It's almost the end of another year, and the next will see me turn 44. I think that is a very good age, and I have no qualms about getting there. It's better than the alternative anyway!
I don't use the term "resolutions" when it comes to looking ahead to a new year. I prefer to set goals. Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes I'm not, but everyone needs something to aim for. These are the goals I've come up with so far:
1. Reach my target for my Cancer Research UK fundraiser to help fight breast cancer. I have until November 2011 and have every confidence that I will get there!
2. Make it successfully out of the probation period of my new job! Two months down, one to go.
3. Get to Texas for my oldest son's wedding and a family & friends reunion. Still no confirmation of when the wedding is but I'm saving up anyway.
4. Get through at least one of the three parts I need to complete for the ILEX.
5. Have two weeks in sunny Cyprus during the rugby world cup. It's cheaper than going to New Zealand for it, and I can hang out with my friends Pauline and Stevie!
6. Use my Crimbo present and cross one item off my list of things to do before I die: driving a single seater race car around Silverstone.
I might add more but, although it's only six things, I think that's a full year's worth!
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Thursday, 30 December 2010
Sunday, 26 December 2010
My Family
The holidays are a time for family no matter what your religious beliefs are. It should be a time for reflecting on how lucky you are to have your loved ones and for remembering the good times you had with those who are no longer with you. It isn't about what presents you are giving but what you give to others, and by that I don't just mean material gifts.
Some of my favourite childhood memories are Christmases spent at my great-grandmother's house in Dallas with my extended family. I was so lucky to have had the chance to have holidays with my great-great-grandmother, my great-grandparents, my grandparents and my parents, not to mention various uncles, aunts and cousins. It was always a house full of laughter and love.
We've also lost my great-great-grandmother (when I was 9), my great-grandparents and my grandfather (all three when I was in my 20s).
Now we're spread out around the world but the love is still there. The family is growing too. My sisters and I have had children of our own (with one more on the way), and my oldest son is engaged. He finally took his fiancée to meet my side of the family yesterday. What a wonderful Christmas present for my parents and grandmother!
I have an extended family here in England now too. Since David and I aren't married, we refer to each other's families as "the outlaws". I had the privilege and pleasure of spending Christmas day with my outlaws yesterday, and they are just as much fun (and as insane) as my own family!
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Some of my favourite childhood memories are Christmases spent at my great-grandmother's house in Dallas with my extended family. I was so lucky to have had the chance to have holidays with my great-great-grandmother, my great-grandparents, my grandparents and my parents, not to mention various uncles, aunts and cousins. It was always a house full of laughter and love.
We've also lost my great-great-grandmother (when I was 9), my great-grandparents and my grandfather (all three when I was in my 20s).
Now we're spread out around the world but the love is still there. The family is growing too. My sisters and I have had children of our own (with one more on the way), and my oldest son is engaged. He finally took his fiancée to meet my side of the family yesterday. What a wonderful Christmas present for my parents and grandmother!
I have an extended family here in England now too. Since David and I aren't married, we refer to each other's families as "the outlaws". I had the privilege and pleasure of spending Christmas day with my outlaws yesterday, and they are just as much fun (and as insane) as my own family!
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Friday, 24 December 2010
Happy Holidays!
My best wishes to all of you this holiday season! Thank you to those who have made donations to Cancer Research UK and other charities working to fight breast cancer and those who have been diagnosed with it like my sister.
There's a long way to go but I've reached 10% of my target with 11 months to go and lots of additional opportunities! I'm hoping to participate in Race for Life in 2011, and one of my work colleagues has suggested something for the summer like a sponsored abseil. I'm game!
But a big thank you also goes out to Erin's friends who have been rallying around her offering the support she and her family need to make it to a successful end of this particular challenge.
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There's a long way to go but I've reached 10% of my target with 11 months to go and lots of additional opportunities! I'm hoping to participate in Race for Life in 2011, and one of my work colleagues has suggested something for the summer like a sponsored abseil. I'm game!
But a big thank you also goes out to Erin's friends who have been rallying around her offering the support she and her family need to make it to a successful end of this particular challenge.
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Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Erin Takes Control
It must be hard dealing with cancer and feeling out of control. Your body does what it wants to. The doctors are in charge of the treatment plan. Emotions are on overdrive. I can only imagine how someone would want to exercise a degree of control over anything that they can.
Erin is doing just that. She might have to be jabbed with needles, take tablets, throw up and sleep whenever she is told to, but she didn't wait for her hair to fall out on its own. Before it got to that stage, she got rid of the lot of it, and I wish I had been there to watch because it looks like she had so much fun with her friend Brian, who let Erin shave all his hair off as well!
