I'll never capitalize cancer
I have alot going on in my life, more than just cancer and chemo. Sure it's a big part of my life right now, but it's not the most important part of my life. You will never see me spell it with a capital "c".
I'm a Wife and Mom. I love my Family. I have good Friends. We do fun stuff and dumb stuff and sometimes we argue and then we laugh again. We go to work and to the grocery store and we go swimming and have birthday parties and get ready for the first day of school.
I keep saying that I don't want ovarian cancer to define me, but sometimes I just can't help it.
A good friend put it this way for me "cancer may be defining your life for the moment, but it is not your entire life. You seem to just make time for it." That made me feel better.
If you want to see it from the beginning, my cancer story begins in March.
The rest of my story is happening now.
It has been a while since I updated this, so here is a quick post.
I had my 3rd chemo treatment Wed and things went smoothly, kinda becoming a routine now. I am feeling fine, no nausea. Went to Abby's Field Day today and am finishing up getting things together for my garage sale this weekend.
I have been planning this garage sale for probably a year now. I can't belive how much stuff we have in boxes that we had forgotten about. Baby girl to 4 toddler all going to a new home for someone else to love on.
Good news from my Doctors last week. I was having one of my "Oh, woe is me" days. I told Dr Schmeler at MD Anderson that I wanted to teach my daughter to ski and take her on a cruise on the Big Red Boat and I was worried I was not to going to be around to do either. She told me to go ahead and plan on going skiing next Spring but I should wait until next Summer to take the cruise. And to quit reading the magazines in the waiting room.
Dr Lavalais at the Julie & Ben Rogers Cancer Center here in Beaumont told me that my blood tests were looking good. Especially the CA 125, which is a tumor marker. Normal people who do not have cancer will have a test number of about 30. When I started chemo, my number was 365, now it is 81. That means that the cancer cells are not reproducing as rapidly and are not producing the fluid that was causing problems before. Also, my cysts and other stuff (tech term) are shrinking. Mostly it means that I am having a positive response to the chemo therapy.
Other things keeping me busy - Abby's end of the year school programs and rehearsals for her upcoming dance recital. And we are getting a ton of mail. The bills are coming in and I have to be sure that we keep it straight. I am filling out aps for financial assistance and arranging payment plans.
Keeping my calendar is really important now. Drs appts, rehearsal schedule, payment deadlines, playdates and family visits ...
To add to it, there is a condition called "chemo brain" where you tend to lose focus and forget things. Yes, even more than usual!
That's the quickie version. Thanks again to everyone who has been checking in and keeping in touch. Give me a few days after the garage sale and I will try to have more and include some pics.
Look for me under the Advocare tent this Friday December 5 during First Friday in Groves. 
I'll have Holiday specials like hot Apple Cider Spark, Jingle Slam, Coffeccino, and Chocolate Muscle Gain Truffles.
Chocolate Muscle Gain Truffles
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons honey
2-1.46 oz packets Chocolate Muscle Gain
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
Melt butter and honey together in saucepan over low heat. Pour into mixing bowl. Add Muscle Gain powder. Beat thoroughly. Shape into one-inch round balls. Roll into pecans. Place on plate. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 16.
Spirit leaders of Port Neches Groves High School will be welcoming in the Holiday season as they kick off First Friday at 6P. Varsity Cheerleaders are set to show off Indian Spirit as they perform a routine with Cherokee.
Santa Claus will be taking some time off from his workshop at the North Pole to come stroll Lincoln Avenue, visiting with the children and listening to their requests. Be sure to bring your camera to snap a shot with the man in red.
Madnonnie.com is blowing up the big screen and featuring the movie The Polar Express. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets. Show time is 730P.
LifeShare Blood Center's bloodmobile will be parked at the intersection of Lincoln and Jefferson from 630 – 830P.
First Friday, a merchant sponsored event, is celebrated the first Friday of every month and provides free family entertainment, special sales, food and door prizes. Most stores along Lincoln Avenue will remain open until 9P. and The Courtyard Café buffet line is open from 530 to 8P. Free street entertainment includes contests and music from DJ Donna Marx sponsored by Selman Chiropractic, balloon animals by Sunny the Clown, and face painting by the Jester.
Be sure to join us this Friday 6 - 9P on Lincoln Ave for First Friday in Groves.
Probably the #1 area where we fall short in Advocare is Listening.
Here's an opportunity to be taught by the Best - Rick Loy. Rick's Webinar/Teaching on Listening is one of the most sought after trainings out there. Register for this webinar to be held on Wednesday 11/5 at 8:30P CST
Thanks to Michelle & Real Andrews for this generous invitation.
For all of you who just can't quite make up your mind, AdvoCare is now offering a Spark Variety pack!
A box of Spark with 14 individual packets in a variety of flavors so you can try them all.
Even better, for a limited time and while supplies last, you can get 2 boxes of the new AdvoCare Spark Variety pack for just $38 retail. That's a $5 savings.
This is available right now, until Monday at Noon, only to distributors. And you will get your additional 20% - 40% discount on top of the already great special pricing.
So stock up, and if you are not yet a distributor, give me a call.
I know it was a HUGE storm, but fortunately for me, Hurricane Gustav was just an inconvenience. I had planned to be working in Houston anyway. A mandatory evacuation was called for Beaumont to begin at 6AM Sunday. So Saturday night after my event I drove home to pack some things and pick up my daughter Traffic on Westbound Interstate 10 could have been fine, just a bit heavy, except for the car wreck and that had things backed up for miles! Fortunately I was travelling East.
At home, I moved stuff away from the windows and lifted some things off the floor. But our place is really pretty safe. Our big concern is the power going out.
Sunday morning I packed a few things, put my daughter in the car with the DVD player and some coloring books, and headed back to Houston.
In Houston it was still pretty much business as usual. My daughter spent the day in the pool with my cousin & her kids. I was working a booth at the Texas Music Festival.
The weather did affect the AdvoBus schedule. I am sorry that they will not be stopping in Beaumont, but excited to see that they will be in my old stomping ground Lake Charles and continuing on across Louisiana.
I talked with the driver of the AdvoBus, and here is the new schedule:
Do you know about the AdvoBus?
It's a HUGE Rock Star bus filled with sample products and ice cold, free flowing Spark! Great Marketing and just alot of FUN.
Well, this rolling Advocare sign and on board party is in Houston this weekend and will be travelling east down Interstate 10.
Look for the AdvoBus in Humble, Clear Lake, Houston Memorial, Beaumont, Lake Charles, Lafayette, New Orleans, Spanish Fort AL, and Pensacola. Then back along Interstate 20 to Monroe LA and Shreveport before heading to Dallas.
Oh yeah, Hurricane Gustov also is heading toward Interstate 10. I will keep you posted if any of the events are cancelled.
Never a dull moment around here!
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