Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Best wishes from our Extended Family at Sophie's Cocoa and Crafts Party on December 23.
Bottom: Diane, Ben, Diane's mother, Ann, her friend, Eddy, me with my craft project, and Sophie.
Second row: Dennis, Terry Ann--my childhood friend, Kim--Diane's long time friend, Beau--Charlie's partner, and Charlie.
Third tier: Don and Gary.

You can tell by the smiles that we had a wonderful time at Sophie's celebration. She came up with the concept and we had all the fun.

Backtracking from earlier in December, I came down with a side effect from the Tarceva although at first I didn't realize that it was one because it didn't happen in the same place as usual. Usually it was on the roof of my mouth but this time it was on my gums. By the time I did I was unable to eat anything but soft foods starting just after my last post on December 7th. I stopped taking the Tarceva on the 19th and now I'm still eating soft foods but the pain in my gums and cheek are less. It's been a bother because Dennis arrived on the 18th and I wanted to do so many things while he was here. Charlie and Beau arrived on the 22nd and by then I had the cold that is going around here: hot and cold, lots of sneezing, free running mucus and a general malaise. Don who hasn't had a cold in many years gave me this one. He's over it now so I'm hoping I will be within a day or two. Or just about the time Dennis, Charlie and Beau leave.

My house is a wreck and I'm not concerned because this gives me the perfect chance to get rid of some clothes and closet items and give the whole place a total cleaning.

Obviously I wasn't able to do my Christmas cards this year so I thought you might excuse me and accept the good wishes and photo I sent you through the blog. I'm hoping I'll be able to get some cards out next year. I really love doing it but it helps if I feel well.

Thank you for all the lovely Christmas cards which I'll be reading over and over again and maybe get ideas for some of my cards. I enjoy them all and am grateful you keep me in your thoughts.

New Photo

I noticed last year that my profile photo was dated but didn't have any idea how to change it. Today I took a chance and went to the right place, changed the photo and saved it so it will be there for a while.

Our second Thanksgiving was as much fun as the first. Since I'd had a dress rehearsal nearly two weeks earlier I was able to walk through all the steps with ease. My 5 year old grandson, Ben, was the first to arrive. He came in and said, "Hi Grandma, what's for dinner". I answered, "Turkey" and he replied, "Turkey Again!" That was his second Thanksgiving too. I think he was hoping for Belgian Waffles.

My friend TerryAnn, her husband, John and mother-in-law also named Maria, arrived from Tucson after being stuck in traffic for quite a while for their Thanksgiving Dinner with us. Maria is 94, a year younger than my mother who just turned 95 and they have birthdays about the same time. She's still able to travel all the way from Canada to Arizona and will enjoy the sunshine for awhile.

Right now we're having a 2 day rain storm and I can hear the wind howling. I don't want to look outside because I'm afraid my landscaping may be in my neighbors' yards. We're happy to have rain and so are all our plants. Too bad it's so cold too. It sounds like we're having a hurricane. I can only hope our porch furniture will still be there when it's over.

I was supposed to golf this morning but when I saw the forecast: rain, wind, cold, I decided those were the three symbols of the apocalypse so I should stay home warm and snug instead. I did catch up on all my paperwork, took a long nap but didn't exercise today. Then I received an email from the person in charge of ladies league events that tomorrow's golf and lunch are canceled too because of the weather. I may be able to get my office clean with all this free time.

Don is having cataract surgery on Wednesday. The doctor will follow up with him the next day and the following week. Don is apprehensive as most people are when they have any kind of surgery. Hopefully he'll enjoy much better sight when he's recovered and I'll no longer have to yell, "Median!" to keep us off the curb.

Once Don is recovered we'll start getting our favorite houseguests and before we know it I'll be another year older and 2009 will be history. Hopefully I'll be able to post before then but it's very difficult to use my computer when the house if full.

Just in case: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Brain MRI Results

I called the doctor's office this morning and received the results. Everything has stayed the same as the last MRI results. No changes. Good news. I'm glad it's off my mind now.

I see this posting will make my post from yesterday disappear so if you want to see the long posting I did yesterday look on the right hand side under my photo under 2009 November and it's the one listed as "More to post when there's no time to do it". "Brain MRI Results will be above it.

More to Post when there's no time to do it

Don and I at my mother's 95th Birthday Celebration.

My mother at 95 enjoying her Birthday Celebration.

We left for Detroit on November 4 and my mother's birthday celebration was the following evening. At the restaurant we hosted a dinner and invited my niece, her husband, and her oldest son. We also invited my cousin, her husband and her young son. It was the best of everything. A nice comfortable table for 9, great food and great service. There were some gifts. We were back home an hour after the party was over because my mother tires easily.

The following evening my mother, Don and I met some old friends at a restaurant. After we finished our meal the Chef brought my mother a long platter of assorted desserts and each one had a candle in it. The entire restaurant sang "Happy Birthday" to her and nearly every table wished her a happy birthday on our way out. She was overwhelmed with the response from the diners and the restaurant staff.

We spent time with my cousin on two occasions when she was able to get away. She lives nearly an hour from my mother's house and has a son in school who needs to be taken and picked up. It was great to be able to get to spend some time with her.

We flew Southwest to and from Detroit and had lots of questions about the seating thing. I couldn't understand the line-up and free for all as far as seats, but suitcases fly free so we were willing to learn. We had a better get in line number on our flight back so we were able to choose the two seater by the emergency door. We played Crazy Rummy all the way back to Phoenix.

The day after we returned from Phoenix Charlie arrived for a long weekend. He couldn't make it for Thanksgiving Day so he asked if we could celebrate Thanksgiving on November 14th. So that's what we did--we had a Thanksgiving meal and celebrated Ben's 5th birthday. That was Ben's 5th birthday party too so he enjoyed a great birthday.

Charlie left at 4:30 a.m.on Monday for the airport and made it back to Maryland to get some of his work done at the office. He called later to let us know he had a good flight and arrived safely.

