Life is Good!

Yesterday I had my first colonoscopy! The procedure is really not that bad, the prep the day before is the shits...literally. According to the doctor, no polyps and I don't need another colonoscopy until 2015. I did have to start having this procedure ealier than most because of a family history of colon cancer (my mom) and my breast cancer.

My mom is in town this week to help with Suzanne and Dave's wine bottling. It is so wonderful to have Mom here especially since we cook together (and clean up).

Time to get a bit done around the house. Enjoy!

Great Day

I am home this weekend just relaxing and doing whatever I feel like doing! Put a new comforter on the bed in our guest room/home office along with some big fluffy pillows, recovered two pillows for the couches, had coffee, started laundry and now I am going to do a bit more sewing then off to water aerobics at 11:30. I might clean house, I might not.....just enjoying the day.

Attending a wedding this afternoon at the Chaminade in Santa Cruz then Sunday brunch with Jen (the groom's mother). I haven't been to a wedding in a while so I am looking forward to it.

Sun is shining! Life is great!
Cheryl

Mammogram Clear!

I am so happy today...received the all clear from the radiologist today!!! The nice thing about having a diagnostic mammogram you get the results immediately. I will now be on a yearly schedule for a regular mammogram.

Dancing around the house!

Cherry Pit Pad

The attached photo is for my lymphedema friends to check out.

For cherry pit pads you want to insert in gloves, bras etc. a single layer of cherry pits works wonders.

Happy New Year!

Life is looking good in 2010! Eddy and I spent our anniversary with our friends, Mark and Deb, this year and had a fantastic time. Played pool, ate, drank, slept and watched movies from Thursday evening to Sunday morning....it was wonderful! Life has been so hectic for us over the last several months, it was really nice to relax.

Sushi tonight with friends!

Creative Healing Retreat for Breast Cancer Survivors

View from the room I shared with Betty, a fellow breast cancer survivor. The retreat was at the Inn at Morro Bay...well in Morro Bay! I was so excited to get the weekend started I left a little too early and ended up arriving about 4 pm (an hour early). I was able to check in and get myself organized.

I met Betty and right away we hit it off. After the meet and greet in the room, Betty and I headed to the lobby since we discovered I did not have any of the necessary information about the weekend (because I arrived too early!).

Once we had my paperwork sorted out, the entire group (18 of us) headed in for a delicious dinner. I am going to try recreating the Israeli Couscous salad that was served in the near future, it was that good. After dinner we had circle time, which gave each of us time to tell "our story". As each person was telling their story, I kept trying to figure out what I was going to say but by the time it came to me I know I forgot some of it. From listening to the women in the circle, I can say that our collective experiences were similar but also very different. There were those that had cancer years ago, "newbies" to cancer, young and old, big and small....a very diverse group of breast cancer survivors. Three stories that touched me and made me reach for my tissue....Missy who lost her husband three weeks after completing radiation, Renee who was given 24 months to live and Amanda who is in the middle of chemo.

When circle time was over, Betty and I headed back to the room to get ready for bed. We sat up and talked for a while but eventually couldn't keep our eyes open. Good thing we both are early risers so we could make it to yoga on Saturday morning. Note: I plan on continuing with the yoga and hope to find a class in Campbell so I can go at lunch or after work easily.

Following yoga was breakfast then off to collaging. OOOOOh, I had so much fun cutting and gluing in my new journal! There were boxes of magazines to use for our collages and I kept finding the greatest stuff, so I am still working on my project at home until it is just right.

For lunch we walked to the Bayside Cafe and could order whatever we wanted! You could even have dessert first, because we can do that as adults!!! I decided to have lunch first and share a huge piece of carrot cake with Kim.

In the afternoon there were exhibits from local groups for us. We could have a free color consultation (I am an autumn just in case you wanted to know), reiki, talk with a lymphedema therapist, join a breast cancer survivor paddle team and talk to the local cancer center. After the exhibits there was so free time before dinner so I worked on my collage a bit more in the hotel room then headed off to dinner.

Dinner was another delicious meal spent with a great group of women. After dinner we headed over for drumming, which was not one of my best experiences. I can't seem to drum in time with everyone else and it made for some comedy. There was a lot of laughing and hot flashes for me.....stress seems to trigger hot flashes....well, hell pretty much everything causes hot flashes! There was a band playing back at the hotel so we hit the bar for a nightcap....I made it to at least 10:30!!!!

Sunday was more yoga, breakfast, collaging and the closing of our weekend retreat. I cried...in fact, I cried several times on Sunday. Coming home I felt so high on life and nurtured....it was such a fantastic feeling. I realized, yet again, how important it is to take time out for me and the things that make me happy.

