4 months since last chemo!

Here's a quick little one, a current pic of my hair, still growing at a rapid rate! And getting pretty curly!

We are alive and healthy!

Ok, so I'm sure everyone is wondering where we went and how we are doing! We are doing great! Except for the pain in my joints, and a new pain in my left arm, I am feeling good. We had a fantastic Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year! We've had many blessings in our lives this past year and are so greatful for our lives. We had a huge snow storm this last week! The kids missed a whole week of school that rolled right into the winter break. (Jake was sick the week before that, so he is missing a whole month of school!) Anyway, life is good, everyone is healthy and happy and my hair is growing very nicely! Here are some pics of the highlights of the past few months....

My sister-in-law Joann and hubby (Kent's brother, Travis) and family moved closer. I am really enjoying getting to know her and love having them closer. Here she is with her little Aubrey (aren't they cute!)


Auntie Celeste came into town, here's a cute one of her and Josh.


Here's Kent and his siblings.


And here are all the girls, messing around of course!


My beautiful sister went to her first formal (she's growing up way too fast!)


My cousin had her baby shower and had her baby (here she is with her niece.) Actually, my uncle also had a baby (they adopted, it's a really beautiful story, I will have to tell some time!) and my other cousin's wife had twins!!



I made parts of all of our halloween costumes (Josh's hat and tie, my skirt, Jake's tie and stripe on pants, and Ethan's ties and mask)


Josh had a birthday party (I'm getting too old! He's already in high school!)



Ethan had his best friend, Kaitlyn, over (I just thought this was cute, he's playing her a song and she has the purple cast.)


Both Jake and Josh were baptized, what a beautiful experience this was! So many people came to support them. Josh was baptized one week and Jake the week after. Amazingly the room was packed both nights, I don't think there was a dry eye at either one! Josh had Grandpa Vern baptize him and Jake had Grandpa Buddy. They both had grandma's and aunt's and uncle's and cousin's give talks and prayers and participate, it was a family event!




Kent and I had our 5th Wedding Anniversary! We went out to a bed and breakfast at the coast called the Edwin K (this was our 3rd year there. They have the most phenomenal breakfast (6 courses) and the rates are great! It's in a little town with some really cute shops (we did some christmas shopping while we were there.) Marv and Laurie who own and run the B&B are the best hosts I've ever encountered. We really enjoy seeing them and I always give Marv a big hug!




We all went out to Aunt Gina's for Thanksgiving (thanks Gina for letting us invade your house, yet again!)




Here's Jake and Lucas, all dressed up!


Looks like Jordan is trying to hit Chaney.....lol

Colorguard Costumes

So, I'm way over due again on updating. I said I would post pics of the costumes and flags that I did for the colorguard, so here they are.





And here's some of Jake and Jewell and Josh. Jake played one of the Bass drums in the fall show and Jewell and Josh played keyboards (vibes and marimba)

I have HAIR!!

So, my hair is growing at a rapid rate! So what if I look like a boy! At least I look like a young boy! Anyway, things are going great! I still get tired but am feeling good. It's hard for me to go slow. I called the doctor's office cuz I was feeling really run down and the nurse asked, "Are you taking time to rest or are you going, going, going?" I said that I've been going, going, going. She said, "That's what we thought." So I guess there is still a recovery time that I will need to work around....lol.

I did all the colorguard costumes for the high school (31 of them) and 80 of the 119 flags (I made all the patterns and had some help from parents in stiching them up.) I couldn't pull all nighters but I did put in lots of hours to get them done. I will post pics later this week. The boys are doing great in the drumline with the band along with my little sis. It's definately a family production!

Hope all is well with everyone! Thanks so much for all of your support!

Updates, updates!

Ok, so I know I'm not really good about the updates. I will try and work on that! Apparently I haven't been on here since July, I guess I have a good excuse but anyway, here I am! And in good health! My second PET scan (which I didn't have as scheduled because I ended up in the hospital with pnuemonia but I finally had it last week) came back "perfect" - according to Dr. Nichols. So I still have "no evidence of disease". So, here is a list of what we've been up to and all the cancer business for the last few months:

July 25th - Was still really anemic (that one has been hitting really hard with the chemo) so had my 4th Blood transfussion.

July 27th - Celebrated my 36th B-day (can you believe I'm that old?) They put 36 candles on my cake, it was classic, 6 of the candles were long ones and they were melting and causing a huge fire on the cake. It was hilarious!

July 30th - Started my last round of chemo (consists of 3 days in a row and then one day a week later, then a week off, plus oral meds for two weeks)- By the way, no more pills for me, now! I am pill free!! And very happy about it, as you can tell!

