No Time to Waste!!!

Ok people, I just sent in the IRS paperwork for Suites of Hope and my friend Laurie Earls has already found a metastatic breast cancer patient in California who desperately wants to come to MD Anderson but can't because she can't afford a place to stay.  Laurie called me today to tell me about her and sweetly asked if there was anyway that she could be the first person to stay in the new condo once we get it.  Of course I will agree to whatever Laurie wants since she is the inspiration for all this.  Of course this woman's husband has a good job and she has insurance, but $2000 a month in just motel bills here in the medical center is too much for anyone to really handle.  Good thing is that the woman is in the middle of chemo in Cali and it will be a few months until she gets her next scan results. We have time until she will be ready to come to Houston, but I feel like I need to get moving on this...NO TIME TO WASTE.  


I had my monthly visit to MD Anderson for my phase 1 clinical trial.  This time they added cholesterol and triglycerides to my usual crazy bloodwork - amusing thing is that I have NEVER had my cholesterol checked.  Drum roll....I have GREAT cholesterol and triglyceride numbers.  ALL my blood work came out fabulous except for, yes again, ANC and WBC which were really low.  Maybe that was how I caught that nasty stomach bug this last weekend?  So of course I got another Neulasta shot.  They also want me to come in every 2 weeks now to follow my ANC and WBC better and maybe catch it before it gets too low again.  Otherwise, great visit and my CT scans will be scheduled for the  Monday before Thanksgiving.  


Sometimes I feel really guilty about all the success with my clinical trial.  I LOOK GOOD and FEEL GOOD.  Many people just can't believe I have cancer.  When I go to MD Anderson I see so many really sick people.  Yesterday there was a wheelchair derby going on in the diagnostic center.  They were everywhere - I think there were more people in wheelchairs than people walking on their own.  When I got up to the 10th floor I saw this emaciated young woman who looked near death waiting to see a doctor.  I asked her husband what type of cancer she has - stomach cancer.  She looked like death - I sat there and silently prayed for her.  I was just so sad and felt so humbled.  It made me think...does anybody really care what's going on in CancerLand?  I see so much going on about the whole Occupy Wall Street Movement.  I really don't mean to be political, but I really feel like I'm caught in the middle.  I don't agree with the Occupy Wall Street people and I don't agree with the "greedy wall street 1% people" either. I find myself somewhere in the middle.  I'm not a "have not but want a lot" and I'm not a "have a lot and take a lot."  I feel like I'm a "have a lot and don't really deserve it but work hard for it".  I'm really having a hard time with all this student loan whining and crying though.  I had student loans out of college and was expected to pay it back even though my first job out was a teaching job making $22,000.  I doubled up and paid it off in 5 years.  No one bailed me out.  No one bailed my dad out when he was out of work for 18 months back in the 80's.  No one is helping me or many others pay our medical out of pocket expenses annually for chronic diseases even when we have GOOD insurance (mine is over $3000 annually and I have AMAZING insurance).  By the way, every cent I pay towards my medical care is TRULY worth it for what I am getting in return.   Then again, why are we paying CEO's millions to leave a company when they do a horrible job?  Why are banks being bailed out just to turn around and make bad loans again?   When will we all just learn to live within our means and learn to find value and fulfillment in what really matters?


Here's a wonderful article I ripped off from my friend Bobby Cude's facebook status regarding the Occupy Wall Street Movement.  Thanks Bobby!  It has insightful scriptures.  When I'm faced with a financial dilemma I have sometimes thought to myself, "What would Solomon do?" 


http://www.irvingbible.org/blog/2011/10/26/on-occupy-wall-street/




Here's a thought, maybe we should be investing more in people!  At least that's what I've been trying to do with Suites of Hope.  I also have made the exciting decision to invest in a friend of mine.  My friend, Lindsey Apostolo, is a metastatic cervical cancer survivor who I met at a MD Anderson event.  I really liked Lindsey instantly.  She is fighting a tough battle with cancer, but is still working as a school teacher and out trying to have a good time with her friends.  Some of you may remember that I posted on facebook asking for names of interior decorators.  Lindsey got in touch with me and asked if I would take her on as my designer.  While she is a teacher, her real passion is in interior design and wants to try and start her own business.  Would I help her get started?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  So far we are having a blast and I love every idea she has.  Paint and wallpaper coming soon and faux alligator skin around the bar!  Yay!  I will keep you guys up to date on our progress.

What are some of you investing in these days?  Let me know!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot...

The song of the week:  

No Time to Waste   

By:  Beckwith, featuring Ineabell

Celebrate your Princess!