Follow the link to the EnhancementInc.org website....they are taking applications for the next retreat in April....well worth it. Dianne D if you are reading this blog....please, please apply. Shoosh, Rosalie, Joanne, Marisa and Leslyn all made the weekend something I will never, never forget....THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
Cheryl
http://www.enhancementinc.org/creative_healing_retreat_info.htm

Excited

Oh, I am leaving tomorrow at noon for my two and half day breast cancer retreat in Morro Bay and I couldn't be more excited! It feels like Christmas in October! Can hardly wait to dive right into the healing process and have some fun while doing it.

My plan is to take the scenic drive down High 1 and enjoy the road trip. Mapquest says 3 hrs 3o minutes for the scenic route and two hours and 49 minutes for the 101. Does scenic just sound more fun?

Gynecologist that ordered the bone density test gave me a referral to see an endocrinologist and get some blood work done. We are testing to see about calcium, vitamin d and parathyroid before I get put any kind of medication. I am not really sure what the endocrinologist does but pretty sure it has something to do with osteoporosis.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.
Cheryl

Update

Friday I am off to the Creative Healing Retreat for Breast Cancer Survivors in Morro Bay, looking forward to meeting new friends and relaxing. There will be drumming, yoga, walks, eating and creative collages. I've come a long way on my journey but know there is more work to be done.

Found out a couple of weeks ago that I have osteoporosis in my left hip....genetic and from chemotherapy. The oncologist is recommending medication to slow the bone loss, I just have decided what kind I want. There is a daily, weekly or monthly pill or an annual iv infusion. From what I've read there are some rare, but serious side effects that have to do with your jaw. I have an email out to my dentist for some advise, just waiting to hear back.

I plan on continuing with water aerobics but will have to add in weight bearing exercise five days a week for 30 minutes each. On top of the extra exercise, I am supposed to add more vitamin d and calcium to my diet. Heading to Staff of Life on Friday more for a new round of vitamins and supplements.

The family is going to have a kind of odd Thanksgiving this year. Suzanne and I are heading to Oregon with one of the boys, Dave and the other will be at his family's house and Eddy is going to the Mojave for dirt bike riding. Grandpa Toci moved to Grants Pass, which makes it much easier to visit everyone at the same time.

Nothing much else going on other than work. Business is improving but we are still fighting our way out of the whole and now we are heading into the slow time of year for the painting industry. The spray booth should keep us working this winter....everyone cross your fingers.

Have a fabulous week!

One Year

I am one year out from chemo today!!! Finished chemo on 09/17/09. It was such a relief to be done with the poison (yes, I still think it is poison). I really, really thought I would have more hair by now....not sure what is going on but my suspicious is the Tamoxifen. One of the side effects, other than hot flashes, is thinning hair.

Wondering how I am feeling at the one year mark? A bit tired but that could be from the interrupted sleep because of hot flashes or the long, long work hours. September 24th is my follow up with the oncologist, which will be my chance to ask for blood work to make sure I am still okay (I am a little concerned because of the fatigue).

For those of you that haven't had cancer, it might be difficult for you to understand the enormous fear associated with each doctor visit but even more so for tests. No matter how hard you try to put the fear of recurrence from your mind, it does slowly creep back in when you least expect it. For example, I had a follow up mammogram on 9/8 because of a microcalcification found on my first mammo post-treatment (March 09). I really thought I was okay with the situation but the closer I came to my appointment the more wound up I became and bitchy I might add.

I try very, very hard not to think about a recurrence but the mind does funny things when you push your thoughts to the back corner....they seem to hit a wall and bounce back at you full in the face when you are not ready. Normal reaction post-cancer? I say yes since I know so many that experience the same.

Eddy and I are busy, busy, busy networking and marketing our business to make sure we have work for the winter. Twelve, fourteen or sixteen hour days are not unusual for us....I hope our efforts pay off in the end! Business will slow in late November but we have our fingers crossed the new spray booth will keep us working through the winter months.

I just received an email that made me so happy....I was accepted for a Creative Healing Retreat for Breast Cancer Survivors 10/9 to 10/11 in Morro Bay. The cost is $150.00 for the entire weekend so I better start saving now! I feel like jumping up and down I am so excited. Check out the retreat information: http://www.enhancementinc.org/creative_healing_retreat_info.htm

Time for a little more filing.
Cheryl

Blood Pressure Up

Found the most wonderful gynecologist in Santa Cruz! What a night and day difference between Dr Anne Marie Jackson and old mr stuffy pants that I am not going to anymore. Dr Jackson isn't pushing me to have the rest of my "woman" parts surgically removed, we are taking a wait and see approach. When was the last time you had a doctor sit and talk with you (not at you) for half an hour and actually listen?

