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Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hair update and photos!
Last week, I was taking a nap on the couch when Brett got home with the kids. Jack walked up to me and the first thing he said is, "Mommy, are you sick?" Jack asking if I was sick was something he did a year ago while I was going through chemo. If the answer was "yes", he would often play outside, or I would move to the bedroom. He seemed happy to hear that I had just been sleeping, catching up on much needed rest. Life has been busy for us, but I am cautious to take naps when I can.
With our life getting back to some form of normal these days, Jack asking if I was sick was just another reminder that our life is not exactly normal. In moments like this I can't help but think of the strong adult that he will become.
Jenelle has been great these days. Her eating continues to improve, and just last Saturday we shared our first McDonald's cheeseburgers together. After thinking about it, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten at McDonald's. I then realized the only reason I didn't eat there before was because their menu offered little for Jenelle to eat. Now that she has mastered chewing, she did beautifully with the cheeseburger as I fed it to her in small break off bites.
My Mom will be excited to hear this next bit... I think Jenelle has a new sound. "Na Na Na Na Na" She started saying it last Saturday. The grand kids call my Mom "Nana", and even though it was just a sound, it does sound close to the real name. Brett however will disappointed if Jenelle doesn't start saying "Daddy" soon. It is all he has ever wanted to hear. Jenelle has been much more vocal recently, discovering new sounds and such. It is so exciting to watch and wonder what she will say next.
It has been some time since my last hair photo - December I think? Well, my hair is now to the point where I need to make an important decision - bangs or no bangs. I think I've already made up my mind, but I would love to hear some opinions. My hair is long enough to blow into my eyes now, and it touches my shoulders. When people see me now, they don't even realize my hair was never this short. It's still curly, and that is still taking some getting used to. Anyway, here are the photos - let me know what you think.
With bangs:
With our life getting back to some form of normal these days, Jack asking if I was sick was just another reminder that our life is not exactly normal. In moments like this I can't help but think of the strong adult that he will become.
Jenelle has been great these days. Her eating continues to improve, and just last Saturday we shared our first McDonald's cheeseburgers together. After thinking about it, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten at McDonald's. I then realized the only reason I didn't eat there before was because their menu offered little for Jenelle to eat. Now that she has mastered chewing, she did beautifully with the cheeseburger as I fed it to her in small break off bites.
My Mom will be excited to hear this next bit... I think Jenelle has a new sound. "Na Na Na Na Na" She started saying it last Saturday. The grand kids call my Mom "Nana", and even though it was just a sound, it does sound close to the real name. Brett however will disappointed if Jenelle doesn't start saying "Daddy" soon. It is all he has ever wanted to hear. Jenelle has been much more vocal recently, discovering new sounds and such. It is so exciting to watch and wonder what she will say next.
It has been some time since my last hair photo - December I think? Well, my hair is now to the point where I need to make an important decision - bangs or no bangs. I think I've already made up my mind, but I would love to hear some opinions. My hair is long enough to blow into my eyes now, and it touches my shoulders. When people see me now, they don't even realize my hair was never this short. It's still curly, and that is still taking some getting used to. Anyway, here are the photos - let me know what you think.
With bangs:
Without bangs: (and with a hair clip to boot!)
And here are some more photos for you to enjoy. A few weeks back, our home was "flocked" with a rare sighting of flamingos! The gag was courtesy of the Foothill High School Cheer team as a fundraiser to help them purchase a mascot costume. Jack and Jenelle sure did enjoy seeing the pink birds all over our lawn. Brett and I enjoyed returning the favor to some friends! Better than someone toilet papering our house I suppose.
And Jack finally got out of line one too many times.
NO - He actually did this to himself while jumping on a friend's trampoline. It looked pretty bad for a few days. We told Jack black eyes were "cool"!
