feeling numb

The Evan finished his bar exam today. When I asked him how he felt, he texted "feels numb". I can relate. Sometimes numb is good. It lets you catch your breath, allows you to hang out for a minute in peace. It doesn't stay for long, but it's good while it lasts.

yay

The girls are back in school. The house is now fairly quiet for about 6 hours a day. Can I get a "WOO HOOOOOO!"?

My grandma forwarded this to me today. I think it's got some lessons important enough to share.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ''In five years, will this matter?".

26. Always choose life.

27. Forgive everyone everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business..

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

32. Believe in miracles.

33. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

34. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

35. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood.

37. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

38. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere..

39. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

40. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

41. The best is yet to come.

42. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

43. Yield.

44. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

good news/bad news

The results of the PET scan show that the lesions in Mitchell's liver are just about gone! Great news. Unfortunately the lesion/nodule in his lung is hanging in there...It is about 3 mm larger than the first PET. Granted 3 mm is so small, it's almost nothing, right? Also there is a decent reason to believe that the nodules in his lung are becoming cavitious. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Basically, Mitchell will have to continue chemotherapy for the next 3 to 4 months. At the end of that time, there will be another PET to determine what will happen next. It still seems sketchy, but I'm learning to live with it.

again

This morning Mitchell had another PET scan; the results for which will be read tomorrow morning by the oncologist. I hate the anticipation of these appointments. The closer it gets; the more nervous I become.

letter to the media

Dear American Media Machine,

Please drop the King of Pop story; I myself am sick of it. I don't care whose sperm created which child. Nor am I concerned about a crazy person's $48,000 a month pharmacy bill. MJ's music hasn't been any good for about 20 years. And, unless I'm eligible for a hefty check resulting from his estate, I don't care if he has a will. The dude was C-R-A-Z-Y with a capital C. He's gone; let's let sleeping dogs lie. Sincerely, Me

a decade

Today's my 10th Wedding Anniversary. Weird... Then:

• Teeny, rundown Chandler house
• Regular screaming matches about stuff like calling about the dryer, planting rose bushes in the front yard, and nothing whatsoever
• Baby Taylor with Baby Dylan soon to follow
• Sasha & Ali
• Practically my whole salary going to child care
• Big, green mini-van...Happy Mother's Day
• Teaching English to snotty 7th & 8th graders
• 30 seemed a reasonable distance away

Now:

• Nice, new Vail house
• Can't remember the last time we fought
• Baby Hayden
• Working from home--no child care needed
• Little, grey compact....I got to choose
• Couldn't pay me enough to step in front of a class full of kids again
• 40 is unreasonably close

more of the same

This afternoon's appointment was a touch disconcerting. When we arrived, we were surprised to learn that Mitchell's appointment had been cancelled without our knowledge. After some scuffling around, we were able to see Dr. Brown's assistant. She was able to tell us that the scan was inconclusive. The spots on his liver "seemed a little smaller", but the spots (please remember until the moment she says this, we are under the impression that he only has one spot in his lung) in his lung "appear to be larger". One of the tumors might be cavitious, but no one can confirm this. Basically a whole lot of nothing. Mitchell now has a PET scan scheduled the morning of July 6. This should give us more conclusive information regarding the lesions/tumors he currently has. We know that Mitchell with continue with chemotherapy indefinitely. Some time soon, they will have to discontinue the oxicyllin plantin because its side effects will eventually leave him disabled, which is something we obviously don't want. More than likely he will continue with the oral Xeloda and the Avastin infusions. On the bright side, there aren't any more metastases, and they still feel it's treatable.

he looks good

Be forewarned. This is something of a rant.... I H-A-T-E it when people feel the need to tell me that Mitchell "looks good". It infuriates me. He looks good so everything must be okay. He looks good so I'm sure things aren't that bad/difficult/shitty/whatever. First of all, he has had this cancer for the last 5 years (at the very least). So the way he looked before we discovered he has cancer may not be the best measure for looking good. Second, HE'S FUCKING GREY! Am I really the only person that sees this? His hands and feet (you know the part that's supposed to be light?)...his are a weird charcoal color. And the skin is peeling and flaking off in ribbons. Looking GOOD! Do they listen to his voice when he talks? He sounds exhausted. He shuffles around some days like he's a hundred. Just because he says he's fine when you ask, doesn't mean he's telling you the truth. There's so much more that I won't even get into. I realize that people say this to be supportive or positive or whatever. But I hate it. No I'm not saying it would be better if they opened with, "Gosh, Mitch looks like shit!" I can honestly say that I don't know what would be better. I just know that I cannot skip around pretending that things aren't serious or scary or forever different than before cancer. I also know that when I look at him, he doesn't look good. He looks run down and exhuasted and frustrated and worried. How can that look good?

