If it weren't for modern medicine I don't think I would have my family. Believe it or not I had to go to a fertility doctor to start our family. Yep, hard to believe, but my first four children are all fertility babies. Five and six were just plain miracles!
Read MoreThankful for...Technology
I have a love hate relationship with technology. Mostly I love it and like all things that we love we never say anything until it is missing, doesn't work right or broken. That's how I feel about technology.
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Long Beach, Washington
Thankful for...the Sun
Growing up my front door faced east so I saw the sun rise over the Lutheran church across the street. I thought there was nothing so beautiful as that sun rise. It was gorgeous. I've seen a few sunrises in my life and there is only a few that can top that sunrise of my childhood.
Read MoreThankful for...Genes
There's nothing like reflecting that causes one to stop and think about those who went before. Yesterday as i searched for a photo of my uncles who served in the Military and for one of my brother (couldn't find one), I saw a lot of great old photos. My parents grew up in poor families and therefore they don't have a lot of photos of themselves when they were growing up. Likewise, I grew up very poor as well and I don't have very many pictures of me. But funny thing is, I'm comparing that to what I have of my children, and I have thousands of pictures of my children. Why, because I didn't want my children to wonder what yesterday was like.
Read MoreThankful for ... Veterans
I never did get to meet my Uncle Ammon as he died in 1957 in France while serving our country.
I met Uncle John a couple of times, but we were too poor to visit him very much.
These are my oldest two uncles and I'm ever so proud of them. They both served in World War II. Ammon was Army and John was Marines.
My father wasn't able to serve in the Korean War (something to do with medical/physical--they must have been really picky, but I'm ever so thankful because he probably wouldn't have married my mom).
Read MoreThankful for...my Mother-in-law
I know most daughters are supposed to hate their mother-in-law but I actually like mine. Sure she has her quirks, but so do I. Here are some of the reasons I love her and am thankful for her:
Read MoreThankful for...Soccer
For the past sixteen years I've been involved with youth soccer in some form or another. I put my first child in soccer when he turned 6 and Steve stepped up to be the coach. Steve was the official coach but I was the unofficial assistant coach as well as team manager. Oh, we had a blast that year. Every Saturday in the months of September and October, rain or shine (mostly rain) we would be at Marymoor park with a couple other hundred families cheering, groaning, laughing and having a great time with our children.
Read MoreThankful for...Voting
We just voted and I would have posted this on Election Day, but it was my husband's birthday and he kind of trumps this post.
I'm thankful for a land where I can vote. My voice isn't always heard, but then again I cast my vote. I'm just thankful I can vote.
Thankful for...Hair
Thankful for...Steve
Today I couldn't let the day go without stating one of the top things I'm thankful for:
Steve!
Today happens to be his birthday!
Read MoreThankful for...My Camera
Today I'm thankful for my camera. I'm not even close to the best photographer in the world, but I do love to take pictures. I capture moments in time that mean something to me. There was an emotion behind the lifting of the camera to my eye.
Read MoreThankful for...Mountains
For forty years I have lived in Washington State. She is a pretty state! For the past twenty-three years I've lived in Western Washington which is totally different than Eastern Washington. One side is brown and dry and the other is green and wet. Both are beautiful and from both sides you get to see the mountains.
Read MoreThankful for...Family Home Evening
Today I'm thankful for Family Home Evening. Family Home Evening is something that we do as member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We set aside one night a week (usually Monday) and gather our family together to have a lesson or activity on whatever we want.
Read MoreThankful for....Puppies
I am thankful for my puppies.
Read MoreWhat's in a Name?
So I became a ref.
Read MoreBirthdays...
September is Blood Cancer Awareness month. How appropriate that it also be my birthday month.
Not many people, especially woman, want to acknowledge their years once they are over 29, but let me burn the house down with forty-four candles!
Read MoreFive years.... It is what it is.
My mom passed away five years ago today. I've missed her every day. I will go back and read emails from her. Pick up a book of hers just to read her notes in the margins (she would even write in dime-store novels). I love her beautiful hand writing. She was a school teacher and so it was perfect hand writing.
Read MoreTrue Sacrifice: A Very High Bar
Today is my sister's birthday, but she isn't here to help celebrate it. In 2007 brain cancer took her from us. I wanted to celebrate her this year just because I need to find something positive to celebrate as I myself come upon 4 years with my own form of cancer (I have blood cancer). Not only that, but recently I have been going through some of our family photos and came upon a photo that I'm sure she is not pleased I have.
Read MoreEighty Candles
It isn't every year that one gets to celebrate with 80 candles on their birthday cake, but today my dad, Glenn Ostler gets to do just that!
Read MoreFour Years....
It has almost been four years that I have traveled this journey called cancer. I have learned a lot, gained a lot and lost a lot. I have cried a lot and smiled a lot. These past few months have been a roller coster of emotions. We are coming into what I want to call the longest year. it is the year that leads up to the bench mark of five years. Why is five years so important? Five years marks the spot where statistically the odds jump and are in your favor. A whole bunch of statistics start to be in my favor.
For patients 45 and younger (barely make that one) my survival rate goes up to 78% after the five year mark if I don't have a relapse. In fact that went up at the two year mark, but I didn't want to celebrate too much!
For patients with an agressive NHL (which I have) the survival rates go up and relapse go down after five years.
(Now it should be noted that scientist and doctors use the 5 and 10 year marks as a marker but it gives patients hope and a gauge for recovery.)
So here I sit within two months of my four year mark--August 2013, and I'm looking back at the journey I have traveled. What a journey. I'm not ready to close the book; I don't think that will ever happen until there is a cure, but I'm ready to face this next year. One that is full of anticipation and trepidation for me. Every blood draw has a heavier sign of relief. Every scan is dreaded even more. "What if they find something?" is a question I ask.
Well, I had my end of the three year scan and it did show something. I have a node in my right pelvic region that has grown just a bit. It went from 1 cm to 1.3 cm. Now that dosen't seem like a lot, but it is 30% bigger than it should be and that is a LOT. I know I shop for sales that are 30% or more!
The first scan was back in March and then we did another scan the beginning of June and it showed the growth so I went in last week for the all telling PETCT scan. (This is the one where you are on a high protein diet--no carbs-- and then you drink a sugar drink--GROSS!--then they shot you with a nuclear medication and then they scan you. The nuclear medication will go where there is cell growth and it will "light" up the screen. Well the results are in and the screen lit up on a very little bit. Doctor Kraemer isn't alarmed just yet and he wants to just watch it and scan again in September.
I'm not sure if that is a sigh of relief I just let out or a sigh of "not again". Anyway, I can move forward with my life.
I know many of you complain about the mundaneness of life, but enjoy it; there are far bigger worries out there.