FIRSTS, LASTS AND DÉJÀ VU ( ignore the date...it's after midnight and I'm going to be late posting)

Well it's been a while since my last blog and I've been quite busy indeed. I have finished my third round of chemo and had the first of 27 radiation treatments today. Last Wednesday I came to town for my markings (tattoos..lol) and as Glenn took the same route as we did four years ago,  I couldn't help but get a feeling of déjà Vu.  To be brutally honest,  I can't believe I'm back at it again. However I have always been one to say whatever will be will be.  Cest la Vie!

I've chosen the title for this blog because the past few weeks have been a lot of firsts, lasts and déjà vu feelings for me.

I have gone through the first year without my darling mother. Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary since she went to heaven to be with dad. Suffice it to say, I have an emptiness in my heart. That being said, I thank God that she is free from pain. I feel her presence on a daily basis and often find myself asking myself. "what would mom say if she was still here?" I was very lucky to have her as long as I did and realize how blessed I was to be able to say she was MY mom. Thank God I was well enough after my 3rd chemo treatment to get her grave all completed and I'm pretty sure she would be pleased with the outcome....I could never have done it though without the help of Luke, Glenn and Myra's fiance , Glenn.

Emily had her last day of high school and her last dance recital and I have had to come to terms with my baby girl having grown up to a beautiful young woman. I've had mixed emotions but the sadness I feel about those years having passed way too fast was quickly replaced with overwhelming pride at the amazing young confident woman she has become. Tomorrow she will register for her Bachelor of Commerce courses at Memorial University for the first time. She has a bright future ahead of her and I am sure she will succeed in whatever path she chooses. She has her first summer job working at the Spaniard's Bay Heritage Museum as an interpreter. If you're in the area , drop in to see her. She'd love to give you a guided tour. Lol. 

Luke has moved home for the summer and is busy working. He's enjoying his new job as social media ambassador for Legendary Coasts and is currently in the Trinity - Bonavista area scouting out all the tourist attractions. He is a great help to his dad , who still struggles with back pain. He's also a great help to me and makes me laugh on a daily basis. In fact most nights, it's the last thing I do before bed...laugh at something he said.

As I said today I had my first radiation treatment...again a feeling of déjà vu as I prepared to accept the beam.....nothing to it really. Like Buddy Wassiname says...sure it's all in yer mind. Seriously though I will be glad when this is over so that I can enjoy summer instead of driving back and forth to town every day for the next 5 1/2 weeks!

Last weekend was another first in a while. Glenn's cousin Megan got married and we got to get together with  the Crocker family for the first time in a long time. Mrs. Welsh's sisters Margaret ( and her husband Skip) and Edna came from Nova Scotia for the wedding. After the church ceremony we all gathered in our back yard for food, drinks and fun before the reception. What a time we had!  The sisters, brothers, nephews and nieces challenged each other to a game of washers and it was a lot of fun. We gathered together for a few pics before heading out to the big party! I was so glad to be able to host this event and even happier to see Mrs. Welsh have such a good time with her siblings...lifted my spirits to see her smiling from ear to ear and kicking up her heels on the dance floor with her sisters- they sure  love to dance.

Yesterday I went to the public health nurse to have my port flushed... Smooth as a baby's ass...no hitches at all. Thank God. Afterwards I went to visit old and dear friends, Gord and Lona Stone and their gorgeous grand children in Hr. Grace . Unfortunately Lona and the kids weren't  home but I had a lovely visit with Gord. Gord and I go back a long time. He was my high school teacher, my colleague/ principal in my first teaching job and has been a dear friend ever since.  We had quite the chat...lots of laughs and some tears but there was that déjà vu feeling again...sitting around reminiscing about Holy Trinity school days and times gone by. Funny how you can go months and months without seeing someone and then when you get together, you pick up just where you left off. I have an immense amount of respect for this man and if I won the lottery tomorrow, he'd be one of the first I'd share with as it was him who,supported me so often in my career and I know he always put in a good word for me whenever I was applying for jobs. Hopeful I will get to see the kids before they return to Ontario.

