Iraq and #6

My sweet hubby made it from Hungary to Iraq.   I got a few texts from him.   British Guards picked him up at the airport in a armoured car that was guarded.   He had 3 other cars and 6 guards protecting him (1 man)  from the airport to the work site compound.    All with serious gun power.   All he saw was sand and burnt out towns and mortar holes.  He is pretty far out in the desert and close to the border.    Security was tight and he said he felt safe.  They checked the whole car/underneath t for any explosive devices and at every check point   (several a long the way)   He was also required to wear full protective gear.   He made it to the location,  or compound which is guarded to the max .  British commandos are on guard at all time......it pays to have friends from around the globe.    He will be running data aquisitions tests  to see what the well is doing and make suggestions on what needs to be done and sending in reports back to the companys main corporate office......basically 24/7.   He tells me the Iraq people and government WANT them in the country to help them rebuid and get their oild fields up and running again.  So they are also very protective about their oil fields and the people frome across the globe who are working to get them up and running.     He was going to to go take a nap and eat as he had been traveling for 2 full days.   When I asked him about the food he said it was authentic. What ever that means.   A good friend told him to take plenty of immodium when he goes.   He does have good internet so at least we can skype. The accomodations are good and he has a roomate...(he sounded Australian...but I could not be sure)     It was nice to see his happy face on Skype this morning and it made me feel better to know he is safe.

As for me...I took treatment # 6 or Thursday ...so I have two more to go.  I am so looking forward to feeling better and having some feel good days ahead.   I can even think about the future now and I starting to  plan a party  for Gracies Senior Graducation    - Did I brag that she has a 4.0 and has been accepted into several colleges. She has also been taking good care of me since Allen has been gone. Work is going good for her and she got some major tips over the holidays.  I am so proud of the young adult she is becoming.   She is looking way beyond those high school years and is so ready to let all the drama of high school go and move on to college.

I put on my big girl pantys and DROVE MYSELF to my #6 treatment.  I hate asking others to do this for me and sit with me because it is such a long boring treatment.   I was in the chemo chair  from 8:30 - 2:00.  I had to have a few extra IVS....I was very nauseated yesterday so they gave me two bags of the meds and that  helped  and a extra dose of steriods (which will make me red and swollen today) - and something to help my red blood cell count - which is bordeline right now.  This explains the extreme fatigue I have been having.   I will go back in today to check it and if it is still low I will need to get blood/plasma.  BUT   the good news is my white blood cell count is up, which means so is  my immunity..this is a FIRST....so I am glad.   It mean that my immunity is on the rebound....so I still need to stay away from sick people to keep this count up.  I was smart this time and packed a lunch so I felt better during  the treatment  They do have an array of snacks and juice they offer you...but they dont appeal to me - you loose a certain taste of foods when you are on chemo as they remind you of being sick or hurling during a previous treatment.


Anyway I am still on a steriod high today....but really swollen and red from them..looks like I have a bad sunburn and my eyes are swollen shut...and I  really tired and I can feel the bone pain starting to sneak in again.  The weekends will be the worst...so I plan on resting and laying low...so I can be back at work next need.

Time to have something for breakfest before my taste buds go dead again. This will last about a week..nothing taste good and it is easy to get dehydrated and start feeling sick.  So you have to eat a good meal when you can and are able.

Have a great weekend..I am grateful for three days to recover from this treatment.  I hope to head back to work part time on Tuesday if I am feeling well.  I have been pushing it with work, but is makes me feel so good mentally/emotionally  and my work friends have been so supportive.  And I really enjoy what I am doing with the people that are around me.  So in a way, it is good cheap therpy  and thebest support group I could ever ask for.   Love my Whit people !

Tammy

Prayers please

But not for me.
My sweet hubby is leaving  Hungary for Iraq later this week.
If you are the praying kind - please please pray for his safety !
He is going for work...and I am just not sure how safe it is right now that the US military forces have left.

