1 year in remission!

Another busy month. Our church has recently built a new sanctuary so we moved in two days ago. They also built us a new library which we moved in over the weekend.

This past weekend Nicole was also in "Once Upon a Mattress". I have a whole album on Facebook but I will share a couple of shots.
She played a lady in waiting. It was really good!


Lexi and Tyler start soccer next week. Then our weekends will be tied up for a few months. Well, at least they are active in a sport. :) We told them they should do that to stay in shape.

A year ago I ended chemo and have been in remission. I was teasing Norm that he needs to come through on his promise for dancing lessons. I've been on the committee at church for cancer support. We are still exploring where we are going with that.

Bald is beautiful

On the website I created I have a photo album entitled bald Is beautiful. If you would like to include a photo of yourself, please reply here with the pic or give me a link to your photo.

We have another "snow day" today although the worst part is actually the wind and not the snow.

I was saddened to find out a friend has had bad results in her mammogram and needs to see if it is cancer. I am praying that it is benign.

End of February......

This past year has been flying by so fast. I am so grateful for this year of health. I am also grateful because we have such great health insurance and benefits. I know we would have had help with our expenses but so many people do not have that now. I spoke to someone today who does not have insurance for her and her children. She cannot afford to go to the dentist or the eye doctor. I feel bad because, while it's a struggle sometimes with these expenses, it's impossible with others. I wish I could give her the money she needs.

I am looking forward to spring....the warmer weather, the flowers, the newness of it all.

Our church is preparing to move into our new sanctuary and I am excited to do that. There will be some glitches, I'm sure. I will be serving on the tech team on the pro-presenter. Norm will be on lights sometimes and Nicole might also be on pro-presenter with me as they want teams of two.

I am creating a website called "God is Bigger Than My Cancer". It is still under construction but I am including a blog roll of cancer blogs which gives God the Glory. If you would like to be included, please reply here and give me a link to your blog. Thank you!


We are currently in the midst of a blizzard type storm. I will post pictures when I get a chance.

Snow!

February is starting off with a bang. It actually started last Saturday when I got really sick . It wasn't long till the whole family had it. (within two days) It took like five days till I felt like eating anything and start to regain strength.


Then when we were recovered it began to snow. We got 22 inches this weekend and they are calling for 12 more on top of that till Wednesday. Above is a photo of the kids and the dog in the snow on Saturday. I can't believe I got them all still and looking at me. :)

Norm and I took a walk through the snow today. It was beautiful!

(img src="http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l202/DeniseOfPA/WhiteSignature.png")

A New Year

Every milestone brings it's share of memories and emotions. It's weird the things that trigger certain memories. Everytime I even think about having to go to the hospital again I just get this sick feeling in my stomach like I did with the chemo with you just feel sick and nothing tastes good to you..... everything tastes blah. Yesterday I was running media for the worship team and we were using two computers at once and at different points during the service the head tech guy had to switch the audio feeds from one computer to another and just watching him do that brought back memories of the nurses changing my IV bags.

I often wonder if I am ever going to be in that place again or if I am through with that nightmare for good. It seems like a really bad dream to me. Sitting here at this point one year out.... a year ago I had been through my first chemo and was losing my hair.

There is a lady at church who also had Ovarian Cancer and the same dr. His prognosis for her was not good while mine was....and he was right about her. Hers has returned. And while I can take small comfort in it not returning, I still wonder what is in store for me. Going through cancer, especially being ignored at first, has made me so paranoid. It took all I had not to severely question the doctor during Nicole's recent appointment. I know it will take awhile till I can trust them again. There are some things I wish to discuss with a medical professional but I just don't feel comfortable with anybody. I don't want to be paranoid but I know I am not alone in this. I have confided in a friend who has had a similar experience and she shares my fears and paranoia. She understands how I feel and it's nice to know that.

This year started out with a family gathering and my birthday. We took the kids to a movie over my birthday weekend.

Today was really warm. It was also rainy however when I went to pick up Lexi from school there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. Lexi was so thrilled to be seeing her first rainbow.

As you can see I changed the look of my blog again. I tried color coordinating it to my God is Bigger than my cancer insignia which I've made with a ribbon and a cross, both purple. I don't want it to just be teal for Ovarian cancer or pink for breast cancer...... I want it to be purple to hopefully represent the ultimate Healer of cancer. I hope you enjoy it.

As we end 2009......