fingers crossed

Today Mitchell is off getting another ct scan. I think he was late in getting there as I received several rather terse texts from him which became more terse bc I was misunderstanding what he was asking me for. LO SIENTO!!!! As my brother would say, "By the by" or some other such nonsense, he's getting a scan today. Thursday we have an appointment with Doc Brown about the results. Hopefully those pesky cancer spots on his liver and lung (and that lone bugger on his pelvis) will have shrunk down. I would say "disappear", but I don't want to get greedy.

demands

update the blog

My mother keeps sending me emails with the above as the subject. "Update the Blog". Nothing in the body of the email except for her company's weird confidentiality warning scripty thing which is set off by about 7 continuous rows of asterisks. I find these emails irritating on a variety of levels. First and foremost, the fact that she uses the definte article THE to refer to my blog. Don't ask me why, but it raises my hackles. Coming a close second is the fact that MY blog has become an obligation...And pretty much everyone who knows me knows how I feel about obligations. Truth be told, I have made several attempts of late to do just that, but nothing was funny or peculiar or irritating enough. So there it went, un-updated. It is under severe maternal duress I compose this. Satisfied?

1+1=yikes

2 hours sitting by the pool (yes, we had on hats and a shade umbrella) in AZ equals one screachy, upset Hayden. The journey home was so not fun. Sorry, HayLiz.

i don't believe in that

So some dance mom (yes, I am sneering as I type this) tried to convince me that she limits her kids' tv watching to less than a couple of hours a week because she can't abide Hannah Montana and some other Disney crap show that had caused her to shun tv forever. She made the announcement in that "I'm a more diligent and concerned parent than you" tone that mom's around here often assume. I was waiting for the soliloquy to be followed by a bunch of "my kids' are geniuses rhetoric".

Fortunately I was able to refrain from making shockingly inappropriate remarks by making a snide comment about allowing my own offspring to watch as much tv as they could take for marathon sittings while feeding them high fructose corn syrup.

blech

Mitchell is not feeling well. This cycle is hitting him pretty hard. He kind of looks like he's been run over by a truck, and I imagine that's the way he feels as well. There's been lots of sleeping. Not very much eating. The oncologist prescribed zofran this cycle, but it doesn't seem to be working very well. Mitchell seems to be blaming his super nauseated state on the new meds, but I don't think that's it. I think it's just the cumulative affect of the chemo taking its toll.

six

Cycle 6 chemo today. Went fast. Mitchell doesn't think the pharmacy is even looking at his blood work any more... Is that a good or bad thing? Onset of side affects began much quicker this time around. Before the Avastin infusion was even finished, he was highly nauseated. Yikes.

great expectations

Met with Mitchell's oncologist on Tuesday. Reviewed past labs. Scheduled another CAT scan. Talked about possibilities. I think Mitchell expected Doc Brown to say, "Well Mitch!" Yeah. Dr. Brown does call Mitchell Mitch (quite exuberantly too). "If everything looks good on the scan, we'll stop the chemo!" But that's not exactly what went down. Turns out if the lesions are shrinking, the chemo will continue until they are gone. He did say he'd stop the oxycellin plantin pretty soon bc the side affects are so severe. In a word, it wasn't really what Mitchell wanted to hear.

why i heart kettle korn

• Prevents me from working on more important tasks I should be completing, e.g. laundry, packing for everyone in the house but me, cleaning, reading, working.
• Random, hard as a rock, break your tooth un-popped kernels allow me to practice my filtering while eating skills.
• Eating half a bag while hiding in my bedroom after a long day of sitting in silence brings a stone in my stomach comfort that wasn't there before.
• Love trying to dig corn husks out the space between my gums and teeth with any razor sharp object handy. Woo hoo!
• Salty-sweet flavor satisfies like nothing else can.

15 minutes

The dude who runs the boot camp I attend in the mornings has published some uber flattering pics of me (and others). Check them out by clicking here. Please note: I am wearing black shorts NOT salmon pink sweats...Don't get it twisted.

boppy time

Hayden likes to hang out in her boppy pillow, sans clothing. From her perch, she shouts unintelligible orders at us, which we scramble to follow.

how are you feeling?

This is a question I ask Mitchell probably 6 to 10 times a day. I'm sure he feels like hitting me in the head with a pot every time I do, but I can't help myself. Lately he just pretends like he hasn't heard me and goes on about his slow-going business, forcing me to ask again and again and then demanding, "Are you listening?" Clearly not.