Today I am a SURVIVOR

I've waited for this day for 5 years.  Today, I have been in remission for 5 years...I am officially "out of the woods" of my cancer relapsing.  Today, I am no longer in remission.  Today...I am a CANCER SURVIVOR.  I have been humbled by my family and friends who have supported me.  Some even got tattoos!  If you want to read about them, relive my past, or are bored because you're iced in, I've attached the link to each one.  

Family tattoos

Friend tattoo 1

Friend tattoo 2


I'll end by saying that I fought tooth and nail to get where I am today.  I am not who I was 5 years ago.  I am better.  I am stronger.  I am thankful.  I appreciate everyday I get to live.  My life has changed in ways unimaginable to me.  As I write this post, I'm simultaneously watching my husband and son play on the floor.  Who'd of thunk???  I haven't posted on my blog in so long, I've almost forgotten how...so I'll stop writing now.  Thanks for reading.  

Side effects

I've left my blog dormant for a couple of months. Much like my cancer. I feel I have nothing of interest to say anymore since my treatments are done. Who wants to hear about another person's life when they're busy living their own?

But since you're here...

I've done some Light the Night walks again this year. My first of the year was in Minnesota. It was a wonderful experience. To be in a different state, walking with people who had never been before. To see the impact it had on them was fantastic. I walked with my boyfriend, Kevin, and his parents, Chris and Duane. Kevin had been before...October of last year, he walked with my family and me in Ft. Worth. Even to see the change in him was amazing. Last October, I was just the girl he came to visit for the first time. Our relationship has far progressed since then and my cancer has become part of his life also. It affects him now (or is it "effects"? The sad thing is, I even looked up the meaning of both and STILL don't know which one to use! Help me!). We held hands at the first walk. He held my whole body at the second. And I loved it. I posted pictures to the right. Look at them.

The next walk was in Ft. Worth. I had a whole crew there. It was AWESOME!!! Pictures are also posted of that walk. Many, many thanks to Dolly, Jordan, Cheryl, Jackie, Manuel, Edith, Melissa, Kaitlyn, Brad and Jill. And eternal thanks always goes to my family: Bryan, Melony, Jacob and my mom. I was touched beyond belief that ALL of these people took time out of their lives to walk for mine and many others. Several people who couldn't walk donated money. That's just as touching. Thank you to Elaine, Melissa, Dolly, Chris and my mom. AND (oh, I'm not done yet...) my family also walks for me in Colorado Springs. Eternal thanks to Karola, Shelley and Eric too. I had/have the support of so many people during my treatments and even still. I wake up in awe some days.

I started writing this initially to talk about something else. It's a side effect that still lingers around. It's the most prominent side effect I have. Except for my labored breathing, which is sometimes better than others. It's called Chemo Brain. And it's real. Real to me and many others going through (or have gone through) treatment. Read about it here. Makes me want this shirt:

Another thing of recent discovery is the movie Crazy Sexy Cancer. It's a documentary about a woman battling cancer. I loved it!!! It seems to explain so much that I couldn't put in words. If you're interested in more info, go here.

Okay. So I should go. I really should be baking dessert for Thanksgiving since I'll be at Kevin's house until Thanksgiving morning. A much needed break with my much needed, amazing, HOT boyfriend.

Thanks for reading! Good night!

Wow...long time, no write.

Since my last post, I haven't really felt like writing. Everything and nothing has been going on. Too much to write about and not enough time to write. Blah.

So, here's what's been going on:

I had a CT scan on the 20th of April. Everything went well. I still had to drink the glue-like crap, but this time it was spaced out. Thank goodness! One at night, one at 6:30 the next morning. My scan was at 8:30 in the morning. Everything went smoothly, except the tech blew my vein in my arm and ended up having to switch to the other arm. Ah well.

I had a doctor's appointment on the 26th. Kevin was here and went with me. This was a great experience for both us. :) Here's the lowdown on what my doc said--my blood work came out great. As did my scan results, which were clean!! I'm still winning! One thing the scan did reveal is that I have atelectasis, which is "an abnormal condition characterized by the collapse of lung tissue, preventing the respiratory exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen". It sounds way more intense than it actually is. It was caused by the Bleomycin and one treatment is taking deep breaths. That sounds easier than it is. I've apparently forgotten how to do that.

