An Adoption Story...

I love to hear how other families come together through the miracle of adoption.  I've been following Ashley's blog for a few years now and most recently she has shared her journey to adopting her daughter from China.  Today's post is about when she finally meets her for the first time.  If you're anything like me, you'll get chills and need a box of tissues handy.  To read Ashley's post, click here. 

And because Ashley's post got me feeling all reminiscent, here are pictures of us meeting and holding our babies for the first time.  

2004

I think we were in shock holding our E...I couldn't stop staring at him.   He is eight days old in this picture. 

2007  

We were definitely more experienced (and more relaxed) with our Little Miss.  She is a day old in this picture and she already had a great set of lungs.

An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.  The thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.

-An Ancient Chinese Belief

One Last Hurrah...

WARNING:  Bald head photos below. 

I guess it's kind of strange to warn you, but I feel like I have to.  It can be kind of shocking if you haven't seen it.

Since my hair will be starting to grow back, I thought it would be good to get some photos of my bald head...you know...one last hurrah because I don't plan on being bald EVER again.  

Little Miss looks as though she has just seen me bald for the first time....let me assure you...that isn't the case.  

If you look closely you can see the long wispies (spelling?) on the top of my head.  Thus E's comparison of an ostrich...or my BFF's of a dandelion. OY-can't believe I'm posting such an unflattering photograph...but, this is what you call keeping it real.  My excuse:  6 months of chemo, an eye infection and sweating my tush off while "hiking" to a waterfall in New Hampshire.

 And now, E's turn for the wonky face...

FYI:  The lovely compression sleeve and glove on my arm and hand is to help with swelling.  The lymphedema  in my arm has been acting up ever since my infection about a month ago...fun stuff.

And because I don't want to end the post with "bald" pictures... 

This is pretty much the last hurrah. We want to leave it out there and enjoy it, because it's coming to an end.

-Rylan Rizza

PicMonkey

 We had a backyard tea party the other day.  I was inspired by something I saw online, but, of course, I cannot find it now.  I will post more pictures from our tea for two, but right now I wanted to talk about PicMonkey.  What is PicMonkey you ask?  Well, it's a place where you can upload your photos and edit them using an array of features.  It's easy and fun and just adds something new and different to your photos.  I'm partial to the yesteryear feature...I like the vintage look.  

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.

Vincent Van Gogh

Crossing things off the summer list

Have a picnic

 Ride the swan paddle boats (and take lots of photos)

 Ride the carousel

 Drink slushies in the 90 degree weather.

 Feed the ducks

Some things were not on the original list, but who says you can't add things as you go.

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” 
― Henry James

New Normal

It's hard to believe it's already been two weeks since my final cleanse.  Life has been busy as I struggle to find the "new normal" ...my life A.C. (After Cancer).  Finishing chemo and moving on has (at times) felt a little like being thrown into a lion's den, it can be  exhilarating and give me a rush and then there are the times where I want to run in the opposite direction.  But, it seems especially crucial to stay calm and avoid panic; I'm doing my best and in my spare time, I continue to work on my roar.

The lingering effects of the 6 months of chemo are still with me and according to Dr. S they may continue to be there for several months.  Of course, these are minimal in comparison to the immediate days following my infusions.   I am, however, very impatient with this process and long for the days to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and energized without several body parts aching.   I know those days are coming...just not quite quick enough for me.  

So, just what is the "new normal"?  The thing is...I'm not quite sure yet.  I take each day for what it is and carry on with my life, which right now consists of soaking in the final days of summer, crossing things off our summer list and enjoying every minute possible with my two soon-to-be full time students.

D-O-N-E....whoop, whoop!

So folks, I'm officially D-O-N-E with my cleanse...whoop, whoop.  There are so many things that came along with this process that I will not miss...anxiety, nausea, fatigue and medicines to counteract the side effects to name a few.  Oh, and who can forget about the hair loss too.  

Actually, what initially was one of the most anxiety provoking side effects turned out to be one of the easiest things to deal with.  A hairless body turns out to be pretty low maintenance....I will miss that part of it.  I'm predicting our water usage will probably increase with the growth of my hair though; right now I can pretty much take a shower in 2 minutes.   As I said, low maintenance.   The weather really has not been all that conducive for wearing hats or kerchiefs, especially when you sweat like a pig (as I have been lately-one more wacky side effect), so I will be pleased to have the hair back on my head.  This week, though, it's still falling out; it's hard to believe there is anything left to fall out, but there is.

So, onto the next phase...7 weeks of 5 days/week radiation.   That would be 35 days folks...yes, 35 days....piece of cake. ;p  I also meet with Dr. S, my oncologist in 4 weeks (well, 3 weeks now) to discuss my further treatment which includes taking an oral medication for the next 5 years; this will further reduce my odds of re-occurrence..AMEN to that!  

Dr. S said it could be several months before I feel completely "normal"...what the heck does that mean anyway?  For now, I'm enjoying the fact that I am on my way to a full recovery from this lovely phase I liked to refer to as my cleanse.  

Thank you all for celebrating this moment along with me.

"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments."Rose Kennedy

I am bigger...

As I glanced over to my sidebar the other day, I noticed the "labels", and was pleased to see that the "ME" category is larger than the "cancer" category...I am bigger than the Big C. 

This was just one of those "signs" to remind me that my life doesn't have to be about cancer.  I must do what I have to do to responsibly take care of this unwelcome guest, but I am also able to carry on with my life. 

 It's hard to keep this in perspective sometimes, especially when I'm visiting the doctor's office multiple times per week, going to PT appointments, sweating in my kerchiefs, gagging when brushing my teeth, and cleaning the hair off my pillow.  But my life is not cancer, it is so much more than that.

 "Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!"

-Bob Marley