Teal Tea Event - Feb 8th

Click on the image above and then print out the flyer. Bring it to Alstarz and support The Teal Tea Foundation and their efforts to raise awareness of Ovarian cancer and fund research to find a cure.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

Has it Really Been A Week?

I just noticed that I haven't posted to this blog in an entire week.

Let me think about what was happening .......

There was a haircut,

and a port flush

and another winter storm which lasted almost 2 days. I think that was #6 so far this year.

I spent time designing a Save-the-Date for the 2nd Annual One Force to Make a Difference Ovarian Cancer Symposium. BTW- It's June 18th in Princeton. I'll make sure to make the Save-the-Date my next post!( There are some other research and avastin news I promise to share too.)

On Thursday evening , I hosted Girls Night Out ( GNO). I couldn't wait to have everyone over to share a meal and see my new house. It was touch and go with the ice but almost everyone made it. I made antipasto and chicken cacciatore. The "Girls" brought dessert. The table was decorated for Valentine's Day and with Nick's helping prepping, serving and cleaning up everything went very well.

We "Girls" all had children in St Francis School's class of 1996. We get together for dinner on the first Thursday of the month. I began attending GNO with Terry, Kathy, Kathy, Linda, Joanne,Nancy and Joan almost 10 years ago. We've been through a lot these past 10 years- weddings, house renovations, moves, divorce, loss of loved ones, and serious illness. These ladies were there for me five years ago during chemo treatment and they bounced back into action during my recurrence. There were phone calls and cards aplenty. They even picked me up and drove me to GNO when I was too tired to drive myself. They made sure they picked restaurants where I could eat. Chemo time for me meant no sushi for us. What a great group of women.

My life has been blessed by their friendship.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in NJ - KOH Event

Last year the NJ State legislature passed a law( S2363) designating February Ovarian Cacner Awareness month in NJ. So we in NJ have two special months to raise awareness of the disease that affects more than 700 women a year in NJ.

The Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation will be holding an awareness event and fundraising event on February 18th. Here is the info I received from KOH.

FUNDRAISER - "PARTY for a PURPOSE" NJ-OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

FRIDAY - February 18th, 2011
Open House from 6PM-9PM @ The Wine Chateau
1380 Centennial Ave Piscataway NJ 08854

Please join us in raising awareness and funding Ovarian Cancer research.

100% of the evening's Silpada Jewelry Showcase proceeds will be donated to the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation in honor of NJ-Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
http://www.kohnj.org

Exquisite, handcrafted, genuine .925 Sterling Silver Silpada Designs Jewelry provided by Independent Representative, Debra Martin. www.mysilpada.com/debra.martin

Complimentary Wine Tasting hosted by Brian Freedman, resident blogger and Director of Wine Education at The Wine School of Philadelphia. www.uncorklife.com

Please help us spread the word, bring a friend or a few ... stop-in anytime between 6PM & 9PM and Party for a Purpose!

Suggested Minimum Donation = $15

NOTE:
Personal Check, Visa, Mastercard, Amex & Discover cards accepted for jewelry purchases. NO CASH SALES ALLOWED @ THIS VENUE.

Thank You !
The Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

Are you a Caregiver in NJ Looking for a Support Group?

The Teal Wings of Hope Foundation is starting a cancer caregiver support group in Hamilton , NJ in March of this year. The group will meet the second Wednesday of the month and will be professionally facilitated. Please contact Karen Neuls at (609) 213-9508 or karenneuls@tealwingsofhopefoundation.org for more information.

Thanks Karen and Teal Wings of Hope Foundation for seeing a need in our part of NJ to support caregivers and to find a way to provide that support.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

My Words

As most of you know, I have been writing this blog since December 2007. I began writing to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer by sharing my story and providing links to news, research and ovarian cancer events in New Jersey.

