August 20, 2013

  • Cherylyn’s Passing

    Cherylyn passed from this life last night (8/19/13) in the presence of her loving family. The family appreciates the prayers, calls, and other expressions of love and concern that everyone has given over the course of this final illness. We solicit your continued prayers as we adapt to our new lives without her here.

    The Pereida Family

June 6, 2013

  • Edit

    If any of you read yesterday’s post “FURIOUS” I wanted you to know I attached an “edit” at the bottom of the post.  

    /cap

     

June 5, 2013

  • FURIOUS!!!!!

    I don’t know how many of you, who are members at my blog site, have heard news or rumors of Xanga closing down.  

    That’s not what upsets me.  

    Last August (AUGUST!!!!) I was charged $25.00 to renew my YEARLY membership fees.  It took me by surprise, as I had no warning or notice from them.  Fortunately, I had money to cover the charge.

    A year before that, like an idiot, I thought it would be better to have them automatically withdraw the money from my checking account, so I wouldn’t forget to pay and then incur additional charges to be reconnected to Xanga.  So last year’s pymt. was okay with me – I just wished they had notified me, first.  It’s not like they don’t have my email address OR my home address with which to contact me.

    I just logged into my bank account and found Xanga withdrew $25.00 (TODAY) for my YEARLY membership dues.  

    LAST August to THIS August (which hasn’t arrive yet) is a year – NOT August to June; not in my book, anyway.

    What really got me was what they called the charge, “Settlement.”

    I KNEW to watch for the charge at the end of July or beginning of August.  

    GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.  That’s a bunch of bad words I’m keeping subdued but they are words caught in my craw!!!

    I’m VERY unhappy with what they did.  I don’t know how to get my money back; because, last year, they said once the pymt. was made, they issued no refunds.

    SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not pleased, here.

    Has anyone else (who has an automatic withdrawal set up) had this happen?  (an early withdrawal)

    I’m not feeling well and wonder if that’s why this is hitting me in the gut!!!???!!!

     

    Okay – venting helped.

    In Christ ~ Cherylyn

     

    Edit:  I wrote Xanga and told them about what I thought was an early payment.  We’ll see what they say, if anything.  My recollection was once they withdrew a payment, there were no refunds.  I remember them saying (last year, when I looked into this surprise payment the FIRST time) that there were no refunds once the payment was withdrawn.  AND, “NO, they do not send a notification of payment due.”

     

     

May 19, 2013

  • Pictures

    Many of you have asked for recent pictures.  My new profile picture is of me and my very dear friend Lori K.   I’m the platinum haired gal.

                                             

                      

     

    The other picture is of my second older daughter Nikki with our three younger daughters.  The younger daughters have gotten much bigger since I’ve last posted  pictures of them.  AND, these aren’t the most current.  They were taken in October of 2012.  

     

                                 

                                                  Adrienne, Annamarie & Rissy (Back Row)

                                                        Nikki, and granddaughter Jaiden (Front Row)

     

     

    I’m doing well.  Pneumonia has stayed gone and all lab reports are looking good regarding the cancer.  CT Scan shows NO tumors in the lungs and all in the liver ones are reducing to more than 50%.  The doctors have said the response to the chemo has been “highly unusual”  and more than they expected.   Of course, I have to tell them WHY the response has been so favorable is because our God shows favor!

     

    I went to the eye clinic who saw me last year when there was a tumor in my right eye’s retina.  They took pictures and, again, an ultra sound, and they found no evidence of the tumor.  The “Before” picture shows a tumor almost consuming the entire right eye ball.  Last week’s picture and ultra sound showed no evidence of any healing.  Eye is completely as if nothing ever happened to it.  ALSO, my eye sight remains better than I had before, so my eye glasses are over correcting my right eye!

    An intern did the questions and the check up before the specialist came in the room.  The intern was very moved by my story and asked if he could share it with his wife. I told him to feel free to take my name and phone number and give it to anyone needing encouragement.  He said he admired my attitude about all that’s been done to me and my faith was incredible and he thought the successful outcome was because of God’s intervention.  The retina specialist came in and said it was “the darndest thing” he’d ever seen in his whole life.

     

    Dancing and smiling and singing ~ I love you Lord!  I love you!

