New Beginnings and an Ending....

It is time to close out this blog as I move on with a wonderful life after cancer. So this will be my last post. I just received my 3-1/2 year scan results and there is still no sign of a relapse. Yeah!! Only 1-1/2 more years (three little check-ups) before I say good-bye to my oncologist as well!! Won't it be nice to not have THAT kind of speciailist in the family!?!

This blog was a great outlet for me while I was in treatment. I read back through it occassionally and remember how much it helped me stay connected and supported by so many people. I will leave it up in cyber-world for those who are still looking for information on Hodgkins Lymphoma and going through a stem cell transplant. I remember how great it was to stumble across the success stories in those dark days of information gathering!!

I am headed back to work full-time in one week. It will be a big change for the family, but we are looking forward to the next chapter in our story together. I am excited to use my degree again, Brant is excited to buy new golf clubs, and the kids are ready to be less micro-managed! Ha! Maybe I will even be able to stay up to date better on Facebook!

Thanks again for all of the prayers!! God truly has been good to us.

Cruising Right Along.....

Wow, I didn't realize I hadn't posted since the first of the year!! I have been on Facebook a little bit and forgot about my blog. It is nice to have nothing to report in regard to cancer!!! Life is busy keeping up with growing kids and friends and fun. We continue to be very blessed. My 3 year scans were clean - yeah! But we are aware of how many people are dealing with this disease, including a friend that has just begun his chemo for Hodgkin's. Hopefully one day we will figure out how to beat this disease for good!!

Happy New Year!!

I can't believe that it is 2010. As I looked at my blog picture, I realized that it was taken 3 years ago!!! So I've added a new one. Back in January '07 we were in the middle of trying to decide where to seek treatment and what our options were. Lots of 'net surfing and sleepless nights back then. So it is wonderful to be starting 2010 nice and healthy, and with cancer as a fading memory.

I am looking to get back to work this year. Great time to be job searching - ha! I am praying that the right opportunity for me career-wise and family-wise will come along before too long. Until then I am planning to use 2010 to simplify and reduce around the house, and to enjoy life each day.

Best wishes to each of you on a prosperous new year!

Just a Quick Update....

We continue to be blessed with good health. My latest scans (2-1/2 years post transplant) were once again - "unremarkable". Such a nice word. Before my appointment I managed to get worked up and I was convinced (as usual) that there could be problems. But my fears were unfounded, and life goes on without cancer. Yeah!

Some Very Happy Anniversaries

This past week we celebrated 2 years since the date of my stem cell transplant. I also just completed CAT scans and there still remains no signs of my cancer - Yeah!! I think my chances for relapse are like less than 5% now. I will continue to be scanned (less frequently) until the 5 year mark and that is when they use the wonderful "C" word - CURED!!

Despite all the good news I still find it a little hard to embrace being "cancer-free". There are nagging thoughts that it is somewhere lurking in my system. Plus, just making claims to have "beaten cancer" seems like an invitation for it to come back and prove me wrong. But I have found that I am not as fearful about cancer, and it no longer dominates our lives and the plans that we make. So at least mentally I feel like I have beaten cancer.

It has been a busy Spring. We celebrated my parent's 50th anniversary at the end of March. We had a nice group of relatives and friends here to celebrate. Both of my brothers came from Australia, and it was special for them to have all four kids present. My parents are the 3rd golden anniversary in a row for our family - Brant and I just have 35 more years to go to keep the streak going! The picture above includes the extended family at the party (Brant and Katie had just left for a baseball game and aren't in the picture).

It's Fabulous to be Forty

Hello to the three people who may be still checking in on this blog. I turned forty yesterday and am SOOOO HAPPY to be here! Literally!! I relapsed just before I turned thirty-eight and before we had even told the kids, Katie shared a scary dream with me that she saw me die when I was thirty-nine. The details of her dream really spooked me and I prayed to please let me live to see 40 so our daughter would not have to suffer the pain she felt in her dream. So I can check off yet another prayer that was answered.

We are doing very well these days. My part-time job has slowed down and I have had more time to help out at the kids' school, join a morning bible study, work out at the gym and get some projects done around the house. Brant's job has been stable (but busy) during these troubling financial times. I find myself asking "Who am I that I should be so blessed"?? I even worry whether there is some "huge shoe" out there that is getting ready to drop. Surely there will be many more challenges ahead for us, so I am trying to savor this peaceful time we are experiencing right now. Isn't it weird that sometimes it is easier to fight through the difficult times in life than be content during the quiet times??

The picture above is from our mini-vacation that we took to Florida over the holidays. We put some serious miles on the minivan as we visited cousins (and their FIVE chihuahuas) in Jacksonville, swam with dolphins at Discovery Cove in Orlando to celebrate Chris' tenth birthday, got our toes sandy on Fort Lauderdale beach to ring in the new year, and saw the Hokies win at the Orange Bowl. I hope you all have a wonderful 2009!!

Christmas Came Early!!

We got an early Christmas present today with news that my latest CAT scans show no signs of cancer!! The doctor is very pleased with my progress and overall health. My white blood cell count is still low, but that appears to be my new normal level and isn't causing trouble. I am so aware of how blessed I have been with such a complete recovery with very few reminders of my past treatments. I don't take any medications at all....crazy considering how our bathroom resembled a small pharmacy not long ago. This marks 19 months since my transplant and I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. My next scan will be at the 2 year mark - a significant milestone in the battle against cancer.

The kids are getting so grown, and of course, crazy excited about Christmas. We are looking forward to enjoying the holidays with family. It hasn't been too crazy this year (yet) and we are trying to keep the focus on the true meaning of Christmas....which is really hard with all hype that surrounds this major retail event.

Here are a few recent pictures - bet you can't believe all the hair that can grow in one year!!! Yes, it is still extremely curly but I try to straighten it when I have the energy!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!!