Anyone starting Chemo in August 07?

And Kaye, you know you and DH are very welcome at the TSDSLLSDPIT4LM Party, as is anyone else who just HAPPENS to be cruising through Southern CA that weekend (Lilith?)

Thank you Nash for giving us the updates all along.  It couldn't have been easy for you to correspond with  Kim's family and I know we all appreciate you so much for taking that on.  Do you know of anything we can do for her family at this time besides pray?  This is so hurtful that this  d&^$# disease has taken another one of us.  I remember from one of her earlier posts she said she had been NED for nine years before her reoccurence.  I agree with you that she's in God's hands,  at peace and knows no suffering any longer. 

Prayers and love to her family and to all of us.  We'll never forget you Kimmie.

June

I know not everyone in our group is religious, but I wanted to share this poem that was posted over on the Recurence Board. It was written by a woman named Ruth Ann Mahaffey, in memory of her late husband. 

To My Dearest Family

Some things I'd like to say

But first of all to let you know

That I arrived Okay.

I'm writing this from Heaven

Where I dwell with God above,

Where there's no more tears or sadness

There is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy

Just because I'm out of sight,

Remember that I'm with you

Every morning, noon and night.

That day I had to leave you

When my life on earth was through,

God picked me up and hugged me

And said " I welcome you"

"It's good to have you back again

You were missed while you were gone,

As for your dearest family

They'll be here later on".

"I need you here so badly

As part of my big plan,

There's so much that we have to do

To help our mortal man"

Then God gave me a list of things

He wished for me to do,

And foremost on that list of mine

Is to watch and care for you.

And I will be beside you

Every day, week and year.

And when you're sad I'm standing there

To wipe away the tear.

And when you lie in bed at night

The days chores put to flight,

God and I are closer to you

In the middle of the night.

But do not be afraid to cry

It does relieve the pain,

Remember there would be no flowers

Unless there was some rain.

I wish I could tell you

Of all that God has planned,

But if I were to tell you

You wouldn't understand.

But one thing is for certain

Though my life on Earth is over,

I am closer to you now

Than I ever was before.

And to my many friends

Trust God knows what is best,

I'm still not far away from you

I'm just beyond the crest.

There are rocky roads ahead

And many hills to climb,

But together we can do it

Taking one day at a time.

It was always my philosophy

And I'd like it for you too,

That as you give unto the world

The world will give to you.

If you can help somebody

Who's in sorrow or in pain,

Then you can say to God at night

My day was not in vain.

And now I am contented

That my life it was worthwhile,

Knowing as I passed along the way

I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody

Who is down and feeling low,

Just lend a hand to pick them up

As on the way you go.

When you are walking down the street

And you've got me on your mind,

I'm walking in your footsteps

Only half a step behind.

And when you feel that gentle breeze

Or the wind upon your face,

That's me giving you a great big hug

Or just a soft embrace.

And when it's time for you to go

From that body, to be free,

Remember you're not going

You are coming here to me.

And I will always love you

From that land way up above,

Will be in touch again soon.

P.S GOD sends his love

Nash, Thank you for sharing that beautiful poem and for staying in touch with Kim's family. I'm so sad over this news, even though I knew it was coming. It all just happened so fast.

I was finally able to get Stardust recorded and posted to the web. Much trial and error as I am not a techno geek. I don't know if this will work or not. The original recording on my one computer is loud enough, but I must have mixed it wrong or something as it is very quiet when I try to play it on this computer. Anyway, if you go to copy this link to your browser, you should be able to download the mp3 of it. Hopefully you can hear it. I'm not a terribly great singer or guitar player, but the spirit is there (By the way, for those who play, I used a capo on fret 8 and the chords start at D to A to EM to G). 

http://www.box.net/shared/ywx5u3ksg0 

Love to all and especially to you Kim, wherever your spirit may be.

DeAnn 

DeAnn, I was able to download the song. It's beautiful.

Kim's SIL e-mailed me the funeral arrangemets. The viewing will be Monday, July 7, at 7pm, and the funeral will be Tuesday, July 8, at 2 pm. I told the SIL that we will all be there in spirit. I also asked (via e-mail, so don't have a response yet) if there's anything practical we can do to help. Will keep everyone posted.

Here is Kim's obit. One of the girls here from N. Va found it in the paper: 

Kimberly Franklin

Kimberly Dawn Franklin, 40, of Winchester died Friday at her home.

The funeral will be conducted Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Omps Funeral Home, South Chapel, in Winchester by Pastor Lee Prock. Burial will be in Shenandoah Memorial Park.

Mrs. Franklin was born in 1968, in Winchester, daughter of Elizabeth Rutherford See of White Post and the late Grover Russell Davey. She was a graduate of James Wood High School. She was owner and co-founder of Evergreen Waste LLC and a former teller at Jefferson National Bank in Stephens City. She attended Agape Fellowship in Kernstown and was a member of IBC Support Group for Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Surviving with her mother are her husband, Albert C. Franklin; her stepfather, Rockland A. See; three daughters, Adrienne Malick, Kendel N. Franklin and Karlie Ann Franklin, all of Winchester; two brothers, James R. Davey of White Post and Chad A. See of Stephens City.

Pallbearers will be Chris See, Charlie Kenney, Brian Booth, Jimmy Franklin, Joe Lewis and Carl Brady.

The family will receive friends today from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Fund, 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, Texas 75244.

