Road Trip to Oshkosh

Today I had the pleasure of meeting up with some other Wisconsin breast cancer survivors from the Susan Komen message boards. Sara and I drove up to Oshkosh to meet Barb and Laura and had lunch at Fratellos Waterfront Restaurant. Our stories are all different, our treatments are all different. Some of us are starting treatment,out of treatment,ending treatment, yet we all know exactly how each other feels. Thank you ladies for sharing your stories and experiences! I look forward to our next get together.

I was also the lucky recipient of a pink basket today. There is a woman on the Komen message boards who is a BC survivor who pays it forward and makes Baskets for Breast Cancer and sends them out to other women with breast cancer. Sara nominated Laura and I to receive one of her baskets filled with comfort items and goodies. It was quite a surprise! Thank you Sara for nominating me and thank you Chris for your thoughtful and touching gift! Barb also surprised us with cute pink bracelets with a pink ribbon charm on them. Thank you Barb!

After spending the day in Oshkosh we headed home as I needed to get back for the Homecoming pictures. Here is a photo of Natalie and Katie with their cute dresses on.

TGIF

I am always glad when the week ends and the weekend is here. That means sleeping in! (and I do love to sleep). John has the day off and is going deer hunting (his duck hunting trip had to be cancelled due to his brother's work obligations. I was disappointed as I like it when he leaves for a week). I am in the office all day. I am STILL working on the girl's dresses. I had to make some slight alterations (these girls are fussy :)) with the straps and hems. They will be done by tommorrow.

12 days until chemo. I am picking up my premeds today. I have three anti-nausea meds all taken at different times;Zofran, Ativan and Compazine. I hope they work. I also have to take a steroid (Dexamethasone) the day before and the day after chemo to prevent fluid retention (and we certainly don't want that).

Tommorrow..... a road trip to Oshkosh!

Healthy Eating

This was a post I pulled from the Susan Komen website boards. It has some great information regarding anti-cancer fighting foods and eating healthy in general. Some of it we already know and have heard before, but some of it for me was new information. I thought I would post it on my blog this morning.

I recently had a great nutrition consult at a big medical center/cancer center with a dietician who has a special interest in breast cancer. Thought I would pass along some of her recommendations. A lot of it is common sense, but it always means more to me when an expert reminds me it could help prevent a recurrence! AIM FOR 7+ FRUITS/VEGGIES EACH DAY. Include at least one from each of these groups daily.Cruciferous veggies: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sproutsLycopene-rich produce: tomatoes, watermelonBeta-carotene rich: sweet ptotatoes, carrots, pumpkin, winter squashCITRUS: whole orange rather than juiceBERRIES: especially blueberriesDARK GREEN LEAFY VEGGIES: spinach, kale, collards, romaineRefer to dirty dozen list and try to buy those organic 3-6 SERVINGS WHOLE GRAINS DAILY:brown rice, whole wheat pasta, 100% whole wheat bread and bagels, quinoa, oatmeal, whole grain crackers, cereals. INCREASE FIBER:whole grains as above, plus beans daily. Bread should have at least 2 grams fiber/slice and cereal at least 4 grams/fiber. Fiber might help lower estrogen levels and is good source of vitamins and minerals that lower overall cancer risk. MINIMIZE ANIMAL PRODUCTS:Aim for plant based protein sources like beans. All meat should be organic and chicken is better than beef. Avoid cured or smoked foods containing nitrates/nitrites. Fish is good- esp. salmon, trout, mackeral, albacore tuna, and sardines. Eggs should be from free range, unmedicated chickens. MINIMIZE ALCOHOL:3/4 - 1 drink daily increases risk by 9%. 2 or more drinks daily increases risk up to 41%. If you do drink, make sure you get at least 300 micrograms of folate daily which will decrease risk somewhat. Folate rich foods include spinach, orange juice, fortified cereals, beans. CHOOSE HEALTHIER FATS:Avoid trans fats - hard stick margarine, Crisco, fried chips, french fries, store bought baked goods. Reduce saturated fats: cheese, butter, ice cream, processed foods. Use monounsaturated oils: EVOO, canola oil, olive and canola based cooking sprays. Nuts, esp. walnuts and almonds are a good source of plant protein, fiber, and healthy fats- but watch portion size as they are caloric. Almond butter is great. MINIMIZE DAIRY:There is some evidence that the insulin growth factor present in dairy (not added, it comes straight from the cow) can contribute to hormonal cancers like breast and prostate. She likes rice, oat, and hemp milk (???). Cheese is the worst dairy as it is so high in fat and has a higher concentration of IGF. In moderation, organic low fat dairy is ok - esp. yogurt. Hard to get enough calcium though without dairy. Definitely splurge on organic for dairy though to avoid the hormones they give cows to increase milk production. DRINK 4 cups of green tea daily. High in EGCG which in the lab has been shown to inhibit breast cancer growth. EAT 1-2 cloves garlic daily if tolerated. Contains diallyl sulfide, a tumor suppressor. INCREASE WATER INTAKE: At least 48oz. daily. Invest in fliter that removes lead, flouride, chlorine. Other tips- whole fruit always better than juice. If need juice, best is pomegranate, tart cherry. Vitamin D is rally important- get about 15 minutes of early morning or late day sun with no sunscreen and gets levels checked regularly. Supplement if low. Super foods:beans, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, salmon, EVOO, almonds, walnuts, avocado, blueberries, oatmeal. I'll update as I remember more- I still have tons<

