2010

Wow! Time sure does fly when you are having fun and living life to it's fullest. Since the last time I blogged, we added another grandson, Daniel John, thank you Jessica and John for Mr. Happy. He's wonderful and he'll keep his brother moving.

We've also lost our two of my loves, Simon passed away at our house in July, a week to the day after we returned from our Mediterrean cruise and his soul mate, Schuster, passed away in my arms in September, ten minutes after we returned home from a long weekend trip for our anniversary. They were fifteen years old, Jay gave them to me for our anniversary and Schuster died in my arms on our anniversary. Neither of them showed any signs of dying so soon, even though Schuster had gone blind from high blood pressure and was on medication. Simon was doing fine, we thought. They were totally loved. Now they are my angels and I miss them.

But, we've added a dog named Lucky to the family through Jason and Robin's family. They also added two abandoned cats and now have a house full of fun and fur.

My health is fine, I keep my appointments with all my doctors and I'm still cancer free, two and half years and counting.

I wish you all happy Halloween, happy Thanksgiving, and a blessed Christmas.

Mammogram

Hi everyone!

I've finally had my mammogram to follow up after all of my cancer treatments and I have a clean bill of health!! I'm very thrilled to be cancer free and wish you all a healthy, cancer free life.

Welcome June

Hi everyone!

It seems that when summer gets here, we get going. I've been busy golfing, gardening, playing with our grandchildren and just plain enjoying everything I possibly can.

My cancer is gone and I'm pleased with my new curly locks, same color, just crazy curly locks.

All in all, I'm so glad that everyone kept up with me on my blog last year, it really meant a great deal to me.

I'm sharing some pictures of life as we know it.

February - March

Hi everyone! I hear from some of you that I haven't been updating my blogspot. The good news is I'm busy living, getting out and about, watching spring arrive! The bad news is that doesn't always allow me to sit and share with you all.

My doctor visits have been going well, except that I had some kind of infection in my surgical breast (sounds funny, like I had an implant or something). After three different antibiotics, we finally got it knocked out of there. I need some Occupational Therapy to get rid of some of the lymph my breast and shoulder are retaining, so, I'll do that as soon as we get back from Arizona.

Jay and I are leaving tomorrow (Sat. March 7) and returning Sat., March 14. We'll be in Tucson with some friends from our neighborhood (Sam and Nancy) for the first four days, then up to Scottsdale to visit our friend, Bob and his family, and Jay's two aunts (Kathryn and Norma) who live in Phoenix and Sun City. We'll probably need to rest when we get back. It's been two years since I've travelled this far away from home, doctors, etc. I'm really looking forward to it, but I also hate to leave home. Oh, well, I do get to golf twice with the guys and we do get to go to Kitt Peak, a national observatory to see the stars, planets, etc.

My hair is about three inches long now and as curly as a new perm. It's pretty fun trying to figure out how to care for it AND waking up with funny hair in the morning is delightful. As my stylist told me, "Only you would have a great day having a bad hair day." Bring it on!

Take care, listen for the returning birds, the robins came in today (Mar. 6) and the cardinals are singing their mating songs. The chickadees are checking out which houses they want in the yard and the gardens are sending up the hopes of a healthy flowering year. Spring is coming soon!

New Year

We're in the new year and everything seems to be white in the midwest. We must like the snow and cold because we're still living here! Truthfully, I think it makes spring, summer, and fall all the better to enjoy when you have such extremes.

Speaking of new, I'm putting a picture of my hair as it continues to grow! I'm learning how to do "curly" hair. I've always wanted curly and now it appears that I'm to be curly for the rest of my life. Same color and white highlights, we'll have to see if the sun bleaches it out when I start getting out in the sun. The hair is a hoot!

I'm also putting our Christmas 08 picture on for everyone to see my beautiful family. I thank God every day that we're all here and enjoying life.

Think spring and plan your gardens, they're hoping we're thinking of them.

Surgery Follow-up

My week after surgery re-check went very well. Dr. Sharma took all my restrictions off: I can drive, lift, exercise, etc. Yeah! All the tests were just fine on what he took out and I'm healing well, just in time for the holidays.

