourage legalized discrimination. Lets keep fighting.

I'm not sure if I already reported on this or not....but my liver enzyme tests are back to normal. They want me to stay on my maintenance dose of Imuran and Prednisone until I see my doctor in February. I have a new Hepatologist. I haven't met her yet, but I hear she is very nice. The last docotr I had moved to Washington.

I was in Hartford, CT recently and went for a tour of the Mark Twain House and Museum. I suggest stopping by if you are ever in the area. The building is quite beautiful.

My mother is doing well. She is in a medical office manager certificate program and seems to be enjoying it. Her health has improved and she appears to be enjoying life.

I went to get on the bus the other day and I had some bad pain in the part of my tibia I broke a year and a half ago. This always scares me. I am going to have to work on exercising that leg more.

Speaking of broken legs. My friend Theresa recently fell 20 feet from a ladder and broke her tibia. They put her back together with one screw and a washer. I know from experience that the next year isn't going to be fun for her or her leg. I wish her the best of luck and a quick recovery. Remember to do your exercises Theresa. That makes three people in my book group who have broken their legs in the past four years. This is not a good statistic.

I went to my poker group recently and won three hands. I started the night with $5.00 and went home with $6.20. I was very proud of my playing. I never win at poker. I'm getting good...my fellow poker players....you better look out....World Series....here I come.

My hepatologists office got some flu shots...and I was on the list, but it appears that some other patients took higher priority over me. I still haven't gotten my shot.

The City of Somerville called to say theyw ere having a flu clinic next week. I cannot make it on that day. I am going to try to make it on the other day of their flu clinic. I need to get a letter from my dictor explaining why I am at "high risk."

I am having one of those days where I am annoyed with the lack of care we get from the medical community. My eye doctor's office said that they did not take my medical insurance card. They say I need to file a claim on my own. I find out I have an eye discount program. My doctors office doesn't believe me....I'm not in their system they say. I call the vision discount program again. They say to call the doctors office again. My health insurance has this "better than nothing" policy with paying dental bills. Maybe my beef is really with the insurance company. I feel that I spend more money for healthcare now than I ever have before.

I am really upset about the recent election. Democrats don't have the House...or the Senate....or the Supreme Court........or the Presidency. 11 States voted against gay marriage. I am convinced that this country is made up of backwards folks who do not understand the concepts of democracy, freedom or acceptance.

Aside from all this craziness I am very happy about the recent World Series win by the Boston Red Sox. Yee haw! Finally. I am planning on heading to Landsdowne Street on Saturday to buy some World Series gear. I hope it's not too busy.

I am having bloodwork tomorrow. I wasn't able to get a flu shot this week. Maybe the next time around. I am currently taking 75 mg of imuran and 5 mg of prednisone.

I have both good and bad news.

My hepatologist's office called today. The hospital will be having a flu clinic. They offered to get me a voucher so I could get a shot. I am supposed to call next week to get the voucher.

They also called to tell me that my enzymes are slightly elevated. Back in August my ALT was 20....and my AST was 34. Now my ALT is 44 and my AST is 54. Keep in mind that 40 is normal for these....and my slight elevation isn't a big deal. Its only a sign that things are sort of going in the wrong direction. So.......here's the deal. I will be taking 5 mg of Prednisone starting tomorrow. I will have blood work in two weeks. Some possible solutions...stay on 50 mg of Imuran and a small dose of Prednisone for a while....OR.......increase my Imuran. We'll see what happens. I shouldn't fret.....it's not lke my enzymes are where they were ten years ago.........in the thousands. What's 14 points anyway? Practically normal! I never professed to be normal.

I have been a busy lady. I performed Mary and Jen's wedding this weekend. It felt cool to be the one marrying them....and to sign the official marriage certificate. I also felt honored to have been asked by them. Congratulations Mary and Jen.

I went to New York for one night this week. Did a ton of work during the day. Had a lovely dinner with Christine.

I have been trying to get a flu shot. It's tough. No one has them. I have called my primary care physician...my hepatologist........and the Somerville Board of health. The Somerville Board of Health said they would put me on their "at risk" list. They plan on calling people when and if they get vaccines. At that point I will need to provide proof of my illness.

I called my doctor's office today and made my case for why I should have bloodwork. I am feeling fine...but I only had it checked once...three weeks after I went off the Prednisone....and not once since then. Better to be safe. They agreed it would be a good idea. They reassured me that I was not being a "crazy" patient.

Support Liver Research

The leaves are changing and the air is getting brisker. Fall is upon us,and so is Moakley's Run for Research. Now in its fourth year, the 5-mile road race will be held on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, and we expect to draw 600+ runners, walkers, race walkers and wheelchair entrants. Attendees will enjoy free refreshments, T-shirts, awards, live entertainment and music.

We need volunteers to help with duties such as registration, selling raffle tickets, handing out T-shirts and removing timing chips at the finish line. Most volunteers will be needed from 8:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. In return for your help, we can offer you free T-shirts, refreshments and parking, as well as a great feeling of helping out a good cause and a fun and special event.

If interested, please email or call Beth Roche (617.527.5600) at the American Liver Foundation's New England Chapter. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I was listening to my favorite radio station WUMB this morning and I heard a lyric that I found somewhat amusing.

It went something like this: "...he moves his body like a cannonball..."

What does this mean? I don't get it. Why would ones body want to move like a cannonball?

I have been mad.....MAD.....mad busy at work. I am in the middle of coding the web pages for our New York office. This just got handed to me on Friday afternoon. It's due this Friday. Argh!

Outside of work....hmm. Mom is starting a medical office manager program next week. Went kayaking last Saturday. Spent time with my mother on Sunday. Celebrated Stephanie's 33rd birthday last Friday. We went to Finale for dessert and Flash's for drinks. Happy Birthday Stephanie. You are the same age as Jesus.

I'm not sure if I already posted this information....if I already have..I apologize.

My mother was laid off from her job recently. Yup....just two weeks before she was about to go back to work full time. Two weeks before she was about to go back to work full time after struggling with colon cancer and surviving two surgeries.........chemotherapy and radiation.

The most terrible part of all of this is that they base unemployment on a persons income for the year prior. The interesting situation here? Money earned while collecting disability.....DOES NOT COUNT.

So lets talk about kicking someone when they are down. This is the lowest of the low. My parents have done some research and it looks that this is legal...yet unethical. If anyone knows differently please email me and let me know.

The other part of this is that the company she worked eight years for who laid her off......tried to get by by only giving her part-time serverance. Even though she worked full-time for them for seven years...and only spent the past year working part time because she was having her body zapped and poisoned to kill the cancer in her colon. She put up a stink...and they offered to give her full time severance pay. They said it was a clerical error. I don't know......

I hate to sound dramatic......but this all really sucks and is WAY unfair.

The American Liver Foundation needs volunteers. The following is the text from an email that came from the Public Relations and Community Events Coordinator.

The American Liver Foundation is pleased to host an exciting new event, Viva Las Vegas, on Friday, September 10, from 7-11 p.m. at The Rack in Faneuil Hall, downtown Boston. Viva Las Vegas will be a Vegas-style evening of casino games, complimentary buffet, pool, a silent auction, an Elvis look-a-like contest, and many fun surprises.

We need many volunteers to help us at this new, unique event, and ask you to help the ALF by volunteering your time. Volunteers are needed for a variety of fun positions – from blackjack dealers to poker chip bankers to silent auction monitors. The event spans four hours, and you’d be assigned to a duty for 2-3 hours, allowing you to have fun and enjoy the event with some time off. You’ll receive complimentary entry to the event and The Rack,once the event is over.

This will be a wildly entertaining and enjoyable night - your help can make it a tremendous success! Please forward this on to any friends, family members or coworkers who want to have a blast while helping a great cause.

If you are interested in volunteering your time contact the American Liver Foundation--New England Chapter at 617.527.5600

I know I have been a bad blogger recently. I haven't written in what seems like forever.

