Dear friends and family (all readers!),
It was a week of trying to trust God, but frequently giving in to worry, stress, fear, and binge eating chocolate to calm my nerves. At last the moment was here and off we went to the hospital this morning. After drinking two large bottles of contrast solution, with another shot of it in my chemo port just for good measure, they CAT scanned my entire torso. We then went straight to the oncologist's office to await the results.
After the assistant took my blood pressure and other notes, my hero, Dr. McGonigle, briefly poked her head through a crack in the door. We held our breaths and locked eyes with her, trying to read the news in her face. Then came forth the two best words we could possibly hear: "It's good!" We breathed, broke into huge grins, and began to thank God together while waiting for her to come back a few moments later for her full visit with us. Oh my goodness. I am still in remission from my advanced ovarian cancer!
The long and short of it all is that the scan showed no cancer and the one worrisome clump of lymph nodes remain stable. I will continue with my maintenance infusion of Avastin every three weeks (which starves cancer cells so they can't grow), and barring any new symptoms or bad blood work, I get to extend my three month chemo break this fall with another 18-week chemo break!!!
That means I won't be nauseous, sad, or fearful at Christmas, at New Year's, on Valentine's Day, on my 55th Birthday [2/18 if anyone's wondering ;-)], on Daniel's spring break, or on Daniel's birthday (April Fool's Day).
I will close this short report with two HUGE thank you's. First, I thank with all my heart (with every fiber of my being!) those of you who have prayed with me and encouraged me in a million ways on this unwelcome journey. I honestly don't know how I, or my family, would have made it through the past two years without you. And second, I offer unending glory, praise, and thanks to God my heavenly Father, who is always in the boat with me during stormy seas, keeping my head above the waves, calming my fears, and without whom I would have no hope, peace, or purpose for this life or the next.
"He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet. So He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving kindness. And for His wonders to the sons (and daughters!) of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregations of the people. And praise Him at the seat of the elders. Psalm 107:29-32
Love, joy, and peace to you all this Christmas! Now I'm off to watch a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie which will have just what we need after the week we've had--a happy ending!
Gabrielle
Friday, December 5, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
12/2/14 It's that time again
Dear Family, Friends, and all the people who have read our blog that we don't even know (!),
Gabrielle here. For those who follow the church calendar, last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. Advent's Latin root means "coming." (I don't know Latin...I read that in my Advent study book!) And in my church on Sunday, we began our yearly time of remembering what Christmas is all about--that Jesus came to earth to show us God's love, reconcile us to God, and bring us hope. Thanks be to God!
But there is another thing "coming" for me--in just three days. My next ovarian cancer scan. Scan week is something we start to dread when we get about two weeks out, and the fear and anxiety for me starts to snowball when I get to the final few day's countdown.
So I thought you might be interested to hear how I tried to calm myself down on this cold, sunny Tuesday in December. I awoke late, after much trouble falling asleep last night, threw on my swimsuit and sweats, ate some breakfast, and went to my 10AM appointment with my therapist. She and I first met when I needed some help accepting my diagnosis of Lupus ten years ago, and over the years, I have headed in for "tune ups" as we call them, whenever I feel the need for a little extra help. After a great session relieving some burdens with her, I headed straight to our public pool and swam for a solid hour, praying the entire time. It was very calming casting all my cares, for myself and others, on God, knowing He cares for us all. (1 Peter 5:7) And if you are a swimmer, you know the peace you find as you immerse your head, the noise of the world drops away, and you feel the whoosh of the water rush over you.
With my hair dripping wet, I headed to Costco because we needed some bottled waters and toilet paper. Never, never go to Costco when you are starving and worried about your cancer scan! I couldn't believe the "0's" I saw when the final item had rung up. Retail therapy. Gotta love it. After unloading the packed car, I ate some lunch and sat in a comfy chair to read my devotional readings for the day. But after, I was still having anxious thoughts about the scan. What if the cancer is back? How will I tolerate a third five-month round of chemo?? How much longer do I have on this earth? How should I be ordering my days? And on and on it went. So next I did one of those relaxation exercises Daniel had on his I-Pod to help with med school stress. It lasted 12 minutes and you relax your entire body, focus on your breathing and try to let go of your stresses. I don't normally believe in that stuff, but research has actually shown it helps, as it calms your brain into releasing less cortisol (stress hormone) and sick people do better. I did feel better. But not better enough.
