In honor of ...

I had a few stressful days this week.  I found out that a friend from high school has cancer.  He's a father of 3 and so in love with his sweet wife.  He's also the bread winner.  As I shared my dismay with my husband  he held me in his arms and said that we know this will not be the last because if where I lived as a teen.  How right he was! The very next day I found out that another Dugway-ite had gone in for a biopsy and are going to be sending her back to the states to meet with an oncologist. Her daughter, a sweet friend just a few years younger, called me that afternoon and we cried together.  It's nice to be able to answer questions and help where I can. I was going to quit talking about my cancer this year.  I'll still talk less but enough so that I can help others.  It just seems like more and more young people are being effected than ever before. So I decided then and there to quit saving the fancy silverware my mom gave me my senior year of high school.  I pulled it out and washed it off.  The kids are excited to use it and we are happy to make every day a little bit more special.

And my little girl couldn't stand it.  She had to do something.  She got out the construction paper and markers and the stapler and got to work while I was busy ironing the huge pile of clothes I am behind on since surgery.  She made this for Mr. B and we'll be mailing it out Monday.  She knows he has 3 boys and she was concerned about them.  We are still trying to figure out what else we can do.  He is someone who has throw several fund raisers for friends in the past few years - one with cystic fibrosis and one with cancer I believe.  In the meantime we've called and added both friends to the prayer rolls.

I do have some good news.  My daughter is a sharp shooter.  We let her shoot my .22 single shot rifle and she hit the targets over and over again perfectly.  (She's got my aim that's for sure) And I'm almost done with my Oregon scrapbook.  Looks like it's going to take 2 volumes - my husband is one talented photographer.  Speaking of photography talent - you have go to see the photos of the Bald Eagle we spotted after target practice.  Good thing we took our cameras with us! It's right HERE.

Details

I'm sure a few of you might be curious as to what kind of cancer I survived.  It was a huge tumor inside my chest.  Hodgkins Lymphoma to be exact.  I went from the base of my ribs to the middle of my neck and it was 3 inches wide.  At the time (I've been in remission for 3 years) I had a 4 year old daughter and a 4 week old son.  But here I am a few years down the road.  I have a whole bunch of firsts that I've been able to do since finishing the 6 months of chemo and 5 weeks of radiation.  I found out that I like my hair short. I taught my daughter to sew, we made aprons together.  I sewed my daughter's baptism dress.  I went hiking and trail running and LIKED it. I landscaped the west side of my house - FINALLY! I held a baby robin in my hands and took care of him 'til he could fly away.  I took my kids to the library. I photographed the Relay for Life one year and participated in it this year. I successfully grew garlic, jalapenos, tomatoes, and cabbage this year. I froze and also canned green beans I grew in my own garden.  I went shopping on the Magnificent Mile. I finally found a fresh salsa recipe that I LOVE. I went for my first ride on a ferris wheel.  I went to the Opera and liked it.  And I taught a photo retouching class online this summer and had a blast.  Don't worry it's coming again this fall. I love my 'extra life' and am so grateful for it even with all its ups and downs.

Life is better ...

Sometimes I get downright cranky - usually when I haven't had enough sun.  I was thinking this morning, "What is the key to happiness?" For me it's GRATITUDE. It's about searching out all those little things in my life that  have made me happy and reflecting on them with a grateful heart and trying to do that OFTEN.  Sometimes I get bogged down in the fact that I thought after chemo and radiation things would be so much better.  It's taken a lot longer to recover than I thought.  That 5 year mark - well, they are serious about it. Along the way I've learned a few things.  Things I'm grateful for.

I recently went to a 'lung' doctor. He diagnosed me with reactive airways - exercise and allergy induced asthma.  This incredible but expensive inhaler that I use twice a day has been a gift from God.  My energy levels are amazing.  I can exercise the full 20 minutes of the 30 Day Shred without that horrible pinch in my chest that makes me hunch over in pain.   He also sent me to have an ECHO done.  Well the only problem was that it's taking my heart longer to fill up than it should (common after chemo), sometimes almost twice as long. It doesn't happen every time. Only every other or every third time.  So - I now have an explanation of why I am tired frequently.  And that is a gift too - because now I know it's not just in my head.  I can relax and press forward slowly.  It's also something that can  get better - 'give it 5 or 10 years' he's said. I can do that. I've also been thinking about all the things I've been able to do since chemo and radiation that I haven't done before. I'm working on that list and will share soon.