I have been very busy. Went to a conference for work at the beginning of August. Also celebrated Cynthia's 32nd birthday! Happy Birthday Cyn! Took a week and a half off of work. Had some visitors from out of town. Went to a Red Sox game. We won..yee haw! Went camping in Provinctown during Hurricane Charlie. Came back to Boston and then went to Northern Maine for a few days. Got back to Boston last Sunday night and started back at work on Monday.

My mother's birthday is tomorrow. Happy birthday Mom.

Went to see my hepatologist today. Looks like my liver is back to normal. I am to see the doctor in six months. The problem is that my doctor is moving to Seattle. I need to find a new one.

I need a haircut.

I need to make a dentist appointment.

I need to lose weight....get healthy.

I need to get back to work........

Life has been super busy. Last week was a crazy one in the city of Boston. Fortunately it was a crazy one on the side of the Democrats. This years Democratic National Convention took place in my hometown. I wanted so badly to be able to participate as much as possible......but this did not happen. I was busy working....and was only able to take one afternoon off to go to a Take Back America event. Jesse Jackson spoke and he was very awesome.

The Paulist Center was in the news this past week too. John Ardis...the Paulist Center Director did the prayer at the end of the convention on Thursday. You can read his prayer and find links to articles about him at the following website.

Went to see the Corporation last night. It was very good...but also very long and I was exhausted....so I had a hard time staying awake.

Today is my anniversary.  Yup.....a year ago today I broke my tibial plateau.   I cannot believe a year has gone by.  I'm happy to be back on my feet again.   Yee haw!   

 

I got back to Boston on Friday afternoon.  It was a good flight.  Only spent 45 minutes waiting on the runway.  Bad weather over Pennsylvania and New York held us up.

Saturday I went to Amherst to have lunch with Amy.   She's off to Florida to teach for a year or two.  We had a yummy lunch at Judies and finished it off with ice cream at Bart's.  I tried to take my white bookshelf back to Boston with me, but it did not fit in my car.  So now it's Amy's forever.    In retrospect it's sort of funny that we lugged it all the way down the stairs only to bring it back up again.  Have a safe trip Amy.....and enjoy Florida.

Saturday night I made dinner and we watched the season finale of Queer as Folk "on Demand. " I love "on Demand."

Sunday we went to the Central Square Worlds Fair.  We ate Tibetan and BBQ.  We also enjoyed tea at Dado and went to see Bourne Supremacy.  I liked the Bourne Identity better, but this was still enjoyable. 

Now it's Monday and I'm back in the office.  I have been catching up from being away for a week.  We are getting ready for a two day training this week. 

I'm expecting this week to be a bit of a transportation nightmare.  The Democratice National Convention is in town this week.  Don't get me wrong...I'm a big leftist flaming liberal democrat.....I'm all about my political party.   I'm just a little concerned about my commute home today.  Other than that....I'm pretty psyched about the energy and excitement of the convention.  I hope I will be able to go to some of the events.

I'm off.............

Have been in Washington, DC for the past few nights.  Work is ok.  Having a WONDERFUL time catching up with people.  Carolyn....Alanna, Catherine, Nicole......Molly.  It is nice seeing old friends.  Went to NARA after work today.  Checked out the Charters of Freedom.  Feeling a little tried.  Will be happy to go home.

I know I only wrote four days ago......but I feel like it has been forever.  I have been out of the office since Tuesday.  I had  a wonderful time at the training I was at....learned a lot.....but I'm having one of those days where I wish I hadn't left.   Work is busy....my co-workers are a bit cranky.  I just want to go home.  Only one hour and five minutes left.
 
Went to see http://www.coffeeandcigarettesmovie.com/ on Tuesday and hated it.  Saw http://wip.warnerbros.com/beforesunset/ last night and loved it.
 
Hoping to stop by http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat/ at some point this weekend.  Lets pray for sun.
 
Going to Washington, DC for five nights on Sunday...for work.  Looking forward to seeing my friends...Carolyn, Alanna, Nicole, Catherine, and Molly while I am there.  Not looking forward to sleeping in a strange bed.  I think I'm a homebody at heart.  I like to travel.......but there is nothing like home. 

Cynthia and Mike's wedding was a great time this weekend. I had a lot of fun. My new nightmare hair was manageable. My heals came off and were replaced with birkenstocks half way through the reception. I danced. Saw some people I hadn't seen in years. Now I'm exhuasted.

I spoke with my dermatologist's office today. My biopsy results were in. Looks like the growth on my face is benign. Glad it's not cancer. Yee haw...just call me WartFace!

Good news. I found out at the end of last week that my enzymes are still normal. They cut my Prednisone to 2.5 mg qd. Yee haw. I go back in a month for more bloodwork.

Got a haircut this weekend. Not sure if the style is quite me. It's a little bit like Danny Partridge meets the L Word. Long bangs are in I hear. For the first time in forever I have an "in" haircut......but I don't really know how to "do" my hair. I haven't really had to "do" my hair since 1987. I'm working on it with new products etc.

Sunday was a GREAT 4th of July. Went to Ogunquit Beach for the day. Got a patchy sunburn on my upper arms and chest......ate yummy french fries.......took a dip in the ocean........spent time at the Front Porch singing cabaret..........had dinner...and watched the fireworks over the ocean. IT was all good. I didn't want to return to Boston. Spent the night in Kittery. Came back on Monday.

Got a Vitamin C Sea Spa Facial yesterday...it was dreamy. My face feels like new.

Gotta run.........

These are the days of political movies. I hope they will prevent George W. Bush from being elected.

I went to see Michael Moore's new movie Fahrenheit 9/11 on Saturday. It was great....I highly recommend it.

I also went to see You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline last night. This is a documentary about the life and work of Howard Zinn. It was pretty inspiring. It was tres cool to see the local footage. Zinn in and around Harvard Square...BU......anti-war protests on the Boston Common. I was at a couple of the events they showed him speaking at. I didn't see myself. I wasn't a star that day.

I feel like the rap singer Nelly. I suddenly have the desire to sing...."it's getting hot in here." I went to the dermatologist today. Had a skin tag removed from my eye lid. I also had a growth removed from above my lip. Hence...the bandaid on my face...and the Nelly thing. It could be a wart...it could be squamous cell skin cancer. They are going to test it. I am going to call the doctor next week to find out if it is something bad....or just an old wart. They tell me it is probably a wart.

Yesterday's Walk for Research was a HUGE success. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me.......walked....or volunteered. You are the best.

Had dinner with my friend Elke who was visiting from LA last night. It was really nice to see her. We went souvenir shopping...she bought me the new Beastie Boys cd for my birthday.....thanks Elke....I love it.....had dinner at the Border Cafe....and got some jamine tea at Dado. It was all good.

Congratulations to Lori and Sarah who were married just a few hours ago in Cambridge. I wish you a happy and healthy life together.

Getting ready for the Walk for Research. Only a few days left. I called the ALF office today and they said that things are coming together. Yee haw! I love walks...I love my liver.

Having bloodwork next week. I hope the results will be good. The hope is for me to be off the Prednisone very soon.

Seeing the dermatologist next week. I want her to get rid of this little growth I have under my nose. Could be a wart. Could be a skin tag. I don't really care...I just want it gone.

I have to run and do some work. Happy weekend!

I had a WONDERFUL birthday weekend. We went on a Duck Tour and had dinner with some friends at Tasca on Friday night. Thank you to Brenda, Cynthia, Dave, Lisa, Lori, Mike, Sarah, and Steph who all joined me at dinner and made my day special. It was a great time. Thanks!

Saturday we went to see Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban at the New England Aquarium IMAX Theatre. We also had dinner at Pizzeria Regina in the North End. The service was bad......but the pizza was yummy.

Sunday I took my father to Finian's in Quincy for brunch. I spent the afternoon with my mother and step-father. We went out to the Watch City Brewing Company . We celebrated not only my birthday, but Father's Day and their anniversary as well. It was nice spending time with my family.