I am going in for my 6th chemo treatment this Thursday and I am really not looking forward to it.
I am glad for another three day weekend to rest up after it.
I am pretty tired right now and having trouble sleeping and the steriods I have to take for the next week
dont really help that.   I am wondering if I will finally break down and take the Ambien my doc gave me.

Safe Travels Allen - I love you

Across the world !

Kellemes karácsonyt és boldog új évet


That is Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Hungary.  I love and miss you !
Stay Warm.

Christmas and Cancer, and using the good China

I am grieving for my  mother and father this December.   I remember all the wonderful times I had at Christmas time with them, surrounded by family and food, knowing we were loved and taken care of.

There were always presents but I remember my family and the big dinners we had.  My mother always used the "Good China" and we always had a big tree.  We always went to Midnight Mass and had a few adult beverages.  I always wondered why my mother went to all that trouble of setting a nice table with linen table cloth and napkins, the good china and her precious green waterford crystal (that had to be hand washed). Just for us.    I think I know why now.  We were special to her and we were her gifts.

For some people, Christmas is one of the most emotionally fraught times of year, perhaps due to the presence or absence of people we love or depend on;  combined with all the social and financial expectations and pressures of the season.  I have been to ill to really get into the spirit and I am trying not to be dissappointed with certain people in my life.   I am going to focus on getting stronger and getting this illness behind me.   It will be just Gracie and I this Christmas Eve.    I have not been feeling well and   my treatments are catching up with me.  Gracie has to work but is getting off early.  She is going to bring us some treats from the swanky resteraunt where she works at.  We will toast Chrismtas and open our presents together.  It will be a special mother /daughter time and she will make me laugh with all her stories from work.   I am going to try extra hard to stay up later tonight so I can spend some time with her.

I really wish my hubby was home...it is very hard with out him home this year.   But I am looking forward to  sepending time with Gracie and skyping with Allen tonight when he gets off work.  If only I could Skype with my parents one time, what a gift that would be right ?

Take a few mintues to tell your family how much you love them this Christmas and really enjoy the time you have with them.   It is really not about the presents, food, drinks.  It is about the time together and celebrating the birth of a tiny baby boy in a manger so many years ago.

And yes Mama - Gracie and I will use the good china tonight !

Merry Christmas

Time for a little inspiration.

50 Things to Love about Life That Are Free

by Lori Deschene
“If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda
If you asked an 8-year old version of me to list all the things I loved, it might have looked something like this:

• Ice cream
• Swings
• Snow days
• Beach days
• More ice cream
• Saturday morning cartoons

In fact, I’m sure I could have created an inventory longer than my usual Christmas list, including a ton of things that either tasted, felt or looked good.
It didn’t occur to me until later in life that some of the best things are intangible; and that I could experience them at any time if I just opened my heart and mind to let them in.
I think most of us know that intellectually—that pride in your work can be more valuable than what it buys, for example. But sometimes we get so caught up in securing the trappings of the good life—the house, the car, the furnishings the clothes—we’re too distracted to notice and appreciate the intangibles.
That’s not to say there’s something wrong with enjoying material things. I’m still a huge fan of my TV (flatter and larger), ice cream (OK, frozen yogurt now) and days off (though I can’t seem to negotiate any snow days into my adult lifestyle). It’s just that there’s so much more to love about life that doesn’t cost a dime.
 “What do you love about life?” Some of my favorite responses include:
1. Love. (Hansoul Kim)
2. Family. (Jo Alunan Taguinod)
3. Just being able to wake up to the sun shining in the morning. (Norma Lewis)
4. The ability to overcome hardships and appreciate what I already have instead of wishing I had more. (Ivy Lokojarvi)
5. Our ability to empathize. It allows us to connect and support each. (Heather Fulton)
6. The ridiculous things my dog and cats do. They live in the moment and enjoy being alive, and it reminds me to do the same. (Rachel Campbell)
7. That I am someone who can makes a real difference in the world. (Marlu A Soria)
8.Moments of realization that I’m not as alone as I too often think I am. (Caleb Davis)
9. My children being healthy and happy. (Angelica Ortega)
10. Every breath I take reminds me I’m still here and still have much to enjoy. (Lorna Goodman)
11. The ones who never give up on me. (Li Maddocks)
12. Positive and creative people. (Vicky Agnew)
13. I love the moments when more than one person ‘get’s’ the illusory joke and for a moment sees that we are one. (Darla Shanti Serafina)
14. The love and support of my life partner. (Diane Delude)
15. Being alive and happy at this moment because is the only thing that exists. (Indi Pa)
16. Affecting people without realizing it. (Mike Love)
17. The beauty of it. No matter how bad things get, there is always something beautiful to keep us going forward. (Noel Knights)
18. All the funny people. (Neelie Echelon Michele Oliver)
19. Hope. (Majo Bustamante)
20. The unexpected things. (María Victoria Arteaga Hung)
21. That every moment in life is a chance for a new beginning. (Vanessa Powell)
22. Creating abundant joy is what I love most about life. (Shyloh Robinson)
23. The diversity that everyone brings to the table. (Andy Clemenko)
24. Trying new things. (Karen Gallion-Biggers)
25. The amazing way the universe can materialize just what you need. (Allison Seals McGee)