Also, Marne - I'm only using that steamer canner for PEACHES.  My husband loves them. We are going to put away 4 quart cases this year.  We need the speed. I'm also going to get a pressure cooker canner for things like tomatoes and green beans.  I'll post a photo when I get that thing too. Thanks for your info and for sharing that link. Appreciate your thoughtfulness.

4th Cancerversary today!

Most people that see me today wouldn't have a clue what I've been through and overcome in the past 4 years.  When people find out  I often hear, "But you're such a picture of health." The more I progress the more I find out how far I've come.  We have a code of health in our church - most people know that we don't drink, smoke, or drink tea or coffee.  I'm grateful I was born into a family that followed that code of health.  

Back in February when I was hit in the pool, I received several CTscans.  After they determined there was no bleeding in the brain and no broken bones the radiologist was most concerned about all the scar tissue in my lungs. When I breath in I often hear a deep wheezing sounds from way down inside my lungs. Now I know why my oncologist said he wouldn't treat me if I smoked and drank.  My tumors were so large that I needed stronger treatment than most and a 'boost' in my radiation treatment too.  I found out that a large tumor is the size of a quarter.  My tumor mass was 3 inches wide and went from below my ribs (down near my stomach) all the way up into the middle of my neck. 

As you can see from this photo, I've come a long way baby! And I'm looking forward to a bright future. My migraines are under control with a preventer medication.  My food allergies are okay as long as I stay away from the foods that bother me and the grocery stores carry a lot of new foods that I can eat. Mentally I feel more up to carrying on the daily demands of life.  Physically I am much stronger than I was 4 years ago and I am improving a little bit at a time every day.

So now I have one more year left until they set me free.  The 5 year survival rate for Hodgkins Lymphoma is pretty good.  I'm so close to that benchmark I can hardly believe it. So thank you to all of you who prayed for me, brought meals, scrubbed my dishes, cleaned my bathrooms, took care of my children, mowed our lawn, scrapbooked with me, were kind and thoughtful, hugged me when I was bald, got Tyler out of the house, and weren't scared to be around a person with cancer. Thank you!

Support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Support cancer research for Lymphoma and Leukemia! You get 30% off at Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic and 5% goes to lls.org. Of course, I'll be super happy that you get 30% off, but I'll be even happier if blood diseases are eliminated all together. I had Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Link to multiple use barcode!

Almost 2! already?

Coleton and I were goofing around yesterday taking photos and I have the greatest series of silly photos. I decided to use one of them on his birthday invitation. He puts his arms up in the air when he goes down his slide. It's so cute. One day soon I hope to catch it on video. I just ordered them and they'll be coming your way as soon as I get them! We are keeping it simple since he is still so young and it's cold outside, aunts & uncles, grandparents, and cousins and right after Grandma's Easter egg hunt and casual dinner (the formal Easter dinner is on Sunday along with A's baby's blessing and all of her family too and I am so glad I am not in charge of that one!).



My goal this weekend is to put a list of my favorite Digital Scrapbooking websites on this blog.

My article and scrapbook pages on my cancer experience will be coming out soon. I will be concentrating a little more on my cancer experience for the next little while, including some scrapbook pages that didn't make the cut. I am looking forward to sharing a little more and I really hope that I can encourage others to be positive during their experience and for those who are caregivers or relatives to see the power in a card, letter, or gift scrapbook page to someone with cancer. It's important to feel cared about and sometimes it can be a very lonely experience. You can't have a lot of visitors. I couldn't go to church or help in Haeley's preschool class. Mostly it was visiting the DR and nurses - who were incredible about making me feel better. There were those who brought meals and visited for a little bit, and family who helped with the kids. And sometimes people would call out of the blue or come over for a minute - usually in answer to prayer. We really are each other's angels. But when I was all alone, sometimes I just flipped through my scrapbook pages and gained strength and felt love from those who had sent them. That was better than watching tv any day! Of course I spent a lot of time reading books (when my eyes could hold still) and studying scriptures. And that brought peace. There is just something about feeling loved and needed by other people. I'll share my self esteem boosting moment in a few days.
Relay For Life Album 2007