Think Pink, Wear Pink post and pictures coming soon!! A HUGE thanks to fourth grader, Thomas Lee, and our Holy Rosary Family. Thomas is the young man to my right and Jameson is the young lady to my left. I’m pictured with Jameson’s kindergarten class on a pink dress down day – Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Dress down days in Catholic school are a big deal!
I feel like my last couple of posts have been depressing. It might just be in my own head, though, because I’ve been having a tough time. I’m feeling better now that I’m not as anxious as I was last week. The sunshine helps, too! It’s crazy. I can actually see the finish line. I’m honing in on the prize. People literally cringe when I tell them that I would rather go through a double mastectomy every day of the week versus going through one day of radiation. Well, it really is almost over. I got the confirmation today that I have 3 treatments left to go. I should be finished on Monday, May 6. I messed something up. I thought that I would be going much longer. Math has never been one of my strong suits. Yes, I do count your prescription medications!!
Anyway, I wanted to give all of you a few updates. I totally forgot to let everyone know that I don’t have ovarian cancer! I’ll never have it, either, because my ovaries are gone! I guess you should never say never, though, especially when it comes to cancer! I had a MUGA scan last week which was good and a DEXA scan yesterday which also looked good. I’ll get the results of that, for sure, next week. I got to see some of my friends at Vision Imaging yesterday afternoon. It was nice to see one woman, in particular, named Caroline. Caroline was so kind to Sal and I as we were undergoing our first round of tests – MRIs, biopsies, etc. It was so nice to see her. It’s been rather cathartic revisiting these places. I feel like things have come full circle. I’ll be starting a drug called Femara the day after I finish radiation – next Tuesday, actually. I spoke with one of my “cancer friends”, Brenda, last week. Remember the CYP2D6 bloodwork that was drawn for me? The one that determined if Tamoxifen would work for me? Well, I mentioned it to Brenda who is also a young Mom. She’s been on Tamoxifen for a few months. Guess what? Even though 90% of women are fast metabolizers, Brenda and I are not. Brenda will be stopping Tamoxifen and will be having her ovaries out soon, too. Should I say it again? Ok, sure. Be your own advocate. No question is a silly question. Don’t stop reading and learning. Do your own research and if you don’t understand something, ask a friend to help you make sense of things.
So, let’s talk about my kids. Cameron will be turning one on May 29. She’s full of tricks! “So big”, mimicking her big brother and sister, snorting like a piggy, eating all table food, and walking! Yes, she’s been taking steps since she was about nine or ten months, but she is full blown walking. She looks like Baby Frankenstein stepping around. I’m partial, but she’s adorable. Johnny Depp’s quote about one year olds cracks me up: “When kids hit 1 year old, it’s like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit.” Cameron, I love you so much!
Chase. Oh, Chase! I wasn’t sure if I should be upset about the note or proud of him for getting everything right! Chase really is so funny. That kid doesn’t have a serious bone in his body. I have a million funny Chase stories, but this note has become my all time favorite…..for this week!
Jameson is the kindest kid on the planet. She really is. You’ll enjoy this story. Did you ever notice how all of the ridonkulous things that our parents have ever said to us, as much as we hated them, we now say as a parent? Things like, “I have eyes in the back of my head.” Well, my very intelligent 6 year old daughter called me on it. We were on our way home from a birthday party last weekend. Jameson is smart enough to know that I have to check all of her “goodie bag” candy before she can eat anything due to her peanut allergy. Jameson kept trying to hand me candy while I was driving. I said, “Jameson, honey, I can’t look at it right now. I’m driving. You’ll have to wait until we get home.” Jameson responded, “Mom, just look at it with the eyes in the back of your head,” and giggled. “Mom, you don’t really have eyes in the back of your head, do you?” What is a mother supposed to say?!! I say it all of the time – we’ll all be better off once we resign to the fact that our kids are much, much smarter than we are!
As Mother’s Day quickly approaches and I give thanks for my own Mom, my mother-in-law, my godmother, my grandmothers, and all of the special “Moms” in my life, this year and every year from now on, I’m going to be sure that I thank my own children and my husband for making me a mother. As bananas as our life can be, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m going to hold Cameron a little tighter on Mother’s Day, too. I gave her the gift of life but she gave it right back to me. I’m a really lucky person.