The weekend was so busy that I'm feeling a bit tired today.

Yesterday was my Mom and and Step-Dad's anniversary. I believe this make 15 years. Congratulations to them.

I go home to Boston today.

Tomorrow is my 31st birthday.

Have been in Stockbridge, MA for the past few days. I'm here for a work related training. So far the training is informative. My colleagues are fun. I am staying at the lovely Red Lion Inn. I consumed some wonderful food at pearls in Great Barrington. Had dinner in the courtyard of the hotel last night. The dinner was tasty....and the entertainent good. Tonight we are having a bbq at my co-worker's house. Have gone shopping at the outlet malls. I tried to go for a hike with my boss and co-worker. They were too fast for me so I quit half way up the mountain. Came back to my room......washed up, and read a book on the veranda. I just grabbed a decaf skim latte with a shot of vanilla. All has been fun......but I'm ready to go home. I want to see my partner.....sleep in my own bed...watch my own tv.......use my own computer......take a bath.

I feel like crap. I have a scratchy throat.....I'm exhausted and......my head hurts. I have been feeling this way for a week now. I want to feel better. I called the doctor, but she doesn't have any appointments open today. I am waiting to hear back from her.

I hope I feel better soon. I have a lot going on. I want to go to Pride Lights tonight......I have a Walk for Research meeting tomorrow night...I'm seeing the Indigo Girls on Friday night....Saturday is the pride parade and festival....and that night is Cynthia's bachelorette party. Monday I'm off to Stockbridge for work for three nights. I just want to go home and nap...but I'm feeling like I cannot.

Went to see the Paw Sox last night. It was a good time. We got killed by the Louisville Bats.

Went to see the Triplets of Belleville this weekend. I highly recommend seeing this movie if you can. The animation was great...the music good...the story sweet. It was really cool how there was little to no dialogue.

I recently had an experience in my personal life where I used data migration as a preservation tool....and I'm pretty exctied about it. A few years ago I went to a college a capella competition at Smith College. I bought a Best of College A Capella cd at the concert and loved listening to it. Over the years I noticed that it didn't play well on any of my cd players. I cleaned the cd and it didn't make a difference. Sometimes it wouldn't play at all...or would fade in and out. This past weekend I imported those songs from that cd to my ipod and they actually sound great. I can listen to this music again...yee haw. I love seeing this sort of thing in my everyday life.

Mom is still working part time. I think she has been evaluating her long commute to work. She recently told me that she doesn't like wasting a lot of time getting to and from work. It's interesting to see her assess some of the things in her life from her new perspective as a cancer survivor.

I was excited to learn that a group of gay and lesbian residents of Dorchester have come together to form a group called DotOut. I am enthusiastic because not only am I a lesbian...but I also grew up in Dorchester. So there you go...these are my people. Their website states the following:

DotOUT is a grassroots, political organization representing gay and lesbian voters in Dorchester. We are committed to advancing a legislative agenda that will grant us equal and fair protections under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We are further committed to working with and supporting those Dorchester elected officials and candidates for elected office whose personal conviction, public position and voting record demonstrate a commitment to us, their gay and lesbian neighbors. We believe in the strength of the gay and lesbian community in Dorchester and, together, believe that we will positively influence local elections and public opinion on issues that are relevant to us.

I have great news. I heard from my doctor today. He wants me to reduce my Prednisone to 5 mg. Yee haw. My enzymes are better than they were the last time I had bloodwork. He wants me to have bloodwork in another month. The hope is to take me off the Prednisone all together.

I have been sort of lazy about doing my ankle and foot exercises lately. As a result I have noticed more stiffness in my arch and ankle. I need to keep on it. I hope my foot issues won't re-surface with the decrease in Prednisone. I just did my exercises for the first time today. I will do them again tonight.

I am still walking and doing Pilates. I will admit that I have been doing a more modified...I'm in a rush...without the videotape Pilates workout these days. I need to get up earlier and do the tape slowly. But it's so hard to get up in the morning.

I have a headache....and a bit of a scratchy throat. I didn't go to work today. I hope it's not allergies. Allergies don't go away. Sickness does. I spent the day reading and napping. I'm feeling a little bit better.....

There isn't too much to report on with regard to my health. I am still on ten mg of Prednisone. Having bloodwork on Friday. Going to see my primary care physician tomorrow. Mom is back to work. She is looking for a new job closer to the city.

Went to Provincetown last weekend. We had an amazing time. I didn't want to return to Boston. We stayed at the Sandpiper Beach House. If you ever get the chance to stay here.....do. It was beautiful. We had a wonderful view of the harbor....a nice deck...access to a private beach...two bathrooms...all new appliances (microwave, dishwasher, stove)...everything is brand new...they only opened up in April......a nice gas fireplace (It was cold enough to use last weekend)....DVD player.........VCR....etc., etc. We had a lot of fun outside of the apartment too. We ran into my friend over at SighClub who I haven't seen in an age. It was great to see her. CabaretFest was going on so we got to see a lot of good entertainment. We went to a parade on Saturday and got to see the Cheer NY Cheer Squad and Dance Team, the South Philadelphia String Band, the Manchester Muchachos, and the Connecticut Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps. We also spent quite a bit of our time this weekend eating. We consumed had yummy espresso shakes and pizza at Spiritus, and had wonderful dinners at the Red Innthe Martin House,and Clem and Ursies. We also had a tasty brunch at the Mews on Sunday. I ran into my friend Juan who was working at the restaurant. We dated each other for a week in junior high. six years later we both came out of the closet. I also forgot to mention that we saw a cute movie called Latter Days while we were there. And we also rented these great seven speed beach cruiser bikes. They were a lot of fun. Very different than driving my mountain bike. I loved it. Oh yes......and this past weekend was the Monumental Yard Sale in Provincetown. So....we got to go to a bunch of yard sales. I didn't buy anything, but it was fun looking. See why I didn't want to leave?

Today is a historic day in the history of Massachusetts and this country. Massachusetts became the first state in this country to allow gays and lesbians to marry today. You can read all about it at MassEquality. I'm a proud lesbian living in the first state in the country to take such a stand. Pretty cool huh? Our Governor might be an idiot....but our Supreme Judicial Court has it going on.

Mom is back to work part time and looking for other employment. Her current commute to work is awful. Things with my liver appear to be going well. Still on 10 mg Prednisone. Am having bloodwork in two weeks. I was looking closely at myself yesterday....and I think my cheeks look bigger. No one else agrees. I have been eating like a hog lately too.

I was looking at some pictures of myself from about 12 or 13 years ago last night. Word of advice....never do this. I am a young person....only 30.....but for the first time in my life i could really see how I had aged in comparison. I used to be thin....and had amazing skin.......these days I'm heavy and my pores are getting a little larger. Argh! I'm trying hard. I do my pilates tape....and I walk...and I have been trying to eat better.

My life has been busy. Cynthia's shower was nice. Mothers day was yummy at Oleana. We also took a trip to Krispy Kreme. Having lunch with a friend visiting form out of town on Saturday. Going to a movie at the Gay/Lesbian Film Festival at the MFA on Sunday. Going to Provincetown the weekend after next. Had coffee with Mary T. last night..getting together with Mary P. tonight. Enjoyed mexican food with Joanie on Tuesday.

My friend Dawn has a new website. Click here to see it.

I noticed this weekend that I am finally showing side effects of the Prednisone. My skin has been more oily than usual and I'm breaking out like an adolescent. I also see the normal peach fuzz on my upper lip and cheeks getting a little bit longer and more noticeable. My mother says she can hardly see it. I'm self conscious about the whole thing.

Mom started back to work on Monday. She plans on working three days a week for now.

Things with my liver are pretty uneventful.

Did pilates this morning. Walked to the T on Monday and Tuesday.

