Happy Leap Year Day

We're having a great time down here at the state tournament. It's so much easier to watch games when our children aren't playing in them. What I love to do, is watch parents watching their kids. The emotions they have for their child's success (or failures) is so apparent in their face that I can't help but wonder what's going through their mind.

The backache is still here, but I walked around a lot more yesterday so it was tolerable. I'm actually glad I have a scan on Wednesday. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the lung cancer but I will feel better when I know that for sure.

Rick's cousins Kelly and Shelly came to our room and visited last night until around 11:30, so Rick is still sleeping. I'm going to get in the shower while he rests a little longer.

We're getting ready to head back to the Dome for some exciting games this morning. I know it sounds funny to some people, but this is a highlight for Rick and I every year. We spend three nights in Tacoma and watch basketball...no matter who is playing.

Love you more than all the dribbles of a basketball at the Tacoma Dome this week.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Happy Birthday Amy & Angie

First and foremost I want to wish our daughters a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Who would have known that all those years ago they would have turned out to be the amazing women they are today? Thank you for all the happiness and joy you've given your entire family...

I've been on the go way too much lately and I paid for it last night. I ran around all day on Monday with my friend Cathy, then ran around all night with Amy celebrating her birthday. On Tuesday, I met up with my friend Kelly for a few minutes before heading to Angie's school to deliver her birthday present then take her out for lunch. On Tuesday night all the kids were at the house, we ate, played some Guitar Hero on the Wii, I packed for Tacoma then went to bed. On Wednesday morning we got up at 5:15 to take showers and head off for Tacoma for 4 days of State Basketball. After watching basketball all day yesterday, I drove back to Kirkland to meet Jake, Megan and her mom Debbie to sample some foods for the wedding. I've got a backache that has been wearing me down lately and last night it turned into a migraine headache as well. By the time I got back to Tacoma from Kirkland, I had the migraine vomiting as well (in a hotel toilet, yuk). Now, just for the record...I wouldn't have given up any of the things I did this week so I have no one to blame but myself. I feel much better this morning after a good night's sleep and a cold rag on my forehead and neck all night.

Rick has chemo again on Tuesday, I've got a scan and an appointment on Wednesday so we are going to have fun the next few days watching basketball and visiting. There's no time like the present. That's why they call it a gift.

I'd better get in the shower so we can get to the games on time. My dad and uncle drove down to Tacoma today to watch some games with us. We can't keep them waiting.

Dreaming Birthday Wishes,
Dor

Photos just for the fun of it...

Thought you might like to see a few photos of the family...

Here is the photo of Pam and I visiting our sons while they were teaching. This is the classroom of kids before they ate their donuts.

I took this photo of Amy in her uniform tonight. She has another one of those bright colored bar/ribbon things to put on her jacket (for serving our State during the floods). I thought you should see what our soldier looks like when she's in uniform.

Here is a shot of Angie officiating at Key Arena. I wouldn't argue with her if I was a coach...she would probably give me a technical. As a matter of fact, she might give me a technical if I dared to sit on a bench and pretend to be a coach.

This is Rick on chemo day. He gets to relax in bed with nice warm blankets and a remote control (oh, and me by his side...what more could he ask for?)

Love you bunches,
Dor

Happy Birthday Aunt Pammy

Here's wishing my very dear friend Pam a very happy 47th birthday (for the 14th consecutive year). Every year I feel like I'm the one who gets the better end of this deal. Your friendship is the greatest gift anyone could ask for.

I forgot to mention that on Friday morning before Pam and I left for Seattle, we stopped by the elementary school Jacob was working at that day. It just so happened he was subbing in the classroom where Pam's son is doing his student teaching. We brought donuts for the whole class and the office staff.

Rick has been feeling great the past few days. Knowing he's feeling good, makes my days better too. Other than a backache...we're almost perfect.

Amy and Angie will be celebrating their birthday later this week so tonight I'm going to spend a little mom time with them. Sometimes I find myself going non-stop with everyone but my kids. I know they're not little anymore but they still need me and I clearly need them.