And finally, Jack's NJB All Star basketball season is coming to an end this weekend, which will thankfully give him more time to enjoy baseball. This past weekend we had 3 baseball games and 3 basketball games. Above is Jack and his friend who is on both his basketball team and baseball team. After their baseball game on Sunday, they had to rush to their last basketball game. In the process, they were so rushed, they forgot to change their socks! Jack said they were their "magic socks". It almost helped them too - they lost by 1 point that game (after losing miserably earlier in the weekend.)
That is all for now. Thank you for continued thoughts and prayers.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Just a quick update ...
It's been very busy at our home in the last few weeks - thankfully, we are all doing well. Little League has started again - Jenelle is in her 3rd year of Challenger Baseball and is walking the bases with ease. Jack is in AA Division, also known as the first year of kid pitch. Brett is the manager for Jack's team, and the "pitcher" for Jenelle's team. On top of baseball, Jack was voted by his teammates to the NJB All Stars. After Saturday baseball, we have Sundays filled with basketball. Like I said, we're busy, but it's been fun.
I had another follow up last week and things are still going well and cancer free for me. I am always amazed at what they can tell from my blood work. I mentioned having a runny nose to the nurse, and then because of my low red and white blood cells, the doctor put me on a Z-pak and determined I was getting a sinus infection. I just finished the ATRA regimen and am glad to get rid of the itchy skin. Of course, being on 3 chemo meds could have caused my getting a sinus infection. At least my doctor is on top of it all. I go back again next month.
That is all for now. Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers.
I had another follow up last week and things are still going well and cancer free for me. I am always amazed at what they can tell from my blood work. I mentioned having a runny nose to the nurse, and then because of my low red and white blood cells, the doctor put me on a Z-pak and determined I was getting a sinus infection. I just finished the ATRA regimen and am glad to get rid of the itchy skin. Of course, being on 3 chemo meds could have caused my getting a sinus infection. At least my doctor is on top of it all. I go back again next month.
That is all for now. Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dreams...
Last night, or rather around 5:30 this morning, Jenelle woke up crying. I jumped out of bed and ran to her room, fearing a seizure only to find Jenelle sitting up in bed rubbing her eyes. No seizure, and she didn't seem sick... apparently Jenelle woke herself up from a bad dream.
I crawled into her bed and tried to comfort her. Jenelle was clearly agitated and restless. Soon though, after some cuddling with Mom, she went back to sleep.
At breakfast, I mentioned to Jack that Jenelle woke up from a bad dream. Jack replied, "What was she dreaming about?" In unison, Brett and I said, "I don't know, she didn't say."
All day I've been wondering, what does Jenelle dream about? The child has a high tolerance for pain, and has no concept of fear. What could have upset her so much? Brett and our daycare provider Valeria both suggested that perhaps she was crying because there was no food. Jenelle loves food more than anything.
What do you think she dreams about?
I crawled into her bed and tried to comfort her. Jenelle was clearly agitated and restless. Soon though, after some cuddling with Mom, she went back to sleep.
At breakfast, I mentioned to Jack that Jenelle woke up from a bad dream. Jack replied, "What was she dreaming about?" In unison, Brett and I said, "I don't know, she didn't say."
All day I've been wondering, what does Jenelle dream about? The child has a high tolerance for pain, and has no concept of fear. What could have upset her so much? Brett and our daycare provider Valeria both suggested that perhaps she was crying because there was no food. Jenelle loves food more than anything.
What do you think she dreams about?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Those darn neutrophils ...
Last Thursday, I came home from work and found a message on the answering machine from my oncologist. The numbers of neutrophils from my last blood draw (the Friday before) were very low and she instructed me to stop my chemo. Knowing that the oncologist is in the clinic as late as 7:00 p.m., I called to get her on the phone. Sure enough, she answered and told me I had 700 neutrophils, and to forget about any trips to Disneyland. She asked me to go to the lab the next day for another blood draw.