26. The way life’s traumas end up making the good times even sweeter. (Lisa McConnell)
27. Second chances. (Shari Ouillette)
28. I love when my daughter smiles at me, and says “Mommy, I love you.” (Haydee Lopez Cruz)
29. Freedom of choice! (Denise Robinson)
30. Everyday is another chance to get it right. (Jan Bu)
31. Seeing small plants start to bud and grow. (Erin Anderson)
32. It’s the little things that matter the most to me, like kisses on my forehead. (Manda Keifer)
33. I love the fact that I can see only love around me. (Kalpana Tewani)
34. People, nature, animals—everything. (Aisha Ar Radiyah)
35. Opportunities to start all over again. (Cristina Villacres)
36. Good food, good friends, good health, and a good night’s sleep! (Mikel O’Brien)
37. Smiles and laughter. (Erin Leslie Cassinelli)
38. Being free to do what I want when I want how I want. (Kim Toney)
39. How there are many paths to happiness, not just one. (Melanie Hazim ॐ)
40. The fact that nothing is permanent. You can always change what you don’t like. (Marcia Johnson)
41. All the free things like air, fresh water, kisses from my love, a hug from my daughter, learning from other people, observing nature and smelling flowers. ( Sarita A. Salas)
42. That we never really know what’s going to happen next. (Slovydal O’Brien)
43. Music. (Lori O’Connor)
44. The spontaneous and unexpected, if it’s positive. (Teresa O’Connor)
45. Knowing the difference between being alive and living. (Belinda Poree)
46. The incredible beauty that surrounds us if we look. (Jeanne E. Rohen)
47. Small moments of enlightenment that show you the path towards being a more fulfilled and compassionate human being. (Jacky Casumbal)
48. Quiet time. (Gerri Mills)
49. Being at peace. (Kylie Alyce Popejoy)
50. All of you. (Dan Schoenig)

Friendship and cancer.

Want to know who your friends are ?   Just get cancer and you will see who steps up and who does not.   I have to admit, it has been an eye opening experience for me.  Who has been there and who has been absent.

I try not to take it to personal, but I do on some level.......or maybe it is the pain I am feeling with this chemo that makes everything else so acute right now. 

Breast cancer may make you feel like you’ve lost some friends but now I do know who is there for me and who I can count on. . Luckily, I now have the ability (and have definitely earned the right) to define exactly what being a friend means as I move forward in my life.

Thank you to my friends and family who are here for me ....you know who you are.   I appreciate it more than you know.

Love Tammy

Where is my John Wayne ?