Good morning!

Just to recap last night I went to book club for a short while. It was so great to see you guys!
I hope you picked a good book for next month.

Well, the junior girls lost to the senior girls ( pretty badly) but overall for only having 3 practices they actually played really well. It was really fun to see them playing. There were some laugh-out-loud moments watching girls play. LOL Natalie had a blast! She actually looked like she knew what she was doing out there and was able to pull a bunch of flags.

I am off to work today and then dinner with my friend Lynn to one of my favorite restaurants Bonefish Grill.

Plans for the Day

It is a tradition at the high school during Homecoming week to have the junior girls play the senior girls in a flag football game (Powderpuff game). Tonight is that game! The girls have had a few practices with their coaches (boys who volunteer basically) and have been having so much fun. As many of you know, Natalie's life over the past 9 years has been swimming. We have always encouraged her to try another sport. I never thought in a million years she would have fun playing flag football. LOL I hope she is not thinking of a scholarship in football for college. It should be a fun night. Let's hope the juniors beat those seniors!!

I also have book club tonight, so I will be making a short stop there tonight to visit with my girls before I head to the game. I basically will only be there for social hour, my favorite part. JK!
Looking forward to some good wine, food and conversation.

And.... for those of you who really want to know, I am hemming the dresses today. Woooohoooo.

Thought for the Day

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Just a typical Sunday afternoon!!!


I am in the home stretch for the Homecoming dresses (with only 6 days to go!). Yahooo! I just have some minor adjustments to make on both dresses which will only take a few hours and they are done!!!

Next on the list is finishing my book club book which needs to get done by Tuesday.

Another absolutely beautiful day in Wisconsin. I think it may have hit 80 degrees here! Hope everyone is enjoying the last day of the weekend.

Fall

I am not exactly sure where the summer went this year. My summer was cut short with doctor visits, hospital visits, tests and sleepless nights. August and September have been somewhat of a blur. One of my favorite times of the year is fall. I hate hot weather and like it when it is about 70 to 75 out. The last several years we have had such great fall weather. One of my favorite places is Northern Wisconsin. The photos above were taken in the Upper Peninsula during the fall season. My brother, Gary, is an awesome amateur photographer (I think he has a job with National Geographic but he says no LOL). He periodically sends me photos of the north woods and places he has visited. The photo on the upper right- hand side of my blog was also taken by him up at Lake Superior. I have always been interested in taking photos and my last birthday my family surprised me with a new Canon Rebel camera. I love this camera. It takes the greatest photos. I haven't had much time to play around with it (gee, I wonder why haha) and for now I just have it on automatic focus when I snap photos. I am hoping to get out shortly and take some fall photos in the area.

4 Weeks Post Op Surgery

Today is my 4-week post op anniversary! Surgery was what I considered my biggest hurdle in all of this craziness. Next hurdle is the chemotherapy treatments.

