Friday, February 27, 2015

It's Weekend Update



Welcome to photo Friday!  And now for the latest news on the cancer front, my latest round of test results are starting to come in (I’ve had several tests in the past few days).  The first and only result to come in is hCG.  It indicates the presence of cancer even before signs and symptoms develop.  It’s found to be elevated in all types of cancers.  The test is to monitor progress.  The higher the hCG number, the greater degree of excess cell production and therefore, the greater concern for cancer activity and severity.

My I.U. number is 52.6 and I have to say I’m very disappointed as hard as I have been working. This single number doesn’t show a degree of activity.  What Dr. Kanodia is looking for is the direction of numbers in successive tests.  If my number rises as much as 1 point Dr. Kanodia will use additional testing and tweaking of my program.  I just keep reminding myself that the key factor is DIRECTION because this is how the hCG chart breaks down:

0=Negative
1 – 49 Doubtful
50 – 400 Faintly Positive
401 – 999 Definitely Positive
And it continues to get worse from there

But the 52.6 will be used as my baseline for future testing.  Not much I can do but focus on the here and now, take care of myself, relax, have fun, eat well, and exercise.  Tomorrow night is the Columbus All Breed Training Club’s annual dinner and this year it’s at the local Racino.  The Former Boyfriend and I are really looking forward to it as we have never been to the Racino before.

And this article from USA Today doesn’t have much to do with anything other than my heart would not have withstood Tillie being out in the cold for 62 days. Her six days were plenty.

CINCINNATI — Nearly two months after he first went missing, Karson, a Wilmington Police Department K-9, has been found safe.  At 1:24 p.m. Sunday, a Facebook page set up to track sightings of Karson announced that he was found safe.  "Karson has been found," the post read. "I have him in the truck next to me. He's alive and healthy. It's all over finally ...."
Saturday's rescue took place near Interstate 71 in Wilmington, just north of State Route 68 and in a field next to Starbuck Road.  Karson, a Belgian Malinois, was first reported missing on Dec. 23, when he escaped a boarding kennel at the Clinton Animal Care Center in Wilmington. Karson was staying at the facility when his handler, Officer Jerry Popp, was on vacation.
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The dog immediately picked up a large social media following after his disappearance — the 'K9 Karson' Facebook page had more than 24,000 likes on Sunday and daily posts from his handler received thousands of interactions.  Popp, Karson's handler and the operator of the Facebook page, posted a dramatic account of the rescue Sunday evening.  It started with a phone call from police dispatchers Saturday morning.
"A dedicated Clinton [County Sheriff's Office] deputy... told me, 'Jerry, this is your dog. It's Karson,'" the post said.  Several other people joined Popp and a sergeant from the Wilmington Police Department while they set up a perimeter around the field where Karson was spotted, according to Popp.  Karson did not respond to commands from Popp, so the group planned to approach him. They eventually had no choice but to chase him through a field.
After Karson grew tired from the chase, he turned, saw Popp and jumped into a truck at the scene.  "I then proceeded to kneel in the snow and cry," Popp said in the post.
Before he was found, Karson was spotted across Clinton and Greene counties. Karson also managed to survive a week that included record-breaking low temperatures in Southern Ohio.  A $2,000 reward was being offered for the return of Karson.  "Karson is home now," Popp said on the page. "He's sleeping now and being very quiet."

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Good thing we like lemon



Photo Friday turned into Saturday due to my working a shift at the hospital…But as the saying goes when life gives you lemons (or in my case cancer) make lemonade!
Lemon peel contains d-limonene which shows promise fighting several cancers including breast cancer.  The Former Boyfriend and I use our Breville juicer and always have fresh lemon juice on hand using the peel.  So it was good to see that a cancer center in Arizona has been doing research showing that d-limonene can reduce breast cancer tumor markers.
We’re researching daily looking for ways to keep this cancer in remission, your thoughts and prayers mean so much, and research has clinically proven they help too.  Thank you all.
 Image result for lemon


When you have cancer, waking up in the morning is your greatest accomplishment you’ve already won the prize.  Anything you do after that is icing on the cake”.  Seporah Raizer

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Spring is just around the corner, right?



Good morning from our blustery home.  Holy $#%& is it cold out there!  We have Floridians Paul and Deb visiting for the first meeting with their new Granddaughter Lauren.  If we had any hope of getting them to move back to Ohio it’s completely gone with this visit.  It was 72 and sunny when they left Florida, right now it is 0 here with a Canadian wind of about 20mph.

Our dogs Tillie & Rose are camped out by the fireplace and days like this make me want to curl up with a good book and nap as well.  This week marks the one year anniversary of Tillie’s 6 days on the lamb.  I’ve always felt her return has had a lot to do with my cancer recovery and now I have research to prove this.  Therapy dogs improve the well being of cancer patients:  here’s the link.


My meeting with Dr. Kanodia on Tuesday went well.  I have more testing to do.  Currently everything in my testing looks good. He is happy with my progress but just to make sure he isn’t missing anything we’ll do some extra tests.  He’s the only doctor that I have that looks at everything…I am so fortunate to have him as a physician and a friend.

My brother Paul will be getting new glasses in the next couple of weeks.  After that he will be allowed to drive again.  Gaining back that freedom will be a huge step on his road to recovery as will his trips to cardiac rehab.

So to all of our friends and family who are also dealing with this wild weather…the Former Boyfriend and I hope you are warm and have a cup of hot chocolate nearby until all of this nastiness is behind us.
The girls by the fire

A visit to the office by some Blue Jackets (including stud center Ryan Johansen)

Friday, February 6, 2015

Greetings from a Friday in February



I’ve been surprised at how many people tell me they read the blog. Family and friends keeping up with what's going on. People who discovered it after being thrust into their own journey down an unmapped road.  It’s been cathartic for me to get my thoughts down but the fact that my ramblings help others is truly amazing to me.  This whole thing started out so I didn’t need to keep repeating a very difficult story over and over.  The Former Boyfriend and I aren’t sure where the blog is going, but staying connected to my friends and family is a very good thing.

I have an appointment Tuesday the 10th with Dr. Kanodia, my Integrative Specialist.  My appointments with him are always uplifting and so I’m looking forward to it as much as you can look forward to a doctor visit.  I appreciate having a doctor that pushes me; he’s half medical doctor and half triathlon coach…just what I need to stay healthy.

And since its Photo Friday I want to share a photo of the newest member of our clan….Meet Lauren Elise 8.7 lb and 19 inches, born Saturday, January 30th.  Elizabeth, Jacob and big sister Caroline are all doing well.
sleep, eat and fill a diaper. what a job description