Holy bone pain Batman......this chemo knocked me for a loop.
I am walking around like a 90 year old woman.....I swear I would use a walker if I had one.  I may have to rent one before it is all over....
Better yet I need a scooter and a big hot tub to soak in.

I guess I should be grateful I am not hurling in a trash can....but the bone pain has been....well  excruciating !   I have a high tolerance for pain but this is everywhere.....  Last night I just curled up in a ball and cried for hours...(more like 30 minutes) - but I had to get some release from the pain.  I then remembered I had a few left over pain meds from my port surgery...but they pain had gotten ahead of me and it took some time for the meds to kick in.  You can reserve a room for me  at Betty Ford - I will not be brave or strong and ride this out....nope, no way.   Give me the meds.

My onc told me I would be a little "achy"- are you freaking kidding me........but  I have come to realize they try to minimize side effects when they talk to you about what the chemo will do to you........no worse case senerios.  I think they want to try to minimize your anxiety and hope for the best.

Never ending nausea, fatigue and excruciating bone pain ?  It is a toss up.

Dont dare tell me Aleave or Advil will take care of this...nope I want the big guns so I can sleep.
I am also running a low grade fever so I know my counts are low and I have a good amount of fatigue going on......so I am sure I will be going in this week to see my onc for a count check up.

It is gonna be a long week.

At least I have three days off next weekend and Gracie will be off from school.
When I was laying on the sofa in pain yesterday   - she went and got me an Icee.   Icees dont fix everything but it sure tasted good.

I need to catch a break or two.....I am hoping this will be a day or three side effect and not last all week.
Unfortunately most side effects from chemo are cumulative as time goes on.

#5 redo and edit. Taxol is not fun.

edit - Saturday morning, major bone pain....looks like day two and three  will be the day this cocktail kicks in.  Wow - it feels like I was in a major car wreck..  I can barely walk this morning.

I guess that means the chemo is working - it is flowing in my bones to kill any cancer cells that may be lurking.

I tried some otc pain meds, but they are not kicking in like they should.  I have just a touch of nausea - but that could be from the otc meds I am taking.

I may have to call in the big guns.

Will I need drug rehab after all this ?

My taste buds are totally dead...I can taste nothing and nothing smells or taste good to me.
But I know I need to eat if I am taking these meds.....

All I can think of is a Sonic BLT ! - but I know I would not be able to taste - so maybe just some plain ole oatmeal with some fruit mixed in.  I really hate not being able to taste anything.

I hope there are some good Christmas movies on the TV this afternoon.

#5

Treatment #5 I am done with the A/C and on to the Taxol.   It left me very groggy and drugged.  It took 5 hours to take the drip.   I slept thru most of it because the drugs were so strong.   They give it to you very slowly the first time to make sure you dont have a reaction.  It wont take as long next time (about 3-4 hours) .

My sweet sister in law Judy went with me..and I am very grateful to her for doing that as it made for a long day.

I feel very tired and drugged today....but so far just a small touch of nausea.  Thank you sweet baby Jesus.

I did have a reaction from some of the meds in the cocktail they gave me....this is normal, they tell me......face is swollen and bright red...but it seems to be going away.  My tatste buds died right away with this, so I can taste nothing and my mouth is very dry.  It has a weird taste  (from the cocktail) - so I am chewing gum to try to keep the taste from gagging me.  I wont be able t taste anything for a while and I am not really hungry...just really tired.   All of my red and white counts are low...so I went in to get my $7000 booster shot today.   I plan on sleeping this weekend - whoo hoo.  

Gracie has been taking care of me and brought me a strawberry smoothie last night :)

Any way... Allen send me a few pictures from Hungary,,  He says it is very nice in Hungrary and he loves it...I hope he gets to stay on the European team for awhile.  He is really getting to see some nice sites and meeting all kinds of people.  He makes freinds where ever her goes.

More pictures later whenI have some energy....
Have a great weekend.....my sofa is calling me.