Last night I got together with a very good friend who treated me to wings and drinks at Jungle Jims..it sure was good to see her and laugh. She gave me a bottle of Baileys ...I'll save it for the end of radiation party...Right Yvette and Denise??? I missed the year end party and the girls' night last week , but we will make up for it in a few short weeks. I also want to give a shout out to my friend Susan Snelgrove who kept in close contact since I started treatment and really helped me pull through the last chemo treatment.

I'm sitting here writing this blog right now at the Sheraton Hotel in St John's. Glenn dropped me off here after my treatment so that I could avail of a very special surprise a arranged by my long time friend Lola. Lola and I met in university 30 years ago. We became instant friends. We set her up with Glenn's buddy Allan and they ended up getting married. She sang at our wedding and we were best man and maid of honor at hers. I was pregnant with Luke and was quite nauseated all day on the day she got married. They moved away shortly after, but we never lost touch. They come to visit us every time they are back in NL. She is visiting from Fort Mac and unfortunately lost her home in the devastating fire. She never ceases to amaze me with her optimistic outlook. Anyway I took her out to lunch when I was in town last week and she suggested we get together for a while before she went back, I quickly agreed. Well she took the bull by the horns and went all out. She booked a room at the Sheraton hotel for us and arranged a one hour full body massage for me at the spa. OMG Now that was soooooo relaxing. She's joining me here shortly and we are getting all gussied up and going out to dinner. She made reservations at Raymonds, a fine dining restaurant on Water Street. Lola spared no expense and ordered us a seven course meal with wine pairing ( a different glass of wine from all over the world after every course)  Now this was the first time I was ever at  this restaurant and the first time I was served  things such as oysters, quail eggs, raw tuna and scallops and rabbit pasta, not to mention all the other Newfoundland foods cooked in an exquisite yet exotic style. Jeremy Charles sure knows his way around a kitchen. The service was excellent and I might add very handsome waiters kept us entertained all night explaining the food they were putting in front of us.We told one waiter that we were celebrating 30 years of friendship and at the very end of the evening after we had finished dessert he brought out a special plate made by the pastry chef just for us. I expect it will be the last time I go there for a long time.I'm not that adventurous when it comes to trying food.  Lola insisted on paying, much to my dismay,  and I joked later that I could buy two months worth of groceries for what that one meal and wine cost us. But boy did we enjoy the wine . We got a cab back to the hotel and settled in to our jammies, determined to make the most of every moment. I think we ended up still talking with our eyes closed!!!! Today was truly a day of pure pampering following radiation therapy. I'm quite lucky indeed. On a day that I was dreading, we laughed to no end, and as mom always said for all that laughing , there'll be crying. NO doubt when we part ways tomorrow there will be tears again but tonight we made the most of every minute celebrating our 30 years of friendship. God has truly blessed me with lifelong friends and new friends who support me everyday on my journey.

Didn't realize we were going somewhere fancy, so I had to run out and buy a new dress

                                                        so did Lola!!!!

                                                     We're like the fine wine we drank, we just get better with age

This dessert was to die for. It was topped with haskap berries which are native to NL, but I've never heard of them. They tasted amazing. Now I just got to figure out where to go pick them

                                              A special surprise delivered to us by the waiter

Here is the menu card they gave us when we left...we had NO idea what we would be served ... boy was I surprised!

So to all you reading this I ask you to pray for Lola and her family as she goes back to Fort Mac to rebuild her home ( could take up to 2 years they've been told) and she reminds me that material things never matter...a house is a building and home is where the heart is. She always have a room in my "Home"

 A Facebook memory from 4 years ago showed up yesterday...I clicked on the link. It said last radiation treatment today ... Oh well Deja vu ...I'm on the countdown again. Till  next time  I anticipate a smooth road to 27 treatments ...oh wait one down only 26 more to go.

Now in keeping with my sense of humor, here goes..... ( I've changed up a bit to suit the occasion) 

Kim  and Lola were in the same classes at university. They were inseparable friends and spent their evenings drinking together. After getting married they went to different provinces and settled. However, they kept correspondence through letters and e-mails.