She also said I don't have to do anymore scans. I'll have blood work and checkups until I reach my 3 year mark, then we'll go from there. Unless, of course, I have symptoms. But I don't plan on having those, so I think we're good. :) After the good news, Kevin took me out to celebrate. We went to the Stockyards and had a blast drinking, eating, listening to music. It was perfect.

Other than that, I've been following my doctor's orders she gave me in December of '08: I'm living my life. I've done so much in the last year I never thought possible. I've flown ALONE, I've traveled to places I've never been. Speaking of that, I plan to continue that trend into the summer months. And I'm lucky enough to have found someone to share that-and everything else life brings our way-with. Kevin, YHMHF. :)

Thanks for reading and goodnight.

Puppy heaven

It is with great sadness and an even heavier heart that I write this tonight. Peanut, our puppy for almost 7 years, passed away at 7 tonight. He was so strong and fought such a hard battle against a monster of a disease. A disease with no known cause, explanation, or real hope for survival. He was special because he was our first dog. Not a family dog, but a dog that made us a family. He was our pride and joy. If you knew him, you know why.

I have so many memories I would love to share. But tonight, I'm feeling greedy and I want them for myself. Maybe some day when it doesn't hurt so much, I'll post some of them. In the meantime, here's an entry about how we got him.

I'm writing this from bed...where one little, loveable pup used to lay next to me. I am officially empty inside.





Here's to Peanut. I love you more than coffee loves sugar, toast loves butter or rainbows love pots of gold. You're my forever. I'll love you always...

Puppy

So my once cancer related blog is now going to turn into a puppy related blog. Here's why:

My puppy, Peanut, is currently in the hospital. He began throwing up on Sunday morning. Matt took him to the 24 hour hospital and they gave him some nausea meds and a fluid injection under his skin called subcutaneous fluid. It's basically a portable IV. I tried finding a picture of it online, but didn't have any luck. He was then sent home. Sunday night was okay, but he didn't want to eat. The doc said that was okay considering the meds. On Monday morning, however, he began throwing up again. Matt took him back in and they did x-rays and blood work. They first diagnosed him with an enlarged spleen and were going to do an ultrasound before surgery. The ultrasound, though, came back negative. He was then diagnosed with IMHA or Immune Mediate Hemolytic Anemia. For a detailed description, you can read about it here. Basically, Peanut's immune system has turned on him and is now attacking his red blood cells. Sound familiar??? Maybe a little like Hodgkin's? Okay...so not the red blood cell part, but the part about the immune system turning on you. Eerie coincidence.

So Peanut was admitted to ICU on Monday and given a blood transfusion and steroids. These are not working like they're supposed to. Now he's on 3 types of meds and has been given several blood transfusions. His PCV is fluctuating between the low teens and low 20's. We received our first bit of "good" news just tonight: his PCV count went up to 23 tonight. And he ate a little.

I wrote this first half last night before my computer crashed on me. Seems that's happening all around me...so to continue...

I called twice before going to bed. He was resting during both calls. The tech said he had eaten a little bit more and they were going to do a blood test at 8am. I called at 6am to check on him and he was still hanging in there. The tech called Matt a little after 8 and Peanut's PCV went back down to 15. I called the on-duty doctor and was told that his prognosis was dismal, that she was afraid he would go into cardiac arrest and that we should head up there immediately "just in case". So, in a panic, I left work and Matt did the same.

So here's where we are now: the chief of staff for the clinic is now his doctor. They put him on oxygen to help what red blood cells he does have. They're not going to do another transfusion because it'll make his immune system work too hard and the by-products of it are harming him. He has some fluid in his lungs, which they gave him meds for and another reason why they put him on oxygen. He was given more steroids and a little pain medicine to ease his stress. Unfortunately, during this process his IV blew again (it happened the first time the other night) and after several attempts at getting it back in, they finally gave up and will try again later. Once that's in, they will start him on plasma, which is the white part of the blood. After that's finished, we're trying human gamma globulin, which you can read about in the above linked article. It's pretty much our last resort, so we're praying it takes and he responds well.

Update @ 1:46- during the writing of this, the doc called and they finally got his IV back in. They put it in a back leg after attempting to put it in his ear. Now the plasma has started (a 3 hour drip) and after will come the globulin (a slow 12 hour drip). Keep your fingers crossed and the prayers coming. We need all the help we can get.