The low number didn't surprise me. I felt like I had been fighting off a virus for some time. The next morning, instead of sleeping in, I went to the lab for a blood draw. Four pokes later and they had the blood they needed. The order was STAT, so I expected if it was worrisome, I would hear from the doctor ASAP. Remember, anything below 500 neutrophils and I have to be hospitalized.
The weekend came and went without any urgent calls about my numbers, and finally today I got word that everything was back to normal and I could start chemo again. I am scheduled to start ATRA (vitamin A) this week, so I expect to be a bit more fatigued toward the end of the week as I will be on three chemo meds for the next 15 days. Ironically, I was talking to my parents this afternoon, and told them how I had stopped chemo because of the low neutrophils. My Mom was surprised that I could stop and start so quickly, so I explained that it wasn't a medication that required weaning. When she asked me if I was tired, I realized that since stopping chemo last Thursday, I had been battling a little bit of insomnia. I suppose those extra days off chemo will help me this week, and hopefully my sleep patterns will get back to normal.
Cancer seems to be looming all around us lately. Two friends of ours were recently diagnosed with various forms of cancer and a third has entered hospice. A blog friend of mine donated her hair to Locks of Love and said I inspired her. I also had the opportunity to meet a wonderful little boy from our Little League who has been fighting Leukemia (ALL). He has been having a rough time of late, but really wanted to be in the team photo with his team this year. He sat there in a uniform on top of a container of baseballs with bandaged hands and a hat covering his bald head. As I introduced myself, he remembered hearing about me last year. I could tell (from experience) that he was using all of his energy to be apart of the activity of photo day. He looked tired, but he was a fighter; I could see it in his eyes.
And with that, I am reminded that cancer comes in all forms, and does not discriminate against age, sex or race. The experiences are similar, and yet different for each person. And even with the differences, for those who survive the answer is the same; life is so very precious.
This week, my firm has been selling daffodils for The American Cancer Society. With the deadline to order fast approaching, I read the e-mail with the description of each donation. For a small donation, you could purchase daffodils with or without a vase, or for a larger donation, daffodils to be given anonymously to a cancer patient. You could also purchase a teddy bear for a child with cancer. And then I remembered going through out patient chemo last March - how The American Cancer Society had a table of daffodils that they handed to each patient in the oncology waiting room. So, it is true... you can anonymously donate flowers to a cancer patient, and as I can attest, they will get into the hands of a cancer patient.
I decided to make a donation for a teddy bear to be delivered to a child with cancer. I am confident that my bear will make it to a child like the one I met on Saturday. And like the flowers, I hope it fills that child with strength to survive the battle and revel in the reward of precious life.
The low number didn't surprise me. I felt like I had been fighting off a virus for some time. The next morning, instead of sleeping in, I went to the lab for a blood draw. Four pokes later and they had the blood they needed. The order was STAT, so I expected if it was worrisome, I would hear from the doctor ASAP. Remember, anything below 500 neutrophils and I have to be hospitalized.
The weekend came and went without any urgent calls about my numbers, and finally today I got word that everything was back to normal and I could start chemo again. I am scheduled to start ATRA (vitamin A) this week, so I expect to be a bit more fatigued toward the end of the week as I will be on three chemo meds for the next 15 days. Ironically, I was talking to my parents this afternoon, and told them how I had stopped chemo because of the low neutrophils. My Mom was surprised that I could stop and start so quickly, so I explained that it wasn't a medication that required weaning. When she asked me if I was tired, I realized that since stopping chemo last Thursday, I had been battling a little bit of insomnia. I suppose those extra days off chemo will help me this week, and hopefully my sleep patterns will get back to normal.
Cancer seems to be looming all around us lately. Two friends of ours were recently diagnosed with various forms of cancer and a third has entered hospice. A blog friend of mine donated her hair to Locks of Love and said I inspired her. I also had the opportunity to meet a wonderful little boy from our Little League who has been fighting Leukemia (ALL). He has been having a rough time of late, but really wanted to be in the team photo with his team this year. He sat there in a uniform on top of a container of baseballs with bandaged hands and a hat covering his bald head. As I introduced myself, he remembered hearing about me last year. I could tell (from experience) that he was using all of his energy to be apart of the activity of photo day. He looked tired, but he was a fighter; I could see it in his eyes.