To keep the memory of their boozing bouts alive, Lola always filled two glasses with rum and water and sipped from each alternately!

When somebody asked her why she did so, she explained: 'This glass is Kim's; this one is mine. So I take a sip from each - one on behalf of Kim, the other for myself.'

Suddenly one evening Lola was seen with only one glass on his table. She was asked what had happened. She replied, 'You see, I have given up drinking but Kim has texted that she has not. So I have put away my glass and drink only on behalf of my friend.


Oh the things friends will do for ya.....

 ...enjoy all the FIRSTS, LASTS AND DÉJÀ VU MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE...THEY WILL CERTAINLY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE OR A NOSTALGIC TEAR TO YOUR EYE...WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE ..LAUGHTER AND CRYING ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL.

There's every day blessings and nothing that a cookie can't fix!!!

And I have a Mother in Law who Makes the Best Cookies

Well it's been a busy few weeks since I wrote my last blog. I've had my first treatment an will have the second one tomorrow morning. I had a few minor bumps along the way but nothing that I couldn't handle along the way with the help of family & friends ....and a cookie!!!

I don't want to share the details of those bumps since the purpose of this blog is not one of self pity but rather therapy to focus on the good things that dominate my life.

Three days post chemo we celebrated Mother's Day. In many ways, it was a difficult one for me as it was the first one without my darling mom. However, I felt her presence and know that she would want me to enjoy the day with Luke & Emily . I also got to spend time with Mrs. Welsh who is more than a mother in law to me. Glenn prepared turkey dinner and Rhonda came to visit. The kids gave me beautiful cards and a lovely mom ring and doted on me for the day. I spent most of the day having hot flashes and I guess this means now I'll be able to join in on the menopause conversation with my card club ladies!!

What a blessing on May 13 to celebrate Emily's prom. I'm sure most of you will agree, she was simply stunning ( but then again I am biased) ! She was smiling all day & was very happy to have so many people stop by to help her celebrate. I just couldn't resist posting all her pics on Facebook. We are truly blessed with family & friends who are always there for us in both good and bad times. I think she was a little overwhelmed by the kindness of those who stopped by with gifts and certainly appreciated the kind gestures of so many people. Special thanks to them all !!! Many of these people
(including members of my card club,  especially Helen who was her babysitter , Corinne and her Godparents Garfield and Chantal) have watched her grow up from a tiny baby to the beautiful young woman she is today and have helped develop into the mature, responsible and kind-hearted person she is today. She certainly had a full week of fun. Glenn joked that we would let her have what she wanted for prom since she says she's never getting married. It was so nice to watch her and her dad dancing at the prom.I felt so blessed to see this as it was a prayer answered from four years ago.


It was also great to see so many of my students and have pics taken with them. I was especially moved by a conversation with one graduate. I had taught in him level 1 &2 but not this year. As soon as he saw me he sang out and asked if he could have a picture with me. Afterwards he said " Miss how are you doing"? I told him I was doing good. He very genuinely said "Miss are you going to be ok this time"? I assured him I would be and then he said something that totally blew me away. He said " you know what Miss, I pray for your good health every night. I really miss having you as my teacher this year and you'll always be my favorite". Well let me tell you I had to fight to hold back tears, To be blessed with such caring students certainly makes this whole journey a little easier.   I got to see a lot of them and it was really hard to follow doctor's advice and "not go hugging and kissing students" They truly are a great group and I miss them terribly.

Another blessing I received this week was the chance to celebrate Myra's birthday. What a great time we had. Luke and our cousin, Gerry,  kept the guests entertained and by the time 2 a.m rolled around I was happy to hit the sack.  It was so good to spend time with my sisters Nellie & Myra and my brother Ed. We did lots of singing, dancing & laughing. As usual there was a lot of good food and Myra & I joked about Mom always wanting to take pictures of everything at parties, even the table with the buffet of food laid out





I am blessed indeed with such caring sisters who check on me and cheer me up on bad days.

On Sunday I had the privilege of spending part of the afternoon with my Great- Aunt Winnie to help her celebrate her 100th birthday!!  