Update: @4ish--Peanut is still on fluids and oxygen. They just finished his plasma and are now starting the globulin. His temperature has dropped quite a bit, so they have him on a bair hugger blanket (which is similar to an electric blanket). It looks like this:

Well...fancy that. Dexter and I really DO have something in common.

Not so long ago, I wrote an entry about "fun facts". Now, while some of you didn't think my facts were so fun, I still found it very interesting. It consisted of notable cases of Hodgkins. I would like to add to that list. I heard tonight that Michael C. Hall, of Dexter fame, is in remission from Hodgkins. Click here to read about it. I find this interesting because I'm OBSESSED with Dexter, as noted here.

Also, it's time again for Pasta for Pennies. Last year, our school raised over $2400 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And we won the pasta party because my class raised the most money! Help us raise money (and win pasta)! Go here for more info.

Thanks for reading! Goodnight!

P.S. I would like to apologize for my last couple of posts. Apparently, I've been a little hyperlink happy. So...sorry. :)

Holy crap...add another.

So I wrote recently about my friend, Tanner, getting a purple ribbon tattoo. And now it's time to add another.

I've known Christine for 3 years. Her son is (somewhat) in my class. We share many things in common and not too long ago tattoos came up. Today, she came in and dropped off some boxes for our class to use. After sitting for a couple of minutes and listening to calendar songs, she called me over to where she was. She then took off a bandage revealing this:

Can you believe it?? I already wrote about feelings of friends vs. family members getting tattoos. What an unbelievable honor!!!! She wanted me to know how I affected them and what an impact I had on their life. And then I cried. So I called Mom down and she cried, too. And now Christine is officially an honorary Booher. Thanks again, Christine! It means more to me than I can express.

Thanks for reading. Goodnight!!

Another new year.

I'm writing this entry from a different state...where there's snow outside and it's freaking cold. Looking back on 2009, I never dreamed this is where I'd end the year. But I'd rather end it no other way. Absolutely perfect. ;)

I have so many goals for 2010. I'd call them "resolutions", but I'm not a fan of that word. I'm listing them on here to keep to them. I say I want to do this and that, but never quite get around to doing them. So...here goes:

1. Publish my blog to a book (one can dream, right?)
2. Race a car (like, on a track. Not down 20 or in Dalworthington Gardens. Those don't count.)
3. Volunteer/work in the prison
4. Go back to school (I have a couple of options for this one...)
5. Travel
6. Learn sign language

Hmmm...I thought I had more, but they've slipped my mind. I guess these will keep me occupied. :)

So to end this blog (and this year), have a happy, safe, healthy, and most importantly, FUN new year. May yours be filled with as much mystery, surprise and happiness as mine is sure to be. Love to all.

Merry Christmas and (more) tattoos

I've written in the past about the loss, and gain, of friendships over my illness. I try to not dwell on the friendships lost, but embrace the friendships gained...for these are the few that I will forever cherish. When I was diagnosed, my mom promised a tattoo when I was officially diagnosed in remission. Many months later, she and four other family members held true to their promises. And now I add one more.

Last year at this time, a promise was made to me in passing at my cancer free surprise party. I've known Tanner for many years now. We've traveled, been to many a punk rock show, and hung out in hospitals together over the years. And yesterday, he did this:


It was an honor when my family did it. To mark something permanently on your skin for someone else is no less than amazing to me. And that FIVE people did it...wow. And now Tanner. I am beyond honored that someone NOT related to me would do such a thing. I had to laugh, though, in his description. Apparently it hurt like hell. :) So, thank you, Tanner. You've just proved that whoever doesn't get a tattoo isn't a real friend. Ha! Kidding.




I happened to be wearing this shirt yesterday. Funny. I wear it sometimes, but not often. And I never get asked about it. But yesterday, I did. We went to eat and a guy asked what I was a survivor of. He gave me a high five and a "God bless" when I told him lymphoma, but I was in remission.



Now I must go. Still have stuff to do before tomorrow. Oh and on a sidenote...Tanner made Mom and I beautiful glass vases for Christmas. He does pinstriping and is awesome at it. I will post pics of those in the next couple of days. :)

Thanks for reading!

I should've been a race car driver.

Unfortunately, the Dalworthless, I mean Dalworthington, Gardens police don't think so. I just got a ticket. 50 in a 40. I suppose with my driving, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Jerks. Nonetheless, I'm not very happy with "their kind" right about now. Ha! Yes, that goes for you non-Texas cops, too. ;)

I need to go running now. Anyone up for a midnight run through Veterans? I could get us there fast. :) Takers????

