Fargo Family Update

Good news!!!

I had my 6-week CATScan today. I didn't think I'd hear anything back until my doctor's appointment next Wednesday, but Judy called me this afternoon to give me the great news... the tumor that was 3-1/2" and was on my liver is gone; the tumor that was 5" (10 cm) that was between my kidneys is now less than 1 cm!!!

This news is pretty close to, if not outright, miraculous. We had been told not to get our hopes up... that if the tumors were slightly larger than before it would be good news. If they had stopped growing it would be great news. And, if they were reduced slightly in size the ultimate news. Judy said in all the time she's been doing what she does she's never seen a report come back like the one I got today.

So, everything I'm doing seems to be working. Please continue to pray for me because I think that's a HUGE part of why I'm doing so well. I'll continue to watch my diet, keep exercising, and keep taking the supplements.

We were supposed to be headed down to my Mom's for Passover tomorrow, but Rachael's been running a fever for the past couple of days. If it's down tomorrow we'll head down on Sunday. Passover's not until Monday night, so we have a bit of time. We'll come back here on Tuesday.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and good wishes. I can't tell you how much they mean to me. And, if you're still waiting for a thank you note from me, please know I'm still way behind, but hoping to get caught up in the next two weeks!

Love,

Deb

Sorry, I know it's been a while since I last posted. For the most part, it's a good sign. I've been feeling well which means my days have been full and I'm exhausted by evening.

Passover at my Mom's was quick, but nice. I was glad to expose the girls to the seder and all of the traditions that go with it. I was grateful to my Mom and brother for putting everything together - I'd have been stretched doing that on a normal year.

We had a wonderful time this weekend as a family. Saturday I was feeling well enough that we were able to go to breakfast together (and I even ate). On Sunday we all went to the beach. The girls and I love everything about the beach. Howard hates the sand. Boy, does Howard hate the sand. However, he spent the entire time we were there in the water playing with the girls (thus avoiding the sand). It had been a long time since I'd attempted to build a sandcastle. I was making progress on a pretty cool one when Rachael The Destructor came along. She loves nothing more than totally destructing things, whether my sandcastle or Allie's block castles and other creations. Hopefully she'll grow into wanting to help build things soon instead of just destroying them. The highlight of Allie's beach experience was speaking with the lifeguard. She told her, "I'm going to be a lifeguard when I get your age… but first I have to learn to swim!"

On Monday I started back to work part-time. It felt awesome to get out of the house and back to a job. They have me doing database work, but I'm grateful that even though it's somewhat repetitive I still have to use my brain while I'm doing it. I felt good while I was working and was able to work straight through until 1:00 p.m. I'd probably have worked longer if I didn't think Howard would have yelled at me for over-doing it.

When I got home on Monday I had my telephone interview for the Social Security administration. The person who I spoke with there was very nice. Unfortunately, he was unable to access any of my online application which I'd spent two hours completing the night before. He told me that if I make more than $810 a month I won't qualify for disability or any type of social security, so that's going to change my game plan for working. I know everyone in the world already knows this about our government, but it still amazes me that they're basically forcing me NOT to work. I can see reducing benefits if you make over a certain amount. However, the way it's set up is so illogical. The other catch is that if they DO consider me disabled (which is unlikely first round), the earliest we could get benefits is June - 5 months after I technically became disabled.

Although I had a wonderful weekend, I felt I was fighting a bit of some type of stomach flu. It caught up with me Monday night. I spent a good part of today getting re-hydrated at the doctor's office and was unable to work. I had to call-in on my second day. Good grief. The nurse I saw thinks it's just a side-effect from the chemotherapy. My thrush is back in a major way and she thinks that I basically have a yeast infection in my digestive tract. Once again, I'm dropping weight and having some trouble eating. I'm still on the Diflucan, but apparently it's not working. They gave me a dose via IV today, which usually stimulates my appetite, but still no luck on that front.

Life on the chemo ward today, was downright depressing. I don't know who bussed in the mopey and old folks who were in there today, but it was quite a crowd. Much more stereotypical of what one thinks of as a "cancer ward". However, on an up-note, I got to meet my telephone buddy, Ana. She's beautiful and full of life and meeting her in person really gave me a boost. Judy hadn't told her about my latest CATScan results, so I got to break the good news to her in person. That was exciting.