I was able to contact my other great Aunt Rose who is 93 and lives in England via Face time. I have often heard the phrase if the old people could come back and see the technology we have today they'd be surprised ...well you should have seen these ladies' faces!!! They are sisters in law and have not seen each other for years. They found it hard to fathom that they could see and talk to each other on a cellphone screen. It was moment I won't forget and I know it was a special gift to Aunt Winnie. She is also a breast cancer survivor. She was my Nan Simmons special friend as well as sister in law and let me tell you , they were ladies indeed. I don't ever remember seeing either one in slacks and they were always dressed like a stick of chewing gum as my mom would say.

She is a birthday Princess for sure

On Monday I got to meet my third cousin Colin who came to spend the night with me. He is Aunt Rose's grandson who has given me the gift of family history. He has traced the Simmons family roots back several generations. It was from him,  that I learned my great -grandmother had breast cancer. In his genealogy documents the following info is recorded : " Mary Simmons had breast cancer and with no modern medical facilities had her breasts removed with out anesthetic. She just had alcohol which she drank". I guess being a strong woman is in my genes! 

My Great Grandmother Mary Simmons

Me and Colin

Luke has been home this past week as he is working in the area. It sure has been nice to have him home. He has been a great help, especially when it comes to help alleviate the neuropathy in my feet, which is a side effect of the chemo. He was happy to help out last week as well at  a local fundraiser in Bay Roberts and has played for a couple of fundraisers (for Fort Macfire victims/ Red Cross ) that rasied over 60,000 in total. 

Finally I got a very special gift this week from my friend Diane. It was a wall hanging that had special meaning not only because of what I am going through, but also because it contains a quote that I used in the toast to the graduates at this year's prom. Diane truly knows how much I am missing my students but I know they are in good hands with her . I have it placed in my kitchen so I can see it every morning as I start my day , Friends are a blessing indeed!

Now that I am almost done I feel better already!  I had a bit of a rough day today due to some issues with my port, but tomorrow is a new day & I know that my prayers will be answered again when the nurses try to access it in the morning. So instead of thinking about the bad days,  this blog has allowed me to concentrate on all the good things that are happening in my life.  I am blessed ...........

and when things go wrong I can always have a cookie!

In closing here is your joke for the night.... I wonder if this wife was having a hot flash.... ( thanks to my nephew, Rick, for sharing this one with me!

A police officer jumps into his squad car and calls the station.

“I have an interesting case here,” he says. “A woman shot her husband for stepping on the floor she just mopped.”

“Have you arrested her?” asks the sergeant.

“No, not yet. The floor’s still wet.”

and here's one more for good measure....Menopause Jewelry

My husband, being unhappy with my mood swings, bought me a mood ring so he would be able to monitor my moods.

We've discovered that when I'm in a good mood, it turns green. When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a big red mark on his forehead.

Maybe next time he'll buy me a diamond . . .

Good night folks!

On the road again...

We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes , "why did this happen to me?" unless we ask that same question of every joy that comes our way- Phillip E. Bernstein

When I wrote my last blog entry, I never dreamed I would be "on the road again" just a few short months away from my graduation date ....the day I was going to get my walking papers from the Dr. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre. But here I am again tonight! Today I had pre- op at the Health Sciences Centre and on Monday I will get a port put back in my chest, which will make the infusion of chemotherapy a whole lot easier. On Thursday of next week I will receive the first of six rounds of chemo and so the journey begins again.....

They say that once you've been diagnosed with cancer, you are never the same. That is true. I am a different person in many respects than I was four and a half years ago. However in other ways I have not changed. I never wanted cancer to define me but rather wanted to be seen as Kim  the wife, the mother, the sister, the daughter in law, the friend and teacher. I didn't want to be seen as Kim the breast cancer survivor.

Now that I have just been diagnosed with uterine cancer I am faced with a new set of circumstances that will inevitably change me again. Irregardless of the things I will have to endure for the next four months or so, I know that when the 6 chemo and 27 radiation treatments are done, I will once again want to go back to being Kim the wife, mother, sister, daughter in law,  friend and teacher.