As promised...

Here are the pictures I promised in the last post. I found some other ones, too. I dumped all the pics from my phone's camera and had over 450 on there. Sheesh. So here:

The donuts from Erin:

The (delicious, homemade) ribbon cake from Cheryl:

I posted this a long time ago...bald from radiation. The pic underneath is it growing back. Most of it is all grown out now...

These are some more drawings from Erin. She would have them done by the Monday morning after my chemo treatments.

And this is the pumpkin log that Erin made for my last treatment.

If I come across anymore, I'll post them. I have a long list of goals to accomplish in 2010. I'll post them soon. Now I have nothing else to write. I was told by a close friend to put something very inappropriate on this. Even my threat of this being a public blog didn't quite dissuade him. But, in the end, my stubbornness (and ownership of this blog) win. As usual. ;)

Time to run. Go COWBOYS!!!!

1 year down, 4 more to go...

Today is my one-year anniversary for officially being in remission. I planned on writing about it, but now...I don't know what to say. Actually I have so MUCH to say, I'm not certain how to condense it. A year ago I was told to "live my life again". And I have tried, certainly not without fail, to do that. I've had 2 scans that came back clean. I had my oh-so-precious mediport out. I overcame my ultimate fear--flying. My hair is almost back to being one length. I've had victories. I've been defeated. And now I've got one year down. And four more until I'm out of the woods.

When I came in to work today, I had treats waiting for me on my desk. A box full of donuts from Erin and a purple ribbon cake from Cheryl! I took pictures and as soon as I find the SD card adapter for my phone, I'll post them. I went out to dinner last night with my family and out to lunch today with Mom. And I talked to a creepy, 1-900 elf. Ha! All in all...a good day.

So I'll end on this: we've been having a tough time at work lately. I won't go into detail, but I'm frustrated beyond end with the politics of public school. And then I hear stuff like this and my heart melts. My kids actually DO listen to me! From one of my 3rd graders via his mom: "Hey, look Mom-it's Mrs. Riggle's very favorite sky outside!" ...to which he was referring to the very ominous looking rain clouds out. :)

Thanks for reading. Good night.

Good grief.

Right. Let me apologize for not updating sooner. This seems to be a recurring theme.

I finally got my results of my CT scan. They're NEGATIVE! We had a wee bit of a scare with it, though. When I called to get my results (like I always do), I didn't get them over the phone (like I always do). My nurse called me back on Friday (October 23rd...yeah, yeah--I procrastinated a bit) and said the doctor hadn't had a chance to look at them yet. She asked when my appointment was (November 2nd) and wondered why it was so far away. My oncologist's office is the one who makes the appointments and sends the date to me. I usually don't have a say in when it is. I told her I didn't know why it was so far after the scan. She suggested we make the appointment for the following Monday. She had 3 openings-all during the day-and knows that I teach, but urged me to come in during one of those times. I picked the first time available.

Let me explain now why this worried me. I've had several scans in the last year and a half. PET and CT. For every other CLEAN scan I've had, I called the next day, left a message with my nurse and she's called back to let me know the results. Yes, the doctor looks at them first. My nurse is just the messenger. But nonetheless, I get the results via phone. So when she didn't give them over the phone, I panicked. Now...I realize that a rational person might not have done so. I never claimed to be rational. :) Here's the thing though: I worried. And I had every right to. Unless you've been in my position, you have no idea what it feels like to wonder. I worry about it coming back. It's not constant, but seems to increase when I have a scan or check-up.

When I went to my appointment, I had a long talk with my doctor about this. She asked me if I worry about it. I said yes, isn't that normal?? To me, it is. It's real. It happened. And no matter how ridiculous it is, they're still my worries, feelings and thoughts. My doctor seemed to agree with this and pointed out that she has no idea how it feels...she's never been through it. Exactly.

Let me pause here: I wrote this earlier today. I just reread it before publishing it. Wow. I sound defensive. I'll apologize if I offend anyone, but I'm not changing it. The perks of writing your own blog. :)

So to finish. What we did find from the scan is that a gland in the right side of my neck is enlarged. Most likely due to radiation and should go away. I have to start getting mammograms in 5 years. Just a precaution since I had radiation on my windpipe. I get another scan in 6 months. Then, depending on the results, no more after that unless I have symptoms. Yippee!

