Besides happy teachers, another exciting thing to end my school year, I was a winner of a health challenge that started at the beginning of the year.  A challenge to live a healthy lifestyle.  I accepted the challenge early, and even continued through my chemo.  Drink water, exercise, eat more veggies, fruit, walk, healthy stuff.......whatever it takes.  

I now am the proud owner of a $500 gift certificate to Wheel and Sprocket!!  I plan on buying a bike, something I've wanted to do for awhile now.   This is going to keep me on the path of healthy living and losing the rest of the weight I need to get in my healthy range and maintain muscle mass.  These are very important to preventing my cancer from returning.  I've read so much about the need to maintain a healthy weight, eat a low fat diet, and exercise to help prevent reoccurance and Breast Cancer itself.  Don't want that.........so if you see Lola and I around, wave Hi ;)
                               

Hubby and I went to Florida for a week to enjoy sunshine and our motorcycle.  It was nice to get away.  Having been trapped in a house for several months was hard.  Needed my Vitamin D as well.  Was suppose to have been a celebratory trip of being done with chemo.  Not so much, darn white cells.  Educational moment.......Link Vitamin D deficiency and Breast Cancer, can there be a link?  Maybe....I know I have been deficient for a very long time.   So get out there for a few minutes a day and soak up that sun.....a few minutes, and wear UV protection.  Don't want skin Cancer, sucks as bad if not worse.


So my next topic.  As I sit here enjoying my last day of vacation, some survivor remorse.  I belong to many boards online of people like me that have had or have breast cancer.  This past week two women lost their battle.  I did not know them, nor did I arrive on the board in time to establish a friendship, but my  Facebook feed lit up with condolences and heartfelt loss from long-standing members.  These women both fought bravely for some time.  I feel guilty for being glad it wasn't me.  I feel guilty that I am doing so well on my first leg.  I certainly wouldn't want anyone to feel guilty if it was me.  It's something I will have to work through with my Therapist and other survivors.  I will be contacting ABCD shortly as I also have anxiety about upcoming surgery.  So, how do you be happy you are alive and well(ish), sad for the lost "sister", and happy that the percentages weren't more in their favor than yours???

I also discovered a peeve of mine that has recently surfaced.   I don't get all the negativity I have been reading on my discussion boards.  This diagnosis sucks, really and truly sucks.  I have many fears like anyone else.  Maybe I'm on a high from my recent MRI, but even before that, even at the beginning I have done everything I can to remain positive and forward thinking with this diagnosis.  I admit there were days, and will be more, sitting on the couch tired of being sick.  But, I have read so many posts of "Why me?"  "Whoa is me".  "I'm not going to survive this", etc.  I guess these are for us to bitch where someone will undersand, or simply listen, but too much is simply, too much.  If you see me getting that way, and always down, or self pitying.....Slap me back to reality.  Please.  Makes me want to work with them and find out why or try and fix it....but I'm not a therapist.  It is disheartening to those of us that are trying to remain very positive and proactive to survive.

So enough bitching.  I feel good going into my final three chemos.  Things are working there and it elates me.  I am also looking forward to some time to let my body recuperate before putting it through another very hard leg of this battle.  A friend and co-worker put together a Poker Run/Benefit for me knowing riding is one of my greatest warm weather pleasures.  She planned it when I would be recuperating, she was close, darn white cells.   It is appreciated, but wasn't necessary to go to this extent.  Again, another simple gathering that got bigger like January.  So if you want to add to the fun, this is where I'll be ;)

Surgery lingers on my mind now that we are closer.  My surgeon appointment is on the 28th.  Then it really is real.  I read how they take everything out and wonder how I will be once seeing a flat chest full of scars.  Again, something that needs to be worked through.  I've gotten to be a pain baby as well so this should be interesting........

My eyelashes returned!!!   How could I forget to say that first!!  They are really short and kind of wild, but they're there!

The hair is returning in full fuzzy force as well.....say that 10 times straight........

Before I know it..........

June and Summer is finally coming to Wisconsin!  This short post is dedicated to my school family heading off to Summer break.