What a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year we'll have.

The best of Holidays to all of you.

My First "Part"

Here it is, my first hair part! Same color, curly and growing. That's what we like to see.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Be well.

Second Surgery Over

A note to let everyone know that my surgery (removal of ovaries and tubes) scheduled for yesterday went well and I came home safe and sound last evening. I'll have a couple weeks recovery time and it looks like 2009 will be a healthy year!

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, I know they've made a big difference in my healing.

Merry Christmas!

December 2008

Wow, here we are in December. What a lot has happened this year! Our beautiful country has a new president elect, spring, summer, fall have all come and gone and winter is blanketing the garden in sparkling white. My grandchildren have grown taller and wiser and my whole little family is healthy, lovely and nearby.

Our house is decorated for Christmas and Jay and I had the privilege of lighting the Advent candle at our 8:00 a.m. service last Sunday. God is good and has smiled on us all year. I'm feeling healthy, strong and loved.

Next week, I'll have a small, laproscopic surgery, which will help ensure that cancer will not revisit my body soon. My cancer was estrogen fed, so my doctors all felt I should have my ovaries and tubes taken out. Thus, eliminating another source of estrogen. Who can argue with that logic? I'm all for modern science and have faith in my doctors to keep me healthy. I expect to be home the same day and up and running in a couple of days after that. Jay is done teaching until January, so this was a perfect time for him to baby me a little.

Then, it's Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Two Months Out - Healthy

Hi everyone. Life is going great, Jay and I have harvested his horseradish and he made horseradish for our friends and family. We even grew some brussels sprouts this year that turned out great! They were a little small, but had great taste. I'm admitting to the good taste even though I've never been a brussels sprouts enthusiast. The garden is now officially resting for the winter.

I wanted to share a poem with all of you that I read and really liked. It was written by Marsha Millard-Atchley of Lake Annette, Missouri.

"THE BALD BADGE OF COURAGE

Cancer, you tried to take my spirit,
you only tarnished my patience.

Cancer, you thought you could steal my soul,
you gave me stronger faith.

Cancer, you plucked at my dignity,
you didn't know I would remain proud.

Cancer, you snatched away my strength,
you couldn't bring me to my knees.

Cancer, you warped my body and my mind,
you didn't steal my hope.

Cancer, you led to chemo, which took all my hair,
But the bald badge of courage, I was glad to wear.

Cancer, I am a warrior, through and through,
you tried to take me, but I took you."


Even going into winter, life is so rosy, warm and inviting. I'm glad to be here to embrace everyday, good, bad, happy, sad, rainy, snowing, bring it on!

Enjoy the holidays with loved ones and friends.

The Future

It's been just over a month (Sept. 9) since my last radiation treatment and I can tell you that I haven't looked back. I have been living every day looking to the future.

I've golfed in Wisconsin with my husband and my deceased Dad's best friend, Ed; and in Indiana with my foursome from my golf league in celebration of the end of my treatments. What fun!

I've finished my golf league and had the fall banquet and golf. So, league golf is done and now it's golf for fun until the nice weather runs out.

Gardening is also taking up some of my time, too. There are dozens of bulbs to be planted and Maya and Jonah will coming over to help Grandma and Grandpa next weekend, YEAH!

Therefore, my life is full and goes on. My breast cancer was a temporary bump in the road of my life. I see that bump in the rearview mirror of memories and I'm also seeing my hair grow! There are always positives to keep us going.

Embrace every day with love!

Conquered Cancer

Hello to all my family and friends who have followed along with my journey to fight and conquer my breast cancer. Hallelujah, my final radiation treatment was today and as of right now, I am CANCER FREE and LOVING IT!

This won't be my last post, but it does feel like an ending of sorts, so I want to say thank you all for your prayers, words of encouragement, cards, calls, flowers and companionship since my cancer diagnosis on March 18, 2008. This has been quite the year and I cherish every one's prayers, concern, thoughts, and helpful hints. To my immediate and extended family, all of you in my circle of friends, and great medical care providers; you lifted my spirits, destroyed the cancer in me and kept me focused on healing, THANK YOU.