Blah Monday

I am so tired of thinking about Cancer and Chemo....and feeling yuck all the time
And figuring out medical bills and insurance....it makes my head hurt.
I want to feel good again and talk about work, and vacations and cook a big meal and have family over.
Last night I went and  deleated most of my cancer "bookmarks" on my pc - I kept 3 and thats it...
I am tired of thinking about it, reading about it,  and all the what ifs!  I am finding it hard to go to my favorite cancer online forum because there is a whole lotta bad news on that forum...
And my favorite cancer blogger is seriously ill from a liver resection surgery and a c-diff infection.

So I am taking a break from all the cancer info on the web.
I am going back to reading my travel forums, fun blogs......and cooking & real estate linkys.
I might even update my farm on facebook.

The one thing that *really* bugs me though are things like a facebook conversation between some of my friends the other day. One was concerned about lowering her salt intake, and another piped in with "Eat all the salt you want! We're all going to die of something someday!" I responded with " 'We're all going to die of something some day' is a fun philosophy until your doctor uses the word 'prognosis' and discusses the statistical probability of your being alive in 5 or 10  years. Then, making minor dietary or lifestyle changes doesn't seem so onerous anymore.'"  Sometimes it is nice to throw a wet rag on a whine and let people know how blessed they are to have their health and to take care of it.

I guess I have a low tolerance for that sort of thing right now.   I promise to pick my personal whines more carefully in the future.

And I miss my hubby !

Sunday update

Allen made it to Amsterdam -
Took a cab to the train station.
Then took to a train to a city two hours away.
Got another cab - and made it to his hotel,
And is all settled in a nice little hotel in a nice town in in the Netherlands. He said it was small...we can just text until  he gets a local card or something for his phone (so it wont cost $$$)

One thing he did not remember to bring...Universal plug in thingy.
So he is off to exchange some money and then go buy one.
He always amazes me how is goes to all these places all over the globe by himself, with no research or anyone to meet him and just figures it out as he goes
Brave man for sure....That us the Marine in him coming out.
I am going to miss him. He makes me brave...He will stay there for 3 days then go to Hungary - for some reason it make me feel better than him being in Iraq. If he sends pictures I will post them on facebook.

My sister in law Judy is going to take me to Chemo this week.  So now I need to figure out the 28th treatment date as Judy is having surgery on the 23rd.  This treatment is supposed to make you really sleepy - but if it is not to bad I would just go by myself.

I will try to catch up on laundry today or I may just sleep on the sofa all day.   I had a hard time sleeping last night so I need to make up for it today. Getting sleep and eating right is crucial to how you feel.

I have been getting break though nasea quite a bit.
I realized I am getting dehydrated and starting drinking more fluids and gatorade to keep me hydrated.  It does help with  how I feel overall.

Happy Sunday.

The remote is mine.

I am busy catching up on all my favorite HGTV and travel channel shows.   Kardashians, Real Housewives, Cake Boss, Sex in the City reruns, Paula Dean, Lifetime movies and of course Survivor and all the Christmas movies that run over and over this time of year (Loving it)

With that remote is a down side.

My sweet hubs left for Holland and Hungary for work.  30 days maybe more :(
I made our daughter take him to the airport this morning because I was afraid I would cry.  And I know that really bothers him to see me cry.

I had kinda given him the remote for the last 2 and 1/2 months since he was busy taking care of me and doing all the housework (and I mean everything).  So I had my fill of football and crime shows (ok so I like NCIS)

I cant complain about him leaving, because his brand new employer let him work from home for 2 1/2 months at full pay...and I could tell her was getting antsy to go back to work to.

One day I will write the story of what happen to his job with Cetco - and my job with Whitney and my cancer diagnosis and how we both ended up of the good side of the coin as far as work goes.  It is a divine intervention story for sure .  It brings to me the power of faith and how we are not alone in our journey on earth.

