Ports and Pedals

I realized I have not written A THING in quite some time! This will be short, but LadyBug finally got her port out! She is very excited, as this is one more milestone! She has discovered that she has two mildly bulging discs in her neck, which is what causes her neck pain and at least some of her headaches. We are hoping to ge that under control. I will post some pics later, but I am less than two weeks away from a 125 mile bike ride. I will be biking some highways and some bike trails from my home to my parents' house. The trip is full of beautiful scenery, and I will climb in that dostance a total of 1800 feet! Thankfully most of that eleveation change is gradual, but there are three big hills that I am not relishing. I will post some pics when I get back. I will try to include a pic of my newly restored Schwinn road bike. It is not as light as some of the newer bikes, but I cannot afford any of those! Take care, and get pedalling!

Another Tunnel

LadyBug saw yet another doctor today. She visited a specialist who deals with carpal tunnel syndrome, and has scheduled a surgery to correct that issue for next week. Yes. Another surgery. I know. But at least this one is minor, and is also a permanent fix. She will also go in for another sleep study in the not-too-distant-future to see how well she is responding to the oxygen, and the will then determine if she should get hooked up with a C-PAP machine, which is the normal treatment for sleep apnea patients. We will see what all comes of that.

All this would have been just a normal week for us if our van hadn't decided it didn't want to make the trip with us! We had to have it towed to our mechanic yesterday, and don't know how soon we will get it back, or what it will take to fix it! We almost brought our truck with us, but ZeldaPrincess' best friend told us we could use her truck, since it gets better gas mileage! We are very grateful for good friends and family!

Clearing the Air

We just heard back today about LadyBug's sleep study. She has SEVERE SLEEP APNEA. We had a machine delivered today to help with her oxygen levels at night. She will be having another study soon to deterimine how the condition is caused, but for now, we hope the machine will help. Sleep apnea can cause fatigue, confusion, memory loss, weight gain, and heart problems, among other things. If things work, this could open up an entire realm of possibilities for LadyBug.

I will try to put a picture of the machine on.... We will see...

Lengthening Lists

So, LadyBug may have had a clean PET scan, but that doesn't necessarily mean an ends to her troubles. On top of the heart problem, the scarred lung, the stent in her leg, the brain-fog from the chemo, and the Lymphedema, she has now developed carpal tunnel syndrome! Every night, she has her left arm wrapped up, and now she wears a brace on her right wrist! We don't know if this will fix it, or if she will eventually have to have it surgically corrected. It's just one more thing to add to her list though. It sometimes sounds more like a soap opera than reality. I thought stuff like this only happened to keep audiences tuning back in every day! But no, she is continuing her fight! She still has plenty of fight, though, so we will stay in it!

I have also, for those who did not already know, decided to open up my private vocal training studio this spring and summer. I have two students who have already started lessons, a third who starts this week, and two more who have already expressed interest. I decided to try one summer of not working for someone else for less pay, when I can work for myself and work less hours! We will see how those summer goes, and then perhaps I will make a permanent change in this direction! Who knows, when I reach retirement age, perhaps this could be how I supplement my pension! We will see.

Free at Last....

LadyBug had her PET scan in Monday, and we visited at Dr. Chemo's office today for the results. The scan came back clear!!!! Shendoes have a fatty mass on her liver that she has to have checked by MRI to make sure it is only a fatty mass, but it did not show as cancerous on this scan, so we are confident of the results. This means she does not have to order any more blood thinner shots, as well, so she is VERY happy about that! As anyone can tell you who has been through cancer, this does not mean it is all over. She will have to remain vigilant for the rest of her life, but for now, we can breathe a little easier. We are planning a minor celebration tomorrow night. Most likely dinner and dollar-movies.... I know, we really know how to live!

She does still have issues, however. She gets out of breath easily, she cannot focus or remember things very quickly, and she has developed lymphedema, which causes fluid to build up in her left arm. She has been fitted for a compression sleeve, which she will have to wear, most likely, for the rest of her life, and has to make sure it fits properly, and has to wrap her whole arm at nights.

We just went to a meeting at our church tonight where we heard a presentation by the author of "Solo." She was flying a plane that crashed in the Colorado mountains, and was stranded for four days. It is a very inspiring story, and although it did not mirror our experiences, definitely echoed the feelings we have had this year as the Lord has spared LadyBug's life repeatedly. These things make us appreciate all our friends and family that much more!

Take care!

New Advances

I just got an email about this, and thought Imwould pass it along.

You should also check out a recent story from the Osgood files about a 17 year old girl who may have discovered a cure for cancer!

Take care!

LadyBug Update

LadyBug met with her doctor recently to discuss her MRI results. He told her they saw a mass on her liver. They said it does not appear to be a tumor, but looks like a fat deposit, but that he wants her to get a PET scan soon to find out for sure. For those who are unaware of what this is, all I can tell you right now is that it takes two or three hours, and should be able to tell us if there is any cancer anywhere in LadyBug's body.

Herdoctor also want her to see a dermitologist to check because she has so many moles. Ad all of this is on top of the fact thatshe still gets out of breath easily. She does have scarring on her lungs from radiation therapy. Her heaart condition is better, but we don't know if it is cured or just supressed. And the doctor want her to stay on blood thinners until further notice.

Needless to say, we have quite a bit to worry about right now, but we can still be optimistic. Keep her in your prayers. We can always feel the blessings that come from those.

One such blessing is the fact that although I lost three voice students this term, I gained one at the college and one privately. And I may get more at the college this week, still. I won't get paid from the college at the end of January like normal, but will get more money the next three months than I normally would have. This private student will help in the mean time.

For now, keep on keepin' on!

All Washed Up

I just had an adventure. The pump in our washer went out, so I replaced it! I have never done anything like that before, so was a bit nervous but YouTube helped me through it. Here is the link to their video: LINK

If I can, I will try to atually put the video on here, but for now, you can clicknand watch! Of course, if I see water flowing over the laundry room floor, Imam calling a repair man.....

A New Look

LadyBug has undergone some drastic changes over the past year, the least of which is a new pair of glasses. In the accompanying photo, you will see them, along with her new hair, and renewed energy that has been missing for quite some time! Not much left to say, just glad she's almost done!

SO "TIRED"

Our youngest, ZeldaPrincess had quite the experience tonight, while on a trip to Wally World, on icy roads, she lost control of the car and slid into the curb. We thought we were looking at a new car purchase for awhile, but even though we could not be there, since Kissa has the truck, a friend and some family helped get the spare on. We will see, but right now, it may simply mean a new tire and rim, if not two. Better than the cost of a new car, but not as good as paying off some bills, which was the plan for next week. We do have some blessings coming next week, and the Lord was obviously watching over ZP tonight. To show just how bad it COULD have been.....