Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Chemo Vacation Begins Today !!!



Well, today is the day I would usually go back for another treatment. So the chemo vacation officially begins today.


I am still quite fatigued, but it is managable, and will surely improve gradually! I have been a little worried about stopping the chemo, especially since it was working! However, the "break" will be good for me physically and I am working through being "bothered" by the uncertainty.

"The word which God has written in the brow of every person is hope" - Victor Hugo

"It is hope which makes the shipwrecked sailor strike out with his arms in the midst of the sea, though no land is in sight" - Ovid

So, it is onward-ho, and we keep moving forward! Upcoming medical events: November 1 (check up, blood work). November 27 (CT scan). November 30 (tentative) second opinion review at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYC.

Joanne

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Blogger problems?

I'm republishing with a new entry to see if that solves the problem of people not being able to view this site....

All is fine with us this week... I am feeling much better than last week, and I can expect continued recovery for the next little while. My 45th birthday is today, mom and I had a lovely lunch at "The Willow" restaurant, which overlooks Wascana Lake in Regina and uses local and prairie ingredients. Very, very good.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Thanksgiving


Sunday, October 8, 2006......... the Schweitzers enjoyed being together for Thanksgiving, and also a great meal at Grandma's.

Now, as I write, I'm just recovering from my "last" chemo treatment.... I'm finding it a bit slow going, the fatigue and overall crumminess is lingering.... HOWEVER.... I will be on "vacation" from chemo for the next while. No way to know how long - that will depend on the scans. My oncologist hopes for stability and thinks it is reasonable to think that we might get 3-6 months with no disease progression. Or longer, or less.........cancer is unpredictable, as I know first hand!

We'll see..........but it sure will be nice to have a break. My next appointment is November 1, and I will be having scans sometime in November/December to check out where things are at.

Thanks to everyone who keeps checking my blog and saying "Hello".....

"This time, like all times, is a very good time, if we but know what to do with it" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm not sure if I know exactly what to do with my chemo vacation time, but I will be enjoying some 'normal' everyday life time, I'll be reading and watching "The View" and "Survivor" and "Amazing Race". I will be having the odd glass of red wine and plenty of dark chocolate. I'll be having coffee and visiting with my parents (down the street!). Gord and I are booked to go on a cruise (eastern Carribean) first week of December... and we are taking the kids to Phoenix in February. I'm planning to do more baking this holiday season, and looking forward to Christmas, when my brother and sister and families will be here.... all in all, very ordinary and wonderful times!

Cheers to all.... Joanne