Love you more,
Dor

Saturday at the Schmitt House

What a fun day I had yesterday with Pam at the Northwest Garden Show. Though I wish my yard and flower beds looked like the display ones, I still don't have a gardener so they wouldn't stay nice for very long anyway. After the garden show, we met up with our friend Shelley and had dinner, then went to a play (I convinced them to go to because it was called Laughter on the 23rd floor). The problem is, they must have had a writer's strike because it wasn't funny. Pam fell asleep on my shoulder and thought we should leave at intermission. Shelley and I convinced her we should stay a little longer because we were sure it was going to get funnier. We were wrong. The play really should have been called, "Where's the humor on the 23rd floor"...Ugh! I still had a great time and we'll laugh about it for months to come.

Thanks to some special people, I'm up over my $1,000 mark for Relay for Life. You know who you are ~ Thanks! We're still looking for teams, survivors and volunteers. Call me if you're interested in getting involved. 360-629-4398.

We are having another beautiful day in Stanwood. I can't wait for the flowers to start blooming and the hummingbirds to start hanging around my windows. Rick is outside working right now (feeling great, so he says). I'm just being Suzie Homemaker, doing odd jobs and making split pea soup. Yesterday at the garden show I bought some new clippers so I'm heading outside to clip some stuff before it gets too dark.

Love you more than America loves baseball, hot dogs and apple pie....

Dreaming Big,
Dor

So far, so good

Today was another "pretty good" day for Rick. He stayed at work until closing, though once he got in the house and hit the chair he was snoozing. My day was perfectly uneventful. I got lots of things done. I cleaned bathrooms, re-caulked my sinks, cooked a pot roast for dinner, had some visitors, and never left the house. It was wonderful. Tonight I watched my niece for a couple of hours while her mom went to a meeting and her dad was a work. It's always nice to have a little one on one with her.

I have lots of fun things planned for tomorrow. I'm going to the Seattle Garden Show then to a play "Laughter on the 23rd floor" in Everett tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to a day of fun with some friends. Fun never hurt anyone...Ok, maybe it did...but I'll be careful.

Good luck to the Spartans tomorrow night. If our boys basketball team wins, they'll be heading to state next weekend. I would be at the game if I didn't already have plans. I'll send my boys to cheer them on. Go Spartans!

We are pleasantly surprised at how well Rick's body is handling this new chemo. I know things can change, but for the meantime, we feel really blessed.

For all you members of Doreen's Dream Teams, there's no time like today to start fundraising. I'll be having a meeting soon to make sure we're all on the same page when it comes to our goals, but for now, just ask. It's hard for anyone to turn you down when your fundraising efforts go towards such a great cause. For instance, I'm only $9.00 away from $1,000...so anyone who's been waiting for just the right time to donate...tonight's the night.

http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeGreatWestDivision?fr_id=6258&pg=entry

Dreaming of nine more dollars,
Dor

We Survived...

It was a long day (especially long for me since I couldn't sleep on Monday night ~ afraid we might miss the alarm). Everything went smooth, we both rested nearly the whole time. Rick slept the whole way home (I had to stay awake since I was the driver).

The day began with so much anxiety. New chemo. Unknown side effects. No idea how his body would respond to the drug as it entered his veins. You see, if I don't have anything to worry about, I can find something around any corner. Thank God it was pretty uneventful.

When we got home, Rick was feeling well enough to rip the dryer apart (it's been making a weird noise). I had fallen asleep on the sofa almost immediately after we returned from Seattle so I didn't know he was doing this. About 4:30 he woke me up on the couch to see if I wanted to go shopping for a new dryer. I guess the problem was more than just some noise.

After getting our new dryer, Rick felt the first signs of the chemo. He bought a cup of swirl icecream at Costco and couldn't hold the cup. The cold caused pain. As of last night, the intolerance to cold has worked its way to Rick's throat as well. Not as bad as his hands, but something he's not looking forward to. I guess this neuropathy isn't effected by hot, only cold.

Honestly, we are doing great here at the Schmitt house. I've got a massage in about 45 minutes so I'd better jump in the shower and head into town.