     

    In Christ,

    CHERYLYN

May 7, 2013

  • Still Around

    I thought it was best to write.  A friend on Facebook thought I had died because it’s been so long ago that I last posted anything!  I was VERY embarrassed!!!

     

    I was also waiting to have a picture of myself to post, but I have none. 

     

    Last week, a friend of mine from Ohio (Lori K.) made a surprise visit to see me and I enjoyed every minute.  I squeezed that statement in here because there is a great picture of us on my Facebook time line.

     

    I have had this computer revamped and I’m getting used to it.  Just now, when I started this post, I was informed that I had to get an updated Xanga program.  I’m embarrassed once more!!

     

    I even got a new phone this week – I have no clue how to work it, but that will come with time, too, I suppose.

     

    Basically, all things are good right now.  I was back in the hospital right after my birthday (April 12) and had pneumonia again, but this time it was the other lung.  Jesse’s mother died while I was in the hospital and I was little (if any) help.  Our daughter who lives in Colorado came for the service and that motivated me to ask the doctor to let me go a little early.  I went home on Sunday, a week ago.  I was able to spend time with our daughter and her family before they left Monday morning.

     

    I haven’t been on chemo since my pneumonia diagnosis.  But, I believe if my lab work looks okay tomorrow, they will start it up again every Wednesday.  My liver shows tumors that have been significantly reduced and the tumors in my lungs (which were like clusters of grapes “too numerous to count”) are all gone.  I had a brain MRI and a CAT scan while I was in the hospital and it was confirmed that lungs were clear and liver tumors are changing size, for the better. 

     

    I’m changing out winter/summer clothes this week.  I got so much done yesterday AND I made time for resting.  Taking a break, for me, means I lay down and play a hand held game on my Nintendo OR I sit at my desk and write letters.  If Jesse would haul the boxes back out to the garage, the house wouldn’t look so cluttered.  I told my sister-in-law it looks like I hijacked a ship from China and stole all of the clothes, placing them on my own ship!  There’s no rhyme or reason to the boxes, but most of them are finished.  The den (where we all like to hang out) is the worst room.  It has one box left that I need to check out and then we have a huge pile of give-away clothes that are about to topple over.  My sister in law is coming today to see what she can use, then I’ll give the rest of it to church.

     

    That’s about all the news from here.  I’m definitely NOT up and running like I normally do, and I’m having a really hard time getting dinner together each night.  Maybe because that’s later in the day when I’m more run down from whatever I did *during* the day.

     

    I’ll try to get a picture soon.  And, post some of the girls.  They’ve grown up so much this past year.

     

    In Christ,

    CHERYLYN

    P.S.  If you have my Facebook address, you can see a picture of Lori and me, taken last week.  If you don’t have the address, message me and I’ll give it to you.


January 7, 2013

  • God Is Not Dead, Nor Doth He Sleep

    The title of this post is taken from a Christmas song Bing Crosby sang called

    “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,”
    by, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882,  – 1867)

    I haven’t been around much since July with good reason.  Some of you have written to inquire about me and I simply haven’t been able to answer all of those who read and have become my friends.

    Xanga became too much for me.  Many other things became too much in the past 6 months.  I should have written a post stating I was taking a Xanga break.  But at the time, I didn’t know if I would completely give up posting on Xanga forever.  I didn’t want to commit to that and, so, I did nothing.

    I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to write, in the future, and I haven’t been carrying my camera everywhere, so I don’t see many pictures in future posts at this time.

    But, my story and explanation . . .

    As I began radiation therapy in July for my hip and neck cancer “hot spots,” I became very weak again.  My sister in law did almost all the cooking, unless Jesse cooked meat outside on the grill and Rissy made a side item or two. 

    During that time of radiation the girls began public school.  It was weird for me to have them gone all day, and I also found relief in the break I had gained by being alone, with Angie (sil) for company. I finished my radiation and things (tumors) shrank back (disappeared) and lab reports for tumor markers returned to normal ranges.

    November 1st, my brother in law found a great job and his family (the 5 people living with us) moved to their own place.  Angie and I had become very close and it was a very emotional time for me.   I didn’t want to let go of our daily chats and shared living, but I knew that was the normal thing for them – to have a place of their own.  I felt so torn and missed Angie like part of my heart had been ripped out.  We still haven’t seen each other that much – due to illnesses running through both families. 

