RELIEF, RELIEF, RELIEF

So, it has been a while since I posted to my blog. I have to admit that I have been somewhat of a basket case this past month. Scanxiety was definitely getting the best of me. I think part of it was Tara's birthday was July 14th, five months after her death. The other part was so many of my connections to people on MPIP.org (Melanoma Patients Information Page) had recurrences or had passed. And, I had a swollen node in my neck that I had to have biopsied which turned out to just be a reactive node. It was just a really difficult few weeks, but thank goodness I had my scans on Monday and Tuesday I was told that I remain NED (no evidence of disease)!! So, that is 2 years and 2 months of NED status. I cannot tell you what a relief it was to hear those words. I feel like a new woman today!! I'm going to really try this next six months til my next scans to not let this cancer get the best of me . . . I hope I succeed!



Onto better things - Mia starts kindergarten on the 24th - I cannot believe it!!! She is so grown up now and she is so excited about it. It feels great to have a child who is excited about school. I'm hoping that Addison and I will have some really good bonding time while Mia is at school and I'm hoping she won't miss her sister too much! I had a great surprise birthday for Mike this past weekend. Well, it was a surprise up until the Wednesday before when Addison let the cat out of the bag. But, it was still a great time and he couldn't believe I had done that for him. Speaking of Mike, football season has arrived and I am a football widow again! The past two weeks have been so bad since two-a-day practices have been in the mornings and he is ususally home by 3 p.m. But, all that will change with the start of school - 7 day work weeks and not getting home until after 8 every night!!



School is still going - I got my first B since I started back, but I'm still pretty proud of myself. Two more years to go!! I really enjoyed the Bible study class I went to thanks to my BFF from school, Mary. It was a great group of women and I even signed up for another class. I still have a lot of issues with religion, but we'll see how it goes!

Until my next update . . .

Happy 4th, Happy Life!

I had a great 4th of July! We spent it at my sister's house swimming and popping fireworks and it was so nice!!! I am so happy that we moved back from Katy and now I can't help but thinking to myself why we ever moved to begin with. Moving back has made me appreciate home. It feels good to travel the same roads I did when growing up and such a comfort to be near my sister. And, I can't tell you how excited I am that Mia will start kindergarten where I went. Everything has fallen into place and I really feel settled.

I have also gotten to reconnect with my best friend growing up, Mary. She and I had been best friends since junior high and now we both have kids the same age and she teaches at the school Mia will be at. It's so special to be able to share your life with someone that knows your past! She also invited me to a bible study class that I agreed to go to. It has to do with women being frazzled, so regardless of how I feel about religion, it is worthwhile.

We have gotten so many home improvement projects done, but still a lot more to do. Basically, I want to repaint every room in the house, so that has taken a while. Then, the kitchen needed a major overhaul and that is almost complete. Overall, I love the house and feel so at home here. Addison's birthday is in a couple of weeks, so hopefully everything will be ready for her party.

Speaking of birthdays . . . I turn 32 this month!! It's weird that I am now excited about birthdays. If there is one thing cancer does it makes you glad to grow old! I'm so thankful that I am here to celebrate another year. On June 29th, it was my two anniversary of being NED (no evidence of disease). In August I go for my next set of scans and hope that I will be clear again. Coping with the reality of recurrence does become easier, but seems to get harder when the time for scans nears. It really can consume you and I try my best to push those negative thoughts aside, but sometimes it is a struggle. There have been so many of those fighting melanoma that have lost their battle in the past couple of months. It is so sad to see those families go through so much to just lose the battle in the end. They definitely give me something to be thankful for if I didn't have enough already.

Kerri

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted, but we have been so busy!! We finally closed on the new house on June 3rd and are enjoying it so much. There are so many projects that we're working on to make the house our own, so I'm so glad Mike is off for the summer.

Mia had swimming lessons all last week and did great! She had a smile on her face the whole time and really enjoyed it. She is such a pleaser - she loves to do things right for her teachers and I hope that continues to Kindergarten. She really has matured these past few weeks. She is definitely becoming a big girl that cleans her room (without being asked), helps me out with everything, and isn't whiney anymore. Hopefully she'll stay this way until puberty hits!!

Addison on the other hand is hilarious, but a handful. She is soooooo cute, but has such a temper. I am really going to enjoy the time with just me and her when Mia starts school.

On another note, I have made many connections with people who have melanoma through MPIP.org and sadly there have been a couple of people that have passed this week that put up such a strong fight. It's so sad to see these people fight with everything they have and lose in the end. Sometimes, it is a real struggle to read about those that lose the fight, but I get so much inspiration from that site as well. I have one friend on there that lives in Magnolia that has some swollen nodes in her neck. She is more than 5 years NED, so I'm hoping that it's nothing, but it is so scary when things like this happen. She and I joke that we were separated at birth because we are so much alike. We've never even met in person, but we have so much in common it is ridiculous! I am definitely sending some positive vibes her way.

Mia' First Loose Tooth!

Mia said her tooth was "Bendy"! It's hard to believe she will be in Kindergarten!

Don't Fry Day!!!

May, of course, is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and the Friday before Memorial Day marks "Don't Fry Day"! To mark this day on my blog I want to highlight the story of Jaime Regan Rea who lost her battle with melanoma two years ago at the age of 29. Please click on the following link to read her story:





http://www.theschlip.org/jaime%20rea.html












Also, here are some facts for Don't Fry Day, courtesy of Jaime's Remembrance FaceBook page:

Did You Know?
Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon.

Did You Know?
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 1 million skin cancers are diagnosed annually.

Did You Know?
It is estimated that one American dies every hour from skin cancer.

Did You Know?
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.


Did You Know?
Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young adults 15-29 years old.

Did You Know?
The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.

Did You Know?
Whether from the sun or an artificial source, ultraviolet radiation is known to cause cancer.

Did You Know...
if YOU spread the word about "Don't Fry Day" then more people will KNOW?

We invite you to get involved in raising sun safety awareness. Every voice, action, or effort is another step towards reducing and preventing skin cancer.

Join the Don’t Fry Day campaign to encourage your friends, neighbors, relatives, colleagues, and everyone to be safe in the sun.

Visit: www.skincancerprevention.org