Happy rainy days,

The first pic shows some of my family together before we embarked on a yacht in New Port Beach this past summer for my niece's wedding, and the second is with my dear friend Linda at her home this past weekend. Ok, so I have to let you know that the prayers for me really helped this last week with my treatment. I did much better and I didn't end up in the hospital!! One week ago today I had the drip and today I walked 3.5 miles in the morning, between the rain, and another 3.5 miles this evening. So thank you so much for the prayers because I know God hears them. I also used lots of ginger honey in my green tea, I had the healing touch again to get me ready for the treatment, and again a few days after the treatment to help get the toxins out of my system. I also went in for an extra fluid drip on the middle day. Which means each treatment I carry some of the chemo in a hip pack for 72 hours continuous drip. On the middle day I go back to the office and they hooked me up to a bag of fluid and more anti nausea meds to help. All helped to get me through the treatment without getting so nauseated and dehydrated, and I didn't even have the bad cramps that I had been having in my gut area. My next drip will be Feb 8th so I'm looking forward to feeling good for the next two weeks. I will have two more drips and then March 9th I will have a CT. That will help determine how many drips I'll have of this regimen. Twelve is the standard treatment but it can change if I get too sick, show progression or the cancer goes in remission. It's really up to God though because I know my life is in His hands. In the mean time, I get to watch Brigitte play lacrosse this Saturday at Berkeley rain or shine. I admit, it's no fun getting sick every few weeks for a week, however, on the days I do feel good, I am so appreciative of that day. Even with all this rain, I love being able to get up and go outside to see the day. That's when I know I am blessed. Each day I have is truly a gift from God. Thank you all for helping me to live my life to the fullest, love abundantly, and enjoy each moment with all my friends and family. Psalms 136 starts off by saying , "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good". Each verse tells us to give Him thanks for great wonders, the heavens, the sun, the light etc... and ends with Give thanks to the God of heaven. If you get a chance it's worth the read, and remember to give thanks for all you have.

Hi Blogger buddies and happy January! The pics are showing what Kyle, Brig and Kiwi enjoy doing in their spare time. Doesn't look look like college life to me!!! It just started to rain and it's expected to last for the entire week, so I guess it's a good week to start my next chemo. Yes, I am doing chemo on Tuesday again. However, I will have a 20% reduction of the drugs and hopefully I'll do fine. This past week I went to a new doctor who practices homeopathic medicine as well as being an MD. She was great and I feel much better prepared for Tuesday. I'm now taking a probiotic powder to help with balancing my colon. She said the colon is like the ecosystem of the body and mine is out of balance from all the chemicals. The bad bacterial is more abundant than the good bacteria so this will help balance it out. I had been eating yogurt but it wasn't enough. I've only had three days of the powder and I already feel better. I'm also taking some support pills that she recommended to help with keeping my organs strong, and finally she gave me some strawberry tea and ginger honey tonic to help with the nausea that I have been experiencing. Homeopathic doctors look at the entire body, not just one part. So I feel very confident with her and will continue to see her as well as my current oncologist. Thursday I went for a wonderful relaxing body massage and Saturday I had "Healing Touch" done on me. It's similar to Reiki only American. It's used to help you help yourself through mind visualization, energy transfer and relation of the mind. This wonderful lady named Susanne helped me to visualize a positive, peaceful feeling and rid my mind of the memory of nausea that I have had the past few weeks. It really helped and I feel strong and ready to begin a new. It's strange how just the thought of the chemo drip made me start gagging weeks after the last drip. I was worried I'd be getting sick just walking into the office, but now I feel much better, more prepared and better equipped to handle the drugs. I'm also back to walking my 3.5 miles a day without any cramping what so ever. Looking back I feel it was a good experience (not one I want to repeat though) with a lot of learning in it. I now understand how it feels when someone just doesn't want to eat or drink. There was nothing I could think of that would entice me to take a bite of any food. That was such a strange experience for me because I LOVE food and all sorts of different ones. So even thought it was hard on me and on my family, I did learn from it and know I have gained empathy for those who have or are experiencing the same feeling. Through all this God has was present at every moment. I never felt alone and at times I felt His healing hands on my cramping belling in the hospital. I was also blessed to have all my family around me, and the pain meds and anti cramping drugs didn't hurt either. Thank you to everyone who has continued to pray for me, support me and send me gifts and cards. Your love and kindness really helps to lift me up and keep me strong and positive. This week when praying, please pray for all the people who are suffering in Haiti. God is really busy there and needed by so many. God bless you all my dear friends and family. Psalm 61:7-8 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family. Our Christmas was wonderful with 19 friends and family joining us for a great dinner, laughter and playing games. Santa even visited us this season! The pics are of Santa and Kyle, the boys with new shirts created by my very artistic nephew Tyler (he made the shirts from bleach), Casey and I getting ready for the Christmas eve dinner, and the kids ready to go open presents on Christmas morning. We are truly a blessed family. Kyle's quote is "we are like a Bill Gates family in that we have more love than he has money ". Kyle comes up with the cutest quotes. The Monday after Christmas I had #3 chemo. It was hard on me and I ended up in the hospital on new years eve and came home on the 2nd. I had terrible cramps and was dehydrated. I've been on a liquid diet for the past week and am trying to get control of the cramping. I'm supposed to have #4 in a week but I may hold off. I had a CT in the emergency without contrast so it didn't really show much but also nothing new and that was a blessing. We were worried about a blockage because of the severe cramping. It was the chemo I'm sure that caused the problems. So at this point I'm not sure what to do. I have to go in for blood work tomorrow because my whites and platelets have dropped significantly. I may not be able to have the next treatment anyway. So please pray for a clear direction in my treatment and for a complete healing if it's Gods will. Psalm 25: 4 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. May God be your beacon of hope for a happy and healthy 2010.