So I went and had an hour-long massage with my favorite massage therapist, Dee. Wow, my third therapy of the day. That tells you how anxious I've been, for sure. And Dee, being her sweet, giving self, handed me a bag of homemade rolls she made today to take home to the family for dinner.
I arrived home to cheery Christmas lights, and a little gold box with a drawer in it, suspended from my golf ball on a string that keeps me from bashing my car into our refrigerator as I enter our garage. A note on the box said "Mom--Open This." Inside was a beautiful note from Daniel, telling me how much and why he loved me, naming some of his blessings, and with a wonderful Scripture verse that I will share with you in a moment. I then ate a lovely dinner with Steve and the kids, including 1-1/2 of the BEST homemade rolls you have ever tasted.
And now, relaxed, full, and decidedly more peaceful than in earlier stretches of this day, I am writing this blog post. I am asking once again for your prayers that my scan might show "no new evidence of disease" on Friday morning. What a blessing that would be for my family and me to enjoy a FOUR-month chemo break, after the glorious three-month break we have just had.
I am guessing you have some worries and anxieties this Advent season as well. In the past week alone, I have encountered friends and family who are homeless, in poverty, in poor health, without jobs, worried about their kids, and experiencing loss and loneliness. Most nights of our lives are not like in Silent Night, where all is calm and bright. But God came. He came for me, and He came for you. He loves us. He is with us. In Him we can find hope and peace through cancer and all of life's trials (with a little therapy thrown in now and then for good measure).
Now here is the verse on Daniel's note to me: "I have told you these things, so that in Me, you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Love to you all,
Gabrielle
Gabrielle here. For those who follow the church calendar, last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. Advent's Latin root means "coming." (I don't know Latin...I read that in my Advent study book!) And in my church on Sunday, we began our yearly time of remembering what Christmas is all about--that Jesus came to earth to show us God's love, reconcile us to God, and bring us hope. Thanks be to God!
But there is another thing "coming" for me--in just three days. My next ovarian cancer scan. Scan week is something we start to dread when we get about two weeks out, and the fear and anxiety for me starts to snowball when I get to the final few day's countdown.
So I thought you might be interested to hear how I tried to calm myself down on this cold, sunny Tuesday in December. I awoke late, after much trouble falling asleep last night, threw on my swimsuit and sweats, ate some breakfast, and went to my 10AM appointment with my therapist. She and I first met when I needed some help accepting my diagnosis of Lupus ten years ago, and over the years, I have headed in for "tune ups" as we call them, whenever I feel the need for a little extra help. After a great session relieving some burdens with her, I headed straight to our public pool and swam for a solid hour, praying the entire time. It was very calming casting all my cares, for myself and others, on God, knowing He cares for us all. (1 Peter 5:7) And if you are a swimmer, you know the peace you find as you immerse your head, the noise of the world drops away, and you feel the whoosh of the water rush over you.
With my hair dripping wet, I headed to Costco because we needed some bottled waters and toilet paper. Never, never go to Costco when you are starving and worried about your cancer scan! I couldn't believe the "0's" I saw when the final item had rung up. Retail therapy. Gotta love it. After unloading the packed car, I ate some lunch and sat in a comfy chair to read my devotional readings for the day. But after, I was still having anxious thoughts about the scan. What if the cancer is back? How will I tolerate a third five-month round of chemo?? How much longer do I have on this earth? How should I be ordering my days? And on and on it went. So next I did one of those relaxation exercises Daniel had on his I-Pod to help with med school stress. It lasted 12 minutes and you relax your entire body, focus on your breathing and try to let go of your stresses. I don't normally believe in that stuff, but research has actually shown it helps, as it calms your brain into releasing less cortisol (stress hormone) and sick people do better. I did feel better. But not better enough.