Thanks for all your love and prayers.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Day off for President's Day

I didn't write a blog yesterday becasue I was busy shopping for a gift for our president (it was presidents day, you know) Ok. That's a lie. I didn't get him anything. I did work in the yard some more, did a bunch of stuff around the house and went to a movie with Angie. Oh, I also gave a few haircuts.

We're down here at Seattle Cancer Care for a long day of Chemo Infusion. We arrived at 8:00am and he is not expected to be done until at least 12:30. One of the medicines they gave Rick this time was to help with nauseaous for 3-4 days. Let's hope by then, he'll be feeling better.

I barely slept last night (I didn't want to miss the alarm clock) so I think I'm heading back up to his room and snuggle next to him for the next 2 hours.

I'll write more tonight.

Big Dreaming Dor

What a beautiful day...

Today was a magnificent day in Washington. We worked outside for hours (and hours). I called Amy and borrowed her blower/sucker thing for the yard. I'm going to have to get one of those. Once I sucked up all the leaves and debris in the flower beds, I saw the first signs of spring. The bulbs have popped their heads through the dirt.

When Rick and I get old (many years from now) we're going to have to get a yard boy to help us take care of all this land. Yes! That's something new on my bucket list...live long enough to need a "gardener".

I must say between all the work and the fresh air we got today, we're going to sleep like a babies tonight. As a matter of fact, I'm going to take a shower and crawl under the covers right now.

Enjoy your day off tomorrow. :)

Dream Big,
Dor

I couldn't keep quiet...

Yesterday afternoon, Rick's cousin Jennifer came by and brought some talking sticks (see the attached photo) to help me keep my mouth shut. They are really cute but I need to use them more. Thanks Jen!

When I woke up this morning I was silent. I tried not to talk much throughout the day but I slipped up every once in a while. Then we went to a college basketball game tonight...I saw a friend I haven't seen in years and I did it. I talked, and talked, and... well you know the way I am. I must say when I first got up this morning, I think there may have been a difference in the way my throat felt. Maybe there is something to the being quiet theory. Tonight I don't notice much difference, but that was self inflicted. I'm going to try to keep my talking to a minimum for a while and see how it goes.

Angie was an official at the game tonight which was one of the reasons we went. When we got to the game we had a special surprise from the Skagit Valley Girls Basketball team. They collected over 200 dollars for our Relay for Life team (Amy and Angie were former players). So, before we left the gym tonight they gave us a popcorn bucket filled with money. What a great gesture! Thanks team and coaches!

This blog is coming late in the evening because we had a Wii tournament after the game was over. Angie, Amy, Shannon, Melana, Rick and I played until after 11:00. It's now way past my bedtime, so I'm off to Dream Big.

Love you more than all the Wii records we broke tonight.

Dor

No Talking...Please!

I just returned from a doctors visit with my Otolaryngologist (throat doctor) at the University of Washington. Amy attended this visit with me. I had a return visit with him for a couple of reasons. One, it was a follow up from my last visit. And the second reason was because I've progressively been feeling more and more restricted around my lower throat area. So, during my visit, they numbed up my throat (through my nose, not one of my favorite procedures) and stuck a camera down my nose to look for anything suspicious. What they discovered was that my vocal cord region is still very inflamed and swollen. Dr. Meriati and his associates spoke with me about the reasons this continued to happen and solutions to fixing the problem (without surgery). First and foremost, it's all happening because I cough. I cough, because I have lung cancer. Therefore, the cough is probably not going away. So they've decided to take a different route. The specialists would like me to stop talking for at least 2 days (seriously...are they kidding) and see if the hypersensitivity and swelling of my throat gets better. If it does, then I will need to limit my talking all the time (are they kidding?) Since we can't do much about the cough, maybe we can do something with the other irritants.

When the Dr. suggested no talking, Amy laughed out loud. She said "you might as well ask her to start speaking Chinese...that might be easier for her to do". I did not find humor in this. (ok, maybe a little). They gave me buttons to wear that say "I am on voice rest. Therefore, I can't speak. Thank you. " He told me the best solution would be to go rest in a cave for a few days. They all laughed. I did not. I have much to say. It might not be important. But I do have a lot of words that pass through my lips daily.