    Jesse was finishing up his lawn cutting jobs and believed he heard from God to NOT work this winter and to take care of his family.  I loved having his company to fill the void Angie had once filled.  But, I had NO IDEA WHAT WAS ABOUT TO COME.

    Thanksgiving came and went.  I was beginning to get into a routine, getting the girls off to school and enjoying Jesse’s company.

    I began to have a pain in my abdomen.  I saw my regular doctor immediately who ordered an ultra sound of my gall bladder.  I was sure I was about to have it taken out.  The pain was sharp and was beginning to become continuous.  I developed a cough from deep in my lungs that hurt my abdomen.  I wondered if I had radiation pneumonia from the previous radiation done to my hip and neck.  Maybe it wasn’t a gall bladder problem but a bruised diaphragm.  I couldn’t figure out what could hurt so bad that a deep breath literally took my breath away with pain.

    While I was having my abdomen tested (with every test possible!!) I developed an almost complete blindness in my right eye. 

    How people get through things like this without having a close relationship with God is beyond my comprehension.  I immediately thought “brain tumor” and “this looks like the end.”  But despite my “feelings” of what might come next, I was at peace with God working His will in my life.

    What was actually found was a tumor IN my retina (more complicated than a tumor on the back of the eye ball) and reports were coming in (DURING the eye exam on a Friday morning) that I was to come back to the oncology office that same afternoon to begin chemo therapy for lung and liver tumors. 

    How do people do it without God?

    I went from a morning eye appointment to an afternoon cancer treatment.  Before leaving the eye doctor‘s office, he prayed with us.  It was SO AWESOME!!!  I’ve never had one doctor do that with me in all the different things I’ve had wrong throughout my looooong life!

    When I saw my oncologist she walked  in and gave us a hug and smiled at me without saying a word.  She likes us a lot and I knew the news she had was difficult for her to tell.  I started the conversation to break the ice – “It’s seriously, VERY bad, isn’t it?”  She said shook her head and sighed, “Yesss it is.”   There were tumors in the bottoms of each lung and tumors in both lobes of the liver.  There is usually a 3 month life span with chemo, but she admits she’s seen some people live 2 – 3 years.  She wanted to started radiation on my eye and continue the chemo therapy for 3 weeks – then re-evaluate.  She told Jesse to let me eat and drink whatever I wanted.  Sounded like an “end of life” RX to me.  She said, “Anything that makes you happy - eat it, do it, see it . . . “

    The 18th of December, I saw a partner at the eye specialist’s office who dealt with retina problems.  I don’t think he was a Christian like the first doctor.  He put me through a gazillion tests and finally did an ultrasound of my right eye.  Why all the tests?   The tumor had completely disappeared!!!!    The partner didn’t know what had happened (or why it happened or how) but through pictures and imaging – he said the tumor was totally absent.   He remembered that the first doctor prayed with us and joked that we were sure lucky.

       Why is it hard for some people to give God the credit???  He said the previous area showed normal healing taking place.  Also, my vision in that right eye was better than when I’d been tested to wear glasses 2 years ago.  So my glasses were OVER correcting my right eye.  (since then, I think my former near-sightedness has returned). 

    I had been legally blind in that one eye.  You can imagine my relief.  Not only was I unable to type, read, or do anything requiring depth perception (I ruined many tubes of lipstick trying to get the lid back on them!) but I had horrible headaches due to my vision being uneven.

    Christmas came and went.  I began gathering my personal papers and getting things in order (should I die, soon) and, of course, we prayed for another miracle.  I continued to get dressed each day and fix my hair (a wig, now)  and “act” like I was healed, despite the difficulty it sometimes took me.

    After asking for so many miracles, and after God delivered me from so many potentially horrible things, I began to wonder if He was out of miracles or if I had used up all of my requests.  Funny how we assume God will tire of us, like we tire of someone who constantly asks US for things over and over again! 

    We decided to proceed with our life like I was going to be healed.  Jesse said we needed an economical, family car to drive (we sold my beautiful Suburban for that purpose in September) and we looked everyday at the Hondas, Kias, Toyotas, Nissans, etc.  I jokingly said I needed a Lexus. 

