Master Janice

We just returned from a quick road trip to NC, to attend our daughter’s graduation from NC State with her Masters in Curriculum Development.  We are SO proud of her and how quickly, easily and cheaply she accomplished it!  One and a half years, no debt, with an amazing GPA.  The sky is the limit for her potential now!We had a nice visit, a bit delayed due to storms – there, not here!  Arrived on Friday, graduated Saturday in Raleigh, and returned home Sunday.  Well worth it though, as we got some great photos Had a celebration lunch with her ‘Framily’, a celebration dinner with a friend, and some shopping time in between.  Maggie stayed behind with good friends who spoil her even more than we do (yes, hard to believe).  They literally set up their Christmas tree in a different spot, so Maggie could lay in the sun.  Seriously!  Does this photo look like the picture of relaxed?

Next we pack up the 3 dogs, 4 people, Christmas presents, skis, clothing and dog supplies and head north to Maine/NH for the holidays.  Chevy Chase should film another National Lampoon’s Christmas starring us.  It will be great to share the holidays with all of our family though – moments to treasure.   As was this one -

Cheers to You!

Tennis Reunion

At my most recent tennis match (yet another loss at the higher level – maybe that explains why they dropped my rating back to 3.5 at year-end!), I glanced 3 courts away at a mixed doubles contract group.  There was a fellow breast cancer survivor, Jan/2010 diagnosis, that I have been email buddies with since.  We have not ‘seen’ each other in perhaps 10 years, but I ‘know’ her better than most.  When she finished, I ran out of my own match to greet her.  She kindly stayed until I was done and what a wonderful reunion!

We talked for 1/2 hour – sister-survivors – still so recent that you can almost literally feel the other’s pain.  AND blessings!  It was one time I truly wish I had a camera, she looked fantastic.  Her treatment was similar to mine (although different cancer, thankfully less aggressive), chemo then radiation, she has 2 kids, one daughter is my girls’s age, was a neighbor, is a tennis/exercise fanatic, and has done so well through it all.  We both agreed that so much good has come out of it – she commented that she never knew she was so loved!  She too saved ALL the cards and emails, and apparently my emails have their own folder   Like me, she is trying to continue the cycle of encouragement and has developed a connection with yet another recent patient (guess there will never be a short supply of future patients), to ‘pay it forward’.  I was so thrilled to finally talk face to face and see the optimism and HEALING in her aura!

On that note, my daughter recently posted a link in her blog that I must also share.  Yet another breast cancer victim, this one is too young to have to face it, but it happens.  Anyhow, the post is NOT about cancer, it is about thankfulness, and I found it very moving.  Someone told me the human brain is such a resilient organ, how just when you think you are being crushed by challenges, somehow you find a way to move forward.  This young lady has eloquently shown us how.  Please in the spirit of Thanksgiving, and the joy of Christmas – read this – it will put your life in perspective.  We have certainly produced a talented and centered new generation!

Just Happy to Be Here

Jaci (Miss Sassy Pants) and Jan

NED

For those non-cancer savvy people, no, this is not in reference to my friend Ned.  Instead it stands for No Evidence of Disease – the best news possible to cancer survivors.  This is the news that I got yesterday at my 3 month check-up with Dr. Gordon.  Physical exam was good, scans were clear, I am tolerating the clinical trial very well – no one likes to use the word ‘cured’, but this is as good as it gets!  Very good news indeed.  Tuesday’s EKG continued to improve, and he is now comfortable with the fact that Effexor is probably responsible, not Neratinib, so I am allowed back on Advair for my asthma.  That is more good news, as not being able to breath is no fun!  Already I feel better.  I have been enjoying Dr. Gordon a lot – he is who I see regularly now, since he manages all the clinical trials.  He was patient, eager to answer and explain all my questions, and very knowledgeable.  He was involved with the Herceptin clinical trial years ago when it was developed and he said that it was so rewarding to see how excited the women participating were.  I can see why – it probably saved their life!  Hopefully Neratinib is the next Herceptin.  I told him he really must see Living Proof, the Lifetime movie about the discovery, he didn’t know you could rent it.  Wish I could order copies and distribute it to all the medical professionals that made it happen!

I left the appointment to go play volleyball, today I am off to tennis, trying to fit the work in the middle.  Life IS good and this is great holiday news!

Home for the Holidays

Our family is a small one, and looks even worse when one person has to be out of the photo to be the photographer!  Cheryl volunteered, so all you see are Jan, my friend Ned (who I have been helping through the Blind Association for 8 years now), myself and Kevin.  That’s what you get when you move far away from family.  It is always terrific to have the girl’s home however, and we had Jan for an entire week.  Cheryl made it early Wed, so we even got some family tennis time in, along with lots of dog walks.

How will we fit luggage when we travel north for Xmas?

Maggie was very excited to have her cousins visit, and Murphy got harassed a lot more than he is used too.  I imagine all of them are sleeping soundly at this moment.

Greeting Committee

Cheryl and I did our annual Black Friday early morning – out by 4 – home by 6:30, up again at 9:30.  We always get a lot done, and feel better for the bargains.

Relaxing after a busy day at the stores.

I continue on my trial meds, side effects are minimal.  I go tomorrow for an echo, to check my heart’s ejection fraction (?)  At least these are minimally invasive, only an ultrasound and about 1/2 hour long.  Every Monday now is consumed with a different test.  Wednesday I meet with my oncologist, I would like to bring up the Advair again, as breathing has become increasingly labored.  I have no idea if this is a result of the trial, my other meds, or the dogs.  I just know it is a pain!

Janice as an authentic Southern Belle!

