Two-Year Cancerversary

 

Two years ago today I was told a tumor was found on routine pathology of my appendix following an emergent appendectomy on July 11, 2012.  The cancer was goblet cell carcinoid, a rare type, and not related to the breast cancer I experienced in 2001.   About a month following the appendectomy, I underwent more surgery – right hemi-colectomy and bilateral oophorectomy – related to the GCC.  Once again, I was lucky, blessed – being “watched out for” by some Spirit greater than myself – in so many ways.  Finding the tumor at Stage II, being assigned my particular surgeon just because he was on call the date of my ER visit for the appendix (and who says first thing about the tumor, “I’m going for a cure.”), the superb care provided by the staff of the local community hospital.  My husband Dave falls into that category, too.  This was not my first rodeo with the cancer experience, so it was harder on him than me.  You know what?  He stepped right up with no hesitation and once again proved to be a man and husband in the truest senses of those words.

Melissa Etheridge’s The Awakening is filling my ears as I visit with you this evening.  This album of hers particularly speaks to me.  She compiled it following her cancer experience.  It’s serious, insightful, spiritual and rockin’.

Overall 5-year survival rate for GCC of the appendix is approximately 77%.  That’s not too bad, not too great.  That’s not being morbid.  That’s being realistic, although statistics don’t mean squat.   I could trip over a groundhog and break my neck tomorrow or live to be 105.  Not sure I want to live to 105, though. 

What it is, however, is a benchmark by which I can strive to live my life.

Hey, I’ve made it two years, getting a literal thumbs-up from my surgeon and a hug at this year’s check-up following CT scan.  Did I mention my surgeon is awesome?  When was the last time a surgeon (or any physician) gave you their personal cell phone number on hospital discharge in case you had questions or concerns?  He rocks.

Whether I have three years, three minutes or three decades left in this world, the thing is to live every day to its max as much as possible. 

All anyone has is right here, right now.

So how did I spend my cancerversary?  Didn’t even dawn on me it was today until this evening.

Dave and I went up the hill to the local farmers market this morning.  Dave appreciates a good tomato and the ones at this market are totally yummy, so he walked away with a small basket of them.  I scored some homemade bread topped with feta cheese and onions.  Yum!

From there we went to Walmart, where Dave picked up a couple of grocery items and I made a few purchases in the garden department, a new 100-foot hose and a pot for an office plant that has outgrown its current home.  Returning home, Dave mowed his portion outside the front fence and I washed our RV.

Not perfect, but better than it was and it’s white again!

I actually enjoy washing the RV!  Our home looks after us, so I enjoy giving it some TLC.

Dinner was leftover King Ranch Casserole from yesterday and some of that bread from the market warmed up a bit.  Sure was nice to have leftovers after we were both busy this afternoon.  After dinner, I received a phone call from a girlfriend of my Brenham days and we had a fine catch-up yap session.  She and her husband are now living the full-time life, too.  The three of us – me, Dave and Maggie – had a nice evening walk a while ago.  Dave is now watching a movie over in the rig and I’m here in the office with Melissa and you. 

My life has been – and still is – so very amazing, filled with sparkling gems who are friends, experiences of both spiritual and physical natures which have been breathtaking, adventures on my own which still amaze me when I recall them (I did that??), the souls who have passed through my life briefly for a particular purpose, the adventures Dave and I have shared over the past nine years . . . and just look at that RV up there in the photo.  That’s my dream, folks.  Living this lifestyle. 

To those of you who walked beside me on that path two years ago . . . thank you – thank you ever so much for your support during that time.  Your words certainly bolstered and strengthened me.  I am grateful for your presence in my life.

Carpe diem!

Thanks for stopping by!

January 9, 2013 - Beginnings Blogfest

 

Reading blogs on my list this morning, I found out about the Beginnings Blogfest which happens today!  Yikes!

