JUBULATION - I HAVE MY LIFE BACK!!!

I am on top of the mountain that I just climbed and I am loving the view from here!! I am seeing the world through a new set of eyes in which to view this wonderful life! The climb was almost unbearable at times, but the strength that I received to help me keep climbing, was more than inspirational. "Every now and then, right when you least expect it, something amazing happens. And you realize that you are no more in control than a feather in the wind. All you know is that the force moving you is so strong that you just hang on in wonder. There is nothing but the moment and the sense of dancing with angels...."

I started back to work on June 29th and boy was I glad to get there! It was wonderful to see everyone and be back at my "home away from home"! I love the work that I do and the people that I work with at the Attorney General's Office. They are the best of the best! It was so good to get settled back into my office and to think about my work rather than cancer. I have been back for 3 full weeks and I am doing well. There are days when I get tired, but it is a good kind of tired! Normality is sweet!!

I had my CT scan on July 8th (the insurance company would not okay a PET scan). The doctors office called me with the results at 10:00 a.m. on the morning of July 9th. They said that the report stated "They could not find any evidence of malignancy within the chest, abdomen or pelvis". Tears of joy and relief instantly began to feel my eyes! This was the day that I had been waiting for since October, 2008. I immediately shared my good fortune with family, friends and co-workers who were also moved to tears. Needless to say, there was much rejoicing!! I am IN REMISSION!! The fight I had, to find the right chemo that I wouldn't have an allergic reaction from, had worked!! Even though I knew that the chemo was what would save my life, I always worried that it might not be enough.

Thinking back on what I have felt while battling my cancer is "How on earth am I going to get through this"? In an article I read it said: "When you climb a mountain, you reach a point where you're to exhausted to continue, and the only way to keep going is to stop thinking about the summit and focus on the rock immediately in front of you. You decide, all I have to do is reach that point. Then, once you get there you pick another rock and somehow you get to the top." That is exactly how you fight cancer. Once rock at a time, rather "One day at a Time". Sometimes it was one moment in time. I had moments of despair, but I knew that I was loved and supported by prayers. And it worked!

Another article that I read was about a woman who had the same kind of cancer I had, ovarian cancer, also stage two, said: "Even after cancer, we have to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other again". Now I am going to learn how to be a cancer survivor. As a survivor, you don't want your cancer to define you, but you also don't want to forget where you have been. After all, cancer transformed my whole life. I have to remind myself that the person I was all along - strong, resilient and focused, help me to navigate the disease.

Cancer (chemo) has taken a toll on my body, but I can see the future now. I will start to look and feel like myself again, "One day at a Time". I want to be me, but better. I want to live life with more kindness, passion, love and appreciation for all that I have and at the top of my list is Gratitude. I want an "Attitude of Gratitude"!

I will be seeing my doctor on Monday, July 27th. I will then have a blood draw and see my doctor every there months for the next 5 years. I am so glad that they will be keeping a good eye on me.

Miley Cyrus sings a song called "The Climb". It came out while I was having chemo. And from the moment I heard the song, it fit exactly how I felt. I goes like this:

"I can almost see it, that dream I'm dreaming, but there's a voice inside my head saying "you'll never reach it". Every step I'm taking, every move I make feels lost with no direction, my faith is shaken. But I gotta keep trying, gotta keep my head held high. There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side, It's the climb. The struggles I'm facing, the chances I'm taking, sometimes might knock me down, but no, I'm not breaking. I may not know it, but these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most. Keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith. It's all about the climb".

Well, till next time, remember "For every reason to give up hope, there are 10 reasons not to. Reach out and someone will lend a hand for there are no rules against dreaming big"!!!

"May we never take one single breath for granted"!!!!

-Sheree-

CELEBRATION TIME - FINAL ROUND OF CHEMO COMPLETED!!

TIME TO CELEBRATE!! I had my FINAL round of chemo on June 10th. Oh what a WONDERFUL feeling!! I got my Certificate of Completion and I am so hopeful that I will NOT have to EVER do this again! I have been to Hell and back and I now know what it means to be a CANCER SURVIVOR!! Nobody said it was going to be easy ~ only worth it!!