I'm going to do my best to try and fix this. It will be hard. As a matter of fact, it may be impossible. But, I'm up for the challenge. So, at this time, it's with my deepest regrets that I ask you NOT to call me or talk to me if you see me anywhere. Well, actually there's nothing wrong with your throat, I guess you can talk to me...but I can't talk back. Amy thinks this might be a good time for me to learn how to listen better. I think if she were younger, I'd ground her.

So, here is my solution. E-mail. E-mail. E-mail. (except now I'll have to worry about getting Carpel Tunnel ~ just kidding). dreambig@wavecable.com

If only I knew sign language? Well, I do but most of it is inappropriate.

Love you more than all the words I'll be holding back for the next couple of days...

Dreaming quietly,
Dor

Happy Valentine's Day ..better late than never

I had big plans for Valentine's Day with my honey. He would go to work. I would go to lunch with Janeen then run some errands. He would come home from work, then take me to dinner. After dinner, I would be taking him to see RAMBO. Now, for some of you that doesn't sound very romantic, but if the one you love...likes RAMBO movies then that is what you do for them. One small problem. I didn't call the theater and they got new movies today. RAMBO was no longer one of our choices.

Like all good plans in life, sometimes they change. So instead:

Dinner was good. My company was fantastic. We rented a movie. And, we're still in love.

Hope your Valentine's Day was filled love and dark chocolate (mine was)

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Happy Birthday Megan (

Happy 23rd birthday Megan. Time flies when you're having fun, so savor every moment. We're excited to have you in our family.

I've decided that if I surround myself with things that keep me busy or make me smile, I can almost forget that life is not quite like I had planned.

This morning I was greeted by my old friend Kathi. We go back a long way. 7th grade. In high school we were nearly inseperable. Though many years have gone by, we've made new friends, only send e-mails every once in a while, and we hardly every see one another...but when we got together today it was as though time stood still and we picked up on the last conversation we had. We are still very much alike when it comes to loving our children and husband. We still laughed at the things we thought were funny way back when, we tried to forget some of the things we thought were funny, and we savored each minute we spent together. Kathi is one of those people who without her I would not be woman I am today. I am certain of that. My younger years with Kathi are some of the sweetest memories I have. One of the best parts of her visit today was the package she brought me. I'll attach photos later. It is a box of instruments to help me get rid of frustrations. It included goggles, a hammer, gloves, a pillow case, and a box full of old china and glasswear. The object of this therapy is to put a piece of glasswear in the pillow case and smash it with the hammer until you feel better or your arm starts to hurt. It was the perfect gift.

Tonight we went to the Stanwood/Mariner boys basketball district game. What a barn burner. Stanwood ended up winning in overtime. They play again on Saturday but I think we'll be missing it. Angie officiates at her old college and we want to see her in action. Priorities.

Amy had dinner with us tonight (I took too much out and she happened to stop by - it worked out perfectly for all of us).

It's getting late so I'm heading off for my beauty sleep. Ok, it's just sleep...but there's no hurt in trying.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

I'm out of my slump...for the moment

I've heard from many of you how much you enjoyed yesterdays photo. For those of you who didn't love it so much...sorry :)

We're doing ok here at the Schmitt house. Well, Rick and Jake are doing fine. I'm a mess...not all the time...only when I think, or talk. Otherwise, I'm fine too! I think Amy and Angie are struggling with the changes we'll be facing too, but they are always so strong for us. I don't have to tell you what an amazing support group we belong to.

For all of you who have given us a new sense of hope and strength, thank you. For those of you fighting your own battles....stay strong, believe and keep smiling.

Love you more than all the diamonds purchased this Valentines season.

Dreaming Big,
Dor

This blog is not for tender eyes...

Today while shopping with my friend Cathy at a little store called the Spare Room on Camano Island, I ran across this sign...as you can imagine...I couldn't quit laughing. I knew it was inappropriate for household consumption, but I bought it anyway. I hope you're not offended. It seemed to be just what the doctor ordered. Laughter. Cancer is what I don't give a "&%$#" about.