How beautiful does she look? Who says a woman's hair is her crowning glory? Not me! It's her smile!
At this festive holiday season, please think about donating as much or as little as you can to Cancer Research UK (my fundraising link is to the right of this page) or the charity of your choice!
Erin is doing just that. She might have to be jabbed with needles, take tablets, throw up and sleep whenever she is told to, but she didn't wait for her hair to fall out on its own. Before it got to that stage, she got rid of the lot of it, and I wish I had been there to watch because it looks like she had so much fun with her friend Brian, who let Erin shave all his hair off as well!
How beautiful does she look? Who says a woman's hair is her crowning glory? Not me! It's her smile!
At this festive holiday season, please think about donating as much or as little as you can to Cancer Research UK (my fundraising link is to the right of this page) or the charity of your choice!
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Erin's Hat Party
There's nothing like a positive attitude and laughter for healing powers. My grandfather taught me that. When I was 20, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and I can remember him driving my grandmother mad when he referred to his visits to his oncologist as trips to "Cancers R Us". My grandfather was a cancer survivor.
Erin and her friends had a hat party recently, showing that same kind of positive attitude and sense of humour my grandfather had. Darla kindly emailed me some pictures this morning (UK time obviously!).
There was the Swiss hiker look:
Then we had the classy film star look:
I don't know why this makes me think of a West Country farmer:
Darla got in on the act:
And so did all of Erin's lovely friends:
As did the gorgeous Elie:
I can honestly say it's a good thing my partner David didn't know about the hat party in advance. He picked one out he would have loved to send to her:
Okay, that might have been pushing the laughter thing a bit!
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Erin and her friends had a hat party recently, showing that same kind of positive attitude and sense of humour my grandfather had. Darla kindly emailed me some pictures this morning (UK time obviously!).
There was the Swiss hiker look:
Then we had the classy film star look:
I don't know why this makes me think of a West Country farmer:
Darla got in on the act:
And so did all of Erin's lovely friends:
As did the gorgeous Elie:
I can honestly say it's a good thing my partner David didn't know about the hat party in advance. He picked one out he would have loved to send to her:
Okay, that might have been pushing the laughter thing a bit!
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Saturday, 4 December 2010
Materials Needed for "Sewing for Tatas"
The purpose of my blog is not just to raise money for my personal Cancer Research UK fundraiser (although please don't let me discourage you from donating!). My goal is to share information to help anyone who has breast cancer, is supporting someone who has it or has their own special projects underway.
I've noticed I have quite a few readers in the US, probably due to the fact my family and many of my friends are on the other side of the Pond. I've already mentioned my new friend Kelley, the wife of one of my high school classmates (and that was so many years ago I can't bear to think about it!), and she is hoping to start a project "Sewing for Tatas".
The aim of the project is to make pretty hospital gowns for female cancer patients. Feeling pretty does so much for making us ladies feel better about ourselves! If anyone in the Dallas - Fort Worth area has a sewing machine and/or materials you would like to donate, please contact Kelley through http://feelthetatas.blogspot.com/p/contact-us.html.
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I've noticed I have quite a few readers in the US, probably due to the fact my family and many of my friends are on the other side of the Pond. I've already mentioned my new friend Kelley, the wife of one of my high school classmates (and that was so many years ago I can't bear to think about it!), and she is hoping to start a project "Sewing for Tatas".
The aim of the project is to make pretty hospital gowns for female cancer patients. Feeling pretty does so much for making us ladies feel better about ourselves! If anyone in the Dallas - Fort Worth area has a sewing machine and/or materials you would like to donate, please contact Kelley through http://feelthetatas.blogspot.com/p/contact-us.html.
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Darla Explains It All
I have a fourth "sister" most people don't know about. Not that she's a deep dark family secret or anything like that, but she's been such a part of our lives for more years than most of us care to admit that I think of her as another sister. Now Darla has proven, yet again, her loyalty to my sister, and it makes me love her even more!
Here, in Darla's words, is the report from Erin's oncologist and how she did with her first day of chemo:
"Erin has officially began chemo, which started on Wednesday, December 1st. Prior to starting chemo, Erin met with her oncologist and he went over the remaining two lab results that were not back when he met with her before.
(1) Thankfully Erin does NOT have the BRCA gene, which is the genetic type of breast cancer. So I guess the plan is 6 rounds of chemo each 3 weeks apart. . . surgery to remove the lump (or whatever is left of it) . . . then more chemo . . . followed by 5 years of Tamoxifen (or a drug similar to it).
