Little Victories

Good morning boys & girls,


I haven't posted thanks to my lessened amount of visits.  I have more small appointments for lab check ups and such but nothing compared to the clinic trips to NW.   I had a NW appointment this past Thursday for some b!tch juice.  It was not the smoothest of appointments in our history.  They all can't go as easily as I was lucky enough to have in the past, but oi vey this one was a doozy.  Let's just say lots of waiting and needle pokes.  But it's done and over with.  Next one will be smoother.  My dad brightened my mom and I's day with having dinner ready for us when we got home.  This is not a common Lord household (sorry Daddy-o for ratting you out).  


I've had a lot of great times since my last post.  I went to my first concert after diagnosis.  I had missed a few concerts that were planned and fell during this sh!tshow.  It was tough to miss and to not plan for new ones, but I couldn't skip Avenged Sevenfold!  It turns out that the band supports this Web site:  http://www.fuckcancerfoundation.org/  A bit more brash that my style, but you can't deny the message.  We learned this from another concert goer that was sporting one of the shirts.  The weekend as a whole was great.  That same weekend, Ross had a work party and it was a lot of fun.  Plus we went to our favorite diner - Denny's (not the chain but the place that defines the overblown style of the Dells).  


Another weekend was a wonderful girls weekend getaway with a group of my childhood friends.  We all had a great time.  It was five of us in Galena.  Lots and lots of laughs, chatting, relaxing and as one of us said "rekindling old friendship flames."  


Otherwise I've just been doing my part time work, my daily goals around the house and cuddling my pupper.  I like to not have anything to note on this blog ;0)


The below pictures are of me and Dana, my mom's hair stylist and mine too during high school.  The salon she works at had a Cut-a-thon for the American Cancer Society so I stopped in to say thank you.  She has done numerous (any is too many) buzz cuts for women with treatments that cause the hair to jump ship.  As you will see, she went the full nine yards and raised extra money by promising to buzz her hair if she reached a certain level of donations.  She kicked some @ss (a lot of swearing in this post, odd) and raised almost double her goal.  People are amazing.  

 I don't anticipate any posts prior to Christmas.   So...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

You Knock Me Down with a Smile

Here's Em and her favorite chew toy - rawhide bones!  She's a beast with these.  They last about a night.  Better that than my shoe.


Over Thanksgiving Emma met Apollo, Sarah & Joey's dog, and she had a great time playing with him.  She has a new best friend.  Freakin' adorable. 

As promised, here's a little preview of our little nest:

 The bottles are a line of Ross's home brews... the kegerators are downstairs with our bar & pool table.  It's a fun house!

 Aren't we adorable?


Things are flowing along smoothly... I began work finally.  I am acquiring a normal status.  I get to see the great AH folks and my Milwaukee friends once a week which makes the drive worth it. 
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Ross's family.  Good food and good company.
This past weekend, Lizzie and Tyler (Ross's little sister and her boyfriend) took Ross and I out to dinner to celebrate my clean results.   It's a funny thing to cheers to, but a wonderful thing to cheers.  We had a great night playing cards and just having a laugh.  Our cheeks were hurting by the end of the night.


The holiday season is upon us so it's busy busy busy from here on out.  Busy is exactly how I like it.


Ta ta for now!

Serenity

Hallelujah!  Hip hip hooray!  Holla!   Huzzah!  

Yesterday's long itinerary at the clinic was more than worth it.  I heard that my marrow is beautiful.  I started the steps for maintenance so we have hit the detour route.  We are closer and closer to leaving the roadblock far behind.


After the labs, chemo and doctor meetings Ross and I went to Goose Island for dinner.  Luckily enough a few of my girlfriends were able to meet up.  I am so lucky to have all of this love.   


It was such a roller coaster of a day.  

(cont.)
Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships at the pathway to peace;
Taking as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right 
if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.


and breathe.  It's so fitting.  I love this prayer.

bibbidi bobbidi boo

Hello, hello!!  I didn't forget about my blog updates.  Here's the skinny on my life:


Roadblock Update
I was poked and prodded today for my bone marrow biopsy.  I anxiously await the results on Thursday.  Ross will be coming with me to the clinic for the results and beginning of maintenance.  I get to show him off to my entourage.  They are excited to meet him.  The team will be shocked to see me without my parents, who are frowning at the fact that they are missing the appointment.  I can't let them get a perfect record for attendance, now can I?  


