2012 Update

It's already March and I've been delinquent on my blog. I'm 37 days away from my cruise. My cabin mate is a 31 year old stage IV and active in the cancer world. I'm excited to get to know her. When I get back an old friend from ABQ is coming in for the Food and Wine Festival. Let the glutinous feasting continue!

Another big announcement, drum rolls please, 14 days until I get my braces off. Braces off before my cruise is going to be fabulous! I'm so excited! To celebrate their removal, I'm getting true bangs. My coworker suggested Zooey Dechanel bangs. If I get tired of them in my eyes I can can sweep them to the side.

I see Dr. H again in 12 days making it my first 6 month follow up...the longest since I've seen her. She's not going to like how I'm going to ask her for at least 2 years with no hormone inhibitor meds. I'm really thinking of asking her for 5 years making me meds free until 40. I've really been focused on diet on a way to control estrogen and I recently got back from a CAM conference that makes me really want to try it my way. I've done everything I was told to do conventionally so it's not as if I'm becoming an extremist. Of course I will be open minded and listen to her pour over the stats. I just would like to feel like a somewhat normal 35 year old again. More details after my visit with Dr. H.

2012

I decided I don't like the concept of New Year Resolutions because I believe balance of happiness, exercise, nutrition, and all the obvious are really just well...obvious! Instead these are my hopeful goals of 2012:

1. Guitar class
2. Cruise of Western Caribbean
3. DC for a conference and to meet up with an old friend that I haven't seen since 1997. (Never been to DC either)
4. Swim in 6 feet pool
5. Get my braces off!
6. Complete my professional development hours to renewal my teaching certificate
7. Get accepted to Project Lead

I'm sure I'll have more to add but I thought of these this morning while drinking my green drink.

Recap of a Whirlwind December 2011

Happy New Year! December really was a whirlwind. It had many ups and downs and so much so that they were two opposite extremes. I'll start with the downs and end with the ups since my old tennis coach always told me to end on a good note.

Downs:

• A 34 year old passed away in December from breast cancer and her entire diagnosis is rather complicated and somewhat confusing. Regardless of that, she left behind a family and an entire community of friends that will miss her dearly.
• A friend of mine had to put down her 10 year old dog that she loved dearly.
  
• Another friend found out her mom won't really benefit from standard medications so will try complimentary alternative medicine for her cancer/pain.
• Another gal spent Christmas in the hospital because she had brain surgery and her wound was not clotting.

Ups:

• I got to meet Andy Roddick! He's even cuter in person and is such a nice guy! He let us take a picture of him and he could have easily said no to it. I tweeted him the picture and thanked him again saying I'm a hug fan. The picture is us at the Tacky Sweater Party. I was there with Kelly and Kathy.
• I went back to my old stomping ground Pease Elementary a few weeks ago to bring them some holiday snacks and lunch for my former work husband, Nick. I love those guys and was able to chat with most of them during their lunch break. The biggest highlight of that visit was that my former sixth grade student, Daniel, is now 20. He's a part time childcare teacher while going to school to become...a SIXTH grade teacher! He saw me in the lounge and told me he had something for me. He handed me a Bobcat Bulletin which is their school newspaper. I did the Bobcat Brief with them! Craziness is that we both have the same car but his is silver and mine is gray. For the longest time he always wanted my car, Honda Accord, and to drive a stick. I went home that day to check my teaching certification because seeing how much I impacted Daniel made me continue to realize that one person can and do make a difference.
• Quality time with my nephews! I had such a great time with them this summer and this December. We have many funny memories to share that would take too long to explain. One quick share is that I had the radio on and LMFAO song "Sexy and I know It" was on. Ben asked me what sexy meant. I told him to ask his parents. His father told him that it was his Aunt and Grandma. Very sweet. Ben kept singing "Sexy and I know it" in the restaurant.
• Quality time with old friends in NM. I pretty much got to see all my good friends from high school and college. There were a few exceptions but I still love them all none the less. I was able to see the group above for tea at the Dunlap's new house. Photo credit to Justin. I was able to catch up with Paul at Flying Star. Ironically I ran into someone from Austin at Flying Star! It really is a small world. I also got to see Mary Ann, Alicia and Sue again on my last night at Flying Star. It made me realize that the reason I love Flying Star so much is that I love the countless hours of bonding with my friends there throughout the years.
• Sammy made it to another Christmas! The poor guy wasn't doing well back in September. It got to a point where he couldn't get up by himself. He has both arthritis and neurological problems. Thankfully meds have helped with his quality of life. We're taking it day by day but the vet does not think he is in pain and he's able to get up by himself again. It might be his last Christmas but we're spoiling him rotten. As it should be because he deserves it.

