Hello! Long time no write :). I have a CT scan tomorrow and a Dr appt on Thursday. For some reason, I'm anxious about this. I keep feeling my neck to make sure there are no bumps there. Of course, I think I can feel something. Ugh. I guess we won't know until I go to my appt on Thursday.

Otherwise, things are going well. My fingertips are still numb, my taste is a little off, but not bad. I'm anxiously awaiting for my hair to come in. I freaked out the other day because it looks as if I have more GREY hair. I tried to convince myself that it is just growing in blond/light brown. Yeeeeahh. Right ;)

In a month, we will be on a CRUISE!! The first of a few vacations we plan on going on this year. Ryan and I plan on going to FL on an adult only trip. Then, of course, we will be Green Lake-ing it many times this summer. And we love entertaining up there, so give us a call if you'd like to join us. :)

I'll update after my appt on Thursday. Please think good thoughts that my scan continues to be clean. I guess it's going to be my norm, to feel unsettled before any kind of appointment or scan.

My stomach has finally settled today. Man, it was really bothering me for a while there. My energy level is pretty good. I have started to run more, even though I am slower than a turtle now. I have started to try to lose some of this weight that I've gained. It's not a lot, but enough. We leave for the Disney cruise in less than 6 weeks!! Ryan and I are looking into a trip for just the two of us in April. Team In Training kicks off this week, too!

So, all is quiet over here. My head is a bit fuzzy, with hair. I just watched a film on PBS called "Not As I Pictured", by John Kaplan. He is a photojournalist who had non Hodgkin's lymphoma a few years ago, and he made a film about his journey. It was almost exactly like my story. It is a great film to show to someone who may be going to start the battle. I ordered my copy of it, just to have. You can check out his website at http://www.notasipictured.org/

And as always... If you haven't made a donation to my TNT cause, please consider it!!! The link is below in the bottom
Posts. It's for a great cause, and I get to run my ass off. Double bonus!! :)

Enjoy the warmish weather!!

ALL DONE! Last chemo on Thursday was ok. I was so nauseous the whole time, though. I think a lot of it was in my head, but physically I felt it. By night time it was much better. Thank goodness that was the last time for that. Now to just deal with the after effects for the next week and 1/2 or so...then it's done! I'm ready for my hair to grow back! And ready to see if it comes back curly and blonde ;). Maybe curly, not so sure about the blonde.

Thank you to Sonya, Mary, my bro John, my sweet niece Kendall, and my Mom and Dad for coming with me to my final chemo. And my Ryan, who's been there every time.

Now I have to start training for this half marathon! The pre-training is going eh. I'm slow. I don't think I'll be breaking any records here, but if I can get it done, I'll be happy. It stinks to have to train in the snow and cold now. I foresee many treadmill runs.

If you're interested in donating to my Team In Training cause, the link is in the posts below! It's an awesome cause, and I get to run 13.1 miles! Woo hoo! My brother John has decided to join in the fun, too. It's going to be a family affair :)

I'll keep on posting, keep checking in. I'll have to post pictures of my hair. That'll be exciting! And I have a CT scan on the 13 of February, to see how it is all going. Just the beginning of the series of check ups I'll have for the next few years.

Happy winter, all! :)

Well, I'm finally feeling human again. I had the worst cold of my life for the past 2 weeks, a cough off and on for the past 4 weeks. Ugh. I've taken so many drugs, from Sudafed to Percocet. I had to wear a mask to my patient's homes, too. Talk about looking like a cancer patient. Who was fixing who? It wasn't pretty. And feeling good now...just in time for chemo again! :-/. But...LAST CHEMO! For FOREVER! Or longer! :)

I'm not looking forward to it, my stomach is rolling thinking about it, but I can get through it. I must. Then I'll have to go out for a cocktail afterwards ;) or something celebratory.

And Ho-ly cow...day 1 of fund raising for TNT and I'm at 25% of my goal?! How awesome is that!? You guys are amazing!! I have started pre-training, since my endurance is shot from being sick for weeks. I will hopefully be ready for my first team training run on Feb 4. I'm excited to start. Your awesome donations have inspired and motivated me to run this race! Amazing.

If you haven't donated yet, and if you are able, please consider making a donation to the LLS, to raise money to help finding a cure for blood cancers, and to help patients and families who are affected by leukemia and lymphoma daily. People like yours truly. Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer. A staggering number, I do have to say, it startled me when I read that statistic. So many can be helped with your donation. Look at me, I am now a SURVIVOR, and I attribute a lot of that to the great advances that have been made to treating lymphoma. Here is the link to my fundraising page http://pages.teamintraining.org/wi/greenbay12/jbigeloon2. If you'd like to donate by mail, please let me know and I'll let you know how!

Thank you all so much. I will update on Thursday, last chemo day. :). Later! Xoxoxo

LOOK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO!!!!

WATCH OUT! I'LL BE LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR SUPPORT, EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICALLY AND MONETARILY! :)

So I made it through the new year, good news and all :). But now I'm SICK. Worst cold I've ever had. I actually went to the dr last Thursday, and had my blood drawn. My white cell count is fine, and she doesn't think I have a bacterial infection, but I'm wondering if it has changed to one by now. The dr told me to take off of work on Friday, which I did. I never stay home for a whole day. And now I'm thinking I may need to stay home again tomorrow, Monday. I'm pretty useless in the house, I've been laying around so much my hip hurt. And I have NO taste what so ever. It's so odd. Everything tastes like nothing. Annoying.

I will probably work a very light schedule this week, because I have to get better for my LAST CHEMO EVER! I do not want to miss it or put it off. I just want it to be done. I don't know what they will do if I am still sick, I am thinking I would have to hold off on treatment.

Let's just hope that I don't wake up with another fever tomorrow, and my congestion goes away. I need to become useful again.

How do you spell relief? R-E-M-I-S-S-I-O-N. hallelujah! The cancer has left the building :). I have a copy of the PET scan report, and I'm considering framing it. "No metabolic activity", it says, in all the areas that previously were lit up on the scan. I cried when I founded out. I hugged my dr. She said it was the best response that they could've seen to the chemo, it was great news :). I listen to my drs, people, of course I'm going to respond well :). Oh.

Ryan celebrated with his good buds by going surfing on the lake. He said the waves were perfect. I celebrated with my 2 best friends from college, Clarice and Jenny, who came in from far away lands. My second mother and sister from another mister, Kathy and Colleen, came in as well. It was a great day, spent with some important people! My Mom and Dad were so happy. Called my brothers. Texts were blasted to all. Thank goodness for technology!! Lol

I had chemo today, and I have just one more in January. Then I am done! The dr said she will send me to the radiation oncologist, just for a consult to see what they recommend, but it will be pretty much up to me what I want to do with that. I will have to do my research. But as far as I am concerned, I am DONE!

Thank you, God. Thank you, Universe. Thank you, land, sea and skies. There's nothing more I wanted for Christmas or to bring in this New Year. Most of all...I thank all of YOU. You prayed, thought of me, screamed, stamped your feet, all with me in mind. IT WORKED!!!!! Thanks to you, I get to see my 2 beautiful children grow up, and have many more slow dances with my fantastic husband. I can not, just can not believe how wonderful of a group of friends and family that I have. I know how to pick 'em ;). I guess that makes me pretty great, too, huh? I still don't know why I was chosen to fight this, and still am in a bit of denial that I had cancer. Ahh..did you see that?? HAD cancer.

I AM A SURVIVOR! :*). Tears of joy.

Lots of love!! Happy New Year!