I post and lurk on the Susan G. Komen website message boards and one of the questions that comes up quite frequently is "when do you consider yourself a breast cancer survivor?" Is it the day you are diagnosed? the day your cancer is removed? or the day you are done with treatments?
For me, I would consider myself a survivor the day of my surgery. My cancer was removed, I had no lymph node involvement and I now am taking precautionary measures with chemotherapy. I am a survivor! I am returning to what is now my "normal" routine. I have a few weeks before chemotherapy and then I will have another routine to get used to. For now I am enjoying these several weeks of normalcy.


I decided not to go to the wig place I was going to check out. I have already heard 2 bad reviews of the place so I already have an opinion formed before even going there. I HAVE made an appointment at another wig salon in two weeks. I actually found this place through the Small Stones store at Froedert hospital. The owner herself is a breast cancer survivor and has a store in Menomonee Falls. I talked with her on the phone and met her business partner at the hospital the other day. I liked both of them, so I am going to go and visit them in two weeks. Redhead? Blonde? Hmmmm,,,,,, I may surprise you!! LOL

Boxhorn Gun Club, Muskego, Wisconsin, 3rd Annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Fundraiser


$10,200.00 !!!!!!!!!



~ A special thank you from me!~

My niece Melissa and me

Owner Debbie Schim, Maria, Sandy and Karen

Me, John, Natalie

Owner Rick Schim and Dan

Another Day Off!

Wow, my boss is nice! (that would be my husband for those of you who don't know LOL) He gave me another day off (actually not because I needed it, but our business sucks right now, and he will be in the store today, so no need for both of us to be there).
I am off to get my hair cut and colored, for maybe the last time :(. I did pretty much all my to-do things from yesterday except one and that was wig shopping. Ok, I will admit it had pretty low priority on my list. I am dreading it and just put it off. My hair stylist is right down the street from this place, so I may stop in today, depends on my mood!

I will post later about the Boxhorn Gun Club Breast Cancer Shoot with some photos. The fundraiser was a huge success! Despite the weather, the economy, the Packer and Brewer games, and less shooters than last year, the club raised more money than last year!!!! $10,200.00 !!!!!!

Don't forget to order a copy of "Churched." (see my post from yesterday)

Busy Day!

I have the day off from work, and I need to take advantage of that so I have several things I need to do today.

1. Grocery store.

2. Buy the book "Churched" My niece's husband is a Christian author and has just released a new book. It is already #687 on the Amazon list. (Congrats Matthew!!!). Check it out on Amazon.com. Matthew has written quite a few books, and according to my niece Jessica this is THE one you want to read. (to get to his blog, check out the link on the side of my page).

Here is a brief description of the book:

Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite A Holy Mess

He spent his childhood trapped within the confines of countless bizarre, strict rules. And lived to tell about it.

In this first-hand account, author Matthew Paul Turner shares amusing–sometimes cringe-worthy–and poignant stories about growing up in a fundamentalist household, where even well-intentioned contemporary Christian music was proclaimed to be “of the devil.”

3. Homecoming dress. The dress sewing is a bit frustrating. I think I have the right size now. Because of Natalie's broad shoulders from swimming and the skinniness of the rest of her body, we have had a bit of a time getting the dress to fit right. I am going to baste the whole thing together today, cross my fingers and hope it fits when she tries it on next. It has to be done by next weekend!!! AHHHHHH!! I am surprising Natalie's best friend KT and making one for her also (shhhhhh, she doesn't know it, and Lisa you can't be mad at me, KT is like my second daughter. LOL). Her dress is all cut out and the top basted together. I will work on that today as well. I will surprise her this week when she comes over! I need to have her try it on as well, as her and Natalie are a bit different in size. Call me crazy, I know. The girls are dressing in theme and both wanted these sequin dresses. What can I say??? It's a mom thing. They will look adorable.

4. Wig shopping. Uggghhhhh! Need I say more? This is not exactly what I would like to do, but I guess it needs to be done. I actually have 3 places that were recommended to me, and I would like to check this place out to find the right place to go. I am just going to stop in and and get a feel for the place before I start looking. I have heard some mixed reviews about this particular store, so I am stopping in today to see what I think about it.