(2) Her breast cancer is HER2 positive. The cancer cells have a protein on its cell surface. I found a link on the Mayo Clinic website that explains what exactly it is. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-cancer/AN00495. This type of breast cancer was initially difficult to treat until a drug called Herceptin came along. Herceptin has been effective in killing HER2-positive cancer cells and decreases the risk of it reoccurring.
Erin's chemo drug regime, TCH, consists of three drugs - Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. Before receiving any chemo drugs, Erin is given IV anti-nausea meds in addition to Benadryl (for possible allergic reaction to the chemo drugs) and Tylenol (for fever that can result in response to receiving chemo drugs). Then she gets Taxotere followed by Carboplatin then Herceptin via her port. The entire process took about 4 hours. Erin's first treatment went well. She ate a "healthy" lunch that consisted of 2 Taco Bueno bean burritos without the red sauce. As you can see by the pics, Erin kept herself busy . . . I'm sure you can check out her Facebook page to see what she posted . . . I wouldn't know, of course, since I have vehemently refused to be associated with Facebook.
Now back to business. Erin was a little sleepy afterwards from the Benadryl, but said she felt good. Erin's nurse, Colette, encouraged her to "graze" and no, this is not referring to an animal in the pasture, but instead Erin should snack on stuff throughout the day. The main side effects of chemo are nausea and mouth sores. Erin was prescribed some powerful anti-nausea meds to fight the nausea and a recipe for mouthwash she has to use at least four times a day to ward off the mouth sores. The chemo tends to make the mouth acidic, which causes the sores. Colette said that patients have told her that the mouth sores are the worst part of chemo and the mouthwash really helped. The mouth wash recipe Erin was given is a basic solution that will neutralize the acidic effects of the chemo. Not sure how tasty the mouthwash is, but it's basically made of water, salt and baking soda. Erin was given a TON of reading material she can read in all that spare time she has. Most of it was about the chemo drugs she's getting and how to manage their side effects.
Erin's next chemo treatment is scheduled for Wednesday, December 22nd and will continue every 3 weeks. When she arrives for chemo, the first thing they will always do is take blood to run some lab work. Before she gets chemo, they want to make sure her red blood cell and white blood cell counts are good to prevent anemia and infection. If Erin's lab work looks good, then she will get her chemo. If not, she will either need an injection and/or treatment will be postponed. Please pray that Erin's chemo is effective and her blood counts are where they need to be so that she gets all of her treatments on time. I'm sure she is ready to get them done and over with.
Friends of Erin gave her a "hat" party tonight (Friday, December 3rd). She got lots of cute hats, scarves and other accessories to help her with any hair loss . . . And I'm sure pictures will pop up on Facebook from the party. Erin was upbeat and looked great. She said that she was a little tired, but felt good."
Here, in Darla's words, is the report from Erin's oncologist and how she did with her first day of chemo:
"Erin has officially began chemo, which started on Wednesday, December 1st. Prior to starting chemo, Erin met with her oncologist and he went over the remaining two lab results that were not back when he met with her before.
(1) Thankfully Erin does NOT have the BRCA gene, which is the genetic type of breast cancer. So I guess the plan is 6 rounds of chemo each 3 weeks apart. . . surgery to remove the lump (or whatever is left of it) . . . then more chemo . . . followed by 5 years of Tamoxifen (or a drug similar to it).
(2) Her breast cancer is HER2 positive. The cancer cells have a protein on its cell surface. I found a link on the Mayo Clinic website that explains what exactly it is. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/breast-cancer/AN00495. This type of breast cancer was initially difficult to treat until a drug called Herceptin came along. Herceptin has been effective in killing HER2-positive cancer cells and decreases the risk of it reoccurring.
Erin's chemo drug regime, TCH, consists of three drugs - Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. Before receiving any chemo drugs, Erin is given IV anti-nausea meds in addition to Benadryl (for possible allergic reaction to the chemo drugs) and Tylenol (for fever that can result in response to receiving chemo drugs). Then she gets Taxotere followed by Carboplatin then Herceptin via her port. The entire process took about 4 hours. Erin's first treatment went well. She ate a "healthy" lunch that consisted of 2 Taco Bueno bean burritos without the red sauce. As you can see by the pics, Erin kept herself busy . . . I'm sure you can check out her Facebook page to see what she posted . . . I wouldn't know, of course, since I have vehemently refused to be associated with Facebook.
