I have been cancer free for 10 years today. I'm not sure if I have ever shared my story but the long and short of it was that I had a tumor in my lung a little over 10 years ago, they took it out on this day 10 years ago, it was cancerous. It had not spread to my lymph nodes. I survived. I'm a lucky, lucky girl, for so many reasons but this one is kind of remarkable.
In general, only 14 percent of patients with lung cancer survive for more than five years after diagnosis. If the lung cancer is detected before it has had a chance to spread to other organs, and if it is treated appropriately, at least 49% of patients can survive five years or longer after the initial diagnosis. Only 15% of lung cancers, however, are found at this early stage. About 10 per cent of patients can expect to be 'cured' - that is alive five years after diagnosis with no evidence of the cancer having returned.
http://cancer.health-cares.net/lung-cancer-survival-rate.php
This is better than winning the lottery. And you would think that I would quit buying tickets but when it gets over $100 million, I just can't help myself. ;-)
What Cancer Cannot Do Author: Unknown
Cancer is so limited...It cannot cripple love. It cannot shatter hope. It cannot corrode faith. It cannot eat away peace. It cannot destroy confidence. It cannot kill friendship. It cannot shut out memories. It cannot silence courage. It cannot reduce eternal life. It cannot quench the Spirit.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Best Christmas I can remember...
I don't know why for sure. It just was. It was just so wonderful to be together. I love having one whole day with the kids. No obligations, no interruptions. It was honestly the best. Just being together with my husband and my kids is enough for me. Not much else to say beyond that.
Quotation: What do I want for Christmas? I want to know again the memories of Christmases gone by with some of the hope born of the season erasing the sadness that must come come with such memories. I want to see again the Christmas tree at home and the faces of those who looked up at its star and tinsel...to know some of the childish gladness that was mine on those Christmas days. ~William S. Reilly
Quotation: What do I want for Christmas? I want to know again the memories of Christmases gone by with some of the hope born of the season erasing the sadness that must come come with such memories. I want to see again the Christmas tree at home and the faces of those who looked up at its star and tinsel...to know some of the childish gladness that was mine on those Christmas days. ~William S. Reilly
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Twas the night before the night before Christmas...
I'm happy to say that I'm kind of ready for Christmas this year. This is big news due to the fact that I spent a week in Mexico and lost a precious 8 days of shopping time. I do have one more gift to buy that needs to be shipped but it may have to wait. I just could not go to the big mall today. People are crazed. Drivers are crazed. I did the bare minimum and got my arse home. I have even baked this year so for some reason I'm way ahead of anything that I have done in the recent past.
There are lots of changes going on in my life in the next few weeks. I'm going to grad school beginning in early January. I met with my advisor yesterday and we mapped out all my classes. I think this is going to work just fine. I'm going to take two classes to begin with. We'll see how this goes. My advisor thinks this is doable so I'm going to go for it. I don't want to go to school forever so I should do as much as I can, when I can.
I need to get this house in tip-top shape. I need to get it ready to show...again. I do good for awhile and then it gets quiet and I don't do much. Anyway, I need to prepare like we might have to move when I'm in school. I have 2 1/2 weeks to get it all together so that I can buckle down and study. We'll see how this goes.
I'm going to do an experiment for the next year as well. I'm going to try to go from January 1, 2011 until January 1, 2012 and not spend any money for new clothes, shoes or jewelry. In anticipation of this little exercise, I'm going to load up on underwear next week. I simply cannot go a whole year without buying underwear. Only necessities for one year to see how much I can save. This should be very interesting. I'll keep you updated on this little exercise. I'm pretty motivated though...
I'm very excited about Christmas and what I got for the kids this year. I think they will really like it. Can't wait to see their reaction. :) That's all I can say for now.
Quote for the day: Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
There are lots of changes going on in my life in the next few weeks. I'm going to grad school beginning in early January. I met with my advisor yesterday and we mapped out all my classes. I think this is going to work just fine. I'm going to take two classes to begin with. We'll see how this goes. My advisor thinks this is doable so I'm going to go for it. I don't want to go to school forever so I should do as much as I can, when I can.