One of my favorite things at the beginning of June is the happy faces I see at school.  After a long school year, it's nice to see some of the stress come off the faces of the teachers and staff as they prepare for Summer.  While a few will retire, others will work or spend time planning the next school year, many will continuing their education, and some will simply enjoy their families and time off.  All of them are happy for another successful year and a little time to recharge before starting all over again.  

Summer is usually my down time as well to close out a year and then start up the next one.  A few days of shoes off, radio up, and alone time to get things done uninterrupted.  This year I plan on doing that around the house until it's not an option anymore.  So in a sense I'm doing my thing, just in a different setting.  :)

To all of you about to embark on this time, enjoy!!  Enjoy your families, enjoy the weather, enjoy vacation, enjoy continuing education, enjoy whatever it is you are doing.  Rest up, it won't be long before we are back.

Memorial Day Weekend....wow!  Busy, busy, busy.

May 20-Let's see we left off at having missed a chemo for counts again.  Weekend was great.  I was feeling good so we got things done around the house and finally went for a motorcycle ride.  Awesome.

May 26-Expecting friends from Florida, you all remember Kathy from February, she and her husband are houseguests for the long weekend.  So, Thursday off to Dr. Chitumbar and chemo.....or as we say in Wisconsin.....or no.  Low whites.  AGAIN!!!!

Even the Dr doesn't get it.  I should be lethargic and tired but I feel great.  What the heck!

Nice long weekend with friends, riding as much as we could.  Went to Immaculate heart for Rhythm Method band, a tradition and a never miss on Friday.

Saturday was special.  A surprise finally revealed and........

 

She said yes!  My oldest daughter got engaged to her man :)  It happened at a lunch before so her grandparents could be there, then several of us went to a baseball game.  We couldn't be happier for both, and welcome a new son in law.  :)

Saturday night a quick ride with friends a little rain, 

and it's a perfect day.

Sunday was riding again and a couple breakdowns and fun in between.  Monday we attended a nice Memorial day celebration at The Bunker, then the afternoon was friends and a BBQ at home.   Nice way to end the weekend.

Our Holy Hill breakdown

One of the Flamingo girls relaxing

And the rest fixing the bike

The Bunkers tribute 👍

May 31-Tuesday was dedicated to a breast MRI.  Requested so I can get some internal views instead of all external views.  This time done at Community Memorial in Menomonee Falls because they can get me in a week earlier.  I got to listen to music during this one 👍👍 Annnddd......we wait.

June 1-A great way to start the month.  After a visit with my Therapist, I visited the school to try to help out before the end of the school year, and said goodbye to some retiring teachers.  On the way home I check my voicemail and hear....no mass seen or lymph nodes!!  Chemo is working and I still have 5 to go!  Needlesstosay I cried on the way home.  I can't wait to actually see the difference between the earlier and this one.  I will post them when I get them.

June 2-Thursday, and here we are again waiting for blood results at chemo.  Squeaking by with a 1.0 on the Neutrophil Absolute Scale (the white count they care about)  and we have Chemo!! (said in my best boxing announcer voice).  Its been 3 weeks.

Praise the Lord.  Because of the consistently ultra low counts the Dr. has reduced my TaxoI makeup a bit and dropped the last doubler of Taxol/Carboplatin which would have been June 16.  I might actually get to the end of chemo.  4 more to go!

So here I am today feeling pretty good so far and watching the cleanup crew work on my sadly water damaged basement.  A spigot busted and leaked down the walls flooding the carpet. Thank goodness for home owners insurance....not so much for the deductible.

If all goes well chemo is done at the end of this month.  Hallelujah!

I wanted to say to anyone reading this, if you have questions please ask.  I'm sure if you are thinking it, so are many others.  You can leave the question on here or on Facebook, email or text me, or in person.  I want to answer all your questions.  I would rather you ask then guess, wonder, imagine, or be kept in the dark.  If it crosses your mind, ask.

I'm not embarrassed to answer any question, and if I dont know the answer I will get it.

I've been consistently asked about my hair loss.  Yes it's all gone.  Hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, legs, armpits, etc, etc, etc.  ;)  ALL of it.

 

Until next time........a good update 👍👏🍻👣👼🌞🎉