Janice exposed us to the most amazing experience the Saturday before Thanksgiving!  Since she is now teaching high school history, she has begun filming the ‘Magical History Tour’, she makes video of interesting historical sites to show to her students.  She discovered that there was a huge Remembrance Day event going on in Gettysburg in conjunction with the 147 anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.  Off we went, and she borrowed authentic reenactment garb.  This is the only place where I have truly felt out of place in jeans, as 50% of the spectators were in period dress also!  I can’t believe we live so close by and have never attended one before.

There were miles of Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, townspeople, bands, it was an awesome spectacle.  It has now convinced Janice she wants to participate in more, so my Christmas present to her will be an authentic period gown, that I have just begun to sew for her.  Now – who wants to be her soldier?

Union soldiers gathering for the parade

Frederick Douglas

1860's as far as the eye can see....

The evening was completed by an Illumination ceremony, they place a candle and a flag at every grave at the National Cemetary (where the Gettysburg Address was given).  Then they play taps, and read all the names of the soldiers that died.  It was an unbelievable sight, and a fabulous day.  Thanks Janice for suggesting!

Illumination

High Tea for the Chosen Few

It isn’t often that you get invited to an honest-to-goodness, official high tea, but today was my lucky day.  And I forgot my camera!  It was a unique and inspirational group of women, one you don’t choose to be a member of, but are ‘sister’ survivors all the same.  A good friend of mine from church bid on a high tea at our action this year, and invited all the breast cancer ladies from the church.  The good news was, we didn’t fill the parking lot, the bad news was – there are 19 of us.  Keep in mind that our church has a membership of just over 200.  It was a bonding experience, as the women ranged from 41 (diagnosed and treated 10 years ago at 31!) to perhaps mid-70s, and several of us were within the last 2 years.  17 years was the ‘winner’ for elapsed time, one 16 year survivor, and one currently on chemo for the 3rd time for ovarian now, after breast cancer last year.  Surprisingly 3 of us were HER2+, one was 5 years ago and did NOT have Herceptin (heart issues), so I was pleased to meet and talk to her.  It was a great gift to all of us and we had a very interesting 2 hours together.

This photo will have to do as a sampling of the food – it WAS displayed on lovely serving pieces.  There were scones, meringues, cucumber sandwiches, almond cookies, cupcakes, chicken salad finger sandwiches encrusted with almonds and 3 kinds of tea.  Overwhelming really, and all prepared by a woman from our church!  Another member makes and sells jewelry and she made earrings for all of us!  And the hostess is the one I used to make candy with at Christmas for the church fundraiser, so of course, she made chocolate lollipops.  They had the room decorated like a tea room with old lace, hats and fabric, on the window sill were words like Hope, Relax, Live, Friends, Family, Love and Wish.  We got to choose one of those to take home as well.  It was a unique and fun way to spend an afternoon – and I never knew many of these women were fellow survivors!

Crafty Surprise

I had an unexpected package on my porch the other day from a crafty friend.  She makes amazing scrapbooks, and greeting cards as well.  A year ago when I campaigned for the Breast Cancer Walk, she gave me a pack for my thank yous.  Now I have a new supply!  They really are beautiful and she even had a holiday one.  Sadly enough they will come in handy, as friends andacquaintances continue to get diagnosed, I suppose it is my age.  I still wonder how helpful diet Cokes and processed food have been too….

I continue to feel quite a bit better, I still wonder what to attribute all the setbacks to.  One thing is for sure – Effexor, and it’s generic equivalent, is a lot more addictive than I thought.  I really think that is why I felt so sick this week, after only missing 2 doses.  It was a concern of mine from the beginning, and he assured me my dose was so small that it wouldn’t be a problem.  Guess that was wrong.  For now, I don’t care, as the hot flashes are so bad, and frankly, I don’t want to deal with the withdrawal – but as soon as I am past this trial – I will try again to see if I can live without it!  I do NOT like needing something like that, but imagine that is something I will have to learn to accept.

Soon to be BACK on the Trial

Had another EKG Monday, and once again, no news.  However the tech told me that although she can’t read the results, she knows  it will say normal when it is normal.  Mine did NOT say normal.  So I was a bit anxious.  I finally called the trial nurse this morning and she met with the oncologist at noon.  He has been very busy contacting every specialist he can locate, and they all tell him it is not a concern.  Also, my results, although not normal, are slightly better.  So given all that, I get to go back on the trial this Friday.  I stopped my Effexor yesterday, as that showed a correlation in my research, but already today I was feeling much worse.  The hot flashes were more severe, and I felt very sick and nauseous.  Once you have so many chemicals in your body, you are never sure if you are legitimately sick or if it is a side effect.  However today I felt worse than I did on chemo!  I must admit to a bit of discouragement, after a year of fighting this, new problems keep appearing.  He wants me back on the Effexor tomorrow, which is why the wait on the neratinib.  The clinical trial ‘people’ are very aware of my every movement (bowel and otherwise ), so I am rather a superstar in their world.  It has been tough to keep up a now full-time work schedule just as all this has come up, but I am doing my best.  Hope to feel better tomorrow.

Over the weekend I did feel fine however, playing a full day of volleyball on Saturday with my seniors team.  I have posted other photos of our team, so above you see our constant nemesis, team Lokahi.  They have a new player, ‘billed’ as 6’3″, but when I stood blocking her at the net (OK, not really blocking, just pretending to), she is taller than Kevin, putting her at 6’5″.  We have never beaten them, and that record is still intact, although we were close 1 game.  Sunday I played tennis and we walked Maggie on a nice trail in Hershey, so at least I felt good on the weekend!