Sorry it has been a while. Work has been WAY busy.....my life outside of work has been totally crazy. My life has been liver disease....summer vacation planning etc....planning to not plan. Argh! I do have some good news. I had bloodwork on Wednesday and the results came in today. My enzymes look great....and they are cutting ym prednisone down to 10 mg once a day. Yee Haw! I will have bloodwork done in a month from now. We'll see what happens then. I saw my podiatrist this week.....he said not to come back until I am off the Prednisone. We are hoping that my foot and ankle are actually better...and not being masked by the Prednisone.

I have some good news. My mother is going back to work part time the first week in May.

I went to see my physical therapist Jen today. This is probably my last appointment with her. My knee is better and my ankle and arch are probably 90% better. I will only go back to see her if things don't continue to get better with the exercises.....or if they get bad as I am weaned off the Prednisone. Speaking of my physical therapist Jen. She is going to be in the Boston Globe this Sunday. She will be featured in a piece on college debt. Glad to know I'm not the only one who owes a lot of cash to Sallie Mae. Look for Jen this Sunday.

My friend Mary and her partner Jen started a political action committee called Pennies4Politics to support legislators that are supporting gay marriage in a special way. Click on the above link to learn more about this group or make a donation. Mary and Jen are getting married in October of 2004.

Went to see Patty Griffin at Tower Records last night. I really her music a lot.

I am so tired. Work has been insanely busy. I feel like I have hardly had time to breathe. Between the recent trainings...and open houses...and pilot projects.....and visitors...argh. I'm tired. I am VERY happy that tomorrow is Friday.

Going to see my physical therapist tomorrow. I need to talk to her about my tibial plateau. It started hurting when I was driving my bicycle up hill the other night. Hmm.......maybe it will just hurt forever...or will get better.....or will take a while. I'm not sure.

Looking forward to this weekend. I'm tabling for the Walk for Research at the Living Well With PBC event on Saturday morning. That afternoon I have plans to get coffee with my friend Mary P. Sunday I am going to see Sleater Kinney. We also have plans to go to the movies with folks on Saturday night and maybe have coffee with a friend on Friday after work.

I fixed the flat on my bicycle tire last night. I was proud of myself for being so handy. Glad I took that bicycle repair class last spring. It felt really empowering to fix it all by myself. I will admin that B gave me some pointers along the way. So thank you to her. Ate dinner at Wok N Roll in Cambridge last night....and took a long walk. I am loving this warm weather. Watched the season premier of The Restaurant last night. I think Rocco DiSpirito is kind of a jerk. No offense to "Mama."

Not much to report on. Seeing my physical therapist on Friday. Have an appointment with my podiatrist next week. Scheduled to have bloodwork early next week. Spent quite a bit of time yesterday hanging upWalk for Research signs in Somerville and Cambridge. My bicycle has a flat tire. I am going to try to use the skills I acquired in the bicycle repair class I took at Broadway Bicycle last spring. We'll see how far I get. It is a beautiful day in Boston today. Work is insanely busy. My parents came to an Open House at work today. It was nice to introduce them to my co-workers. If you haven't yet sponsored my Walk for Research you can do so by clicking HERE. The Boston Marathon is today. I wish I could have gone...but no.....here I am at work. Went for a nice long walk on Saturday. Did my Pilates tape this morning. Got ice cream with Brenda, Cyn, Mike, Dave, Lisa, and Chris the other night. It was nice to see them..especially Chris...it had been about five years since we saw each other last. Waiting for my IRS refund. I hope it come soon. I should run along.

Has anyone ever taken Prednisone before? Prednisone has the most awful taste in the world....like medicine. Have you ever licked a plastic swatch watch band from the mid to late 1980's? That is what Prednisone tastes like.

My Easter with John Kerry

I had a wonderful Easter yesterday. I got up early and went to church. I arrived at church to find a plethera of news people outside my church. I asked the usher what was going on. He informed me that Senator John Kerry was celebrating Mass with us. I ended up having to sit in the very last row......in the balcony of the chapel and hardly got to see what was going on downstairs. I did notice the two Secret Service guys lurking around. I eventually did see the Senator with his wife Theresa sitting downstairs. I learned that some conservative Catholics were trying to discourage my church from giving Communion to the Senator because of his liberal political views. The press was making a big deal about it. Fortunately the Senator did receive Communion yesterday. Heck....if the Senator shouldn't be receiving Communion.......I guess I shouldn't either. I'm just as bad as he is. I have liberal views too. Hmmm...what do I believe? That taking Communion is a decision between me and my God. So...who are they to tell me...or the Senator that he shouldn't receive Communion?

On another front...I heard from my doctors office today. Looks like my enzymes are almost down to normal. I'm cutting my Prednisone in half starting tomorrow. I will have bloodwork done in two weeks.

Had dinner with Nora and Bill last night. It was nice to see them. I should see more of them.

Still no word on my bloodwork. Looks like the Nurse Practitioner is out of the office today. Hopefully I will have more information on Monday.

I had bloodwork this morning. Just one tube this time. I asked for the butterfly needle....I'm such a baby when it comes to needles...they were good to honor my request. I'm going to call tomorrow and see if the results are in.

I celebrated Passover with some friends last night...it was a lot of fun. The food was yummy...the company interesting.......I found the hidden matzo...and won a prize (a plastic lavender lei)...Yee Haw.....and the Haggadah was a wonderful mix of childrens activities, adult prayers...and song.....it was all good. I really liked the addition of Myriam's Cup to the meal as well. Lisa and Dave did a great job...and were very good to buy me non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice.

I'm having bloodwork tomorrow. Hopefully the results will be good. I haven't noticed any real prednisone symptoms yet. Although yesterday after work I was starving. I ate a bowl and a half of cereal......some chocolate covered almonds....a few jelly bellys....and consumed a bunch of water. This was all before the Seder. I need to watch what I eat.

I'm down to having physical therapy once a week now. My ankle is feeling a gazillion times better.

I have been walking the half hour to the T lately...when I can. On the other days I am trying to do my Pilates tape. My favorite Pilates exercise is the Seal.

Support the Hep Cats. Thanks for your help.

I heard from the Nurse Practitioner in my Hepatologist's office on Wednesday. She said the dirty "P" word. I started on 40 mg of Prednisone yesterday. I haven't been on Prednisone since 1996. I'm not happy to be taking it again. I will need to have bloodwork done at the end of next week to see if the meds are working. If everything goes well they will work on tapering me off the meds as soon as possible.

Separate, But Equal

That is the message Massachusetts lawmakers relayed yesterday when they voted to ban gay marriage, but allow for civil unions in Massachusetts. The numbers were close.........105 to 92. I would like to thank my Senator Charles Shannon and Representative Patricia Jehlen for voting to keep discrimination out of the constitution. This isn't the end however. Legislators wil meet again in 2006 where this issue will be voted on again before being put on the ballot in 2006. You can read more about this at MassEquality.

So what does this mean for the marriage licences expected to be offered to gay couples on May 17th? We'll see.

Just got a call from the doctors office. Looks like is in in Puerto Rico until Wednesday. I love that he called me with all this urgency and gloom and doom a week ago.......and then goes off to Puerto Rico...and leaves me hanging. Oh well..........I will know more at the end of the week.

Massachusetts lawmakers are meeting today to discuss gay marriage in Massachusetts. You can read all about it at MassEquality. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make it to the State House today. I feel guitly. Maybe my guilt will push me towards the State House after work. We'll see.

The Massachusetts Catholic Conference distributed an anti-gay video to parishes and was shown in some churches this weekend. One gay Catholic took serious offense to the video and professed to the community that he was gay. You can read more about it on the Boston Globe website. I am appalled that such a video exists and that churches showed it. I am a practicing Catholic....and have been involved in my progressive Catholic community for years....and I'm a lesbian. I haven't been to church in over a month. The church is doing a good job at alienating some of their best members. For the first time in my life I am really questioning my place in the church.