So I went and had an hour-long massage with my favorite massage therapist, Dee. Wow, my third therapy of the day. That tells you how anxious I've been, for sure. And Dee, being her sweet, giving self, handed me a bag of homemade rolls she made today to take home to the family for dinner.
I arrived home to cheery Christmas lights, and a little gold box with a drawer in it, suspended from my golf ball on a string that keeps me from bashing my car into our refrigerator as I enter our garage. A note on the box said "Mom--Open This." Inside was a beautiful note from Daniel, telling me how much and why he loved me, naming some of his blessings, and with a wonderful Scripture verse that I will share with you in a moment. I then ate a lovely dinner with Steve and the kids, including 1-1/2 of the BEST homemade rolls you have ever tasted.
And now, relaxed, full, and decidedly more peaceful than in earlier stretches of this day, I am writing this blog post. I am asking once again for your prayers that my scan might show "no new evidence of disease" on Friday morning. What a blessing that would be for my family and me to enjoy a FOUR-month chemo break, after the glorious three-month break we have just had.
I am guessing you have some worries and anxieties this Advent season as well. In the past week alone, I have encountered friends and family who are homeless, in poverty, in poor health, without jobs, worried about their kids, and experiencing loss and loneliness. Most nights of our lives are not like in Silent Night, where all is calm and bright. But God came. He came for me, and He came for you. He loves us. He is with us. In Him we can find hope and peace through cancer and all of life's trials (with a little therapy thrown in now and then for good measure).
Now here is the verse on Daniel's note to me: "I have told you these things, so that in Me, you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Love to you all,
Gabrielle
Saturday, October 18, 2014
10/18/14 Can you help?
Dear family and friends,
Sorry to post twice in one day! I just wanted to say, one of the things that has really been stressing me out, aside from cancer and my Mom's sudden passing this week, is the near homelessness of my sister, Xan, her daughter (my niece), Molly, and Molly's new baby, Jericho--one of the sweetest babies you could ever know.
Please take a peek at this link my niece Maggie put together (Maggie is Molly's older sister) and see if you can help, even in a small way.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I love you all!
Gabrielle
www.youcaring.com/helpmargitte
Sorry to post twice in one day! I just wanted to say, one of the things that has really been stressing me out, aside from cancer and my Mom's sudden passing this week, is the near homelessness of my sister, Xan, her daughter (my niece), Molly, and Molly's new baby, Jericho--one of the sweetest babies you could ever know.
Please take a peek at this link my niece Maggie put together (Maggie is Molly's older sister) and see if you can help, even in a small way.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I love you all!
Gabrielle
www.youcaring.com/helpmargitte
Friday, October 17, 2014
10/17/14 Joy and Sorrow
Dear Friends and Family,
This past week, I have been thinking a lot about joy and sorrow, which C.S. Lewis said are two sides of the same coin. If you love someone, you will experience the greatest joys life has to offer, but also the deepest sorrows. Both are part of "the deal."
First, let's talk about joy. I just spent a glorious two weeks in Altea, Spain, at the home of my beloved Aunt and Uncle, Julianne and Oliver. The first week, Renee, and my dear friend, Maribeth, accompanied me. The second week, Steve joined me. We had marvelous sunshine on all but one day. We walked, hiked, swam, talked, read, learned about the battle of the Christians and Moors at the Alhambra, visited numerous other small towns on the Costa Blanca, and bought way too much beautiful Spanish pottery. We also ate the world's best paella and I ate my weight in hot, freshly made churros dipped in warm, thick, chocolate sauce at Spain's famous chocolate shop, Valor. Lastly, my brilliant daughter and aunt both whipped me at Scrabble!