Howard thinks that my intestinal problems are all in my head. I'm frustrated that that's ALWAYS the first thing he thinks. The nurse looked right at him and told him these things happen as a result of the chemo and that it wasn't anything I did. He seemed to hear her in the office, but it fell out of his head by the time we came home. He looked straight at me tonight and told me that if the culture they do comes back negative he'll know it's all just stress!!! Yeah, thanks for the support. And, if it were all stress??? I'm quite sure that attitude would really help me be LESS stressed.

I read about it ahead of time, but now I'm experiencing in first-hand… cancer is REALLY hard on a marriage. In so many ways this is harder for Howard than it is for me. However, it's no great picnic on this end either. I know he doesn't deal well with sick people and I know he gets really upset when he can't control all the factors in a situation, however, my take on it is that's just life. Deal with it best you can. Unfortunately, basic human instinct is to take it out on those closest to you. I'm sure Howard and I will talk our way through it. If there's one thing I'm proud of that we've worked hard on in our marriage it's our communication skills. The catch is finding a time when he's not too frustrated and I'm not too tired to listen and thrash through all of it.

Having said all that, I'll end on a positive note… my bloodwork came back great today. All of my stats, including my white blood cells were in the "normal" range. It means that in spite of feeling pretty crappy today, I'm actually doing well. The fluids they gave me made a difference and I'm hoping to be back to work and more of a "normal" schedule tomorrow.

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a while since I last posted. I've started working part-time in the mornings. I come home, eat lunch, and take a nap for a couple of hours. By the time I get up, if I have one or two things to do, I find myself sleepy again and Howard & I are into the kid's dinner and bedtime routines. I've been too pooped at night to keep up this journal, but given the fact I'm back in the world, at least on a part-time basis, I really am doing well.

I'm still on the same chemo schedule - 3 weeks on, 1 week off. Yesterday was week #1 of my third cycle of chemo. I go for my next CATScan in mid-April. I am hopeful that it will show even less tumors than the last. I dared to ask the unaskable at my last dr's appt. "Once the CATScan shows-up totally clear, how much longer will I have to go for chemo?" The answer came back, "probably another 3-6 months". So, chances are I'll be going through the majority of this year. Don't get me wrong - I thank God for the drugs on a daily basis - without them I could be dead by now. However, now that I'm starting to feel better I'm over-anxious to get back to doing everything I used to do. I don't like being so limited. It's immensely frustrating. Plus, each week I get chemo, I get a bit more tired than the last, just due to the build-up of drugs in my system - the nurse has assured me that this is totally normal and, unfortunately, will continue to happen.

The girls are doing great. Rachael loves pre-school. Allie likes having her little sister with her there. They're still both very clingy with me, which is to be expected. From time to time they each express fears about me having to go into the hospital again. However, on the whole, they're dealing well with everything and love having me home instead of working all the time.

Tonight one of my best friends in the whole world, Dawn, is flying in from CT to spend the weekend with me. She and I go back all the way to first grade together. I can't wait for her to get here. I think it's not only going to be a fun weekend, but a theraputic one as well. She has two kids of her own. I son in elementary school and daughter the same age as Allie - for her to get free, even for a long weekend, was really quite an accomplishment.

Howard's hanging in there. He certainly caught the brunt of everything and is dealing as well as can be expected. He's trying to find paying gigs for his artwork. He really can't go out and find full-time employment because I really need him around here. There's just way too much that he's doing. He's now in charge of the girls in the afternoon, the household cleaning and laundry, meals, etc. Plus, he takes care of me when I'm not capable of doing it for myself. The thought of having to put the girls in full-time daycare is not one I'm willing to consider at this point - they've been through too much already. We'll look at the situation again once Allie starts kindergarten in the Fall. However, I think even though she's in full-day kindergarten, they get out at like 2:30 in the afternoon, so she'll need someone available to pick her up.

We're in the process of applying for state and federal aid and are waiting to hear back from the state. I still have a bit of work to do to complete the federal forms. If we qualify for SSI disability (which we should, but will take time), we'll be able to get by. It's all just bureaucracy and more bureaucracy.

I'm finally off of the pain patch!!! I still have some withdrawal symptoms (like I'm freezing cold all of the time, until my hot flashes hit). I put on my last patch more than a week ago and took it off after 5 days (last Monday). I hit one day where I was a bit down and very weepy, but nothing like the last time I tried to get off of it. I'm noticing that, at least for now, I'm a bit more emotional, but that could also be due to the introduction of hormone replacement drugs. Too many things going on to be sure!!!

All-in-all I'd say I'm doing quite well.

