Hexalen®, days 7 & 8, 4th month

Did I tell you just how wonderful

it feels

to be free from the 4-hour reminders

to take

my ChemoCaps...

This extended week of NO meds*

really opened up the excitement of

discovering relatives, both living and deceased

With the help of Ancestry.com

and

the inspiration from two genealogy programs on national television,

as of this week

I'm now in contact with two people who

are distant cousins on my father's side of the family tree

Gotta also say,

If it weren't for other "new" family members interest in genealogy

I would feel like I'm out on a limb by myself

* My blood count was too low last Monday so my oncologist told me to return in a week for another blood test--that's tomorrow. If my numbers are UP then I will begin swallowing my two weeks of cancer killing capsules

Hexalen®, days 5 & 6, 4th month

My grandmother Josephine Petra J.

probably around 1920 when she was in her early 20's

I wore the same necklace when I was married

nearly 70 years later

note: Since day 2 of this 4th month, my oncologist directed me to delay taking my ChemoCaps until my blood counts are improved. In three days I will return for another blood test.

Hexalen®, days 3 & 4, 4th month

Yesterday, after my MRI, the 16-block walk to the Pacific Ocean was just the thing to do: beautiful weather and healthy exercise.

But on my return, first via the bus and then a brief two block walk to my car, I tripped. OMG, I was just one block from my car!

Two people rushed over to me as we all watched myself slowly move through space and come to an abrupt stop on the cement.

The worst part of this is that the scraped and bloody knee belongs to my lymphedema leg.

Hexalen®, day 2, 4th month

Today:

1. Take two ChemoCaps with light breakfast

2. Opps, nauseous. This is the first time with these meds. Take anti-nausea pill

3. Back to bed to rest

4. Physical therapy on leg followed by photo of ChemoCaps in therapy room

5. Back home to take a nap due to side effects of drug

6. Lunch: gotta be careful. No problem with 1/4 sandwich

7. Swallow two more ChemoCaps

8. Drive to see oncologist: 30 minutes from door to door

9. Blood draw

10. Chat with doctor

11. CA-125 tumor marker is down! On January 5th it was 510 and a month later CA-125 was 53! Truly exciting results!

12. Stop taking ChemoCaps because white blood count is too low

13. Return to doctor's office in a week for another blood check

14. Pick up a few items at the market

15. Take nap #2 because of the fatigue from the ChemoCaps

16. Go on the Internet, read emails, and check Facebook

17. Review genealogy materials from cousin. WOW! Here is a picture of my grandmother when she graduated from high(?) school

18. Create a Food Network inspired dinner. YUMMM

19. Telephone conversations with friend and cousin

20. Create entry for blog

21. Stretch

22. Clean up

23. Go to bed and remember, no eating or drinking in the morning: MRI check-in at 7:55am

Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'll have time to work on my art projects. Opening Reception of Art Exhibit is in three weeks at Premiere Oncology.

14 Days off: #13 & 14

Today ends my 14 days of no medication!

I have enjoyed this month because

I seem to be coping with the side effects better

than the two earlier months of Hexalen®

chemeotherapy capsules

Tomorrow is day #1 of 14 days of taking my medication

It is hard to believe but it is true

I have 112 capsules,

each costing about $10,

that are designed to keep the cancer in my abdominal

under control

14 Days off: #11 & 12

Introducing Michelle Niña J.,

I think I was younger than 10 and was getting ready to perform in our elementary school Christmas program.

For the people who have known me some time, they will agree I love to dance

p.s. In three more days I will begin my fourth month of my Hexalen® chemotherapy capsules, aka, 'my ChemoCaps.' Fatigue will slow me down as well as an increase of sore body parts...but for today, I'm dancing ! ! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! ! ! !

14 Days off: #10

Introducing...

My great grandfather, Joseph Hugh Jeannette

1871 - 1928

Company C

U.S. Volunteer Infantry

Spanish American War

My genealogy research resulted in finding this ...three miles from where I live!

As a child all I knew was: "Joe Jeannette was born in Ireland and he was father of my grandfather, Stanley."

During the past few years, with the help of Susan, sister of my sister-in-law, I also learned about his Irish born family, his military experiences with Canadian and U.S. governments, his marriage, his son's life and early death from T.B., and Joseph's final years just 15 miles from where I'm living.

Why put all this time into learning about my ancestors? It feels good and I feel like I'm filling in the childhood family history voids. I also feel this is a gift I'm giving to my siblings and our younger generations.

P.S. The staff and volunteers at the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center behind The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has also been a valuable source of inspiration, guidance, and resources.

The photograph was taken at The Los Angeles National Cemetery

14 Days off: #9

Searching family history, (aka, genealogy) is like going back to school for a master's degree (research, research)!

Here I am as a child, living the happy life.

It was probably 1946, I had one older brother and a baby brother. Three other siblings had not yet been born.

World War II had ended when I was about one year old with the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan, August 1945.

