A year of Blogging

Yesterday marked one year of writing this blog. I am amazed at all that happened in 2008.
At Terry's suggestion, here are some highlights.

Jan- I became a board member of the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation
Feb - Visited Woodloch Pines with the Lapchaks
March - Terry's shower and a visit to Columbia, South Carolina.
April - Trip to DisneyWorld for the Epcot Flower Show.
May- This was a big month. On the 10th of May , Mathew graduated with honors from Virginia Tech and was accepted there for grad school and Theresa received her graduate degree in Applied Math from the University of South Carolina. On May 24th Theresa married Andrew in a wonderful ceremony.
June - Traveled across country to move Theresa to El Paso Texas. Missed the award ceremony for the Spirit of Courage Award (a beautiful glass lighthouse) I received from the Wellness Community of Central NJ.
July - Cruised to Bermuda with the Pics and Slics. Attended the LiveStrong Summit in Columbus Ohio and got to meet so many more fabulous survivors.
August - Was a member of Team One Reason and raised almost $1000 for the LiveStrong Challenge in Philly,
Sept - Appeared on Godd Day Street Talk (Fox News) to raise awareness of Ovarian Cancer. Turned Edison, Woodbridge and CINJ teal for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Took a trip to Lawton Oklahoma to visit Andy and Terry.
Oct- Spent a few days in Asheville NC and visited the palatial Biltmore Estate.
Nov- Ok, this month s**ks in my book. I was diagnosed with a recurrence of Ovarian Cancer and had surgery to remove my spleen and resection my liver.
Dec - Kona, my 13 year old pug, passed on the 8th.( I still miss him.) Enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with all my children and friends.

Overall a pretty fantastic year with the support and love of my family and friends.

I hope 2009 brings happiness and good health to all I know.

Livestrong
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing

A good pre-chemo Doctor Visit and RU Bowl Game

Today I met with Dr Rodriguez my gynecological-oncologist and her nurse practicioner Mary Jane. I got the good news that my CT scan from last week showed no signs of disease. Hurrah! The physical exam results were also good so all we needed to go over was my chemo schedule. I'll have carbo and taxol again with the standard pre-meds. I will have chemo every 21 days and after 3 cycles I will have another CT. Since I don't have any visible disease right now we will follow the drop in CA-125 to know I am getting a response. CA-125 is normally elevated after abdominal surgery so we should see a pretty nice drop after my first treatment. I will have to deal with the hair loss, fatigue, drop in blood counts and neuropathy that comes with the chemo mix I am taking.

I will spend the afternoon watching the PapaJohn's.com Bowl game. I am a Rutgers alum so I will be cheering on the Scarlet Knights. Wish I could have been in Alabama for the Bowl.

Upstream Red Team!

LiveStrong
Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

A Wonderful Christmas Day

As I sat in the pew at Christmas Mass yesterday, I looked at my husband, my daughter, my son and my new son-in-law and I thought back to December 2005. It was five short months after my surgery and I was in the midst of chemo. Back in 2005, I was pale, tired and a bit achy. Yesterday, 6 weeks after my surgery for a recurrence, I was pale, tired, and a bit achy. But in between these Christmas' I have enjoyed life. On Dec 25, 2008, I was here to celebrate the birth of Christ yet again.

I have been given the greatest gift of all - Life!
What a joy to share this holiday with my family!

LIVESTRONG
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing

CT scan Number 10

Today I had the 10th CT scan of my life. ( May it really is the 30th since I have a chest , abdomen and then pelvic scan done every time I go for a scan.) This scan will provide the next baseline for my treatment which starts in January. I wasn't able to get an appointment at CINJ to access my port but Jean a nurse in radiology had time to accessed my port so I didn't have to have an IV for contrast. I had the scans and immediately knew something was different. When Theresa came in to start my contrast I asked her what happened to the "british" accent for the voice that tells you when to hold your breath. (I 've written about this voice in the past.) . Well it turns out the voice had an Australian accent not british and was the voice of the technician who installed the 128 slice machine.It seems that lots of people were confused when the voice said"Carry on breathing". So they switched it to a very "American" voice( that of the technician who services the machine now) that tells you to "take a deep breath" and then "continue breathing" . When the scan was complete, Margaret who was the nurse who helped with my PET scan, came in to flush the lines and remove my access needle. The scan took a little longer but the care was wonderful. I gave both Theresa and Margaret a hug and told them "Merry Christmas" and that I would see them in 3 months.