Allen and I  have had our ups and downs in the course of 25+ years.....and weathered some rough storms.  But in the end I can truly say I have my knight in shining armour.    Except he is wearing a Sanits shirt and levis.  My illness has brought us so much closer and I know without a doubt he is there for me.  He is so strong...and it makes me strong to.     His sisters have also been propping me up and are going to look after me while he is gone.  I am so grateful to have them and my brother close by.

Keep him in your prayers tonight as he travels across the globe !

So if you are reading this Allen - I love you.
Every day is Christmas with you...so we dont have to celebrate it on December 25.

Notes from the edge.

I am in treatment agin next week.  Will be trying out a new chemo...Taxol.  Not lookign forward to it.

It will have different issues than the AC...so not knowing is a biggie.  Hard to prepare my self.

I got really sick/low red and white count after the last treatment, and I am having some some lung inflammation issues,  so they had to boost me up a bit.

Working pt right now – yes feel like crap (like having a bad case of the flu) …but I am ½ the way there….Coworkers are super supportive and it takes my mind of everything that is cancer.  This is a good thing.

I am drinking ginger  tea and eating cheetos to control the nausea – hey it works .  I cant do the drugs at work for it – because it zombies me out. I hate the nausea drugs because they really have some side effects…but  tea really works….and it is good for me.

The chemo is starting to cause bone pain which so far can be controlled with with over the counter meds.    I am all bruised up from it….my legs look terrible.

Allen is still here taking care of me.  Halliburton has been wonderful to him and letting him work for home………at full pay.   I have to be strong for him and for Gracie, they break down if I do…… so it makes me strong for the most part -  I know how lucky I am to have all the support.

I should be finished with treatment by Feb 1 (the ACT chemo part) – if I can stay well – 4 more treatments.  Then on to the oral chemo for 10 years (2 pills)

Then some other follow up sort of stuff to boost my immunity/lungs  and  cardio stuff to make sure my heart is still ticking right (chemo ruins it)

Then physical therapy to regain some strength/right arm use where the port damaged some nerves …… and then recon later in the year 2012 ….(and port removal) to. 

But they heavy duty chemp should be done by Feb – so keeping my eye on that.

I told Allen I want to go some place super relaxing in June,  I should be well enough to go by then….but maybe even a Vegas trip before that…cause dang it…I am due some good luck right ?

I have joined a yoga class (indoor) for  cancer patients – I will go when I am well ….gotta get my strength back and it helps with pain issues I am told.

I have lost a lot of weight….I think I look sickly…but it is still nice to loose the weight…if there is a pro in all this…ha.  I will need to strength train when I am well and I am super weak, and I hate being like that.  I had to downsize my purse because the one I was carrying was to big and heavy.  How bad it that !

I have no hair  - but two really nice wigs, in a way, it is a blessing – because it gives me an extra hour of sleep and I am to tired to fool with hair.  It is easy to slap on a wig ha !

I wear them to work, but use a  a scarf and hat everywher else.   I even have a Santa Hat.   It makes my doctor smile when I wear it.

The American Cancer society sent me a port pillow which really helps with the pain I have been having with my port AND  a bunch of make up (free) – by  Channel – like $500 worth – it was awesome and what a treat .(part of their look good feel good program) .  Gracie will have a blast doing my my makeup for me.

Just get me thru the day is my motto !

Pay it forward

Today I got a text from a former coworker thanking me for the Saints cap I sent her husband and how much he loved it.      He is fighting cancer and having a hard time.   I wanted to repay all the kindness that was given to me so I had my husband bring hin some knit hats I bought at sporting goods store to the hospital. 

One thing cancer has taught me - you pay it forward.   You never forget thoses who reach out to you.  I will never forget - I promise you.

 I just thought it was really cold right now and I knew he would need them for his trip to MD  Anderson,   They were very touched by this simple gesture.   And how easy was that ?  Some knit hats. 

Let this be a reminder....easy random acts of caring and kindness dont cost alot - but they do lift a spirit of someone who is going thru a hard time.  Tis the season !