I feel in many ways my blog writing will not only keep you all posted about my progress, but will also be good therapy for me as I face the disease that has once again robbed me of the privilege of spending my days in my classroom doing what I love and believe I was meant to do.

I promise to keep you entertained once again with some good clean jokes and to show you what a warrior I am. I have gone through many stages since my surgeon called me from his home a few
weeks ago.....shock, anger, denial- you name it - but rest assured that I no longer have these emotions because they have all been replaced with pure and utter determination.Especially since I received an excellent ct scan report this week and have been given a good prognosis and reassurance that these are precautionary treatments. I will be as good as new Dr. St Croix assures me!!!

Some people have asked me how can I remain strong, especially after all we've been through since 2011 and my answer is this ....I gather my strength from :

my undying faith in God who has a plan for me ( why else would He have sustained me through all of the terrible things I have faced?)

the loving arms of my husband Glenn who embraces me multiple times and reassures me that everything will be alright and we'll grow old together

the the hugs of my two amazing children Emily & Luke who hold me tight and make me feel like I'm the luckiest mom in the world as they whisper I love you in my ear and say " I know" when I reassure them I will be ok

the texts, messages and check ins from my four amazing sisters who constantly tell me I will get through this cause I am strong like mom

the daily conversations I have with my mother in law who shares my faith and acknowledges that this is as it is supposed to be at this time in  my life 

the support of all other family members and friends who tell me they are praying for me and will be my side through this journey

the phone calls from my friends who check in each day to fill me in on what I missed at work or to check to see if there's anything I need, and from my online support group of childhood friends who are scattered from Heart's Delight to Labrador to the Northwest Territories 

the emails I receive on a daily basis from my students, their parents and my colleagues - all wishing me well, telling me they miss me at school and hope I get well soon and return to room 209

and finally from the lessons that I was taught by the greatest teacher and mother who ever lived...the " tough old bird" who faced health issues head on with a steadfast determination to  surpass "Three score and ten and then some".  So many times in the past few months I find myself doing things she did and I look in the  mirror and say " you are becoming your mother" and that my dear is a good thing

So there you have it ....back on the road again. I am sure there will be bumps, potholes, twists and turns but whatever I encounter on this journey I will hold my head high, keep a smile on my face and say "Keep going Kim, there are still too many things on your bucket list to slow down or stop"!

This time last month we were in Florida and were preparing to cruise to the Bahamas . We had the  time of our lives and had the most amazing family vacation filled with laughter, fun and unforgettable moments. I am refreshed , energized and ready to face the coming months  knowing in my heart we will have many more special memories to create, ports to visits, beaches to lie on and things to do. But in the meantime , I will follow doctor's orders, suck up the side effects and show you all as the song goes ...I still got a lot of fight left in me "


Now in keeping with my tradition of a good joke , here goes

There were 2 young brothers who were sitting in their bedroom chatting one morning. The older one says "I think it's time for us to start swearing". The younger one says "Ok  , O yah , really"?

"Yes" says the older one. "When we go downstairs I'll say "hell" and you say "ass". 

"Alright" says the younger one

Downstairs they go. Mom says " what do you want for breakfast?" 

"Ahhh what the hell , I'll have Cherrios" says the older boy. 

With that the mother whipped the boy around, gave him a good spanking on his bottom and sent him back to his room in tears.

She turned around and looked at the younger child  and said "now son what will you have?"

The littler boy promptly replied " You can bet your ass I'm not gonna ask for Cherrios"


Hope that made you laugh out loud 

Good night folks. God bless and remember Life is a highway! Enjoy the ride.

As the GPS lady says..... " You have reached your destination"

Watch this video first to get you in the mood to sing and dance along with me!