That same day I golfed with the Monday group and forgot everything I ever knew about golf. I shot a 114 and that must be close to winning golf lessons. After lunch I played Hand and Foot Canasta with 7 other ladies and had a great time.

Tuesdays is Ladies League Golf and I showed up to play although I was worried about my game. Fortunately I played with 3 great gals who kept my spirits up and I ended up with a 110 and lots of sand in both my shoes. I know my game will come back but like Johnny Miller says, "the harder you try to do better, the worse you do". So the best thing is to go out and just have a good time.

I'm still waiting for the results of my Brain MRI. I don't have an appointment for the results with the radiation doctor. I think he's going to call and tell me. If I don't hear from him today I'll call him tomorrow. I'm trying to remember that saying: NO NEW IS GOOD NEWS. It's always in the back of my mind. What are the results?

I'm off to Buns & Abs. I missed a lot of exercise classes while I was gone. They really help keep me on an even keel. Hopefully now I'll be able to get back in the swing of my fitness schedule.

Not What We Expected

I think my Oncologist and I were disappointed in the PET Scan results. We felt that I was on my way to Remission. Instead they found a 1 centimeter lymph node just below the thoracic inlet worrisome for metastatic disease. There is a similar sized subcarinal node and a right hilar lymph node. The differential for each of these nodes is metastatic disease versus reactive nodes. The two others found in previous study are stable when compared to previous examination.

My Oncologist is going to re-adjust my Tarceva to a higher dosage but less than the 150 mg I started with. Recently I've been taking 100 mg. The dosage he's trying to achieve is 125mg.
I'll be seeing the Radiation Doctor in a few days and I'm sure he'll also discuss this with me.

It's no use getting worried about this new "sighting". All we can do is keep an eye on them and see if they grow. I'm certainly doing all I can with diet, exercise, medication, and a good attitude.

Next time I post it will be with photos of my mother's 95th birthday celebration.

A Lot to Talk About

Sophie and Ben hanging out with the cowboy pumpkin.
Diane pushing Sophie and Gary pushing Ben at Disneyland.
Ben and Sophie in front of the Disneyland Train Station.

Gary and Diane invited me to go to Disneyland with their family as we did last year. I was thrilled because it was another chance to spend some fun time with them. We went by car with our usual stop at the Palm Springs Outlet Stores and again I found some great buys. Stopping there gives us a chance to stretch out legs, use the rest rooms and find some bargains.

Monday was our travel day. We stayed at the Hilton this time which was a 20 minute walk from Disneyland or we could drive and park the car. We chose the walk. The rooms were next to each other and overlooked Disneyland. Sophie and Ben spent hours sitting at the window looking at the park. The rooms were very comfortable and the staff was very friendly.

Tuesday we enjoyed the rides and seeing the Disney characters. It's fun to watch Sophie and Ben's enjoyment. We started with the Soaring California ride which is one of my favorites. We walked miles around the park sometimes going on some of the rides twice. Wednesday we spent at the California park and had a great time on all they had to offer.

Thursday we went to Long Beach to visit the Aquarium. It was fantastic. By far it was the best aquarium I had ever seen. We all enjoyed the hands on with the small sharks and other fish.

Thursday evening we went to the Disney Park for Trick or Treat. What great fun that was. We received a bag and there were stations all over both parks with candy. There were lots of other entertainments too. It was such a great time.

Friday we were back at the Disney park and a little surprised at how crowded the park was that day compared to our first days. Then the light went on--it was a holiday weekend (Columbus Day on Monday) and some schools had Friday off which made for a long weekend. It was so crowded that I waited in line as long to use the rest room as it was to get on a ride. Too many people for me and I went back to the hotel to take it easy. When Gary, Diane, Sophie and Ben came in the evening they said Disneyland had to close the park because they were full. That was also the day the Indiana Jones ride opened for the first time.

Saturday we started back to Phoenix. Another stop at the Palm Springs Outlets netted us more bargains and by the time we arrived at my house it was pitch black outside.

Sunday I rode my bike, did my laundry from the trip and watched my waterfall overflow. The upside of that was all my plants and trees in the back received a good watering. My neighbor helped me turn it off so that Don could fix it when he came home two days later. As it turned out my neighbor had fixed the float so there was nothing for Don to fix.

Don arrived on Tuesday morning and had a good trip. He's readjusting to the higher temperature and with the golf course closed he's able to relax and catch up on TV shows. He isn't able to pick up any television stations on the island although most islanders have dishes. He's out and about so much that it's hardly worthwhile to have one installed for 4 months.

We went to Sophie's school carnival with Gary's family Thursday evening. Don and I had a chance to spend time with just the grand kids by having them over on Sunday to the pool for a swim . There were quite a few kids their ages in the pool so they had a great time. Once we changed clothes we took them to McDonalds for lunch and the play area. From there we went to the movies to see CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS. Don and I are embarrassed to say that we both fell asleep during the movie. The kids loved it. We finished the day with a trip to Culvers for grilled cheese sandwiches and Culver's frozen custard.

The sun is up so it's time for my bike ride. I've brought you up to date for now. See you when I get the results of my PET scan at the end of the month.

Bicycle Accident

Last week I had a bicycle accident. It wasn't too bad. I only injured my right elbow and right knee. It was totally my fault. I was riding with a friend and she was in front of me and we were both riding around a pickup truck parked on the road. I looked back to see how close traffic was and when I looked forward my front wheel hit her back wheel. Fortunately I was the only one who fell down. Now here is the great part of my story--every car that went by us after my fall and even the owner of the pickup offered us help with a ride or whatever we needed. I was filled with so much gratitude for their kindness. I couldn't get over it.

We did accept the pickup truck's driver offer of a ride home because he could put our bikes in the back. By the time we arrived at our guardhouse, I was ready to stretch my knee so I rode the rest of the way to my house and thanked the driver for helping us. I felt like it was just a scratch till my knee started growing a doorkknob and even contemplated going to Buns & Abs in the afternoon. Then I realized how limited I would be in exercising and stayed home. The next day I was a little more sore so I knew I had made the right decision.