August 1st - Jake went to a two day youth conference that he had a blast at and then High Adventure for scouts the week after. (Josh had scout camp in July and earned four badges.)

August 6th - My last day of chemo and FINALLY got my PICC line out (if I haven't explained it before, it was a line that stayed in my arm for 4 months that went from my arm directly to my heart, then they didn't have to poke me everytime to draw blood or administer the chemo, etc.) I took a very long shower! (I was sponge bathing for months!) I even had fantastic smelling soap and a scrubby and new towels (courtesy of Karla - Thanks!!)

August 12th - Kent and my two older boys had drum camp (Kent is one of the instuctors, Jake is playing one of the bass drums this year, Josh is playing a zylophone and cymbal and tambourine, and my sister is playing zylophone with four mallets - she's only one year older than Jake)

August 14-16th - I ended up with another fever, had my 5th and final blood transfussion and was in the ER on that saturday. My lungs were hurting as well.

August 18-22nd - I was admitted to the hospital for three days(fever and lungs) and found out that I had pnuemonia (a yucky kind that only people with lower immune systems get - ie: blood cancers and AIDs patients) I missed going to Phantom of the Opera with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law... :(
Kent and the boys had band camp this week, so they were at least having fun, besides being tired!

August 26-28th - We actually went camping, our last hoorah before school started. We had a great time! My dad rented a boat one day and a jet ski the second day, so the kids had a blast being pulled around in tubes.

August 29th - Jake threw a suprise B-day party for one of his friends. We had 8 boys (including our two) sleeping over in our living room. It was a houseful!

August 30th - My NED party. Thanks to everyone that came and those that couldn't, thanks for all your support through all of this!

Sept 2nd and 3rd - Jake and Josh started school. Can't believe that they are both in high school now! (I forgot, I am actually doing all the costumes and flags for the colorguard - they perform field shows with the band - nothing like jumping right back into things!)
Ethan had an eye appointment and needs glasses (we haven't been able to get him to keep them on)

Sept 8th - Had my "perfect" PET scan!

Sept 10th - Ethan started preschool! I am doing a co-op with 4 other moms and we trade off teaching. It's a lot of fun and Ethan had a really great time! Plus the price is right (only ends up being less than $4 a class).

Sept 13th - Boys and my sister had their first performance (just for the parents and families) to show what they have been working on for the fall show. I spent a lot of time chasing Ethan around! He is a very busy boy! I had also been sewing flags for 3 days so the colorguard could have their first set of flags to work with (thanks mom for your help!)

I think that's it for us! Busy as ever!



Ethan and his cousin (his face is classic!)


Josh and my sissy!

Jake brought his friend on the campout

Countdown.....

So, we are officially in countdown mode! I have 2 1/2 more weeks and then I will be done with chemo and get my PICC line out! Hooray!! I will get to take a real shower and go swimming! On that note, I tried to take two of my boys swimming the other day at the community pool. I was going to sit on the side and let Jake (age 15) watch Ethan (age 3). They wouldn't let us in, they said that an 18 year old had to be with him at all times in the water. Needless to say I let my hot headed Latino in me go a little. I wasn't very nice, sorry pool people! I told them "well that's not going to work, I have cancer and a PICC line and I can't get in the water!" Ethan was screaming the whole way out and then told everyone that they wouldn't let him go swimming. It was very sad! Anyway, when we got home, I let him run around in his sprinkler and use his little pool out front.



I guess I also forgot to post that I spent two nights in the hospital the day after the 4th. We had a great time with Kent's family out at the coast and then went to my aunt's for the 4th of July. That night I started with stomach flu symptoms (both ends!) Anyway, I got to where I could keep liquids down and then I ended up with a fever of 102.4. Once I get a fever, they want me to come in so I don't get too sick to finish out my treatments. It was not too bad, I had another blood transfusion (my 3rd now) and got to rest a lot. I have been really tired lately, hence the blood transfusion. So, anyway, I'm feeling great now, just tired of course! I have one round of chemo left and will be done on August 6th!

I'm kicking cancer's A*#!!

So I had my PET scan this week (no I'm not a dog!) So, drum roll please.................there was NOTHING glowing! I have no active cancer! This has been all so surreal! It still feels like a weird dream. Everyone is so excited and Kent and I have just been kind of just really calm about it. I asked him why that is, he said it's because he just knew everything was going to be ok, it's what he expected. Don't get me wrong, I have had my moments where things have been really crappy through this whole thing, I have been really sick, I have been scared, I have been worried. But we have been so blessed and so loved through it all! Thank you all so much for all your support!

So the game plan is, I have three more rounds of chemo. This is to insure that the cancer is completely gone (the PET scan only detects things bigger than 1cm) and that it isn't coming back! (I am currently in the infusion room starting my 4th round, then two more and I should be done August 6th.) So I should have a cute hair style by Christmas!

