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!