Choose Your Attitude

I've always had a positive attitude: it could be genes, it could be growing up in a small town, or the shear luck of the draw. Whatever the reason my outlook on life is a key ingredient of my well being.

Life continually throws us challenges but how we choose to grow from the experiences are the important lessons. I lost my parents when they were in their 70's ~ far too young. Little did they know that the lifestyles sold to them as healthy in their youth would be their downfall. They were not of the generation who chose to question authority and trusted the family doctor without a second thought. What I learned is that we have to be our own advocates and take responsibility for our well being.

I've lost close friends to disease and accidents, beloved pets when I made the choice to let them go with dignity. I've faced medical challanges for 20 years and have recently been dealing with breast cancer. Each experience has helped me grow, made me wiser and taught me how to deal with adversity. I've learned that exercise and changes in diet are the best things you can do for yourself at any age. But probably the most important lesson is that life is short: do what makes you happy, start work on your bucket list, keep people in your life who love you for who you are and make you laugh.

This brings me to a conversation with my surgeon when I had my stitches removed last week. Much of the information given to you regarding surgery and recovery tells you to rest and don't do much. I told her it wasn't my style to sit around and I was off and running (albeit carefully and with some common sense) on autumn projects around the house and at a neighbor's the day after my surgeries.

Point of View
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JessicalynnBrice

She said to me "Your big picture perspective, positive outlook and sense of humor play a huge part in your overall health and healing". She drew a box in the air and then made a small box in the lower corner of that square. "You have chosen to perceive your cancer as only a small part of your life experience, it will never rule you. Unfortunately many patients choose to let cancer become their life, they become victims of their diagnosis rather than taking on the challenge and looking ahead".

No one said life would be easy, or fighting a life threatening disease would be a cake walk. I just want to encourage anyone dealing with cancer to remember your friends, family and a army of survivors have your back and are there for you. Call in the troops!

This morning's Press Democrat has a great article about cancer survivor Nina Sibert. Her cancer and treatments were far more radical than mine, but her outlook is very similar. Please read and share it. I hope to meet her someday. Here is the link:

http://cloverdale.towns.pressdemocrat.com/2011/10/news/pinktober-comes-to-cloverdale/

Now go outside and enjoy your day!

Breast Cancer Journey ~ Bottom of the Ninth ~ Grand Slam

D Day Part Deux, Thursday October 6th

We awoke to thunder, lightening, rain, then sun and the news that one of our gang of "Usual Suspects" is moving home from out East. It was gonna be a good day, even with surgery scheduled around 3pm.

After reading the initial pathology report my surgeon suggested that we create a larger margin of clear tissue where the tumor was removed from my left breast. Just a little added insurance. There were no "wasp on steroids stings" (radio tracer injection) or wire guidelines this time. She had been down this trail just last week so it was a pretty simple procedure.

It's kept cool in the admittance room where you wait to get wheeled into surgery. They have you put on a huge, double layered soft paper gown/tent that ties in back and has a series of strange little vent holes in it. Much to my delight I learned there is a heat pump and hose that hooks into one of the vents and blows hot air into the gown to keep you toasty. I need one of these for watching TV in this winter! I was home by late afternoon with an appetite (18 hours with no food) and very little discomfort.

Friday I was supposed to relax and take it easy. Needless to say, sitting still is not one of my strong suits unless I'm totally enthralled in a book or at a music venue. Rod has gotten really creative, short of tying me down, with keeping me put. After breakfast he emptied our overstuffed piggy bank on the counter and said "sit, sort and count ~ right arm only". That kept me out of trouble for a little while.

He's pretty sweet for a tough guy. He's been fixing me fabulous meals and doing the dishes. How often is that going to happen? This morning he made us designer pancakes. I got a pony and a redwood tree and he made himself a dinosaur.

Just in, hot off the wire:

We've hit a grand slam out of the park ~ I just talked to my Breast Care Coordinator about an hour ago and the news is that my margins are clean. Game 1 is in the win column, but it's important to not lose sight of the fact this is an ongoing series, kind of like the playoffs. Once I talk to my oncologist on October 24th I'll find out more about my post-season training schedule of radiation therapy. 

That said: just a reminder to never lose your sense of humor, always question authority, dance in the kitchen and walk in the rain. Let your mind out for a run around the block.