I saw this article on one of cancer forums and thought it was a good reminder.

 

 

Ripple of kindness creates wave of smiles in chemo room (column)

Jackson Citizen Patriot File PhotoFreshly cut tulips.

The commotion in the chemo room started at one end and swept the room, as nurse after nurse swept in with arms full of bouquets — sunflowers, mums and more in reds, pinks, purples and golden yellow.
Waves of smiles followed in their wake as they went from patient, asking, “Would you like a bouquet? Would you like a bouquet?”
I have never seen so many smiles per square inch in a chemo room, either while I was in chemo or while I’ve been sitting with friends going through it. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t there by choice, and chemo rooms don’t register on anybody’s list of must-visit fun places.
Nanette Puhalski missed it.
The woman who had caused the furor, and did it without spending a dime, was upstairs at The Lacks Cancer Center at Saint Mary’s Health Care. She and her sister, Donlynn Cwiklinski, a scheduler at Lacks, were visiting their mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy in July. She was back to visit her doctor and discuss follow-up treatment options.
“I got these flowers by a fluke,” said Puhalski, who was taking the trash out at her West Side home when she heard a voice coming from her neighbor’s.
“Hey, young lady, would you like some beautiful flowers?” asked one of the pantry workers at Trinity Reformed Church. She went over and found a pickup truck full of boxes and boxes of flower bouquets.
“I told them flowers would put such a smile on my mother’s face when I picked her up later to take her to The Lacks Cancer Center.”
As soon as she said “Lacks Cancer Center,” the workers offered her all of the flowers she wanted.
“These’ll put smiles on a lot of faces,” she said, as all of the flowers she could fit in her car — two boxes of about 20 bouquets each — were loaded.
“It only takes a few seconds to turn one good deed into another.
“Flowers are God’s creation: They bring life and cheer you up,” said, Puhalski, who put two bouquets together for her mom.
Unexpected beauty
Usually, the best thing about chemo day is that it ends. I marvel at how one person being open to opportunity, unselfishly thinking of others and taking action can create a beauty spot in what’s otherwise a pretty ugly day.
A breast cancer survivor who was undergoing chemo that day, Karen McKenzie, of Mecosta, was one of those who left the room, bouquet in arm, Miss America-style, with a smile to match.
“She brightened my whole day, my whole week. She has no idea what she did for me,” McKenzie said of the woman she never expects to meet.
“If I ever have the chance to do something like that for others, I’ll make it happen. Two weeks ago, I wasn’t thinking like that. I’ll bet she’s inspired others to do the same.”
Puhalski is no stranger to putting small-investment-big-return smiles on faces.
“I buy stickers at the Dollar Store, 200 for $1, and I give ’em to the kids as they go through” at Harrison Park Elementary, where she cooks and serves in the food line. “They’re cute as bug’s ears,” she says of the kids who sport the butterflies, flowers, bunny faces, etc. in some unexpected places as they leave.
“They’ll say, ‘See you tomorrow,’ and they turn around, and sometimes they’ve put ’em in the middle of their foreheads!’’
Who knows who among us will get the next shot at a targeted act of kindness?
“It would be nice if somebody could do it every day,” Puhalski said.
Sue Schroder, former features editor for The Grand Rapids Press, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in late 2009

Monday Monday

This last A/C chemo treatment wore me out...my red cells came crashing down.  This means I have very little energy and I am extremely tired, and short of breath.  I dont think I can get up off  the sofa to go take a shower.  I have slept 20+ hours every day since Thursday.  

Today is Monday and I was finally able to eat (Chicken Noodle Soup) - something besides crackers and dry cheerios. 

I read  today were Giuliana Ranci  was going to have a double mac and that her current course of treatment did not get all the cancer....... it made me cry for her and what
she will have to go through.

But I think she sums it up -

“It came down to was just choosing to live and not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”
G Rancic