When I got home from my little shopping therapy I had some visitors. Ricks' Uncle Floyd, cousin Shellee and great cousin, Landen stopped by for a little Schmitt update. It was nice to see them since we hadn't been together since last June. Too much time in between visits.

Later this afternoon I had a visit from our dear friend Amy Babcock who is also our Relay for Life Guru. She brought us some brownies and an amazing quote that I'm going to end my blog with tonight. After Amy left, we had a visit from the McCune's who delivered fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips. Do you all need glasses? I do not need any more excuses to eat. Bring celery, please. Ok, Rick and Jake loved it all, my thighs and belly do not.

We're all doing pretty well for the moment. I haven't cried much today (I believe I may have cried myself dry). Anxiety has taken over now. She sits on my shoulder all day long or next to my heart. I'm sure she has a job to do...but for goodness sake, give me a break.

Thought for today: "Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it, so it goes on flying anyway".

That's how were going to handle things around here...if you don't know what you're suppose to do, you just keep doing what you've been doing that works. :) Live, Laugh, Love!

Love you more,
Dor

Ups and Downs...

This week has been a giant rollercoaster for all of us. Now I remember why I don’t go on rides at theme parks. They make me dizzy. They give me an out of body experience that I don’t enjoy, and I usually end up sick to my stomach. Yep, that pretty much sums up my week.

I feel helpless. That is the worst part. There is nothing I can do to make things better. When I find my mom lying on the couch in a dark room, re-reading my dad’s less than impressive pathology report, and trying to look up what every word means on the computer…I get sad. I know she is just trying to be proactive and prepared for what is yet to come so it’s difficult for me to tell her not to. There is nothing I can do to make things better. I can simply turn on the lights, dry her tears, and wrap my arms around her. There are no words which can suddenly make things ok. What do you tell someone who feels like they are living inside an hourglass, watching the sand fall faster than they would like? I’ve had discussions with my mom this week that absolutely break my heart. It has got to be exhausting to be so upbeat and optimistic all the time. I don’t think I could do. In fact, I know I couldn’t. I am always telling her that it’s ok to be mad. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel down for a while… as long as you allow yourself to get back up.

So, as we begin a new week and all of the dust has begun to settle, we will pick up the pieces that are left of our breaking hearts and get back out there. Time is too precious to waste thinking about past test results, or the things we cannot change. My dad is strong, and stubborn and he has too much to live for. This is just another big bump in the detour we were given.

Unfortunately, life seems to have become a waiting game. Whether it’s waiting for the next scan, or waiting to see if the next chemo cocktail will work, it’s all about waiting. I’ve never been a very patient person. I’ve never enjoyed “waiting” for anything. Now, waiting has taken on a whole new meaning. I don’t enjoy waiting for test results, but I have become much more patient and appreciative of the time we have been given. As long as we are waiting on something, there is hope, and having hope is half the battle.

Luckily rollercoasters have highs as well as lows. I'm sure there is a high right around the corner.

Dizzy, Nauseous, and ready to get off the Rollercoaster-
Amy

Thanks for the Flowers

I look around our house and it is filled with flowers brought to us by friends who want to bring smiles to our faces. It's working guys.. Thank you for your kindness. These flowers represent all the beautiful things around us that we are so greatful to be a part of. We plan on being around for many years to come and pay forward your kindness.

I'm not as numb as I've been feeling lately, but my heart is so heavy...I remember the day that I was diagnosed, Rick was crying and said "I wish I could trade places with you and take this all away from you". Pretty powerful wish. I wonder where that Genie and the bottle are? We need to find it, rub it again, and get those final 2 wishes.

I had a bit of a meltdown yesterday. I guess I needed it. I try to always be "up" but sometimes we get news that's just a little too hard to swallow. Here is what we know about Rick's pathology report. Approximately 15 new lesions are found on his lungs (lungs were a new location for him), the lymph nodes in between his lungs show some additional growth. The liver shows progressive metatastic colon cancer. One of the tumors on his last CT scan measured 11mm , now measures 21mm. A brand new tumor was found and it is 9mm big. All in all, what this tells us is, Chemo lite didn't really do it's job.