I need to get this house in tip-top shape. I need to get it ready to show...again. I do good for awhile and then it gets quiet and I don't do much. Anyway, I need to prepare like we might have to move when I'm in school. I have 2 1/2 weeks to get it all together so that I can buckle down and study. We'll see how this goes.
I'm going to do an experiment for the next year as well. I'm going to try to go from January 1, 2011 until January 1, 2012 and not spend any money for new clothes, shoes or jewelry. In anticipation of this little exercise, I'm going to load up on underwear next week. I simply cannot go a whole year without buying underwear. Only necessities for one year to see how much I can save. This should be very interesting. I'll keep you updated on this little exercise. I'm pretty motivated though...
I'm very excited about Christmas and what I got for the kids this year. I think they will really like it. Can't wait to see their reaction. :) That's all I can say for now.
Quote for the day: Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
Sunday, December 12, 2010
What happened to the season of Thanksgiving?
After careful thought as to what I would write about for my guest column, my article appeared in the News-Gazette on Thanksgiving Day 2010. Thank you to everyone for your kind words. Writing this column was an honor.
What happened to the season of Thanksgiving?
Remember the days when we had approximately one month of Halloween, one month of Thanksgiving and little over a month to enjoy the Christmas season? The whole process was transitional and we eased into the holiday season. Something must have happened when I wasn’t paying attention. This year Christmas decorations were out before Halloween in some stores. Two weeks ago I was in a store that was decorated in Christmas decor and they were playing Christmas songs. I turned to another shopper and said, “Is that what I think it is?” “Are they playing Christmas songs?” That is exactly what it was. Has Thanksgiving been pared down to 24 hours?
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s never exactly the same but the feelings generated are. No matter what is going on, I remember to focus on those things I’m thankful for.
How do you spend Thanksgiving Day?
Do you start your day by attending services or getting out for the Turkey trot? Do you watch parades and football?
For me, as the cook, the day begins with, centers around, and ends with food. Depending on our Thanksgiving plans, I love preparing the same traditional fare every year; turkey, 2-3 types of stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, green jello, crescent rolls, cranberries and pumpkin pie. It was Erma Bombeck that said “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”
Thanksgiving can be a time to connect with the people that you love most. Sometimes, however, that is not possible. Some years we have pushed Thanksgiving to the day after so that we could all be together. I have often told my children that it’s just a day and even if we can’t be all together on that day, we can recreate the essence of Thanksgiving and together we can make it special.
We mix it up by trying different things. I remember sometimes in the past when we have dressed up for our meal. Maybe it’s time to add a new recipe to the mix this year. I love decorating the table with art projects that the kids made when they were growing up.
After our meal we stay engaged by playing games together, of course in front of the TV so we can catch some football. Sometimes we have even watched a family favorite movie.
Do you need an idea for a new tradition? Assign someone to say a special thanksgiving reflection or prayer. Ask everyone to share their favorite Thanksgiving memory at the dinner table. For next year, keep a box handy to write down once a month what you are thankful for. Ask family members to participate in this several times over the next year. On Thanksgiving, pull them out and have them share a little more about what they are thankful for.
Even if you have to take a year off from being with the people that you love, do something that you like to do. If you find yourself spending Thanksgiving alone, why not reach out to others who might be alone today? I know of someone who holds a ‘Friendsgiving,’ inviting all their friends over who are unable to travel to see their own families and it has become their Thanksgiving tradition. Another suggestion is to contact an organization or church that provides Thanksgiving meals for seniors, international students, homeless persons and those who are alone at this time of year and volunteer to help make their day brighter.
Thanksgiving traditions can bring families together. One of my friends participates in and spreads the word to the community to provide turkey’s for families who cannot afford turkey and all the trimmings so that families in need are able to have their own traditional meal.
Today is a day of Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? If you are in good health, if you have had some good news, if things are generally going well for you it will be easy to give thanks for the many benefits of your life. It’s a time to reflect on the past year of everything to be thankful for.
