Birthday Dinner =0)

One of these days I'll figure out how to add a slide show! Elizabeth and I went out for dinner for my birthday tonite, one of my favorite places...Logan's Steakhouse. YUM!!! We had a great time!!

Girls' Day Out

Last Sat I was able to have a wonderful day out with my good friend Heather and her friend Jessica. Jessica is another BC survivor. A beautiful woman and inspiration. It was so much fun. We had good food and they of course teased me when I HAD to mark the moment and take pictures! Well I'm glad I did!! Lots of laughs there trying to get us all in! Thanks girls! I had a grand time!!!

Mom's New Year's Update

My mom has such a way with words. Here is her account of the holidays and my last treatment cycle. Thanks Mom!! xoxo

Happy New Year everyone. Thanks to everyone for the continual thoughts and concerns for Lisa. Family phone calls over the last week are were a boost to our spirits. A pre-Christmas visit from my sister's oldest daughter, her significant other and his mom and aunt was great fun and my son and his wife coming up to Centreville for Christmas gave Lisa lots of energy to face the next treatment.

I reached the Virginia Peninsula yesterday after two weeks in Northern VA and all the hugs from my Shag Dancing friends and my faith family at St Jerome were most welcome. Today was Carmelite meeting and the prayers and support of my Carmelite brothers and sisters was another good shot in the arm.

Christmas was wonderful. The timing of Lisa's treatments were perfect. She went in the first week of December so she was feeling great Christmas week. With one little altercation. She started "shedding" the Thursday before Christmas but had hopes of getting through the holidays. Saturday morning brought a loud YUUUCK!!!! from the shower. More than shedding was taking place. Lisa immediately placed a call with the "wigologist" We don't know what else to call Allissa. She is a most talented and empathetic Wig fitter/stylist, hair dresser, scalp treater etc and works with Cancer Patients. Monday Lisa went in and had the rest of her hair removed. The anticipation turned out to actually be worse than the act itself. The removal brought great relief to a very irritated scalp. Once done Lisa said she was able to take a big sigh of relief........another fear out of the way and she survived it! She wore a wig to church Christmas Eve but sported a jaunty cap Christmas day.

Now, what about the remaining head stubble still shedding on the pillow??.......why the lint roller of course! No, not to the pillow........ to her head. Lisa faces each problem with a dose of reality in how to solve it and a good bit of humor. (ya just gotta see prayers at work here)

December 29th brought the second treatment. She was very tired this time but I have to say sitting for five hours in one spot has to have something to do with that. I could hardly move when it was time to leave and I had no excuses! Tuesday brought half a day of work as Lisa was too tired to make it a full day. Wed was a bit better but she left work by 3:30 because her knees were beginning to hurt. Wed night we slept on the couch(good thing she has a sectional). We were near enough to the microwave so I could apply heat packs all through the night as we watched the Twilight Zone Marathon. This continued through New Years day. Friday she was back at work. Today, Sunday she was doing laundry and cleaning the house so she is on the up swing YAHOO!......Two down four to go!

The next treatment will be January 22 so Lisa will be feeling good for her birthday on the 15th.

Many people are praying, offering support and sending positive energy and don't personally know Lisa. If you would like to put a face to the name she has set up a "Blog". I don't know much about these things but evidently the young folk find it a great way to keep up with each other. As I see it, this is a great way to journal an experience and in the future it will be something good to reflect on. If you are interested the address is

http://lisashealingjourney.blogspot.com/

The kids post messages back and forth etc......it is beyond my capabilities. But I do "stop in" to check it out. If you are beyond me in your cyberspace experience feel free to post a comment.

With grateful thanks to everyone for all of the prayers, love and support you offer I pray the New Year will bring each of you an abundance of blessings.
Laura

January 3, 2009 Happy New Year! Two Down FOUR to GO!

Well I made it thru the week. Monday was cycle 2! Mom came with me this time. The day itself was fine. I never have much issue with my actually chemo day. Though after I was much more tired than the last time. It really hit me like a ton of bricks by 3 that day!! No Jazzercise this time!! =0) I managed to work a half day on Tues and Wed. But just too tired to finish the days out. By Wed night the dreaded pain came. Mom was there with comforting cups of hot tea and water and a heating pad. The cool thing is this go around I didn't have as much trouble sleeping as I did last time. Mom said on New Year's Eve she kept checking to see if I was OK. (we slept on the couch watching the Twilight Zone Marathon! happy new year! LOL) I don't think I tossed as much and I managed to get some sleep. I went to work on Friday, though I think the worst of it waited for me to have to go to work! So I worked til about 4 and came home. I was in a lot of pain yesterday/last night. Had a hard time walking around. But I think knowing what was coming made it easier. I woke up this morning with the heating pad on the floor. LOL I think that's a good sign. It still hurts, but its manageable. Elizabeth and I went on a short walk down the street and back. and I've been relaxing all day. Still hurting a little, but I think I'm in the upward swing. YAYYY for upward swing!!! I think the Aleve I've been taking has helped and I have also been doing a Yoga DVD every day that Mom gave me for Christmas. I think that helps stretch my muscles. So hopefully in a few days I'll be back to "normal" to prepare for the next cycle! As my friend Carol said...I'm 1/3 thru!!! YAY!

Happy New Year Everyone!! Again, thanks for all the love and support!!! And thanks for visiting! xoxoxo