Any beginning is fair game, but I think I’ll share with you how I entered the realm of blogging.  This is also a tale of the beginnings of a new life with my beloved Scotsman and how I came to call Scotland my second country.  It is also a tale of self-discovery as a Writer.  So cozy up, and I’ll tell you a story, albeit a wee bit over the length of a typical blog entry.  I apologize for that, but hope you’ll walk with me a while.  Apparently this is what I do; I tell stories.

~~~~~~~~~

Back in November 2005, I accompanied my then fiancé (now husband) Dave to his homeland of Scotland.  He had proposed over the phone in April of that year, again in person in June (in Washington, D.C. where we met for the first time, but that’s a whole ‘nuther story)  and was back in the States for a visit in October.  We had started the paperwork process to acquire a Fiancé Visa for his immigration to the States, and the plan was for me to travel to Scotland to be with him during the interviews for said visa.  Things were moving along more swiftly in that regard than we had anticipated; therefore, we decided that I would travel back with him instead of waiting and going over on my own.

I had other reasons for making a prolonged trip to Scotland.  I wanted to meet Dave’s two grown sons and hopefully get to know them and they know me.  I wanted to see what makes Dave, Dave . . . his homeland, his culture, his life.  I also wanted to see if I could live in Scotland should, heaven forbid, his visa be denied.

I stayed with Dave at his flat in Dunfermline (near Edinburgh) from November 2005 until our return to the States together in February 2006.

So there I was, about to travel 4000 miles on my first trip abroad after spending just shy of three weeks with this man to whom I was engaged.  Although well-traveled in the USA, I was a virgin at traveling abroad.  “Will my ATM card work there?”  “Yes, darlin’, we even have indoor plumbing and electricity!”  Ha!

My family and friends (as they had done when I announced our engagement) were saying, or at least thinking, “You’re going to do what??”  Needless to say, I know they had concerns even though they had met Dave during his visit.  “What if things don’t work out?” they might ask.  “Well, I have a return ticket.  I’ll just change the date and come home.  I’m a big girl.”

(Many months later after we had returned to the States, I learned from my aunt that during a farewell hug at the airport, Dave whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry.  I’ll take care of her.”)

Taking a leave of absence from my job as a home-based medical transcriptionist, for the first time in my adult life I was not working.  Dave resumed his work routine as a pipefitter for the Royal Navy at the Rosyth Dockyard.  Although we took long-weekend trips around Scotland to Loch Ness, Glencoe in The Highlands and other amazing places, I had time on my hands to do as I pleased.  I kept up the house, laundry and marketing.  (It’s amazing how many groceries you can put in a backpack!)  I hopped a double-decker bus and went “up town” into Dunfermline and prowled shops, the library, the Glen (a park) and just soaked up the atmosphere by walking, walking, walking.  I took thousands of photographs with a new camera purchased for this adventure.

There were many hours, however, when I was cozied up in Dave’s flat (condo) with time on my hands.  For the first time, I could allow my creativity to emerge, and I met my Muse. 

What better way to let family and friends know that I was okay and to share my experiences than to blog?  Not only could I  share my thoughts, feelings, photographs and experiences at the time, but would have a record of this adventure for myself in days and years to come.

So I set up a blog on MSN Spaces and began documenting my Scotland experience.  That site no longer exists, but I did migrate it to Wordpress prior to the demise of the MSN blog hosting venue.  I maintained that blog until we began transitioning to our lives as full-time RVers, at which time I began Phoenix Once Again. 

The text of my Scotland blog is still available at Journeys Through Scotland and Beyond, sans the photos that were part of the original site.  My Scotland chronicles begin in November 2005.

Free of job and many everyday responsibilities, I was essentially on a three-month vacation or, as it turns out, somewhat of a writer’s retreat.  I discovered the joy and release of putting my internal thoughts and emotions into an external form and sharing that with others. 

I became a Writer, although I really did not acknowledge that at the time. 

~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my tale.  I have a dream of putting together a compilation of such stories of self-discovery, lessons and insights gained from Life as a Reiki Master/Teacher, a two-time cancer survivor, full-time RVer and survivor of Life.  This project is currently in development; however, if you found pleasure or interest in the above tale and would like to hear more, I sure could use your encouragement with my WIP (work in progress). 

~~~~~~~~~

I am a Warrior.

The above bracelet is a Toby and Max creation.

October 27, 2012 - Updated Plans for Hurricane Sandy

 

After looking for a viable evacuation route yesterday morning for about two hours – checking forecasts for interstate highways and possible landing spots, talking with campgrounds about their forecasts and seeing that the weather there would be dodgy also – we altered our plans and will be hunkering down here.

We will close up, lock down and secure our rig and then move to a local hotel tomorrow.  We plan to check on the rig and property daily if weather conditions permit us getting out and about safely.

We spent the morning clearing the property around us of potential flying projectiles, taping windows in the office trailer and gathering items to take with us to the hotel. 

Staying or leaving is a crap shoot.  Our concerns with leaving included being out on congested highways with panicked folks and quite possibly encountering rough weather while traveling. 

