Hi Friends,
It's been a long time, since I updated my blog, but thought I would pop in and share an update and let you know I am here and doing well.
Today, out of the blue I received two beautiful handmade cards in the mail and they both were so nice and really put a big smile on my face. I can't say thank you enough to everyone who has taken the time to think of me and to those who have send me so many beautiful cards and hand written notes. I still have every one of the cards and notes and they are all special and mean so much to me. There is nothing nicer than a handmade card and having been a card-maker for a long time, I know how much I used to love to create and send them off to friends and fellow cardmakers. That is one thing I definitely miss about creating. It's kills me to "buy" cards and we all know they are not nearly as nice and those we can make.
Today I send thanks to Michelle.(Handmade by Michelle), a wonderful designer who I have known for many years and who has sent me some really lovely cards these past few years. A second thanks goes out to Donna (CraftyColonel), someone I have never met, but she found me via my blog and some old "business cards" I had packed up with goodie boxes and I was doing my "de-stash". It was such a nice surprise to find two cards in today's mail! THANK YOU both very much.
I also want to send a HUGE shout out and Thank you to Kathleen Darroch, who has been sending me her amazing cards faithfully for the last 4 1/2 years! Ever since I first learned I had this damn cancer. I know I don't say it enough, but I sincerely love the support that you have given to me. I really hope that some day we can meet up, so I can give you a big HUG and say thanks in person.
I have met so many wonderful and truly inspirational people in the paper-crafting community, and they are some of the nicest and kindest people in the world. That is the one part of creating that I really miss. I loved taking classes and traveling to events.
As for me, my favorite thing in life now, is spending time with my two grand babies and I am very excited to let you all know that my second precious grand-daughter (Hazel Rae) joined our Family in early July and is the newest little LOVE of my life. She and her big sister Harper are so much fun and truly make me so happy. This is a picture of the two of them and it's one of my all time favorite pictures. I fell in love with it so much that "Acacia" my DIL, had it made into a large canvas for me which was my "favorite" birthday gift this year.
Harper and Hazel
(July 2019)
Hazel at 8 weeks
September 2019
Hazel is now 11 weeks old and Harper is a little over 2 1/2 and she so much fun. "Nanni" takes her to Dancing Class now every week, it's our "One one One" time and she is loving it. This is picture taken on her first day. In case you can't guess, "Nanni" Lisa bought her this little set and of course I picked a shade of purple, since it's still my favorite color. Her's is pink, so I bought her a pink outfit too, but if you ask her what is her favorite color, she always starts by saying that "Nanni's" favorite is Purple. She also loves spending time going out with "Nanni and Papa" and we now take her pretty much every Saturday afternoon. We go out for a late lunch and to the Park or somewhere fun for her.
I am happily doing well in my cancer battle, I'm not "cancer free" but my cancer has been "Stable" now with no new growths or tumors in the last three years, pretty much as close to remission as you can get, but it's rare for any Oncologist to "say" remission for any Stage IV Cancer patient. They prefer to say "NED" No Evidence of Disease or Stable, because we are not "currently" curable and they also don't consider it to be Remission until you've been totally clear for five years. I still have two tiny nodes (most likely just scar tissue), but also some "lingering" opacities in my right lung, so for me it's "Stable"...but I'll happily take then. When I was diagnosed in 2015, it was pretty rare for anyone with Stage IV Non Small Cell Lung Cancer to live for five years, and I also had a brain tumor and a pulmonary embolism, so my diagnosis was even more grim. It's pretty much a miracle that I'm here now and I'm so lucky and thankful for that. I owe it all to my first Oncologist (Dr. Sunkara) which I deeply miss. She moved away for a wonderful career opportunity, but we do keep in touch via email from time to time. She was the doctor who decided to try me on "Opdivo" Nivolumab which had just been FDA approved in late 2015. I was the very first patient at my hospital to go on this type of treatment (Immunotherpay) and I'm also the longest survivor. Many people are also doing well with these drugs (like Keytruda) which most people have now heard of because of the TV Ads. Yet, some have NO response to this treatment. I have since lost many dear "Cancer Support Group" friends and it's so hard to see that. There are so many new patients' whoa re very young. Late 20's and 30's and that breaks my heart. Sadly Lung Cancer has the terrible Stigma of being a smokers disease, but it's NOT/ Most the youngest and new patients. never smoked --IF you have lungs and breath YOU too can get Lung Cancer. It's is the leading Cancer Killer and kills more than Breast, Color and Prostate Cancer Combined. Something I try to spread awareness on every day.
I am now dealing with a basal cell skin cancer (all those years of fun in the sun) and now need to have MOHS surgery and reconstruction of my upper lip and lip in November and I'm not at all looking forward to that. It's a pretty complex procedure and will require two surgeries, one is the MOHS to remove the cancer and then the plastic surgeon will do the close of reconstruction. I've already been through the biopsy and then a treatment with a topical cream (kind of a chemo type cream) that I had to use to try and shrink it down some. If not, I may lose half my upper lip and that kind os scares me. I am so sick and tired or doctors and medical stuff and sadly, I will be under care forever with Metastatic Cancer. I also now broke a molar and need that pulled "under anesthesia" which is complex when you have other health issues and are on blood thinners. Hoping after those two procedures, I can stay away from hospital and doctors for awhile.
But...I am here and LOVING life, especially with these two precious little grand babies...I'm blessed and so thankful to have them in my life.
Hope you are all doing well ! Please take, be well and Cherish every day of good health!!