After my chemo treatment on Wednesday, June 10th, I was noticing that I was more tired than I normally am after a chemo treatment. I could hardly move. My arms and legs felt like lead. I could hear my heart beating in my ears ALL the time, and when I did get up, I was really out of breath. I made it through the next four days and on Monday, June 15th, I went to the lab for another blood draw. To make a long story short, I didn't have enough red blood cells. The doctors office called and told me to go immediately to Good Samaritan for another cross type and match. The normal range for Hemoglobin is 11.5 - 16.0 and I was at 5.9! No wonder I was feeling so rotten! They were able to give me two units of blood which helped me start to feel better right away. I am now at 8.4, which is still under the normal range, but they think that my body will start making more red blood cells now that I am no longer having chemo. I have to keep drawing blood once a week for the next four weeks so they can monitor my recovery.

In the next two weeks, they will do a PET scan. I am looking forward to getting this done. I am praying that the chemo did it's job and that there are no other "hot" spots in my body to worry about. I will have to see my doctor every three months for the next five years so they can monitor me. My doctor and his staff (including the hospital staff) were wonderful and I am so grateful to each and every one of them for their knowledge and skills.

I am going back to work on Monday, June 29th!! I am so excited to get back and am looking forward to NORMAL everyday living. My office has been so supportive to me and is the BEST group of people you could ever work with. They have been right by my side during all of this, and are willing to take me back after being gone for 6 months! Thank you so much for your patience!!

I will update the blog as soon as I get the results from my PET scan and will also let you know how I am doing once I get back to work! I know that I need to be patient with myself because it will take about a year to get all of the chemicals out of my body and to look and feel normal again. I will remember that when I feel unwell, that the same power that made my body knows how to restore it to its original state of well-being. "When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need!"

Blessings to all!

~Sheree~

I CAN SEE THE LIGHT - MY FINAL (hopefully) ROUND OF CHEMO!!!

Today I feel like an expectant mother waiting for a child to be born.  I have a lot of excitement along with anxiety.  Excitement to know that this is hopefully my last chemo treatment and anxiety knowing that I will feel sick. But, I also know that the only way out of chemo is through it.  Just like childbirth.  No, I will not be taking home a new child, but I do have this "new life" that I have been given.  Yes, it has been a fight, but I have a new found lease on life!  I do not take anything for granted.  Like they say, you truly don't appreciate everything you have until its gone or someone tries to take it away, or it gives out.  Then you wished that you would have taken better care or been more aware, instead of being so busy with the trivial things, that you let the most important things slide by.

 

I guess that this journey that I have been on, and will continue to be aware of, the rest of my life, is that "Life is too Short to be anything but Happy".  Every morning when I wake up and the "Gift" of another day is given to me, I feel so blessed for everything that I have. Even though times are tough in the world around us, I am so grateful for the little everyday things in life that surround me, as well as the big things that I have been blessed with. 

 

On June 3rd, I will be having chemo, the 1st day of my last round, which also happens to be my 35th wedding anniversary.  No, this isn't what we had planned for our 35th anniversay, but having my husband by my side, like he has been for the last 35 years, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, is all that we want, just to be together, hand in hand, and being given the gift of more time together!!  That is what life is really about.  The people you share it with, not the "stuff" that we think is important.  I have my life and my family to enjoy ~ and it has been worth the fight to keep that!!

 

June 10th, will be my last injection of chemo (day 8 of round 6).  I will get to wear a crown and celebrate with my new found friends that are also celebrating their new lives~ and are also cancer survivors!! 

 

I want to thank all of you, my family, friends and co-workers, for your prayers, e-mails and beautiful cards, but most of all for you taking of your time to think of me and help keep me uplifted.  You are truly my "Angels" here on earth.  You know the people that truly care about you in times like these, and are there for you while you "dance in the rain" waiting for the "storm to pass". 

 

I will keep you posted after the "grand finale". I hope to be released and back to work around the end of June!  In the meantime, "Simplify your Life".  Learn to play, rather than work your way through it!!

 

Hugs, Kisses and Happiness Wishes!

 

Sheree 

 

Blood Transfusion, 4th round complete & 5th round started

Hi Everyone,

Sorry that it has taken forever to post an update on my mom!