I was able to end 2011 with my friend Michelle. She had a NYE get together at her house. It was fun catching up with her, playing trivial pursuits, watching fireworks and then ringing in the 2012. No resolutions for me this year. I'm looking forward to some traveling, balance in my life and spending more quality time with friends and family. So Happy New Year and hoping for happiness and good health to anyone reading this!

My New Hair Cut

Here you go! This is my before picture:

This is my after picture. Remember that I'm growing out the back to donate to Wig for Kids. It requires 12 inches so most likely I'll grow it out for two more years since I don't want my hair to be super short after it is cut. 12 inches is long so hopefully I'll continue to be patient.

Gene Patenting Case Update

Just a quick update that ACLU will see if the Supreme Court will take the gene patenting case of ACLU vs. Myriad on the patenting on BRCA1 and BRCA2. More info here.

35th Birthday Birth Month

What a great birthday celebration! As of last year, I decided that I 100% believe in celebrating all month verses one day. Don't we all deserve a month? Also, it is less stressful for friends and loved ones to try to celebrate on that exact day or if they forget and wish you a belated birthday. My birthday is usually close to Thanksgiving or on Thanksgiving so I'm not about to compete with a national holiday! We kicked things off by listening to a local cover band in Austin the Skyrockets which are always great fun. We had a fantastic turnout and I think everyone had a great time singing and dancing! Nothing beats spending time with your favorite people!

I stayed out much later than I've stayed out in ages. I had only one glass of wine but was dragging the next day. Most be how 35 feels like? Ha!
This is Kelly and she's my twin sis. She's 366 days younger than me and she'll never let me live it down. I tell her I'm 366 days wiser.

This is the dessert that broke by 2.5 months without a real dessert or processed sugar. My sister and brother-in-law took me out for my birthday to La Condesa. This is a moist flourless chocolate cake with a little kick in it. The top had the creme brulee crust and so did the plantains. The ice cream on top was banana. The cake itself wasn't too sweet and it was still hot out of the oven. The cold and sweet ice cream complimented the dessert perfectly! We finished it off with dark and bold decaf french press coffee. Yum!

On my actual birthday I took the day off of work and went to the gym, saw my acupuncturist, lunched at Steeping Room (make reservations from this point on,) Twilight's Breaking Dawn and then dinner at Brick Oven with friends. I also got tons of calls, texts, emails, cards and Facebook messages so I felt pretty loved. I even got a text from an old friend that I'm not too close with anymore. It was such a pleasant surprise!

I'm now 35 and it's crazy to think that I'm actually 35. Cheers to 35 and another wonderful year!

Recap of my 6th Year Cancerversary

I saw this in a Time magazine recapping the 10th year anniversary of 9/11 and it really resonated with me. I can't begin to imagine how those that were directly impacted by 9/11 (lost a loved one, actually at the Trade Center, got hurt, etc) feel even 10 years later but this is how I feel about my cancer diagnosis.

November 16, 2011 marked 6 years since I was officially diagnosed. Mentally/emotionally I feel pretty good. Physically I feel okay too. Last MRI and all other blood work is showing NED and that I'm pretty healthy besides my knee. I really celebrated last year being year 5 but this year was different. It was almost as if I didn't want to jinx myself. I work with cancer all the time but I hardly feel or talk about mine. I would say I've adapted very well BUT 11/16/11 made me feel wiggy about it. Talking to my long time pal, Paul, really helped. It's crazy because most people see me as shiny happy AND I am shiny happy about 95% of the time. I'm learning to really lean on my friends for those 5% of the time and my friends that have not been touched by cancer too. It's nice to get support from both and you get different perspectives too.

So I didn't celebrate 11/16/11 but I still plan on getting my hair trimmed. Most importantly I'm okay. It (cancer) still stays with me but I've moved forth and I'm okay.