    All of the economy cars had hard seats – something I simply can’t buy due to my back.  They were sporty inside and I’m more of a cushy, luxurious person.  I was unimpressed  by all the bells and whistles the cars we look at contained.  Jesse began to pray, “Lord, you can bring the car to us.  I don’t want to limit you to ME finding a car on a lot.”  We had looked everywhere (the week before Christmas and the week after) from an hour south of us to a half hour north of us and had found nothing that suited me.  When I saw a car drive by I’d asked Jesse, “What’s that?” and he would say, “An Infiniti” or “A Lexus,“  to which I’d reply, “Of course it’s a Lexus!  I must be a Lexus person!!!” and then, we’d laugh.

    Sunday, December 30th, the neighbor across the street (who buys and sells used cars as a source of second income) drove a car to our house into the driveway and said, “See what Cherylyn thinks of this and let me know.“  Jesse had spoken with the neighbor about our unsuccessful searches. 

    I didn’t know what was wrong, but Jesse soberly looked at me and asked me to come into the garage.  I felt like something was seriously wrong.  You know, the look someone has before telling you the cars have been egged!   

    In the driveway was a silver car.  It was dark outside and I asked Jesse, “What’s this?”  He said, “A Lexus.  Merry Christmas!”   It was a used LEXUS, but who cared???!!!!  I’d never sat in one but it was perfect!  It had “some” bells and whistles, but not too manyThe seats are softly padded and adjustable with heated seats.  The inside trim is nothing sporty with simple wood trimming on the doors, dashboard, and steering wheel.  PERFECT for me and $7,000 instead of $30k to $35k.  

    And, as we had prayed, God brought it to us, we didn’t even have to go across the street!!!!!!    

    Monday morning, New Year’s Eve, the onoclogist’s nurse called to say the reason my abdominal pain had subsided was because 3 different liver tests showed huge improvement AND my tumor marker count had come from over 400 down to 160 (remission would be around 30) and it suggested the tumors were shrinking in my liver and lungs. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

    Our anniversary was January 2nd and we celebrated by eating at a nice restaurant and, afterward, driving around the town in our Lexus!  We didn’t have plans and didn’t know what else to do.  We had a babysitter and hated to come home after only an hour and a half!!!

    Here’s a verse I quoted from the song, above –

    Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
    “God isn’t dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
    With peace on earth, good will to men.”


    God is so good.  He is still around and waiting for us to talk to Him.  Over, and over, and over again.  He wants to hear from us and He definitely wants to help us.  The evil in the world (like cancer) will not prevail, as it is covered by the blood of Jesus and all that He did for us.

    No, God isnt dead nor doth He sleep.

    NOT EVER!!!

    In Christ 
    CHERYLYN
     

July 27, 2012

  • Happy Birthday, JanaLyn

    Thank you, so very much, for all of the kind words and especially for your prayers.

    I am overwhelmed with how sweet each of your are, especially when you have never met me.

     
                                                     Jaiden,          Adrienne,                 Rissy
                                 Annamarie,                                 Janalyn,                              Riley

    Tomorrow is my first dental appointment.,  She will fill some cavities (I only want her to fill one, but Jesse said to do them all . . . I don’t know about Jesse’s suggestion) and then take an impression of my teeth for the caps to be made.  I fear the dentist appointment as much as I fear having the radiation done in my neck and throat area!  How I wish my phobia (my ONLY fear) of dentists would go away!  It’s only become worse as I get older.

           

    ALSO, I was tested for low oxygen levels on Wednesday night.  The results came back saying my oxygen level was so low that I was killing  brain cells (the ones that help you remember stuff).  Sometime today, the company with the machines will be delivering an oxygen machine for me to use while I sleep.  The doctor said my levels were dangerously low.  I’m glad to know I don’t have dementia or  Altzheimers.  If the simple oxygen doesn’t work, they will give me a sleep apnea machine.  I’m looking forward to remembering things!!!  The doctor’s message on the answering machine said my memory loss was due to lack of oxygen and brain cells being killed, or the little girls sucking my brains out of me!!!  He has a great sense of humor!

                                   

    Yesterday was Janalyn’s birthday, as you can tell  from all of the pictures.  She is granddaughter #1 and Jaiden (the one visiting from Colorado) is #2 – about a   year and a few months apart in age.  Our youngest daughter had her first birthday and 10 days later Janalyn was born.  The following year and a few months later, the second granddaughter (Jaiden) was born.  Little stair steps!!!