From intense joy, to the deepest sorrow, I returned home Sunday night, slept a little, then received a call early Monday morning that my Mom had been taken to the ER. For the next 24 hours, I was there with her at Northwest Hospital, and she died Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM. She had a septic infection, blood clots, falling blood pressure, and respiratory failure. Here is what I wrote about her on Facebook this week:
"My Mom died an amazingly peaceful death on Tuesday, October 14th, at age 75, surrounded by family. I miss her already, and after 24 sleepless hours in the air and another 24 in the hospital, I am depleted. Mom was one of the smartest, most generous women I knew. She was a pioneer in a formerly all male field, running successful advertising, marketing, public relations, and public affairs firms until age 70. She taught her three daughters they could grow up to be or do anything they dreamed of, and deserved equal pay for equal work. She gave up alcohol and cigarettes, then helped countless women she sponsored in AA to change their lives for the better. She loved her four siblings, three children, 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many wonderful nieces and nephews. She also loved good food, mystery books, the Serenity Prayer, Fox news, all things Republican, Cannon Beach, family dinners, having her hair done and her toes painted, shopping, laughing, a good rom-com, and making babies giggle. She gave up her four-year art and national merit scholarships half way through Stanford to give birth to me, raising me courageously as a single parent for the early years of my life in an age when many women would have chosen to abort. I have always been thankful for that gift of life, love, and sacrifice from her, as well as her stellar career mentoring advice. Please raise a toast of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage to my dear Mom."
Steve sent me a comforting quote from theologian Charles Spurgeon, from his sermon on Psalm 31:15, "My times are in Thy hand." It goes like this: "The close of life is not decided by the sharp knife of the fates; but by the hand of love. We shall not die before our time, neither shall we be forgotten and left upon the stage too long." How comforting to know that indeed, our times are in His hands.
From deepest sorrow, springs forth a glimmer of joy. On Wednesday, the day after my Mom's passing, I went to the Oncologist's office for the infusion of my maintenance drug, Avastin. My blood work, including my ovarian cancer tumor marker CA-125, came back perfect. As was my physical exam. Thus, my doctor extended my nine-week chemo break for five more weeks! My next scan will be just before Thanksgiving. My Mom must be smiling down from Heaven at this good news. One additional burst of great joy occurred two nights ago, when my sister-in-law, who it was thought might be permanently paralyzed after a spinal surgery five weeks ago, WALKED into our home for dinner with just one crutch!
I will close with an experience Maribeth, Renee, and I had in Spain. We were walking home late one night after watching a parade as part of the Christians/Moors festival, when the most amazing lightening storm began. We raced to a lookout point near our home in Altea that gives a panoramic view over the Mediterranean from north to south. This lightening storm was like nothing we had ever seen before. It had both bolt lightening and sheet lightening and it lit up the mountains, the sea, the towns, as far as the eye could see. I wish you had been there. It took your breath away. As we watched, God brought a Christian radio song to mind, the words of which I will write for you here. I sang it to Maribeth and Renee as we marveled at the gift of this storm. The lyrics to "Light Up the Sky":
When I'm feeling all alone
With so far to go
The signs are no where on this road
Guiding me home
When the night is closing in
Is falling on my skin
Oh God will you come close?
Light light light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me You are with me
I I I can't deny
No I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
Light light light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me
That you are with me
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don't feel them shining
When I can't see You beyond my doubts
The silver lining
When I've almost reached the end
Like a flood You're rushing in
Your love is rushing in
So I run, straight into Your arms
You're the bright and morning sun
To show Your love there's nothing You won't do
Light light light up the sky...chorus continued.
Through cancer and in my Mom's death, God lit up the sky to show me He is with me. Thanks be to God that we are not alone in this life.
Thank you for your continued prayers for my good health and our family in this time of joy and sorrow.
Love,
Gabrielle
This past week, I have been thinking a lot about joy and sorrow, which C.S. Lewis said are two sides of the same coin. If you love someone, you will experience the greatest joys life has to offer, but also the deepest sorrows. Both are part of "the deal."