I did go to Julie's class on Saturday and since I was becoming apprehensive about getting on the bike again, I rode to the fitness center on my bike. She had the best, strongest class that day. I knew that I could ride my bike on Sunday and I did. You should see my elbow and knee now they are so much better--nearly healed.

You'll notice I didn't talk about my golf. I'm hitting my clubs but in the bunkers. What is it about sand? Did I really think I needed more sand practice. Who knows! If there was a prize for getting in the most bunkers I would win hands down. Each time I go out to play it's always a mystery who'll show up...my alter ego or me. On a positive note the temperature is in the 90s and it's more pleasant to play. I go out each time with the hope that this time it'll be the old Maria hitting and putting. Wish me luck.

What a Busy Week

Some of my friends have come back from their cooler hiding places. Five of us met for Brunch at the Anacapa Restaurant here on campus. We had a delicious meal and lots of great conversation. I'm still doing my 11 mile bike ride so I could eat everything I wanted. The next day I did Kickboxing and that's a great workout too.

I'm back to playing Mah Jongg on Monday afternoons. I was spending those summer afternoons with Sophie doing crafts. Hopefully Sophie and I will pick up where we left off next summer. It would be great if I could have a half day with Ben during the summer too.

Betty, my neighbor, hosted Bunco Night at her house and I had a great time. I wasn't one of the winners. Winning is truly secondary because it's the friendships and conversations we're there for. Since we change partners after each number we enjoy being able to talk to everyone.

I biked again the next day, had lunch with Gary at Sauce and was able to see Diane and Ben. Sophie was in school and Ben was on his way to his class. When I came home I just had time to shower and change for Cyndi's birthday party hosted by Catherine. Catherine made pizza, lamb chops, french fries, broccoli, carrots and a Caesar salad. We were overwhelmed with all the great food. There was also a meringue pie with raspberry or strawberry sauce. Then the laughter started. We laughed for 2 hours straight and exchanged gifts for just about as long. I was sure my laughing muscles would be sore the next day and they were.

I should tell my Oncologist about all these laughter fests I've enjoyed. It could be what's speeding up my way to remission.

Golf on Friday is with 18 hole friends. This time I finally stopped digging my clubs in the ground and hit some good shots. I scored a 96 which I haven't been able to do since 6/23/09--I checked. I thought it had been a year because it seemed like forever since I had a decent game. Later I went to the movies with Rhonda and while we were waiting to get in the theater we came face to face with 3 ladies from Corte Bella who I met at Lady Putters. What a pleasant surprise.

After the movie we went to PeiWei my favorite place and also Rhonda's as it turned out. As always we were not disappointed with our Chopped Asian Chicken Salad. My mouth is watering just typing the name.

Saturday was a really special day. Three of my Fitness Buddies and I decided to go to Palm Springs to shop the Discount Stores there. It's loaded with about 100 stores--Designer clothes, shoes, purses and then the usuals. I drove because I have the biggest car and we would need all that space for all our packages. It's 4 1/2 hours to get there, maybe less if there's no road construction. We shopped for 3 hours and drove back. Of course the best time was the laughter in the car. Catherine and Cathey kept us laughing all the time. Cyndi had quite a few great one liners too. She was my co-pilot and was getting a lot of grief from Cathey in the back seat.

On our way coming and going we found the 2 worst Rest Stops in Arizona and managed to stop at both of them. Considering 3 1/2 of us are a little germaphobic, it happened to the wrong people. Call me if you want to know where they are. You really want to miss these if you can.

Today is Vegg day. My foot is in the gas pedal position and I have to wait for it to relax. Tomorrow we have a golf event called Member/Member and I'm golfing with one of the sweetest ladies here, Elena. We'll have fun and that's why we'll be there.

We'll soon be in some of our best weather--October still very warm, but cooler at night.

"GREAT"

After all this time I wonder if anyone is reading my blog but just in case you are I'll bring you up to date on yesterday's Oncologist appointment. My Oncologist moved from his office on 27th Ave/101 to 5th Ave and Osborn. It was quite a ride over there. The 101 was jammed so I took to the Avenues. Charlie used to live in at 16th St/Osborn so I was acquainted with most of the streets. All in all a it was a positive experience in finding my way around Phoenix without the expressway.

My doctor questioned what changes took place once I went on the lower dosage Tarceva. Some of them were pleasant others were disappointing. I won't go into detail. He always asks me about the supplements I'm taking and since I'm having swelling and pain in my feet he's upped my B6 since that has worked so well on the neurapathy since I started on it 2 years ago.

Then we talked about the Lab results and the first thing he said was, "Great, I have never had a cancer patient with such great results in such a short time". He wanted to take my photo and make me the poster child because he's so happy with my progress.

I mentioned that I was flying for the first time in two years. He asked me what I was going to do and I answered that I would wear a mask and wash my hands often during and after the flight. He was satisfied with those precautions. So I'll be able to be with my mother and celebrate her 95th birthday. I'm so excited and I know she is too.

I'll be making an appointment for my PET Scan as soon as the Oncologist's office gets approval from the insurance. It'll probably be towards the end of October and I'll see the Ocologist a few days later to get the results. I'm hoping for the best.

I've been down in the dumps with the intense summer heat and lack of monsoons, but finally it's cool enough at dawn for my 10 mile bike ride. It's really energized me again. Most of the summer I exercised then was too sapped from the heat to do much else. Now I feel great especially after a cooling bike ride.

How Long Has It Been?

I just can't believe I haven't posted in over a month. Things have been happening so I apologize for not doing it sooner. I'm adding some recent photos of Sophie and Ben so you'll forgive me for the delay.

Sophie and I spent Monday afternoons together either making cards or painting pottery. It was great fun and something I hope we'll be able to do next year. She started school Aug. 3 and that was the end of our crafting afternoons.