This is my LAST blog. I wanted to write you to give you all a final update since I wrote some time ago. I've had a few scares and several trips to doctors and a surgeon since my last post but am happy to report that All is Well !! Yesterday I was back at the cancer clinic to see my oncologist, Dr. Powell, and she was delighted with my progress and recent test reports. She had a little present for me....it was the best

letter I received in a LONG time:

My ticket back to Ascension Collegiate!!! I have " medical clearance to return to work full time in September 2013"



Needless to say I was literally walking on sunshine. It was exactly a year ago on Tuesday that Glenn had taken a similar picture of me coming out of the cancer clinic after my last radiation treatment. We stopped at the new memorial honoring breast cancer patients and I took a moment to silently honor those women who had not been as fortunate as me. In praying for them and their families I also took time to Thank God for getting me to this point and for carrying me on my darkest days and asked Him to be by the sides of all the women currently on their journeys and for the ones yet to walk it.

Next it was time to celebrate and Glenn & I enjoyed the rest of the day together, vowing to move forward and spend the rest of our lives enjoying every day together as a family and doing whatever good we could to help others.

I dont want to be long winded in this entry but I do have a couple of things that I want to say. I know I have a husband and kids who love me beyond expression, but I have to say I have never felt as loved  as I have over the past two years. I have spoken many times about how overwhelmed and blessed we felt by the outpouring of support and I want to reiterate it again, as I can never say thanks often enough to everyone. You all have raised me up in so many ways and whether it was through a visit, a call, an email, a text, a meal, a bouquet, a completed chore , a prayer or any other offer of help ..... It was because of you that I am sitting here today. Some of you know the intimate details of the journey and I know you are celebrating with me today since you saw the darkest days and ugliest parts of what breast cancer did to me. I have been honored to have been called an inspiration and am fulfilled to know that I have been able to personally help six other women who have walked the same road since I was diagnosed.

I have found an inner strength I never knew I had. On one particular down day I called my sister Linda crying . She put it all in perspective and said this:

" If ten years ago someone said to you,  in ten years time you will be diagnosed with breast cancer, will have a mastectomy, go through 5 months of chemo,  25 daily treatments of radiation and then have your husband have a workplace accident, have surgery, and find out he can never work again, have your son have heart ablation surgery, have your mom end up in ICU seven times in that same , be told she probably wouldn't leave the hospital,  have your father in law in ICU as well and then have a a large cyst , your ovary & fallopian tube removed - you would have replied "I'll never make it through that".... but you did KIM"

Well now when you put it like that I guess I can honestly say I am a survivor! But never would have been without your support my friends.

 I hope no one takes this the wrong way but many of you have said people find it hard knowing what to say to someone who has breast cancer. I want to give you some advice ... this is SOLELY FROM MY OWN OPINION and others may not feel this way.... dont say " it's only hair...it will grow back anyway"! or " sure you don't need your breasts anyway ... youre not having anymore children"...instead say over and over and over again.." You'll be ok, all will be well". Those are the only two phrases I needed or wanted to hear.

So today as I sit writing this I feel as if I am closing a chapter on my book of life ...I plan to do no edits or revisions and in retrospect I dont know if I would have changed anything other than the pain that my husband, kids, mom and in laws, along with the rest of the family& friends endured watching me go through this. But today I am a better person. I told Dr. Powell I feel more alive than I ever did before I had cancer. Ive gotten to meet so many people that I would have never gotten to know if this had not happened to me. I have learned to worry less about things and to not sweaet the small stuff. I have learned to embrace each day and become closer to my God. I have discovered a courage and tenancity that I didnt know existed. I once sadid that when I became a mom I became a better teacher. I now believe that this whole experience will allow me to offer support, encouragement & inspiration to my future students whose mom, sister, aunt or grandmother is affected by breast cancer.  I am offically on holidays now and am planning a trip to Nova Scotia to visit my sweet neice Charlotte (after all I promised her I would visit when my hair grew back... and I dont break promises) and then on to Montreal where I will meet my long time friend Daphne and spend some days with her in Trois Riviers before I meet up with Emily in Quebec City ( she is going there on Sunday for 3 weeks at a university to do a french immersion camp). Im hoping to have some real fun doing "back to school shopping" ... I must be the only teacher who can't wait for Septemebr to come. Dr. Powell told me yesterday that I looked like I would go back to school today if I could....well not really but I am sooooo looking forward to September.  Last  Saturday night I was at a bar on George Street with some friends from Alberta. We had some food and drinks and had a great time listening to Luke and the rest of the boys in Grteeley's Reel entertain the crowd. When the night was over the bill arrived.... it was all Zeroes....must be a mistake I thought but then I was instructed to turn it over and read a note......it said "Mrs. Welsh , it's sooooo good to see you, Love Melissa. "  She had taken care of the bill. She was a former student of mine whom I had taught about 6 or 7 years ago...... now you thinks that didn't make my heart swell..... what a beautiful gesture ... the waitress said you must be a good teacher....oh how I cant wait to get back in my classroom again.  