I have a toddler's hairdo right now.  My eyebrows and lashes are back too!  It's suh-weet!  Unfortunately there's more proof that God's a man because my leg hair has returned as well.  I was hoping he'd say to himself, "Katrina's been through a lot.  Let's toss her a consolation prize of no more shaving!"  Alas, He didn't.  


Puppy Love
Ross and I are happy to announce that we are proud owners of an 8 month old pupper - Emma!  She's already stolen both of our hearts.  She is adorable, with or without bias.  Emma is 50 pounds of husky and golden retriever.  She happily obliges to stroll with us and accompany us at the dog park.  It's fun to learn her quirks and favorites.  For example, she likes to hop (freakin' adorable) and chase squirrels (not quite as adorable for my shoulder).  All in all, we are a happy little family.   


Don't worry bragging pictures to come...


Madison, my new home sweet home
I'm all settled in.  My goal is to finalize the organization of my closet and desk items.  We have the walls covered with our art which I consider the icing on the cake.  It's ready to serve.  We have a happy little family in a happy little home :)  The American Dream is coming true.


And a fun little note from Shel:

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be." Shel Silverstein

You Should be Dancing

Happy Halloween Weekend!

^This is a preview of me and five friends tomorrow night.  Aren't we good looking?

But more importantly - it is here!  The first day of a life outside of chemo regimens.  Feels good.  (Despite the nausea that's lingering from last week's potion but it too shall pass.)  I received a lot of congratulations including a dancing nurse.  The clinic was abuzz with excitement.

Thanks for all of the support to make it to the glorious milestone!

Check this out:
http://www.cancerbites.tv/
It's a guilty pleasure, but those Twilight movies do make me giddy.

And now for that dancing....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l_x2zm_pIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3TE7ieScQ&NR=1

I'm getting a chemo-cation until mid November... until then boogie down!
 

Update!  Here's our minion group:

A Light in the Attic

Commence treatment & countdown!


Today I received my cocktail complete with Benadryl and a nap.  Yes, it was supposed to happen Tuesday, but the fates made it delay to today.  The last post was not all truths.  I was not able to start work because I did not receive the final nod from my doctor.  What Olga wants, Olga gets.  Also, the MRI came back clean.  No worries there.  And as my parents liked to point out, there is proof of a brain.  Or as referenced in the title, there is "a light in the attic."  Thank you Shel.  Anywho, we can hang the countdown banners back up!  

7 days til the final cocktail

~17 til the bone marrow test 

~20 til the test results

< 24 hours til I'm back in Madison

Now for my diatribe...

I know I will never be able to escape the monkey named "C" on my back, but I can when I am preoccupied with things and the people around me.  I've been told by the entourage to keep busy.  It does not help to dwell.  It is very hard to do when there are constant reminders everywhere.  For starters, there's the mirror.  My fuzzies will become hairs then a hair do in time.  But for now I still look like a goon.  Another example happened this past week when I went to see Footloose with Ashli.  We had to go see the remake.  We watched the original movie countless times; swooning over Ren's warehouse scene and Ariel's red boots.  (They are hot, you can't deny it.)  We are watching the new movie, tra-la-la giggle-giggle, then *BAM* Ren goes on to explain his mother's long death due to Leukemia that emotionally traumatized him.  Grrrrrrreat.  I was enjoying myself!  Stupid screen writers.  No escape.  
Finally there are the never-ending commercials hawking St. Jude's and the million (or so it seems) cancer centers have given me more reason to stick with Hulu and Netflix.  I don't need to ruin my entertainment all of the time.  Just another reason to opt out of commercials.  I too believe in "standing up to cancer" but please don't ruin Modern Family to try and wrangle dinero out of me.