Hopefully that's it. We did several Light the Night walks. Thanks to everyone who came out to walk with us. I have some pictures and will post those later. Also had a wonderful turnout at Chick-Fil-A! I'm waiting to get an exact total, but there were so many people there. The drive-thru line circled around the building consistently throughout the night and I heard there was no parking outside. Awesome!

Okey doke. Goodnight for now. 7 more days... :)

Cats.

Yesterday was my CT scan. I wanted a PET scan instead but since my last one came back negative (good), they suggested a CT scan (bad). Then if anything is abnormal on these results (bad), next will come a PET scan (bad). Ha! I only say the CT scans are bad because nothing showed up on mine. My cancer, and to what degree it had spread, only showed up on the PET scan. Remember the whole "I'm stubborn" thing. But I'll take what I can get. I actually started this post yesterday, but didn't get a chance to finish it. At the time, I was in the process of fasting. I couldn't even have water. I had to drink these starting at 2: One at 2, the other at 3, and my scan at 4. At least it was spaced out...the last time I had to drink them both in 30 minutes! Ick!

I had the apple one first: Then I shared with Mom: Then I finished with berry: I had a full scan-neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. I had to do the scan without dye first and then with dye. This is not my favorite part...they have to prep the IV (which isn't really a needle, but a small tube) before my scan starts. Then for 3/4 of it, my arms are up over my head. Which takes a bit of talent with a needle stuck in it. I thought I had described the sensation of the dye, but looking back, I don't think I did. It creates a warm sensation everywhere. The first time I had it, I was warned that it might feel like you wet your pants, but you really didn't. Well...that joke was on them! Kidding, of course. But it really does feel like that and it makes you wonder if you actually did.

I called to get the results today, but they didn't have them yet. I'll call again tomorrow morning. Even though the lady I talked to said my doctor would go over the results at my November 2nd appointment. Really? Like I'm going to wait that long?? Not so much.

Don't forget about all of this. I've booked the Chick-Fil-A by my school tentatively for November 5th. Once I get all the details, I'll post them. Come eat chicken and support autism research!
Must do something to help this.

Thanks for reading. Good night!

Money, money, money. Give me some of yours.

Ha! Yes. Tis that time of the year I'm asking for donations. To two worthy causes. The first is for Light the Night. This is a walk that raises money for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. Something very close to my heart. If you'd like to walk, we have a team for this weekend and for next. Go here to register for the 18th. Or here to register for the 24th. Both have information on times and locations. If you'd like to donate to my page, go here.

Also, in November, is Walk Now for Autism. I posted info in my last blog about it. If you're interested in joining, this is our team link. If you're interested in donating, go here. I'm still in the process of setting up a fundraising night at Chick-Fil-A. Details to follow...

I've had a change in appointments as well. I'll be having a CT scan on the 21st. I need lab work prior to that to check my kidney function and then my check up is on November 2nd. Yippee! More time to wait. I'm learning, with the help of some very close friends, to break out of my shell and overcome some fears. We shall see...

For now, that's it. Stay tuned...

I love rain.

This will be the most random blog post by me ever. Maybe. I was drugged on some of the previous ones, so...

To start, there are some Light the Night walks coming up in October. We are doing the Dallas one again this year. It's on October 18th. Short notice, I know. I'll get a team set up soon and post if you're interested in joining. My extended family did the one in Colorado again this year. I posted pictures under Light the Night-Colorado 1.

Also coming up is Walk Now for Autism. Autism is my passion and by doing this walk, I feel like it spreads the awareness a bit. I have a team every year. Last year, I hosted a fundraiser at Chick-Fil-A. I'll get that going again and post about it, as well. If you're interested in joining, this is our team link. If you're interested in donating, go here. I hope you'll do both. I mean, I did have cancer and all. ;)

Speaking of, I have some appointments coming up. I'm in the process of getting a scan scheduled and I have a check-up on the 19th. I feel better and better with each passing day. Except for the nightmares, which have returned in full force. I know it's due to the upcoming appointments and I'm hoping once they're over and done with, they'll slow down or stop. And you should see my hair!!! It's almost completely grown back. Yippee!!! On the topic of hair, a friend and co-worker, Susana, grew her hair out to donate to Locks of Love. I love that people do this. It's such a great organization and cause. Thanks, Susana!!!!

