Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

This is a very exciting time around our house! My boys love halloween and getting all dressed up to go trick-or-treating. Plus on top of that it was Kaden's birthday on Wednesday so he is very excited to be turning 6. We are celebrating this year by having his very first "friends party". Usually we celebrate with just the family but this year Kaden wanted to have his friends to his party. So today after school we will be taking 10 little boys to play laser tag. I am looking forward to seeing them all dressed up in their costumes running around playing. Kaden dressed up this year as Ron Weasley (the little red head from Harry Potter). We figured it really wasn't much of a stretch, he looks so much like him. Should be a fun night! Of course, Tyler and Gavin found the scariest costumes they could and they even give me the creeps all dressed up.

I had a really good appointment with my doctor on Wednesday. I found out that all of the tests and scans I've had done in the last month all came back clear. Right now I have no evidence of disease and am cancer-free. This is a really good feeling. It has almost been 1 year since my brain surgery and I'm feeling very grateful to be here. My doctor was explaining to me that now because of gamma knife surgery people in my shoes are living a lot longer and are surviving this terrible disease. Yayyyyyy Gamma knife!! He has a lot of hope and so this reenergized my hope that I will beat this. I am at the halfway point of the Interferon treatment and because I have had no new disease (the lung tumour was already there before I started this treatment) we can assume that this treatment is working.

I have been having some trouble with my blood counts being very low but hopefully I can hang in there for another six months. I apparently will have to wear a mask during my upcoming flight to St. John's which I'm not too happy about but I guess it's better than picking up an infection during the flight. Whenever I see someone wearing a mask at the hospital I automatically assume that it is for everyone else's protection. Meanwhile, it's usually for the protection of the person wearing it. Hopefully I don't get too many strange looks. I thought of maybe getting my glue gun out and attaching some pretty jewels to it - a little bit of bling. We'll see about that! Nothing like being able to blend in with everyone else and feel normal. lol

I am really looking forward to reconnecting with the YACC community. I am excited to get more involved with this when I get back and start getting some energy back. It still amazes me how many young adults are being diagnosed with cancer. This has turned into an epidemic and we need to do something about it - Live healthy!! If you know a young adult with cancer pass along this website www.youngadultcancer.ca. It is a very supportive, caring community that gets it!!

Have a very fun, safe halloween everyone!!!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thankful

Well, after a tough couple of weeks I am now on my way back to my new normal self. Of course, starting up the Interferon again I was expecting to be feeling unwell but this time was especially nasty. By the end of the week though I was jumping in the car and driving to the States with my mom and sisters. We had a great weekend! I was so happy that I was able to go and have some girls time. Of course things have changed and our girls weekend wasn't the same shopping extravaganza experience it normally is but it was still lots of fun. I was very nervous about bringing my medication with me and doing my injection at the hotel but it turned out OK. Sounds like the boys had fun hanging out with Dad for the weekend too.

While I was away I wasn't feeling the greatest and by the end of the weekend I knew someting was going on. I went to the Dr and sure enough I had a throat infection. After a couple of days on the antibiotics I was feeling much better. Then ended up with the flu for a few days meanwhile doing my prep for a colonoscopy that was scheduled for me. Now if you have ever had to go for a colonoscopy you know how unpleasant the prep for it is. By the time I was there for the procedure itself I had dropped 10 pounds and was feeling pretty crappy. One word of advice I can pass on is take all the drugs they offer you. So I was a little dopey after and I slept for a while afterwards. At least I don't really remember anything!! I was so glad to have that overwith and I found out right away that it was normal. Phew!! One more normal test under my belt. I have one more scan scheduled for next week and then hopefully after that I get a bit of a break. Part of the reason for all these tests is that the anti-nauseant medication I was on was causing some strange side effects for me that they had never seen before. So to be sure that it's not the cancer causing problems for me I end up having to have all these tests done. Better safe than sorry....

Oh, I almost forgot to share the most exciting thing happening in our house. Kaden lost his first tooth!! He was so excited about this and after wiggling his tooth for a couple of hours (and when he got tired of doing it he was getting one of us to do it) it finally fell out. There was much discussion about why hobos don't just knock their own teeth out to get money from the tooth fairy so that they don't have to live on the street. lol Anyway, it was very exciting and yesterday Kaden was overjoyed when he came home from school with a special certificate from his teacher for loosing a tooth.

These days I am trying really hard to focus on the good that is going on around me. I am thinking alot about what I have to be thankful for. (which is alot) We spent the day on Monday out at the Corn Maze and I loved watching the kids running and laughing having a blast. I cherish every laugh that comes out of their mouths and I am very thankful that I am here to hear it!