Dennis came to visit at the end of July. Together we spent time with Sophie and Ben who love their Uncle Dennis. My friends always enjoy seeing Dennis too so we attended the Italian American Club Dinner at our Anacapa Grill. The food was good, but the conversation was even better. I have a very helpful neighbor who I can call on when there's a need and the following evening Dennis and I hosted a dinner for them at Arrowhead Grill and it was very good. We enjoyed getting to know them even better.

Every August one of our ladies sets up a golf outing in Prescott at Talking Rock Golf Course. It's cooler there but in the past when we went the weather was extreme: wind and rain. This year it was warm and sunny. There were only 16 of us because so many of our golfers were traveling north to visit friends and family or trying to find some cooler places. It was great fun and as always the lunch was worth the trip. I don't remember a summer when so many from here were traveling so much. If all my test results are good next year I'll be doing some summer travel myself. Summer lasts two months too long.

The second half of August we were experiencing some cooler mornings and I took advantage of them by getting on my bike and riding 7 miles. It's my short route and I do it twice a week. I love riding my bike. It makes me feel free and it's a nice addition to my workout schedule. Here's the week: Biking on Sunday, Kickboxing and Yoga on Monday, golf and elliptical machine on Tuesday, biking and Buns & Abs on Wednesday, golf and elliptical machine on Thursday, golf and Yoga on Friday and a cardio/strength/stretch class on Saturday. Once the temperature goes down under 100 I'll add the Aqua classes on Thursdays and Saturdays.

I've had to change my workout schedule because of my feet. This summer my toes and the balls of my feet are swollen and it's difficult to put any weight on them as in Yoga poses so I've had to give up Pilates/Yoga on Monday and Thursday mornings because that class is Yoga on speed. Once in a while I do the noon Yoga on Monday and Friday because I know how important the breathing is for me. I would probably do it more but noon makes it difficult to get there.

My Oncologist stopped the Tarceva for a couple of weeks. I enjoyed life without side effects for those days. He lowered the dosage hoping it would lessen the side effects and it has. And I hope that the Tarceva is still doing as great a job in it's new form. The Tarceva won't help me if the cancer goes to my brain though. Tarceva is a chemo pill and the chemo can't get up to the brain. So of course the day I forgot my own phone number was panic city for me. The following day I couldn't hit any of my clubs instead I was digging holes in the grass. I thought for sure my goose was cooked. But friends my age and younger tell me they've had the same experiences. So no more panic.

I'll be seeing my Oncologist in September so I'll post the results next time. Here's hoping all is well with me and you.

There was no news till now

I waited till I saw my Oncologist and Radiation Doctor this week to post because I thought you would like an update on where things stand. My Oncologist is very happy with the way things are going and tells me I'm doing a good job which honestly I needed to hear. He said I should stop taking the Tarceva for a week or so until all the side effects are gone and when I start taking it again the dosage will be dropped from 150 mg to 100 to keep the side effects from being so severe. He said that except for a high histamine reading on my blood test because my allergies are in full force, my blood test was great. There's no cancer activity. My next appointment will be in September and we'll make an appointment for the next PET scan at that time.

My Radiation doctor was amazed that I'm not on any medication except the Tarceva. He asked me twice thinking I didn't understand him. He's happy about that and he's also happy with the plans my Oncologist has made for a PET Scan in September. He isn't a big fan of Tarceva I gather because every hiccup or sneeze I have he attributes to that medication. He's glad I'll be taking a lower dosage. He said something about the spot on my liver and had my full attention. "I have a spot of my Liver?", I asked. So he looked at the last PET scan results again and found instead that I have a gallstone in my gallbladder which is near the neck. That's a long way from a spot on the liver and I started breathing again. He's also happy with my results. He doesn't need to see me till the first week in November. He's not planning on another Brain MRI till next April thank goodness. Ever have one of those? Noisy and confining.

So my doctors didn't have to take me off the golf course this summer. I'm actually finding I get too exhausted from the heat and golf at 6 a.m. or not at all.

This week I had an attitude adjustment by traveling to Flagstaff with 3 golfing friends to participate in an invitational at Pinewood. We played the course when we arrived in town and then went to our hotel which was very nice. Once we had our suitcases in our rooms we got together to...what else...play Mah Jongg. It was so much fun because we all won a game and laughed through the entire evening. Then we were ready for Baskin Robbins and one of their great ice cream treats. I slept like a log.

The following morning we went to the course for the continental breakfast, met the other ladies in our foursome and played a course with trees. Trees all over the course and water, there was hardly a bunker to get in. I could have played better, but I saved it all for the last two holes. Once we came off the course we had a delicious lunch and the raffle prizes were awarded. Then we left for home leaving behind 85 degrees for 115 in Phoenix.

It was a wonderful trip and we laughed and enjoyed every minute. I would love to do it again next year. I see how important it is for me to have a change of scene now and then because I was feeling like I was in a rut and isolated. What a great attitude adjustment I had.

In the Summer News is Slow

Don, Gary, Diane, Sophie, Ben and I had another pool event with Beau while he was still available. He'll be leaving at the end of the month to move to Maryland. Diane was swimming laps while she had a chance. We had a great time and went back to our house for dinner.

Don left for the island a few days later and had an uneventful trip. He's spending Fathers Day weekend with Dennis in Milwaukee and having a great time. When he left here we were enjoying some great 90 degree days and also wonderful golf. I think the change of temperature and all the rain must be quite a change for him.

Bunco night was slated for the 10th but not enough ladies were able to come so instead we had a tutorial on Hand and Foot Canasta. I loved it and hope we'll be able to play that throughout the summer. Everyone agreed that it was a game they would love to play more often.

Our Friday golf group decided it would be nice for us to play at different courses in the summer when there are good deals throughout the Phoenix area. We had our first "away" day at Blackstone which is a Country Club nearby. It was a difficult course but we enjoyed our play and the lunch afterward. It was great to have a change of scene.

Sophie and I are doing card making on Monday afternoons. She's a natural and is starting to give me pointers on what I should do with my cards. I guess she made several Fathers Day cards for Gary and one even had a scavenger hunt and she wrote the copy.

