A story to remind us...

I wanted to share this little story. There are days that knock us in the teeth and we need a bit of a boost up from our friends. (thank you!)
We can also decide how we are going to meet each day and each challenge.
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A 92-year-old, small, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, shaved and with his hair fashionably coiffed even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home. His wife of 70 years had recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly
when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, the nurse provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

"I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented
with a new puppy. "Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged … it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of
bed and be thankful for the ones that do.”

“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away, just for this time in my life.”
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Take care...of you, of each other.
Chris

Zapping progress

I have now done 14 radiation treatments. I will have a total of 25 and then on to another round of chemo. Skin is still a-ok. Swallowing is getting harder. Fizzy pop and tonic really hurt and bread is becoming problematic. I could use less bread in my diet anyway. May be time to break out the blender, get fresh peaches from the farmer's market and whip up a smoothie!

I am afraid that my good nature slipped a bit and I got into a funk. Friday I finally went home-I was tired, weepy, cranky. Did not need to spread that around--good grief! Did a bit of retail therapy with Trish and Cathy over the weekend. Trish and I drove to Kersey, Colorado for breakfast. We call them "diner Saturdays." Then we wandered the outskirts of Greeley and around the shops in Windsor. Cathy and I did the mall sale bit-eek! She knows how to do it, which is good, 'cause I am not good at the shopping thing--ended up with a few cute items. That will help with the self image problems that seem to arise with the lack of hair (and what is there being grey and white), the change in shape, lack of exercise...
Man, as if the Big C isn't bad enough by itself. Sheesh!

Port flush tomorrow in Ft. Collins. I don't think I get to talk to Dr. Kanard then. I see her on the 28th of Sept. I am anxious to get started with chemo. The buggers grew this summer and we need to get after them!

I guess I have babbled enough for this update! Hope you all are well.
Hugs,
Chris

Just checking in

I hope all of you are enjoying your end of summer. My favorite season is almost here. I love the fall!

9 radiation treatments down, 16 to go, and I am pooped today! By 11:30 I was needing a nap. I keep saying that we all need a nap mat and graham crackers. So far, so good on the radiation. My skin does not feel burned and swallowing is still mostly ok (thank goodness! I mean, smoothies are great and all, but it is fresh corn season!)

I want to share a quote I read from an article titled, A wake up call over lung cancer. “Dana Reeve’s announcement and Peter Jennings’ death is casting a spotlight on a dirty secret about lung cancer: you don’t have to be a smoker to get it.”

I am sorry for them and their families, but glad to see the awareness being raised about lung cancer and the need for more funding for research. I have already posted stats (in April) and web sites and hope the information has been useful to you. I know it has been eye opening to me….and shocking.

Another site with good information is http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics. Information about cancer, treatments, new drugs, etc.

Hope you all are doing well. Thanks for all the love and care.
chris

Here we go again

I had a chest x-ray and CT scan and then met with Dr. Kanard at the Cancer Center. Some of the little buggers have grown and one has decided to move in on real estate previously occupied by my airway…so, thinking that an open airway is necessary I was sent to see Dr. Carlton. He is wonderful, too. I am so lucky. I have a caring, compassionate, and competent medical team Every time I think I am not doing enough or when I let the statistics defeat me, I think about how good they are and how terrific my “circle of care” is and I fight on.
So, anyway, Dr. Carlton is a radiation oncologist here in Cheyenne and will be starting my radiation treatments today. I got my teeny little tattoos yesterday. Since they were my first you would think that I could have gotten a flower or a heart, or something!

Radiation treatments are everyday, M-F, for at least 4 weeks. Once radiation is complete I will start my new chemo protocol, Alimta.

If you are interested, please take a look at the Women Against Lung Cancer website, http://womenagainstlungcancer.org , and sign the petition. There is also a link for a newsletter and links to good information about lung cancer.

Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your summer...and please, stay in touch. It helps more than you know.

Hugs,
Chris

What I did on my summer vacation

I have not kept up well with the blog....but, I have kept up really well with having fun!

Since the start of my chemo break I have:

Seen Lyle Lovett in concert
Gone to Texas and floated in the pool at Liz's
Cleaned up the flood in my basement, with a LOT of help from friends
Celebrated Christmas in June in a cabin in Estes
Participated in Relay for Life (our team swept the thing!)
Held a brand new baby (welcome to our circle Avery!)
Went to Casper to do training and visit with dad and grandma (She is 91 and amazing!)
...and then on to Sheridan for a cooking class (seafood and sauces)
Took a meditation class
Saw Keb Mo in concert in Boulder at the Chatauqua (what a cool place! http://www.chautauqua.com/ He dedicated a song to me from Cathy! The song is One Friend-
to hear the song, go to http://www.kebmo.com/ and then to music)
Was celebrated at an amazing Queenly fundraiser...I am overwhelmed by the love and support.
(I will see if Des will load some pictures)
Had lots of family and friends visiting, including dear ones from New Zealand
Went to Lander for the Library Leadership Institute
Wandered the beach in Mexico with Cathy.....ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Fabulous Friends, Fabulous Food, Fabulous Fun!

What is better?!
Happy Summer....and, thank you all so much.
Love,
Chris