The Week of June 10th 2014

This has been a blessed week for me. on Tuesday God blessed me to see my 49th birthday. I started the day thanking Him for another day and another year and for all my blessings. The day was good. I did just what I wanted to do...as little as possible. I spent time on the sofa with a good book I checked out from the library early that morning and later that evening my family and I went out to dinner. I felt like a celebrity because Ramsey kept taking pictures of all of us with his Iphone. He probably has a hundred photos of us on that phone. He takes the good and the bad pics...he just like snapping. He makes us all laugh. It's a joy having him visit us during the summer. Before we even go into the restaurant he takes about five family photo shots of us. And when I check his phone later he has one of the pics of Fred and I as his screensaver. I smiled at that. Okay, so before we go out to eat, Fred, Janee' and I have this discussion about the birthday songs that are sung at the restaurants. Well my darling husband hates all that attention and don't like all that singing and loud noise. So as we finish up dinner and pay for our food and as I am about to get up, here comes the crew with a dessert and a candle. They were clapping and singing loud right over his head. I laughed at him remembering what he had said. He is smiling really big. I had no idea they were gonna do that. Come to find out Asa got up to go the restroom and on her way she told our waiter about my birthday. Then found out Janee' had told him too while she was placing her order. I just missed all that. It really was a surprise to me. And the song they sang wasn't the typical birthday song...it was extra cute. I really enjoyed that evening with them.

So today is Friday and the day started out hectic. First of all I got up too late. I woke up at 8:15 thinking it was 6:00. Did my usual morning cookie baking and burned two batches and had to make some more. All in the midst of baking I am also multitasking by washing clothes, straightening this and that, trying to decide how and when my son is gonna get the other car today, making phone calls, gathering all my ingredients for ice cream sundaes I plan to have at my brother's retirement after party in Jasper, Asa was waiting on me to stop what I was doing so I could do her hair etc.,. etc.,. I then look at my cell phone and my sister text me and ask If I was still going with her at noon. I didn't answer right away because in the back of my mind I'm thinking there is no way I can go with her. Now she told me a week or so ago that she had signed us up to go this event. With my chemo brain I forget things pretty often. This I had forgot about and told her to remind me a few days before. So I got my cookies finished and packed up. By this time it was about 10:30 and I had decided to go. She said she will be at my house by 11:30. I said okay. So I leave the house at 11:00 to go deliver cookies. When I go in to deliver the cookies the people at the front desk wants to chat and I am steady checking the time. I finally leave and then I look at the gas needle and realize I need to put gas in the car for Fred so he won't have to worry about it when he gets the car. So I stop and put gas in the car. By this time it's 11:15. I needed to stop by the bank and make a deposit, but I knew I did not have the time, so I came home. I had on a wrinkled up Tshirt and some tight jeans. Yes I said tight because I have been eating a little too much lately. Oh I forgot to plug in I went for a walk in our new walking park yesterday. I'm going to try to keep that up and maybe my jeans will get loose again. I knew I couldn't wear what I had on because she told me she was wearing a skirt, so I figured I better throw on something a little better than what I had on too. So anyway I ran in the house and as soon as I get to my bedroom I get a text from her that she is outside. I text her back and said "ok" knowing that I was no where near ready. I got ready so fast, because the event started at 12 and I didn't want to make us late. Okay so she had to wait on me for about five minutes, but we made it just in time. We arrived at the place and went right in straight to the food line. On the way there I told her that I hope they had food because I didn't find time to eat that morning. So they did and the food was soooo good. The menu was this delicious pasta dish, lasagna, salad and bread.
The event was for National Cancer Survivors Day to celebrate life and honor cancer survivors of cancer. The event was great! I was so glad I decided to take the time out to go. It was refreshing, inspiring and encouraging. The speaker was a Stage four cancer survivor like myself. He is an eleven year survivor of kidney cancer and he really looks good for a 63 year old man. He is actually a trainer so he must have plenty of energy. After we ate and after the speaker finished we all went outside for a letting hope soar-balloon release. Thank you Shamarion for making sure I got there and for signing us up for this event along with encouraging me to come. That moment was right on time and the right time of day especially after my hectic morning. It just relaxed me to go into my hectic afternoon. Because when I got home my husband had gotten this raggedy trailer from the country to pull my son's car on. All the while I thought he was getting a nice one from Uhaul. But nope...guess he was waiting on me to do it and so I did. That took about an hour, Asa had to leave at 4:00, by the time I got home it was 3:30 just in time to do her hair and send her off. A mommy's job is never done, but I'm so happy to be one. This weekend I am closing my birthday week at home with family celebrating my brother's retirement. Can't wait to get there! Below is a picture of the cancer survivors and caregivers waiting to release our balloons. This was really a touching moment.

Update Time...Spring 2014

Today is May 6, 2014. The last time I updated my journey was on August 2013. Wow! Time travels so fast. Where does it go? Well really I have been dealing with hand and feet syndrome and so typing has really been a chore for me. This syndrome comes along with the chemotherapy I have been on (Xeloda and Ixempra). It's where your fingers are tender and sore to touch and so are your feet. They get all red and spongy in some spots, cracked and dry. Soft fluffy socks has been my friend lately and sometimes that's all I want to wear, even when I go places. Shoes are not very comfortable during those times. Along with that, I have also been dealing with neuropathy in the same areas. I recently started accupuncture to try to get some relief for that. I really can't tell if it's helping yet. I have only had four sessions and I will go for the fifth one tomorrow. Apparently you have to have several sessions before you can see results. Even though I have these complaints this particular chemotherapy has been keeping things stable. The last time I updated my journey I was just starting on these new drugs and they are keeping things in check. Even though they have their side effects, I am still grateful. Remember the progression on the liver I mentioned in the last post? Well it is stable and has been reduced in size. That was really good to hear.

April 3 was the last time I had a doctor's visit. March 31st were my last scans. They all came out well. My Numbers were not up or down and I didn't have any new issues. I was so happy to hear that news. So my doctor placed me on a chemo vacation for a while. First he took me off the chemo pills (Xeloda) for 3 weeks and reduced the time to take them from 2 weeks on and 1 week off to 1 week on and 1 week off. And he completely took me off the infusion (Ixempra) until I don't know when. We will see what the plan is when I see him in July. Yes I said July. I was doing so well he said not to come back for 3 months. So I will go in for more scans at the end of June and I will see him in July. Let's pray together that all will be well at that time.

I am truly enjoying the energy I have these days and enjoying my taste buds being back. Yes, and you can tell I'm enjoying eating I have even picked up a few pounds. It feels so good not to feel so bad. My hair is slowly growing back. I'm enjoying being able to do things and go places with the family. I do feel a bit out of shape though and trying to build my strength up by exercising. Thanks to mom who sent me her exercise bike. I try to ride it at least four times a week. With the weather being so beautiful I need to incorporate some outside walking...after I invest in some good walking shoes that don't hurt. I took my husband shoe shopping with me a few weeks ago. I bet I tried on ten pair of tennis shoes that evening. Have you ever see on TV where the shoe clerk is carrying a stack of shoe boxes for the customer to try on? Well that's the way my husband looked while helping me out. i had him weighted down with boxes and boxes. He was so patient. Needless to say I left the store without any shoes because none of them made my feet happy.

Thanks to all of you who continue to check on me, encourage me, send cards, flowers, food and most of all those that continue to pray for me. I have the best support system ever! And that's part of my healing and I have you all to thank for that.
I have a list of things I wanna do before summer is over, so if you try to contact me and I don't answer, I may be horseback riding, sailing, camping or maybe at an O'jays concert...LOL.

Love you much...until next time.