We believe this next round is going to be just what the doctor ordered. We know they are going to try it for 2 months then scan him. If it still isn't working, then we go on to another chemo cocktail. Modern medicine is changing all the time. Something will work, I BELIEVE!

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Numb

Here is a photo of Rick in the doctor's office while we were waiting for the results...Gosh, he's cute. The other photos are of my Tarceva Twin Diana and I, then one of her husband Kelly and Rick.

Numb is the only way I can describe my day. I didn't sleep well last night (surprise, surprise) so getting up this morning was easy. I was still awake.... I got up, got dressed, Cathy came over with some flowers and stayed for a cup of tea, Pam stopped by with flowers and a hug. I watched my nieces while my sister-in-law went to the oral surgeon, attended my great nieces choir concert, stopped at Costco then came home. Angie came by tonight to visit. That was it. I searched for joy...but like the groundhog on Feb. 2nd, it didn't come out to play.

Rick didn't sleep well either, but he seemed peaceful while I was watching him sleep around 3:00 this morning. He is walking around in a bit of a haze (apparently he takes after his wife) and we are all still trying to swallow yesterdays news.

I remember the wise words of Amy back in April of 2006....she said "the fact that we are dealing with stage 4 cancer only makes the survivor stories we'll have to share that much greater 10 years from now". I won't lie. We're scared. Worried. Mad. And Ready. (I was going to use some swear words but you get the idea...) Again, this whole cancer thing is not something new around our house. We've known about it for a long time...we just forget about it every once in a while.

I'm bobbing my head at the computer trying to stay awake. I think that is a signal to go to bed.

Love you more,
Dor

Unexpected News

Today started out as planned. We had wonderful traffic on the way to Seattle, my appointment went well. I'm going to start on an antibiotic to get rid of this sinus/respiratory thing. I'm scheduled for a scan next month, yadda, yadda.

After my appointment, we met up with my new friend Diana and her husband Kelly. We had a very nice lunch in the Seattle neighborhood of Tanglewood. Great people. I wish I would have known them earlier in my life.

After our delightful morning, we went back to the Seattle Cancer Care for Rick's CT scan results from last Thursday. This is where the day went to hell in a hand basket. The CT scan showed that Rick now has tumors on his lungs, and new tumors have appeared on his liver. Everything had been going so well on Chemo light. But that was then. This is now. Rick gets the next week off (for good behavior) and will start a whole new regimen on February 19th. I think this cancer just needs a little kick in the behind...so hopefully this new stuff called folfox and oxiplatin does the job. He'll do this for 2 months as long as he can tolerate it, then we'll scan again.

Truthfully, I didn't want to write the upbeat Doreen version tonight. Instead, I wanted to say this whole thing pisses me off. How could we be anymore positive? What more can Rick ask of his body? I swear it's at times like this that I want to light up a cigarette and say screw it. Then I remember, I hate the smell of smoke, I wouldn't know how to do it if I tried, and what is that going to prove? I need my husband to be here and healthy. I don't know how to run the riding lawn mowers, or put the tread stuff in the weedwacker. I can't fix anything (except dinner and my hair). I don't like bringing wood in for the fireplace. I certainly don't like sleeping alone. I need to be teased. I need him and love him. And I hate CANCER.

Ok, I feel better now. This is just another bump in our road. We'll be fine. We'll be better than FINE. We'll be fabulous.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Tornado Troubles

My dear friend Kim and her husband Brian are leaving for Tennessee tonight to be with their daughter who was caught in a tornado today. Their daughter Julie who lives in Jackson, TN was across the street from her apartment helping some students at Union University get ready for the tornado in case it touched down. Julie and many others were trapped in a bathtub when the dormatory they were in was hit. The dorm was destroyed. Julie made it out alive (with the help of firefighters and rescuers) but roughed up. I'm sure she can't wait to see her mom and dad tomorrow when they arrive. Please keep them all in your prayers.

I'm heading off to bed now because tomorrow is a big day in Seattle and we'll be leaving early in the morning. Then, it's another Relay for Life meeting tomorrow night. Ugh, I'm tired already :)

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Another Tuesday, Another Taco

Nothing new to report, except that it is Taco Tuesday and I'll join my friends at Taco Time for lunch. Other than leaving the house for that, I'm going to stay home the rest of the day and get some projects done.

