Back to School and Good News

Well, the big kids all started school on Monday. Everyone is attending new schools this year and so far so good- everyone likes them! Kelsey and Derek especially like their new high school- they are pleased with their teachers and class selection and have already met some nice kids. Juniors and seniors get off campus lunch and Kelsey, being a senior also gets to go home early every day! They are loving that!
Kevin is at the junior high school and despite being the least enthusiastic of the kids about switching schools (this is his 9th school), he is doing well too. He is a bit disgruntled because he has to share a locker but otherwise all is well. He especially loves his band class because it is so big and they win lots of awards. Meri is thrilled with her 4th grade teacher and loves that her school mascot is a Grizzly Bear- bears are her favorite. All the kids are looking forward to a fun and successful school year.

We do have a little good news to report-finally- Pat had his PET scan and it appears that his chemotherapy has stopped the growth of the cancer in his chest! The lymphnodes next to his lung and heart have not gotten any bigger since he started his treatment at the beginning of the summer. On the other hand, they have not gone away either, but his doctors are changing his treatment to be slightly more aggressive in the hopes of shrinking the cancer. They are optimistic and as always, so are we.

Last week we were able to get away for a few days to the beach in Galveston. We had great trip. Here is a photo of the kids at the beach:



Today's Glass Half Full: "When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

My Last Chemo

Just a quick entry to let you all know that I had my last scheduled Chemo on Wednesday! Yay! I am felling so-so, trying to make myself eat even if I don't want to so that I am not hungry and nauseated at the same time. it is a relief to be done and hopefully I really am done and only have radiation left.

We just finished a nice visit with my folks and also my sister and her family. We did not do very much- no sightseeing or anything, weather was a bit too hot but we watched a lot of Olympics and enjoyed some good meals and each other's company. My sister and her husband bravely escorted our 4 older kids and my nephew to the Schlitterbahn Waterpark for a day. They all seemed to have a blast, even though it rained part of the day.

My dad kept busy doing a few home improvement projects for us- pressure washed our deck, installed a screen door and a new dimmer switch. My mom stayed busy cooking and doing my dishes- hooray for that! :) Thank you guys!

I also wanted to give a quick thanks to all of our friends and acquaintances, and some kind strangers even- who have sent us gifts, gift cards, care packages, email, phone calls and cards recently. It has been such a boost to help us get through this stressful summer. We so appreciate it! I am slowly working on some thank you cards...bear with me- I don't think I've sent out any change of address cards yet and we moved in May...sigh. I'll get there. If you haven't heard from me personally yet, give me some time and I'll get back to you. School starts in 9 days so perhaps then I can get more on a routine and knock out my very LONG To-Do list!

We are hanging in there. thanks so much for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers- I can't begin to tell you how much it means to all of us!

Today's Glass Half Full: Hugging has no unpleasant side effects and is all natural. There are no batteries to replace, it's inflation-proof and non-fattening with no monthly payments. It's non-taxable, non-polluting, and is, of course, fully refundable. ~Author Unknown

Normal Slice of Life

Recently I've received several newsy emails from some old friends. Hooray! It was such a nice treat! One thing we have noticed since the diagnosis of cancer has come to call--quite a few of our friends and fairly regular contacts have slipped away. People we used to hear from on a frequent basis, especially by email, have gone quiet. At first I was really annoyed at this. I mean, cancer is not contagious! Now that some time has passed, I am a little more understanding of our disappearing friends. I think cancer just really freaks people out. It is especially hard because Pat and I BOTH have it and we are so young (okay- less than 40!) and healthy. When I stop and think, what if this were not happening to us but to another couple we know? I might be freaked out too.

I just don't see anything particularly odd about us both fighting cancer- it is happening to us right now so my perspective seems perfectly logical! I can see though how other people might react. I think it is an "if it can happen to them, it can happen to me" sort of thing. Cancer can be scary and unknown. We all know that people die of cancer- most of us have probably lost a family member to cancer already. When someone nearer your own age gets cancer, it just brings the mortality factor that much closer.

It seems horrible and unfair and unreal- all things we have thought about it. I guess our attitude is just very positive. Of course we've had our moments, especially when I was also diagnosed with cancer. We really did not believe that it was possible for us both to have cancer at the same time. Why me? Why us? Once we took it all in, well- what can you do? Moaning, crying, whining...etc is not going to help anyone. It is better to just keep going and stay strong and always try to look on the bright side!

The down side of having both of us dealing with cancer at the same time is that our life really revolves around having cancer, fighting cancer and treatments, doctors, scans...etc. It can be a drag, especially when it consumes the entire summer vacation. No fun at all! It really is enjoyable to hear about regular life from our friends and family. Some people think that they don't want to bother us with their small mundane 'problems'...after all- we have CANCER! But to be honest- hearing about what's happening with you and your family is a nice break for us. We want to see pictures of your kids and hear how your job is or what happened when your in-laws came to visit. Tell us about your dog digging up the flower bed- we're not going to think it is a stupid complaint in comparison to what we are dealing with! Granted, cancer is a huge issue, and even though we are trying to not sweat about the small things, it doesn't mean we don't want to hear about them from someone else.

So keep your emails, cards and notes coming!! Better yet- pick up the phone and give us a call. If we are tired or not feeling good- we'll let you know. A few people have said- "I wanted to call but just didn't know what to say"- well, just say whatever you want. We really don't want to sit and talk about cancer all day. We're not going to bore you with tales of IVs and MRIs! Pat and I are still the same people we were before so don't worry!

Keeping us connected to the 'real world' and giving us a normal slice of life to focus on really helps us to not get completely bogged down by all the medical stuff going on at home. Plus- we miss you! :) Please keep in touch.

Today's Glass Half Full: Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust