Hello and Happy Spring!!

Hi Friends,
   I know it's been ages since I have updated my blog, so when I came across it today, I thought I'd post a long overdue post to let you know how things are going.
   As for me and my Cancer battle, I am very happy to have just celebrated my 4th Cancerversary, something that I honestly never dreamed would be possible when I was diagnosed back on March 27, 2015.   To think that I then had a brain tumor, lung tumors and a pulmonary embolism and a very grim prognosis, I am deeply thankful and grateful to be alive and living life.  I've come a long way and beat the odds for sure.  I have never asked for a full prognosis, but I know now that I've done much better than most and I'm so lucky that my treatments have worked and are still keeping me stable.   Sadly, I've lost some dear friends from my Support Groups and that's been bittersweet.  
   It's not always easy and my life will forever be changed but I'm still "Stable" and that pretty much feels like a miracle to someone who is battling Stage IV Metastatic Cancer.   I am thankful for each and every day and cherish every one.  This some something that many of us take for granted until the day comes that illness or a tragedy strikes us or one of our family members.  It's a reminder that we ALL need to cherish every morning that we wake up -- for some tomorrow will never come and that's sadly a fact of life.  
    I continue to HOPE each and every day for a cure and know how badly it's needed.  I still have two tiny nodes/tumors and areas of 'ground glass' in my right lung, which is why my status is "Stable" versus "NED" (No Evidence of Disease).  Some day I do hope that my scans will show that I'm NED but for now, I'll take "Stable" and hope that I do not see any "progression" for a long, long time -- hopefully forever, if we find a cure.  My next CT Scan coming up later this month and it's always a stressful time, which we in the Cancer world refer to as "Scanxiety".   
   The downside of the treatments are the long term (likely permanent side effects).  I am struggling with relentless fatigue and horrible bilateral leg pain, whcih is most likely a form of Neuropathy often caused from the treatments I've had.  Of course, I still also have Fibromyalgia and that has complicated some of my pain issues.  My right hip is in bad shape and should be replaced, but having so much pain in my left hip (had the replaced just before my cancer diagnosis), I'm not eager to go through the surgery again.  Ironically that surgery was only 4 weeks, before I learned I had Stage IV cancer and in some ways I feel like having it was a "jinx" -- How did the miss seeing the cancer during my pre-op testing and also on the chest xrays I had during and before the surgery?  I've given up on trying to go back and figure it all out and I know the outcome can never change, but I really do not want to have to be tied up for 6-8 weeks again.  Maybe after the new baby arrives, I'll consider it later, but for now, I'd much rather enjoy my time with Harper!!
     As for HAPPY news!  My precious grand-baby (Harper) is now two and is so much fun.   My little LOVE who brings great joy and happiness into my life.  She can now talk and I just LOVE it when she calls me "Nanni" or says Hi, Bye Nanni, or Love you, Nanni...she melts my heart.  Here are couple recent pictures.

March 2019

First Birthday! She wore a "Unicorn Princess Dress"

Harper and Nanni !!  Playing with SnapChat
   I am also thrilled to announce that we are now expecting our second Grand-baby and Harper will be a Big Sister to another sweet Baby Girl, due to arrive on the 4th of July!     

Big Sister Announcement!!

  I babysit for Harper 3 afternoons a week and totally LOVE it and the time I'm spending with her.  She's such a good girl and that's why it's easy for me, not to mention it pushes me to get up and get out those three days, which is so important. Some days it can be exhausting, but she's so worth it and I absolutely love the bond we share.  Now I can't wait to meet her little sister, so that I can also watch her grow and spend time bonding with her.   Harper has been a HUGE inspiration in my cancer battle and I know her baby sister will be an added LOVE to add to my life.  Grand-babies are truly gifts and other than being a MOM to my two boys, being a Nanni adds even more LOVE and Happiness...it's awesome.  
   I just returned from a wonderful 10 day trip out to San Diego to see my oldest son and also attend the wedding of one of his childhood friends, who also lives in San Diego.   I had a great time, as always, but it was harder to get around with the Neuropathy, but I took my cane and did well.  I did really miss being able to dance at the wedding, but still enjoyed that warm wonderful weather and we spend a lot of time out and about eating and having fun!!  
   This is a picture of me taken the day of the wedding.   I felt really good that day and had a lot of fun.   It was really a fun-filled trip and I savor every one, because you just never know when and if I may be told, I'm not able to travel or fly.   Hopefully that will not come for a very long time.  
   