“Your children are the greatest gift God will give to you, and their souls the heaviest responsibility He will place in your hands. Take time with them, teach them to have faith in God. Be a person in whom they can have faith. When you are old, nothing else you’ve done will have mattered as much.” – Lisa Wingate
The following are a few tips for anyone who might have to endure radiation treatments.
Top 10 Things to Do to Pass the Time While Undergoing Radiation Therapy:
10. See how many bottles of beer end up on the wall. You know, start with 100 and count down. 100 bottles of beer on the wall. 100 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around. 99 bottles of beer on the wall….and so on.
9. Name the Duggar Family. This can be rather difficult for people like me who have never seen the show. The best thing to do is to make up a name and end it with Jo or Bob. For example: Jim Bob, Billy Jo, Tommy Bob, Hailey Jo, etc.
8. Think of ways that Kourtney and Kim take New York. Again, if you’re like me and have never watched the Kardashians or any shows of the like, ask questions like: do they take Manhattan like the Muppets did?
7. Try to recite Who’s on First without sounding bipolar.
6. Sing Stairway to Heaven, American Pie, Thunder Road, and Bohemian Rhapsody as fast as you can in order to finish all 4 songs in less than 5 minutes.
5. Think of the next “hot” phrases and try to get them to catch on as a part of your normal conversations. Take some of Jersey Shore’s phrases like the following: Snookin’ for Love, It’s a situation, meatball, grenade, FPC, etc. Also, I’ve never watched Jersey Shore but I googled the most common things said on the show! When you drop your child off at school tomorrow morning, yell one out to another parent and see how it works out for you.
4. Select the cast for the next season of Dancing with the Stars. So far, I’ve selected Psy, Kirk Douglas, Barbara Walters, James Gandolfini, Betty White, and Honey Boo Boo.
3. Make up mobster nicknames. Sal and I are on a huge Soprano’s kick again. We started watching the reruns on HBO and pulled out our box set DVD’s. You can make up anything and it sounds good. The more ridonkulous, the better! For example: Big Puss, The Nose, Cheez-It, Muscles Marinara, Little Paulie, Tick Tock, Twizzler, Philly Spoons, Animal Cracker, etc. Some of these names are from the Sopranos, some I made up, and some are real nicknames! I looked them up! You have no idea which ones are real, which ones are from television, or which ones are fake, do you?!!
2. Envision your attire on your children’s wedding day. I have envisioned two mother of the bride dresses and one mother of the groom dress. I better not be wearing any of the three for at least 22 more years – and that’s just for Jameson. Chase and Cam need to wait even longer!
1. Pray. I still pray the same prayers every day. I have it down to a science now. I say my prayers and count to 30 and I’m finished.
Reminder:
6th Annual Liberty Tax Fundraiser:
Pre-Tournament Mixer
When: Friday, May 24, 2013 Time: 6-9 PM
Where: The Brickhouse, Dupont, PA
$5 donation at the door which includes raffle tickets for Baskets of Cheer
Raffle baskets, 50/50, drink specials
** If anyone feels so inclined, Baskets of Cheer are needed.**
6th Annual Golf Tournament
Benefiting Breast Cancer Awareness in honor of Barb Sciandra
Where: Stone Meadows Golf Course (Route 115 Buck Township) Dupont VFW (Dinner)
When: Saturday, May 25, 2013 8 AM Registration, 9 AM Shotgun Start
Format: Captain & Crew
Cost: $80 per golfer (Fees include: green fees, cart, dinner, shirt and prizes) $20 dinner only option
Sponsor Levels: $100 (Gold), $50 (Silver)
For more information, contact Jeanna Mihalka at 570-237-0521.
**If you plan on attending the dinner ONLY, please let Jeanna know by May 12.**
Our friends were also kind enough to set up and online donation site if you wish to do so. The following is the link: http://www.donationto.com/Liberty-Tax-Barb-Sciandra-Fundraiser
Have a great night and a sunny tomorrow! LIVESTRONG and God Bless!
Congratulations on almost completing radiation.I totally agree with having to have the surgery over rather than radiation. that’s exactly how I feel about reconstruction. I would rather go through the chemo (which was pure hell) but reconstruction has been the worst for me . Expanders in since dec. 2011 . Hopefully setting a date for the implant exchange surgery soon. You have no idea how much I look forward to this blog. This month I get bloodwork done with my oncologist. I will be my own advocate. It`s been two years and there are still so many questions.Thank you for sharing.
Barb, you look so beautiful in that picture!
Your funnies always make me laugh!!! Can’t wait to see you friend 🙂 Congratulations!