Blessings are For Real!

Today is the end of November. Wow these months are going by so fast and we will soon be at the end of the year and rolling into a new year. I have been so blessed by the people in my life my circle or whatever you wanna call it. November has been a real exciting month. To start off with my son Frederick plays for the Westfield Mustangs. By now high school football season would normally be over. But, they are still playing and playing and playing. Yes, they are in the playoffs. I'm so excited for them. I have really learned a lot about football in the past few weeks and I anxiously await until the next game which is this Saturday. It's exciting watching him and his teammates on the field make things happen. I hope they go all the way so we can be sitting in the Texas stadium in Dallas watching them. He even have a little traveling crew following the team around. We tailgate, cheer and have a whole lot of fun and eat good food.

Also this month, a few people in my life who is dear to me has made me smile and has blessed me in many ways. You know how they say you should surround yourself with positive people? Well I really try to do that and you know...when you meet someone who's real, there this little person inside you that helps you see the genuine in them and you connect with them right off and you just can't resist getting to know them a little better. Well one of these people came by my home last night and brought me an invite to a gathering she's having and the invite just made me smile and I'm still smiling. My neighbor also came by with a card and encouraging words for me and my family. My neighbor & friend around the corner is there for me when I need her to grab the kids when I'm running late on treatment days. My family is always there for whatever and whenever. And my prayer warriors oh so thank you so much for praying for me and my health. I'm so grateful for the many many blessings I have in my life and you all are my blessings. Love you much!

Excuse Me!

Please excuse me if I'm not using correct wording or proper grammar in my writing. My brain is a little cloudy these days. If that makes sense. Maybe it's the meds. I'm just blameing everything on these meds huh? Oh well.

Veins! Where are you?

Yesterday was treatment day. For those of you that don't know, I am on Zometa, Zoladex Injection and Herceptin and a daily dose of Femara. Well...yesterday I had an eleven o'clock appointment. First bloodwork and then off to the treatment center. Well the blood work went pretty quick and then I went to the treatment center. I was really glad to get to the center at this time, because it was during lunch hours. Not sure if I told you all or not, but they feed us pretty good during treatments. They come take our order and deliver it to us in jiffy. Well, I was starving because all I had for breakfast was a cookie. I had a headache and when the lady took my vitals she said my blood pressure was high. I think it was because I was hungry. So at about 12:45 I was finally called back. I can usually tell by looking at the nurse if they know what they are doing or not. When you get the ones that ask you what meds you are getting today and how often...that's just too many questions for someone who has all those answers in the palm of their hand. So I knew I was in for a long haul. I already knew she wasn't going to get me on one stick for my IV and I was right. She stuck me soooo hard with the smallest needle there is in my hand. It really hurt and for those of you who know me...I have a very high pain tollerance, but that really hurt and I let her know. She then move to the other arm and no luck there. Well I wait about 30 minutes until she had to get someone from the IV team in. Oh let me back up...they usually numb my abdomen for the injection right when I get there and I had to remind her about that. Another sign that it was going to be a long afternoon. Then I had to remind her that I was waiting on lunch which they finally brought but I couldn't eat until they got the IV flowing. Well the lady came in from the IV team and she stuck me once and no go. My veins were truly hiding and not cooperating. Then she finally found one on my forearm. It was a little uncomfortable, but I was so glad they got my meds flowing. By this time it was about two o'clock and all I could think of was that I should have been gone at least an hour ago. So what should have been and hour and fortyfive minute visit turned into about five hours. I had to call my good ole buddy Denise to get the twins from school because we wouldn't be back in time. Thank goodness she was available. After they got me hooked up I finally ate. That turkey sandwhich was soooo good.
Then while I was getting my first treatment she comes in and tell me I have to get Herceptin today also. And of course I questioned it because it wasn't on my schedule I look at everyday. So I asked her to call the doctor to confirm and she did and she was right so that took up some extra time. But, my blood pressure kept climbing for some reason. Well they did tell me the Herceptin makes it rise a bit. But once I got food, and an IV, I calmed down and I think that helped it go down, but I did have to take something for my headach when I got home. Oh and one more thing. I'm outside waiting on my husband to pick me up for twenty minutes. He riding around waiting on me to call after I already text him and told him I was OMW (for those of you don't know text lingo this means on my way). Well he didn't understand that I was on my way down at that moment. Honestly I don't know what he thought. I just had to wait for him to pick me up longer than I should have. Anyway I am blessed that all went fine and I finished and came home chilled on the couch and went to sleep and slept and went to the restroom about a hundred times that evening. Oh and one more thing. I called mom to tell her all this and she told me the real reason they couldn't find my veins. Her answer was because I have a little more meat surrounding my veins these days. Well mom...Thanks I got it. I'm bout to work on that. She made me laugh!

Feeling Fallish Outside

I am so loving this fall like weather. These morning temperatures are amazing. Thank God! Now I am ready to plan a camping trip.