I've started a couple of Aqua Classes and I enjoy the change plus I get to spend time in the pool and relax with a good book afterward. Pilates/Yoga is becoming difficult for me because of the neurapathy in my feet, but I think half a class is better than none. I'm making a bigger effort to get to the Monday and Friday Yoga classes because of the complete stretching and great breathing. My most important job is still to get to remission and be cancer free and Yoga seems to be my best option. Lately I've been having more cramping--not just in my calves but in my back muscles. I've changed my diet to include more potassium rich foods and hope that will help. I'll consult the Oncologist when I see him next month.

Today I reread all the cards I received from all my friends and family in the last two years. It was a wonderful experience and I've decided that I need to keep them. So I'm going to recycle parts of them in my homemade cards. They are all so beautiful that I think they'll be a great addition to my message.

I'm sorry it's been so long. I thought there was so little to talk about. I guess that's true medically but I'm still enjoying some wonderful experiences.

Tuesday Came and Went

With a good attitude I showed up at Tuesday golf league. I didn't wear my golf sandals knowing they were responsible for all my lies in the bunkers. Instead I wore socks and golf shoes (much warmer then sandals). I golfed with two lovely ladies and tried to settle for short drives and short fairway hits. My driver was working better and I found my entire swing on the 17th hole which was our last hole that day. Guess I was wrong about the sandals being responsible for being in so many bunkers. I managed to find at least half of the bunkers on the course, but I was spared having to take my shoes off and shake out the sand each time. It's time to call in the professional to get some good advise on my game.

One of my Fitness Buddies and I met at the Fitness Center later and worked out on the machines. Till now we'd always done the classes but since there are no afternoon classes except Buns & Abs on Wednesday afternoon we had to find a substitute. This works too.

We both felt much better after the workout so I'm glad we encouraged each other to get our exercise in. It looks like I have that new workout and golf combination I've been looking for. It certainly does make a difference in how I feel. Now I can work on that all day snacking.

It's Time to Pack

Don has taken over the guest room with suitcases and shipping boxes. If you didn't know better you'd swear he was packing for an extended visit to the North Pole, but it's just Washington Island, Wisconsin. Every year about this time he realizes that he's misplaced something urgent he'll need on the island and starts going through all his drawers and cabinets to find it. This year it's his wireless mouse for the laptop. It's the only reason he'll clean his half of our office desk and his dresser. I have the garbage bags standing by ready to fill with papers and thingies he kept because he "might need them some day". And don't we all do that.

I golfed Friday and Saturday and believe it or not I totally lost my swing. I found it once on the ninth hole, but then it disappeared on the 10th hole. What kind of sick twisted sport is this? Just about the time you think you have your A game, you go out and golf your Z game. Not only that but I did this two days in a row and the second day was even worse. I was glad that the couple we golfed with knew that I was capable of a better game and assumed an alien who didn't know anything about golf had taken over my body.

Just to be on the safe side I already have a golf instructor on my speed dial ready to exorcise this alien and bring the golf Maria back with a decent swing and a putt that goes in the first time. I'll find out when I golf on Tuesday.

Healthwise all is well as you know. I'm golfing more and exercising less but will find a good combination soon. Most of all I hate missing my noon Yoga class. It's hard not be involved with something else by then.

The Results are Here

I had my appointment with my Oncologist and he read the results to me. He could have been reading Greek for all the sense it made to me. It was definitely a language I didn't speak. He put it into patient-speak.

The Brain MRI results said that the previously seen lesion appears significantly less pronounced with no new lesions seen. Everything else is unchanged.

The PET Scan results said that a new area of interest is in the right upper lobe and it's minimally avid for activity. The changes at the right lung base are stable when they compare it to the last test but they're both worrisome.

My Oncologist doesn't think they're active. He thinks they're the result of my Radiation treatments. He also said that he has never had a patient with great lab numbers like mine with active cancer. I'm all for taking his opinion. I'm sure we'll have to keep an eye on those two areas for awhile. After all this isn't the common cold we're dealing with here.

With all these great doctors looking after me my only job is to eat healthy and have fun. So far I'm excelling at both. I'm excited about golfing in the 18 Hole League again and seeing all my friends. I have such a great support system. I don't know what I did to deserve such great friends.

About the Test Results

I had my PET Scan on Wednesday, May 6th. It was a nice experience and actually very relaxing. Each time I go to this facility I'm surprised by how nice everyone is and how well they do their jobs.

My appointment with the Oncologist is May 13th and I'll get the results from the PET Scan during that visit. I'm going to call the Radiation doctor on Monday and see if he'll call me with the results of the April 23rd Brain MRI. I'm sure he has that information but maybe because there wasn't anything unexpected he's taking his time to give me the results.

I played with the 18 holers on Tuesday and will play in a Sadie Hawkins with them Tuesday, May 12. It's going to be very warm that day so I hope the golf course provides us with those great mango scented ice cold towels. They seem to do the trick for keeping us cool or at least stop us from reaching the boiling point.

Charlie arrived in Phoenix Thursday night. He and Beau picked up the grand kids this morning and brought them to our house so we could all go to the pool at our development. The kids and Charlie and Beau had a great time in the water. I went in for a while, but my real purpose was to tan the places where my golf sandles have straps. I don't think I can do it in one hour. The open places from the sandles just get darker and the white skin only tans a little.

When I went for my pedicure with the Fitness Buddies, the lady who was during my pedicure used a brush and soap because she thought my toes had dirt on them. Once she realized it wasn't going to come off, she stopped. I guess next time if I still have tan toes and white feet I'll have to let them know it's tan not dirt.

I'll be back when I get the results of both tests.

All These Activities and No Photos

The Brain MRI on April 23 went well. I heard the same noises as the other MRIs and no matter how often I have to listen to them they are about as soothing as a dentist drill. By now my Radiation doctor must have the results but I don't know if he's had a chance to read them. I'm thinking he'll call and tell me what I need to know when he has a chance.

