Live With Flair

I hope every one had a beautiful, relaxing Memorial Day weekend.  I loved listening to the military bands play on the TV and watching our country honor our military.  I grew up as a military kid, and have always felt that sense of deep pride and honor to be an American with love for my country.

The past three days for me have been awesome.  The weather was beautiful and sunny and now today it is raining and the rain is just as beautiful and welcome.  I was able to sit outside on our back deck and enjoy food; drink my chocolate milk or root beer and just enjoy the activity of all the folks having fun in their boats on the lake or floating near their docks, and I saw so many American Flags flying, awesome!  God provided me with a feeling of "I'm getting stronger each day," and that has felt so incredibly good right now.  I have put on a few pounds and hope to add a few more before I go for the Stem Cell Transplant in mid June.

My beautiful Mom sent me a surprise gift, a beautiful outfit she purchased at Victoria's Secret!   I am 67 years old and my Mom still thinks I would look beautiful in a Victoria's Secret outfit, now that's a Mother's love for you.  I put a little make-up on and posed for these pictures just for you Mom.  I think the Hot Pink color makes me look healthier, what do ya'll think?

And a little closer look at "Love Pink!"

I had fun being a "model" for a day.  I hope these pictures made you smile and to show everyone that I am still fighting to win this battle with cancer, and it is not always about worry and tears, I still have smiles and laughter inside that not even cancer can take from me.  God, friends and family are all around me to lift me up each and every day.  I have received so many cards, gifts and well wishes from everyone.  My thank you is truly from my heart.  God Bless You!

Tom and Jerry

Last week I felt like a character in my all time favorite cartoon, Tom and Jerry.  I felt I was poor Jerry at times, being chased by Tom.  Everything crashing down around me, and then when I got really mad, I was Tom, showing how much bigger I am than (Jerry) and I am going to win this battle!

Just so you know, I spent 5 days in the hospital last week with complications from my third Chemo session.  I really won't bore you with all the details, but believe me, it was a dreadful week!  I am home now and getting stronger every day.  Lost all the weight I had gained, so here we go again trying to add on some pounds!  I went to see my oncologist this morning for labs and a check up.  Labs are improving and, the good news, I do not have to go through anymore R-CHOP chemo sessions.  He is calling the doctor in Greenville to let them know I am ready to start the Stem Cell Transplant process.  So, now we will wait for their call to set up the schedule.  I am praying that the transplant process does not beat me up too bad!  I am very hopeful that this will be the answer to beat this cancer.

I was so surprised when we left for the doctor this morning to see my Easter Lily blooming, seems a little late, but maybe it waited to surprise me with the message that there is always hope!

Here are a few other pictures of some flowers in my garden that God so graciously bloomed for me to enjoy.   I sat on my porch this afternoon looking at all the blessings around me.  Mama I hope you enjoy these flowers as much as I do.

This one is a Hydrangea, just gets prettier every year.

 I have always called this a Balloon Flower, really don't know the botanical name, but it always blooms every summer without much help, just dead heading and it will keep on blooming!

I am not going to post any pictures of me this time.  I feel kind of beat up right now, maybe next time.  But I can't forget my special care giver, partner and love of my life, my husband Bill.  Here he is cutting the lawn.  He had a rough week also, sleeping in a chair every night at the hospital.  He would not leave me.  I love that man!

I will never be able to thank everyone for all the support, cards, gifts and prayers for me to win this battle.  Thank you Jean and Serge for encouraging me to set up this blog, very cathartic for me!  God Bless each and every one that reads my blog.  I hope it helps you in some small way, because it helps me in a huge way to write my story.

Badge Of Courage

On Thursday, May 10th, I received my third round of chemotherapy.  It was a tiring day, sitting in a Lazy Boy recliner for 6 hours while the chemo drugs are pumped into my Power Port.  I am so thankful for the port.  It makes the process much more tolerable, not minimizing the process in any way, it just lets me be "hands free" to drink, eat and I actually did complete a few Sudoku puzzles before the Benadryl hits me.  When they hang that bag, believe me it is a lot stronger than taking the Benadryl pill.  You can't focus, so the Sudoku puzzles go back in the bag and I just close my eyes.  After getting off the original chemo schedule, due to my unfortunate emergency surgery and then recovery, I am really glad, if one can be glad, to get back to fighting cancer.  I pray that the rest of my cancer journey to win this battle will be "text book," with no additional emergency glitches!  You can see by the picture Bill took after the 6 hours at the Cancer Center, I am on my feet and still smiling!

I was very tired after I got home, but after supper I felt better and even watched a Netflix movie with Bill.  The movie was "Becoming Jane."  A story about the author Jane Austen.  I really enjoyed it, not sure it was Bill's "cup of tea!"  I went to bed early and felt better on Friday.  We drove back to the Cancer Center to get the Neulasta injection.  This is to boost my white blood cell count.  This is the one I mentioned before about taking Claritin to help with the side effects of the drug.  It has worked for me, much less bone pain.  Bill took this picture of me after we got home on Thursday.  See my little "badge of courage" Band-aid on my Power Port!  Believe me I pray for lots of strength and courage each and every day to endure this battle.

I can't thank my friends and family enough for cheering me on with all their prayers, cards, and gifts of all kinds.  Means so much to me, but also to my Bill as well.  God Bless You.  You fill my heart up with your love.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

I am glad I feel good enough to Blog!  I think the last time I blogged I mentioned that I was going for a PET Scan.  I did, and the results came back very good.  The first 2 rounds of chemo did a great job of killing the cancer, not gone, but good enough to put me back on track to keep fighting this disease!  I was so discouraged after what happened with the emergency bowel surgery.  I thought my chances of beating the cancer were gone.  My oncologist said my recovery from the surgery has been more than what he expected.  I am getting stronger every day.  The weight is so hard to put on, even with pasta, bread, ice cream, chocolate milk, etc.  I get discouraged every time I look at the scale!  But, I feel good and my physical therapist is the best!  I can now go up and down the stairs, sounds easy to all of you, but believe me after a month or more in bed, my muscles and endurance were just shy of Zero!

Here is my schedule for the chemo and beyond, pray for everything to go well!  I have my third R-CHOP chemo this Thursday, May 10.   Then 3 weeks later, another R-CHOP and if all goes well about 8 days after that we will go to Greenville, SC (about 60 miles) away from home to start the Stem Cell Transplant process.  We will have to stay in a hotel near the Cancer Center during this time, off and on for about 4-5 weeks.  I hope it does not beat me up too bad.  I am afraid and hopeful all at the same time.  I know this fight will not be easy.  I am a determined person and with God in the driver's seat and all God's angels out there praying for me, I can reach the finish line to beat this disease.

I put on a sundress and hat yesterday and Bill took my picture outside by my flowers.  We have had some beautiful weather lately.  I poured my chocolate milk in a wine glass and enjoyed all my blessings!

I thought about the Kentucky Derby yesterday.  I always love to watch the race each year on TV.  Maybe I will be like the long shot that won (I think the horse's name was I'll Have Another) and come from behind and be a miracle survivor for my family and friends!

Another picture to close this blog.  See how happy and encouraged I look, see I made you smile too!

Don't forget your prayers tonight.  God Bless Each And Every One Of You! 
All my love,
Glenda