I have a request for you guys. Some of you have been kind enough to tell me that my journals have been very inspirational, but no one has told me in what way or how. If you have any thoughts on how they've helped or inspired you, I'd love to hear your story.

Keep up those prayers - we're winning this battle with your help.

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

I had a phenomenal weekend with my best friend here. Unfortunately, Howard and I discovered a pattern - fatigue hits approximately 3 days after chemo - just in time for the weekend. However, we were able to go to the beach on Friday (we took Rachael, but Allie had to go to school because she was grounded). Saturday I was totally wiped out and we just hung around. Sunday we took the kids to the mall to play at the "play place" - the free jungle gym in the middle of the mall and we even had lunch there. Sunday afternoon, after nap, Dawn watched the girls for us and Howard and I went to a movie together. This morning I had to take her to the airport, so reality settled back in a bit. But it was nice having her here while it lasted!

We also found out this weekend that we've been approved for state aid. Basically, that means food stamps and even more importantly, Medicaid. I'm still waiting for my medical information to show up to find out what type of benefits we'll have. According to the person we spoke with at the state agency, it should cover pretty much everything and we should even have prescription coverage. However, I'm skeptical because I still haven't seen anything in writing.

Howard's been busy looking into various local schools. There are several in the area that have specialty art degrees (such as computer animation) that he'd be able to get in one year. We've had a couple of people ask us why he hasn't gone out and gotten a job yet. The truth is, around here, for what he could make, it's just not worth it. It would take a lot of sacrifice for all of us if he weren't around here - he's pretty much been the glue keeping this family together. He does almost all of the housework and childcare, plus takes care of me on my off days. And, what he could make right now would disqualify us for aid while not even covering childcare expenses - plus the fact we'd have to put both girls in full-time daycare, which neither of us wants to do. So, school would certainly require some of the same sacrifices, but in just one year's time he'd probably be in a position to support the whole family and my income would then be able to be secondary. So, we'll see what happens.

That's about it for now. Just wanted to jot-out a quick update. Thank you for your continued prayers. My next CATScan will be in mid-May. You'll know how it goes when I know.

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

I know I've not been posting all that often, but things have finally settled down a lot and so I really haven't had a whole lot to report.

It's been wonderful to be able to work a bit. Getting out of the house is definitely an important thing for my mental health. I think my biggest challenge right now is that I need to keep up my exercise routine and good eating habits as my life slides back into a somewhat more normal mode. Old habits die hard. Unfortunately, I'm all too aware that if I do slip back into my old unhealthy habits it could be me dying vs. my habits! Definite reason to make sure I keep up the new habits.

Walking daily has gotten a lot harder because it's been hot and humid lately. By the time I used to walk in the afternoon it's been about 87-88 degrees and very humid. Not walking weather. I think I need to try to move it later into the evening, but we get so caught up with the girls later on, it hasn't happened. I'm aware I need to make it happen, one way or another. So, this is my next goal.

The girls are doing great. I have a funny Allie story to share... she asked Howard when his birthday was. He responded, "October". She asked, "When's that?" He replied, "When do you think it is?" He said she thought for a few moments and then giggled and said, "When eight of your toes get cold?" (Oct-toe-brrrrr) He asked when the other two toes got cold and she shrugged and said, "November and December?"

Rachael's doing wonderfully in pre-school. She's starting to learn her letters and numbers and seems to be excited about learning. However, by the time we pick her up at noon, she's very ready to come home. She goes straight into naptime and sleeps for a couple of hours. She's got a long way to go before she could handle a full-day there. Her big thing now is that she wants to be old enough to go on field trips like her big sister. However, that won't happen for her until they move the classes up next August.

Yesterday was a "heavy" chemo day for me. It hit me pretty hard. I was totally exhausted by the time I got home and, after dinner, retreated to bed for the evening. However, this morning I was feeling much better. And, next week is Week #4 for me, which means I have the week off!!! Yay! I'm hoping for a wonderful week. My first week #4 I was coming off of the pain patch and was a horrible mess. My second week #4 I was having problems with thrush, dehydration, and diahrea - I had to go to the doctor even though it was supposed to be a break. So, third time's a charm. I'm GOING to have a great week next week!