                         

    Janalyn had gotten in trouble for something (huge) and she wasn’t given a birthday party, this year.  So, I made a homemade b-day cake (no fancy store bought cake).  Stephanie was babysitting a friend’s daughter; and, she was the only child who wasn’t family that came for cake and the two gifts Jesse & I and the 3 girls gave her.

                  
                 She got a microscope from us and was confused when she opened the box. 

    After we told her what she could do with it, she became excited and didn’t want to wait until she got home to open it.  But, Stephanie held her ground and said she HAD TO wait.  There were lots of little pieces that could be lost.  She was also getting a chemistry set from another grandparent.  As you can see, she loves science.

                              

    Her cake was supposed to look like a hat and it did (look like one) in person, but my pictures don’t show the flatness of the top and sides with the band of ribbon around it.

                  

    The adults ate a slice of cake for dinner and the last 3 pieces were eaten for breakfast, this morning.  Now I need to bake the same cake for our family, since it was gone in one afternoon!  No one got a second piece!

            

    Jaiden goes home this weekend.  I think Jesse is planning to leave Saturday night, get a motel room in Amarillo and then drive north to meet Nikki in Dumas, TX.  She’s coming down from Denver.  He said he’d take the girls.  Angie and Rich and their children will be here, but I won’t have to worry about children and should be able to rest Saturday – Sunday.

           

    Please continue to keep me in your prayers.  I have nothing much next week, although my children have vacation Bible school in the evenings.  I’m expecting to hear from the school soon, and they will set up a time to have Annamarie and Rissy tested academically for proper placement in school, this year.  Last week, the girls received the last of their immunization shots – chicken pox boosters -  and Rissy needed a hepatitis shots.

        

    Almost forgot!!!!!!!  Wednesday we went to the pound and came home with two cats.  One is 2 years old and the other is a kitten, about 2 – 3 months old.  I’ll save that story for my next post.

    PRAYER REQUEST:  Please pray for my friend’s son, David.  He is suffering terribly from Lyme disease and is seriously ill.  I know she would appreciate your prayers and you can send her a message and read about David at this link. 

              
                                  Janalyn with 9 blue candles and one green candle to grow on!    

    I hope everyone has a good weekend.

    Be Blessed   ~

July 23, 2012

  • How It Works Aroung Here

    Lots of people have asked me how in the world we can open our home to another family of five.  That’s four adults and six children (seven children, with our granddaughter here for the month of July) that live together in one house.

    First of all, my brother-in-law’s family is similar to our own family.  But, they’re also similar in that their children are used to chores.

                     
                                         Courtney has the foyer this week.

    If the children didn’t help clean (especially during the summer time, when everyone is home), it wouldn’t flow half as smoothly as it does each day.

    Everyone has a list of chores.  A set of rooms to pick up, dust, wipe down, and vacuum. 

    The chores are rotated each week, so no one has to do the dreaded “kitchen dump” more than once every 4 weeks.   

    The little children (Adrienne & Kathleen)  have a chore sheet they share.  It requires dusting hallway pictures, dusting baseboards, cleaning remote controls and telephones, etc.,  Little jobs, but necessary jobs.

       
                                           Kathleen making the bed in her room.

    After waking up and having breakfast, they start their chores.

    Except today.  Chores have been done and now they are surprising us adults with muffins for breakfast.  Ahhhhh, I feel like royalty!

    Jaiden (granddaughter visiting from Colorado) helps and other granddaughter, Janalyn, is here today while her mom works.  They’ll get the jobs of putting clean kitchen wash cloth and towel up in the kitchen and putting up a clean bathroom hand towel. 

    Kitchen person is supposed to empty the dishwasher first thing and all children are “supposed” to put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher all day.  Any pot someone uses to make lunch is supposed to be cleaned and put away by that person who cooked.

      
                                        Thomas on kitchen duty this week.

    My 3 girls also have chore lists to keep their bedroom dusted and the dresser drawers straight.  They are to straighten their closet and bring empty hangers to the laundry room and, once a week, clean out their purses, and their bulletin boards.

       
              Adrienne always wakes up early, does her chores, then lies down until breakfast. 
                                       She’s in charge of making the bed this week and,
                                                      as soon as she is done resting,
                                                               it will be made!