In the mean time we had Catherine's birthday party at Nancy's house and we had so much fun. Nancy served a great dinner and dessert and of course, we had lots of great gifts for her and laughs too. She left the following evening for Ireland and we miss her a lot. Already the fitness classes are a little emptier. We hope she'll be back in the fall .

The 9 Hole League had their Awards and Closing Meeting. We were treated to a wonderful lunch served by the Anacapa Restaurant. Fortunately I didn't have to find room for a trophy, but my friend, Sue, did. She won the 9 Hole Championship. I made a lot of friends in the league and will miss them as half of them will be traveling back up north and I'm hoping to move back to 18 Holes this spring.

Sophie invited Poppa and me to a carnival at her school. It was a fund raiser for the school. Don and I had a great time watching Sophie and Ben enjoy the games and rides. We did sleep well that night.

April has come to an end and I can't believe where the time went. We spent most of our time with friends and family this month and had so much fun, learned a new game called Sequence, played golf with other couples and laughed and cried about the scores. We enjoyed every minute. What a ball!

My next test, a PET Scan is scheduled for May 6. Time goes by so quickly I hope I don't forget my appointment. This one is early--8:15 a.m.--no eating before and only water to drink.
I hope I'll be able to give you the results of both tests the next time I post. Love to all of you.

Some Testing Coming Soon

Earlier this week I saw my radiation doctor who had ordered the CT Scan earlier because of the two-three week colds I had around the holidays. The CT scan results suggested a PET Scan for something that couldn't be identified in my lower lung. The PET Scan was ordered by my Oncologist for May 6.

My radiation doctor said at that appointment it was time to get my Brain MRI since it's been 6 months since the radiation on the small brain tumor. He also did a lot of testing for my co-ordination. He wrote out the script and his receptionist made an appointment for the Brain MRI on April 23. It's my least favorite test because of all the loud excruciating noises I have to hear for 40 minutes and my head is locked in place. But it's important for us to know if the tumor is gone.

I planned to take a week off from exercise classes, but that week turned into 2 weeks. I was over- tired probably from too much housework (just kidding). I tend to overschedule myself a lot. Now I've had time to sleep longer. Someone told me that the hours of sleep you get before midnight are worth double the hours you sleep after midnight.

I participated in the 9 Hole 2 Day Championship. I had the worst two rounds of golf ever so I didn't need a place for the trophy. The next evening it was Bunco night and we had a great time as always. I'm playing golf more often because who knows how long I'll be free to do it especially when the temperature goes up. We also went to a Co-Ed Bunco party a couple of evenings later and they are especially fun. Guys are so much more into scoring.

Diane and Gary hosted an Easter Brunch at their home. Gary's best friend since 6th grade was in town with his wife and 2 kids and luckily they were able to come. Beau came also and Diane's best friend, Kim, was there. That was so much fun. It was wonderful to see Gary's childhood friends and Beau who doesn't have much time between work, school and working at the theater and Kim who lives far away too. Diane made great food and I handled the Belgian Wafflers.

My middle of the month Bunco group met on the 15th. We had 3 tables since snowbirds are starting to leave and other things are going on too. It was great fun as always.

The Fitness Buddies celebrated Wendy's birthday on Thursday and Pat was the hostess. She made reservations at the Nail Salon for all of us to get pedicures at the same time. Two of the buddies couldn't make it for the nail primping. They both have jobs and couldn't get away earlier. We had a lot of laughs at the salon and even the employees who were working on us were laughing.

The Fitness Buddies were able to be together at the Cheesecake Factory for a nice dinner. Pat ordered some appetizers and we all enjoyed eating a little of this and a little of that. Later we had our entree and Pat surprised all of us by having the staff put together carrot/fudge cheesecake pieces with burning candles and a serenade of "Happy Birthday" from the staff and Wendy's 6 Fitness buddies. The cheesecake was delicious. Wendy was surprised by all the gifts especially the flip flops each of us decorated to remind her of the pedicure birthday party. She'll never run out of footwear. Pat did a fantastic job as hostess. She's raised the bar for all other birthdays.

As the results on the tests come in, I'll let you know on the blog. Love to all my friends and family.

And the Fun Goes On

I went to a local dinner theater thanks to the invitation of good friend, Barbara, and saw GUYS & DOLLS. I enjoyed the time with friends, the meal and the musical. It was wonderful to be able to laugh and trade stories on our ride to the theater and back. There's always something really great about girls night out.

That night Dennis arrived from Minneapolis at 11 p.m.and Don was able to pick him up in his new toy, a 2005 Mercedes 2 seat convertible hard top. Needless to say he loves his car. Having 4 vehicles in a 2 car garage is a nightmare though. There's my big Saturn Outlook, Don's Mercedes, our golf cart and his Piaggi Scooter. I should include the three bikes too, but they don't have motors so they don't count. We'll have to work out a better system because at this writing every time I need my car, Don has to back it out of the garage for me. I think he may get tired of that but I know he would prefer backing my car out to having one or more of the vehicles dented.

Dennis is a gym rat like me so he went to Pilates/Yoga with me. It was the first time he had attended that class and I think he liked it. We all played golf that day and none of us had anything to brag about. Friday morning Dennis and I went to a killer class and loved it.

That evening I left the guys to a night out while I went to dinner at Mary's house. Mary is an excellent cook and the Fitness Buddies were there too. The menu was great as always and she made a special dessert that was to die for. It's very difficult losing weight when there are so many great cooks in Corte Bella.

After a windy round of golf on Saturday we three picked up Charlie at the airport whose arrival was an hour late. We had lunch at Oregano's, one of the few restaurants that uses Wisconsin cheese and had a delicious pizza and Charlie had a huge meatball sandwich half. Wisconsin cheese is the best especially for cooking. We dropped Charlie off at Beau's house and went to Gary & Diane's house for a cookout. Sophie and Ben were thrilled to see Dennis and had so much fun with him. Leaving was tearful because they wanted him to stay.