And with that, I am reminded that cancer comes in all forms, and does not discriminate against age, sex or race. The experiences are similar, and yet different for each person. And even with the differences, for those who survive the answer is the same; life is so very precious.
This week, my firm has been selling daffodils for The American Cancer Society. With the deadline to order fast approaching, I read the e-mail with the description of each donation. For a small donation, you could purchase daffodils with or without a vase, or for a larger donation, daffodils to be given anonymously to a cancer patient. You could also purchase a teddy bear for a child with cancer. And then I remembered going through out patient chemo last March - how The American Cancer Society had a table of daffodils that they handed to each patient in the oncology waiting room. So, it is true... you can anonymously donate flowers to a cancer patient, and as I can attest, they will get into the hands of a cancer patient.
I decided to make a donation for a teddy bear to be delivered to a child with cancer. I am confident that my bear will make it to a child like the one I met on Saturday. And like the flowers, I hope it fills that child with strength to survive the battle and revel in the reward of precious life.
Monday, February 15, 2010
All I want for Valentine's Day is my Two Front Teeth!
Well, Jenelle finally lost her two front teeth, and of course there is a great story to go with it. On Saturday, Jenelle and I were out and about doing lots of errands and enjoying the sun. While running errands, we stopped to have lunch at Baja Fresh. It's times like this where I get to enjoy moments of feeling normal with Jenelle. I was able to order off the menu at Baja Fresh for Jenelle (a bean and cheese burrito for me, and beans and rice for her) and we ate outside enjoying the sun. We had already been to a couple of stores, and I knew Jenelle's patience was going to run out soon.
Our second to last stop was Target. I had a few things to get, so we spent a bit of time up and down the aisles. All of a sudden, Jenelle started crying. Thinking her patience was done and this was her typical tantrum, I ignored the crying and screaming and continued to shop. After a few minutes, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A kind woman quietly tapped on my shoulder and said, "Excuse me, but your little girl is bleeding!" Yes, I am a bad mommy. I was ignoring Jenelle's cries thinking it was nothing to eventually be told by another customer that she was actually injured.
Once I realized where the blood was coming from, I knew she was OK. Jenelle finally took care of that pesky loose tooth when she was biting on her wheelchair arm. It was still hanging in her mouth, so I pulled it out and ran to the Pharmacy where they gave us towels and a bag to keep the tooth. Jenelle was quite upset - I'm assuming it hurt, and she doesn't quite understand shy she lost a tooth. Eventually she calmed down and we were able to make our last stop at the grocery store without incident.
The next day, Jenelle was very giggly. In the afternoon as I was changing her diaper, I noticed the second front tooth was gone. No blood, no tooth. I assume she swallowed it.
So that was our weekend. Last night Jenelle was all giggles and smiles and I got a great photo of her missing teeth. Here she is...
Our second to last stop was Target. I had a few things to get, so we spent a bit of time up and down the aisles. All of a sudden, Jenelle started crying. Thinking her patience was done and this was her typical tantrum, I ignored the crying and screaming and continued to shop. After a few minutes, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A kind woman quietly tapped on my shoulder and said, "Excuse me, but your little girl is bleeding!" Yes, I am a bad mommy. I was ignoring Jenelle's cries thinking it was nothing to eventually be told by another customer that she was actually injured.
Once I realized where the blood was coming from, I knew she was OK. Jenelle finally took care of that pesky loose tooth when she was biting on her wheelchair arm. It was still hanging in her mouth, so I pulled it out and ran to the Pharmacy where they gave us towels and a bag to keep the tooth. Jenelle was quite upset - I'm assuming it hurt, and she doesn't quite understand shy she lost a tooth. Eventually she calmed down and we were able to make our last stop at the grocery store without incident.