Well, obviously it's that time of year...Breast cancer awareness month.  I've been participating in various activities and parties, but one of my favorites is "Celebrate your Princess" walk out in Fulshear at Cross Creek Ranch.  Last year I was an honoree and it was so much fun.  This year my Aunt Mary who is a two time cancer survivor was honored.  Yay!  Unfortunately, I got hit with a really horrible stomach bug and couldn't make the event.  I wanted to include a pic from the event anyway since I'm so proud of my aunt.

Earlier in the week, me and Clint got to go to dinner with our friends Laurie Earls and Charlene Hamburger before they flew back to Sacramento.  Laurie finished up her radiation and was cleared to go back home for a nice break.  Before they left, we got to celebrate that I finally mailed off the paperwork to the IRS for my non profit status for Suites of Hope - one step closer to getting this thing going.  Hopefully I will hear back in about 6 weeks if I was approved.  Laurie and Charlene's friend designed a logo for us too!  I have already posted in on Facebook, but will post it here for those of you who aren't Facebook people.  

I already miss Laurie and Charlene, but I'm so thrilled that she finally got to go home.  Laurie has been here in Houston since January.  Please pray that her new treatment works and shrinks her tumors, especially the one on her brain stem - she is having trouble with one of her eyes because of it. 

I Still Believe!! It was a good week in CancerLand!!

It's been a good week in Cancer Land!!  Thank goodness, because the week before was not that great.  Let me start by telling you guys the really good news.  Some of you may remember my friend from Connecticut, Suzanne Hebert.  I met her online in on breastcancer.org and got to meet her in person when she came down here to MD Anderson.  She ended up in the same Phase I Afinitor trial I'm in.  Her first CT scan since she started the clinical trial was this last week...GREAT news!  Her liver lesion was 21% smaller!  Yay!!!  This is only after 3 months on therapy.  Suzanne was really excited and I was so excited for her.  She is like me, and had not had good scans for some time before Afinitor.  I know we have not won the war on breast cancer yet, but we are winning some sweet little battles!  Suzanne is going to celebrate next week with her sister out in LA.  She even has tickets to the Ellen show.  Have fun Suzanne, you deserve it.  I forgot to tell many of you this...I figured out a couple of months ago that I had read about Suzanne in a NY Times article back in January of this year.  It took me a while to put "2 and 2" together to realize it was the same Suzanne.  What a small world. Her article really inspired me.  I am glad that I can call her my friend.  Here is the NY Times article from January 2011.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/health/18cancer.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hpw




I also got to spend time with my dear sweet friend, Laurie Earls, this week.  Unfortunately it was in the MD Anderson hospital.  I haven't told you guys this yet, but Laurie's angiosarcoma cancer has spread to her brain stem.  She is currently getting daily radiation treatments.  So far this and the Nexavar treatments seem to be working.  After her radiation is over, Laurie and her sister Charlene will be flying home to California on Thursday.  I am so excited Laurie is getting a break and will get to spend some much needed time back home.  I will miss her terribly but she will be back in a few months.  Please pray for Laurie!! While the current treatments seems to be working on her cancer, she has had such a tough time.  I know God has a plan for Laurie.  It's just so hard to watch her go through all this.  It's been a cake walk for me compared to what her and her family have had to endure.  


For me, things are good.  I am working hard at my job, working out, running to prepare for my half marathons, and trying to enjoy breast cancer awareness month.  My hair continues to grow and I just got it cut and colored and LOVE it.  Here is a current pic of me and Clint.  My hair is actually longer than it looks - I have it behind my ears.  Good news is that the front of my hair is now even with the back...no more mullet!  LOL!

Pic of me and Suzanne from this last summer

Congrats on the good news Suzanne!  So happy for you, David and the kids! 

In honor of all the good news, me being a music lover, and also a big dork, I am starting something new...a song of the week!!  I will have a new song every Sunday night.  

My first "Song of the Week" will be an oldie but goodie!  "I Still Believe" by The Call.  Download it people!!! It is a GREAT song.  I always think of my Lamesa friend Ginna Treadwell when I hear it - I think she introduced me to The Call.  Anyway, it was also in the movie "The Lost Boys" which is a favorite of mine.  Just a good kick a$$ kind of song that will get you inspired if you are a little down.

Fun Week but Exhausted!!