I shall be eternally grateful to you , my "Breast Friends." God Bless you all and may your days be filled with health happiness and most of all a Zest for life!  And one last piece of advice.....if you see something you like, and got the money for it, buy it & if not ....put it on your Visa!!!!!!!!!! ( just joking...dont put yourself in debt for goodness sake!)

Heres some more of my favorite recent pics

Me & my nephew Rick who got married last year






Luke providing entertainment at the Angel Fund Mother's Day Tea

 


Me& Jenna at the Prom...last year her sister Jaya came to visit me but this year I could be there!

 



                                                      

Got to celebrate Mother's Day with mom this year



Me in Corner Brook for the NL Breast Cancer Retreat



Emily & her best friend Mackenzie





Proud parents

All ready to celebrate Canada day this year...traded my turban for a cowboy hat

"Miss Kim" my lilac bush  a gfit from Denise& Yvette on my last day of chemo ...it really flourished this year

I'm back to my "old self" ...gonna wash that grey right outta my hair.



Praise God indeed





The Optimist Creed....Words to live by



Rhonda & Merrill tie the knot

Roses from Judy & Alonzo to celebrate my good news at the cancer clinic.



And now I have traditionally done, I will end this blog with a little humor...( hope I dont offend anyone!!!!)

it says..." The Boob Pit ...now you can leave your husband here while you shop in peace"

Signing off now to move forward and never look back.... your Breast friend, KIM XOXOOXO

I'm on the home stretch now

Hello there to all my breast friends. It was a beautiful day today and I spent most of my afternoon outside setting up for this summer and feeling ALIVE for the first time in months. It is hard to believe that almost a full year has passed since I had my annual mammogram and a lump was discovered. And what a year it has been!. I had my last chemo 10 days ago and am SO GLAD to have all that behind me. But hey I made it ( even though there were many days over the past 5 months when I thought I wasn’t going to get through it) and on Tuesday I will embark on the second step of this journey- Radiation. I will go to cancer clinic to get my markings for the 25 radiation treatments that will begin on June 11 and end on July 13 ( by the way that’s Friday the13 and a lucky day for me!!!!).

I was so excited on the morning of my last chem and was up bright and early & ready to go. I tell you there was a spring in my step like never before. I had a great day at the hospital and all the nurses who helped me since the start dropped by to see me... it was my graduation day they said and I was touched by their genuine well wishes. My doctor wished me well and I hope I don’t ever have to be his patient on the 6^th floor again!!! I hear people complaining about the health care system all the time but I can honestly say the nurses that are in Carbonear are second to none. They never stopped for the 5-6 hours I was there each time for chemo. There were many days when they would not even stop to have a cup of tea or lunch until well after 2 in the afternoon. I hope that they all realize how much they are appreciated!!!

Well I had quite the surprise when I got home. First I found a lilac bush on my door step compliments of Denise and Yvette. Its name was "Miss Kim" and they bought to help me celebrate my last treatment.... now how sweet is that. Then when I got inside my friend Kellie had been here and dropped off a homemade chocolate cake with her mom’s butter cream and custard icing on it. Now you thinks that wasn’t delicious. Kellie is a nurse as well and has been pretty much on call for me 24-7. Like a lot of my good friends she has laughed and cried with me over the past few months. Next, all the ladies from my card club showed up with a beautiful pink rose potted plant and a pkg of my favourite squares. It was so good to have them here with me and let me tell you I am looking forward to getting back to my regular Tuesday night game of 120's with these girls. They are all grandmothers but are so young at heart and a group that have been so supportive of me & my family not just through these past few months but for the past few years....each one of them are always just a phone call away.

