Happy December

It feels like forever since I have written anything substantial on this.  Life goes on.  That is huge and sometimes I do not realise how huge that is.  Laura is well: tired a lot, nauseous occasionally, but doing well considered she is on chemo drugs.  Our next scans are in early January.  There you go, I say our next scans while it really is Laura’s scans.  At times, I find myself stepping into Laura’s mind and thinking it is both of us with cancer and both of us that are on this ugly journey of metastatic breast cancer while the cold reality is that it is very much Laura and Laura alone.  We argue, or discuss vociferously, about her treatment and treatment options.  In the end, it really is Laura’s decision since it is her body that these nasty medicines go into.

As of today, I am feeling at peace with things.  This is the down time where the medicine seem to be doing their job and I go to work and come home tired and play with the dogs and eat and watch tv before reading in bed with Laura.  While the excitement of Tim graduating in June is real, I am already starting to dread spring time.  For the past two years, in late May, we have gotten awful news about Laura’s cancer spreading and that time period just scares the dickens out of me.  But as of now, I feel ok and even hopeful.  Ani is thriving at Oxy and Tim is a little excited about the idea of college and going to Oregon Institute of Technology next year.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Ani being home for 5 days and Richard and his family coming down on the actual turkey eating day.  It was great to be with family.

In a few short weeks, Ani will be home for a month and we all travel to Belize over the holidays.  The idea of tropical snorkeling and a beachfront hotel sounds dreamy as it blows and rains at 35 degrees here on the north coast of Oregon.  So we are all excited about the trip with the exeption of the dogs…  

While the future is a haze with no clear borders, I feel pretty confident in our children which is really the most any of us can hope for.  They both have a good head on their shoulders and seem to be well.  As fall turns into winter and the holiday season is upon us, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has thought of Laura and helped us out over the past year and a half.  One day at a time.  Life goes on and remember to rout for the Portland Timbers this weekend in the league championship game!!!

Ahs girls soccer

Girls soccer at Astoria high school made tee shirts this year that says #pinkisnotacure

There is a really sweet article in the Daily Astorian about the team and tee shirts today.  I am trying to paste a link to that article but it seems harder than it should:

http://www.dailyastorian.com/local_sports/20151020/soccer-player-helps-pinkisnotacure-campaign#.Vim5cMyffK8.gmail

You might be able to read it in the pic below if you can make it bigger.

Oh on the family front: Ani is amazing and loving college which is how it should be. Can't wait till thanksgiving and I can hug my baby girl!!!  Tim has finished cross country with his last race yesterday.  He is extatic to be done with high school sports. I am melancholy.  He ran well and was third on his team in districts.  Laura saw dr rashe today and her blood panels were good.  I showered this morning so am clean and well!

Now the doggies!!!  Playing on the little beach below our house where we walk to:

All is good

Quick update:

Tim is homecoming king at Astoria high school!  Crowned at half time of a football game 

The same night Tim was crowned king Laura gave a talk at one of the brew pubs to 120 people about metastatic breast cancer. She got a standing ovation and then drove to the football game with 40 seconds left before half time!

My Aunt Sally from Maine and cousin Tim from Idaho came last weekend for a really sweet visit!

After Laura gave her talk at the brew pub she was the mentor for an Astoria high school senior who put on a "die in" for metastatic breast cancer research.  It was powerful and amazing:

Then tonight Laura gave a 5 minute talk about her cancer journey at the Astoria Column for Columbia memorial hospital breast cancer awareness month.  I met a very fine poodle!  Laura said no I can't dye Mia...

Now Laura's 3 public events are done for the month!  All is good.  She is dizzy a lot but doing very well!

Good news

 I hope most of you heard by now that Laura scans were very good yesterday. September 24, wereceive good news. There's no evidence of disease in her torso.  Only three or four very spots of cancer in her brain. Much better than 18 cancer mets last May.

I feel like I can breathe again. This road as a caretaker or cancer spouse is crazy. The ups and downs are oh so big.  I feel like we are definately on the upswing.  Hopefully Laura can tweet her medication to feel a little better.  

Tim had a cross country meet today. He got a personal best!  1844 in the 5 k or 3.1 mile race !  So proud of him.  Ani is thriving at occidental.  She loves her writing class!

Just 100 meters from the finish Tim is running well!

Pictures

Tim ran a great 5 k race at the ultimook race on Saturday. His time was 20:29 which is over a minute faster than he ran it last year!

Mud pit!

Mia was sick for a few days but is feeling much better now

Picture of Laura for her upcoming publicity.  

And finally, Tim's new van!!

Back to work for me and back to school for Tim.  Laura is stuck at home doing her 10:30 yoga class every day, walking the dogs and having a hot dinner waiting for her boys!  Can’t believe summer is over and the school year is upon us.  Ani loves her classes and most of her professors so that is great.  I am not up to speed yet with the new school year but I will get there.  Tim has been working so much at Texaco recently that he might actually like the break that school give him.

Laura just finished her week off of chemo.  Unfortunately, she never felt well during her week off.  Stupid chemo drugs are just wearing her down.  She has little bleeding cracks on some of her fingers and sores on her lips.  We go into Portland on or around Sept. 24 to get the results of her latest scans so we will know then if the whole brain radiation and chemo and such is shrinking the brain tumors or not.  Her long distance eye sight is also being effected but that might be a side effect of some of her drugs. 

The big news for us is that Tim bought a 1988 chevy van that he plans on making into a campervan and take off to explore Canada after he graduates in June.  It is too cool and he just loves it! 

I will add some photos to my next post in a couple minutes! 

Written July 25...

For some reason they did not get published...   This was written almost a month ago.

While this has been Laura's week off of taking daily chemo pills the effects have continued. She continues to do yoga daily and then rest on our couch and sit with whoever comes by.  Everyday she plans and does one chore or some writing.  We walk the dogs most days too.  Both kids are working a lot but the dogs take their care taking job very seriously!

Earlier this week Tim and I did a 850 mile two night camping trip to look at 4 Oregon colleges.  His fav was Oregon institute of technology in southern or about 50 miles from the California boarder.  We camped on the umpqua River and on creates lake both in the cascade mountains.  The second night was next to the pacific crest trail where the book I'm currently listening to, Wild, takes place. 

Nothing too much to report but just wanted to give a quick update.