Prayers for Andi and Alisa

Please say a prayer for my melanoma friends, Andi and Alisa, who are both battling melanoma and fighting for their lives right now.  My heart is breaking for them and their families and I am holding onto hope for a miracle for each of them!  I know it can happen and I know that by faith, anything is possible!

 

 



4.5 Years!!

 

I just celebrated clean scans and 4.5 years remission!  This definitely calls for a "jump for joy"!  A few of my girlfriends tagged along with me to SF for a little getaway and for moral support.  We had a great time exploring my home city and of course, celebrating the good news!!

 

I have to admit, I had severe anxiety (maybe even more than normal) leading up to these scans.  I was having more nightmares than usual and it didn't help that in the recent weeks prior to my scans, a couple of my melanoma comrades weren't doing well.  That always leads to all kinds of doubt and fear of the cancer returning for me.  I just never take good news for granted and I don't ever feel confident that I will receive good news.  There was one small glitch in my good news however...My oncologist noticed that my scar tissue in my lung looked a little inflamed.  He thinks this is to due to a bad cold I was still going through (which was upper respiratory and sinus related).  It scared me a little, but he didn't seem too concerned about it.  He could tell that it made me nervous though, so instead of waiting 6 months for my next scans, I will be getting them in 3 months (here in Boise).  I just have to have faith that he feels confident it is nothing and just related to my infection.  I'm sure it is too, but I won't have 100% peace of mind until I get my next scans (in May).

 

Crossing fingers things will be ok and if so, I will get scanned again in August and then go 1 year between scans!!!

37 years, say what?!

 

It's hard to believe that I'm 37, which means I've entered my late 30's?!?!  I used to complain about turning another year older, but I have since learned that growing older is a privilege denied by many.  There was a time not too long ago that the number "37" seemed nearly impossible to reach, so I consider it the most precious gift to live to see another birthday.

Moments

 

One of my favorite moments from our trip to Costa Rica.  We had just finished a thrilling white water rafting trip through the jungle and stopped on a hillside for a drink, when low and behold, we witnessed this beautiful sight.  It was so breathtaking, the light, the green, the peacefulness of the forest.  We sat there in awe of this view for a few moments and I remember thinking, "This is what heaven will be like."

 

 

Kicking off 2015 with a bang!!

 

 All I have to say is that 2015 is off to a good start.  We spent 10 days in Costa Rica with family and it was a DREAM.  Seriously, I never wanted to come home.  In fact, I want to move there now! HA!

 

Traveling is so good for the soul. Traveling with the ones you love is the most precious, quality time you could spend together free of world cares and distractions.  We spent 10 days in paradise---zip lining through rain forest, rappelling down (and jumping off!) waterfalls, hiking in the jungle, boogie boarding and surfing in the waves, swimming in the warm ocean, observing (up close and personal!) wildlife, rafting down a river, horseback riding to some spectacular falls, snorkeling amidst tropical fish, kayaking crystal blue waters, soaking in lush hot springs, meeting new people, and stuffing ourselves with delicious Costa Rican food!  We also spent hours just laughing, talking, having dance parties, playing games, and hanging out together at "home".

 

It was a dream come true and a trip that we will never forget!!!  I am so thankful for the opportunity we had to go with extended family and share the experience together.  Life is GOOD!!!

 

(For more pictures of our epic trip, visit our family blog here and here.)

2014 comes to a close

As 2014 comes to a close in just a week, I reflect on this past year with so much gratitude for all the blessings I have been given!  I don't know what I did to deserve them, but God has certainly blessed my life beyond belief.

 

 

I am especially grateful to be here with my boys still.  I recall a time when I wondered if I didn't make it, if they would even remember me.  Every year that goes by, I feel blessed to have another year with them.  More memories, more life experiences, more growth, more TIME.

 

 

I am ever hopeful that 2015 will be a great year too!!

 

 

Merry Christmas!!



Share the Gift

 

Our Lord, Jesus Christ is the reason for the season!  I am so grateful for his birth, his life, his life, and most importantly, his sacrifice for us to live with Him again someday.  I know that he loves us and knows us individually and only wants us to have true happiness.  To me, true happiness is living a life that would make Jesus Christ proud of, serving and helping others, keeping the commandments, and loving one another.

No coicidences

Just in the last 2 weeks, I have had 3 different people reach out to me that read my article in Cancer Today, then found my blog, and contacted me.  All 3 were people dealing with Stage 4 melanoma, like myself.  All 3 were in the trenches of the disease, still dealing with the shock and devastation that comes from that kind of diagnosis.  All 3 were also clinging to some kind of hope that there were survivors out there.