     Here are a few pictures I took in San Diego,  I stayed in a wonderful Airbnb up in Little Italy, which is one of my favorite areas.   The building in the background of the first picture  is where I stayed.  It's new since my last trip and is really nice.  There is a fun "Plaza" Piazza della Famiglia right outside and they host daily events.   

Love seeing Flowers blooming!!

The succulents here are always blooming!!

Ironside Restaurant/Little Italy 

Piazza della Famiglia Little Italy/San Diego

Seaport Village  Looking over towards the Coronado Bridge
   Well that's about it for me!  Hubby is well and my precious little pups are also doing great.  They are always be my side, especially when I'm not feeling great or resting. 

Skye and Zeva

  Wishing you all well and hoping everyone is Happy, Healthy and Living life!!
Hugz, Lisa  

Christmas Wishes....

   Just a little update to say hello to everyone and wish you all a wonderful Christmas and heartfelt wishes for a very Happy and Healthy New Year.   

    I also wanted to share a few new pictures of Harper who will turn 10 months old later this week.  She is my little love and truly has been such an amazing and precious gift in my life.  I am still spending three afternoons every week babysitting for her and feel so lucky and blessed that I have  this to spend with her.  She is a wonderful baby, very easy to take care of and I just love every moment I have with her.    

Fall 2017

November 2017

(Picture from the Christmas Card her Mom and Dad created!)

December 2017

     I have been extremely lucky in my Cancer battle and I am currently Stable, which is amazing for a Stage IV Cancer Patient.  It will be three years in March since I was diagnosed and I am so happy to proud to be a survivor with this horrific illness.   I am so thankful that my treatments have worked so well and hope everyday that they will continue to do so.   I have my next CT Scan tomorrow and pray that this one will continue to show that my tumor is unchanged and that there are not any new signs of cancer.   My Christmas Wish would be to find out the the tumor is now totally gone and that I am NED (No Evidence of Disease).    

   Tomorrow is also my son, Brian's Birthday, a day/date that has always been one of the happiest days in my life.  I'm hopeful that it'll bring positive vibes for a great scan!  

    My sincere thanks to everyone who has continued to keep me in your thoughts and prayers.  You have all been so kind and supportive and that means the world to me.  Harper has become my greatest Hope and Inspiration and I truly feel so lucky to have her in my life.  Way back in 2015 when I first learned I had late stage cancer, I never imagined I would have a Grandchild, something I had dreamed of for a long time -- Now that dream is reality and she is truly a gift that I love with all my heart.  I hope and plan to be here for a very long time, so I can watch this sweet baby girl grow up! 

 Hugs and Love to all,

Lisa

My love....

....Well as it turns out, I never did get back into creating but that's okay -- I have a whole new "Hobby" and "Love" in my life and it's spending time with Harper.

     I know I haven't updated in awhile, so I thought I posted a update.   I am doing well in my Cancer Battle.  I have been amazingly lucky and have now been "Off Treatment" for 11 months and remained Stable, something that is very rare with Cancer as advanced as mine is.  It's almost like a miracle, and I feel so blessed.  I am very grateful and thankful for each and every day that I am able to live life.    I absolutely LOVE spending time with Harper and now babysit for her a few days each week.  I split the shifts with her "Grammy", it and works out perfectly for us both.  She has been such a JOY in my life and given me lots of hope and inspiration to continue to fight hard.  I still see my Oncologist every six weeks and have scans every 12 weeks.  My tumor is now tiny, and has been for many months, I had an excellent response to Immunotherapy (Opdivo) and as I said, have been extremely lucky.  I get very anxious with every scan, but that is "life" with late stage cancer.  You learn to take each day as they come.

    Harper is now a little almost  5 1/2 months old and at her last check up (4 months) she weighed in a 16.2 lbs. and is doing great.  She is still exclusively on breast milk and clearly is thriving.  She will see her Pediatrician next on her 6th month birthday (August) and will then start of solid foods -- probably cereal  to start with.  So much has changed since I had my boys and many of the things we did, are totally "old" and "outdated"!    Obviously we did okay, as our children are grown adults, but it is a whole new world and her Mom and Dad want to do everything that her doctor recommends!   No need for any input for Nanni (me) or her Grammy!  I am happy to follow their plan, as she is their daughter, after all - and they are doing a wonderful job with her.  She's a very happy and healthy baby - exactly what we all want. 