My humble 'thank you' is not enough to let you all know how much you have meant to me during my journey. Thank you for walking with me, knowing I was not alone and could call on any one of you for help was of great comfort to me.

My warmest thank you is to my husband. You have been my strength through this darkeness to the discovery of a bright tomorrow -- ours, you are the love of my life. All my love forever.

Update

Just so everyone knows, my final radiation will be on Tuesday, September 9, instead of the 8th. The big machine was down two Friday's ago, so a day was added on to the end. Oh, well, best laid plans seem to get reconfigured sometimes.

However, everything is going well and we're all anxious for all these appointments to be somewhat done. I hear that I'll be seeing everyone doctor, surgeon, oncologist, radiologist every three months for a long time, but, that's okay as long as the cancer is gone and stays gone.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Getting Close to the finish line

Hi everyone. I have only six more radiation treatments to go, one full force tomorrow and then five boosts (just to the area where the cancer was found) and I'll be done on September 8. I'm still doing well, a little sunburned, but the doctor thinks I'm doing great considering how fair skinned I am.

Our biggest excitement this week was Maya's first day at kindergarten. She's such a pumpkin and was so cute in the pictures her parents sent us. We'll see her and her brother this Saturday morning along with her parents, Jason and Robin, and their two new kittens, Dash and Bandit. Maya's brother, Jonah starts preschool next week on the 2nd of September. They are getting sooo big!

Jessica and her son, David, were over last Sunday to celebrate a belated birthday for Jay (Papa). Jason's family couldn't come over because of a virus that they were passing around, gotta save Grandma from getting sick so close to the end. Thank you, my Funk family!

This weekend, two of Jay's three sisters are visiting us. Sandi and family are visiting from Bettendorf, while Ray and Taylor run a race downtown Chicago on Sunday. Gail is driving down from Milwaukee area to visit all of us on Sunday, too. We're looking forward to a fun weekend.

Have a fun three day weekend everyone! I'll talk to you soon.

Lazy Days

I've now completed over half of my radiation factions. Fifteen more factions to go, or three weeks. I'm still hoping I'm finished on September 8. The radiation treatments are still going smoothly, so nothing really to report.

We're enjoying these last days of summer, Jay's golfing today with the guys and tomorrow with me and another couple. Next Saturday, we'll have Maya and Jonah over night, we can't wait! It's always so fun and exhausting for all of us. Their mommy and daddy (aka Robin and Jason, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary) will pick them up on Sunday and cousin David will come over with his mommy (aka Jessica and maybe John, who are celebrating their 9th anniversary) to celebrate Grandpa's birthday. All this celebrating in one week of August! We're looking forward to a wonderful weekend and a cookout to celebrate life.

Relax and enjoy life everyone!

What a Week

Another beautiful week has flown by and I've now had 13 of the 33 radiation treatments. For the most part, my radiation treatments run smoothly, except when the machine gets an 'attitude'. The attitude happened on Monday after a rather active storm on Sunday. Although the staff said the storm didn't have anything to do with it, both machines shut down at the same time. Mine shut down while I was getting my treatment. I wondered if it was something I was thinking that made it mad. The techs sent me home and luckily called me back later that day when the 'attitude' disappeared and the machine worked again. Some people had that treatment added on to the end of their treatments. I'm really pushing to have these all done by September 8.

Tuesday my golf game was called off due to thunderstorms, so we went to breakfast. On Thursday, Jay and I went and played nine holes because the day was so beautiful.

I'm also going to my workout club. I've added a Yoga class and a Total Body class besides my two water classes. It feels great getting back and having my body remember the muscles that have been dormant for awhile. Taking IB relieves some of those memories.

Friday, while Jay golfed, I did back to school clothes shopping for two the cutest three and five year old grandchildren I know. Of course, the cutest eighteen month old scored, too. Grandma is such a sucker for her grandchildren!