First, let's talk about joy. I just spent a glorious two weeks in Altea, Spain, at the home of my beloved Aunt and Uncle, Julianne and Oliver. The first week, Renee, and my dear friend, Maribeth, accompanied me. The second week, Steve joined me. We had marvelous sunshine on all but one day. We walked, hiked, swam, talked, read, learned about the battle of the Christians and Moors at the Alhambra, visited numerous other small towns on the Costa Blanca, and bought way too much beautiful Spanish pottery. We also ate the world's best paella and I ate my weight in hot, freshly made churros dipped in warm, thick, chocolate sauce at Spain's famous chocolate shop, Valor. Lastly, my brilliant daughter and aunt both whipped me at Scrabble!
From intense joy, to the deepest sorrow, I returned home Sunday night, slept a little, then received a call early Monday morning that my Mom had been taken to the ER. For the next 24 hours, I was there with her at Northwest Hospital, and she died Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM. She had a septic infection, blood clots, falling blood pressure, and respiratory failure. Here is what I wrote about her on Facebook this week:
"My Mom died an amazingly peaceful death on Tuesday, October 14th, at age 75, surrounded by family. I miss her already, and after 24 sleepless hours in the air and another 24 in the hospital, I am depleted. Mom was one of the smartest, most generous women I knew. She was a pioneer in a formerly all male field, running successful advertising, marketing, public relations, and public affairs firms until age 70. She taught her three daughters they could grow up to be or do anything they dreamed of, and deserved equal pay for equal work. She gave up alcohol and cigarettes, then helped countless women she sponsored in AA to change their lives for the better. She loved her four siblings, three children, 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many wonderful nieces and nephews. She also loved good food, mystery books, the Serenity Prayer, Fox news, all things Republican, Cannon Beach, family dinners, having her hair done and her toes painted, shopping, laughing, a good rom-com, and making babies giggle. She gave up her four-year art and national merit scholarships half way through Stanford to give birth to me, raising me courageously as a single parent for the early years of my life in an age when many women would have chosen to abort. I have always been thankful for that gift of life, love, and sacrifice from her, as well as her stellar career mentoring advice. Please raise a toast of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage to my dear Mom."
Steve sent me a comforting quote from theologian Charles Spurgeon, from his sermon on Psalm 31:15, "My times are in Thy hand." It goes like this: "The close of life is not decided by the sharp knife of the fates; but by the hand of love. We shall not die before our time, neither shall we be forgotten and left upon the stage too long." How comforting to know that indeed, our times are in His hands.
From deepest sorrow, springs forth a glimmer of joy. On Wednesday, the day after my Mom's passing, I went to the Oncologist's office for the infusion of my maintenance drug, Avastin. My blood work, including my ovarian cancer tumor marker CA-125, came back perfect. As was my physical exam. Thus, my doctor extended my nine-week chemo break for five more weeks! My next scan will be just before Thanksgiving. My Mom must be smiling down from Heaven at this good news. One additional burst of great joy occurred two nights ago, when my sister-in-law, who it was thought might be permanently paralyzed after a spinal surgery five weeks ago, WALKED into our home for dinner with just one crutch!
I will close with an experience Maribeth, Renee, and I had in Spain. We were walking home late one night after watching a parade as part of the Christians/Moors festival, when the most amazing lightening storm began. We raced to a lookout point near our home in Altea that gives a panoramic view over the Mediterranean from north to south. This lightening storm was like nothing we had ever seen before. It had both bolt lightening and sheet lightening and it lit up the mountains, the sea, the towns, as far as the eye could see. I wish you had been there. It took your breath away. As we watched, God brought a Christian radio song to mind, the words of which I will write for you here. I sang it to Maribeth and Renee as we marveled at the gift of this storm. The lyrics to "Light Up the Sky":
When I'm feeling all alone
With so far to go
The signs are no where on this road
Guiding me home
When the night is closing in
Is falling on my skin
Oh God will you come close?
Light light light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me You are with me
I I I can't deny
No I can't deny that You are right here with me
You've opened my eyes
So I can see you all around me
Light light light up the sky
You light up the sky to show me
That you are with me
When stars are hiding in the clouds
I don't feel them shining
When I can't see You beyond my doubts
The silver lining
When I've almost reached the end
Like a flood You're rushing in
Your love is rushing in
So I run, straight into Your arms
You're the bright and morning sun
To show Your love there's nothing You won't do
Light light light up the sky...chorus continued.