My blood pressure was up again. We are thinking it might be a "white coat" thing but it could also be up from the Tamoxifen. Funny thing, I found a medical report from when I got life insurance (2006) and my blood pressure at the time was very normal in my right arm but higher in the left. Now I can only have my blood pressure taken in my left arm. Curious.

Busy try to get billing done so we can get paid for all of the work done in August.
Enjoy your Monday.
Cheryl

Another busy week behind us....

but another coming up! The economy is slowly starting to turn around, we can feel it in the construction industry. Still not doing much residential repainting for home owners right now, most of the work is for general contractors and designers. The shop is producing revenue but with most of it coming from small jobs, however, we can feel a turn around coming. The only analogy I can think of that relates is a very large mountain, we are at base camp but getting ready to ascend.

Where is the federal stimulus for the small business? How about Payment for Painters instead of Cash for Clunkers? Dollars for Decks? If the federal government would give home owners a credit for painting, plumbing and other construction industry trades, we might see a faster turn around for the small businesses throughout the US.

Time to put clothes in the dry....hope everyone has a good Sunday.
Cheryl

Busy Weekend

Spent yesterday puttering around the house, then off to Donna and Steve's Party on the Patio! Very fun, met some cool people and ate really good tacos. Had a wee bit too much wine, slept through the whole ride home but oh well.

We are having dinner with Mark and Debbie this evening and taking a dip in the hot tub. Hot tubs are a no-no for lymphedema people but it should be ok for short periods. Deb says they keep the temp between 98 and 100 so I think it will be fine.

Off to make some breakfast.

Working for a Living

We are at the shop, again. Saturday we worked for a few hours before heading to our friends (Mark & Debbie) 50th birthday party and we are at it again today. I helped Eddy get passage doors ready for priming and painting, worked on a couple of estimates and updated the spray log (required to have a spray log by the Bay Area Air Quality).

Breakfast with Eddy's family for Big Ed's 63rd birthday was enjoyable. Sophia and Alethea are very well behaved little girls!

Heading home to relax before the new week starts all over again! Santa Cruz was smokey on Friday and Saturday but appeared to be better this morning when we left (just saw fog). I hope the fire gets contained soon!
Cheryl

Saturday Morning Ramblings

I had a very nice surprise this morning....Eddy made me breakfast! My original plan was to make waffles this morning with the new waffle iron I brought home from Grandpa's but Eddy beat me to making breakfast. Eddy made breakfast sandwiches with perfectly cooked fried eggs....delicious!!!! Right now I am enjoying my second cup of coffee and once that "kicks in" I plan on unloading the rest of the stuff from Grandpa's car.

Some of you may have seen the news store regarding weight lifting and lymphedema. I was able to pull up the video on the computer and I have also read more information on breastcancer.org. There are concerns in the lymphedema community about the study. I'll read more and post about it sometime soon. Interestingly, my "lymph whisperer", Sonja suggested several months ago I could start lifting weights but needed to start off with one pound and see how my arm reacted. My swelling tends to happen from the heat and over use. I still haven't started a weight lifting program since I hate to wear my compression garments to exercise.....way too hot for me!

The fire in our area is not close, so you all can relax although it is very smokey around Santa Cruz. I believe the news says the fire is 10 miles from Santa Cruz, which means even farther from us. Sad to see the news footage since there were fires very close to the same area last year.

Still doing water aerobics as much as I can but missed all of this last week because I was a Grandpa's. I am going this morning to the pool while Eddy works on another estimate or two. After we head to the shop to finish up the estimates, we are going to Mark and Debbies 50th birthday party and 10 year anniversary. There will be good food, dancing, drinking, hot tubing and possibly some swimming.

Happy Birthday to Eddy's pop, Ed! The last I heard we were going to a late breakfast on Sunday to celebrate. Looking forward to seeing little Sophia and Alethea (Eddy's nieces)....very cute.

Time to work on unloading the car.
Cheryl

Grandpa Toci

I really haven't been posted much recently because I kind of figured no one was paying attention any longer BUT my mom says she checks.....so I am going to start doing the "blog thing" more often.

Saturday Mom, Aunt Sherry and I headed down to Grandpa Toci's to be with him before getting his new, right hip and start packing up the house. Grandpa is moving to Grants Pass at the beginning of September, which will put him much closer to Mom and Aunt Sherry and make visiting family easier for us (kind of a one stop thing!). We had a lot of fun going through photos, looking at old family documents (we found my great grandmother's diary) and sorting through Grandpa's stuff.