 

 

It's times like those that make me extremely grateful that I have been willing to share my story with the public. Every time I have done just that, I have done it with the sole goal of reaching others that, like me once, were reaching for a glimmer of hope in all of this.  Sometimes it's very hard to hear their stories and not feel guilty that I'm still here.  It's also hard because hearing their experiences gives me anxiety of the harsh reality of this disease.  And that is, that unfortunately, most people don't make it past a couple of years.

 

 

The 3 people that reached out to me, I was able to either email or talk with, and it was a very humbling experience.  I am so grateful that God has used me as a tool to help others in some way, and there have been numerous times where I have known that was my purpose here on Earth, and why I was still here.  There are no coincidences.

Nightmares=Reality??

Every once in awhile, I have these nightmares of the cancer returning.  I wake up, usually in a cold sweat, heart pumping, unable to breathe.  I quickly snap out of it and realize it's all a dream, but sometimes it feels so real I'm not sure it was a nightmare or not.

 

 

You would think that nearly 5 years out of this, I wouldn't have these kinds of nightmares anymore.  But the truth is, they are and probably will always be my subconscious thoughts and fear of this disease taking over my body again.  I realize that it's probably normal to have these kinds of thoughts still, but they still haunt me and cause anxiety.

 

 

To be completely honest, part of me feels like I'm not "done" yet with this disease, that it will come back.  Does that mean it will take my life?  I don't know, but sometimes I feel like my gut is telling me that it will return.  But then again, maybe that's just my way of preparing for the worst (that's the realist in me).

 

 

It's a fine line of balancing both worlds, I've decided.  I think I've gotten pretty good at it, but it's still hard.  On one hand, I try to live my life as normally as I can, taking good care of myself, living in the moment and not worrying about the future and the unknown so much.  On the other hand though, I see so many people around me that are falling victim to this disease and that scares the beejeezes out of me.  Am I just a waiting duck?  Or by some miraculous reason, am I cured forever?

 

 

I try to have faith in God's will and purpose for me, and sometimes, that's the only thing I have to stick to.

Seize the day

 

I think if my life could have a motto, this would be it.  I have always tried to live life to the fullest, but ever since my cancer diagnosis, this motto takes on a whole new meaning.

 

To me, seizing the day doesn't necessarily mean doing fun, adventurous, grand things everyday. I think it means enjoying the small things in life, the moments that make you stop and express gratitude for this life you live.  Seizing the day is making the most of your life, even during dark times and I believe that we can do that if we choose to focus on the good and not the bad.

 

 

The other day it was freezing cold (like 0 degrees, which is freezing for November) and I was picking up the kids from school.  On our way home, we saw a bunch of kids having a snowball fight on the side of the road in our neighborhood.  They were having a great time, despite the freezing temperatures.  My kids urged me to pull over so they could join in on the fun.  Normally, I would've said no (despite the cold weather, didn't we have homework to do?), but this time, I said ok, and so we pulled over and got out of the car.  Before we knew it, we were in the thick of a snowball fight and all of a sudden, it didn't seem cold anymore!  We were only outside for 10-15 minutes maybe, but after we were done, I noticed the happy, flushed faces on my kids (and my own!), and I knew that was a moment that we had chosen to seize the day.  It was such a small thing, and it wasn't grand, but it was a happy moment and one that made me very grateful for many things.

 

 

 

(Happy kids, happy mom.  Life is good.)

 

I've come to the conclusion that life should be made up of lots of the small moments...where we seize the day and enjoy this gift of life that we are given.

Between you and God

Peace and Love, Lisa Formato

A couple of years ago, I posted about an amazing woman, Lisa Formato who was fighting Stage 4 melanoma.  We even featured her story on our website because her story was not only inspiring, but also different than that "norm".  Lisa took an unconventional route for many years fighting the disease primarily holistically.  Her and I emailed back and forth many times about her methods and research for fighting the disease naturally, as I was fascinated to hear about her path of treatment.  She gave me lots of ideas and tips for my own fight, and although some of it was a little extreme for me, I always thought she was brave for choosing this path and giving it everything she had.  Lisa fought melanoma for almost 10 years, but recently passed away.  I was devastated to hear this news.

 

Lisa was such a fighter, a pillar of strength and hope to so many, myself included and even though I never met Lisa personally, I will always keep her in my memory and look up to her example of never giving up, all the while fighting with a smile on her face.  Rest in peace, sweet Lisa!