Rain Couple

http://www.etsy.com/people/Karensfineart

Dew Drop Inn

A foggy autumn morning drifts in without a warning

 I cannot see across the pasture

But spiders have begun to gather

Strings of pearl strung about the yard

and a little sun on the liquid amber

Like four aces to a gambler

we have a stunning visual card

Go outside and play

live each day

as if it was your last

tomorrow is only the future

and yesterday is just the past

Breast Cancer Journey - Top of the Ninth

A little rain today, the air smells fresh and I'm on one of my inexplicable tears about the house: cleaning out drawers, rearranging my studio, switching pictures on the walls and delivering a Jeep load of cool stuff to our VNA Hospice Thrift Store.

I'll bet you're saying to yourself "What is she thinking she just had surgery on Wednesday?" Well the first couple of days I took care to keep my left arm close to my body. I'm mostly a "pullover shirt" kind of girl but I inherited some beautiful button up shirts, so like Napoleon (wrong arm, but you get the picture) I was able to tuck my left hand in between the buttons and be good, at least for a couple of days. 

I have felt really good, none of the side effects listed as possibilities ever showed up. For me it has been therapeutic to be doing what I've been doing, albeit very carefully. Ye olde sports bra was the best discovery of the journey: it applied pressure, shielded me from ice packs, protected the area from arm movement and kept my tatas from dancing around on my daily walks.

The highlight of my Saturday was a long hot shower ~ four days is a long time for this Pisces to be out of water, but I did okay. Camping has educated me on the art of the sponge bath. There are stitches and steristrips holding the incisions closed and then a huge patch of sterile gauze for cushioning and protection. The stitches and steristrips stay in place and you remove the pad to shower. The part they don't tell you about is that the tape to keep that pad in place is seriously akin to duct tape - Everyone should have a roll in their toolkit!  Ouchamaymucho!

Update: My surgeon called this afternoon to say that my lymph nodes and vascular system are clean as a whistle which is excellent, cool beans, and just plain outstanding news. 

However, though the pathology report doesn't come out and say it directly, she said there is some concern that the margin, the extra area around the tumor that is removed, was not clean, that some of the cancer cells could be at large. We talked about it and decided the best approach is to go back into the incision and remove additional tissue. Since I already have an appointment on Thursday we'll take care of it then. Get to skip the dreaded radio-tracer bee sting and needle localization and go directly pass go to surgery for a gentle sleep and a little more tuck and roll.

I will still need to follow up with radiation in a month or two, but feel I have been dealt an amazing hand. I owe a lot to the women who took this journey before me, including my mother and a number of friends. I stand strong with my sisters around the world who are now on the same journey. Remember attitude is everything and don't hesitate to ask questions or get a second opinion.

A Promise to Pay it Forward: 10% of all my Etsy and craft fair sales this fall will be donated to Susan G. Komen For the Cure. Their website at http://ww5.komen.org/ has a lot of helpful information and ways to get involved.

Breast Cancer Journey - D Day Done

09/28/11 ~ To borrow a phrase from my two favorite Marines (the real Ken Rodgers and the mythical Jethro Gibbs from NCIS) OOORAH!

We got up when it was still dark and Rod took me out on the front porch to show me the sky. Long ago, when my parents passed away, we assigned them each a constellation, the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt. Both were visible, one right off the front porch and the other behind redwoods out back, so they too were part of my posse.

No coffee, no food = torture!

First stop to Nuclear Medicine for the radio tracer injection, said to feel like bee sting. I didn't feel the needle at all, but on the bee sting scale I'd say the injection was akin to a giant wasp on steroids. Take comfort in the knowledge it was only long enough to chant the F bomb to myself seven times.

Next stop to have what they call a needle localization. Numbing injection didn't hurt at all. The radiologist inserts a small tube with a small gauge wire down to the tiny marker placed when I had original biopsy. The wire guides my surgeon to the exact place.

Next stop outpatient surgery clinic for admissions and chats with my operating room nurses, anesthesiologist and surgeon, all while lounging in a comfortable bed with back and knee supports and warm blankets. All I needed was a stuffed teddy bear. The atmosphere was relaxed and calming. I wasn't nervous at all. They hooked me up to IV for fluids and I presume sedation, because the next thing I know I'm in recovery with my eyes half open. While I was there my surgeon went out to talk to Rod. She is really confident that she got it all, and the sentinel node was very small which is a good sign. Tissue and nodes are in for biopsy so we'll know for sure in a couple of days. The stay in recovery about an hour and a half and then we were on our way home.