The next day, Jenelle was very giggly. In the afternoon as I was changing her diaper, I noticed the second front tooth was gone. No blood, no tooth. I assume she swallowed it.
So that was our weekend. Last night Jenelle was all giggles and smiles and I got a great photo of her missing teeth. Here she is...
I love this photo. You can see the sheer joy in her face as Jenelle was in the process of "jumping" when I snapped this photo. She is such a wonderful girl!
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for continued prayers. We'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
An update for Poppa George
My Father (Poppa George) tells me that each morning, he logs onto his computer and this website is the first thing he checks. On Monday, he told me that it had been too long since my last update. Sorry Dad, this one is for you! ;)
I had been waiting to post an update hoping to share news that Jenelle had lost one of her two front teeth (which has been wiggly for a while) but alas, that darn tooth is stubborn and hasn't fallen out yet. Any day now. Unfortunately, the wiggly tooth has agitated some seizures out of Jenelle. She has had an increase in seizures lately which I hope will subside once the tooth comes out. Let's hope!
Last Sunday, the family went to Jack's school for Open House. Two days earlier, his school celebrated "Special Person's Day" and Jack choose me as his "special person". My heart just melted when he asked me. The day included a special prayer service, a craft and a tour of his classroom. Since I had already seen everything on display in Jack's class, I let Brett take the tour with Jack while I distracted Jenelle. I took Jenelle to the white board and started writing the letters in her name on the board while she watched. As I did this, Jenelle reached out and put her hand over mine as if to write her name "hand over hand". A few days later, I asked her teacher if this is something they did in school and she said "all the time!" It's so fun to see Jenelle do things in everyday life that she learned in school.
The family is getting into gear for baseball season. Brett is managing Jack's team again this year and coaching for Jenelle. And just as basketball was about to end, Jack was selected for All Stars, so it looks that we will have a few more weeks of that as well. We are so proud of Jack.
I had a follow up at UCLA today, and am still cancer free. In two weeks I will start my Vitamin A regimen again for 15 days (ATRA, my 3rd chemo medication that I take every 3 months). My blood work was good and the doctor thinks my recent fatigue is from over doing it a bit. One step forward, one step back.
Other than that, things are good!
That is all for now. Thank you for the continued prayers! Love ya Dad! ;)
I had been waiting to post an update hoping to share news that Jenelle had lost one of her two front teeth (which has been wiggly for a while) but alas, that darn tooth is stubborn and hasn't fallen out yet. Any day now. Unfortunately, the wiggly tooth has agitated some seizures out of Jenelle. She has had an increase in seizures lately which I hope will subside once the tooth comes out. Let's hope!
Last Sunday, the family went to Jack's school for Open House. Two days earlier, his school celebrated "Special Person's Day" and Jack choose me as his "special person". My heart just melted when he asked me. The day included a special prayer service, a craft and a tour of his classroom. Since I had already seen everything on display in Jack's class, I let Brett take the tour with Jack while I distracted Jenelle. I took Jenelle to the white board and started writing the letters in her name on the board while she watched. As I did this, Jenelle reached out and put her hand over mine as if to write her name "hand over hand". A few days later, I asked her teacher if this is something they did in school and she said "all the time!" It's so fun to see Jenelle do things in everyday life that she learned in school.
The family is getting into gear for baseball season. Brett is managing Jack's team again this year and coaching for Jenelle. And just as basketball was about to end, Jack was selected for All Stars, so it looks that we will have a few more weeks of that as well. We are so proud of Jack.
I had a follow up at UCLA today, and am still cancer free. In two weeks I will start my Vitamin A regimen again for 15 days (ATRA, my 3rd chemo medication that I take every 3 months). My blood work was good and the doctor thinks my recent fatigue is from over doing it a bit. One step forward, one step back.
Other than that, things are good!
That is all for now. Thank you for the continued prayers! Love ya Dad! ;)
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