Halloween Is Just For the Dogs!

Sandy was not too thrilled with us tonight. After supper we're supposed to immediately go upstairs and change clothes to go for our nightly one mile walk. Do not go to the bathroom. Do not touch your computer. Do not look at the mail. Get upstairs and get dressed to walk.

We really enjoy seeing all the kids dressed up for Halloween, so we chose to stay at home tonight and give out goodies. Sandy was just beside himself---------until the first little boy, who must has been all of 3, came to the door in his caveman costume. Sandy was then hooked. This Halloween thing is great. Little people come to your door and talk to you!!! Walk? Who needs a walk when you've got visitors coming ever so often? I gave out the candy and David held Sandy by his collar so he could see everyone at the door. Sandy was so excited. When we closed the door, he would jump up on us and lick us and run and play and jump some more. This was great.

And the kids liked seeing Sandy inside, too! So he got plenty of attention. He thinks we should do this more often.

My New Friend, Abbie

Sometimes people come into your life that you just really like and bond with even though you aren't together all that much. Through another member of the breast cancer club, Janell at work shared an email with me from her son's mother-in-law. Abbie recently found out that she has breast cancer. Hers is the same kind that I had, fed by the Her2 gene. I emailed Abbie to tell her I would be thinking about her yesterday.

Tonight my cell phone rang and it was Abbie. We talked and talked. She is starting Herceptin Monday, November 3, and then the hard chemo stuff on Tuesday, the 4th. By the time we finished talking, I felt like I had known Abbie forever. I shared some of the side effects I faced and the remedies I found that could help her through the journey.

Please place Abbie and her husband, Gary, in your prayers. They are starting down the long, hard year that David & I did. They are Christians and know that God will supply. What a blessing!

Living Proof

Thank you, Dr. Dennis Sloman, for believing in Herceptin. We watched the Lifetime movie, "Living Proof" Saturday night. I cried through much of it. Just the memory of what I went through was still quick to bubble to the surface. There were several things that I noticed that have changed just since the clinical trials were going on in early 1990 for Herceptin to the time when I took it in 2007:

1. All of the women in the trial took the Herceptin through their arm with an IV. None of them had a mediport like I did, thus eliminating the poking to find a vein.

2. They were all yoked with the throwing up from the chemo treatments. Mercifully, I only had to live through one weekend of that misery. Thank God for Emend, the 3 pills that cost $350, that kept me from throwing up after my remainder of treatments.

3. They talked about not wanting to eat. Thank God for Marinol, my legal marijuana derivative that gave me an appetite so I could eat food again to gain my strength back.

Dr. Slamon is truly a living hero for me, as is his wife for loving him through the process, as were so many other people who played a part in the Herceptin. Without it, I would be looking at months to live, not months to get over the chemo. And the Herceptin doesn't make you sick! What a deal. A drug that kicks the Her-2 cancer out that doesn't make you sick. It was a great movie and really touched home.

My 2 Year Anniversary

We celebrated the 2 year anniversary of when I discovered my breast cancer by going to the Davey Crockett National Forest at Lukfin, Texas. The weekend away, letting Sandy run & play in the woods, was nice. We relaxed and did whatever looked fun.

But personally, we have better forests than that right here in Rowlett!!! The interesting thing was the damage done by Hurricane Ike that far inland. Huge trees were just snapped in two or blown over roots & all from the wind. The only camping area we found with restroom facilites was closed due to damage from the storm. There were branches everywhere that were brown from the wind damage.

Sandy really enjoyed the forest floor because it was full of little branches and pine needles and such. It felt good to roll in it. We just sat on the downed tree and enjoyed watching him play. It was so quiet, only the chirp of an occasional bird. And then there was Sandy!

Purge Flow Valves

I finally made it to a state inspection place today to get Big Red inspected since my sticker ran out in August. . . . They also changed my oil and with this combination, I got a free carwash both inside and out! It looked sharp. I paid and started walking out to the car. The lady comes out of the building yelling at me, "Ma'am, your car failed inspection." Well, great.

So I had to take it to a mechanic----the purge flow valve was busted. $210 later I am now driving around a fully inspected car. What a joke! Had to take the car back to the inspection place to get the real inspection, which we passed.

My Russian Lesson for the Day

Miss Ana called tonight to talk to Granny on the phone. She told me about her day, about taking some friends fishing, about what kind of fish is the best to eat, about her Mom having a good birthday except that they didn't have any balloons.

I asked her what they had for supper tonight. She said, "Oh, I don't know the word in English for what we had." So I said, "Well, what is the word for it in Russian?"

"Lasagna."

Happy Birthday, Mama!

"Maude Edwards started to school in 1939 at Dickens Public School. She graduated from grade school as valedictorian in 1946. She entered high school as a shy little girl but with much coaxing she was persuaded to take part in school activities.

She lettered in basketball each year in high school. Since she is interested in homemaking, she was very good in Home Economics and received two medals for sewing and cooking. Maude was president of the Home Economic Club for two years.

She proved her ability to act by portraying "M'liss" (the lead role) in the Junior play. Maude's friendship is held in high esteem by both boys and girls in the school. To prove this she was crowned queen by the football squad in 1948. Then in 1949 she brought glory and recognition to the Senior Class by being crowned queen of the annual school carnival. She graduated from high school with the honor of being the valedictorian of her class."

Taken from THE OWLET 1950 school annual. Love you, Mama!!!

Happy Birthday, Elena!

Happy 33rd birthday, Elena! Even if you didn't have any balloons, with the cake and the roses and the Red Lobster meal earlier what a way to celebrate. What a difference 8 years makes! We'll never forget the day Tony brought you to our house to meet us. You were shaking like a leaf in the wind. The only English word you knew was "hello." But the love you felt for our son was spoken very clearly. And now you speak English just as clearly. We love you and thank you for taking good care of Tony and Nikita and Anastasiya!