When my older brother was born in February 1942, black fabric covered the windows in the Los Angeles area Queen of Angels Hospital, but that was not the case in 1946 when my baby brother was born. The U.S. was not at war in 1946. Why the black fabric? So enemy planes could not see the buildings.

In 1945 President Harry Truman was in his first year in office, after the sudden death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. I'm not sure we had a T.V. at this time.

And now back to the black and white photograph. The wooden bird pin on my blouse was carved by one of the men in the Los Angeles County Rehabilitation Workshop my father managed. The photograph was taken and processed by my father who was also a professional photographer.

Have you considered writing your family history?

p.s. Next week I will resume taking my chemotherapy capsules, aka, ChemoCaps, as scheduled.

14 Days off: #7 and 8

Before cancers #2 and #3 were diagnosed in 2008

I was passionately involved in genealogy

Discovering the lives of previously unknown relatives

learning about when and where they lived

Searching for marriage, birth, and death details

and uncovering reasons for divorce

Digging out 80-year old photographs and

planning trips to ancestors' home towns

All of this was 'put on the back burner'

until recently

I'm feeling good and hopeful that I can start planning

those trips to the plains of Kansas

the cemeteries in Denver, El Paso, and Vaughn

the libraries in Salt Lake and Lawrence

and,

the most thrilling adventure of all

to

meet the cousins I never knew existed

photo: this writer as a child

14 Days off: #6

Another image from our walk

Can't write very much because 'I'm on hold'

as

I go through the 'hoops' to get scheduled

for an MRI

Oh my Oh my...

14 Days off: #5

Me 'n my meds

have found some pretty interesting spaces to be

We have stopped to smell the roses

Looked at the ocean blue

Sat next to a design or two

and now

Spend this moment with you

14 Days off: #4

For readers who are digging out of inches of snow

there really are places that don't have it

Notice the Santa Monica Pier,

the waves breaking on the sand (top left)

and,

of course,

my empty bottle of Hexalen chemotherapy meds

(my third month)

14 Days off: #3

Yesterday I went to my local Apple Store for a three-hour workshop called Personal Projects.

I took my flash drive with my genealogy projects, such as individual timelines, one page profiles, and calendar of relatives birth and death dates.

The Apple trainer provided assistance as needed and it was really great because there were only four of us, each working on our own projects. I have had four of these Personal Project sessions and the trainers are helping me set up and use the particular Apple programs that best suits my needs.

Now that I'm "off meds," that is, I'm on my 14-days of no ChemoCaps, life has a different twist--I'm NOT monitoring my waking hours in relation to the next dose of Hexalen capsules. Swallowing 112 chemotherapy capsules within 14-days must be done in a thoughtful and organized manner.

I'M FREE, for 11 more days!

14 Days off: #2

Today's

Presidents' Day Holiday

and

beautiful weather

brought out the

travelers

flowers

and

my empty ChemoCaps container

14 Days off: #1

We were

'checking out each other'

during my walk on the

Santa Monica Pier

Notice the drops of water

on this resting pelican bird

If you drove west on Route 66

this is where your journey would end

I'm doing well

14 Days off: #14

Still life: The flowers of life

2010

14 Days off: #13

We return to this location in Santa Monica

now with three empty containers,

once filled with chemotherapy drugs

In the containers were nearly 200 capsules

that my body used since

December 6th

In two days I will begin my third month

of swallowing eight Hexalen® capsules a day

for the expressed purpose of controlling the

cancer in my abdominal/pelvic area

If the medicine gets rid of all the cancer,

that's even better!

Sometime in the near future

I will have a CT scan to determine the effectiveness

of the medicine, aka,

My ChemoCaps

ChemoCaps: my unique term

for chemotherapy capsules

Previous entry at this location:

Dec 14, 2009

"Hexalen® day 9, #28"

14 Days off: #12

For many travelers

Santa Monica is a destination

and,

for so many of us

we photograph

After a few minutes

the men got back into the white van and

left this View of the Pacific Ocean

Update on my new order of chemotherapy capsules (aka, ChemoCaps):

I finally have them in hand, six days after my first call to refill the prescription.

As you will see in a few days, my ChemoCaps are in a different shaped container, instead of a generic pill container. I suspect, the new container came directly from the Hexalen® laboratory distributor.

The label is preprinted with the contents of 100, but since I'll be taking 112 ChemoCaps it appears that my local pharmacy added the additional 12 capsules. They come right to the very top!

You don't see that very often--remember the wad of cotton in some pill containers?

14 Days off: #11

Today we went for a walk...

14 Days off: #10

You have probably heard the term,

"Think outside the box"

Consider this one:

The fish is swimming in a school of empty medicine containers

p.s., Today is Tuesday. Last Friday I called the pharmacy to refill my prescription for the third month of Hexalen® chemotherapy capsules (my ChemoCaps). Well, just maybe, hopefully, the CVS pharmacy (at Santa Monica and 26th) will be able to fill my order.

Good thing I started this process early!

I'm scheduled to begin my 14 days of 8 ChemoCaps a day on Sunday.

I feeling pretty good! Thanks