Some photos from this Christmas season

View all

Get your own

It's strange as I go to write this the theme song from our year starts playing on the radio. "While I'm Waiting". That song has just meant so much for us over the past year as we battled the cancer. The song has been representative of what we walked through with God.

While in some ways it seems insureal, it's something I can't forget. And going through that pain has helped me to be empathetic towards others in pain as well. Last year at this time we were preparing to leave for a mini vacation before my chemo the following week. It was scary but precious time.

One of the things I regret is not taking more photos during that time. At the time I was embarressed to have anyone see me like that but now I wish I had a hard copy those memories of the hard times. What's funny is the little ways it has changed me. Like i said earler, I'm more empathetic to others' pain. I also more vocal in cancer awareness. I want to be more healthy so I am probably going a little overboard trying to lose weight. I do double the circuits required at Curves. I'm like a woman with a mission. The one instructor asked me today how many circuits I've been doing because she realized I was there for pretty long. I think I'm coming out of my shell a little more. Someone laughingly suggested I be a stand up comedian and I actually not necessarily wanted to be a stand up comic, I had considered a speaker with humor thrown in. To come up with jokes on the fly might be a stretch. I guess I've been praying for a way to use this all for good and I'm trying to figure out where it's taking me.

So as I end 2009 and begin 2010 I wish for you be proactive in your health! You are your best advocate. Look for ways for God to stretch you. Hug your children. Buy your spouse a special treat. Look for the silver lining. Live and let God!

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy

As 2009 draws to a close.......

Here are some highlights of stuff that has happened in these past two months so far....





This year has just been so much better than last year. Sometimes last year feels like a distant dream and yet it's something that will be in our minds for the rest of our lives. Sometimes I want to just wish it never happened but it did. Now I have to live with the reality that it could return. Norm also has to make some changes as well since his Christmas stay in the hospital last year. He will probably be on medication for that the rest of his life.



I think the kids are recovering from it. When I recently had to make a trip to my oncologist for a check-up Tyler said, "But mom, I thought you were done with the cancer." I told him that I will still need check-ups for a long time just to make sure everything is okay. Nicole actually wrote a composition for school about when her dad passed out from his episode last Christmas. Lexi hasn't really said anything but I know it has affected her as well.

We've been helping another lady from our church with Ovarian Cancer. She had a different type of Ovarian cancer than I had. She had the same Gyne-oncologist. While he told me mine probably won't return, he made the opposite promise to her. While sad for her , it brings comfort to me in a strange way.



This Christmas will feel so much more richly blessed as we are healthy and have each other. When you have that, who needs money? Don't get me wrong, money is nice but you can't take it with you.



May you enjoy the richness of the holidays and appreciate the reason for the season. We would be nothing without His Christmas gift!

A Thanksgiving to Remember

This Thanksgiving is so much different than last year. Last year we were dealing with a terrible disease, after effecfts of major surgery, a roller coaster of emotions, mortality and reluctantly anticipating what we were told will be rough chemotherapy. We have so much to be thankful for. That in itself is a huge understatement. When you are facing something so horrific you realize how important friends and family really are. You also realize that you aren't as much of a wallflower as you originally thought. We got so much support last year as family stepped in to care for my children and co-workers, church family, my Internet sisters and even my childrens' school showered us with food and monetary gifts to get us through both the holidays and upcoming treatments. Some from our church even sent us on a wonderful vacation over the holidays including a fabulous show at Sight and Sound Theater. Many also stepped in to help out over Norm's Christmas emergency. I am just so grateful to everyone for their prayers, cards, gifts, flowers and support. And a special thank you to Norm who put into practice our vow "In Sickness and in health!" I love you, Norm! I love you, Nicole, Tyler and Lexi! God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

PS Please remember our friends, Steve and Lugene as their son, Adam (approx 8), is in the hospital fighting pneumonia.

Mid-November Ramblings

Soccer season is now officially over and band is almost over as well. Tomorrow is band competition chamionships and they still have some football games to go to depending on how well the football team does. As of now we are undefeated.

Christmas is soon coming and I've been doing some shopping. There is one local station that carried Christmas already and sometimes I listen to it. Christmas Shoes has been getting to me lately because it could have almost been about me. I try not to think about that. This year Christmas and Thanksgiving will take on more significance as I remember what we were facing last year.

I am having my parents and baby brother over for Thanksgiving. There isn't enough room for the rest of the family to Tyler's dismay. He was hoping to see his cousins. I've been debating how I want to handle the meal. It would be nice if we could relax after the meal and not have to think much of dishes.

If I don't get on here again soon, Happy Thanksgiving!