I have some great news. My enzymes are down a bit. My ALT is 118 and my AST is 111. This is roughly 3 times higher than normal levels. Still..this is good news.....they are going down on their own. I haven't even taken any prednisone. Maybe....if I'm lucky.....they will decide to wait and see...monitor my enzyme levels and NOT put me on prednisone. I shouldn't get my hopes up. I amw aiting to hear back fro the hepatologist with a decision about my meds.

I walked from my apartment to the T today. It took about a half hour. I walked on Friday too. I had a mini revelation last Friday. For years I have dealt with this disease.....I have had cirrhosis.........had bloodwork every few months and stayed away from alcohol all this time. Aside from that...the disease hasn't prevented me from doing anything I have wanted to. I decided that I should run with the fact that I feel ok these days. Yes I have felt a little sick to my stomach lately....and tired....but I can eat......and my being tired hasn't stopped me from going out and doing things. I'm going to make more of an effort to walk...and exercise....and enjoy life.

Waiting.....and Waiting....still waiting...to hear from my hepatologist about my bloodwork. The bloodwork will tell me if I am getting better or not...and provide some background information for my hepatologist to use when making decisions about where to go with my treatment. He mentioned steroids the other day. I'm assuming this means prednisone. Which also means......big cheeks.....acne....irritability......hunger....weight gain.....and a lack of calcium. I'm not looking forward to it. A nice woman on the Autoimmune Hepatitis listserv I am on recently reminded me to focus on the positives....my function is ok....I can pretty much do what I have always done. I need to remember this.

I also have to say that response from my family and friends has been great. Thank you to everyone who has called or emailed to show their support. I really appreciate knowing that you care. I promise I will be in touch soon. I have been a little distracted.

I spoke with my hepatologist the other day. The biopsy was not inconclusive this time. It revealed that I have moderate swelling in my liver and that I have between stages three and four scarring. None of this was really a surprise. I knew that I had permanent damage from the severity of my first flare up. I had been healthy for so long....I had just sort of forgotten about it. I had more bloodwork done yesterday. My hepatologist told me that I will probably need to be on prednisone. I am optimistic because the inflammation was caught early on and my doctor is moving quickly.

Had a nice weekend. Went to a cheese and ale tasting. I didn't drink the ale. I had my cheese with VitaminWater. Saturday we had lunch at Bob the Chef's. We tried to go to the Museum of Fine Arts, but it was closed. Spent time with my mom and step-dad....and my father on Sunday.

Still no word on the liver biopsy....I should know something tomorrow. My side is feeling better. I've noticed a slight lack in appetite and that my blood sugars feel low if I don't eat every few hours. I have been feeling more tired than usual. I had physical therapy today. My Physical Therapist said I have swelling in my left ankle. I'm hoping I will have some ankle relief soon. I will be starting a new anti-inflammatory medication for my ankle tomorrow. Mom had a UTI last week. She ended up having to go to the emergency room. She was there for six hours. YIKES! Mom says she is feeling better.

I was supposed to get the results of my biopsy today. No such luck....they called to tell me that they didn't have any results for me. They suggested that I call back on Tuesday.

I decided that the piece of liver they took from me on Tuesday was more like angel hair pasta or spaghetti....not dentle floss.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I had my biopsy yesterday. I arrived at the hospital at 9:30 a.m. I was put into a room and got an iv....and changed into a beautiful johnny that they provided. I was rolled down to radiology at 10:45 a.m. and prepped. They did a pre-biopsy ultrasound and gave me some demerol. I learned that not only is my liver small, but that my gall bladder is in a different place than most peoples. The marked the point of entry with a plastic straw and gave me some lidocaine. For some reason I was thinking that with all the relaxing meds and numbing injections that I wouldn't feel any pain. I was wrong. Frankly it felt like they were jabbing me with a big needle when they took the biopsy. I didn't see the needle, but I hear it was at least six inches long. They showed me the piece they took out of me. It seemed awfully small for the amount of pain I went through. It was probably an inch long.......and a little thicker than dentle floss. It was all red. I was wheeled up to my room at 12:00 p.m. I was on my side for an hour. I had some discomfort so they gave me a shot of demerol. My blood pressure was low...so they gave me some iv liquids. I ate a chicken salad sandwich and some graham crackers. I went for a walk at 2:30 p.m. and I was out of the hospital by 3:00 p.m. On the way home I managed to vomit twice...gross huh? I called the doctor....looks like it was a response to the demerol. I got home and slept for a few hours. Eventually I woke up.....ate some yummy onion soup and watched A Mighty Wind. I was in bed by 10:30 p.m.

I am working from home today. I have some pain in my side. It feels like I got punched really hard in the liver. Sometimes I get sharp pains when I breath deep. I took the bandaid off the entry site a few hours ago. It looks ok.

I was just eating lunch with some co-workers and the locally produced Community Auditions talent show came up. Does anyone remember this Sunday morning television show, from the late 1970's, with Dave Maynard as the host? "Star of the day......who will it be..." I always wanted to go on Community Auditions...it never happened.

I wrote an email to the Autoimmune Hepatitis listserv introducing myself. Everyone was really nice and supportive. I think it is a good group.

I have my liver biopsy tomorrow. I cannot eat after 9:00 p.m. tonight. For those who do not know the procedure...... I will go to the hospital an hour and a half before the procedure. I will get an iv.....and some medicine to relax me. Bloodwork will be done. Then I will lie on my left side and the outline of my liver will be marked. They will numb the area with a topical anethetic...such as lidocaine. The will use an ultrasound machine to guide them. The procedure should take a half hour. I will lie on my right side for a few hours...and then they will send me home.

This is the first time I have had an ultrasound guided biopsy. My first biopsy was a transjugular liver biopsy. That was awful..and took about four hours. They put a tube into jugular veing....into my vena cava and then snaked it into my liver. They put a needle through the tube into my liver and took a piece. The last biopsy I had was a regular old blind needle biopsy. It literally felt like someone was jabbing me.

I hear this ultrasound guided biopsy will be a breeze in comparison. I hope so. I am planning on working from home on Wednesday. AND...I am not to do any heavy lifting for a week.

On March 11th Massachusetts senators and representatives passed a constitutional amendment legalizing civil unions and banning gay marriage. You can learn more about the decision at MassEquality.

I went to work that morning and left at noon. I went to the State House at around 1:30 p.m. and stayed until 8:45 p.m. We spent hours across the street from the State House...then more time right in front of the State House. Eventually we got into the State House around 6:30 p.m. We watched the debates on a large screen in Gardner Auditorium....sung songs on the 3rd floor and watched a little bit of the Debate in the Great Hall on the 2nd floor. I held signs that said things like..."I support the SJC Decision"..."MassEquality"......"Marriage for All Couples"....and "Don't put Hate in the Consitution." It was amazing to witness such an event. The fight isn't over yet. The convention will re-convene in two weeks.

I joined an Autoimmune Hepatitis Listserv yesterday. I am really glad that I did this. I have never really known or spoken with other people who have my disease. I hope to learn lots from this group...and maybe help someone else.

I'm getting ready to leave work to head over to the State House. My friend Mary works across the street and she said it s crazy over there right now. I just got an action alert email from MassEquality saying that they need as many people and as many voices at the State House as possible. They say they wil be there until a decision is made about gay marriage in Massachusetts.

I only have a second. Works is very busy and I am trying to get a lot done today. Went to physical therapy this morning. Had fun at a birthday party last night. Mom is having her staples removed today. I'm taking tomorrow afternoon off of work to spend time at the Massachusetts State House. Tomorrow is the big day on Beacon Hill. Lawmakers will vote on a proposed amendment to the Constitution. This amendment would put me in a separate, but equal category. This is apalling. If you haven't contacted your Senator or Representative yet...please do so. This is a civil rights issue.....and I would like to keep mine.

I went to see my hepatologist about two weeks ago. I had blood drawn and I scheduled a liver biopsy for April 2nd. He just wanted to take a look at my liver...it had been a long time (over eight years) since my last biopsy...and frankly he thought that things were probably much better.

