First, the good news: Chuck is doing very well with his liver transplant. April 29 will mark the one year anniversary of his transplant at the Mayo Clinic. He's showing no signs of rejection, is off 80% of his medications, and his follow up tests and visits show him to be a super star. He's back to photographing birds every morning with my son, even in minus 5 degree weather, so that pretty much says it all. My avatar pics are of his birds.
Now for the bad news: I've mentioned before having a surface melanoma on my arm removed in October of 2021. An "in situ" mole of no consequence where all the melanoma 'was removed successfully'. This was a result of having a dozen beauty marks on both arms blow up like balloons after the 2nd Covid shot, grow scabs on them, and when the scab fell off, the beauty mark disappeared entirely. Except for the one. And all of it was not successfully removed after all, as a few cells must've escaped into my body and caused metastatic stage 4 cancer in my lymph nodes, liver, and bones. I went to the ER 3 weeks ago for excruciating pain in my left side where a CT scan with contrast was ordered. The cancer was discovered at that time, and I've spent the last 2 weeks in testing. The cancer is not in my brain, thank God.
The Oncologist told me there is immunotherapy available now for malignant melanoma. 2 types at once, administered via IV (no port) every 3 weeks x4. That's the goal. To turn on my immune system to kill off this cancer. 50% of immunotherapy patients are alive 2 years later. Idk what the percentage is at the 5 year mark. I've avoided doing research bc I'm overwhelmed enough already.
I'm having tremendous pain in my spine, ribs and liver, where the cancer is the worst. The Oncologist gave me some heavy duty pain meds and told me to wait it out until the IV starts kicking in to relieve my pain. He said I would live less than 2 months without treatment so my first treatment is tomorrow morning. The side effects can be gnarly and these infusions WILL kick my butt, he said. I'm ready, I think. Ain't no beauty mark gonna take ME down at 65! 😑
I'm useless at home, so Chuck is doing everything. Laundry, cooking, grocery shopping, driving to appointments. I have a housekeeper coming in to do the heavy cleaning and my stepson and his wife are cooking 7 dinners for us and bringing them by on Saturday. I have to make sure HE'S not overworked during this treatment process to where he gets sick. He's already overcome with worry and shock over all this as it is. I'll ask my stepson to repeat that meal making plan, too...they want to help & we need help.
We've had a lot to deal with the past year, and now my issues, which were there all along, just not apparent until recently. We wouldn't have been able to handle TWO of us sick at once anyway, so this is how it had to play out, I suppose.
The one bright spot I hold onto here is the dime I found on the floor of the ER room I'd been in ALL DAY where there was no dime on the floor. And when the gal was wheeling me back into the room from the CT scan, there it was. I kicked it across the floor to Chuck and he said, "what's that?" I said, "it's a dime from dad, telling me everything will be alright." He was speechless. Dad used to send me dimes all the time after he died in 2015, but stopped the past few years. I have a whole piggy bank full of them.
We can use all the prayers we can get right now, friends. I believe in prayers, in miracles and in signs from our deceased loved ones that they are with us in tough times. If you do too, please send up some prayers for Chuck and I right now.
Many thanks.
You do very pretty work. It’s such an exciting time for your family. Thanks for sharing with us.
So happy for you, and thanking the Lord for you!
Bring on the bling!!!! ❇❇❇
I'm so thrilled and thankful to God that you'll be there.
Exquisite! Yes! That's the word for the bouquet!
Saw the bouquet and it is exquisite!
http://bit.ly/BouquetbyLea
Thanks to Colleen and thanks to God I was able to make this and that I'm still here to attend her wedding!! Hope you like it.
😊
I put the bouquet in a Lenox vase I had which I filled with marbles to add weight to it. That will be the perfect vessel to house it in after the ceremony and she can leave it on the bride/grooms table. I wish I could post a pic but they're too big for the avatar 😏
So good to hear that the bouquet turned out so well! What a lovely keepsake that will be for your daughter. 🩷 👰🏻♀️🤵🏻♂️ 💙
Which dress did you decide on? ◡̈
Hope this finds you well and happily preparing for your daughter's wedding.
Tynagh
You’ll be beautiful no matter what you wear!
DD said I should wear whatever I want. She figured I'd choose something from my closet since she didn't think I'd be up to shopping and trying on gowns,etc. Online shopping has proven to be not all it's cracked up to be. The various fancy jackets I already have are all gorgeous, really. I'll have to try them all on and decide which outfit I feel best in for a long day, and go from there.
He responded, Honey I don't care what you wear as long as you marry me.
And so I wore a very short black dress(and looked fabulous I might add)and had my 15 year old daughter at the time wear a short white dress, and my son and husband wore black tuxes with white shirts.
So I will also say to wear your black and silver ensemble as that is what you say is "you." And I'm sure your daughter like my husband won't care what you wear, as long as you're able to be there.