You can read Lisa's blog and story here.

Much needed today

Truth!!

Miracle for Kathy Taylor

 

There are many stories of melanoma warriors that have touched me through the years, some who have lived on well past their prognosis and are thriving, others that were taken too soon.  Each time I read these stories, I am always reminded of how blessed I am to still be here.

This story pricked my soul in a different way, on a deeper level.  This young mom of five (pictured above) was recently diagnosed with aggressive Stage 4 melanoma while she was pregnant.  She chose to forgo treatment at first, to give her baby a chance to live, but ultimately, became so sick from the cancer, that she was told she needed to deliver the baby early (at 26 weeks), so that she could start treatment to save her life.

Baby Luke was born and doing well for a preemie.  Kathy, on the other hand, was declining fast, and doctors at first thought she wouldn't live past the weekend following Luke's birth.  Kathy's liver was failing and doctors needed to do something fast.

Then the miracles started happening.  All of a sudden, Kathy's health took a turn for the better slowly but surely.  Kathy got to a point, where the doctors were able to stabilize her liver so she could begin treatment for melanoma.  After she was only given days to live, now all of a sudden, she was living weeks beyond this devastating news.  And not only that, she was given the ok to be released from the hospital so she could go home! (Under the care of doctors and healthcare providers, of course.)

The unfortunate news is that baby Luke didn't make it.  He passed away due to complications in his digestive system.  I can't even imagine how Kathy or her family feel.  But I'm also comforted to know that they feel peace and reassurance that they will be with their son again in heaven.

Please pray for this mother and wife, as she continues to astonish doctors with her progress, but needs our prayers and support all the while!


You can read the first news story here , the updated story here, or for the family's blog and updates, read here.

Social norms and melanoma

 

I read a very interesting article the other day about how social norms in our culture have influenced the spike in melanoma in the last 30 years.  If you think back to the turn of the century, for the most part, people covered up (in regards to clothing).  They also idolized porcelain skin, in which was also meant a "higher" class in society, while tan skin was usually found in people who worked outdoors in the fields and were "lower" class in society.

 

 

The article also points out that earliest evidence that UV exposure could lead to skin cancer was found in the early 20th century, but ignored by most people. As the years went on, from the 1940s to the 1960s, tan skin hit its stride, and bikinis and T-shirts were the clothes of choice. But incidences of melanoma went up 300% in men and 400% in women between the 1930s and 1960s.

 

 

And now the incidence rate of melanoma is an all-time high.  What's interesting to me is that awareness and education for the disease is also increasing, yet people seem to be ignoring the statistics and opting for the tanning beds, the long, unprotected exposure in the sun, and less clothing.

 

 

Can we change this?  Yes, we can, but it's going to take small groups of people to change and make an impact, before we see any real decrease in incidence and deaths from this melanoma.

 

You can read the full article here.

Sums it up ;)

Now what?!

 

 

My kids started school this week and it's always bittersweet.  I love having them home for the summer, but I also look forward to the "routine" that school brings.  I will admit, starting school this year was more "bitter" than "sweet" because my baby went to first grade!  I have long dreaded this day and boy, was I a mess!!  It's a huge milestone to have all your kids in school all day!

 

 

Many moms look forward to this day and I'm hoping I will feel that way eventually, but for now, I'm mourning having my youngest in school all day and not to myself anymore.  Plus, kids seem to grow up so much when they go to school all day. :(

 

 

So, I've been thinking, now what?! Do I go back to work?  What do I with myself now that I have all this time while the kids are in school?  First things first though, it's not like I'm going to be BORED and have NOTHING to do.  There's always things to do--clean the house, grocery shop, pay bills, run errands, volunteer in the class, help friends, attend to my church responsibilities, the list goes on. Oh, and then there's always the non-profit responsibilities too.  So, it's not like I don't have plenty to do.  I guess I just feel like now is the time to be productive in the world again, help out with finances, and well, reinvent myself.

 

 

For now, I'm going to try to get used to being all by myself during the day, but stay tuned, I have a feeling that big changes are on the horizon!!

Hot off the press!

 

Another treatment was approved for metastatic melanoma!  This drug, otherwise known as Anti-PD1 is similar to Yervoy, in that it enhances your immune system to kill off the cancerous cells (to put it simply).  What's great about this treatment is it is showing better efficacy with less severe side effects.

 

You can read the complete article here.



How the sun sees you

 

This is a very powerful message about the importance of sunscreen and how damaging the sun really is.  You will be blown away!!!