The Gift of Friendship

A few weeks ago I got a package in the mail from a dear friend in San Francisco. Always a nice surprise to receive something good in the mail....not just bills and junk~! I was touched to find inside a book "The Girls from Ames" by Jeffrey Zaslow and a very sweet note about how she found the book very inspiring and that it brought to mind a great bond that we have. Really have not read much in the last few year...love to read...but just a bit much on my plate and once I start reading...hate to put it down. And as part of her note she asked me to "Pay It Forward" and pass the book on to another woman who will hopefully find the same connections. The book is basically written by a man who studied the lifetime relationship between a group of 11 women from Ames, Iowa. They were childhood friends who developed a  special bond in childhood growing up in a small town and have continued this friendship and bond into their forties although they are spread all around the country.

Excitedly I started the book and looked forward each evening having some "me" time and reading. The book did have so many ties for me and the relationships between many of the women in my life. Bonds that have only strengthened over the years and are a testament to these women in my life who have always been a constant. A few years ago we started a group called NAGO (North American Gossip Organization), which we generally had our convention once a year as we all gathered from different parts of California for a weekend of catching up and although "gossip" is our mantra....really a way to just bond and be together. Many of us don't even remember meeting officially, we have always been a part of our lives. Some have become friends later in life, but joining the group has it rituals.

The book did not disappoint and on many themes and levels was a real testament to women, our bonds, and strengths.  One of the things the book talks about is how it is easier with today's email and other technologies for this group of women to keep in contact. Email makes it possible for them to email each other and by hitting "Reply to All" everyone in their group is informed.

And now we have facebook...which has brought back together a group of my high school friends in a way that would not have been possible a few years ago. Spread though a number of states and most all of CA, we are able to keep in contact through a simple post. It has been wonderful reconnecting with these women who I have so much in common with many years ago...and now find that in many ways I still do.

So this weekend the book gets "Paid Forward" to a dear friend (and NAGO member) who will hopefully do the same and I plan to send a copy to another woman to hopefully give another friend a sweet mail box surprise~! Thanks Nicole...it was perfect~!!

Stepping Back into the Real World

It's truely amazing that it has been a month since I had surgery and all this craziness began in my life. The doctor's had said it would take 4 to 6 weeks to really feel the benefits of the surgery...and seems that it is pretty much going on course.

Went back to work and a regular ~ well acutally only had a part-time release ~ schedule this week, which actually went much better than I had anticipated. I think the combination of being back into a routine and being busy is therapy for a person like me. I did take it easy....but still got alot accomplished. My Project Manager and I have a new building project starting, so there is much to get going and some major catch up for me to bring myself up to speed on all the things that happened while I was out.

But in these days and times, I am very thankful to have a new project ~ we are building a new 2-Story Science and Computer classroom at McFarland High School. This is always an exciting part....getting it going. Demo starts on Monday, phones go in the new jobsite office on Tuesday....and then it will be my new home for the next year or so. Actually it's an easy drive for me ~ about 20 minutes from my house....no traffic. Not bad at all.

As far as the Femara that I am taking....no major side effects yet....but from what I have read...that can take a while. Again will take 4 to 6 weeks for my body to adjust to it. Just some fatigue and general not feeling great...generally in the evening....but not bad at all. Some other minor ones that are on the "list" of possible side effects....but you know that does only mean that the drug is working...which is a good thing and makes it a bit easier to take. That is what my attitude is going to be.....side effects are hopefully going to be something that I can deal with and that will let me know that my body is stamping out these pesky little cancer cells and not allow any more to grow. If this can keep me from having to do chemo....which is no walk in the part and has some lovely side effects too....then I am going to do all I can to make this work.

Was able to get my creative juices flowing a bit yesterday too and made an adorable baby blanket in soft Pink Rosette Minkee with Satin ruffles and then jazzed it up with leopard backing~!! One of my fav designs for a friend to give at a baby shower. She loved it and am sure the new little one will too. Today another project for a special little cousin....nice to get back into doing this projects as they have always been a way to "loose myself" into doing something I love~!!

A big huge thank you again for all your support....it really does keep me gong and give me strength~!! You guys are the best~!!!

