Shopping for a Cure

There are so many things you can participate in to help raise money for research for a cure, and Vera Bradly does a great job with this! They have a foundation, but on top of that they release new patterns that are pink(because lets face it, that is the miss here...to go pink...ok enough of my cheese) and a portion of the sale of that item will go to research.

My favorites have been

 

(big surprise there being the republican that I am)

And currently you can purchase:

According to their site Vera Bradley has donated over 3 million dollars to breast cancer research.

Bored Much?

Donate!

My Race for the Cure team is finally started! I am participating on a team with ladies from the other Loft stores in the area as part of the Loft Cares foundation.

Please donate to the team, our race is June 4, 2011 in Washington, DC and is actually the National Race for the Cure. To donate to myself, you can click here! 

I would also like to start mentioning someone else who is doing great things to bring awareness to the cause, my cousin Christia! She is being VERY brave and participating in the 3 Day for the Cure in Tampa this October! She has a minimum goal she has to meet so please consider helping her out sometime in the next few months for her race in October! You can donate to Christia here. 

New Haircut

All I can say is my mom is the bravest person in the entire world; she shaved her head AND she is letting me post pictures of it on the internet.

The look on her face just about kills me in the first one, but wait till you see her in her wig because I swear it looks JUST like her real hair!

Still as lovely as ever!

What's shakin.

A proper update is necessary, but this time I have a good excuse. I got a job so life has been a little busy tying up loose ends all week so that I can start next week.

The trip home for Easter was nice, but it was also shadowed by stress. The day before I came home we encountered a rather unfortunate situation, an unpleasant feeling that had been developing with her oncologist came to a point where the relationship needed to be discontinued. There isn’t a need to get into the details, but in the end we didn’t feel like she was getting the care she needed.

Luckily while she was in the hospital a different doctor from the same practice took care of her and she really felt like she connected with him. Sill three weeks or so after having her first experience with him she still will tell everyone about how he came in and put his hand on her arm and called her by name saying “Lisa how are you feeling? What can I do to make you feel better?”

The best part of the whole thing is that she calls him McDreamy because apparently he is of the attractive status of one of my favorite TV doctors. But the real kicker that sealed the deal for us was that he is from the same town in Georgia as part of our family.

The second treatment was given last Thursday and it was rough, but this doctor is committed to doing everything he can to see her through this and keep her on the trial drug.

He gave us the best news we have heard since all of this began, the tumor has already shrunk from 5.5 in size originally and has shrunk to 3.5 since the first full treatment! This is the only time that I think shrinkage is ever a good thing. I can’t even hardly process this new, it is just THAT good! Did I mention it is no longer in the lymph nodes either!

The week since chemo has been trying, but nowhere near to the extent that it was before; only one IV treatment to get through the week.

The hair situation is becoming tricky. Her head hurts and is sensitive where it is falling out, and falling out it is. To the point where we have had the first appearance of a scarf this week as well as an upcoming performance by my dad’s clippers this weekend.

Unspoken Bond

I'm already starting to realize that there is an unspoken bond between cancer patients.  Obviously we don't have to explain,  but we do share our stories.  Maybe it's like veterans, just of  private battles and another war.  Yesterday, I was in the chemo room getting some IVs.  Before going back, one woman in the waiting room asked how I was doing as she could see that I was dealing with some of the unmentionable side effects.  Another one of my cohorts, exclaimed "Hey Beautiful!".  I hadn't even noticed her sitting there.  She is on her second tour of duty.  Once back in the chair, another women who had seen me waiting earlier said she hoped I would feel better.  She I found out, has stage 4 bc and yet was worried about me.  Upon leaving, yet another patient wanted to give me a ride home as I waited for my friend.  She said, "We have to stick together you know".  Support beyond belief.   And so I salute,  the veterans.

Life Goes On

And it should.  It's just that the challenges in all areas of life don't stop.  They just don't pull back, because there has been a bc diagnosis.  After a  couple of sleepless nights and some answers to prayer, we are once again back on track.  There were  some bright spots too though.  One of the funnier happenings was when the girls were home for Easter and I thought I spotted some cellulite on the back of my leg.  I quickly declared that I could deal with the cancer, but cellulite too!  Come on!  To make me feel better, they quickly chimed in showing me their cellutite and strech marks.  After losing 14 lbs, there really isn't much firm flesh let alone muscle tone left.  Another day after getting out of the shower, I attempted to do some leg lifts while laying in bed.  Cellulite and saging flesh!  Oh well, I guess there will be more time for that later on.  It just makes me realize that routine tasks that we all too often complain about, like grocery shopping and exercise, are really a privilege.  On a more serious note, I have unfortunately had two severe reactions to the drugs.  After my next treatment, I will have home health care bringing daily IVs.  We just can't give in to this thing.   And remember, I'm not a fighter. I am however determined and willing to perservere.  I am giving it my all... I have too.