View this obituary online at www.nvdaily.com/obituaries

Published in the Northern Virginia Daily on 7/7/2008.

Hi there, everyone.  I am also feeling pretty depressed.  I have also been thinking about Kim and Stacie, and all the others who we have lost in the past year. 

Now I have to go for an endometrial biopsy, and I am scared senseless!  Why am I taking Tamoxifen, if it causes uterine and endometrial cancer??

I have regular trans vaginal ultra sounds, because I have uterine fibroid tumors, and I read that Tamoxifen can make them grow.  Also, I have been having bleeding after sex for some time now, and have simply stopped having sex.  I'm kind of upset, too, because I had the us on June 21st and my dr. NEVER got back to me with the test results!, and now, AFTER I called his office, he wants to do this biopsy! 

I am terrified, especially since the only other biopsy I have ever had showed bc. 

The endometrial stripe is thick, so that is the reason for the biopsy, but I am now thinking that it MUST be cancer...

Here I go again!

Harley

How about a group hug and then we can all cry and hug again. 

Harley, I'm praying for you.  One of my local bc sisters is having a hysterectomy tomorrow because of uterine fibroid tumors.  Her bc surgery was 6 weeks after mine and she went through the same treatment plan as I did.  I can't imagine having another surgery so soon.

And yes it's the children losing their mother that makes me hurt so much.  I had alot of pain in my childhood and I just never want a child to feel emotional pain.

Nash,  I've known for awhile now how strong you are.  But I realize it more now, to take care of your mother the way you did while you were fighting bc is just ???.  I have no word for it.  Amazing? Unbelievable?  I don't know the words to express my admiration for you.

My Mom is suffering from sciatica and is in constant pain.  I can't stand it and I don't know what to do.  She took care of me through all this and now she's not able to do much.  Moms are supposed to take care of us.  It's so difficult when the tables are turned.

Hugs to all.  Tears can be very cleansing.  Check out the words to the song "Fall" by Clay Walker.  

Hey Everyone,

I'm home from work this afternoon due to a spill I took in the dining room at work early this morning.  There were a few drops of something liquid on the floor and my foot hit it and the next thing I knew I'm flying across the floor.  All of our patients thought it was a pretty interesting floor show, especiallly for breakfast entertainment!!!!!  The next act consisted of me laying on the floor and about 50 people around me asking if I was hurt and some of them calling for an ambulance.  Act 3 was me saying, 'get me off this floor' and everyone just staring at me.  I finally was humilated enough to say.......'for God's sake, I weigh 100 #...get me into a chair.'  The next brilliant move was looking at about a dozen wheelchairs that well meaners had run and brought back.  I finally caught the eye of a couple of my peers (both nurses/both my age) and they got my drift and put me into a dining room chair and cleared the rest of 'the audience.' 

My ankle is pretty swollen and my knee is fairly banged up and I sure am praying that it's a lot of bruising and maybe a sprain but not a break.......but hell's bells, you know what...I've had BC and this is just a mild bump in the road compared to that!  Sooooo....I'll ice and I'll elevate and maybe  pop a pain pill or two but I'll still be June!

Harley, how horrible to not have your physician contact you after the last us.  If you get Tricare to approve everything when will you schedule the biopsy?  I'll pray that it is as soon as possible because it's the waiting that's the worst agony.  And DeAnn is so right in her thoughts regading the genie out of the bottle for all of us.  I guess we'll never again experience in the same way the usual aches and pains that most people give little attention to.  Please keep us posted and know that we're thinking of you every day.

Kaye, thanks to you and everyone for the kind thoughts.  I'm doing just what you advised Sis, putting one foot in front of the other and playing "ostrich" at every opportunity I can.  There's no real choice anyway and I have absolutely no control at this point.  I had a complete hyst (including ovaries) about 10 years ago due to fibroid tumors out of control.  However, I still need to schedule a colonoscopy but I've been waiting to just have a 2-3 month "uneventful" stretch to sort of catch my breath and then go on to the next thing, know what I mean?

Nash, I truly suffered PTS after my mother had been gone over a year.  I think it was partly due to the fact that I'm the oldest in the family and felt I had to be stoic for everyone else.  So, you continue to let the tears fall whenever and where ever and grieve for her girl.  Don't hold it in for you only pay the price later and you have been such a soldier for so long that you're due a time out. 

Anyone heard from lillith?

See ladies, I don't post everyday but when I do I can't seem to stop.......for no one in the entire world hears me the way you all do...a bagillion hugs to all.

June

June,

Yuck.  So sorry to hear about your fool.  Maybe it's a sign for you to slow down a little (well, I guess you have no choice now!).  I hope you feel better real soon.

Hugs, Jackie

Kaye,

What is wrong with me???? I think I'm losing what little is left of my mind.  And I'm not even drinking!!!! Ask me why? Okay, I'll tell you anyway.  I've been having a few glasses of wine on the weekend lately.  Very relaxing and feels like vacation.  Well, now I go to my PCP for a checkup and he takes my blood.....my thyroid numbers are high, my sugar was a little high and my triglycerides are through the roof!!!! Mind you, I have cut almost all sugar out of my diet lately.  I give up!!!!! So, no more wine for me but I just don't know what else to do.  Doc says bloodwork could be out of whack because of chemo.  Who the heck knows.  Oh well, thanks for listening.

June, I meant sorry about your fall.

Hugs to all,

Jackie