80 Years and Still Going Strong

Was able to go to my father's 80th Birthday celebration this past Friday evening in Chino....with the blessing of my doctor. Was something that I really did not want to miss....and it was the great evening that I anticipated. My father is a tough old bird, well known in Chino and actually across the state as an excellent cow man. He just completed merging 2 of his dairies together and is still going strong. Some people say "Why does he do it?" Well, if you truely know him, you knows he does it because he loves it. And I say "Why not?" And hope to be doing what I love at his age and be in the great shape he is.

He also loves his quarter horses, which are his passion. Ask his about his horses and you better  be ready to sit down and listen for a while....we knew early on they were his other children~!

It was a great evening full of family and friends...my sisters and brother stepped into overtime to make his dinner party plan execute perfectly. And I was oh so happy just to be there~!

As a little update, I saw my surgeon last Friday before heading out of town and got the go ahead to return to work this week, as long as I feel up to it. Have completed the CT scan of the abdomen that Dr. Patel ordered and got the PET scan done this AM. I started on the Femara a week ago and my body is adjusting to it and I am figuring out what time of day is best to take it. Just making me feel a little "ick" but not anything bad.

Am so thankful to everyone for their prayers and support....I feel blessed to have each and everyone one of you in my life~!!

Gonna Make Pink Lemonade

You know what they say about when life gives you lemons....well sometimes there is just nothing else to do except put it in God's hands and do your best to make some lemonade. Well, life has thrown me a curve and being who I am...I have decided that my lemonade is definately going to PINK...and just might have a little kick to it too~!!

I know I've been lying a little low lately....not that I really wanted to...but sometimes need to take care of yourself and have not been too public on facebook until today as I really did not have many answers...just alot of questions....So here is the deal....

I'm going to cut to the chase and just say it, since I don't know of any other easier way to do it....have had some issues with some fluid in my right lung since late January which was initially diagnoised as pneaumonia. So took care of it....did a spa weekend at San Joaquin Hospital here in town...took a week off as the doctor prescribed...and thought that was it.

Well, not quite.....had a reoccurance of the fluid a few days after going back to work and this time needed to take a deeper look into why. Thank God for wonderful doctors who do their jobs and were very diligent...as all tests and scans were showing nothing...but had surgery to remove the fluid on Feb. 12th which was a Friday so it was a long weekend plus one President's Day waiting on results...but they finally did come and were not what I was hoping to hear. The surgeon had found some very small bumps with his handy scope and they had tested positive for a reoccurance of breast cancer........Sucks....hate that word, but best description there is. So surgery went well and needed to be done, was released, and still feel so good to be home to wait again for more pathology results.....most of you know, I am not a patient person...but sometimes we don't get to choose in life.

Now let's fast forward to today, had an appt with my oncologist who is an awesome doctor with a wonderful Cancer Center here in Bakersfield that works very closely with UCLA Cancer Center. The visit went very well and baring any additional findings in the upcoming PET and more advanced scans....he thinks the best form of treatment is with a drug that I can take once a day at home....so NO CHEMO  or RADIATION in my future at the moment~!! Was wonderful news and his whole deminier made me very much at ease. He explained that the cancer is probably some renegade cells that somehow avoided chemo six years ago...but the good news is that they are very slow growing and he feels that we can take care of them through this type of treatment. So not totally out of the Chemo Woods yet....but just waiting at the gate to escape. Nothing is still showing on the most recent CT scans and blood work numbers are really, really low for cancer. I was hoping for radiation only at the best....so this was awesome news. So I asked him, "You mean I can recover from this surgery, do my treatment and return to my regular life?" And his answer was, "Absolutely!" Best word I ever heard.....

Now I must discuss my fabulous family and friends supports system.....you guys are amazing~!! Your prayers, support, shoulders to lean on, love and good thoughts are something that I have no way of explaining in words~! And absolutely is the best medicine that God every inspired and created~!! To those of you that have not known yet....please don't be upset with me for not sharing sooner...I needed some answers and to get my heard around this entire thing as best I could without going really public. I know that the word has spread and I really appreciate all your love and support. I am going to ask one thing of you and that is to keep me and all who are fighting this terrible disease in your prayers...the Power of Prayer is an amazing thing....and it works~!!

I'm going to be drinking Pink Lemonade for a long, long time....maybe we need to add a little Grey Goose~! Well, with or without the GG...it tastes pretty damn good~!!