On Saturday Colleen came to give me my last needle that is designed to boost my immune system..... now I got to tell you I’m even more glad to have that over with....and I am pretty sure Colleen was too. Friends are priceless gifts indeed and Colleen will never really know how much it meant tome to know that she was doing this and that I never had to go back to the hospital for that each time.

The remainder of the week was a little rough on times but I kept thinking this is the LAST TIME you have to do this. On Wednesday Glenn took me out for a little drive since it was such a beautiful day. I had the window down and it was so nice to have the sun and wind in my face. For a brief moment it felt like my hair was blowing in the wind but as I put my hand up I was quickly reminded that I was bald..... a shot of reality again. But then I told myself your hair is growing back and before you know you will have a full head of hair again and you’ll be grumbling because you can’t get it to go right. In fact, it is starting to grow back and Luke keeps teasing me that it is going to grow back all grey .... but you know what there are no secrets here... it was grey before I lost it...Shelly just did a good job of covering it up. See I’m not afraid to mention that!!! I’ve also lost my eyebrows. I never ever had them professionally done because I was a wimp but I think when they come back, I’ll have them perfectly done too.
I’ve managed to find a good mastectomy bra and prosthesis ( even though it took stuffing three into one to get the right size) and now have a perky left boob again. Some funny though.... brought back memories of stuffing my bra when I was in grade seven cause I had no boobs then but all my friends did. Now I know some of you are laughing simply because you did that too!!!! Tissues won't work anymore though..You got to have the proper stuffing!!! Just before you get to the end of the pics, there is a video for you to click on. I found this on youtube and it is of a woman singing a song that she wrote for her friend who has breast cancer. It is called my breast friends and I thought it would be nice to include it... it really sums up how I feel tonight..it's a funny song and I thought it would be most appropriate to include in this blog
Anyway it’s getting late I should go to bed , got a busy day tomorrow...so until next time here’s a little laugh for you:     An older lady decided to give herself a big treat for her significant 70th birthday by staying overnight in an expensive hotel. When she checked out next morning, the desk clerk handed her a bill for$250.00. She exploded and demanded to know why the charge was so high. "It's a nice hotel but the rooms certainly aren't worth $250.00 for just an overnight stay! I didn't even have breakfast."The clerk told her that $250.00 is the 'standard rate', so she insisted on speaking to the Manager. The Manager appeared and, forewarned by the desk clerk, announced: "This hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference centre which are available for use."But I didn't use them," she said. ''Well, they are here, and you could have," explained the Manager. He went on to explain that she could also have seen one of the
in-hotel shows for which the hotel is famous. "We have the best entertainers from the world over performing here," the Manager said. "But I didn't go to any of those shows," she said. "Well, we have them, and you could have," the Manager replied. No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, she replied, "But I didn't use it!" and the Manager countered with his standard response.
After several minutes discussion with the Manager unmoved, she decided to pay, wrote a check and gave it to him. The Manager was surprised when he looked at the check. "But madam, this check is for only $50.00." "That's correct. I charged you $200.00 for sleeping with me," she replied.
"But I didn't!" exclaims the very surprised Manager. "Well, too bad, I was here, and you could have."

My beautiful mom & me

Wearing my breast cancer necklace from Carletta
( thanks my friend)

Do I look ready for the last one

Here for the first and there for the last



Arlene & Me ( Cough & Pump your arm...hahahah)

Sisters came to visit me ... Lovely time!!

Cake from Picked out by emily from her and Luke

Me and my two treasures on Mother's Day

My daily prayer

Jaya came to visit since I couldnt make it to the prom

A philosophy we all need to live by

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The ring Luke bought me for Mother's Day... nice pink stone to represent a Breast Cancer Survivor ( now you knows I  never cried wehnI opened this... big surprise for sure)