I've been feeling a lot better the past week (excluding yesterday - post-chemo). The one thing I've added to my diet that I think has made a difference is a particular mineral water called Trinity Springs. It comes from a natural well. It sounds crazy (even to me), however, that's the only real change I've made. I drank it several months ago and was feeling good. Then I ran out and was drinking purified water. We kept thinking, "we need to buy more of that mineral water" because I seemed to drink more water when we had it, but just didn't get around to it. Also, it's expensive and only available through certain health food stores. However, after starting back on it and having it make such a difference in my overall energy, I don't think I'll be running out again.

Hey, I finally got a bunch of "thank you" notes written yesterday. So, if you've been waiting like 2 or 3 months for one, it may be on its way! All I can say is "sorry" and thank you for your patience. Please know how much all of your support has been appreciated along the way.

I think that's about it for now. Time to get the kids into evening routine.

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

No results yet from Friday's CATScan. My doctor's appointment is Monday, so I'll find out then. The CATScan itself was a bit easier than the others. I was able to eat a real breakfast Friday morning, so the contrast I had to drink stayed down much better than previous attempts. Also, the further along I get, the stronger I am, so it doesn't affect me quite as much. And, third time's a charm - this was my week off from chemo. I still have limited energy, but I got a taste this week of what life was like before chemo. I'm definitely looking forward to getting well someday and having my old energy back. My Monday night report with the CATScan results should hit the website sometime Tuesday morning.

The building where I got the CATScan done is in a part of town (Altamonte) that has a lot of really cool strip malls and a large variety of stores and restaurants. I was able to order-in my protein drinks at a health food store that is much less expensive than GNC or my local store. I also FINALLY got to stop in at a "Farmer's Market" store that we've passed a million times. I walked in and was like a kid in a candy store. Whole watermelons for $3.75, peaches for 89 cents a lb., all different types of apples for 99 cents a lb., English cucumbers for $1.29 each and on-and-on… fruit and produce everywhere! It wasn't as "pretty" and ding-free as the fruit in the grocery store, so I wasn't sure how it would all taste, but at those prices I was willing to take a chance. $30.00 later I walked out with about 5 bags of fruit and vegetables. After nap time I started cutting fruit - it was all SO yummy. It really was fresh produce. Now I'm hooked. I think we're going to have to stop whenever we're near that part of town.

Today was somewhat of a lazy day, which is a bit unusual for us on a Saturday. We usually go out for breakfast, but no one felt like moving today. So, Howard went out and got fresh bagels instead. We let the girls hang out on the couch eating bagels (which is a big deal, because they're generally not allowed to bring food of any kind onto the carpeted areas). We all watched TV together for a while. Once I actually got myself moving I spent the morning working on a freelance project on the computer. I definitely need to reconfigure the ergonomic layout of my home computer station - my mousing shoulder is killing me! But, I'm feeling pretty good about things though, because I got most of the project done.

After nap, Allie and I went grocery shopping… one of the really little things in life I've come to appreciate being able to do again. It's not so much that I love the "act" of grocery shopping. It's more that it's NOT a natural thing for Howard, so unless I'm VERY specific about brand and remember every last little detail for the grocery list, we always end up running out of stuff. I'm enjoying the fact I now have enough energy to be able to walk an entire grocery store (AND push a cart). And, I actually enjoy shopping with Allie - she's got a mind like a steel trap and remembers every last thing that we may have run out of within the last few weeks. Plus, she loves food and actually seems to appreciate the stuff I buy (which is admittedly a bit odd for a 4-year-old).

Which brings me to my only kid story for the week… Allie is turning out to be a little Food TV addict. She knows all the major chefs and frequently asks me to watch Food TV INSTEAD OF cartoons or a kids' show. We're at Perkin's Friday night for dinner and she ordered Mickey Mouse pancakes. They came with a side of chocolate chips, which we wouldn't let her eat until the end of the meal. Howard took some of the chips and sprinkled them over the few pieces of pancakes that were left. Allie tried it, paused, and said, "I don't like the taste of it." Howard asked her, "What don't you like about it." She replied, "I like the style, I love the texture, but the flavors just don't blend." Howard tried a piece and said darnned if the kid wasn't right on all three counts!

This morning Allie and I were talking about all the different chefs she enjoys watching. I asked her if she could meet just one, who would it be? I was sure she was going to say Rachel Ray, because her favorite show is 30-Minute Meals. I almost fell over when she said, "Wolfgang Puck." Then she said, "Someday when I'm big maybe I can be on Iron Chef and go up against Wolfgang. I think that would be fun." I'm quite sure between now and then she'll go through a hundred different careers that she'll want to consider (at least I hope she'll think about all sorts of things). However, she LOVES to work in the kitchen and prepare food, so I'm hoping the phase will last. In the meantime, I let her watch Alton Brown whenever I can and she's actually starting to grab some of the basic scientific principles. She's also starting to be able to tell me which foods contain protein, which foods are carbohydrates, etc., and is aware that you need a balance of things at each meal. I think she knows more about food now, at the age of 4, than I did when I was 18. On a side note, she's still learning to tie her shoes, so she's not too far out of "normal" for her age range on MOST things.

