Hi all. Saturday now and the count down begins. Monday requires a quick trip to the hospital for blood typing in case I need refueling...lol.  Picking up caretaker sister on Tuesday at the airport...she is coming to caretake my husband who worries too much! I am blessed to have a wonderful sister dropping everything to come... and a husband who worries....I love you both.  I have some residual fear but nothing I cannot overcome as I have all the support I could ask for with family and friends pulling for my recovery.  I look forward to getting this out of the way and I am secure with the knowledge that the zillions prayers for success on my behalf will be heard by the Good Lord who is in total control and has a plan for me. In any event, we will  move forward and do what must be done no matter the outcome. I feel great, but have a little cold... drat....so pumping in the vitamin C and taking some dayquils to relieve symptoms. Lungs clear though...most important. All the little escape trips are over now...back to house maintenance, yard pruning (yikes in 110 degrees) and computer play. All things in order for surgery so perhaps will rent a movie and simply relax. Wish me luck and send a tiny prayer Wednesday  morning just in case I need the boost. Your comments are oh so appreciated...again, I could not do this without so many people supporting my endeavors. Cancer be gone.... a little humor below. Be well, be happy and remember to seek only Positive Pursuits. xoxo

P Words

Over the past year, dealing with unexpected unemployment for both my husband and I, and then the cancer diagnosis, I have learned that with a multitude of "P" words, survival is possible: Perseverance, positive-ness, patience, prayer...a few words that help along the way. This past week, we ignored the word "poor" and incorporated the word "play" as it is an important part of the life plan. The trip to our daughter's home in Southern California was a welcome respite. Along with her husband, our granddaughter and grandson, we ate, we laughed, we cruised on their new boat along the Newport Beach Harbor, we played, watched movies, celebrated Marisa's 6th birthday and K1 graduation. What fun we had... even the drive was good. Home now to regroup then off tomorrow for three days in the AZ mountains for a quiet retreat before getting ready for surgery. I am so lucky to have a wonderful family supporting me along this path, and a husband who is learning to do all those things I do...my father who lends his love and a sister willing to come sit for hours in the hospital and help me get on track when I come home. Our youngest daughter will arrive about then to care take for the first week...and boy do I have a lot of friends and family praying hard for my recovery. I am blessed and I know it. Thank you all for staying close and for not forgetting me. I am grateful beyond expression. I want to get on with this, so the waiting now is tough..so close and so much at stake.  I have no fear of surgery despite the risks involved, but hope we are successful in beating this thing. If we do, I will be part of a small exclusive percentage. This event will change my life no matter the outcome. On a more humorous note: I love to eat and all who know me, know that I love to cook ....my pre-warning from the medical sector is that after surgery, I must refrain from raw fruit or raw vegetables (cooked only), nuts of any kind and go light on the meat for six weeks. Ugh....I can do without meat, I love steamed vegets but am already missing fresh fruit. I suspect week seven would be a heavenly eating frenzy..... except I will be on chemo again, no matter the outcome, so eating will be crummy again. Sigh! Okay, the whole point of this blog is to be positive, sooooooooooo I am looking forward to dropping another twenty pounds as a reward! lol Thank you again for all your support, care and good wishes. I could not continue to do this each day were it not for all of you. xoxoxo I will update upon my return after the surgery on the 30th.... hope to be home on or around the 4th of July (a good day). STAY WELL, BE HAPPY, AND SEEK ONLY POSITIVE PURSUITS.

This is it!

Finally, the surgeons will be done with their vacations, rested I hope! Surgery for me is scheduled for 7:30AM on June 30th a Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix. It will be just over 9 weeks since my last chemotherapy by then and despite assurances from the oncologist that my cancer will not have spread, I will meet with her next week to discuss just that. I lost blind faith a long time ago: my faith in God is strong but my faith in people needs more information to back up vague statement like "it will be fine that you have been without chemo for 9 weeks". I need to know why....Is cancer so slow in growing that not much will have changed? Do I need a new PET scan to be sure? I want this chance for a cure even at 50 %, but no sense in cutting me open if there is a chance the cancer has spread.  Am I paranoid? Perhaps, but I feel I have that right. So, unless something changes....think positive thoughts on your way to work that day. I need your prayers, all of them to take with me to the table. I must express my thanks to those of you who comment here as your support is uplifting. I also could not face this disease with so much optimism were it not for the loving support of my daughters and their families, my father and sister and of course, the man I love who worries too much but supports me everyday. I love you all and am eternally grateful to family and friends who keep me close to their heart via prayer or well wishes. Each of you have impacted my life, each of you have enhanced that which makes me unique, each of you will always hold a tender spot in my heart no matter what happens. Be well, Be happy and always seek only Positive Pursuits. God Bless