Hello 2023!

As I begin 2023, I have hope for the future- for my health, my family and my advocacy. 

As many of you know, I begin each year with a few aspirations.

I have a bucket list that includes visiting all 50 states. I have 16 to go but the one that has been on my aspiration list since 2015 is Maine. It is the  only state I have not visited east of the Mississippi. I would like to visit the Wyeth museum, Acadia national park and of course some light houses. 

I aspire to continue to exercise - Jazzercise, yoga and this year bike riding. My friend gave me one of her extra bikes last fall. I've only ridden three times since then but look forward to getting out and riding around my town when the weather is nice this year. 

I aspire to do more art work. I'll continue working in watercolors and I'll add Barn Quilts. I've been following a group of Barn Quilters on Facebook and just love what they are creating.  I made small wood quilt ornaments for my friends for Christmas this year

 

 and would like to try larger 1' x1' or maybe even larger 3' x3' paintings.

When it comes to my advocacy work I already am registered for the SGO meeting this spring. Let me know if you are attending. Big news is that an abstract Annie Ellis, ovarian cancer survivor and advocate, and I submitted has been accepted for presentation. This is really exciting! I also was nominated and submitted my application for a task force position and will let you know if I am chosen. 

There may be some advocacy activities that I will cut back on as I spend more time with my grandsons and kids but you will continue to find me chatting along with Christina Lizaso as we take the #gyncsm ( Gyn Cancer Social Media) community on Twitter to every other month chats at 8pm ET. See you on January 11 when we chat about "Survivorship".  Or check out what we had done in the past on our blog- http://gyncsm.blogspot.com/

Wishing you all good health , love and friendship in the year ahead.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

 

 

 

  

Day 9 #HAMWC. What's your ideal day?

This one is easy.

Who would be part of my ideal day?
My husband, daughter , son-in-law, son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.

Where would we be? 
Two choices for this one.
Close to home in Belmar spending time on the beach at the Jersey shore.
or
Farther from home we would all be together at DisneyWorld probably walking around Epcot or going on the safari ride at Animal Kingdom.

I will cancel meetings and rearrange things to spend time or visit family and friends. I once didn't attend an awards event - I was receiving the Spirit of Hope Award -  because I was moving my daughter and her husband to their new home.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

I'm Grateful For ...

Yesterday, I read a post in the ASCO Connection blog written by friend and #gyncsm chat Health Care Moderator,  Dr. Don Dizon. Dr. Dizon is a gynecologic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. His blog post is titled Being Grateful. In the post, he states "if anything were to happen to me tomorrow, would there be a record of what I was grateful for" and then he went on to list all those things he was grateful for in 2014. At the end of the post Dr Dizon writes, "I encourage each of us to take a moment and reflect on the year each of us had, and to think of what it is we are grateful for. "

After reading that last paragraph I knew exactly what my next blog post would be about as we end the year. Here is what I am grateful for.

I am grateful for my husband of 36 years, who this year as in the past nine, has continued to provide love and support my efforts as a cancer advocate.

I am grateful for my children, their spouses and spouses-to-be and my grandchildren. They have brought me much joy this year even though they live thousands of miles away. Congratulations A on completing your Masters Degree and M for passing your comprehensive exams on your way to your PhD, and A on your new job. JT and TJ I love google chatting with you but love it better when we can visit.

I am grateful for family members who have gathered with me for lunch, listened to me, offered advice and gone shopping we me.

I am grateful for my friends both those I have had for 30+ years and the new friends I made at MedX in September this year.

I am grateful for Christina, my co-moderator and  co-founder  and the wonderful Health Care Moderators of the #gyncsm community. With their chat and medical expertise we have been able to share helpful information with women diagnosed with gynecologic cancers, their caregivers and healthcare providers to others.

I am grateful for my gynecologic oncologists who continue to treat patients with care and compassion while conducting research to find better ways to treat women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

I am grateful for my agility instructors.With their expert instructions, help and advice, I have had a wonderful first year at agility competitions.

I am grateful for my dog Amber. She has been a fun companion as we completed the requirements for novice and open Jumps With Weaves titles.

Yes, Dr Dizon this was a very easy list to compile.

I challenge my blogger  friends to post their very own I'm grateful list.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

The Love of Grandchildren

My grandchildren live on the west coast so in person visits don't happen very often.  Image how surprised I was when the less than typical Valentine's Day card arrived in the mail. I teared up quickly as I slowly unfolded this life-sized card.

I never thought I would be around to experience the joys of being a grandmother. It sure is a sweet experience.

Peace and Love to all my Teal Sisters.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Lessons My Grandson Taught Me

Sorry for not updating my blog for the past week or so. I am fine. I was busy spending time with family. I traveled to visit my daughter , her husband and my nine month old grandson,  in Kansas. We were there to attend my son-in-laws  Change of Command Ceremony. He is a captain in the US Army, and took command of Delta Battery  part of the 1st Battalion 5th Field Artillery. The 1-5 is the oldest continuously serving active duty unit in the US military. The 1-5 served under the command of Alexander Hamilton during the revolutionary war. It was a beautiful day for the outdoor ceremony and the reception that followed included the most awesome cakes.

On the way there and back we stopped to visit my niece , her husband and son. It was great spending time with them. Their Son D gave me the name GeeGee. He was trying to say Aunt Dee.

At my daughters I got to watch my grandson John ,who is now 9 months old, play, eat, cry and crawl around. He says a few dadas and mamas but as I watched him I saw that he could teach me some pretty important things- without using words.

Nothing is better than being in the arms of your family. ( Mom, Dad, and Grandmas, Grandpas and Uncles, Aunts)

When you are done eating just push that food away.( He would always push the bottle out of his mouth when he was done drinking even if there was more left. Oh, how I wish I could put that one into practice more often.)

Sleep when you need too. Even if it means taking a nap in the middle of the day when lots of people are around.

Your dog is your best friend.  ( John has two best friends , Silvio and Walter, by his side.) .

When people take out a camera- smile! 

Keep trying even if it means you keep falling down, eventually things will work out.

 

( John kept trying to pull himself up to a standing position while we were there. He did accomplish it two days after we left.)

John's lessons made me smile. I hope they do the same for you.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Joy

For the past few weeks I've been concentrating on reporting on cancer research news and shying away from more personal news. This past weekend I took a break from my advocacy work to join family in Kentucky for the baptism of my niece's son D.

The baptism took place during the Saturday afternoon mass at St Mark's Church in Richmond. The priest spoke about the joy of the Trinity and all I could think about was the joy of family. The Church family and my family. D became a member of the Church and his family was celebrating this occasion. Family drove and flew in from NJ, my daughter flew in from Kansas, friends came from the neighborhood and from as far away as Michigan.

But in a way, past members of the family were there too. Draped over his christening outfit was the family christening gown. D was a bit to big to actually wear the gown. The gown was made by my grandmother Carmella in the late 1890's for my Aunt Marion's baptism. If I understand correctly my cousin Marion and her children as well as her siblings wore it. My niece and my daughter Theresa also wore the gown. And here was D in 2011 wearing the same gown. What Joy!

Everyone smiled as the priest poured the Holy Water and then the Chrism on D's head. I knew at that time that Aunt Dora, my mother and father and Roberta where looking down on all of us an smiling too.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! I am blessed to have been able to share the Joy of D's baptism.