Now back to business. Erin was a little sleepy afterwards from the Benadryl, but said she felt good. Erin's nurse, Colette, encouraged her to "graze" and no, this is not referring to an animal in the pasture, but instead Erin should snack on stuff throughout the day. The main side effects of chemo are nausea and mouth sores. Erin was prescribed some powerful anti-nausea meds to fight the nausea and a recipe for mouthwash she has to use at least four times a day to ward off the mouth sores. The chemo tends to make the mouth acidic, which causes the sores. Colette said that patients have told her that the mouth sores are the worst part of chemo and the mouthwash really helped. The mouth wash recipe Erin was given is a basic solution that will neutralize the acidic effects of the chemo. Not sure how tasty the mouthwash is, but it's basically made of water, salt and baking soda. Erin was given a TON of reading material she can read in all that spare time she has. Most of it was about the chemo drugs she's getting and how to manage their side effects.
Erin's next chemo treatment is scheduled for Wednesday, December 22nd and will continue every 3 weeks. When she arrives for chemo, the first thing they will always do is take blood to run some lab work. Before she gets chemo, they want to make sure her red blood cell and white blood cell counts are good to prevent anemia and infection. If Erin's lab work looks good, then she will get her chemo. If not, she will either need an injection and/or treatment will be postponed. Please pray that Erin's chemo is effective and her blood counts are where they need to be so that she gets all of her treatments on time. I'm sure she is ready to get them done and over with.
Friends of Erin gave her a "hat" party tonight (Friday, December 3rd). She got lots of cute hats, scarves and other accessories to help her with any hair loss . . . And I'm sure pictures will pop up on Facebook from the party. Erin was upbeat and looked great. She said that she was a little tired, but felt good."
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Inspiration
Sometimes one picture says it all. This is my beautiful sister Erin on her first day of chemo with little Elie Rose, who wanted to sit in the puke bucket. Don't worry, it was empty!
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Another Rugby Player Thank You: @ollybarkley!
The sporting community is fantastic! Although Rob Brydon's retweet of my link generated £40 in donations, the overwhelming generosity, particularly of professional rugby players, has raised more awareness of the need for work towards stopping breast cancer, whether that is through research, treatment or early diagnosis through self examination.
Thank you so much, Olly Barkley, for being the latest in a growing list of players who have retweeted it for me. I have had the pleasure of watching Olly play for England and for Bath. What a boot! Always a good player to have when he's on the England side. When it's for Bath, particularly against Leicester, it's a worry!
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Thank you so much, Olly Barkley, for being the latest in a growing list of players who have retweeted it for me. I have had the pleasure of watching Olly play for England and for Bath. What a boot! Always a good player to have when he's on the England side. When it's for Bath, particularly against Leicester, it's a worry!
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Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Chemotherapy Day One
The day has finally arrived. I say finally. It has been a long journey for Erin in a very short space of time.
I thought that, rather than write my own wording to describe the start to the treatment, I would share my parents' words from Twitter since they are there with Erin and very eloquent (for messages of 140 characters or less especially - there's a knack to that many people haven't mastered).
From my dad, @SawdustBytes:
"Just visited with #4D who is having 1st chemo treatment today. Seemed to be in good spirits. She asked for and ate a bean burrito."
And from my mum, @SWMBO:
"Sat with #4 during chemo. 3 friends there as well, plus Elie Rose Turquette. When they left to do her shopping, it got very quiet."
"Darla has retentive brain. She will send everyone details of meds etc. Friends brought Erin 2nd bean burrito and she ate every bite."
"Farmersville benefit for Lisman's brought in enough $ to pay their insurance deductible. I love small towns."
And I have to add that I love that my mum uses Twitter! It didn't surprise me that my dad does, but it's great having daily contact with both my parents. How cool does that make them!
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I thought that, rather than write my own wording to describe the start to the treatment, I would share my parents' words from Twitter since they are there with Erin and very eloquent (for messages of 140 characters or less especially - there's a knack to that many people haven't mastered).
From my dad, @SawdustBytes:
"Just visited with #4D who is having 1st chemo treatment today. Seemed to be in good spirits. She asked for and ate a bean burrito."
And from my mum, @SWMBO:
"Sat with #4 during chemo. 3 friends there as well, plus Elie Rose Turquette. When they left to do her shopping, it got very quiet."
"Darla has retentive brain. She will send everyone details of meds etc. Friends brought Erin 2nd bean burrito and she ate every bite."
"Farmersville benefit for Lisman's brought in enough $ to pay their insurance deductible. I love small towns."
And I have to add that I love that my mum uses Twitter! It didn't surprise me that my dad does, but it's great having daily contact with both my parents. How cool does that make them!
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