REMISSION!

16 October 2009
Hi Everyone;
Six weeks since I last wrote and more test and lab work. Yesterday was a huge day for celebration; the news is good, I continue in Remission, 3 months and counting. YEAH!!! My CA 125 remains at 9. It is awesome I have remained at 9 without upward movement. Treatment is definitely working. I receive treatment approximately every 3 weeks through July 2010.
After my last writing, some were/are confused on what remission means for me. I will try and explain. Remission for me means the cancer is not active. I will always have cancer; PPC is not a curable cancer. However, the cancer can be dormant for an extended period of time; perhaps as long as 10 years. I/we are hopeful and prayerful for the long term. If anyone has questions, please ask me. I know Don and I are diligent about asking plenty of questions to the doctors and will be happy to share our knowledge.
On the crazy side of reality, things are getting back to some sense of normal. My hair is growing back faster than most that have gone through extensive chemo therapy. Although the hair is still very short, the color is dark with a few grey hairs and so far straight. I find the straight hair different than the curlier hair I used to have, the texture is softer. However, it is too short to call it straight for the long term. My eyebrows, wow…they are growing thicker and they came in like Brooke Shields. Hahahahaha. Too funny, I just had my eyebrows waxed and whew, it hurt like it did the very first time I had a wax. Ouch!
Last weekend, we (Don, Sean and I), drove to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky to see Jonathan, Jessie and Adrianna. Adrianna, our 8th grandchild, celebrated her 1st Birthday. Jessie parents and grandparents were also there. We had a blast and went on post and visited the museum, and PX (great shopping deals). Adrianna had her own birthday cake and destroyed the cake within seconds. Thank goodness my brother Larry and my sister-in-law Donna were there to save the day by bringing their camera along, because Nana and Papa forgot and had to purchase a disposable camera at the PX. All in all everyone had a good time and we all loved seeing everyone and enjoyed our visit. Jonathan will be deploying to Afghanistan within 6 months. I will keep all of you posted on when he deploys.
Don and I also participated in 2 yard sales and got rid of a lot of accumulated junk over the last 30 plus years. It feels good to go through and weed out the closets, garage, attic and basement. Don really worked hard along with Maureen to get things put together to sell and throw out. Next, the kids are coming over to go through some Christmas items I no longer use to put at their houses and out of mine. Ahh it feels good to have the house cleaned out and in order. Now, we just need to work on the office…it is like a black hole; things go in but never come out.
Enjoy Halloween with all the little trick or treaters.
That is the news for now.
Keep in touch and I will write again in November.
Love, Margie