OK… one more story with pictures, to boot! Tonight was "bath night" for the girls. After dinner, Howard told them that if they wanted to, they could get into the bathtub and each eat a whole piece of watermelon, any way they liked so that they wouldn't have to worry about getting messy. He had a bowl for spitting seeds. The resulting mess was hysterical. They both had watermelon ear-to-ear and from head to toe. And, I thought Howard's idea was great - the entire post-watermelon mess went right down the drain.

Allie's Enthusiastic Start

Rachael's Moment of Zen...

All Gone!!

I think that's about it for now. I promise I'll put something up Monday night (to hit Tuesday) with my CATScan results. I'm feeling good, so I'm hoping for the best.

Thanks for listening!

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone!

Great news!!! I had my doctor's appointment today and got my CATScan results... no visible cancer. I am officially in "partial remission". I'll go for a PetScan sometime next week (still to be scheduled), which should show whether or not there's still cancer in the lymphnodes. If the PetScan is clear, I'll officially be in "remission". Partial remission means I'm better for now, but who knows if it'll last. Regular remission is a more long-term outlook.

When I left the doctor's office today, I thought they were going to take me totally off of the Oxalyplatin, which is the drug that has the most side-effects. I couldn't have been more thrilled. However, once I got home, I got a call from Nurse Judy (the study nurse) who informed me that when she called to confirm that she was reading the Clinical Study directions correctly, found out that she wasn't. There's a chance that they may kick me out of the study which, now that Avastin is on the market, is not a big deal. Also, if my doctor doesn't think I need the Oxalyplatin any more I'll voluntarily leave the study rather than stay on a heavy-duty drug that I don't need. If my doctor thinks I should stay on the drug a bit longer I certainly will, whether in the study or not. I may find out which way this is going tomorrow. Or, I may not find out until I show up for chemo on Wednesday morning. Other reason I may choose to leave the study is that it will require me to continue getting CATScans every six weeks, even if I'm getting PetScans and they're clear. The contrast I have to drink makes me sick for a couple of days and it's not something I'm willing to keep doing if there's no medical reason to subject myself to them.

The other thing I found out today is that it looks like I'm going to have to be on the Avastin for a LONG time - "indefinitely" as my doctor put it. Once I'm done with the other medications, it would mean having to go for chemo once every two weeks for only about an hour (only ˝ hour actual administration time). However, if that's what it takes to keep me alive, then so be it. One hour every two weeks sounds like a real pain-in-the-butt, but it certainly beats having cancer growing in me or, even worse, death. That's one thing I've discovered in all of this - the alternatives to NOT exercising, eating right, etc. have become so high-stakes that it's made most of my decisions on a daily basis quite easy. I've struggled my whole life to exercise more and eat better - without very good results. However, once it was clear to me, "do this or die," doing it became much easier!

I'll check in again with everyone Wednesday night (will post Thursday) to let you all know how the chemo went and what was decided regarding the drugs and the study.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout this ordeal. It's not over yet, but I can now say with confidence, I'M WINNING THE WAR!!! I can take a deep breath and know that I'll be around for a while longer. I'm grateful for every day God grants me!

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm still in the research study - that means I'm still on ALL the drugs, including the one with the strong side effects. My doctor feels it's safer to err on the side of caution than to take me off of the drug only to find out I still needed it. I'm hoping that if the PetScan (scheduled for next Thursday) comes up clean he'll reconsider, but that thought is not based on anything substantial. I had a weird allergic reaction today to that same drug - my right hand and foot swelled up and got really numb. I know the chemo effects can be cumulative; I think that's probably what's happening. Next week is my "light" week, so I won't have to worry about it for 2 more weeks.

Allie has a pre-school "graduation" tomorrow evening. She gets to wear a little cap & gown, and she's VERY excited about it. I'll take pictures and will post if I get a good one. Personally, it seems kind of silly to me because she's still in the same class for the rest of the summer. However, this will mark the end of the academic year and the beginning of the summer session. On Friday they're taking all of the Kangaroos (what they call the kids in her age bracket) to Olive Garden for a celabratory lunch.

