The inspiration for our house's paint palette
Before
After: A house of a different color.
I miss the ivy, but, like my hair, it'll grow back.
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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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Links
- About Stem Cell Transplants
- Asians for Miracle Marrow Match (A3M)
- City of Hope
- City of Hope: Donating Blood or Platelets
- Daily Survival Guide for Serious Illness (Gilda's Club and the Tom McDermitt Fund)
- Histopathology of MCL
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Lymphoma Information Network
- Lymphoma Research Foundation
- Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium
- National Cancer Institute
- Your Brain After Chemo
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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2009
(102)
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March
(12)
- Belly Up to the Potluck Bar
- A Shoe-In at the City of Hope
- This is going to be SO easy next year
- Tea for Ten for A3m
- Open Mouth, Insert Flan
- Painter Banter (By popular demand)
- While I Was Sleeping
- Susan Campoy, Julienne owner, dies at City of Hope
- We interrupt this banter for . . .
- Mixing Medicine and the Media
- Call 911. Can this dish be saved?
- Back from a Break
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▼
March
(12)
Cancer Banter
I can't die. I still have to find the perfect purse.
12 comments:
It looks beautiful. I always wanted a home like that, English tudor style but I have purchased three homes and none of them were. Did you see the woman on Sixty Minutes this week about wanting the White House to have a working vegetable garden? I simply LOVED her. She has a restaurant in California and all food is fresh, in season. I would love to eat there. I am hoping to get a small vegetable garden in this year.
I love it! The house looks fabulous.
The house looks great, Hope you are doing well.
Today is the day for my Bone Marrow Transplant. So wish me luck.
Looks nice. Very classy.
Very fresh and pretty. I actually have been thinking about you whenever I see a Tudor driving around town.
Nelle, I didn't see the Sixty Minutes segment, but I know all about Alice Waters and her push to get the White House to grow their own. She succeeded! The White House will be breaking ground on their own veggie garden.
Thanks, Ann and Margaret.
OMC, Happy birthday! (Did you know you get a new birthday on transplant day? Another excuse for cake.) You are in my thoughts.
Linda, Thanks. I think of you every time I see bacon. : )
Oh, I like the way you lightened it up! Elegant.
Oh man Susan!
I hate being the sole contrarian here, but I can't believe you painted everything white, and cut down all the ivy. :( That was the best part! And with all the landscaping cut back as well, the house looks naked
The house was beautiful just the way it was. I wouldn't have changed a thing. The landscaping and the ivy is what gave the house character. It reminded me of back home in PIttsburgh.
Oh well, such is life! :(
Thanks, AH. I was going for "elegant."
Marc, I'm more than happy to hear the "contrarian" viewpoint. (AH and I were just recently discussing the positive hyperbole that goes into most blog comments.)
When we first painted the house, we were going for something "historically and architecturally correct." We wouldn't have dreamed of painting over the stained half timbers. (That pink chimney is a result of not cutting the ivy at time of house painting and then cutting it later. The photo was taken pre-paint touch up.)
This time, I felt it was time to throw out the rules and go for the fresh, elegant look. I feel like the house has gone (in fashion terms) from a "goth" to a "gamine."
I'm familiar with some of those beautiful, old Pittsburgh neighborhoods. They really are full of charm and character. (Grew up across the border in West Virgina.)
I totally agree that the house looks "naked" now. As a matter of fact, I went back and forth for weeks about the merits of cutting back or retaining the ivy. I obviously went for the shave. I guarantee that we'll once again be in the "ivy league" in a year or so.
Thanks for your honesty, Marc!
If you had only asked me first, I might have convinced you otherwise.
Next time you'll know! :)
which brings up another interesting point: Some palettes may suit certain geographic areas bettter than others. Some of the old East coast cities, areas of England, etc, can stand up to the heavy, solid colors and look. A look that wouldn't suit Oslo at all where they have pale and vivid blues, reds, oranges. And out west, a fresher look is more in context.
Whoa, Nellie!
I waver. I'm going to have to make a drive-by judgment.
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