Last week I got a call from my doctors office telling me that I had elevated enzyme levels and that I should move my biopsy up to a closer date. Here's a little liver lesson for the day. When your liver is hurt it makes enzymes. The higher the number of enzymes...the more liver inflammation you have. There are two tests they do to monitor the enzyme levels. They are the ALT and and AST. Currently my ALT is 165 and my AST is 133. This is four times the normal level. To put things into perspective....when I was very sick 11 years ago my enzymes were running into the thousands. It could be worse. The wierd thing about this is that I have been taking the same amount of medication for years and never had any problems. My last flare up occurred five years ago and it only happened because they had cut my dose in half in hopes of taking me off of it. I was back on my normal dose within a month and all was well.

I rescheduled my liver biopsy for Tuesday March 16th.

The first time I got sick was a surprise to everyone. I only got so sick because I didn't know I had this disease and didn't know what to look for. Fortunately this time they caught it early and the doctors are all over it. I don't expect it to turn into anything near as severe as that first time.

About my Mom....she is home from the hospital. Her visiting nurse came on Sunday. She has a telemedical appointment today. AND...she is seeing her surgeon on Wednesday. All the samples they took out of her on Monday were clear of cancer. Looks like she has some adhesions (scar tissue)...which might cause a small problem. She has pain and is trying to adjust......but she also seems positive and optimistic about the future.

Happy International Women's Day!

Oops...I made a mistake. My mother's telemedicine appointment is tomorrow....not today.

I just got back from physical therapy. My physical therapist used ultrasound to bring blood flow to my ligaments to promote healing.......I got a massage....and exercised my ankle and foot. I am feeling encouraged by all this treament.

The following email came to me from my friend Michelle. Make a call and make a difference!

MassEquality wants you to make the call to your legislator again on Monday [TODAY] in support of same-sex marriage. The Constitutional Convention reconvenes on Thursday, so we want to have as many contacts as possible.

Tell them:
1. That you are their consitutent~ they're getting a lot of calls from loonies out of state.
2. That you support the Goodridge decision and oppose discrimination in the constitution.
3. Any personal story that will help sway them like: I'm straight, but support my friends and their families; I'm gay and civil unions will HURT my family because....; or I'm a Catholic and I support everyone's right to marry and oppose discrimination. Things like that! Or, I'm not a Catholic and I don't want
to live in according to the rules of someone else's religion!

If you have any friends or family members that you can call and ask them to call their legislators, too, that'd be great!

They can find out who their legislator is (and how they voted last time... in case you need to thank or encourage them) on MassEquality or at Where Do I Vote.

Please spread the word, and thanks! It's gonna be a busy week!

Mom was disharged from the hospital at around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. She managed to hold down two meals...and yes pass gas......so they let her go home. I went over to her apartment that afternoon to see if she needed any help. She didn't need any help really. I spent some time watching her sort thourgh her mail and watching tv. I spoke with her yesterday and she told me that she had had incredible pain on Saturday night and almost went back to the hospital. fortunately the pain went away and she did not end up at the hospital. Her visiting nurse came yesterday morning. She has a telemedicine appointment today. Coo huh? They sent her home from the hospital with laptop. She has to take pictures of her incision with the laptop and send it to some doctors at the hospital. At 10:00 a.m. today she will log on and meet with these folks via the internet. Ah.....technology. This is an experimental thing.....we'll see how it goes.

Mom is bouncing back slowly. She had a bowel movement yesterday, but they cannot send her home until she passes gas and keeps two meals down. They took her off the iv yesterday, she took a shower today and is up and walking more. She's still not allowed ot eat solid food. Twice they have given her a liquid diet tray.......she takes two bites..and they take it away. You think the doctors would get it straight. It's like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Argh! mom is expected to be in the hospital through the weekend.

Mom was moved up to her room at the Brigham and Women's at around 2:00 p.m. yesterday. Russ and I went up to see her at around 3:00 p.m. She wasn't as out of it as the last time she had surgery. Mom said she did not have a lot of pain...just discomfort. She rarely used the morphine drip. I spoke with Mom this morning and she said she had gone for a walk three times between last night and today. She is no longer wearing the leg air pump things....and they are giving her heparin shots to prevent blood clots. Mom had a slight fever last night, but appears to be feeling better after taking aspirin. She said she is in more pain today.

We watched the Average Joe finale last night. Please let me throw in a disclaimer......I hate reality tv...I've never watched an episode of this show ever. We only watched it because Mom asked me to tape it for her. What an awful show. I hate to ruin it for people.....but here you go....she chooses the annoying not so average hunk guy...over the sappy Bostonian.....and then reveals that she used to date Fabio.......and the hunky guys leaves her because she used to date Fabio. Is anyone else confused? Why would he leave her because she used to date fabio? What kind of twist is that? How is that a twist?

Today is primary day in Massachusetts. Make sure you go out and cast your vote for your favorite democrat.

Mom is in Recovery. I got up at 4:15 a.m. today and got ready. I arrived at the Brigham and Women's Hospital at 5:30 a.m. and met up with Mom and Russ. Russ and I stayed with Mom and escorted her into pre-op. She went into surgery at 7:30 a.m. At 10:45 a.m. we got a call that she was out of surgery. We finally got to see her for a few minutes in recovery at around 11:30 a.m. She looked good and seemed alert. Russ and I had lunch at the Longwood Galleria at around noon. We are currently waiting for her to be moved into a room. We expect her to be here for most of the week. Russ and I have been waiting most of the day in the Family Resource Room........Bretholtz Center....something like that. It's pretty nice here. They have two televisions...and free snacks...and computers...and a library with a nice librarian named Cara who is also a Simmons GSLIS alum. I should get back to Russ...and my free beverage.

I have been busy this week. Went to a Walk for Research Planning Committee meeting..........spent 37.25 hours at work.........went to see the hepatologist (going in for a needle biopsy on April 2nd.....yikes)......lost 40 cents at poker (I haven't achieved the ah ha moment...but I'm getting closer)......and visited with the podiatrist (he adjusted my inserts, suggested I see my physical therapist twice a week for two weeks, and gave me a scrip for an anti-inflammatory medication). Have a busy weekend planned. Mom is having surgery on Monday. We expect she will be there for five working days...could be more..could be less.

My friend Stephanie sent me an email yesterday informing me that a friend of hers was participating in a date auction this Saturday, February 21. All money from the 4th Annual Mardi Gras Date Auction will go to the American Liver Foundation's Run for Research. Yee haw...I love the liver........it's good to support it. You only have one....and it's the biggest internal organ you have....and it does a super job at cleaning out the toxins and sending the nutrients to the correct places in your body.

I went to my Mom's after work yesterday. She had made some chocolate chow mein cookies and wanted to share them...yummy. She has been having pain in her calf. They say it could be a superficial bloodclot....whatever that means...or cellulitis...not sure what that is either. She is taking ibuprofen for pain.

Something funny happened to us on Valentine's Day in the North End. We were walking down Hanover Street and this man selling roses says...."roses for sale." We kept walking until we heard him say...."I have lavender roses." We both thought this was very funny. Did he know we were lesbians? Do we stand out that much? We weren't holding hands. This whole experience made us laugh. We kept walking. About a half hour later we were drinking cappucino and eating canollis in a cafe and the man with the roses walked in. He walks right over to us...smiles and says......"I have lavender." Then he proceeded to tell my partner that she needed to "find someone else" because I would not buy her roses. We thought this was a howl. Finally I gave into pressure and said I would buy the roses. When I asked for the lavender ones he told me that he had lied...and that he did not have lavender flowers in his bunch. I harrassed him about not telling the truth. He told me that the lavender roses were too expensive...he would never make a profit. I ended up buying two roses.......one pink...one orange. He lied.....but at least he was good natured about it.....at least he was trying to be inclusive. It was all very funny.

This weekend was fun...and busy...and restful all at the same time. I like those kinds of weekends.