Again, everything has been like a dream. This part has gone by really fast, although I was sick and in a lot of pain for a very long time before I realized that I had cancer. I was literally dying and that part is scary! I hope that I am around for a very long time, I want to see my boys graduate, go on to college, raise families. And I've only had 5 years with my sweet husband! I have many more years left in me! You're not getting rid of me! As my sweet brother-in-law exclaimed, I am kicking cancer's A*#!!


(My dear friends, Karla and Lorayne, took me shopping. Karla got me a "wig".......lol!!)

End in sight?

So, I guess it's been a month since any updates from me! Sorry guys! Things here have been going great! I have been feeling good, not very much nausea and no wicked sore throat this time. I do have a little cold and a yucky cough but I think that I'm fighting it pretty good. My biggest concern nowadays is figuring out a preschool for little man and not getting too worn out chasing him around. He is as busy as ever! I actually did some laundry, dishes, and cleaned a part of my room yesterday, so I must be feeling pretty good (or maybe the chemo really is making me lose my mind....lol!) Oh, I guess I have been having menopause symptoms (one minute I'm sweating, the next minute, I'm freezing cold) I think it's only temporary though, so eventually I won't have to deal with that (of course I get to deal with it again in about ten years, yay for me!)

We did go out to the coast at the end of May with Kent's family and had a great time. We made s'mores, played on the beach, relaxed, it was really nice to get away. (We missed Jakey, he was having fun on a band trip at Disneyland, poor him!)

Next Monday is a big day for me, I have a PET scan. They shoot dye in me and see if anything is glowing. That's right, I said GLOWING. Then we'll see what the game plan is (how many more treatments, how much cancer is still growing or not). We should have the results on Wednesday, so i will try and remember to update everyone about that. Hopefully there is an end in sight!


Ethan takes lots of pics of me throughout the day with my phone so this one is his doing. (I still have my eyebrows!)
And here is our beach trip.......

Jake's B-day

So not only was today Mother's day but also Jake's B-day. He is now old enough to get his permit (scary!) He has been studying for a while, so he wants to go this week. Anyway, he had a sleepover with friends friday night and then we had the family party tonight. I always make a poster every year for everyone's birthday and put it up on the wall and then put streamers around. This morning Kent and the boys actually made ME breakfast in bed (french toast, sausage, eggs, juice.) It was fantastic! Jake said that today was all about me, even though it was his birthday. He is a very sweet boy!

Baldness...

So here I am in all my glory! It's been a good week. Haven't gotten sick yet! Although the nurse screwed up (Sorry, Mary, I love you!) and so one, they didn't schedule me for two days of chemo, so I missed them and two they gave me the white cell booster shot on friday but should have waited until next wednesday. The doctor was very upset! (By the way, I have Dr. Craig Nichols- world renowned oncologist- he was even Lance Armstrong's doctor. So we are feeling very blessed!) So anyway, about the booster shot. There is a possibility that it will be ineffective because I am taking some oral chemo this week as well, and it could counteract. We are hoping that because I am on antibiotics and other preventative medicine that I will be ok. Keep your fingers crossed, or your prayers going, or whatever you do! I can use all the help I can get!

Chemotherapy

So I'm sitting here in the infusion room, getting my chemotherapy and we brought the computer. Horray, I can blog today! 2 weeks ago I got this wicked sore throat and then sores all over my mouth and then I ended up with a fever of 104 and in the hospital. I was sick and miserable! It was horrible and I don't want to do that again! My white counts were down to 200 (normal is 4000) so anyway, I was in the hospital for a week and they fixed me up and now my counts are up to 6600 (I'm superhuman!!) So now I'm back to the outpatient stuff. Oh, so, I'm completely bald now! My hair was falling out like crazy and getting all over everything! So, saturday night I went ahead and pulled the rest out, it just came out in clumps (crazy!) Anyway, we are all doing good now and glad to have me home! I will post a bald pic when I get home (I need the adapter.)

Home Sweet Home

So I got to come home for two days! Hooray! I have to go back on Monday but at least I get to spend the weekend with my family and enjoy the sunshine! :) I have been unofficially given the diagnosis of Hodgkins Lymphoma, also called Hodgkins Disease. I start chemotherapy on Monday. It should be about a 4 to 6 month process. I'm not excited about losing my hair but am going to get it chopped off first and try a short hairstyle before I go bald! I have been feeling very positive and good about everything and know that the end result will be great. I am of course still scared and cry every once in a while but for the most part am my same upbeat giggly self. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and well wishes!!

Hospital Pics....

Ethan took this one of me, don't I look lovely!

This is the view from my window....