Starting Chemo May 2008

Prayers for Jackie and her family...

Love all you guys.

Sue

Today (the 11th) is Jackie's cancerversary (diagnosis). It all seems very, very cruel. Please, God, PLEASE look after her.

jackie....prayers...randie

Just catching up after Passover activities all week. Shocked to hear about Jackie. Sending prayers to her family as well. Jen, please let us know immediately if you hear anything. SHIT. This is so unfair and I know the world is not fair, but this is outlandish.

Have got up on many days posting. I miss you all and it's not that I am posting less to "get away." It's simply that life is back so full time. I Facebook less; I definitely blog less and I am missing all of it, but between work and feeling so much more able to deal with the world, I don't take enough time here at the computer. It is 7:55 on a Saturday morning and I am just about ready to wake up my sister-in-law to go with Dottie (remember Dottie, my fantastic cancer bully friend?) to a fancy shop across the water (not your direction Adrienne or I would hook up) but across Lake Washington to be outfitted for the Gilda's Club Fashion Show April 28. My friend who coerced me into appearing in this Surviving with Style fundraiser just died a couple of weeks ago in Morocco. She was the two time bc survivor and had a throat cancer as well. She was in her mid-70's and a fantastic woman who helped found the Gilda's Club here in Seattle. Well, she died, they believe, in kind of a fluke situation. Her body is back in this country now. All the more reason to raise more money for Gilda's Club. Rock, hope the Crush goes well. I think of each of you every day and I am going to spend all day thinking of Jackie. A friend was diagnosed a couple of weeks back and she has surgery on Monday. Things look good for her as they think they got the entire lump at the biopsy (ever heard about that happening?)...They will take a bit more and check a node. Randie, you amaze me. The rest of you...happy retirement; yea on negative results; I love the shaving cream song...I sang it as I read it; loved the haircut story -- I believe that is a rite of passage among most little girls but since I have boys, we never had to deal with it. My littler boy is going on TV next week to encourage people to joing the Susan G. Komen walk (sorry); Spring is here. My allergies are back and pounding and I am happy about that as last year, I had no allergies (no real immune system? hmmmm). I could blah, blah forever but it'll bore you. Many of you commented on the celebrate vs. mark cancerversary....for me, it is a celebration of being bc-free for a year as well as a marking of when my life changed. Reading from the Torah was pretty powerful last Saturday. Our rabbi had other survivors flank me and two were very close friends (one who has chronic stage four mestatized bc in her lung) and we got to say a pretty cool blessing about getting through a very difficult journey. We all know the journey is continuous, but it's nice once in a while to stop at a milepost and reflect. Love you all. I am not trying to blow you off in any way...just trying to figure out how to check in more often without taking away from other stuff too. Happy Easter to each of you. May the day be full of springtime, color, fun bunnies, miracles and family.

I'm here with an update! Just called Mr. Collins and asked how everything was going. They put in a stint and got the blockage out and he said 90% of her swelling is gone. The doc told him that they suspect that having the port in so long caused this and they see it often in patients who have ports for a long duration. She will be in the hospital for 3-4 more days and hopefulyl she will be able to go home then. Right now she is still in recovery cause they don't want to move her for a certain amount of time. But this evening she will be in a room. He said if you would like to call her, she won't have the cell phone. But she is at the University of Kentucky hospital in lexington KY. I looked up the phone number 1.859.323.5000. He said she would be tickled to hear from us if we have time. WOOHOOO this made my day!

Eddie! I was thinking about you all this week. I miss ya babe!

Happy Easter Ladies!

Gracie

Sable - Thanks for the update and for the number. Lets all pick up the phone and call.

To Everyone - Happy Easter!

Oh, don't you wish we could make it a ... (what do they call it?  They call it "chemo brain"...) ... conference call?  I just located a florist in Lexington (on-line), but they're closed on Sundays; and Jackie won't be in her room until tonight.  Rats.  And, tomorrow's Easter, so Jackie needs an Easter basket with happy things in it.

Jen, I guess she must be in the main "Medical Center" at UK, right?  Is that "UK Chandler Hospital" ???  http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/patient/forfamvis.htm

It is soooo good to hear the surgery was successful and she's improving.  Thanks for the update!

ranD, how are the lungs doing today?  In and out, in and out... 

otter 

Tried to call just now but to no avail.  Just as well. I don't think I could have managed to talk without choking up.

I can't explain how happy and relieved I am!!  Jackie, it is SO good to see your post.  So very very good.  Get some much needed rest.  It is a very good day.  I will be carrying a big smile on my face all day.

Oh, YAY!  It's Jackie, in person!

Here.  This is for you.  Can you smell them?  (It's a scratch-and-sniff photo.):

(I hope that works.  I posted an original web link, instead of copying the pic and putting it in Photobucket.  The scratch-and-sniff can be kind of iffy when you post it that way.)

Huge (gentle) hugs!

otter 

Just catching up on the posts and the hair on my neck stood when I read Jen's e-mail!  Then on the following page . . . Gracie is posting!!!  I am grinning ear to ear!  Rest up Gracie, I am praying for you my dear!

Jean

YAY jackie is posting! Girl you worried us to death!!! I'm so happy you are doing better. I prayed hard for ya babe. I hope your hubby made it home ok. Get some rest sweetpea! XXOO

Jackie - so glad you are able to post, but only if you feel like it.  We understand when you need to rest and we are here when you need to talk.  You did have us worried, but it sounds like everyone's praying worked.  I don't have a port, but that does sound like an important piece of info to have.

Glad you have a private room - more of us can fit in that way.

Just relax and enjoy Otter's lilacs.

Julie

Yes, Jackie, thank God.  Jen, thanks for the updates and the phone call!

Eddie, I love to read what you write and will be happy with less or more, whichever works for you.  It's true that all of us have less time to post.  I kind of settled into only posting on weekends when i went back to work full time in September.  I am retired now, and so far I've been really busy!  Just getting my house really clean for my surgery on Wednesday.   DH left this morning for a 3-day trip, he'll be back Monday night.  Then he is off Tuesday, and my Aunt Charlotte is coming (She is a retired nurse and will stay with me in the hospital).

Really been reflecting on the whole bc/chemo/radiation experience, I jjust keep thinking what I was doing a year ago.  I realized that I remember all the dates when I had chemo, is that weird?  I'm just really grateful we all had each other (and still do).  Otter, the lilacs were beautiful.

Love,

Sue

I

Robin -- I am so sorry your stepfather was attacked.  The poor guy! I once had my bike stolen (and I got it back too, by confronting the thief) and was shook up for a long time. He and your mom are fortunate to have you in their lives to help them re-establish their peace of mind and reestablish their sense of the world as a secure and safe place. It would be a real tragedy if they became homebound out of fear.

And now, a Poem.**

I'm starting Lent 40 days late.

Here's my sacrifice; how does it rate?

I am going to pass on the Easter candy.

Given the hospitalizations of Sue, Jackie and Randie 

I'll swap the Cadbury eggs for them feeling dandy.

BURMA SHAVE.