Destinations I considered also had rough weather coming in either the form of Hurricane Sandy or wind/snow from the front approaching from the West.  We could conceivably end up in worse conditions than here. 

Even in ideal weather, there is always the risk of mechanical breakdown, blowouts, etc. when towing a 40-foot RV.

It’s a crap shoot either way and always has been in situations like this.  Living on the Texas Gulf Coast, I have sheltered in place and I have evacuated.

At least here we know the area and the resources available to us.  There are no trees directly around our rig to fall on it.  The Musconetcong River is 1-2 feet lower than it was prior to Hurricane Irene last year, so we are hoping that it will not escape its banks.  (Even during Irene when the river came out of its banks, the water did not threaten our rig at all.)  I have the iPhone app Flood Watch, which monitors river levels, so I can keep an eye on the “Muskie” from the hotel.

We are located essentially on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border, inland from the coast (so hopefully Sandy will weaken a bit before reaching us, as hurricanes typically do once making landfall)  and in a valley with a mountain right behind us; therefore, we are  somewhat protected from winds, although we do get weird swirling winds here which could ultimately prove to be an issue. 

We have contacts to call who can see the property from their home nearby, so we can be in touch to monitor our rig and status of the property if need be.  If we have to come pull the rig out due to potential flooding, we should be able to haul it about a block up the road to higher ground like we did last year during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.  (That spot, although higher ground, leaves our rig much more exposed to winds, so we will only do it if flooding is a direct threat.) 

Our generator is construction-grade and too big to transport with us (and too heavy for just Dave and I to lift), so at least we will have a source of power here after the storm passes.  Genny got moved into the mill and higher ground today to stay cozy and dry.

We have several full cans of gas for Genny.  We have four propane tanks; two are in the rig (and will be shut off prior to our leaving) and two full surplus tanks on-site.  That’s our usual routine, especially during Winter months.

The company we are contracted to has very graciously offered to pay for our hotel stay.  Although we are “only contractors,” they treat us with the most concern and caring from an employer I have seen in decades.  We all do seem to work together as a easygoing, respectful and fun team in both trialing times and when the going is easy.  We were even given the option of putting our rig in the mill; the boss would have sent guys up yesterday or today to move stuff out of the way if necessary.  We decided against this for various logistical reasons; besides, it would be too tight a squeeze getting it in.

Yes, we are taking a risk staying.  Our rig may get flooded, topple over or be otherwise damaged. 

We would have been taking a risk leaving.

We are hoping, as are millions others in the region, that we will come through just fine regarding material possessions, including our home.

It’s a crap shoot.  You weigh your options, make your decision and take your shot.  Then you live with your decision come what may.

As devastating as destruction of our home or vehicle would be, as long as Dave, Maggie and I are safe and together . . .

Life is good.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

 

 

 

October 3, 2012 - Insecure Writers Support Group

 

Welcome to some new followers in September!  Thank you so much for joining up and for your kind comments!

 

 

Wow!  It’s already been another month and time for another post as part of the Insecure Writers Group. 

September was another month whose focus was on healing from my surgeries this summer.

I am thinking in a more creative direction a bit more frequently, so I suppose one could call that progress towards some serious writing again.

I did participate in a blog hop in September, The Follow-Swap Blog Hop sponsored by Katherine at Beyond the Hourglass Bridge.

Still, I just don’t feel emotionally, physically and creatively  ready to settle down to work.

Dave and I have been enjoying campfires in the evenings as often as practical and right now I’m soaking that up – enjoying our time together in the evenings tending the fire and talking; before long Winter will be here and campfires will be over for this year.

I’m back at work more (we are an on-site security team at a former paper mill, having this property and two others under our responsibility).  Yesterday, for instance, was very hectic with some issues and visitors to the property.

One of the issues is a black bear roaming the property and even being sighted inside the mill!  Yesterday the Fish and Wildlife warden delivered a bear trap with the hopes in relocating the bear.

Additionally, our wee dog Maggie underwent surgery yesterday for removal of bladder stones.  Once she was home last evening and today, I have spent my day with her monitoring her progress and tending to her.  She’s doing fine, drinking and eating today, but still in a bit of discomfort and needing assistance in and out of our RV, etc..

 

My life is full and good.  I know my Muse is waiting patiently and that we will spend some quality, fun time together in the near future! 

Thanks ever so much for stopping by!

I am a Warrior.