Since I am interested in genealogy and have done a great deal of research, I am going to be the keeper of the diary (going to scan it into the computer some rainy weekend) and other historical family records. We also found the original photos of my great grandparents on canvas, but they are not in good shape.....some kind of restoration will need to be done.

I really missed Eddy but it was good for me to get away with my mom and aunt. At night we would cook dinner, Sherry would clean up then we would play Mexican Train (very fun game). Grandpa's surgery wasn't until Tuesday so we had a few days with him.

Time to look over the bills. Chat at you later!
Cheryl

Dr Jerri Nielsen

Dr Jerri Nielsen is the doctor that treated her breast cancer while stationed at the "Pole".....she passed away and with Michael Jackson and Farrah's deaths, not much attention is being paid to the loss of yet another woman to breast cancer.

This is a quote from an interview Dr Nielsen did with Psychology Today "The things that make you strong, and make you feel as though you've accomplished something, are not the easy ones; it's the things you had to work and struggle through. Those are what give us our depth -- that make us not gray and plain and nothing but give us depth and texture and longing. The quote captures my feelings exactly on my journey over the last year or so and what I am still working through.

Just wanted to share.
Cheryl

Relay for Life

I am going to do the Survivor Lap at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on July 17th. The event is being held at Cabrillo College the 17th and 18th.

My funding raising goal is $100.00 (more would be nice but I'll take what I can get). Here is the link to my official page on the Relay for Life website http://main.acsevents.org/goto/CherylGorham. If you can donate, great....if you can't that is okay too.

Eddy is celebrating his 14th year of sobriety today! I am so, so very proud of him for his committment to living the clean and sober life. Three cheers for Eddy!!!!
Cheryl

Too Young

This is a link to Hannah's website....she is 10 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer.

http://www.ourlittlesweetpea.com/

Nice Weekend

What a lovely weekend! Brennan, my nephew, was here for a sleep over and cake baking fun. I dropped one of the cake pans on the counter, which does not make for a very beautiful finished piece. Bren and I decided cake still tastes the same whether it is in good condition or a pile of crumbs....frosting fixes everything. The cake was so delicious we had a piece after breakfast!

Brennan and I also went on an hour and a half walk in the park. It was so cute, he kept asking me if he was walking too fast. I had to laugh....he doesn't realize I practically have to run to keep up with Eddy!!!! Brennan and I talked the whole walk about everything under the sun....being bald was one of the topics. Brennan thinks it was "better to be bald than dead" and he is absolutely correct.

While I was making scrambled eggs for us this morning, Brennan vacuumed the living room and kitchen for me (there was a monetary reward). It was certainly nice to get a bit of help. Too bad he wasn't interested in cleaning toilets!

I went to water aerobics four times this week (Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun)! Getting a ton of new freckles even with sunscreen on and a we bit of a tan, well, actually more beige than white. Today I wore my rash guard since I did get a little sunburned yesterday (not supposed to get sunburned on the lymphedema side....could cause an infection).

Learned about using Kinesio take at my lymphedema support group on Wednesday. Amazing stuff....you probably saw it on the during the Olympics on the female volleyball player. We did some practice runs with the tape during the meeting, then I did a full taping from my right underarm to the left to help drain the lymph from my right arm. I swear I could actually feel the fluid moving! Underarm swelling is virtually gone but my hand is still a bit puffy. Now that I see how well the tape works, I need to order a few rolls.

Off to do a little house cleaning and laundry before Monday rolls around.
Cheryl

The weekend

Eddy worked on our back deck this week....we now have finish on the surface! I can't wait to put the chairs, table and loungers back out. Wish I could put potted plants out but that is a no, no.

I did water aerobics on Saturday and Sunday....I just love it. Completely addicted to the pool and I even dream about swimming. An added benefit to swimming, I am getting my vitamin D and exercise all at the same time.

On Friday we had dinner with Lionel, Jen and Amara. We hadn't seen much of the Hall family since Lionel was busy studying for his contractors exam over the last several weeks. Amara is fun, fun, fun! While Jen was putting together dinner, Amara and I scooped dog poop (her idea, not mine), checked out the snails (we didn't touch them) and ran around on the stone path in the yard ("lets run").

My mom and Ron are due to stop overnight before heading home to Oregon tomorrow. It is a short stay since they have been away for almost two months and Ron's back is bothering him. It is too bad they aren't staying longer since I wanted to show them the new shop.

I feel stronger and more powerful every day! Watch out world, 'cause here I am come!
Cheryl