Reflections...

It has been a year of surprises...some good...some not so good. 

We started the year with a scare as they found two brain tumors and they stopped my maintenance chemo and it was on to full radiation with LRHT for ten treatments.  It seemed to work as the cancer stopped growing and shrunk.

My oncologist sent me to another oncologist and an application for immunotherapy was approved and I started the new wonder drug Nivolumab....and...the cancer kept shrinking and shrinking and shrinking to the point the tumors are too small to measure.

It was a year of living a normal life for the first time in almost three years...travel, camping, visiting children...enjoying life.  It was also a year of babies...in March our son and daughter-in-law presented us with our sixth grandchild, Clare Elizabeth and she is perfect.  Our niece and nephew-in-law in Kamloops had a baby girl in October, Jade.  Our nephew and niece-in-law in Chilliwack had a baby boy, Tate.  But, sadly we lost him one month later.  Our other nephew and niece-in-law had a baby girl, Amy and...we ended the year with our niece and nephew-in-law in Arizona had a baby boy, Asher.

It was a year of finding other people going through the same thing I am and on the same treatment who quickly became a friend (yes Lisa, that is you).  It was being able to walk into the doctor's office on the 20th to see my old oncologist who gave me eight months three years ago and tell him, "Told you I wasn't going anywhere" and getting a smile from him.  I will take every opportunity to turn a negative into a positive...helps with living.

The year started shaky but ended up on a very high note.  I am eternally grateful for the love and support of my family and friends...who, without you I would not have made it this far...Rick, who loves to push my buttons but, who has my back...drives me everywhere, including crazy...sits through every treatment...travels with his Kobo because he never knows when I say, "Can we stop at Michael's".

I wish everyone a happy new year and may your next year be full of blessings....no matter what, keep swimming.

Man, it's been awhile....

Trust me...nothing major has happened.  I have been going for blood work every second Wednesday...followed by treatment on the Friday.  The only issue there is..it is getting harder and harder to find a vein.  Last treatment it took four pokes and two of them hit a nerve...ouch!  The nurse talked to my doctor and they are finally going to put a port in.  I don't know what was up with Dr. Keith in the beginning as he doesn't like them.  Well...he can deal with all the pokes!!!    I am scheduled for surgery on the 14th and I can't wait...treatment on the 16th...no more pain!

It has been wonderful to have a "normal" life for a change...lots of camping...though we stay close to home.  Meniers is under control...thanks to drugs.  Babies, babies...nieces and nephews having babies...we have two girls and two boys.  Sadly, we lost Tate as he was born two months and two days early.  Complications and I now have another angel watching over me.  I love being a great auntie!

Last CT scan came back with more awesome news.  The brain cancer:  One tumor gone...the other is still shrinking.  Lung cancer:  Both tumors are too small to measure.  I am slowly relaxing about it and starting to believe.

Swimming merrily.