For even more random topics...I'm obsessed with this: Playing for Change. Matt showed it to me and I can't get enough of it! I love the music and the message. I'm also obsessed with Dexter. Just thought I'd throw that out here. I tried to post my Jamaica video on there, but kept getting an error. Ah well.

Now I must go. I have to finish decorating for Halloween. It takes a couple days at my house. I have a village and everything! I'll post pics of that next time. And the Cowboys play at 3. Against Denver. My cousin, Jeff, and his wife, Stephanie, will be there. She's for the Cowboys (she's the sane one in the family) and he's for the Broncos. HOWEVER, he is painting himself in blue and silver because he's a good sport. Watch for them in the endzone...they'll be holding a sign with all of our names on it. Go COWBOYS!

Something I Don't Like...

I've had a case of writer's block lately. I used to write as therapy. Now anytime I sit down to do so, my screen stays blank. Just like now...I try to write and eventually just leave it and come back. I started writing the last post 2 weeks ago. I just finished and published it the other day. Eh...oh well.

I've hit some milestones lately. For one, every year we go to Nokia Theater for our convocation for the district. We end up parking a good mile away due to the traffic. Last year, it took me FOREVER to walk to the building. We had to keep stopping on the way just for me to catch my breath. This year, it took me no time. My lungs are finally building strength and I'm able to walk a distance without my usual huffing and puffing. Yea! I'm still doing yoga amongst other things. My legs are still tingling, though.

Another milestone...on September 9th, I've been in remission for 9 months. I have another PET scan and check-up in October. I'm trying hard to focus on other areas of my life instead of this one. Not working out so much.

I was going through pictures and found this video. I took a ton of little clips when we were waiting for baby Jacob to be born. This was from the first night. For some reason, it makes me laugh. Thought I'd share. Oh...and check out the jersey. ;)

Must stop writing now. I've got things to do before noon. Brad and Jill are coming over to watch the Cowboy game. Oh...and I love the rain out now. So soothing.

Go Cowboys!

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag

Fancy title, eh? I wrote something about everyone's birthday in the month of April. There's one more today. Her name is Phoebe. She's our German Shepherd and she's 4 today.

We got Phoebe in November of 2005. We had just moved into our house the previous October. And 2 weeks later, we were broke into. At the time, we only had Peanut-our Dachshund. I've always liked big dogs and especially German Shepherds. So I searched Petfinder religiously for a month and finally found her. Except...it really wasn't her. The picture I found and the puppy I got were totally different. But I'm glad she's the one we got.

She's the epitome of a perfect dog. She's obedient (for the most part), lovable all the time, and will attack at the drop of a hat if she thinks we're in danger.

So here's to Phoebe. The best "German Shepherd" ever.

Another.

I had another anniversary the other day. Yet...procrastinated in writing about it until now. Some things never change.

On August 1st of last year, I had my first chemo. I'm not sure what to write about that I haven't already said. Hence the procrastination. All that can be written of now are feelings. One feeling from that day: I was terrified. Thank goodness for Ativan.

In my last post, I mentioned going out with my brother that night. Well...he flaked out because he was "sick". Whatever. ;) He did, however, make it up to me with an even better idea. A group of us went to Jamaica Gates. The group included Jilly, her husband Brad, and my other two "brothers", Todd and Oscar. We drank Red Stripe, ate jerk chicken nachos (and other
stuff...Oscar), and listened to great live reggae. We had a blast. And even got some ideas for costumes for Halloween.

Back in February, I wrote about starting yoga. I posted a picture of a lady doing yoga specifically to show a pose. And I got a lot of grief over it all because I said it wasn't my mom. So...

There. There's my mom on the beach in Jamaica. Happy now? Good. :)

Thanks for reading.

Flashback

The hardest week of my life started on July 21st of last year. I said in a post that this month is full of anniversaries. I don't feel the need to post about all of them (...or do I?), but I will sum up some. I do it because it's interesting to me how much time changes. For instance, last year, at this very moment, I was sitting in a doctor's office with a needle in my arm, like this:

But, TODAY, at this very moment, I'm drinking coffee, writing and getting ready to spend the day with Jill. We've been in workout mode. Today is walking, swimming, and yoga. And tonight, I'm going out with my brother, Bryan. We're going to paint the town...green. Because we can. No really. We're going to Home Depot first for the paint...

Must go now...thanks for reading!