For many, this has been a difficult year. If you have lost your health, your job or a loved one you might be asking yourself what there is to be thankful for. (It’s a fact that this year more people are requesting assistance from human service organizations for the first time ever.) The pain just might be so great that you can’t see clear to offer thanksgiving. If you have faith, know that God never gives us more than we can handle. If you have little faith, remember that tough times don’t last. Hang in there.
Whatever you are doing on this Thanksgiving remember those who are homeless and alone, remember our service men and women who serve our country, remember those who are facing health issues. Last but not least, pick up the phone and call someone and let them know you are thinking about them this day.
Carry the spirit of Thanksgiving with you every day.
Finally I would like to share one of my favorite quotes: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
What happened to the season of Thanksgiving?
Remember the days when we had approximately one month of Halloween, one month of Thanksgiving and little over a month to enjoy the Christmas season? The whole process was transitional and we eased into the holiday season. Something must have happened when I wasn’t paying attention. This year Christmas decorations were out before Halloween in some stores. Two weeks ago I was in a store that was decorated in Christmas decor and they were playing Christmas songs. I turned to another shopper and said, “Is that what I think it is?” “Are they playing Christmas songs?” That is exactly what it was. Has Thanksgiving been pared down to 24 hours?
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s never exactly the same but the feelings generated are. No matter what is going on, I remember to focus on those things I’m thankful for.
How do you spend Thanksgiving Day?
Do you start your day by attending services or getting out for the Turkey trot? Do you watch parades and football?
For me, as the cook, the day begins with, centers around, and ends with food. Depending on our Thanksgiving plans, I love preparing the same traditional fare every year; turkey, 2-3 types of stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, green jello, crescent rolls, cranberries and pumpkin pie. It was Erma Bombeck that said “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.”
Thanksgiving can be a time to connect with the people that you love most. Sometimes, however, that is not possible. Some years we have pushed Thanksgiving to the day after so that we could all be together. I have often told my children that it’s just a day and even if we can’t be all together on that day, we can recreate the essence of Thanksgiving and together we can make it special.
We mix it up by trying different things. I remember sometimes in the past when we have dressed up for our meal. Maybe it’s time to add a new recipe to the mix this year. I love decorating the table with art projects that the kids made when they were growing up.
After our meal we stay engaged by playing games together, of course in front of the TV so we can catch some football. Sometimes we have even watched a family favorite movie.
Do you need an idea for a new tradition? Assign someone to say a special thanksgiving reflection or prayer. Ask everyone to share their favorite Thanksgiving memory at the dinner table. For next year, keep a box handy to write down once a month what you are thankful for. Ask family members to participate in this several times over the next year. On Thanksgiving, pull them out and have them share a little more about what they are thankful for.
Even if you have to take a year off from being with the people that you love, do something that you like to do. If you find yourself spending Thanksgiving alone, why not reach out to others who might be alone today? I know of someone who holds a ‘Friendsgiving,’ inviting all their friends over who are unable to travel to see their own families and it has become their Thanksgiving tradition. Another suggestion is to contact an organization or church that provides Thanksgiving meals for seniors, international students, homeless persons and those who are alone at this time of year and volunteer to help make their day brighter.
Thanksgiving traditions can bring families together. One of my friends participates in and spreads the word to the community to provide turkey’s for families who cannot afford turkey and all the trimmings so that families in need are able to have their own traditional meal.
Today is a day of Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? If you are in good health, if you have had some good news, if things are generally going well for you it will be easy to give thanks for the many benefits of your life. It’s a time to reflect on the past year of everything to be thankful for.
For many, this has been a difficult year. If you have lost your health, your job or a loved one you might be asking yourself what there is to be thankful for. (It’s a fact that this year more people are requesting assistance from human service organizations for the first time ever.) The pain just might be so great that you can’t see clear to offer thanksgiving. If you have faith, know that God never gives us more than we can handle. If you have little faith, remember that tough times don’t last. Hang in there.
Whatever you are doing on this Thanksgiving remember those who are homeless and alone, remember our service men and women who serve our country, remember those who are facing health issues. Last but not least, pick up the phone and call someone and let them know you are thinking about them this day.
Carry the spirit of Thanksgiving with you every day.
Finally I would like to share one of my favorite quotes: Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)