Through cancer and in my Mom's death, God lit up the sky to show me He is with me. Thanks be to God that we are not alone in this life.
Thank you for your continued prayers for my good health and our family in this time of joy and sorrow.
Love,
Gabrielle
Saturday, August 30, 2014
8/30/14 Renée's spin on the ice bucket challenge
Hi, friends. Steve here. Renée has come up with her variation on that really fun ice bucket challenge that has been making the rounds. She has made a video for your viewing enjoyment and here it is! Enjoy!
Renée and the egg
If you have any interest in taking the challenge, or donating to the cause, that would be great. The link for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund is: www.ocrf.org
Thanks!
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
8/26/14 Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
Dear friends and family,
Gabrielle here. I am overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, and relief that my scan today was good! The only thing in the entire scan that was still larger than normal was one lymph node. It's not "way" bigger than a normal lymph node, but they do think it had cancer in it before. It has shrunk by more than half, but the last round of chemo did not shrink it more. But neither did it grow. It is "stable," which in the cancer world is good news.
The oncologist said I get a nine-week break from chemo, effective immediately because of this good scan! I will receive (and had the first one today) an infusion of Avastin every three weeks as a maintenance drug. It is the drug that prevents the formation of tiny blood vessels that feed cancer cells. In most cases it has few side effects, though two it does have are bloody noses and possible increased blood pressure. I have to just live with the bloody noses, but they will keep an eye on the blood pressure. If you see me roaming Seattle in stained t-shirts, it's from the bloody noses that I don't always catch in time! Gross! I hope you are not eating as you read this! ;-)
Another bit of information you might be interested in is that my genetic screening came back and they found one--and only one--gene mutation in me. I am a "carrier" of this gene mutation. It may or may not have made me more susceptible to cancer. Thus, Steve, Renee, Daniel, and I will be getting genetic counseling at the U of W to learn more and see whether or not Steve is a carrier (pray he is not) and how it may or may not affect the kids in the years ahead. Please pray it won't!
Lastly, my CA-125 was back down to 12.3--the level it was at last time I was declared in remission. So hooray for that too.
Would you please continue to pray for my complete healing, which would be a major miracle? Let's let God show my oncology team that a "three-year or less" life expectancy is only a statistic...and neither you nor I are statistics! :-)
Off I run into the kitchen now to prepare a celebratory dinner of my favorite protein in the world--King Salmon. Our friends and neighbors, Laura and Jerry, will join us and fierce rounds of canasta will follow our feast. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever." Psa. 107:1
Love and hugs to ALL!!!
Gabrielle
P.S. Please continue your prayers for my friend, Jeanie, that her upcoming surgery on Sept. 3 will be able to take place as hoped for. Thank you!
Gabrielle here. I am overwhelmed with joy, gratitude, and relief that my scan today was good! The only thing in the entire scan that was still larger than normal was one lymph node. It's not "way" bigger than a normal lymph node, but they do think it had cancer in it before. It has shrunk by more than half, but the last round of chemo did not shrink it more. But neither did it grow. It is "stable," which in the cancer world is good news.
The oncologist said I get a nine-week break from chemo, effective immediately because of this good scan! I will receive (and had the first one today) an infusion of Avastin every three weeks as a maintenance drug. It is the drug that prevents the formation of tiny blood vessels that feed cancer cells. In most cases it has few side effects, though two it does have are bloody noses and possible increased blood pressure. I have to just live with the bloody noses, but they will keep an eye on the blood pressure. If you see me roaming Seattle in stained t-shirts, it's from the bloody noses that I don't always catch in time! Gross! I hope you are not eating as you read this! ;-)
Another bit of information you might be interested in is that my genetic screening came back and they found one--and only one--gene mutation in me. I am a "carrier" of this gene mutation. It may or may not have made me more susceptible to cancer. Thus, Steve, Renee, Daniel, and I will be getting genetic counseling at the U of W to learn more and see whether or not Steve is a carrier (pray he is not) and how it may or may not affect the kids in the years ahead. Please pray it won't!