Friday I had dinner with my friends Heather and Matt from Northeastern University. We had dinner at Fajitas and Rita's and had a great time. It was really nice to see them. Heather lives in Pennsylvania...and I never get to see Matt.......it was fun catching up. After dinner I went to see Lost in Translation. My friends Trish and Ronda said that they did not like the movie. However the person I went to see it with and I really enjoyed it. You might want to check it out.

Saturday was Valentine's Day.....ahhh...sigh. We went out for brunch at
Johnny D's and then spent some time at the Haymarket and in the North End. That night we made dinner and tried to go see Casablanca at the Brattle, but it was sold out.

Sunday I did housework and fixed our computer. That night we went to a surprise party for Theresa. Happy 31st Birthday Theresa...aka Teddy.

Yesterday I went to see My Architect at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. I enjoyed the movie and loved being able to go to a movie during the week. I really appreciate Monday holidays. After the movie I went home..and hung out. Eventually I made my way to the Diesel Cafe and wrote in my journal. Last night we met up with some friends at the Burren to eat...and talk about our most recent book group book. We read Trans-Sister Radio. I recommend the book if you are looking for a good book to read. I enjoyed it.

I just realized that I told you almost every moment of my weekend. My friend Cynthia often tells me that I have a tendency to list out my days activities. SO there you go.

It looks like no decision on gay marriage was reached yesterday. I should be thankful that my rights haven't been taken away yet. I started to feel guilty as I read the reports of last nights activities in the Boston Globe. I should have stopped by the State House at some point over that past few days. I had called my Senator...written letters to both my Senator and Representative, and sent email to Mitt Romney, Robert Travaglini, and my Senator and Representative, but I was feeling that maybe that wasn't enough. The constitutional convention plans to meet again on March 11th. I plan on visiting the State House then.

My Senator and Representative both voted No on the anti-gay Finneran amendment. That gives me a ray of hope. Yet.....I don't understand people. I don't get it....who in their right mind wants to write discrimintation INTO the constitution? That's it...they must have lost their minds. I got a nice letter from Representative Patricia Jehlen saying that she will vote against amending the constitution. She says.... "I don't think that civil rights should be subject to referendum." You go girl!

I went over to my Mom's to spend some time with her yesterday. She hasn't been feeling well lately. She has nausea...and a metal taste in her mouth...and exhaustion....and other side effects of the chemo. Fortunately she is done with the chemo. Unfortuantely she will have to deal with the side effects for a bit.

The only word on the gay marriage issue is that they are debating on it as I type this...and will be for a while. From the reports it looks like the State House is a pretty tense place right now. Argh! I'm not hopeful...I wish I were.

I almost forgot...here are the names of the committee members:

Senator Richard Moore (co-chair), (617) 722-1420
Senator Jarrett Barrios, (617) 722-1650
Senator Harriette Chandler, (617) 722-1544
Senator Susan Fargo, (617) 722-1572
Senator Bruce Tarr, (617) 722-1600
Senator Susan Tucker, (617) 722-1612

Representative members of the Committee are
Representative Peter Koutoujian (co-chair), 617-722-2130
Representative Christine Canavan, 617-722-2320
Representative Robert Coughlin, 617-722-2130
Representative William Galvin, 617-722-2220
Representative Colleen Garry, 617-722-2582
Representative Susan Gifford, 617-722-2090
Representative Thomas Golden, (617) 722-2575
Representative Shirley Gomes, 617-722-2803
Representative Patricia Haddad, 617-722-2692
Representative Rachel Kaprielian, 617-722-2430

The following email came to me from the New England Chapter of the American Liver Foundation. I urge you to contact your legislators.

As a New England Chapter volunteer, we are asking you to support very important legislation that will be voted on in the next few days by the state's Joint Committee on Healthcare. The legislation promotes access to sterile syringes to decrease the incidence of hepatitis and HIV in Massachusetts.

Led by the AIDS Action Committee, the Massachusetts Campaign for
Responsible Syringe Policy, a coalition of over 50 organizations of which the ALF is a member, presented powerful testimony at a January 28th hearing urging the passage of several bills that would expand access to clean needles in Massachusetts. These bills are important because needle use is the most significant factor in contracting hepatitis C, and Massachusetts is one of only four states in the nation that require prescriptions to purchase syringes.If you agree with the position, you can help to influence the vote by contacting members of the Joint Committee on Healthcare now before the vote takes place. We are asking you to call the committee representative in the district you live in and follow the simple steps below to express your views. It will literally take TWO minutes to make the call. If you don't live in a committee member's district, please call the offices of the Joint Committee
on HealthCare Co-chairs, Senator Richard Moore and Representative Peter Koutoujian, with the same message.

FIVE SIMPLE STEPS

1. Identify yourself as a volunteer of the ALF calling to express your support of sterile syringe access programs. Ask the person answering the phone if he/she is the appropriate person to speak to. You may be transferred to a healthcare aide.

2. When you have the appropriate person on the phone, you should say: "I'm (your name), a constituent of (senator/representatives name) and a member of the American Liver Foundation. I'm calling to ask that he/she support sterile syringe access. The ALF supports and encourages needle exchange programs to decrease the transmission of hepatitis and other blood borne diseases. I feel it's important for (your senator/representatives) to vote affirmatively on these issues." (You can stop there, or share your
opinion further. If you have a personal story about liver disease, feel free to include that information. We have also included a fact sheet on sterile syringe access--you can feel free to share any of that information if you'd like.)

3. Ask if the person knows the senator/representative's view on
sterile syringe access.

4. Thank them for listening and for their support (if applicable).

5. E-mail Allison Toretto at atoretto@liverfoundation-ne.org to let her know which office you called.

Our goal is to demonstrate widespread support for the bills by raising the total number of affirmative calls logged to as many committee members as possible. We will keep you updated on the outcome of the vote.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to call me or Allison Toretto in our office. Thanks so much for supporting this important initiative!

Wendy Lennon
Chapter Director
American Liver Foundation
www.liverfoundation-ne.org

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At dinner on Saturday night a close friend who is a lesbian turned to me and said "I don't think I want to be Catholic anymore." The inflection in her voice relayed some hesitation in her statement to me. I responded by saying...."it's ok there are quite a few people at this table who share the same sentiment." After some thought......I realized that I too...for the first time in my life am feeling significantly challenged by the actions of my local Diocese and the Greater Church (i.e. the Magisterium).

For my entrie adult life I have prided myself in choosing to worship in Catholic communities that celebrate women....use gender sensitive God language......encourage tolerance and understanding.....challenge authority....preach social justice...and welcome gay people such as myself. The Church is opressive towards women and gays and lesbians, but have always thought that we couldn't change it by leaving. I felt that change was only possible from within. That open minded Catholic activists such as myself could change the conservative teaching of the Church. Look at the facts....Jesus was a poor carpenter who challenged authority....taught goodness.....and preached freedom for the opressed. He started a revolution....and was killed for his beliefs. Look at some of the progressive movements that have come out of the Catholic Church. Liberation Theology and the Catholic Worker movement are two great examples. Catholicism teaches justice.

However...with recent events in the Church I have struggled more and more with my identity...and with my place in the Church. The horrible sex abuse scandal that was unearthed in the past two years........efforts by the Archbishop O'Malley and the Archdiocese of Boston to keep "marriage" between one man and one woman...deliberately trying to deny GLBT people of their rights. I cannot help but feel that their attempts at getting involved in gay politics is aimed at diverting people's attention away from the sex abuse scandal. I am angry. I am angry that the Catholic Church.....the "Universal" Church (Catholic means universal).......is not being inclusive.......so much for universal. Jesus preached love...and freedom....not hatred and separatism.

For years I have been interested in some of the more famous people who have dissented against the Catholic Church. People like Martin Luther and Charles Curran. I have always felt that they did a great job at challenging the Church and it's members....and have admired them tremendously. Martin Luther left the Church and formed his own religion. Charles Curran was eventually told that he could no longer teach Catholic theology. Why is it that the Catholic Church chooses to alienate some of their best members?