Follow up Visit Today

Today was my three month check up and it was a good day with great news. Dr. I came in with good news that my tumor marker is still on the downward trend and that's a good thing! On my last visit it was in the 90's and today it was in the 70's. The smiles on our faces were huge when we received that news. Frederick and Shamarion were there to share the good news with me. So let me keep doing what I'm doing. Thanks for all the prayers! Until next time...

Today...I'm Bombed Out!

Today I got up at 5:00a.m. to take my son to football practice. I was so sleepy so I came right back and got in bed and slept two more hours. I got up baked my daily cookie order, then I got dressed to go to the Y for the water aerobics class at 8:30a.m. Well, I get there and no one is there. No instructor! I only saw one little elderly man sitting and waiting. I have grown to love this exercise and it's inspiring me to learn to swim and not be afraid of water. It's so discouraging when you are so excited about going and once you get there class is cancelled. Well, I knew there would be a evening class at 7:30, so at 7:15 I got dressed and went to the Y for the class. My son went with me so he could play ball in the gym while I exercise. Well, guess what...I'm there alone for the first 8 to 10 minutes and in walked the instructor. Well it was just the two of us and we didn't have class. I was so disappointed. Guess what! I even called before I went. Maybe I'll just go the Yoga class or Zumba. But I really like water aerobics...maybe I will find a new location that offers it on a regular basis.

Awesomeness

This is a photo I took while taking a ride on the paddle boat in Galveston at Moody Gardens. As I was riding, the beauty of the sun setting over the waters caught my eye and I just wanted to share it with yall. I love this photo. It reminds of how great Thou art.

It's Summertime!

Summer is most definitely here! The kids are out of school and it is so hot! We got some rain last week and would love to have more. Our AC is for sure burining a lot of energy. The month of June has come and gone. I celebrated my 46th birthday. I did so by ordering in Jamaican food from my favorite restaurant "Little Jamaica." The curry chicken was excellent! My children sang to me and Janee' made me a birthday cake. It was just nice being at home with my family. It was another blessed day! Birthday's has always meant a lot to me. I love to celebrate birthdays. Every since I can remember, every year on my birthday, when I wake up, the first thing I do is thank God for allowing me to live to see another year. Since I was diagnosed with BC, each day means a lot to me. I see things quite different than I did before. My whole life has a new meaning and I have a whole new outlook on life knowing for sure who's in control. Having said that, I've had a couple of treatments this month and I had my 3 month follow visit with the doctor and I was so happy to get the news that my tumor marker is still on the downward trend. So I know prayers are working for me. He did say that my thyroid was a little off whatever that means. So I will have to see an endocrinologist soon. Hopefully it's something that's easily fixed. But, before I see the E dr. I will for sure work on the problem and hopefully the problem will be corrected when I go for an exam. Guess I better look in my juice book to see what I need to be juicing for thyroid problems.

A Year Has Come and Gone

It's been a while since I've been here. I'm always thinking of things to write, but never stop to do it. It's around 12:29 a.m. and everyone is in bed and I'm up listening the clock tick. It's so quiet and peaceful right now.

Well, it seems like yesterday when I received the phone call about my diagnosis, but it was actually a little over a year ago. It was last March to be exact. Thanks for your prayers and support during this first year.

The last time I updated you on the spasms I was having. Well, the spasms are not happening anymore. They just sort of disappeared after I had the visit with the neurologist. Who know's, maybe all that shocking she did triggered my nerves to function right. You know there is something to reflexology and accupuncture. But, really, I may have had one spasm since I last updated. I am so happy, because they were working my nerves. My last update with the doctor in March was good. My tumor marker was down from 197 to 143. But he did mention they changed tumor marker machines in between my visits. I'm going with the results for sure though. I figure these meds I'm on has to be working. These hot flashes are nothing nice. I've also noticed some weight gain everytime I go for my treatments. With these new meds everything I read say there may be weight gain. I guess it's okay to blame it on that. No... for real though, I really need to get moving again. One of the meds (femara...oops I almost forgot to take it tonight) I'm on, makes me pretty stiff in the hips if I sit too long. I move like I'm up in age when I get up from sitting. I read where exercising helps that. Oh and that's one of the meds that puts the weight on too. :o).
Other than that, I'm feeling good, still baking and trying to stay focused on the positive things in life. The children are keeping me busy. I can't believe Janee' is almost finished with her first year in college. She has done well. I am so proud of her. I forgot to tell some of you that Asa was chosen, most intelligent by her teachers and peers at her school. So proud of her too! It's hard to believe she is moving on to high school next year. Alafia & Assata never seems to amaze me with their actions. They are too much. I'm so glad they have each other :o). They are busy trying to find their way. Assata is into art and Alafia is into sports. He and Asa are on the neighborhood swim team so our busy summer is about to begin. Fred is finishing up baseball and heading right into football training. Yes, he will be a Senior next year. Yes, soon we will have two in college....OMGeeee! Thank goodness for their dad...he helps keep them all in check. I'm saying goodnite. My eyelids are getting a bit heavy. So until next time...