Drum Roll........, The Envelope Please!

I received the excellent news from Dr. Letson and Dave Johnson the P.A.

Based on reading all of my test results they believe it is bone growth and not more cancer!

I am scheduled to resume my chemotherapy next Tuesday and go forward with the original scheduled treatment plan.

While they had me on the phone they discussed the plan to have me be a Sarcoma spokesperson at the fund raising benefit being held in Orlando at the end of May. I am even more motivated to do this after the past 36 hours of next step uncertainty.

I want to take this blog to thank all of you who have been following my blog and path down the Yellow Brick Road. All of the love and support you have given to me has kept my spirits high and my determination strong to make it through this big adventure.

I believe I am very close to making it back to my life before cancer!

Just Waiting.....

It is after 3:30pm and so far no news from the Moffitt team.

I had such an unexpected experience yesterday when I was going into the room for my MRI.
I crossed face to face with a friend/former Pilates client as she was leaving from her test. It had been quite a while since we last had encountered each other and my mind was focused on getting the MRI done since Paul and I had waited all day, and it was now after 6pm.
I did not recognize her at first, but she called me by name and said her name to me. I was stunned and when I asked what she was there for she informed me it was brain cancer!

I had noticed her earlier in the waiting area and every time she got up, a woman who turned out to be her daughter, was holding her hand to help guide her. I had thought she was having problems with her sight. When we met outside the MRI a nurse was assisting her and based on her recognition of me, I realized that it was her motor skills that were obviously impaired from the brain cancer.

I was so saddened and shocked that I had no worries about my own situation, just grievous concern for her and a deep desire to do something to help her! I spent the next 45 minutes of my time in the MRI scanner thinking only of her and wanting to find a way to emotionally support her. I hope that I can connect with her as we did not have a way in that moment to exchange any contact information.

Today as a result of this chance meeting I feel resolved to play out the next chapter and feel fortunate that the doctors at Moffitt are doing such an outstanding job monitoring my personal journey with cancer and feel strangely confident that I can go the distance!

I will blog again when I have news about my next step : )

A Change of Plans

Today I was scheduled to do my 3rd chemo round but instead I am waiting for a 4pm MRI.

Paul and I came here at 8am for my blood work, X-rays and CT scans followed by appointments with the P.A. Dave Johnson who was involved with my surgery to be followed by one with Dr. Conley my chemotherapist.

The news from Dave Johnson was that there is 'something' above my femur replacement which could be normal bone growth or more cancer. A MRI is the next step to get a clearer picture so the decision can be made by my surgeon, Dr. Letson, as to whether to do a biopsy or hopefully, it is nothing and we will resume chemo schedule next Tuesday.

So as I am waiting for this MRI I find it funny that I would be happier if I was doing my dance with the crystal tower instead of waiting for this new uncertainty. Life can be a twisted road at times without a clear picture of the travel time and exact arrival point.

Of course I will be blogging as soon as I have more news.....

Glimpses of Normal

This week has been the best one yet since my whole adventure began on January 5th when my surgery was done.

I have worked at my Pilates studio and it feels really great to get a glimpse of my normal life/routine returning. I am now confident that I will be able to work again during the two remaining chemotherapy cycles.

I have learned my energy rhythm now and know that if I wait one week after I finish the treatment I am basically good to go! A bit of down time now is more about resting my leg rather than my whole body.

Since last Saturday my energy has been surging.  Now I am experiencing the sensation of being my 'old' self before all my cancer symptoms started having their way with me last fall.

Now I wake up feeling that life is what is coming, not what was, and what is coming feels good and unlimited in potential.


"After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn. And after every storm comes clear open skies."    -Samuel Rutherford- (1600-1661)

I am looking with great joy into the clear open skies and am excited for the journey. Oh by the way... I am roaring louder than I ever knew I was able to and it feels grrreat!!!!!!

The Week That Was

Chemo Brain
I am happy to say that this week has been completed and is finishing well. It has been a week of the "chemo chick" experiencing "chemo brain" and all I can say is ....Big Wow!

If you remember the big rain storm on Tuesday morning you have the back drop for my stupid story on myself. I had been struggling since last Sunday to keep my mind and psyche afloat due to a weird chemical shift that made me stupid and basically depressed beyond my control.

So on Tuesday morning in this unpleasantly altered state I struggled out the door to my physical therapy appointment in advance of the storm. I basically lost my keys and phone while trying to get packed up in the car. My frustration won, so I opted to get the extra set of keys and forget about the phone. A few blocks away from home I braked and my "lost" keys flew off of the roof and landed on the hood of the car. Oops...jumped out retrieved them and continued on.  Wait, gets worse.

After my appointment I came home in the down-pour thinking about my phone and having the suspicious feeling it had been with the keys. Miraculously, I saw it in the middle of the street getting washed by the rain. The happy ending is that after being dried out, it is working again : ).
Thursday morning ushered in the return of a more pleasant me with my more normal brain and sense of self....the self that I know. I will spare the details of a multitude of small incidents and blues hat occurred over those four miserable days!

Riding 90 Days After Surgery
The big news is I can begin to ride a bike again as I have enough range of motion in the knee to clumsily push the pedal around. Paul took me shopping and I have a new ride. It is a step through frame (girl's bicycle) so I no longer have to do a leg swing over for "entrances and exits" on my rides like I needed to do on my now former bike. I am only riding in about 15 minutes at a time right now until my replaced knee joint can handle more. It is so great to see the potential for one more thing returning back into my life that represents normalcy. I am a regular Easy Rider in my fantasy world :)

Hearts in the Driveway Keeps Cancer Away

A wonderful Paul story....I returned home last Saturday afternoon to artwork in our driveway. His pressure cleaning turned into hearts he had painstakingly traced into the pavement for me!

This is the best simple "I Love You" expression a girl can get. Of course it must remain this way so I can be reminded how very lucky I am every time I come and go from home. Home Is Where The Heart Is!!!!!!!

Today was a "when you get lemons make ..." kind of day. We have so many on our tree so I made Limoncello, lemon sorbet and lemonade. Life is truly good and all I can say is what a difference a week can make : )