Airport and Lunch

I surprised myself when I woke up feeling well enough to go to the airport (yet again) to ship Calvin off to Hong Kong on Friday, May 15th. So glad I rallied. We had great car conversation... you know how it is when you get a kid in a car and he can't escape. Said our good-byes. I don't think I was sad at all because he was so excited. He has called twice and can hear lots of enthusiasm in his voice about all that he is seeing and doing. He is living in a suburb of Hong Kong called Sha Tin and taking classes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (in English). The 24 Georgetown students on the program are living next door in a Hyatt Regency with daily maid service and flat screen television. Sounds rough. With the downturn in the travel industry I suspect the Hyatt is happy to have those rooms booked for five weeks. He is very busy with class every morning, afternoon speakers and field trips, homework and night clubs. Perfect place to study International Marketing and Comparative Management. I keep asking for photos but he can't seem to squeeze in downloading a few and sending them to us.

After dropping him off we met my brother and his new girlfriend for lunch in the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco. Hasn't changed much... Found a restaurant called Magnolia with a Grateful Dead theme which was perfect. The menus were old play lists from past Dead concerts. Bonded immediately with Geetika (the girlfriend) and look forward to doing more with both my brother and her in the near future. She is also a member of this breast cancer club. Another survivor... gives me inspiration. Lots of traffic on the way home and I was exhausted for the rest of the weekend. Must say it was worth it!

I just realized that if you click on any of the photos you can zoom in for a bigger version. Much easier to see the details.

Done With Chemo!

I am happy to say that I finished my last chemo treatment about 10 days ago. Had my girlfriends Carol Michael, Cathe Bonette and Jean Foster with me for entertainment. They gave me a pedicure and foot massage. I think we were having so much fun the nurses wanted to hang out with us! No problems with the treatment. I received a certificate of completion from the staff at the infusion center - kind of like graduation. Hope I don't ever have to see them again! Must say that the hangover was the worst yet, but it's in the past now. I had my last appointment with the plastic surgeon for a while. I actually have only one doctor's appointment until the end of June. Then I start 6 weeks of radiation, which is not supposed to be too bad. I feel like I have reached the peak of my journey. Although still a ways to go, I am on the downward side. I am still experiencing a fair amount of pain from the expanders but that should get better over time (I hope!). It's hard to express how happy I am to be done with chemo and expansion process! Yippee!

Photos from Race / Calvin and Julie

Queen For A Day

I walked a mile. But it was so much more than that... I can't begin to express the range of emotions I felt from being part of the Race for the Cure. Empowering, uplifting and inspirational. I felt and still feel your support ... if you were there in person or in spirit... you made me feel like Queen for the Day. Of course I shared that privliege with all the other women who have had or are currently battling this disease. One carrying a sign that said "What a difference a Year Makes" came up and introduced herself and sister while we were walking. She is one year out from her last chemo and doing great. Her sister was diagnosed one year later but caught it early! She just wanted to tell me to hang in there. I also shared the day personally with 4 other survivors, Carol Michael, Sevim Larsen, Pam Kunkel and Kathryn Scott. I walked with a sign on my back with many other names and ran out of room to include everyone I know touched by breast cancer (see photo). Most of my family was present, minus Calvin (in a final), my brother (working) and niece Winnie and nephew Marshal both out of town. My Dad, I'm sure, was watching from somewhere. I don't remember the count of the team members who arrived early in the morning to join me for this celebration - at least 40 and many more donated. We were one of the larger teams and proud to say we raised over $2,240 (which doesn't include some that came in later). I had family there, friends I met through Mark's high school buddies, friends from book club, college, Rio del Oro swim team, Junior League, my Ashland girls trip, work, skiing, Jesuit water polo, neighbors and Sierra Oaks Elementary School. I will share the official team photo and other photos later. Team Captain and dear friend Anne Marder had balloons, mini cupcakes with the pink cancer ribbons, strawberries and mimosas for us after finishing. Anne's daughter helped too. My sister got team shirts and Mark carried our sign through out the walk. My nieces put my name up on the Survivor's wall at Cal Expo (and decorated my house in lots of pink when we got home). We were collectively the loudest to yell every time our team name was announced during the walk. And at the end, in a comfy chair with a mimosa in hand, I was the Queen! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It was a long day... I stayed up way past my bedtime to greet Calvin at the airport at 10:30pm. He happened to be on the same plane with great friend Julie Calnero and the Sac State tennis team with their coach, trainer and other supporters some of whom we knew. Happy to have my boy home, even if just for a short time. Life is good. Tomorrow is the last leg of this part of the race - Chemo #4.

Catch Up!

I realize I haven't posted to my Blog in a while. I am keeping busy while still spending time on the couch every afternoon to rest my body, not really nap. I have watched lots of movies both new and old. Not much reading... it is too hard to focus. This was the first week in a while that I did not have chemo or a pump up appointment. Yeah! I am still very sore from the last one so really happy didn't have to go in for more torture. Made it out to a restaurant for about the third time since the end of January. Stumbled upon a new French Bistro right near our house at Arden Town called PlanB2. Had Mark's favorite, Mussels with fries on the menu and I had salmon. No rabbit or snails, more California/French food. Great salads and desserts, met the owner... all in all had fun. I wore my wig and Mark said that after a while he got used to the way I look in it. We had dinner at 6pm and I was back on my couch by 7:45pm. Also went to a friends for an early dinner on Sunday night. So once in a while we can do normal things...

I think mentally I had a hard time during my chemo #3 hangover. Knowing that I had to go back again... yuck. But now I am gearing up for my last one. I go this coming Monday, May 11th. I will be in a much better space knowing that this is it! I will then have one or two more pump ups. And then a break in the month of June. I start radiation for 6 weeks on June 29th.

The Race for the Cure is Saturday which I am looking forward to and Calvin comes home that night. Just in time for Mother's Day. He is going to summer school in Hong Kong - leaves on May 15th. He will take two classes which are part of his business major requirements and will make "field trips" to many of the offices/ headquarters of companies doing business in Asia. What an incredible opportunity! I am sure he will also do lots of fun travel on the weekends. He finishes with a week on mainland China, again visiting various companies and hopefully some sight seeing.

Not sure if I previously mentioned that I had to have my wedding ring cut off before the surgery as well as another ring. I had not taken my wedding ring off for over 20 years (we will celebrate 25 in August). I was afraid of swelling and also needed to get a small diamond replaced. It required "major surgery" at my local jewelry shop to get it off. It was three bands welded together which they cut in two places and then bent the pieces back from my finger before they could finally slip it off without cutting me. The three bands came apart along with the cut pieces... it was a mess. After resizing, replacing the diamond, cleaning it and re-engraving two of the bands, I finally got it back. I think it has been through a journey similar to my own. Some major surgery (getting it off), replacing the diamond (my expanders which will eventually give me my new breasts) and a major clean up which I think is like the chemo and radiation cleaning out the cancer. The engravings are like the very small tattoo I will get as the radiation marker. And when it is all over... I will be as sparkly and new and my ring. Can't wait to get there! In the meantime I love seeing my ring look like new. The day we picked it up is the day we discovered the new french bistro. It might be our new hangout when this is all over!

Chemo With Pam and Kathy

Jaime Gets Chemo & Mark Gets a Harley!?!