Yes, I've dumped the date book, but I do have at least one special event on my calendar for September. Piper Robert and his Bonnie lass will be getting married at our home in a small ceremony on September 20.
They're doing all of the planning remotely from West Virginia with the help of a Pasadena friend. I'm told that all I have to do is show up.
I think I can manage that.
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March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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What does a writer do when she finds out she has stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma? She blogs. Because, as everyone knows, cancer sucks, but blogging rocks.
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
On January 26, 2007, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma (blastic variety), a rare, aggressive and treatment-resistant form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My team at the City of Hope decided to bring out the big guns - six rounds of Hyper CVAD followed by an autologous stem cell transplant. I bounced back after each round of chemo, but my blood counts didn't.
After four rounds we called chemo quits and started collecting stem cells for the auto stem cell transplant. The harvesting took three tries, two drugs and eight weeks, but I finally eked out the minimum two million stem cells.
After megadoses of chemo, I received my stem cells on November 14 and 15, 2007. I bounced back almost immediately. Best of all, I achieved complete remission from the Mantle Cell Lymphoma.
In January 2008, I was hospitalized for 11 days for chemo-induced pneumonia. I bounced back.
In the summer of 2008, my eosinophils (a component of the white blood cells) rose to dangerous levels and infiltrated my lungs and GI tract. My weight dropped to 105 pounds, and I was incapacitated for nearly three months. Once again, I bounced back.
I continue to make monthly visits to the City of Hope for blood tests and check ups, quarterly visits for maintenance Rituxan and semi-annual visits for scans.
I'm still in remission and have more energy than ever. And about that perfect purse? I keep looking.
Here are a few other things keeping me busy:
My food blog, Open Mouth, Insert Fork
My consulting business, A New Leaf Communications
The Orange Cat, a site for family fun in the San Gabriel Valley
A3M - Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches
YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
IWOSC - Independent Writers of Southern California
March 2008 - Sometimes I feel like a wig.
Sometimes I don't.
January 2009
Up a tree and feeling on top of the world
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Cancer Banter
I can't die. I still have to find the perfect purse.
3 comments:
Hey, Sis, thanks for the ad, because the blog family is invited. I would love to meet all the regular commentors.
Everyone is probably wondering how do you plan a wedding in WV to be held in Altadena?
Cell phone? We're no longer on a party line, so the convenience factor is awesome. Nobody listening/eavesdropping. We have heard about cell phones, but are somewhat skeptical of new technology.
Although, we did buy a VHS player and love it.
Internet? WV has the best dial up system in the nation. I'm told my Atari keyboard is slightly dated.
Wedding plans? Not all weddings in WV are of the shotgun variety.
Reception buffet? Yes, with NO roadkill. We want fare that everyone will enjoy.
Music? A classical trio of banjo, fiddle and guitar was our first choice, but are having problems locating a reputable group in the Altadena area. We'll go with plan B. Celtic harp, violin, and cello.
Sis, you and George are the absolute greatest. A huge thank you for hosting such an important event for Bonnie and I. All that you're going through and still insisting we have our wedding there...wow...you are one fantastic lady.
Thanks for getting us in touch with wedding planner Susan. She is exactly what the doctor ordered. Very pleased she's on-board.
Love ya!!!
Are there going to be a lot of guests? Will they be parking in front of my house? Just tryin' to anticipate the neighborhood effects, doncha know ....
Don't worry. Piper Robert is thinking blogally, but I'm trying to help keep it down to a very modest guest list.
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