Dear Family and Friends,

Happy summer to all of you. I am feeling much better these days, and as I feel better, it seems I get all the busier. It is so awesome to have more energy, and lose so much of the dizziness and light-headedness, although I still have to really work to focus. I have done a few regretable things when I get too casual. My hair is just starting to fuzz in a bit. From bald to covered, is going to be a while. I just lost the very last of my eyelashes and eyebrows, so I don’t know what the schedule for that will be. I’m trying to learn some make-up techniques to work on the eyes. I really haven’t worn eye make-up except for mascara, so it’s new project for me.
My hands and feet are coming along; my feet especially have been sort of block, heavy, and feel better in my walks.
I am seeing a physical therapist, and she is having me walk three times a day for 30 min. I am having a hard time getting the third walk in. I also have almost another hour and a half a day of stretching and strengthening exercises so I do have my work cut out for me. I have played tennis- doubles- about 4 times for an hour and a half, so I am thrilled about that. My partners have been very kind, but also have been amused about how well I am doing. One of the people I have played with the longest asked me how I was able to keep up. I told her my most energetic activity was to actually stay awake and alert while I watched the tennis channel, and some of the Grand Slams. I am really happy to get back, and I’m sure the adrenalin is helping.
What happens next? We are trying to decide. There are several options, including some clinical trials with UCSF. I have 12 weeks to decide, and recover, and try to read and understand the studies. My oncologist recommended “do nothing”—-meaning follow the standard of care, which is to see the oncologist once every three months, complete with blood tests and a CAT scan. Actually that isn’t just standard care, because I am required to do that by the first Clinical trial I was in.
Summer is still on the planning board. Luke is really booked with work, summer courses, and a trip to OK City with Clark. Luke is doing Masters’ in Arbitration and Negotiation, and they wilol visit attorney-judge- negotiations expert, long family friend JOe Morris, and Judge Holloway, the judge Clark clerked for, after Law School. During the same timeframe, Sarah and Ellen were travelling to Falls City for a high school reunion, and I hadn’t even considered going. Now that I am feeling better, I started finding out if it would work for me to go, and I decided I would also go. The three of us haven’t been back to FC together for almost 20 years. Sarah has some geneology tasks to do, and we’ll roam around a couple of the family cemeteries, and visit Mom and Dad’s grave. I also will be able to see my cousin Rosemary in Baldwin, as will Ellen. We will see other members of Rosemary’s family, also, our only first cousins. I am also fortunate to be able to see a number of friends, Sisters of Charity, and will stay in guest quarters several nights. I am jumping around, here, but to finish family news, John will finish his current year’s employment, and be involved in orienting the new teachers to Tsu
City, and the language center. He is very busy with finishing up his obligations, and finding a new job, which will enable him to have Sat. and Sun. off, so that he can play Pro-football in spring and fall. Most language centers have classes 6 days a week, so he has to find a job with flexibility. He has done many interviews, and is on the brink of finding several jobs, but just needs to finalize something. He can’t stay in the country when his employment and Visa expire, so he just has a couple of weeks.
I wanted to be sure to get this blog out. I am going to continue to write, so I hope I can still contact each and everyone of you in person. Tonight I am going to a Scrapping-Craft night, so I do need to get organized. I could use about 6 months just doing scrapbooks and our family picture wall. I do have a lot of things I need to do, and also am just needing to restructure . Thank you for all of your prayers and energy.
Hope to see lots of you soon, or at least communicate.

Love Annie/Noel

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry I”m so late getting this out. I do have a little extra good news, but I should have sent it as it came. My last oncology appointment was Fri. June 1, when I saw my doctor and my chemo tech, who I saw more than my doctor. Dr. Eisenberg is the driving force behind the Marin Oncology Center, so he is definitely excused to do all of the good things he does. The results of the latest CAT scan, May 29, and my last blood test were very positive. Clark and I go in to SF tomorrow to see my surgeon, and hopefully all will be verified again. It is a good clean feeling to have NED, no evidence of disease. I was so glad to have all of this confirmation, because as good as the numbers have been, I have had some bad spells, and it is good to confirm that it is the good old side effects, that just take time to wear off. I am still very anemic, and have low red blood cell count, and my white cells are at an all time low, but since I’m finished with chemo, I now have to be patient, and help my body recover and build back up.

This week, June 4, I am feeling more energy, and by today Thurs., my other good news, I am much less light-headed and fuzzy. I haven’t napped since Tues., partially because there is so much going on here at the house. We have a garden project, and a plumbing project going on, so I have contractors, but we are designing some things as we go, so I want to be in on the shifts. Hard to stay ahead of them. The one day I did try to nap I was just too wired- so we have had several very simple suppers, and one day I even cooked. I have also been running back and forth to hardwear stores and special ordering several parts we couldn’t find. Clark and I picked out some new hardwear for the guest bath, but being a 50’s house, it is often hard to find just standard sizes for everything. All is going well so far. One of the big yard projects was to add a flagstone area to put a gas grill on. We still have a Weber, and all true believers, but know there are advantages to the gas. Cal. is also getting strict on the burning of wood and charcoal, so we are trying to spare the air as well.

One of the side effects that I’m working on in the anemia is shortness of breath. I am seeing a Physical Therapist, and she is especially working in improving lung function and oxygen exchange. Much more complex but I’ll spare you that. Part of my routine is now to walk at a good pace three times a day for 30 min. and to do deep abdominal breathing for 15 min. 3 times a day. Seems strange, but I really have to discipline myself to get that done. As an example, today, Thurs. I’ve only done one of the deep breathings, haven’t done dinner, and it is 4:30. Believe it or not, my blog has been a top priority since Sat. I do have to tell you about Fri. because after our great doctor news we had a fun day. We rushed home, had a bite of lunch and met with a video guy who is going to help get a few areas up to speed. He always has some good ideas, and could actually keep up with Clark. We have the house wired to do about anything, but need some updating on speaker system and TV’s. We also have multiple complicated (for guests) remotes, so we’re shopping for ideas, and a workable universal remote. Ah well, some of it a necessity of modern life. Anyone remember W.H. Auden’s “The Unknown Citizen”? I’ve always been a bit haunted by it, and used it in intro poetry classes. A couple of the powerful lines are –

He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Installment Plan
And had everything necessary to Modern Man,
A phonograph, a radio, a car, and a frigidaire…..

and later continues

Was he free? Was he happy? The question is absurd.
Had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.

Written in 1940, in a different climate from social media and networking, and all the connections we have, it is still interesting to me how many facets of ourselves and others we know and don’t know. One of the reasons I am continuing to blog is that it has been so good to be back in touch with so many of you. Now that I have some better energy I hope to get individual notes out also.

After the video consultant, I took a short nap, and then we took the ferry in to SF where we had dinner with Dana and Dona Buttenhoff and friends who were in SF for a Co. rewards trip. It was so good to see them. For the non St. John’s readers, Dana and Dona are rapid St. John’s fans, and we met at the tailgating festivities.

Well, I’m so happ[y to be sharing this good news with you. I am going to keep blogging, which my be more like letters or logs, so we’ll see. Do continue to keep us in your prayers and thoughts as we do you.

Love Annie/Noel