I had a massage yesterday that was unbelievable. My friend and massage therapist Sherry worked on all my tight spots, so now they are just really sore. That's normal after a massage. Ice is my best friend the day after.

It's doctor's appointments tomorrow for both Rick and I, and lunch with my new friend Diana and her husband Kelly. We have a 2 1/2 hour break between our appointments in Seattle so we though we'd take advantage of it.

Thought for the day: Life is not the way it's suppose to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it makes the difference.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Congratulations Giants Fans!

I'm not going to be a sore loser because it was one of the most exciting Super Bowl games (or at least the second half ) I've ever seen. Eli Manning just whines a little too much for me (though he was pretty good today)..and I've always liked Plaxico Burress. I'm mostly excited for the Manning parents who much be so proud to have both of their sons with SuperBowl rings and SuperBowl MVP awards. That kind of stuff makes me want to cry (except there's no crying in football). We had 7 of us sitting around the TV (Jake, Megan, Rick, Angie, Shannon, Janeen and Me), with the fire going and enough food to feed an Army. We had a great time!

I've been fighting a headache since yesterday so I'm going to head off to bed and get rested for my massage appointment tomorrow. I think the massage is just what my body needs... If not, my mind needs it, so it won't be a waste.

Have a spectacular week and keep dreaming big!

Love you bunches,
Dor

Internet Interruptions

I'm not sure if it's the weather or what the problem is, but we have had trouble the past few days getting on the internet. Apparently, my internet service doesn't realize I need to write a blog on a daily basis.

I've got so much to share. Yesterday was an amazing day for me. I had a chance to meet up with my new friend Diana Lindsay who is a 21 month, stage 4 lung cancer survivor who never smoked, and who has been taking Tarceva just like me the whole time. We talked and shared our stories for over 4 hours and didn't even touch the surface. We're going to meet again, form a club, change the world.... Ok, for sure we're going to meet again. Hopefully, in Seattle between my appointment and Rick's on Wednesday. Our internal response to Tarceva was very much the same, but our external response was very different. She lost some of her hair, when it came back in it was very curly and she got a very bad rash (that has now gone away). We laughed a lot, cried a little (mostly me), and made a friendship connection that we may never have found if not for lung cancer. I've said this many times before but lung cancer has given me so much more than it has taken from me. After all our visiting, I forgot to take a photo. I'll try to remember to do that on Wednesday.

Oh, I forgot to tell you. My chest x-ray was fine. No pneumonia. My head is just pounding today because of sinus congestion...Other than that, we're just laying low. A little too much celebrating after Stanwood Boys Basketball beat undefeated Snohomish last night. We stayed out a little late with friends and family. I think we all just need a little extra sleep and maybe some food. Megan came up for the weekend so she and Jake celebrated with us.

Jake interviewed and was offered at long term leave teaching position for the rest of the school year. (5th grade at the school he did his student teaching...perfect fit) He doesn't start that job until March so he will continue to sub until then. He also got a job working part time at Sylvan Learning Center here in Stanwood. He will work about 10 hours a week for them after school. Yesterday was a busy day.

Amy is on her military drill weekend. She loves being in Tacoma instead of Spokane. Though she has many friends over there, the drive or flight over the pass once a month is something she isn't missing. Especially this weekend with the pass being closed and the blizzard conditions in Eastern Washington. Only problem....No Superbowl for her again this year. I'll TIVO it so she gets to see all the commercials oh, and the final score. Go Patriots!

Some high school teams get to play on Key Arena Court in Seattle today and Angie is one of the officials. She and Amy had the opportunity to play there during their high school career so it's really special that now she gets to be the referee for some other high school girls. She and her friend Shannon are going to the Sonic game after the high school game. Then it's up here to spend SuperBowl Sunday with us tomorrow.

I think this is all I have to say for now. Until tomorrow...Go Patriots!

Love you more than all the money spent on commercials tomorrow...

Dreaming Big,
Dor