    The other news . . .

    I had to give Daniel away.  His jumping and biting was becoming excessive, leaving band aid covered wounds, and Jaiden and Kathleen were afraid to walk near him.  Each time they passed him, he jumped on their ankles and bit, drawing blood.  My arms look horrible (like shards of glass cut me) and I’m embarrassed to wear short sleeves.  I hated to do it, but the constant biting and chewing made it hard for me to bond with him. 

     

    I’ve NEVER had a cat like that in my entire life (which has been pretty long!!) and I found there are some animals that are simply animals and can’t be domesticated.  I have many questions for God about WHY I felt like he was the right cat, and I admit to not knowing the lesson I’m to learn from this.  (maybe letting go?)  At any rate, I’m looking for another cat (not a newborn kitten, but an older kitten) that’s been spayed already.  And, I hope to find him soon (in the next couple of weeks) because I will need his company.

    Why?

      
                   Rissy has the kitchen table, dining room table, & laundry room areas this week.

    Because I will have to undergo radiation treatment to my hip and hip joint, starting on August 20th.  And the bad news (at least to me), the part of my neck that hurts so bad has a small (very small) bit of cancer and that’s why they think my neck constantly hurts so bad.  It’s not just from arthritis.  I’m NOT looking forward to radiation in my neck.  I’ve already been told I’ll have a raspy voice and a sore throat.  (I’m thinking “yeah, how BAD of a sore throat?) and she continued on to tell me I will probably be on a soft or liquid diet.     So, it will be THAT bad of a sore throat.

    You know when a doctor tells you you’ll have a sore throat and be on a soft/liquid diet that they are being honest about the fact it will hurt REALLY bad.  And I also know that the radiation continues to burn after the 3 weeks of treatments, so I’ll be sore 2-4 weeks after they stop the treatments.  That’s a long time to be on a liquid/soft diet and a  six week sore throat???????  I don’t want to think about it.

      
                  Annamarie had to be called back in to pick up OTHER PEOPLE’S blanket mess.
                   She doesn’t think it’s fair for her to have to pick up other people’s  stuff.
                         I explained I’ve done it for 10 years and I don’t like it either.
                                                  But, sometimes, I have to do it.

      
    This picture is NOT meant to show you how beautiful my nails look, since I make my children do all the work around here (which they don’t  LOL !!!!); but, it’s to show you I’ve treated myself to a French manicure these past few months (and will continue to do so) because it  makes me feel good about myself.  Being one year away from 60 makes me want to grab anything I can get my hands on (for cheap) that boosts my self esteem a little!!!!  LOL

                                   ***********************************************

    I’m getting my caps put back on my front teeth, so I will be smiling big in pictures, again.  And my old friends, here on Xanga, know of my dental phobia.  I will take some tranquilizers, but they usually have no affect until I get home.  THEN, I relax and sleep.  So  pray for me this coming Saturday.  I’ll be at the dentist’s office having 2 minor fillings filled and the impression taken for my new caps.

                              ****************************************************** 

    Also, I’m enormously scared about the radiation to my neck.  I knew the radiation to my hips/sacrum would make me very tired and I’d be in bed recovering from the treatments, but I wasn’t prepared for the treatment to my neck and all the complications that follow. 

    I did the stupid thing and read on the Internet all the problems that come from neck radiation.  Mouth sores, dry mouth then cavities (oh yay! I get to see the dentist even more??!!!), horrible sore throat, swollen glands, dry mouth, and no taste buds.  Stupid of me to look that up,.  Stupid!  Stupid!  Stupid!!!!

    Please pray for me, those of you who think of me throughout your day.  Dentist is July 28th and August 18th.  The radiation will start August 20th for 15 weekday sessions.   Despite my dental phobia, the radiation part is really scaring me. 

    A piece of educational information:  After radiation treatments, you still “cook” for a couple of months. 

    I know.  Not a comforting thought, is it?

    Be Blessed  ~

July 14, 2012

  • July – The Halfway Point

    Yay!!!

    Xanga is letting me upload a few pictures, today!

    I have lots of news and wanted to wait until I could post pictures at the same time.