5. Catch up on the Young and the Restless. No explanation needed.

6. Read. I need to get my book club book done by next week. It will be a scramble to get it done. I can't seem to stay awake while reading. I am not sure if the book is boring or I am just too tired to read. :)

7. Vaccum the lower level. Dog hair everywhere! It drives me crazy!

8. Cook? hahaha I have not made a meal since my surgery. Today is the first day we have no meals coming in (ok, I don't want you all showing up at my door with a meal today feeling sorry for us LOLOL). I actually have burgers on the grill planned. I think I can handle that.

Time to get moving!!! Enjoy your day!!

Thought for the Day

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill~

HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!

Typically I hate Mondays!!!!! But this particular Monday I LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am now officially drain free and feeling like a new woman!!

Today, I met with Ann, the oncology nurse, who went over the nitty gritty about chemotherapy drugs and what to expect. My first chemo treatment will be October 29th.

The new Cancer Center is beautiful inside. There is a huge amount of glass in the building overlooking the Froedert grounds. It is very nice! They have nice sitting areas, a nice little restaurant with organic food, and they even have their own separate lab facility. I was quite impressed.

I am trying to get back into my medical transcription work, slowly but surely. I have been doing a little each day. I have a wonderful boss who basically said I can work whenever. She has been so wonderful with all the days I have had to take off lately. Next week John is on his hunting trip, so I will be back to work full time, I think. I will admit, I am enjoying not having to go in to the office every day. Napping has been nice! I can nap at my desk at work, so that may be an option for me. LOL

Saturday lunch/two new friends

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I immediately went to the Susan G. Komen website and looked through the message boards hoping to find someone in the Milwaukee area I could email about surgeons. That is how I found Sara. I emailed her and asked her who her breast surgeon was and it turned out her surgeon was the same surgeon that I was going to see. Since that time we have corresponded through email. Today I had the pleasure of meeting Sara for lunch. We talked about everything imaginable concerning cancer. Sara is almost done with her treatments, so she had so much insight as to what I can expect as I head into chemotherapy. It was great to talk to someone who had been through what I was going to go through. After we had lunch, we went to meet another breast cancer survivor (from the Susan Komen message boards), Connie, down the street where she was working. Connie it turns out had the same chemotherapy drugs that I will be having. It was nice to hear what she had to say and how she got through treatment. This is a heck of a way to meet new friends, but really helps to talk to other women who have been there, done that, survived and are moving on!!!

Huge Milestone

Believe it or not I actually slept in a bed last night. I have been sleeping on the couch in the recliner portion since I had surgery,and last night I thought I would give it a go and see how long I lasted in bed. I made it the whole night with three pillows behind me but I did it. It felt great!

Now I am off to lunch with a new friend.... more on that later.


ps The Other Boleyn Girl was excellent! (and so was the wine)

Pinot Noir and Chick Flick

Well it looks like the family abandoned me tonight to go the high school football game. I have a nice bottle of Pinot Noir that my friend Linda brought over awhile back and I am going to watch The Other Boleyn Girl, which was a great book! I love it when I have the house to myself!

TGIF!!!

I am taking the day off for some R&R. I worked part-time for 3 days this week and I am tired today. I am going to work on Natalie's dress and hopefully get a good start on it. I have a busy weekend planned so I will take it easy today.
Our dog, Sunny, has been limping around the house on and off for the past two weeks, and now is really not using her back leg very much. John had to take her to the vet this morning anyways for some shots and a prescription for Rimadyl (arthritis meds she uses when she hunts). We had her on a pretty strict diet this past year and she has lost 30 pounds. She is a lean, mean hunting machine now!!! The vet thinks the bad leg is simply due to arthritis in her hips. I am not sure if she will hunt tomorrow (opening day for ducks)as she needs to get ready for the big hunt in North Dakota in a week. Hopefully she will be better by then. It is the highlight of her year hunting with Rick and John.

Enjoy the weekend!

Laughter

~When you have nothing to laugh about, laugh anyway. Soon you'll feel the healing power of joy and laughter bringing new energy and life to your weary, frustrating day.~ Thelma Wells

Laugh today, even if you don't feel like it!!!!! :)

Donate a Free Mammogram

I recieved an email in my mailbox this morning regarding mammograms. Here is what it had to say:

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors /advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate a mammogram in exchange for advertising.

www.thebreastcancersite.com

Please pass this along!