Lastly, my CA-125 was back down to 12.3--the level it was at last time I was declared in remission. So hooray for that too.
Would you please continue to pray for my complete healing, which would be a major miracle? Let's let God show my oncology team that a "three-year or less" life expectancy is only a statistic...and neither you nor I are statistics! :-)
Off I run into the kitchen now to prepare a celebratory dinner of my favorite protein in the world--King Salmon. Our friends and neighbors, Laura and Jerry, will join us and fierce rounds of canasta will follow our feast. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever." Psa. 107:1
Love and hugs to ALL!!!
Gabrielle
P.S. Please continue your prayers for my friend, Jeanie, that her upcoming surgery on Sept. 3 will be able to take place as hoped for. Thank you!
Monday, August 25, 2014
8/25/14 Home again--scan tomorrow!
Dear family and friends,
Gabrielle here. I'm home after two glorious weeks of vacation! First, Daniel and I went on an Alaska cruise. Highlights included a rainy hike at the Mendenhall Glacier past many waterfalls and creeks, watching the glaciers calving in Glacier Bay National Park, soaring from treetop to treetop in a zip lining adventure in a forest overlooking the sea, and boating close to rafts of female otters, floating on their backs with their little babies on their stomachs! And, of course, eating nonstop! Oh--there was one other fun challenge. When we bought our cruise tickets we were given $100 of free drink credit on the ship. This is pretty hysterical since neither Daniel nor I care much about alcohol. We were actually quite stressed figuring out how to use it up! How many lattes, hot chocolates, and virgin foo foo drinks can you get through in a week anyway?! I ended up spending much of my share on bottled water to bring with me on shore excursions and to drink throughout the day, which tasted much better than the ship tap water.
When we landed at the dock back in Seattle, Steve and Renee met us and had me dump all my dresses, make-up, and nice shoes on our boat next door at Elliott Bay Marina. Then we hopped on I-5 south and headed straight for our week at Cannon Beach! We were blessed with an amazing week there--sunshine every day. With one exception. We went on a 5.5 mile hike from Seaside to Ecola State Park on a beautiful forest trail that runs parallel to the ocean cliffs. On that particular day, it was socked in with fog and rained. And it must rain often in that forest because two-thirds of the hike was in ankle deep mud! Steve fell twice. My sneakers kept wanting to get stuck and come off in the mud. We were quite a muddy mess when we arrived at Ecola. But what a joy that I had the energy and blood counts to complete the hike! Other highlights of the week included Renee's girlfriend, Riley, joining us for four nights, long beach walks and bike rides, reading good books (no TV where we stay), great talks, huge ice cream cones pretty much daily, canasta wars, puzzles, mini golf, and REAL golf! Daniel and I played our first short nine "post golf lessons" at the Gearhart golf course. Let me just say, we are much better at our short game--pitching, chipping, and putting--than we are at our long game! More time at the driving range is definitely called for. Lastly, perhaps one of the greatest surprises was seeing, for the first time in over 40 years of going to Cannon Beach, the arrival of thousands of beautiful little blue and clear velella jelly fish on the beach! They are also called blue sails as they look like little sail boats and they float atop the ocean instead of swimming in the ocean. You must google them if you haven't seen them. They were a stunning reminder of God's creativity in designing our world!
It was so great to have time away enjoying nature with family to forget about cancer for awhile. Now it's back to reality. Tomorrow (Tuesday the 26th) is my scan. I drink two large bottles of contrast solution at 7:00 AM, go in at 8:15 for the scan, get a blood draw, then meet with my oncologist at 11:30 for the scan results. If the scan is clear, I will get an infusion of just one of my drugs--Avastin. It will be a maintenance drug every three weeks, as it's the drug that prevents the little blood vessels from forming that can feed cancer cells. If the scan is not clear, I will get my normal two-drug chemo--Carboplatin and Avastin.
