Happy New Year!

Here's to a great 08!
May your New Years celebrations be Happy and SAFE! I generally do not go out but prefer to spend my NYE's at home. This year, will be spent with the neighbors. I usually have a large party. I opted not to this year and chose a small gathering of neighbors only.

It's been a difficult year. I was struck when I realized that '07 began with 15 Radiation treatments after surgery remove a large Sarcoma from my leg. I had Dr appointments every week and spent a good chunk of my time seeing Dr's either at the University of Chicago or Alexian Brothers to get poked, prodded, stuck with needles, X-rayed and zapped. Starting in Feb and lasting through July, I endured 3 day a week physical terrorist sessions so I could regain use of my leg and learn how to manage Lymphedema. Such is the life of a cancer patient. Surprisingly, it is now a blur in my memory as I see my Oncologist at the U of C every 3 months and have a Medical Oncologist at Alexian keep an eye on my scans. Physically, I feel great! I sleep well, eat well, have great energy and have managed to stave off every darn cold and stomach flu my kids have brought home. In January 07, I signed up to volunteer for Relay for Life. I worked on the Survivor committee and it was fun and I really needed to talk to other survivors. The internet is filled with information for cancer patients on death and dying. I needed information on how to go on living and learn how to deal with the uncertainty that comes with such a diagnosis. As a survivor, I will not put a darn thing on hold for any reason anymore. Finances will always be an issue but I'm not putting off that new car I need, the house repairs or graduate school. Money is just money. I'm all signed up for Relay this year and would like to add more Sarcoma related causes to my volunteer list. Since there aren't that many of us, we get the short straw on the research stick and really need some new therapies. I think that would be a great cause for me to undertake starting with getting the word out and then taking it from there.

I turned 40 this year, a milestone birthday. I was feeling pretty old until I went to a birthday party for an old family friend and was mistaken for a child in college. YAY!!

I went on one date this whole year. Didn't pan out to be anything but a fun 2 hours and that was OK. I decided that this is a direction that I don't really need to take with my life. I have 3 kids, a full time job, a part time job, friends, family and hobbies. My life is pretty full, hectic, kinda sucky with the cancer stuff sometimes, but not bad. I have an ex husband who finally did the kind thing and left us alone instead of terrorizing us and an ex boyfriend who is a psycho nutjob from Hell. He challenges every fiber of being as I'm torn between wanting to be a good person and wanting to rip the smug expression off his big mug and see him suffer! The angel/The devil... I guess there is one in each of us.

The summer brought three beer festivals, Barrington, Madison Wis, and Racine. A good time was had by all at each. It brought my sons graduation from 8th grade party which set records as the party that drained the sarcophagus sized cooler of beer and lasted until almost 4am. I went to bed long before the last guest left. We spent a neato week at our cabin in Wisconsin and little Emily got a taste of her first county fair complete with homemade lemonade, funnel cake, carousel and lots and lots of horses, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, bunnies.... She had a great time. So did I.

Thus here it is the end of the year. My one year scan wasn't 100% clean as there was a 4-6mm nodule in my left lung. I'm hoping it was simple inflammation from my allergies or leftover from my cold. I'm due to re-scan in a couple weeks. If it's gone or no growth, there is nothing to do. If there is, it means more surgery for me. Pray for a good outcome. I really hated being in the hospital! 10 days of just lying there nearly made me crazier and being in pain just stinks. My Onco told me not to put anything on hold despite the news so I'm heeding his advice. I'm ending 07 on a good note doing exactly what I want to do.

Celebrate! Here's to my 08 being spent paying if forward, getting into Grad school to be that therapist I've always wanted to be, working towards a cure for Sarcoma and all cancers and being a success at AT&T plus all the great times with friends and family.