WAITING FOR THE BLIZZARD!!

The snow is coming...just beginning to arrive in Hot Springs! It is hard to believe that we have gotten this much snow this year....I love the beauty and purity of the snow...love watching the birds and squirrels and love seeing my furry daughters hop around in it like rabbits! Everything looks so bright, clean and fresh! I don't like that people have to get out in it, have accidents or fall. I truly miss my job, but at times like these, I am grateful that I don't have the stress of getting to work and having to stay the night at the hospital. I pray for the safety of my friends and co workers as they make their way in. We are expecting around 8 to 10 inches of snow here, which is very unusual for us....12 degrees here tonight...and then a warming trend this weekend to the 60's, with a touch of Spring next week...gotta love Arkansas weather! The horse races at Oaklawn are closed again today, which is bad for the economy here...I think they have already had to close six days this season so far, due to the weather...perhaps, they will be able to make up the days at the end of the season.

I am grateful to have a warm house and fireplace during this weather...thankful that hubby will be off work after today...he works at a grocery store and he said yesterday was like Christmas or Thanksgiving...they were so busy with people preparing for the storm. I am grateful that my sweet sister will be able to stay warm and work from home.

There is something about this kind of weather that makes you want to cook comfort food and bake. I am now on the uphill swing of the chemo cycle and feeling much better...will cook something good today and probably bake some cookies! I also hope to get some cards made...had gotten behind on this since I have felt so bad. I am looking forward to a good rest of the week...going to church on Sunday, then ya ya time and then chemo again on Monday!

Keeping my pink gloves on....(along with my hat), and keep "Fighting Like a Girl"!

Hoping everyone stays warm and safe...have a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the beauty of the snow!

FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN RUN OVER BY THE "CHEMO TRUCK"!!!

This last chemo treatment really zapped me....red, achy, tired and some nausea. I am happy to say that I am on the mend...this should be a good week. I hate feeling bad with the chemo, but I really hate having to miss church and ya ya time on Sundays..getting out for this just makes my whole week go better...nothing like worship time and craft time to lift your spirits. I had planned on going to Little Rock today, go to Bible Study tonight, spend the night with Kimberly and then try and meet with Linda in the morning. When I got up this morning at 4:00, it was snowing like crazy...although it has now warmed up and most of it has melted. My leg is a little swollen today, so I have decided to stay home and look forward to next weekend. We are supposed to get another BIG winter storm on Wednesday. I have always loved snow and the beauty of it...but I think I have had enough this year...I am ready for Spring and planting flowers and vegetables.

We are really getting excited about our beach trip in October! Missy has already been researching houses and condos...and is already getting some good response. The beach was mine and Jennifer's favorite place to go together. I know that it will be hard to go without her...but, I really think that she would want me to go...it is so hard to believe that she has been gone for almost five years...sometimes it seems like it was only yesterday....I miss her everyday and always will. I am so grateful of the promise that I will see her again.

Hope everyone stays warm and safe and has a great week. I will keep my pink gloves on and "Keep Fighting Like a Girl"!!

CONFUSION OVER CONTINUED CHEMO

There have been alot of questions about why I must continue to take chemo, although my scans are clear. I was hoping that it would be like my last fight with cancer eleven years ago and after clear scans, I would stop treatment. I can remember Dr. Sternberg telling me eleven years ago, that if the cancer ever came back, that meant that we didn't get it all. Dr. Sneed explained that this cancer is metastatic from the original cancer. When I was diagnosed in July of 1999, I had Stage IIIB Inflammatory Breast Cancer...not a very good diagnosis to receive, but by the love and grace of God and the care of good doctors, I am still here. I found out that I had this recurrence in my bone in December 2009. I have been taking chemo since that time and am doing well, being cancer free at this time. Dr. Sneed says that I am triple negative, meaning negative for taking a hormone pill or other oral treatment. He said that he wants to keep the cancer away and that is why I have to continue the chemo....while receiving my chemo, I have met another lady that had a recurrence a year and a half after her diagnosis of Inflammatory Breast Cancer, as well as a couple of other patients who have had breast or other cancers and they will continue to take the chemo like me. Yes, there are side effects, and yes I have days of not feeling so well...but I get up everyday thanking God that I have another day. He has the plan for me and He is in control. I always pray for God to guide the doctors in my care and others who are facing medical issues. I will continue to trust my doctors and follow their advice. I am so very grateful for my family and wonderful friends who give me so much love, encouragement and support. This means the world to me...I get by with a little help from my friends and the love and grace of God...I will keep my pink gloves on and will "Keep Fighting Like a Girl!"

I just want everyone to know that I really am doing well and am so grateful for all of you...I cherish your friendship.

BUSY WEEKEND AND COMPLETION OF ROUND #24!!!