August 25, 2012 - Mellow Weekend

 

Dave and I are enjoying a well deserved mellow weekend.

Friday here at the mill saw the return of the crew (part of ‘em, at least) that is usually around; they have been gone since early July working at another site.

Interestingly, their last day here was Friday, July 6.  The following Tuesday, my medical journey began.  Thursday my staples were removed and bingo! Friday the crew returned.

Monday is to bring not only that crew but the roofers will be back on site after being gone for a couple of weeks.  Activity is going to ramp up again around here.

We were so fortunate to have a window of quiet at work to make this journey.

So, yes, we are being mellow this weekend.  Dave helped me get laundry going this morning, then he boogied out for some bike time. 

I spent the morning (between seeing to laundry) basically napping.  Later I mentioned to Dave I just seemed to want to nap (tried reading and kept dozing off) and didn’t know why.  His response was that I had been through major surgery recently.  Twice.

Oh yeah.  Well, that might have something to do with it!   Ya think?

So this evening we are sitting in the rig with our laptops, playing Words with Friends on Facebook and listening to music.  Silly, perhaps, but a very cozy, low-key, pleasant evening spent together, giggling over words and digging some rock-n-roll on a local radio station.  Maggie is snuggled in a recliner, happy to have her “pack” intact these days.

Bliss.

Hope your weekend is blissful, too!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

I am a Warrior.

July 24, 2012 - Surgery Date!

 

Monday, August 6, 2012

St. Luke’s Warren Hospital

Phillipsburg, NJ

 

Just gotta love your surgeon when one of the first things he says to you in his office is, “I’m going for a cure.”

Does that rock or what?

Today’s visit was basically that – a visit.  Dr. K. explained things.  I asked questions.  Dave asked questions.  Dr. K. answered them.   Estimated hospital stay is four to five days, not counting day of surgery.

I believe – I hope – that Dave is feeling more optimistic and upbeat after today’s visit.

We still have a bit of a road ahead, getting through surgery and then more waiting for results of the lymph node pathology.  One step at a time.

Dave and I have a bit of a reprieve, if you can call the waiting period a reprieve.  This week and a half will give a bit of time for my body to continue to heal and for me to regain energy levels.

It also gives Dave and I some very sweet “us” time.  I may even fire up the grill this weekend!

Unfortunately, Dave is now suffering with allergies or cold; he gets this about once a year.  It typically lasts a few days and he’s better.   Yes, we’re keeping a distance between us, as much as one can in a 40’ RV.  Right now he’s pretty miserable.  I’m doing the dishes tonight.  Slowly and carefully, but I have commanded that he rest.

 

Yesterday’s harvest; a wee bit fuzzy because it was taken with my iPhone using Instagram.  The original is not fuzzy.  Go figure.

We had more “excitement” this afternoon with a power outage that lasted about two hours.  No storm, just the usual random outage.

Maggie continues to be the laid-back, cheery therapy dog, light of our lives, Member #3 of our wee pack.  She’s such a hoot, such a joy and such a cuddle comfort.

Maggie the therapy dog, cuddled against me in bed

I’m doing great – essentially up all day – not in the office as I normally am, but outside walking, sitting in the recliner, doing stuff around the rig, taking care of work business and personal business from here in our rig.  Only time I hit the bed is at night for sleep or propped up reading, on my laptop or watching TV in late afternoon when it’s hot out and the bedroom is the coolest spot.

We have no shade trees over us and we’re sitting in a parking lot, so we do not get benefit from shade in late afternoons.  That’s okay – there are no trees to drop limbs on our rig or fall on it. 

Today was in the 90s and Thursday is to be nasty, too.  After that, we drop back into the 80s for daytime highs.  Having the awning out helps keep down the inside temp of the rig; however, the wind here is so volatile that days are rare when we can keep out the awning all day.  It can become gusty here with no warning.

Well, that’s it for now.

Wearin’ Yellow and Living Strong

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

June 30, 2012 - How We Met Blog Hop

 

 

Reading about the How We Met Blog Hop on My Write Spot today, I decided to jump in!

“Dating” on the Internet, phone and via postal mail in 2004 – and Dave’s marriage proposal on the phone in Spring 2005 - we met in person for the first time at the airport in Washington, D.C. in June 2005.  I was there as a survivor advocate for the Lance Armstrong Foundation; Dave came over to share those few days.

Our Internet meeting was pure karma and a casual friendship at first, swiftly becoming something we both recognized as deep and enduring.