I can't tell you how excited I was in late December when I was notified by Becky Walker from the Navigating Cancer website that they had chosen to add my blog to their Ovarian Cancer resource page. Thanks, Becky! The great thing is that this new site is a fantastic resource for all cancer survivors. You will find many helpful forms and pages for your medical history, to track your treatments and side-effects, and to keep track of doctor visits, etc. In addition there are online Navigating Cancer communities for different cancers so that patients can share their experiences and news/ advice. If you join the ovarian cancer group be sure to send me a message and say Hello! ( I'll be placing Navigating Cancer on my resource page so you can check back at any time for the link.)

Earlier this week my friend and blog author, Allison asked if she could post my entry John Paul II and I as a guest blog on Why I Am Catholic. Of course I said "Yes" to her request to be part of such a faith-filled blog and to make people in a different community aware of what it is like to be an ovarian cancer survivor. Thanks Allison for your friendship and the opportunity to share my story.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! We are having yet another snowstorm here in NJ but I am blessed to see the beauty of the snow on the trees!

The World of Cancer Bloggers

Updated 2:00pm

Over the past five years I have become friends with a number of other ovarian cancer bloggers. There are blogs written by survivors in England, Canada and throughout the United States. When I log in to update my blog I make sure to check out all the blogs I follow. ( See the column on the right.) We don't have a large numbers bloggers but we have managed to find each other.

Today I was saddened to learn that Daria Maluta , writer of Living With Cancer had passed. My sympathies to her family and friends. You are in my thoughts and prayers .

Thank you Daria for letting us join you on your journey . We will miss you.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

John Paul II and I

©"L'Osservatore Romano" photos from the book John Paul II: A Light for the World.

I have written this blog about my experience as an ovarian cancer survivor for over three years now. I've shared stories about my CT and PET scans, the anxiety of waiting for CA-125 results, the options I had when I recurred, the sadness I felt when friends lost their battle and the decisions I made when I recurred and . But I also wrote about the good times,the support of my husband, the great medical care I received, the relief I felt when I was in remission, the happiness when my daughter married, how proud I was of my son when he graduated college and then graduate school and how thrilled I was when we traveled places I only dreamed about seeing. People often ask me how I have survived these past 5 years. And was it my positive attitude and I tell them it has been " Family, Faith and Good Medicine".

Well I haven't really shared much about the Faith aspect of this journey so I thought in light of the future beatification of Pope John Paul II ( or as I fondly call him JP squared) that I would write a bit about my faith on this cancer journey.

I was born and raised a Roman Catholic. But if you go back to March of 1995, I was not very happy with my God. My sister Roberta passed away after a 5 year battle with breast cancer. My prayer was not answered.

Then in October of 1995 my daughter and I were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the mass offered by Pope John Paul II at the Meadowlands. It was a cool, very rainy day. But I remember clearly being moved to tears as he entered the stadium and again as he offered mass. (The photo above is actually of the Pope responding to my side of the stadium. I'd share one of my photos but we were in the very top tier , 9 rows from the top and the Pope was very small.) At the end of the Mass, I held up rosary beads which he blessed. Today , you can find those rosary beads in my pocketbook.

Fast forward to 2005, the Pope had passed away in April. He was more than my pontiff he was a world leader I looked up to and admired. I received my ovarian cancer diagnosis in July. I didn't forget those rosary beads blessed by Pope John Paul II. I used them to pray to Jesus when I was upset , I prayed during my chemo infusions and I prayed when it was 3 am and the steroids kept me awake. I thought about the dignified and holy way that Pope John Paul II faced his disease and death. That was the way I wanted to face my diagnosis.

My Aunt Dora prays to the Blessed Mother . But I pray to Mary and to Pope John Paul II. I read these words spoken by the Pope every day:

" Today, I tell you:

continue unflaggingly on the journey on

which you have set out in order

to be witnesses everywhere

of the glorious Cross of Christ .

Do Not Be Afraid!

May the joy of the Lord,

crucified and Risen,

be your strength, and may

Mary Most Holy

always be beside you"

The Pope's words gave me the strength to continue with treatments when I really wanted to stop, the strength to face the surgery for my recurrence and the strength to get through each day whatever that day may bring. Those words still give me strength. Maybe even the strength to write this post and share my Faith with others.

Dee

Every day is a Blessing! Thank you JP squared for helping me to face this disease.