My mom is doing well, just taking things one day at a time! :) She completed her 4th round of chemo a few weeks ago. After that round of chemo, she was starting to feel quite run down and was even more drained than usual. Her Dr.'s office called her after her weekly blood draw and told her that she would need to have a blood transfusion since her counts were quite low. After the blood transfusion she felt so much better and even had some "pep in her step"! She was then able to rest and try and get some of her energy back during her off week from chemo treatment. Her "off week" is a very precious and treasured week for her, one that she looks forward to with excitement and the opportunity to feel a little "normal" for a few days.

My mom started her 5th round of chemo 2 days ago which was this past Wednesday, May 13th! That means that she is really getting close to the finish line with only 1 1/2 more chemo rounds to go for a total of 3 more treatments!!!! She has told me on several occasions that the further she gets into her chemo treatments, the more intense the side effects seem to get. She continues to have a very positive outlook and is SO looking forward to finishing her chemo treatments soon, getting back to work & enjoying her everyday life again!

Next Wednesday, May 20th will be the 2nd dose in her 5th round of chemo. She will be off for a week and then start the 6th and (hopefully) final round of chemo on Wednesday, June 3rd with her last dose on Wednesday, June 10th!!!! June 3rd also happens to be my parents 35th wedding anniversary so needless to say, there will be more than one thing to celebrate that day!!!!

Thank you ALL for the love & support that you have shown during my mom's treatments!

Hugs,

Jennie

By the way, I do have a photo of my mom during her blood transfusion that my dad took. I will be adding the photo later this evening.

On the down hill run......

Yes, it is true!  My mom is on the down hill run on her chemo treatments!  She started her 4th round today!  Everything went according to plan and she is now home attempting to rest and let her body recover and let the chemo "do its thing"!  She has her 2nd dose (in the 4th round) scheduled for next Wednesday, April 29th.  I know that she is looking forward to that appointment next week since she also has an appointment to see her Oncologist and will be able to visit with him for a while and go over her treatment plan & the progress that she is making.

I'll update more next week but for now, just know that she is hanging in there and is very excited to be half way finished with her chemo treatments!!!!!  

Hugs,

Jennie  

3rd Round of Chemo Complete!!!

My mom finished her 3rd round of Chemo last Wednesday, April 8th! She is officially half way through her treatments! Yea!!! What an accomplishment!

Her treatment went well as usual with the exception of the nurse administering her chemo was very sick herself with a cold! My mom (along with the rest of our family) of course was not very happy being breathed on and handled by someone who was not feeling well themselves and then passing on those wonderful germs onto her. That just shouldn't be allowed!

My dad was able to take a picture of my mom while she was getting her chemo treatment so I wanted to be sure and attach that picture to this post. She looks great huh? :)

Over the last week she has been experiencing the "normal yuckies" as we like call it! She is looking forward to being off of chemo treatments this week so she can start to feel a little more normal again, even if it is only for a few days before it starts all over again.

We were unable to celebrate her half way mark on her chemo treatments this weekend but will celebrate it soon!!!!

My mom's next scheduled chemo treatment will be next Wednesday, April 22nd. Thanks again for your continued support and love!

Hugs,

Jennie & Sheree

3rd Round of Chemo started

Today my mom started the 1st dose in her 3rd round of Chemo!  That means that she is almost half way through her chemo treatments!  YEA!!!!!  We are so proud and excited for her to be at the halfway point!!!!  She will have the 2nd dose in her 3rd round of chemo next Wednesday April 8th.  

So, she will not be feeling very well over the next few days but the chemo is doing everything that it should be doing.  It just has some not so nice side effects that go along with chemo treatments (which are very normal to have).  One great thing that I wanted to be sure to mention is that my mom has NOT lost her hair!  It has thinned in spots but has not all fallen out.  

My mom has mentioned that she is going to try and take her camera with her during her next treatment so we can post a few pictures with the next update.  Years from now I'm sure that she will want to be able to look back at those pictures and see how far she has gone and all that she accomplished during this trial in her life.

I'll post more next week after the remaining dose in her 3rd round.  I was also thinking it might be nice if our family celebrated this half way mark during her journey while our family will be together over the Easter holiday.  Ideas anyone????    

Thanks for all of your love & prayers!!!!

Hugs,

Jennie