   She already has her first two teeth (bottom) and the two on top should be popping through any day now.  She's an early teether, but it's not uncommon for some babies.  Her Daddy got his first tooth and six months, and by that time, she'll have four.  She's a good baby and naps well, and is now sleeping through the night (most of the time).  She was not one who quickly slept all night - she loves to eat.   She is pretty easy to take care of, but does like to be kept busy.  She loves her "bouncy" seat and has almost outgrown her "swing" which was well loved for many months.  She also can sit up in a high chair, or in a chair propped up with pillows and likes little toys (blocks, rattles, teething toys). She also sits great in her new little walker, but really doesn't move too far, (yet).   Jumping in his "activity center" is one of her favorite things.  She also enjoys "Baby TV" from time to time and loves when we sing to her.   

Around 3 months...

Around 3 1/2 Months....

4 months - First Tooth

June 2017

Teething...and loving

time in her "Bouncy" seat!!

5 Months....

5 months - See can easily roll over now!

My precious grand-daughter, Harper!!

5 1/2 Months (July 2017)

  And that's about it for me -- This sweet baby is my little LOVE and has brought so much happiness and LOVE into my life.  I have always loved being a Mom, now being a "Nana" is a whole new gift and I pray and hope every day that I'll be here for a long time, so I can watch her grow up.  

    Please continue to HOPE and PRAY for a cure for ALL types of Cancer -- it's such a devastating illness and takes far too many from our lives. 

Hugs and love,

 Lisa

   

Pink and Polka Dots...

       Pink and Polka Dots seems to be the theme of my cards for today, which were inspired by the latest challenge over at the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge Blog, where the theme this week is "Going Dotty".    

     It's been another fun day of coloring and creating in my craft room.   All three cards above were created with digi images and colored with Copic Markers.   
     And I have one more created and inspired by this week's Challenge over at "Cas(E) This Sketch".

     Thanks for stopping by and special thanks for the kind comments.  You are all so sweet and caring and I truly appreciate your kindness and support.

    

A touch of pink...

   "A Hint of Pink" is the name of the current challenge over at the "Simon Says Stamp" Wednesday Challenge blog and also was the inspiration in the three new cards that I created today.           Today, I broke out my "Copic Markers" and colored up these sweet images which are some oldies from my "Digi Image Stash".   The first one I have owned for several years and to be honest, I'm sorry to say I don't recall where I bought it or the artist's name.  If you happen to know, please share and I'll be happy to add those details.  

        Just about the time I first started cardmaking, digi images were the "newest" thing and I loved that I could instantly go online, buy an image and be able to print it and color it the same day.  It was also right about the time that Copic Markers were becoming very popular and that's also when I started building my collection, which took me many years.   They are a prized possession and something I've never been able to part with --- depsite all my de-stash sales, I'm not sure I can ever give them up.   Today, it was really fun to color again and it brought back memories of just how much I do love to color and how relaxing it can be.    I am not very happy that I never sold my Copic and do hope to continue to color and create.   I feel very much a beginner again, but do hope in time that I'll get back to where I was before!!        This second card turned out to be my favorite and this digi image is one I know is from Bugaboo Stamps.   I literally own hundreds of Bugaboo images and they have always been some of my favorite.

      This is the card that I am entering into the SSS "Touch of Pink" Challenge.  It also has lots of "Purple" which I'm sure you know is my favorite color and I think that's why I think this is my favorite card for the days.   Again, very much as CAS card and one that I had fun creating.          My final card is another one where I used my Copics along with another cute little digi by Bugaboo.  

        Another thing I have realized is that I need to set-up a new place to take "pictures" of my cards.  I took this using my cell phone and the lighting is not great, so I need to work on that.  Hopefully, if I can continue to get back into card-making, I can work on that and dig out my nice camera.   In the meantime, I'm in practice mode and just playing around and seeing what I can come up with.          I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has stopped by and been so encouraging.  I really do HOPE I can continue to slowly improve my skills and may eventually get back to making cards like I did before the Cancer came into my life.    I really do miss it, but I remember now, just how much time and work it takes to create each card, then photograph them, edit, watermark and upload -- Not to mention then writing a blog post!  Kudos to all of you who are doing it daily and even more so to those who make create videos -- You ROCK!   Just doing this took me almost all day--and I am now exhausted.           And now it's time to take my Pups out for a little walk before dinner time is here!  Hope you all are having a great week and thank you all again for your support and encouragement.         I really do feel like a "Newbie" in the card-making world -- but I'm also enjoying time in my craft room and fee happy and happy times are what life is all about!!