Dennis left early Sunday morning and a couple hours later we had Gary and his family and Charlie and Beau over for Charlie's birthday brunch. Beau and Charlie played with Sophie and Ben and again it was a tearful goodbye. Charlie will be staying with Beau till Wednesday when he has an early flight back to Maryland.

My PET Scan appointment has been made for May 6th which works out perfect because I'll see the Oncologist the following week to get the results. I'm always hoping for the best results.

I'm on my way to Pilates/Yoga this morning and at noon will take another Yoga class. I normally would do a Kickboxing class after the Pi/Yo class, but I need to shake up my workout schedule a little so I'm trying less cardio and more Yoga. On those days that I don't have a morning class I'll either ride my bike for 7 to 10 miles or use the elliptical if the air quality outside is poor.

Thanks again for reading my blog. It may be boring at times but at least you never have to wonder what I'm doing.

This is the Rest of March

The rest of March was spent enjoying the visit of a wonderful friend, Joy, from back east. We enjoyed an exhibition Brewer ball game with her and Don took her sightseeing on his scooter. She's very brave--did I mention that? A mutual friend lives in Corte Bella and we had lunch together the following day. That was so great because they hadn't seen each other in quite a while. We ended Joy's visit with a trip to the Belgian restaurant in Phoenix. I love the food there and I can't say that about many of the restaurants nearby. I ordered mussels and french fries--my absolute favorite. Joy didn't stay very long but we hope she'll come back and spend more time with us next winter.

When Joy left I finally had to tackle those tax papers. I'm a Capricorn for goodness sake and it was already the middle of March. At that point I'm already thinking I'm late. It took me 4 or 5 days to organize the receipts and type up all the figures (neatness counts). Now I'm waiting for the results. And of course, I'm already saying that next year I'll start sooner.

I've been golfing more often than before. The weather has been so gorgeous and I need to work on much of my game. I have a good long game but I'm still looking for my short game. My putting must be buried somewhere on the course because I cannot get the ball to the hole. I changed putters and that didn't help. That's funny because when Don can't putt, he buys a new putter and, like magic, he can putt.

Somewhere in all that golfing and entertaining I had an Oncologist appointment. He received a copy of the results of the CT Scan that the radiation doctor ordered and agreed with Dr Smiley that I should have a PET Scan to see what that is at the bottom part of my right lung. As he says better safe than sorry. The PET Scan isn't taking place till the first week in May so I'll have lots of exercise of classes, Yoga, golf, bunco, mah jongg to keep me busy till then.

Don and I took Sophie and Ben to see Suessical the Musical and were quite impressed with the production and the Herberger Youth Theater. The ages of the actors in the company were anywhere from 11 to 19 and they were fabulous. It's one of the best shows we've ever seen.

The next time you hear from me it'll be April. Can you believe it? I'm in my spring cleaning mode so the house is in disarray--a mess, but I'll be so happy when there's a place for everything and everything is in it's place.

Mardi Gras Bunco Night

I volunteered to host the March Bunco Night and chose to decorate with a Mardi Gras theme. My friend from Michigan, Sandy, had just been here and offered to send me a box of decorations. I didn't realize it at the time but Mardi Gras had been over for a couple of weeks already. I should have chosen St. Pat's Day but that's hindsight. Anyway I took photos, mostly for Sandy to see but they didn't turn out very well. I can sum up the decorations with one photo of LaRayne. See if you don't agree.

Photos from Charlie with Arden in D.C.

Charlie sent photos that reminded me how nice it is to be in Arizona during the winter. We miss them both since they moved to the northeast in July but Charlie comes to visit us once in a while. He'll soon be celebrating his 32nd birthday. Where does the time go?

It's Catch Up Time

At the end of February LaRayne invited us to celebrate two birthdays: Kathie and Judy had birthdays so close together that it worked out wonderfully. There was plenty of food and drinks and we're always surprised by new tasty appetizers. Above are the birthday ladies.

Nancy's Birthday Bowling Celebration hosted by Cathey

To celebrate Nancy's birthday the Fitness Buddies, except for our Irish lass, enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Anacapa Restaurant on our Corte Bella campus. From there we went to the bowling alley in Sun City West. I wasn't able to bowl due to a thumb injury so I cheered the group on and took photos. I found out that taking photos in the bowling alley doesn't work too well...too dark.

Cyndi made this special "birthday cake" for Nancy. She made cupcakes and turned them into bowling pins and then constructed a bowling alley and a ball. People at the alley stopped by to look and ask about it. It was a work of art.

We had such a great time that some of us are talking about bowling in a league this summer.

Childhood friend comes to visit from Michigan

Sandy and I have been friends since 6th grade. We were maid of honor for each other's weddings. We haven't lived in the same state for 42 years but managed to keep in touch which is much easier now with email.

Sandy was my guest at 9 Hole Golf League on Tuesday. She hits a good ball. We did some shopping at Cave Creek on Wednesday but there was very little of interest. That evening we both went to Third Wednesday Bunco and she was the big winner.

Thursday we left early for Tucson to visit our friend, Terry Ann. We might have arrived an hour earlier if we hadn't brought the High School Yearbooks. They were too interesting and we missed our turns. We did the same thing on the way back to Sun City West. We turned a 6 hour trip into an eight hour trip, but we had so much fun we could have driven around all day.

While we were in Tucson we had lunch outside at the Tohono Chul Park. It was very crowded so we waited a long time for our food which was "worth waiting for". We shopped in their Museum Shop and I found lots of things to buy. Also we were able to take the tram at Sabino Canyon with Terry Ann and her cousins. It was wonderful. What beautiful scenery. We tried to capture it all in photos but I'm not sure we did it justice.

It was wonderful to spend time with an old friend who's still young.

Photos I forgot to post

Our First Pajama Party Bunco Night

On our first Pajama Party Bunco Night we came in all colors and styles of sleepwear. Some of the ladies used some great imagination and looked like they'd spent a lot of time with their outfits. There were prizes for the best outfits and other things that are unmentionable on this blog because blogspot might pull me off.