I am still struggling.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's (SJC) recent ruling on same sex marriage has caused quite a stir. This decision is truly remarkable and I am proud to be from the first state to declare this. Unfortunately this landmark decision is under attack. This Wednesday (February 11, 2004) the Massachusetts Legislators will vote on a constitutional amendment that is meant to undo this decision. This amendment would declare that "marriage" is between one man and one woman. This angers me because it is a clear violation of my civil rights. Who says that marriage is between one man and one woman? Who is to say that my union to another woman should not have the same value as heterosexual couples? We need to make sure our voices are heard. Contact your local legislators and let them know how you feel. Learn more about the SJC decision at MassEquality.

I went to Mass at the Paulist Center today. When I walked into this Catholic community today I ran into an older community member I know named Cathy. She got on my case about not telling her about the proposed anti-gay amendment. She told me that I needed to go downstairs.....speak to some of the gay/lesbian community members...get my Legislators name's....and call them. I let her know that I had already contacted my Representative and Senator. I was happy to know that I had a supporter in the community. Fortunately the Paulist Center has proven to be an advocate for the gay community. They walk in the Pride parade every year....they have a GLBT group.........they recently wrote and open letter saying that they supported the GLBT community members...... and 5% of the community gift today went to support outreach efforts to GLBT catholics. The message in todays homily was this......our baptism entitles us to certain rights....and one of those rights is to come to the table and to be heard. We all have a voice.

Today is my mother's last chemo appointment. I went to see her last night and she was smiling...and happy...and eager to be done with the treatments. Russ is taking her to her appointment. She made fudge and cookies for the staff...to thank them for everything. This day felt so far away when I first started writing this blog last spring. When Mom first started chemo she learned that they have a tradition in her chemo clinic where the staff gather around...and the cancer survivor reads a poem and rings a bell after their last chemo treatment. She will do this today....I am very proud of her.

When I was discharged from the hospital ten and a half years ago I sent the staff a box of water guns and hershey kisses. I wanted them to know how thankful I was for them...they had kept me alive. Even when I was tired and didn't want to fight....they did it for me.

I ran into my orthopedic doctor's nurse today on the T. We chatted briefly.

I also went to see the my podiatrist this morning. I reported that things were a little bit better...but not much. My ankle's were still way too tight....my arch and heel were bugging me. He gave me a shot of cortisone and asked that my physical therapist send him a report. I decided today that I think my podiatrist is a bitt too brusque for me. AND...that maybe his bed side manner could be worked on a little. At some point he said that I never mentioned anything about plantar fasciitis before. I know that I told him that I thought that I might have it...because I had had it before..etc., etc. He even asked me....why I had stopped wearing inserts in my shoes...when I told him. He also went on about how my physical therapist was telling me to do the wrong thing...before he heard me out. In the end he told me to modify one of the five exercises I had been doing. Oh...and at another time he said something to me like..."I don't know if you are doing the exercises incorrectly....or if you aren't doing them enough." I was annoyed. Talk about blaming the victim. I do all of my exercises...two times a day....like I am supposed to. ARGH! So...at this point...I have this injection in my foot..........I am supposed to continue the exercises........see him in three weeks....and check in with Jen to ask her to send a report to the podiatrist. I just want to walk pain free! Why is this so difficult?

Grettings from Provincetown, MA. We came down to celebrate my leg being the healthiest it has been in six months. We arrived yesterday afternoon. We ate lunch at George's pizza......and walked around Commercial Street. There are some great sales going on. Most things are 50% off. Last night we had dinner at Fanizzi's Restaurant.....I had some amazing chicken pot pie. You are probably wondering why I didn't order fish right? I mean we are on Cape Cod. Well...the truth of the matter is that.....I do not like the way ANY seafood tastes....so chicken it was. I think we are going to check out a movie and probably have dinner at Ross' Grill tonight. Things are really quiet off season in Provincetown...I love it. Oh yes...we ran into Courtney O. last night at Fanizzi's. She was visiting her friend Daniel. Crazy small world we live in huh?

I went to a Walk For Research Planning Committee meeting recently. I am looking forward to being involved with this years walk. I have never been in and around other folks with liver disease...or people who care enough to fight against diseases of the liver. It's nice to know there are other people out there. I don't know why it took me so long to get involved.

I always have great plans for this blog. Each day I come up with something I feel is interesting to write about.....whether it be about our trek on the Chinatown Bus to and from New York in a snow storm....or about the Paulist Center's most recent open letter supporting gay and lesbian community members........or about the premier of the L Word but somehow it doesn't usually make it to this page. Maybe it's because I'm lazy. Maybe it's because work has been very busy all of a sudden. Maybe it's because I recently acquired two new electronic toys (a pda, a digital camera) and have been busy transferring information to and from them. Maybe it's because my life outside of work has been non-stop. I promise I will start writing more.

Updates....hmm......Mom is done with chemo on February 6th. She hasn't been feeling great lately. I think she should take a week off from chemo....but the end is so near......and she just wants to be done with the torture. She is scheduled for surgery on March 1. Luckily she is having the surgery at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH). I was a patient at the BWH for a month ten years ago. My step-dad knows how to get there. The hospital is T accessible.

I am supposed to see my physical therapist Jen tomorrow. We are also supposed to get a foot of snow. I wonder if my appointment will be cancelled. I will call later. I have been good about doing my exercises...I bought new shoes......I have inserts in these new shoes........AND I still have pain in my ankle and foot. Argh!

Helping a friend pack today after work. This friend has asthma and other allergies. Recently she has had troubles breathing in her own apartment. That being said....she found a new place to live last weekend. She is moving on February 2nd. So....I am going over to her allergy and asthma causing apartment to help her pack. It's the least I could do....she was very good to me when I broke my leg. She drove me around........helped me drop off the wheelchair to the pharmacy etc.

Today is January 20, 2004. I saw Dr. Chaglassian two months ago today. When I saw him last he told me that I could run, kick, jump, ski, skate, and rollerblade in two months. Well...today marks that day. I'm still not ready to participate in such activies I think.....I'm scared. Of course my ankle is still bugging me...and my arch. I just want to be able to walk like I did on July 26th...the day before I broke my tibial plateau.

Mom went to see the pulmonologist today. The spots on her lung do not look like cancer. They also don't look like scars. Their best guess is that she may have pneumonia. The wierd thing...she doesn't have any symptoms. She had some blood work done. AND...is scheduled for a ct scan in the early summer. They plan on watching it for two years.

I went to physical therapy for my ankle and foot yesterday. I am to do the exercises two times a day for two weeks and then go in and see her again. I'm planning on buying some new shoes after work. I hope all this pt.....shoe buying...and insert wearing will make a difference.

I think I may have a touch of a cold. I have been feeling a little tired...and achy....and my throat is a little bit sratchy. This cold weather isn't helping either.

I was in New York on Tuesday for work. I didn't get to stay the night...but I did get to have lunch with my colleagues...which was yummy......John's Pizzeria.....tasty.

My mom went to see her surgeon yesterday. Looks like she will be done with chemo at the beginning in February. She is going to have surgery at the beginning of March. The surgery will take place at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. They informed her that this surgery will require two incisions...and probably take some significant recovery time. The surgeon is estimating that it could take four hours. I'm a little scared for her...and for me...but I'm sure she will be fine. I think she'll be happy to have the bag gone...and her stoma closed up.

Happy New Year!

Unfortunately I am at work today. The good news is that I was a little early this morning and will be able to leave a little early.

New Years Eve was fun. Went to a party at Denise and Eddies. Also hung out with some folks at Stephanie's and Courtney's. It was all good.

Yesterday was filled with seeing The Return of the King...watching Wallace & Gromit...consuming Wensleydale Cheese...and eating brunch with Cynthia and Steph.

I get to go home in seven minutes. I'm looking forward to this weekend.

Mom had chemo today.