Then Nick and I went to the RWJH cafeteria for a bite to eat. At the entrance to the cafeteria was the decoration shown above. The Hospital ran a contest where departments decorated their door. The tree is made up of plastic forks, knives and spoons. Pretty neat! The winning door had a large Grinch which spoke as you walked by , a Christmas tree and stockings with the photos of all the people in the department. What a festive door!

LiveStrong

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Livestrong Day 2009

I read the Livestrong Blog almost daily and was happy to read that next year LiveStrong Day will be on October 2nd. (You can read the blog entry here.) I am pretty happy that it will be in October. Why? Not just because it is the anniversary of Lance's diagnosis but because by then I should be strong enough to organize a pretty good event with the Livestrong Army Central NJ. A May date would have been cutting it close to the end of my chemo treatment. Now I just have to put my thinking hat on to organize a good event.

Livestrong
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing

The Big 'C' - Poem by Kathy Cawthon

"The Big 'C'" by Kathy Cawthon, Survivor "The big 'C'" I heard someone call it. Another just whispered the word. That we don't even dare to say "cancer" out loud Gives it power it doesn't deserve. So I'm giving that letter new meaning And refusing to give in to fear. I'm reclaiming the power for you and for me By saying these words loud and clear: Let the "c" be for "cure" and "compassion." Let it stand for the "candles" we light. And a "chorus" of voices shouting "You 'can'!" To all who will take up this fight. Let the "c" be for "cash contribution." "Credit" or "check" will work, too! Let it stand for "commitment" and "check- ups" and "cheer" And the "children" "counting" on you. Let it mean that we know our "Creator" Is beside us each step of the way, And remind us to "call" on His strength and His love And to "celebrate" every new day. To everyone facing this "challenge," I say it's a fight we will win. Tell all who will listen that, starting today, The "c" is for "COURAGE," my friend.

---

Roger and Kathy Cawthon

The Cancer Crusade

Back in 2005 when I was first diagnosed, someone sent me a link to the Survivor Movie. From there I signed up for e-mails from Roger and Kathy Cawthon, both survivors who founded The Cancer Crusade.Their most recent e-mail included the Big 'C' poem. I know I have older relatives who still call cancer the big C.

LIVESTRONG
Dee
Every Day is a Blessing
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The past week and what lies ahead

I have been spending the last week or so getting stronger and working on my Christmas crafts. I am walking more( when it isn't snowing) and have made occasional short trips out to church and to eat and one run to Kohls and Michaels ( for more craft stuff). Since I couldn't get out much, I did lots of online shopping. So the UPS lady stops here almost daily to drop off packages.

Next Monday I will have my pre-chemo CT scan. Yup, we need to get a baseline before we start even though after my surgery there was NO visible disease. I see my gyn -onc at CINJ on the 29th for an exam and on Tuesday Jan 6th, 2009 I will start chemo. I am going with the Carbo / taxol duo. Since I am over 2 years out of treatment I will give those another try. I look forward to a similar response and remission time as I had when I was first diagnosed. My friend asked yesterday if I was sad about starting chemo again. Honestly it is not something that I am looking forward too but I am willing to suffer the lost hair , pain in my legs and neuropathy to insure that all the disease is gone. I 've got way too much traveling to do in 2009- Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Alaska.

I can't wait for my children to get home this weekend! I loved yesterday's snow.

LIVESTRONG

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!