Next stop our favorite Chinese restaurant to pick up a couple of orders of hot and sour soup (our version of chicken soup) and the video store for a few movies. I parked myself in one of the barcaloungers: Rod ceded the remote to me, served me soup and with an ice pack chaser and left me to rest for a couple of hours. 

The movie we watched last night was Rango. The animation, writing, and constant play on words keep us laughing out loud. Lucky I didn't pop a stitch. One of the lines we wrote down (we listened to twice so I think we heard it right) was "it's a puzzle, it's like a big old mammogram". Somehow appropriate for this adventure, wouldn't you say? If you haven't seen it, rent it.

09/29/11 ~ I've had very little discomfort today, haven't needed any pain medication. I am one lucky rascal. I owe a huge hug to my posse of friends from near, far and other dimensions who have been sending me energy and positive thoughts all along the road. My friend Nancy just dropped off home made cookies and my neighbors down the hill brought me a dozen yellow roses! Sweeet! Well back to the barcalounger: soup, movie, ice and a foot rub on the menu tonight. I'm pretty easy to please.

Breast Cancer Journey - D Day

Yikes, lumpectomy surgery is tomorrow but my proverbial ducks are lined up and my questions asked so I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Taking notes really helped! Kaiser staff and doctors played a huge part in preparing me for this journey and lessened my fears of the unknown. There is the great interactive program on their website that walks you through each step and what to expect at https://my-emmi.com/

The X Factor: The biography I wrote for my 40th Tamalpais HS reunion (2003) was entitled "My Middle Name Should Have Been Serendipity". If you've read any of my blogs you'll begin to understand this cosmic force of nature has been a huge part of my life's journey. I found out today that not one, but two of my friends had the same surgeon and said she was the best. Works for me!

My knight/chef will be there at every turn and has promised to spoil me rotten and give me foot rubs while I heal. Friends from near and far have checked in with good wishes, healing thoughts and humor. What more could a girl ask for?

D-Day starts early

At 7:45am I head to Nuclear Medicine for an injection in my breast of a blue and/or radioactive tracer that travels along the same path cancer cells travel as they spread. I've been told the injection can be uncomfortable (might sting a bit, uhuh!) and asked if there was something available to mitigate the discomfort. Found out there is topical compound that will numb the area and asked for a prescription. Never be afraid to ask about options!!!

That done, I'm off to the mammography clinic. My tumor is so small it cannot be felt so I'll be having something done called a "wire localization". The area will be numbed with a local and then using ultrasound or x-ray images a very thin wire will be guided to the tumor. My surgeon can then follow the wire to the tumor during surgery. When the tumor is removed the surgeon will also take a margin around it to be tested.

My cancer is called "invasive ductal carcinoma" which means it has escaped the duct wall and may have moved into the lymph system. If it has reached the lymph system, the sentinel lymph node, the one that is the brightest blue or has highest level of radiation from the tracer injection will be removed for biopsy along with a few others. 

The ideal scenario would be to find that: (1) the margin will test negative, meaning no cancer cells have spread from tumor and (2) sentinel node will confirm no cancer has reached the lymph nodes. I'm voting for this one. A possible scenario is that the margin is positive and/or nodes are involved. If that is the case additional surgery may be required. I'll know stage and next steps in a few days. Surgery will only take a couple of hours, then a couple of hours in recovery and I can go home. I can't wait for Thursday because that will mean Wednesday is history!

Yes, I'm a little nervous, but whatever the outcome I know I have a dedicated posse riding shotgun. This is just a bump in the road, or maybe one of Petaluma's infamous potholes, but my ponies have always been 4 wheel drives, so out of my way world I'll be back in the saddle in no time.

Original Posts:
A Journey of Another Kind 08/23/11
Nobody Told Me There’d be Homework 09/06/11
Required Reading:
Just Laugh Out Loud 09/09/11

Eight Friends, Dinner and a Movie

We spent last Sunday afternoon in Santa Rosa at a private screening, for friends and supporters, of a powerful documentary made by our friends Ken and Betty Rodgers. It's about the 26th Marine Regiment, Bravo Company and the Siege of Khe Sanh, Vietnam in 1968. It is an incredible story told by those who lived it, survived it and are sharing the experience in their own words. The title is:

"Bravo! Common Men, Uncommon Valor"

For a link to the project blog and trailers please go to http://bravotheproject.com/

After the screening, eight of us gathered for dinner at a Thai restaurant on lower 4th St. called Khoom Lanna, a short walk from the 6th Street Playhouse. As Betty and I looked around the table we realized this group of friends, old and new, from all walks of life had been drawn together by a common thread, our late friends Vince and Trisha Pedroia. We could only smile at the synchronicity of that moment and the serendipitous chain of events that brought this film from an idea to a realized dream. There be magic afoot.