    We have reached the halfway mark between homeschool ending and public school beginning.  Within the next 2 weeks, the staff will return to public school and we should be hearing from them.  They need to give academic tests to Annamarie (who will be in special ed classes) and Rissy, so the girls can be placed in the right classes and receive the help they need.

    I still need to teach Rissy how to convert fractions to percents and decimal numbers.  I know she won’t be strong in that area, but at least, when the math part is taught in class, she will have heard about it and recall some of what she was taught.

    Our granddaughter, Jaiden (the youngest), is visiting us for a month.  She lives in Denver and the weather has been a huge adjustment for her.  She has my 3 girls and Angie’s one little girl to play with, and they go round and round playing together and forming different little groups.  Sometimes those become points of arguments, but Angie and I have tried to stay on top of it all. 

    Too many chiefs and not enough Indians!

      

    After reviewing all of my neck to tailbone MRIs, bone scan, CT scan,  and brain MRI a few things will change for me.  My blood work has shown an increase in an area that tells when there are rapidly changing cells (like cancer).  Mine has started to go  up each month – out of the range of normal.  So, they are changing my medicine around AND have seen an area of cancer (very small) in my  sacrum and left hip.  It’s where I have always had pain and the hip area was questioned in 2009 – when they first diagnosed my cancer.  

    However, all of the other areas, that previously had cancer, have shown improvement each time the MRIs are taken and, this time, have shown improvement, once again.  My oncologist thinks it’s possible the hip and sacrum are old cancer that has been reduced by chemo.  I’ve never had a picture of the sacrum taken, so, there is nothing that can be used as a comparison. 

    What does all that mean?  I will have to undergo radiation therapy to my hip and sacrum.   I visit the radiology oncologist next Thursday.

    I’d like to wait until August to begin, because I want to be alert during the girls’ IEP meetings at public school.  I know how fatigued the radiation will make me feel and I will be “out of it” for a couple of months, while I recover.  The girls being properly placed is of huge importance to me.

          

    Also, I STILL haven’t had my front tooth replaced and want that done before I start radiation.  The oncologist seemed to think that was a wise plan.   She and I don’t think putting radiation off a few weeks will make any huge difference.  BUT . . . The sooner I start the treatments, the sooner my low back and  hip pain will be eased.

    The cat, Daniel, continues to grow like a wildfire.  He has also caused me much grief.  He’s a biter and used to claw, too.  The clawing has stopped completely, but he still bites and draws blood.  My arms look like glass shattered and cut me.  

    Several times, I’ve been tempted to get rid of him and each time he behaves better the very next day and doesn’t go backwards in his training.  In his quiet moments, he’s just the sweetest thing. 

    From what I gather (by reading and talking with my vet), he was taken from the litter too soon and wasn’t ready to stop suckling.  He sucks on my knuckle and kneads and sucks the plush bathroom throw rug. 

    Another clue is that he didn’t play with his siblings and wasn’t disciplined by them and the mother cat – so he doesn’t realize how hard he is playing with me.   The disciplining has become my job.  Yeah, well . . .   Anyway, I’m trying to be “patient” with him and he is definitely moving in a positive direction. 

    I’ve never had a kitten as rough as him, and I have found I don’t know as much about cats as I thought!

      
                 Annamarie                     Rissy                           Adrienne                Jaiden

    I think that’s most of the important stuff.  I’ve had lots of appointments for the girls and me and I’ve been slowly collecting school clothes, backpacks, and school supplies.   To date, I’ve had a busy summer. 

    Angie and I have had the chance to spend some time together visiting, and I treasure that time with all my heart.

    Jesse continues to work hard, keeping early up & gone and late return to home hours each day, except Sundays.  Angie has also been such a nice pair of extra hands.  We share cooking, but I think she takes more days than me and I’m enjoying someone else’s cooking.  She’s a good cook, but different from me.  And, she makes a killer breakfast menu!!! 

    She also cleans my bathroom floor and spa tub while the girls and I are gone on Tuesdays.  I’m unable to reach (AT ALL, anymore) and my upper back has worsened in that I have Charlie horse spasms between my shoulders when I reach or stretch too far.  That’s not just cancer damage, some is degenerative damage. 

    I’ll try to update here, as my teeth are fixed and my radiation treatments begin.

    If any of you are inclined to pray, I will wholeheartedly accept each of your prayers!

    Be Blessed  ~

July 13, 2012