xoxo
Katrina Jeannette

I Don't Want to Wait

Yes, that is a reference to the Capeside, MA angst-ridden teen drama Dawson's Creek.  I am about as annoying as Dawson Leery at this point in time.   I complain more than him; who knew that was possible?  And I don't want to wait either.
My end date is delayed -- again.  My cold symptoms are not gone enough to get cleared for chemo.  I never thought I'd want chemo cocktails, but now all I want is to belly up to the treatment bar.  Barkeep!
I was given a shot to jump start my white cell production.  I'm excited for the little buggers to do their work and help me get rid of my cold.  
I have a MRI on Friday to verify that nothing has gone awry.  I spent last Wednesday in the ER for some abnormal numbing.  Oi vey.  Why all of this now?  (well, at all for that matter.)


But this weekend will outshine the rest.  I MOVE TO MADISON. 


Then Monday I start back at work - part time.  With the appointments and backlash from treatments I just can't play in the big league yet.  But we're on the way to 'normalcy.'
With that said, I will be a road warrior now.  Betty the Jetty and I will be best buds by the end of this.   We'll be bouncing between Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago.  But I think it's worth it.  I am not letting the delay get in my way.  


Well folks, that's all for now.  

There's a flag on the field

The ref has called a "delay of game."  That's right, Katrina pulled out sports jargon.  
October 11th is no longer the magic date.  The countdown has ceased.  


I have the rhinovirus.  

We, common folk, call it a cold.  My cold was wicked enough to set me back on treatment.  LAME.  I feel like I'm running a race on a treadmill with the finish line being right beyond the machine.  But what's not LAME is that my treatment and tests are going so well that my MDs are OK with the delay.  I love when silver linings shine through.  
A delay even in my schedule... que sera, sera.  I will just bop back and forth from Madison a few more times. Nothing's keeping me from moving in with my man!  

Me too Audrey, me too.

Quickly and Loosely Rhymed

It all began Wednesday
with a tiny sore throat.
Then it progressed on Thursday
to bogies and chills that demanded a coat.

Friday was the norm
naps to kick this cold!
Until Dad kissed my temple, "You're warm!"
he exclaimed as he went to make a call.

And so began our journey
to the Northwestern ER.
Needless to say I was angry.
I don't need to be here!

After much waiting
and cons from my parents to avoid my flight,
the doctors began their poking and prodding.
I sighed, but tomorrow was supposed to be a double delight.

Hours ensued,
and good news arose.
My fever came unglued!
A doctor announced, "You can go home tonight" - it sounded like prose!

We avoided inpatient
but my plans were dashed.
Despite my impatience
I came home and I crashed.

Pills, pills, pills
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Are the happenings of my weekend - thrills!
Let's hope on the chemo schedule we keep.

Chapter 49: Do you remember dancing in September?

Countdown:  14 days until the end of the BIG stuff


Familiar Taste of Poison
On this detour of life, we have reached another four days of bumpy and squiggly road signs.  Today's menu included a spinal tap, blood transfusion and a mini chemo cocktail (shout out to you blood donors out there!  A million thanks!).  I'm also taking a nightly oral chemo which is a powerful little pill.  That's the update on the chemofront folks.  No big news (which is good news).


Vampire Blog
Getting blood creeps. me. out.  yuck.  It looks gross and I feel funky knowing it's someone else's blood.  I think back to the blood drives (I successfully donated once and got shot down twice) and think about the people donating.  Technically I am receiving their past meals, cigarettes, beers, snacks and air.   His or her past.  Weird.  It'd be fun if I also received his/her skills.  After I sit two hours hooked up to the bag o' blood - Hey look!  I can salsa!  Ole!   No, just the Taco Bell for dinner two nights ago.


New Glasses
I see life differently and I'm making choices with new measuring tools.  For example, I am following my heart to Madison.  I meditate.  Bought a juicer.  Babble to a therapist.  See the beauty in everyday things.  All things that I got a push to do a la the big C.  When you have one hand in heaven, you tend to get busy on earth.  More than one person has told me that my experience has inspired them to finally do those dream items.  Let's all hop on the Dead Poet's Society bandwagon and 'carpe diem' it up!