The opening of a dialogue

After my husband Rod and I got home we started talking about Vietnam. I was a college student in my early twenties and pretty much out of touch with the realities of the war, perhaps by naiveté or by choice I don't remember. Rod had tried to enlist several times, but because of a medical condition was turned down.
 
We all need to think about the cause, effect and consequences for the generation, our generation, who was in the middle of it. I believe the film will provide new understanding and long overdue healing: for those who lived through it, for those who kept the home fires burning, for those who protested it, and for those too young to understand it.
 
The Vietnam War tore this country apart. No matter what your opinion was, it's now time to open your hearts and minds to the men and woman who did what their government asked of them. One of the terrible things about the Vietnam War was that our returning soldiers were not treated as heroes as are today's veterans, but as pariahs, spat upon and called baby killers. I hate the concept of war but I will always support the men and women who serve.
 
Unfortunately history continues to repeat itself and the same mistakes are made over and over again: A government of old men sends children to war and then looks the other way at the pathetic care provided for veterans and their families. The Ship of State following its Train of Thought over a cliff.
 
It's time for a sea change, a transformation of our thinking as human beings. Perhaps today’s young men and women can get it right and find another solution to the unending cycles of war that seem to stalk each generation.

Just a Day For Best Friends

Best Friends

http://www.etsy.com/people/PatriciaLeigh

Best Friends Forever

http://www.etsy.com/people/JLNilsson

Best Friends

http://www.etsy.com/people/HollyvisionArt

Girl's Best Friend

http://www.etsy.com/people/MarkJAsher

September Song

One morning you wake up at your usual time and realize the sun's not up yet, what's up with that? It's getting dark earlier too and the leaves are starting to change.

Oh wait, it's September. Shoot another summer bites the dust which means another year has passed, AGAIN! Okay so we're getting older, can't stop time, but you can enjoy the season. We often get our best weather this time of year.  

Autumn means less work in the garden as summer crops begin to fade and bulbs are pulled up and stored for spring.

September is the beginning of our craft fair season, which is a lot of hard work, but loads of fun. Tomorrow is our first, the 2nd annual Much Ado About Sebastopol Renaissance Fair. License to dress up and play make believe. How many adults do you know that get that chance?

For us it also becomes "nesting" season as in "let's clean out the nest and auxiliary storage nests and reduce the amount of stuff we possess". Henry David Thoreau said it best:

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!

Live the life you've imagined.
As you simplify your life
the laws of the universe will be simpler."

We used to take things to the flea market and make a few bucks, but who wants to waste a day anymore? We now donate items we no longer use to local charities to support their missions, all needed in these times.

So start with a drawer, start with a closet, start with room. Doesn't matter where, but just start. You'll be amazed at how good it feels, and you might even create a great new space for your favorite feline to snooze.

Closet Cat

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DonnaPellegata

It Comes in Threes - Part Deux

I just wrote about Omne Trium Perfectum in mid July and here we are again. My first thought was now what have we done to piss off the goddess of the manor? But then I realized humans aren't the only things that age and have parts wear out.

One – Hmmm, I wonder how long it's been since we changed the filters on our water system. Much of Sebastopol's well water harbors bacterial iron and other minerals so it's a given that things get will get funky on a regular basis. One should change filters annually. Check the paperwork - oh crap - it's been two years. Hey Culligan Man! Filter change quite reasonable, but what's that you say the compressor's shot too? Whoa $760 is an expensive lesson, but we’re trainable and a filter change is on the calendar for next summer.

Two - White Fang the Jeep ~ the extremely comfortable, 5.9 liter, deep throated and trustworthy beast I've have had for almost 12 years. She just turned up 180K so I was banking on a major tune up this week which is an ouch by itself at $550, though well worth expense. I trust my mechanic!

But life isn't always simple is it? I notice a small leak on my front differential and make a note to show him the next day. I take off to go workout and start hearing a really strange noise. I'm thinking this isn't good and since I was less than a ½ mile from home I turn back. It started getting louder. As I start up our road I'm chanting "Come on baby just get me home, just get me home". On the second to last corner of the driveway I hear a loud "thunk" and all of a sudden I'm driving a Mack truck with no power steering. I park in front of the house and open the hood. Yikes, no serpentine belt and fluids hemorrhaging everywhere. I walked back down the road and retrieved the belt.

