Jon and I went to Cancun, Mexico for our anniversary in June, it was so nice to be able to have some adult time after all that we have went through this year..It was an absolutely gorgeous resort, adults only with our own rooftop pool and a jacuzzi in our room. My rash didn't like the heat too much but after I got over it, I realized I just looked like everyone else because everyone else there was sunburned ha ha! At the end of the trip, my hair starting thinning A TON! But the trip was everything we needed for us, as a husband and wife in a stressful time in our lives, sitting on the beach with a drink in my hand everyday was the perfect prescription for this hell we have been through this year!
While we were in Mexico, Kaela went to Maryland with her dad and got to go see The Dolan Twins on tour and meet them! She said it was the best moment of her life and reminded me of when I met NKOTB. Kaela has it on video, has pictures and was so in the moment that she was crying when she met them. It is the most precious thing I have ever seen. I am so sad I missed it and that it coincided with our trip, but I knew she had to go so buying the tickets wasn't even a question, it was just making sure she got there, and she did! I talked to her right after she met them and she was crying and then I talked to her 4 hours later and she was still crying....That's my girl! Sensitive like her mother and I love her for it!
Once we got home, my hair continued to thin, it had me stressed and sad. I knew it was thin but at the rate it was going I felt like I would have to shave it all off, but thank goodness with some new shampoo/conditioner therapy, it stopped thinning as much and I noticed there is hair growing back by my hairline and Jon noticed new growth all over my scalp so that made me feel so much better. Oh, and for everyone that knows me pretty well, you know I have a lot of gray hair, well, my new hair growth is some gray and a lot of dark brown/black hair, so maybe this Tarceva is getting rid of some of my grays woo hoo!
What else....just enjoying life really...oh, I chopped my hair off! The frizzy, dry ends as a result of my Tarceva was causing tons of knots and causing my hair to come out more by brushing the knots out so I had my lovely hair stylist Carley come chop it off. It is the shortest it has ever been and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! I was so scared, but I'm soooo glad I did it.
All in all, a great, busy, tiring summer, but we are in relax mode now. The boys are on a cruise with their mom this week, it's weird not having them around, they were with us all last week and it's very quiet in the house, we miss them but know that they are having fun! We are thinking about doing a cruise with all the kids for Spring Break next year, I'm not a cruise fan, I went on a bunch when I was a kid, but the boys love them and I'm sure Kaela would too and they are pretty inexpensive for a big family like ours, so we might just bite the bullet and do it! It's about the kids!
There is a Lung Cancer Target Therapies forum in Colorado next month that I wanted to go to but it doesn't seem like I will be able to attend due to Kaela being in school and her father being on the road so much for work. I am hopeful I can make the next seminar, I talk to so many wonderful Lung Cancer Warriors online and would love to meet them in person, especially one, who literally saves my day sometimes because I know she is going through or has been through some of the same tough things as I go through. I now call her my Lung Cancer Bestie, her name is Lisa and I am so thankful to have met her! We have so many similarities, do the same things without knowing, it truly puts me at peace to know I have a battle buddy by my side as we used to say in the military!
Lastly, last night, I logged into an online UStream of the Addario Lung Cancer Foundation's Lung Cancer Living Room and I am so mad that was the first time I had ever done it. WOW! They went over the major talking points from a recent ASCO Conference about new treatments, clinical trial findings etc. I gained some much information and now I finally understand Immunotherapy! The broadcast last night gave us the chance to ask questions, meet other Lung Cancer Warriors and to learn what is upcoming in the Lung Cancer treatment future. I am so very hopeful and am so very excited to work with this great foundation. There is a walk/run in Spartanburg, SC this fall that I hope to be apart of, I would love to meet some of these ladies and support their cause. If anyone is interested in joining me, please let me know.
As always, love the life that you live.... I'm doing my best to do that. Negativity has no home in my life anymore and I am thankful I am at this point. Thank you to my friends and family who always support me and are there for me, no matter what. To my husband and my daughter, I love you both, thank you for loving me, caring for me and taking care of me no matter what I need!