Once we pick Allie up from her lunch we're headed down to my Mom's for the weekend. I'm looking forward to a bit more pampering and, quite frankly, just a break in the routine that will get me out of the house. Saturday will be a nice, lazy day. Based on past experience, I'll probably get hit with the effects from today's chemo (it will be 3 days later), which will render me a slug. If I'm up to it, Mom will babysit for us in the afternoon and Howard & I will get to a movie together. If not, he'll go and I'll sleep all day!

On Sunday we're going to Howard's cousins' house in Jupiter. They're people I knew of but did really know until we came to Florida. They're very warm and are terrific folks - I'm thrilled my girls are getting to know them. Also, when we were in Connecticut last summer for Memere's funeral, “Aunt Lou” (Memere's sister) was in and spent a significant amount of time with the kids. I think they all fell in love with each other. They're excited they're going to get to visit with her.

Monday the girls and I are all going for haircuts. Allie wants her beautiful, long blonde hair cut short “like Mommy's.” I should be flattered, but I'm a bit heartbroken she wants to cut it all off. However, I always swore that if I had a daughter I'd let her do whatever she wanted with her hair, so I've held my tongue. It matters that she likes the way it looks; not that I like it. And then there's Rachael... we've had the dead ends of her hair trimmed, but have never really cut it before out of fear that the curls would be gone for good. However, I now think it's time. Her ends are really damaged and she really needs several inches off of the back. If she's lucky, the curls won't go away. But either way, it's time to find out!

Monday afternoon we'll head home again - back to routine on Tuesday. Wednesday morning I have my short chemo day. Wednesday afternoon we have an appointment to bring the girls to WIC. Allie would only qualify through August, but Rachael would qualify indefinitely (until she turns 5). Also, our old pediatrician was able to refer us to a new one, so we'll finally be able to get her in for her 3-year check-up. I found out that Medicaid covers dental for the kids, so I need to find a dentist for them and get them in there, too.

Next Thursday morning I go for the PetScan. I'm SO hoping to find out that the cancer's left my body! On the flipside, I know better than to get my hopes up. Just having the CATScan come up clean is so major I don't want to tempt fate by bein ungrateful or greedy. But, let's face it, everyone who knows me knows that I've always wanted big things and I've never been all that patient. Although, in my own defense, I'm MUCH better than I used to be and am so much more patient that I've ever been before. It's one of those things that's just so relative.

I'm still working part-time doing data entry for the company I worked for when I got sick. They've been great about letting me come and go as I need to. It's been wonderful having a place to get up and go to in the morning. Most mornings I drop the girls at school on the work to work (they love that). I think, for Allie, the reason she loves it so much ist that it feels "more normal" to her. It's the way the routine worked before I got sick.

I woke up last Sunday with a rotten cold. I was relaly hoping it would go away on its own, but it's starting to head south into my chest instead. That means I have to take an antibiotic AGAIN, which means the thrush will be back within a day or two! And, i was just feeling like it was finally under control. The good news is I've gained back enough weight that if I lose a few pounds next week, I'll still be fine. And, at least I'll know why I have thrush and that it's possible to get rid of it eventually.

I think that's all the news that's fit to print! Have a great weekend. I'll most likely post again next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Happy Birthday, Andy & Mom!

Love,

Deb

Hi Everyone,

We had a wonderful weekend in West Palm. It was a great visit both with my Mom and with Howard's cousins. The girls spent the weekend swimming, at both places, and had a fantastic time. Howard & I got our date out on Saturday. We went to see “Troy” and then had lunch together. I'm not much of an epic-movie person. However, it was pretty good — definitely worth seeing.

The girls and I did get our hair cut yesterday. Both Allie and I really got ours cut short. I'll have to post a picture sometime soon. Allie seems to love her new hairdo. And, if she decides she doesn't, she can always grow it back.

I'm looking at a short chemo day tomorrow and PetScan on Thursday. I'll post PetScan results as soon as I get them.

My cold is all gone and I didn't get thrush! I finish up the antibiotic today. This is the first time I've been able to keep the thrush at bay. Yay!

I've received notes lately from a few different folks from my past (both snail mail and e-mail). For those who have dropped me a line, just to let me know I'm in your thoughts and prayers - thank you so much! It's been great to hear from you.

Well, this was just a quick check-in. I'll post again when the test results come through.

Love,

Deb