Because the Jeep is a 4X4 a flat bed tow truck is in order to get it to my mechanic. All of a sudden I’m really glad we have AAA (first time I’ve actually had to use it). The guy shows up about 7:50am with a 26 footer and his first words are "I can't turn around up here". I said "Of course you can, bigger trucks than this little puppy have turned around here". He gave me a really testy look.

By then my neighbors up are because their kids heard the big truck and all are out watching. They're kind enough to move their vehicles so the big guy could get turned around in their driveway at the end of the road. He loads up and off he goes. About 30 minutes later I get a call from AAA to verify the address where he’s supposed to go (the street is like 3 blocks long). I call my mechanic to see if he's arrived. Kathy, his wife says “No but I just saw the tow truck go by he'll figure it out eventually.”

She called back the next day and said "Well, we expect things wear out with this much mileage, but not all at once". At that point we just burst out laughing. The front differential needs R&R, water pump replaced, power steering repair and major tune up. The job is done and I pick the Jeep up this afternoon. The invoice is only $1,968.79.

This is what my friend Trisha would have called an “Oh Well” moment. It a huge amount of money, and really inconvenient, but even this is really "small stuff" in the big picture.

Three – Oh well, oh well!

It seems the cement pad that surrounds our well head and holds the pressure tank is slowly crumbling and heading down the hill (It's over 40 years old and had a falling tree rock it's world about 6 years ago). Our well guy suggested we might want to replace the slab prior to winter. Preventative maintenance called for here, so let's stay one step ahead on this one. Estimate is about $500, seems like chump change at this point!

Messages here:

• Due diligence on preventative maintenance whether it’s your body, your home or your vehicle.
• Set up an automatic amount to go in your savings every month (no see ‘em, no spend em), no matter how small it adds up and can save your proverbial bacon.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff because most of it is small stuff.
• See the humor in everything.
• Now go treat yourself to a massage, you've probably earned it!

Today

Today is not for

I should be

I'm supposed to

I need to

Today is for

Saying thank you to those who serve

Hometown Heros

http://www.etsy.com/people/KimDow

Opening a door for someone

Smiling at a stranger

Taking a walk outside

Calling a friend

Planting a tree

Dancing in your living room or

Making a child giggle

Remembering

Those no longer with us

http://www.etsy.com/people/samclarkphotography

Never Forgetting

How precious life is and

How lucky we are

Life is too short to sit around and let happen: follow your heart, chase your dreams, and do what makes you happy. Rain or shine step outside for a few hours. It's amazing what awaits you on the other side of the door!

Just Laugh Out Loud

Did you know that:

Laughter relaxes the whole body and relieves physical tension and stress?
Laughter boosts the immune system by increasing infection fighting antibodies, decreasing stress hormones and improving resistance to disease?
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals that promote an overall sense of well-being?

Laughter protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and increasing blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack?

 

Inside Joke

http://www.etsy.com/people/gracegallery

The author of the following story is unknown but no doubt an audacious and fearless woman of my generation. I rarely share things forwarded to me but when I read it I laughed so hard I had tears running down my cheeks.

A Mature Woman Buying a Bathing Suit

When I was a child in the 1950s, the bathing suit for the mature figure was boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift, and they did a good job.Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure carved from a potato chip.

The mature woman has a choice, she can either go up front to the maternity department and try on a floral suit with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus that escaped from Disney's Fantasia, or she can wander around every run-of-the-mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of fluorescent rubber bands.

What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room.

The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which gives the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you would be protected from shark attacks. Any shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash.

I fought my way into the bathing suit, but as I twanged the shoulder strap in place I gasped in horror, my boobs had disappeared! Eventually, I found one boob cowering under my left armpit. It took a while to find the other but finally located it flattened beside my seventh rib. The problem is that modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is now meant to wear her boobs spread across her chest like a speed bump. I realigned my speed bump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full view assessment.

The bathing suit fit all right, but unfortunately it only fitted those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom and sides. I looked like a lump of Playdough wearing undersized cling wrap. As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent sales girl popped her head through the curtain, "Oh, there you are," she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.

I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two-piece that gave the appearance of an oversized napkin in a serving ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard-skin bathers with ragged frills and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane having a rough day. I tried on a black number with a midriff fringe and looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear them.