Please pray with us for a clear scan! We hope and pray it will show no evidence of disease. But if not, we know God will give us the grace to continue on with chemo as needed.
Also, will you please pray for my friend, Jeanie, and her sweet family? She has had a rough battle with breast and pancreatic cancer and is having a very serious surgery for her pancreatic cancer on Sept. 3. Thank you so much!!
With love and gratitude for all of you walking this journey with us,
Gabrielle
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:9-10
Gabrielle here. I'm home after two glorious weeks of vacation! First, Daniel and I went on an Alaska cruise. Highlights included a rainy hike at the Mendenhall Glacier past many waterfalls and creeks, watching the glaciers calving in Glacier Bay National Park, soaring from treetop to treetop in a zip lining adventure in a forest overlooking the sea, and boating close to rafts of female otters, floating on their backs with their little babies on their stomachs! And, of course, eating nonstop! Oh--there was one other fun challenge. When we bought our cruise tickets we were given $100 of free drink credit on the ship. This is pretty hysterical since neither Daniel nor I care much about alcohol. We were actually quite stressed figuring out how to use it up! How many lattes, hot chocolates, and virgin foo foo drinks can you get through in a week anyway?! I ended up spending much of my share on bottled water to bring with me on shore excursions and to drink throughout the day, which tasted much better than the ship tap water.
When we landed at the dock back in Seattle, Steve and Renee met us and had me dump all my dresses, make-up, and nice shoes on our boat next door at Elliott Bay Marina. Then we hopped on I-5 south and headed straight for our week at Cannon Beach! We were blessed with an amazing week there--sunshine every day. With one exception. We went on a 5.5 mile hike from Seaside to Ecola State Park on a beautiful forest trail that runs parallel to the ocean cliffs. On that particular day, it was socked in with fog and rained. And it must rain often in that forest because two-thirds of the hike was in ankle deep mud! Steve fell twice. My sneakers kept wanting to get stuck and come off in the mud. We were quite a muddy mess when we arrived at Ecola. But what a joy that I had the energy and blood counts to complete the hike! Other highlights of the week included Renee's girlfriend, Riley, joining us for four nights, long beach walks and bike rides, reading good books (no TV where we stay), great talks, huge ice cream cones pretty much daily, canasta wars, puzzles, mini golf, and REAL golf! Daniel and I played our first short nine "post golf lessons" at the Gearhart golf course. Let me just say, we are much better at our short game--pitching, chipping, and putting--than we are at our long game! More time at the driving range is definitely called for. Lastly, perhaps one of the greatest surprises was seeing, for the first time in over 40 years of going to Cannon Beach, the arrival of thousands of beautiful little blue and clear velella jelly fish on the beach! They are also called blue sails as they look like little sail boats and they float atop the ocean instead of swimming in the ocean. You must google them if you haven't seen them. They were a stunning reminder of God's creativity in designing our world!
It was so great to have time away enjoying nature with family to forget about cancer for awhile. Now it's back to reality. Tomorrow (Tuesday the 26th) is my scan. I drink two large bottles of contrast solution at 7:00 AM, go in at 8:15 for the scan, get a blood draw, then meet with my oncologist at 11:30 for the scan results. If the scan is clear, I will get an infusion of just one of my drugs--Avastin. It will be a maintenance drug every three weeks, as it's the drug that prevents the little blood vessels from forming that can feed cancer cells. If the scan is not clear, I will get my normal two-drug chemo--Carboplatin and Avastin.
Please pray with us for a clear scan! We hope and pray it will show no evidence of disease. But if not, we know God will give us the grace to continue on with chemo as needed.
Also, will you please pray for my friend, Jeanie, and her sweet family? She has had a rough battle with breast and pancreatic cancer and is having a very serious surgery for her pancreatic cancer on Sept. 3. Thank you so much!!
With love and gratitude for all of you walking this journey with us,
Gabrielle
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:9-10
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