What a wonderful weekend!! I went to Kimberly's on Saturday morning...had some wonderful ya ya time with Kimberly and Lisa...then on to a surprise engagement party for Stacie and Herman...so such a beautiful and happy couple...I was so happy to be a part of their celebration! On Sunday morning, I went to early church, then back to Kimberly's where we had a wonderful lunch and were joined by friends and family to work on our blanket project for the Jennifer Project and for the patients in the chemo room where I receive my chemo...with alot of love and help, we were able to complete 30 blankets...they were very well received at chemo..will brighten the room and keep the patients warm while receiving their infusions...will try to get the Jennifer Project blankets delivered soon. Sunday night,I met with the Pajama Mama's, our little group that meets at IHOP wearing our Pajamas...we had three new members and had such a great time....Laughter is really the best medicine and we had our share...alot of the other customers said they wished they had known it was pajama night LOL! We explained about our little group, saying we thought this was more fun than wearing a red hat! On Monday, I had Round #24 of chemo...Dr. Sneed said that my cancer markers are up..we will watch this closely, but he is glad that my scans are clear...that is what we use to determine the success of the chemo..the numbers can fluctuate for different reasons...he said that I look good and he is happy with my progress...will just keep my pink gloves on and "Keep Fighting Like a Girl"....I know that God is in control and that He is in control all the time! After chemo, Missy joined us and treated us to wonderful lunch at MiMi's cafe...yum! Missy and I then went to this wonderful bakery and got dessert...we then went for a manicure, then back to Kimberly's for dessert and a good visit. I went to Bible Study afterwards and then came back and spent the night with Kimberly. My plan was to meet Linda Young Tuesday morning before coming home to celebrate her birthday with breakfast at Cracker Barrel...we postponed our plans until next week because of the horrible weather....As you can tell, I had a wonderful weekend...it was so good to get out of the house and be with friends after having a couple of homebound weeks due to chemo..."I get by with a little help from my friends and the love and grace of God! I am so grateful and feel so blessed!

The weather here is very cold...19 degrees here with a wind chill of 8 degrees...nothing like my relatives in Illinois are experiencing...but very cold here in Arkansas...so thankful to have a warm house and a great fireplace to snuggle by with my furry daughters...

CHEMO ROUND #23 DOWN!!!

Finished Round #23 yesterday...was changed to Zofran for the anti nausea drug given with the chemo. I had forgotten that Zofran can give you a bad headache and bad heart burn...remembered during the night and took Zantac and it worked miracles..still not much sleep due to the steroids, but I will probably be able to sleep tonight. I sure do miss my friend, sweet Anita. We so enjoyed our chats on our chemo induced insomnia nights...she will be missed forever. and never forgotten.

I didn't have to see Dr. Sneed with this treatment, so I was able to take it here in Hot Springs...saved me a trip to Little Rock. I also get the chance to meet new people and hear their stories. I met one sweet lady and when I told her that I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer eleven years ago, she said "Oh, my God, and you are still alive!" She said that she had a friend that had IBC and she lost her fight after fourteen months. I told her that I was very thankful and grateful...and that God has the plan for each of us, and we just have to put our faith in Him and trust Him!

On Sunday after church, Sherry hosted a surprise 50th birthday party for Lisa Ellison..it was such a perfect day....she was totally surprised..she had thought the party was for me, celebrating being cancer free. Sherry was the perfect hostess, the food was awesome and it was so good being with friends, visiting and laughing..I had not been able to go to church for three weeks because of being sick and then the weather...this was the perfect cure for my cabin fever.

Thanks again for all the continued love, support and prayers...I appreciate it so very much...I have my pink gloves on and will continue to "Fight Like a Girl!"

BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE...BRRRRRR!!!

We got our first big snowfall in many years...we had seven inches on the ground here in Hot Springs! It is just beautiful...hasn't been this cold since 1996...it was 11 degrees here this morning. As much as I have hated having to retire from the job I so loved, I can say that I am truly grateful for not having to worry about driving to Little Rock in this weather...I would be a nervous wreck...also glad that Kimberly, Mandy and Denise were able to work from home too...I am sort of a worry wart when it comes to things like this.

We got all the bird feeders filled just in time...have enjoyed watching all the cardinals, wrens and sparrows so much...I don't remember ever having this many cardinals before...perhaps, I just never took the time to enjoy them...it sure has been fun!

The sun is out again today, so maybe we will have some more melting....I think that if I don't get to go to church this Sunday, my cabin fever will get the best of me...it should not be a problem since the weekend temps are supposed to be in the 40's and I won't have chemo again until Monday...ready to get out for a bit!

I hope eveyone is enjoying the beautiful winter weather and staying warm and safe...I still have my pink gloves on "Fighting Like a Girl"!....and they are quite warm, too!

CHEMO ROUND #22 DOWN....WILL KEEP ON "Fighting Like a Girl''!

On Monday, I had my 22nd chemo treatment....was hoping to change the treatments to space them out a little bit since my PET scan and Brain scan were clear of cancer. Dr. Sneed explained to me that I was triple negative...meaning H2R negative, as well as Estrogen and Progesterone negative. This means that there isn't a hormone pill that would help me...on my first diagnosis eleven years ago, I was H2R positive and was able to take Herceptin. Although my recurrence is from the original cancer, it has changed to H2R negative. Kimberly asked Dr. Sneed if he thought I would be doing this well after the diagnosis of the return cancer last December...he said no, that triple negative is not a good diagnosis. He explained that I will need to continue taking the chemo every two weeks as long as I am responding and the cancer has not returned. He said if they changed the chemo drugs at this time, then there could be more side effects and that also we don't want to use all our guns now, and not have something to go to, if the cancer returns. I always pray for God to guide my doctors in my care and others who are fighting cancer and other health problems. I totally trust Dr. Sneed...he has gotten me through this past year of treatments very well...and I know that God is always in control and that He is good. I will keep my pink gloves on "Fighting Like a Girl"!

More good news is that Pete's brain scan results were clear too...PTL..the doctor said that he could have had a mini stroke that would not show up on the MRI causing his episodes of dropping things, but it could have also been from a virus, since he was just recovering from the bad case of bronchitis he had. Also, the kidney test he had done showed that he had no blockage from the kidney, but possibly a kidney stone causing his back pain. We will make an appointment with his kidney doctor to find out more. I think that we can both be very grateful for starting the new year with good news!

Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement you gave us while undergoing these tests and waiting for the results...."I get by with a little help from my friends and the love and grace of God!"