Finally, I found a suit that fit, it was a two-piece affair with a shorts-style bottom and a loose blouse-type top. It was cheap, comfortable, and bulge-friendly, so I bought it. My ridiculous search had a successful outcome, I figured. When I got it home, I found a label that read, "Material might become transparent in water." 

Oh My!

Thirties Bathing Beauty

http://www.etsy.com/people/ktullo

So, if you happen to be on the beach or near any other body of water this year and I'm there too, I'll be the one in cut-off jeans and a T-shirt! Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain, with or without a stylish bathing suit!

Ladies Dancing in the Rain

http://www.etsy.com/people/hedgehogcottage

Nobody Told Me There'd be Homework

Information: Kaiser and the American Cancer Society provide copious amounts of helpful information for patients to read: explanations of diagnosis and treatment, different procedures and therapies, how to understand pathology reports, integrative health and healing services resources, post operative exercises, living smart and more. It’s all good, but a bit overwhelming. So where do you start?

http://www.etsy.com/people/soulfulsayings

Get Organized: I sat down one morning with all the booklets and flyers, a yellow highlighter and post it flags and began the task of educating myself. This is going to be an ongoing adventure so I figure it’s in my best interests to stay on point.

A binder sounded like a good start. I setup tabs for questions, notes, schedules, pathology reports, doctors, anesthesiology, post operative care, resources and a section for communications received from friends, acquaintances and total strangers who have sent humor and positive thoughts, offered to answer questions and forward information to help me on the journey. I also taped my team's business cards to the front inside cover for easy reference.

What's Next: At my age memory isn’t something that can always be relied upon, so I decided type up an outline and make a list questions to ask doctors. Several of my friends who have been through this offered to provide me with additional questions that I may not have thought about. I intend to use all resources offered.

On the Horizon: Due to an annual mammogram the cancer was caught early and the consensus is that it is Stage I, confined to a small area. My decision is to have a lumpectomy and radiation rather than a mastectomy. Surgery is scheduled for late September, followed by a radiation therapy for a minimum of four weeks. The game could change some if we find out that lymph nodes are involved, but the answer to that question will have to wait until surgery day. My take is to keep a positive attitude.

Community: This has become a community excursion. Countless women have made the journey before me, and others will find themselves in the shoes of the new kid on the block as I did, all members of the club no one wants to join. I am happy to have a sisterhood of strong women along for the ride and hope by sharing I can help take the thunder away from someone else’s fears.

Stay positive and dance your cares away.

Check out some amazing art in my latest Etsy Treasury

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTk2NTA5OXw2NzU1OTQ1NTk/dance-your-cares-away

The Unexplained

Sometimes things happen you can't explain ~ I know it as synchronicity. The term was first used by Carl Jung who defined it as "the coincidence of events that seem related, but are not obviously caused one by the other". A group of my friends are well acquainted with such phenomena and we no longer question it. We simply enjoy the ride and share knowing smiles.

A Facebook post from a friend in Oregon caught my eye this morning and I felt it was worth sharing. Dealing with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer and the journey to come, I found the quote both relevant and timely. Doing a little research I found the words were from philosopher Karl Marx, as applicable today as in the 19th century.

"‎There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all life is too short to be anything but happy."

Wake Up Each Morning and Choose Your Attitude

  http://www.etsy.com/people/StudioChamberlain

As I was writing this post, an instrumental came on the radio that just made me stop, listen and smile. I found out it was "Water Song" from Hot Tuna. I think it will be the first addition to my "healing play list".

 

 

 

So now it's time to go outside and enjoy the end of Summer ~ my gladiolas need to be dug up to make room for some fall and winter vegetables. Your mission is to go outside and play in the dirt too.

A Journey of Another Kind

The day before we left on our Oregon adventure in July, I had my annual mammogram done. When we got back there was a message that my radiologist wanted an additional one. I went in Aug 8th and waited while she went over the new films. 

She discovered some minuscule calcifications in my left breast and suggested that I have a Stereotactic Biopsy. They had an opening that afternoon so I decided to just do it before I had time to over think it. The procedure is a minimally invasive one that uses computerized three dimensional imaging to pinpoint suspicious areas and allow samples to be taken with a needle. Much to my surprise and relief it was not uncomfortable. By Thursday I had results and an appointment with my Breast Care Coordinator to discuss results and talk about options for treatment.

