Family Adventures

The beginning....

and the end!

We are having such a wonderful time with our camper. We haven't been able to get away since Memorial Day weekend, but the kids love just climbing around in good ol' Roger. Yup. We named the VW camper Roger. Somehow the name just fits him. The best feature about Roger is that we have told the kids that there is no crying in Roger. He just doesn't like it. That is a wonderful thing!

My health is steadily improving. I saw Dr. Gorson last week, and he is very pleased with my progress. I have one more monthly chemo, and then I will have 6 treatments every other month. Plus we are combining the IVIg so I get the dose I used to get over 2 days all in one pop. I am sitting here in the hospital this very moment as a matter of fact. I am not sure why I never thought of bringing the laptop to the hospital before. Except for the fact that I am doing my darnedest to keep my eyes open after taking the benedryl and zofran (anti-nausea drug) and am not even all that sure what I am writing about. I better stop writing before I say something I won't remember writing about when I come out of this drug induced loopy state.

Thank you all again for taking the time to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. All the positive energy everyone has been sending my way is more healing than all the drugs in the world.

Chemo Again

Off the Kancamagus Highway, Memorial Day Weekend.

Spiderman/Batman opens his gifts.

Katherine's last day at Acorn School :(

Jason at the Grand Canyon this past week.

Well, time has been flying. I don't know where it goes. This week seems to have been absorbed by the high temperatures and steamy air. My 35th birthday flew by in a blink. Jason had to leave for a week the day before my birthday, but he gave me a very special, thoughtful gift the night before he left. Everyone was concerned that I have a good day, and I did. Jules came up the day after my birthday and we had a spectacular meal right on the water up in Kittery. Honestly, we shared the most delicious sandwich I have ever eaten in my life. Decadent.

Wednesday was my actual birthday, and I was kind of down about it. As I said, Jason was away and I had to go into the hospital for IVIg. My wonderful parents and children threw me a lovely surprise birthday party when I got home. Normally, I call when I am leaving the hospital, but my cell phone somehow didn't get plugged in the night before and so it died and I didn't call. I walked in the house to little Thomas standing in the middle of the kitchen, "AHHHHH, ummm, MAMA! ummmm, ummmm, SURPRISE!!!" and saw Katherine run and grab something off the counter and take off for upstairs. Ha. So I knew they were up to something. My folks insisted that I go upstairs to lay down for a bit, and when I came back down, the dining room was all covered in streamers with fragrant flowers cut from my yard as the centerpiece. There was a big pile of presents, a huge pot of sauce and meatballs and ravioli. The kids each chose a gift for me- a pair of slippers from Thomas and a "chapter book" from Kate. The phone rang all through dinner with people wishing me happy birthday, and my inbox was full!

Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday so special. It is an honor to be included in everyone's thoughts and prayers so often, and I am touched by how kind and loving those who are close to me are. It amazes me how good, kind and generous even people I barely know have been to me and to my family. This journey I have been on for the past 14 years has been extremely trying, but it has been enlightening as well. We have certainly been touched by God's Grace.

On that note, if I could ask you all once again to please wrap me in a blue blanket of love on Friday. (Please see blog entry: Chemo Tomorrow from March 20, 2008 for the template on the guided imagery). I have this chemo and one more monthly treatment. After that I will be moving to every other month, every third month, every fourth month, fifth and sixth until I no longer need the IVIg at all. At least that is the current plan of action. I won't say that chemotherapy is fun, but it is certainly far better than how I was feeling before we started. I am tired, exhausted sometimes, but then much more energetic and full of life than I was before we started at other times. Unfortunately, I am usually completely wiped out at inopportune moments, like yesterday in the middle of Thomas' 3rd birthday party. Once again, I had my eternally giving and amazing parents, in-laws and husband to help with the party, and my little goggle man was just happy to get more masks and balls and to eat cake. And Katherine was happy as could be playing in the little pool and on the slip and slide. Seeing their shining faces is enough to inspire the sickest person to get well- and stay that way!