I took a bit of a break from the blog - I was in Orlando all last week for a national meeting with work.  I know some of you are wondering why I would be gone for a whole week when I just sell one drug...we now have iPads with new software platforms, etc and had to be trained on all that good stuff.  I have to say that while it was a long week, it was a really fun meeting.  We even got an afternoon off to go to Universal Studios and had a company party at CityWalk on Thursday night.  I think the best part was the Karaoke bar...it wasn't just any karaoke - there was a full band and back up singers!! It was really fun.  Just in case you are wondering...yes, I did sing.  Not by myself though.  Me and Todd Wood, a manager from Indiana, sang Summer Nights from Grease.  We weren't very good, but it was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed seeing my fellow co-workers perform.  Hector Ramirez sang "Living on a Prayer" and was REALLY good - some of you may remember Hector from our days at BMS.  We also had a great time at Universal and I got to ride the new Harry Potter ride.  Let's just say that a lot of us got motion sickness from the ride.  I think I like the SpiderMan and Mummy rides WAY BETTER!!  Here's a few pics from the meeting...


A group of us at Universal Studios right outside the Harry Potter (aka Vomit Comet) ride.  

Kurt, Shawn (my new co-worker at UCB/old co-worker from Icos), and Greg Duncan (US President of UCB) celebrating Shawn's birthday!

Me and Todd Wood trying to sing Summer Nights from Grease.

I finally got home Friday night just in time to see my sister and nephew who flew in from North Carolina for the ECU/UH game.  I felt so bad...I was so exhausted from the meeting and had such a headache when I came home that I went to bed at 8:30 that night - didn't get to spend any time with my family until Saturday.  I think I gave my family a bad scare Friday night.  I think they thought I was sick from the cancer or something, but it was plain Jane exhaustion.  OK, maybe I was so exhausted because of the long hours from the meeting AND the fact that my medication does make me a bit fatigued anyway.  It's just frustrating that I'm not quite the girl I used to be just a couple of years ago before all the treatments.  I haven't told a lot of you this, but I wake up every morning with a lot of joint pain and morning stiffness in my legs, ankles, feet.  It's not because of my running either.  It was happening even when I was recovering from my reconstruction surgery and wasn't working out at all.  I'm trying not to complain too much, though.  It's a side effect from my meds, but they are working on the cancer so I can definitely deal with it. 

On another note, I was definitely hit with a heavy dose of Cancer Land reality this last week with the passing of Steve Jobs from pancreatic cancer and the passing of Clint's cousin, Peggy Duren, from ovarian cancer.  I read an interesting article about Steve Job's last months.  I also thought about Peggy and her final months as well.  Steve and Peggy both spent their final months with their family and closest friends.  What would you do if you knew you only had 6 months left?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/With-Time-Running-Short-Jobs-nytimes-175542823.html?x=0

"No one wants to die and yet death is the destination we all share."   Steve Jobs

Pink Pigeons!

The first annual Pink Pigeons Sporting Clay Tournament supporting Pink Ribbons Project was a HUGE success!  We had about 160 shooters/32 teams for the day and ended up raising $55,000 (not including the "in kind" donations!).  WOW!  I was so amazed by all the hard work that my husband Clint, Nathan Bane, and the rest of the Pink Pigeons Committee did to make it such a huge success.  We actually had people asking how they could be sponsors next year!  Clint's already said his goal next year is to surpass $100,000.  I'm thinking that's an attainable goal.  We had absolutely perfect weather for the shoot and the whole event went very smoothly.  I was just so bummed that I couldn't shoot because of my port on the ride side of my chest/shoulder.  Maybe I can practice left handed and shoot next year.


Here's some pics from the event:


Me, Susan Rafte, and Babs

My friend, Melanie, taking aim at a pink pigeon!

The really cool pink sporting clays!  Thanks Nathan for getting them!

Melanie and her husband

My friend, Michelle, and her husband, John

John shooting at a pink pigeon.  I think he missed this one.

Our friends, Tobin and Joey, shooting their guns

Clint and Matt Doan.  Thanks, Matt for being a sponsor!

If some of you think Clint looks a little different...he has lost 35 lbs in the last few months!  He looks so amazing.  He has five more pounds to lose to reach his goal and he wants to do it by his birthday - October 26.  I'm just so proud of him.  P90X and "My Fitness Pal" app for the iphone.  

Well, I gotta cut this short.  I had so much more to talk about but I'm exhausted from a busy weekend - Komen walk yesterday and I ran 7 miles today at the park!  I'm also leaving town early tomorrow morning for the UCB National Meeting in Orlando.  Woohoo!  As long as we don't have to make a flag or shoot a video at Universal, I'll be fine (remember that crazy meeting, my BMS peeps?).  Looking forward to seeing my UCB friends in Orlando.