Just wanted to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!"
I hope everyone is able to spend some time with their loved ones, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. I'm praying for anyone that might read this who isn't looking forward to Christmas and is sad and/or lonely. May God give you a miracle as we celebrate the birth of His son. May He comfort you and give you the peace that only He can give. May you feel his arms around you and feel safe and loved beyond your wildest imagination. Accept the gift of His Son, Jesus, and you'll have a new home (Heaven) and a new family (the body of Christ)!
I'm posting some recent pictures of my family. The one with all of us is on Thanksgiving (2011), the one where Rich is giving me a foot rub I included because this shows how I sometimes have to deal with the neuropathy in my feet! Rich's foot rubs really help! The other 2 were taken 12-18-11 on Charlie's Dedication day ( at our church we dedicate babies to the Lord, and they can choose to be baptized when they are older).
Love and blessings!
Tina
Just in case you were wondering how I really felt about it!
This morning, as I checked my e-mail, I found 2 e-mails from colon cancer survivors that now think they may have breast cancer. One woman I've "known" for a while through her blog, and the support she gave me while I was going through treatment for colon cancer, and the other I just "met" today, when she contacted me through my blog. What a bummer!
I will be praying for them both, and doing what I can to help them and answer their questions. I've mentioned the website, breastcancer.org, to both of them. There are women on that site that are going or have gone through just about everything. It can be a little overwhelming at first, because, of course, people on there share their bad experiences, but when you get connected with some others (like I am part of the "June Chemo" thread) it can be incredibly supportive. I wish there was something similar for colon cancer. None of the colon cancer sites I've found compare to the bc site.
I've found there are differences between the 2 cancers. At first, the bc didn't scare me as much as the cc. And, it still doesn't, but the it's the treatment that scares me. I hope to NEVER go through chemo again! The cc (colon cancer) was less disfiguring, and when I was done with chemo, I was DONE. With bc, the treatment seems to go on forever. Everyone is different, but many of us will have more than one surgery, chemo, radiation, and then possibly Herceptin(1 year) or an estrogen inhibitor(5 years!). I had no idea there were so many different types of bc. Then, of course, there is the loss of hair and eyelashes, which makes you look like a cancer patient--something I didn't have with cc. For me, though, the loss of my breast was the most difficult. It's not such a big deal to me now, but it sure was difficult at the time. It's something that I had to work through with God.
Then there are so many other cancers out there! We lost one of our bloggers this past week. I think it may have even been on Thanksgiving. A young woman, early 30's, who has been battling lung cancer for the past 2 years. She was such a vibrant, adventurous woman. So sad.
Well, that should give you some reason for the title of my blog!
On a better note...
I had a very nice Thanksgiving with my family. Our group was Rich, me, Rachel, Ken, Brennan, Alyssa, Jaren (he was in Iraq last year!), Shonna, and my sister, Dee. I've come down with some sinus crap, so everyone really chipped in and helped me out. Rachel and Jaren both had to work, so we had an early dinner--about 1:30. I have soooo much to be thankful to God for!! He is so good!!!
I'm starting to feel a little better today. I slept in and stayed home from church. Shonna just left to head back to Kansas City. I haven't done any shopping yet--just some looking online and gathering ideas. Hope my head clears soon, so I can get things done and not get too far behind. I'm going to have Rich get the Christmas stuff out from under the steps, and I'll work on that this week.
I've had 20 (I think) out of 33 radiation treatments so far. I've had a 4 day break, and my skin is still pretty red. My hair is coming in, but it's so light and fine that I still look bald; it'll be awhile before I can go without a hat or scarf! My eyelashes are growing, but still too sparse and short for mascara--hopefully soon!
I had my MUGA (heart function) scan on Friday, and I will get the results of that on Wed. when I see my onc. After rads on Wed. I will go to the cancer center (all at Regions Hospital), and get labs done, see my onc., and then get another Herceptin infusion. I'm hoping I will find that my hemoglobin is back up near normal, and my other counts are all ok. My Rad Onc said this radiation should not affect my white blood counts, because it's not hitting much of my bone marrow. This will be the last time I see my onc. for a while (I think), so I will ask him what the plan is for future scans and tests, for both cancers. I'll also talk to him about going back to work.
Rachel and Ken's fundraiser for their adoption is coming up on Friday. I will post more about this tomorrow, but if you click on Joshua's button on the side of my blog, you will find info there and a link to Rachel's blog. On her blog, there is a tab at the top with fundraiser info. There will be a concert, silent auction, door prizes, free cookies, and other items for sale. Hope to see many of you there!!
Blessings!!
Tina