"Don't Panic" from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

What I have is called Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - most in situ (in the duct) and some outside the duct, hence the "invasive" moniker. The area is quite small and thought to be Stage I at this point. Early detection may well play a role in my future. If it's been awhile since your last mammogram I have three words for you "JUST DO IT".

Ladies with Attitude

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My girlfriends are women with attitude and several are breast cancer survivors. All have embraced me with love, knowledge, humor, and offers of the occasional kick in the butt as needed. The most important message thus far is "be your own advocate and don't hesitate to ask questions or get a second opinion".

Leaning on a Friend

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Needless to say, I'm calling all my spirit guides back from their reveries, retirement and galactic roadtrips.

The Appearance ~ Guardian Angel

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Time to cowgirl up! It is what it is and I intend to face it with my usual optimism and the love and strength of my knight/chef and friends. Writing is good medicine for me so I have decided to blog about the journey.

Perseverance

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Thought for the Day: Quit sitting around waiting for life to happen and start chasing your dreams. Just breathe deep and jump!

Furball in a Calico Jumpsuit

Our neighbors are off on a month long adventure to deliver their two eldest to colleges in the north central and south eastern US. Their housesitter fell through at the last minute and they asked if we could take care of the cat. I have a slight allergy to some cats, but she's the very independent outdoor type so we figured it would be fine. One of the boys carried her up the morning they left, put her and her food bowl on our deck along with a 25lb bag of kibble. She's a small calico with amazing green eyes.

Around dinner time I was cleaning up in the kitchen and turned to ask Rod if he'd fed her yet. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I hear a thunk and look up to see four paws attached to the window screen over the kitchen sink. Like most cats she is a quick study.

We have a couple of padded rockers on the deck, she has already claimed one and spends her nights there atop a folded up sleeping bag. If her bowl's empty she'll knock on the screen door or follow you around outside until you get the message. Her given name is Princess Paddy Paws but she goes by Kitty. She's only been here a week and is already growing on us.

Post Scripts

IPhonea: Land sakes, not only does an IPhone have a yellow pad for notes you can email to yourself, it also makes videos (Showing my age, eh? Well I'm at an age where I don't really give a rat's patootie what people think and that's a very liberating state of mind). Little did I know, until we got home from this trip, that Rod had made a video while I was taking photos at Sweet Creek Falls. Dignity be damned, the shot was worth it and so was the video.  

Bird Straifing: Our rig has two small (10" x 10") screened skylights for ventilation and light, one in back by the kitchen and one up front. The first thing you do when setting up camp is to open them. Instead of a sleeping area up over the cab there's a television flanked by storage cabinets. After a walkabout day and dinner one night we decided to watch a movie. I noticed something splattered on the lower corner of the screen that looked like bird poop. Sure enough a wet paper towel confirmed it. When you think about the physics of a straifing flyby that made it through a 3" opening and screen at the proper angle to hit the TV screen it was pretty amazing.  

Dogs in pickups: I always worry about dogs riding loose in pickup truck beds. Many owners have their pups safely tethered but a majority don't. We were stopped at a red light in Bandon, OR when an older Jeep Cherokee pulled up next to us. The rear driver side window was down. A happy looking German Shepherd was sitting in the seat with his head out the window and his seat belt on. That's what I call a responsible owner or one smart dog!

When eating out in Oregon always ask your waitress about portions: We were totally shocked at the lumberjackesque portions served at restaurants in Oregon and learned to ask questions first. When we asked our waitress at a Coos Bay eatery if the half portion of a particular salad would be enough if we split it she simply smiled and said "Oh Yeah". We did our best to finish it, but it may have been enough for a family of four.

So the point is: Plan less and wander more. Don't take things so seriously. There is something amusing in any situation. Squeeze the life out of every day before your head hits the pillow. Sweet Dreams!

The Turn for Home

Did you ever ride horses when you were a kid? A horse always seems to sense when you make the turn for home. Ears perk up and each step has a little more spring. We've been out for a little over two weeks on a grand adventure: some places familiar and some new ~ but for the first time in ages it's been on our terms, at our pace. Once back to the coast we begin the journey south, excited about getting home.