Today I did garden work and was the household drudge doing the laundry and ironing. I also worked in my nap with the cats. Jay was golfing again. We golf with another couple again tomorrow. Can you tell Jay is getting ready to go back to teaching soon?

Stay well and enjoy your weeks!

My Week

This week I started two new water classes at my workout club, which, by the way, is part of my hospital. On Monday, it was Yogua (water yoga) and Wednesday it was Ai Chi in the pool. My friend joined the classes with me and we really had a nice time in the therapy pool. I'm ready to join my favorite land classes, too. Maybe next week.

Today was a great Thursday. Jay and I started it with a 6:14 a.m. tee time. I was pretty lukewarm until I got to hole 9, 10 and 12, I parred all three! I had to do a little par dance on 10. Yeah. Jay birdied hole 12, so he did one stroke better than me, but we had to leave the course and get me to my radiation appointment after that hole.

My radiation appointments have gone like clockwork, still. I get there, change, have the radiation and I'm out. Today, we arrived a little early, my appointment was at 10:15 a.m., but we were driving out of the ramp at 10:17. I've done seven of the 33 sessions, only 26 left. Of course, we were hungry so, we went out for breakfast and then came home for a nap.

Such is my life with radiation. I still can't be called Sparky. The pain I've felt so far is similar to the muscle pain of doing push-ups when you aren't used to doing them. Otherwise, my skin is doing fine and my doctor said I'm handling the treatments really well. Oh, boy. I'll have to come up with a little dance for end of all my treatments!

Be well and stay cool.

Radiation

I have now been drawn into the world of radiation. My first three of thirty-three sessions are done and I'm not glowing in the dark, yet. Jay is joking about calling me "Sparky," but so far, there has been no need. My sessions last about five minutes, it takes longer to dress and undress (top only) and get set up on the table than it takes to have the radiation. So, five days a week, I drive over to the hospital, sign-in, go put my gown on, and get my radiation. Works like clockwork.

Scheduled completion date is September 8, barring any skin complications, i.e. blistering (apparently radiation can cause sunburn like effects that can blister). However, the staff will be monitering me daily and I'll see the radiologist weekly, so they take care of any burns immediately.

We're traveling up to Milwaukee this weekend and we'll be seeing the Brewers with Gail and Ted on Sunday. We're really looking forward to the trip, especially since I don't have any food (or drink) restrictions anymore! Yeah.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Weekend Fun

I'm dedicating this blog to my sister-in-law Gail (lives in Milwaukee), who spent a long weekend with me while my beloved husband took a much needed break in Arizona with his buddies golfing.

Gail arrived Thursday afternoon bearing gifts including supper her husband, Ted, had marinated for us. Unfortunately, Gail couldn't grill Ted's awesome chicken until the next evening because of rain, but Friday's dinner was delicious with his corn on the cob and chicken. We had to wait on the s'mores, but we had them as a meal on another evening.

Gail and I relaxed on the deck, had massages, went to the movies, rented chick movies and watched all three, went out to eat three times at great places I wanted to share with her, shopped, went to the Fine Art show at the Naper Settlement, and I even squeezed in naps in the afternoons!

Thank you, Gail, for taking time out of your busy life, both work and family, to come and spend some down time with me. I really appreciate that you gave up your days and nights at home to make sure I got my medicine, my rest, and my nourishment, both mental and physical. You are very special.

Last Chemo DONE!

My chemo treatment was uneventful today. Yeah! Blood counts were good and I am finished with that leg of our breast cancer journey. We are all thrilled it is over. The nurses even gave me a certificate to commemorate having completed all my treatments, signed by everyone of them. How sweet.

I'll move on to my radiation treatments starting the 23 of July for 33 treatments, so that puts me through the first week of September and my treatments will be over. I will be taking some kind of estrogen blocker drug for the next five years or so, but I'll deal with that just fine.

Everyone comments about my attitude and thankfully, it's a positive attitude that has carried me through along with a lot of prayers and wishes from all of you.

It is a beautiful day here, nothing but sunshine, flowers, birds, and contentment. I hope all of you are having a good day, too.

Be well.