Donna was a great hostess and Eddie helped her by picking up the hot pizzas that tasted great.
We had a chance to visit with everyone while we ate which we usually don't have time to do. It was great fun and everyone laughed till they cried.

Bunco was even better, at least for me. I won a big prize for most Buncos even though we had to have a roll off between 3 other ladies who had the same number of Buncos. I went home richer in every way.

I know it's been a long time between posts. It's been on my "to do" list for just as long. We had a wonderful time watching the Super Bowl even though our team didn't win. We thought it was an exciting game and certainly sustained our interest even through the ads.

Dennis and Velvet arrived on the 4th of February to celebrate Dennis turning 40 years of age on Saturday. We enjoyed their visit so much and they would have enjoyed their visit even more IF I hadn't backed my car out of our garage and hit the side of their rental car...on the morning of Dennis' 40th birthday. That did put a damper on the rest of the day. How do you apologize for something like that? I tried every way and Dennis and Velvet were so sweet about it but I couldn't get past it.

Sunday Beau came for brunch and Diane dropped Sophie and Ben off so they could spend time with Beau, Uncle Dennis and Velvet. Charlie was in D.C. working. I was hopping around the kitchen making bacon, sausages, english muffins, poured the batter in both waffle makers and set the timer. When the timer went off I opened the waffle makers and the batter was pure dough--I had plugged in the waffle maker but forgot the turn them on. That was 4 waffles we had to do without. To add to the confusion the circuit blew and we had no power in all the outlets. Don threw the switch at the circuit box after we had tried every outlet in the kitchen and we were finally able to get power for all the small appliances.

To say that I made Dennis'40th birthday a memorable occasion is putting it mildly. His flight left on Monday afternoon and I don't remember sabatoging anything on that day. You could say he left unharmed.

I went back to my normal way of life without my car. It was at the body shop getting the wrinkles removed. Don and I did play some golf and that helped me forget the "birthday weekend from hell". Not that there weren't fun times, but it kind of overshadowed everything else.

Cathey's Birthday Party

I hosted Cathey's birthday celebration at the Herb Box in Scottsdale on Sunday for lunch.  It was a beautiful day and we chose to eat outdoors which was actually warmer than indoors.  The food was wonderful and the gifts were perfect.  We couldn't have asked for a better day.

A Change of Plan

Last Friday I had an appointment with Dr Smiley. He was concerned about my colds (two within two months) and has made an appointment for me for a CT Scan today to check for pneumonia or something worse. He talked to me about my immune system being compromised because of the Chemo and Radiation. I need to be vigilant about not straining it and my lungs more than necessary because they've been through so much. It's hard to tell but he was happy to hear that I had no adverse reactions to the radiation on my brain. The reaction would have been nausea and headaches. Brain swelling can happen within 18 months after the procedure so I have a way to go to be clear of that side effect.

Because of today's test I'll have to wait another 3 months for the MRI on my brain. Testing too often would certainly be a strain on my body and could cause more problems. I'm not surprised and am totally in favor of not testing too often.

The Chronic Disease Fund was funding my co-pay for the Chemo Pill I'm on and has not renewed any financial help this year because our income is above their limit. I want to thank them and let them know how grateful I am for the help they gave us last year.

Don and I are looking forward to visits from friends and family this winter. Since cancer patients are at risk to fly I haven't visited my mother or relations and friends during the last 2 years. I'm been planning a whopper of a "remission trip" as soon as I get the word.



This afternoon it's my favorite class, Buns & Abs, followed by Bunco! Coming soon is Fitness Buddy #5 Birthday Bash which I'm hosting at the Herb Box. It's going to be a fun time.

Photos of Charlie and Dennis having fun together and Quartanas, Winsteads with us after a great dinner and Mexican train.

I Forgot to be Prepared

Yesterday I saw the Oncologist for my regular 2 month visit. All the blood work is good and except for some tingling and pain in my right shower blade there aren't any changes.

I had rushed out of the house not properly prepared with 2 hours worth of reading or listen devices and of course this was the day that I waited for 2 1/4 hours to see the doctor. I finally started walking around the cubicle and doing some Yoga stretches while I checked my watch every 5 minutes. I started to worry that I would have to miss my Buns & Abs class at 4 p.m. Nothing or no one comes between me and my Buns & Abs class.

I just made it home, able to change clothes and got to class in time. Because my appointment was at 11:30 and I didn't leave his office till 2:45 I missed lunch and that's not a good thing. I need to eat my meals on time so I don't gorge myself from being I'm so hungry.

My reward came from a very challenging Buns & Abs class. We were all huffing and puffing and I knew it was all worth it. Our instructor is fantastic. She always comes with new and challenging routines that keep us in shape.

One of my classmates brought fresh lemons to give away and one of my Fitness Buddies had some stamps for stamping greeting cards she had purchased and wanted to get rid of. There's a lot going on in class that isn't about exercising. We also exchange tips on just about everything and pass along news items and recipes. Tonight it's Bunco!

Holiday Celebrations

These are the photos from Don's camera from Mariamas and Christmas Day. It's a good thing there are two of us taking photos because I'm usually in the kitchen and miss a lot of the good shots.

The photo of me is the day I turned 65. I'm sure I'll look back on this day and think I looked pretty good for a 65 year old who's dealing with cancer. When I remember back to the day of my diagnosis my prognosis without treatment was that I only had 6 months to live. Now I've received an entire extra year I enjoyed every single day.

The photo of Sophie and Ben was taken Christmas morning. Diane and Gary hosted a brunch and I brought my Waffle batter. Sophie and especially Ben love eating my Belgian Waffles. In fact Ben and his family came over for dinner one day and when Ben found out we weren't having Belgian Waffles, he said, "No Waffles?" and headed for their family car. It took a lot of persuasion to get him back to the table to try some new foods. But Belgian Waffles are still his favorites at Grandma's house.