We camped in the Redwoods north of Crescent City and spent the next night with old friends in McKinleyville. Our last night out was at Richardson's Grove on the Eel River just south of Benbow. There's magic in the grove that's enthralled me since I was a kid. Posted on the nature walk in one of the groves are words from John Steinbeck:

The redwoods, once seen,

leave a mark or create a vision

 that stays with you always...

they are not like any other trees we know,

they are ambassadors from another time

An afternoon walk along the river and up through the redwoods back to camp for dinner, cribbage and reading was the perfect last day out. We read seven books between the two of us ~ time well spent.

We got "back to our barn" around 1pm yesterday and took a deep breath. As much as we enjoy travelling we love getting home even more. Friends and neighbors cared for the house and gardens in our absense. The weather is quintessential summer with foggy mornings and warm breezy afternoons. A few chores have piled up, but we have ripe tomatoes, blackberries to pick and the Gravenstein apples are almost ready to harvest for pies and applesauce. The Sonoma County Fair is in full swing so that's next on our to do list. Hope you've enjoyed the journey.

Add a Little Sweet to the Lemonade

07/31 ~ Day 3 on the Siuslaw River dawns on a bit of a sour note. We emerge from the rig to find that our Grillmaster grill and propane case have been pinched. Good thing we packed everything else up last night! The girls next door had left for the coast before we got up so we couldn't ask if they'd heard anything. The bicycle campers down the way thought they'd heard a boat about 11:30pm.

Our theory is that it was probably the disgruntled speed racers from yesterday getting back at the owners. Our rig was on the perimeter of the camp area open to trees and the riverbank and no doubt the path of least resistance for the local opportunists. The violation of trust initially ticks us off, but truth of the matter is that it's just stuff and can be replaced. We have a hearty breakfast, report it to the owners and then take off on our adventure to Sweet Creek Falls. Once on the trail the morning's disappointment is quickly forgotten.

Following the ancient trail ~ hieroglyphics from another time

 The Upper Falls

Trail to the Homestead

The walk from the upper falls down to the lower trail head of Sweet Creek is about a mile. The morning is cool and as the sun rises in the sky the light continues to change providing great photographic opportunities. Back to the rig and off to the coast.

Rod's thinking he'd like to get more fishing in before we head home so we spend the night in Coos Bay and tonight just north of Crescent City in a place called the Redwoods. Tomorrow we'll start to check out the rivers along the coast route to home (Klamath, Mad, Van Duzen and Eel). No hurry, we still have five days to explore.

High Drama or High Comedy?

7/30 Day 2 on the Siuslaw River - the morning dawns calm and cool.

We spend most of the day reading in the shade and Rod once again tries to catch something with fins ($36 for two day license, no fish = recreational therapy). 

Early afternoon some new neighbors move in a couple of campsites away, three women on a girl's weekend, to relax and do some clamming on at the coast tomorrow. 

River etiquette requires you slow your boat down when passing other boats or docks where boats are moored otherwise your wake can reek havoc. A couple of idiots in a speed boat keep racing up and down the river towing someone on an inner tube. Truth be told it looked like fun, but the waves were banging the moored pontoon and pleasure boats against the dock.

One of the pontoon boats evidently belongs to the owner of the Park, who was up visiting for a few days and checking in with the camp hosts. All of a sudden the four of them come running down the knoll between our sites, yelling at the boaters to slow the bleep down and trying to get a hull number so they can report them to the sheriff. The boaters flip off the "river rangers" and continue the joy ride. The park owner then fires up his pontoon boat and parks it in the middle of the river prepared for a showdown.

At this point we share a double take with the neighbors. One of them shouts "I thought we were here for some peace and quiet?" to which Rod responds "It's Days of our Lives" and we all disintegrate into laughter (out of earshot of the owners of course).

Things calmed down for a bit and then we figure the owners and camp hosts get their wires crossed again. One of the guests has a small boat that didn't need to be moored so it was pulled up on the bank and tied to a piling. He's taking his dog and some gear back his site further up the hill when the owner's wife asks what he's going to do about his boat battery. He calmly replies that he'd be back for it since his hands are full. The next thing we know the camp host's wife is in screaming hysterics because this poor guy (I'd say harassed camper) came somewhat unglued when she too asks him about moving the battery. File this one under "too many cooks in the kitchen" or "who's on first?"

Geeze Louise what a side show - towards dusk they all retreat to the barn and us peace loving campers get on with fixing dinner and settling in around our campfires.

We did see a couple of more meteors but the fog was starting to roll in so we called it a night. Got most of our gear put away that was outside, but had to wait until we can retract the slide out in the morning before we can stow Rod's Grillmaster Grill and propane bottles.

The saga continues...