The New Year

2009

What does it mean? For me it means second chances, time to reflect on the year past and just how grateful I am to be sitting here writing this post.

I also have mixed feelings. I hope everyone read my last post on December 24th, honoring my angel, Jazmin Iris Mitchell. I have so much to be grateful for and to look forward to in the new year but my feelings deep inside are hurting for my donor family. How can I be so happy when they are faced with so much sorrow. That's when I ask for help from God and my angel. I hope my donor family knows each day doesn't go by without them on my mind. I pray for them and can't wait until the day I can show them my love and gratitude.

So, 2009 I plan to spend it fighting this disease and being healthy. I want to do the things I have put off for so long. First on my list is to continue my lessons in Italian, finish my photo album from my trip to Italy in 2005 and start my other albums, exercising and eating right and enjoying every moment and I mean every moment!

Today was really FUN! I got to drive for the first time in almost 4 months. It felt so good to get my little red car out on the road, turn the music up really loud and just drive. It would have been really fun going topless (the car not me, HA HA). I felt free!! I really thought about taking a drive to Palm Springs. Wow wouldn't that be fun! I love the hot weather, water and just relaxing. Well, I can dream! Reality sets in and I realize I can't go that far right now but soon! It's amazing how much better you feel being able to do things on your own. It's very liberating!

Christmas was wonderful except I was really sick that day. I'm not sure yet if it was a flu bug or spicy Italian food I ate the night before, but I was really sick. I couldn't take my meds and Dr. Dana was threatening to put me in the hospital to infuse meds. So she gave me time to get them down and keep them down. It took until 3:00PM just to get the morning ones in and then I started all over again at 6:00PM. I felt better but a little wiped out the next day. Maxwell left for Canada on Friday. Matt and I drove to the airport to drop him off and it was very sad. I miss him so much. He stayed by my side the whole time he was here. We had so much fun. He is such a great son and I'm so proud of him. He's back in Innisfil playing hockey. The airline lost his new sticks so he's not happy right now. Hopefully, they find them soon! Matthew left on Sunday with Cassie, his little dog. Grandma (me) babysit Cassie the whole time she was here. She slept on my lap in the chair all day and all night. She is so loveable. I know she misses me now. It was great having all three of my boys here and of course my beautiful daughter (I hate the word daughter in law, and Erin knows it). You forget all the funny things they say and do when they are together. Why do they have to wrestle with each other or their dad?

Wednesday I have my first appointment with Dr. Atktar who is the chemo doctor here in Santa Rosa. He will be treating me and prescribing the chemo drug Valcade. I should start that next week. Hopefully, not too many more side effects from the ones I have already. I will take Valcade once a week for 4 weeks and then have 2 weeks off and then back on. As I said before, Stanford wants me to do this for 4-6 months and if my count for Amyloidosis is not decreasing then I have to consider the stem cell transplant. It's going to work!

Need to close for now have to go back to Kaiser to pick up my refill of meds. Have a wonderful evening. I posted this saying a while ago and wanted to post it again. Markie and Erin gave me a beautiful silver heart and this is inscribe on it:

LEARN FROM YESTERDAY

LIVE FOR TODAY

HOPE FOR TOMORROW

Love,

Debbie