Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year

Wow did 2012 fly by.  A lot of changes, bumps in the road but most importantly many moments that took my breath away!






This is incredible and shows us what the heart is really made of.  It's people together!  It's incredible moments when a mother makes the decision to donate her beautiful daughter's heart to a stranger.  All she knows is that a person 51 years old needs a heart to survive.  This picture is for my donor, Jazmin and her mom, Evelyn.  I wouldn't be celebrating another year without the incredible gift of life!

Mark and I are at the trailer and will be here until Wednesday.  We are celebrating New Year's together alone.  No parties to attend.  I want to stay close to home and away from a lot of people.
It's going to be a quiet New Year.

Happy New Year to all!  Be safe!

Love,
Debbie

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A Wonderful Christmas Day

I had a wonderful Christmas!  Spent Christmas Eve at home with Mom, Mary and Girls and my boys Matt and Max.  Erin and Markie were at her parents house for Christmas Eve.

To be honest I didn't feel good.  Saturday morning Mom took me to the clinic to see a doctor for pain on my left side.  It had been there for days and of course I kept complaining to the doctors thinking the pneumonia was back or still there.  After taking xrays the doctor felt the pneumonia was clearing up and really did not understand what the pain was.  So I emailed the lung specialist, Mindy Shapiro and told her how much pain I was in and yesterday she ordered Incodin which only cures Pleurisy.  By last night going to Markie's for Christmas dinner I finally felt the pain going away.  I was able to play with my grand kids and feel good.  Thank God, Pleurisy really is painful!

Maxwell is home this week and I plan to spend time with him.  First on the list is his favorite foods to eat.  Steak is at the top with bake potato and tomorrow I'm going to make him pot roast with mash potatoes and gravy.  He is doing great in San Diego with school and his job.  We are so proud of him.
Probably won't see him until our trip to Tahoe in March.  Can't wait!

Christmas dinner was soooo good!  Erin made a ham with salad and vegetables.  I was in charge of the scalloped potatoes and I made a 9 pound prime rib roast.  Wow was that good!  The kids were so good and played with all their new toys.  Little Markie walked around the house with his hockey gloves and helmet on (even wore his helmet at dinner).  It was a fun night.

So today I'm going to relax.  I have chemo tomorrow but this is an off week from Decadron.  So I'm not sore and with this new medication I don't have pain.

Mark and I are going to the lake house on Saturday until next Wednesday.  I'm so glad to spend time at my little place.  So peaceful!!!  I have to be back before Thursday for chemo.

I'm ready to celebrate the new year.  I hope and pray 2013 will be a good year for everyone.  I know deep in my heart that every moment I have in 2013 will be a blessing.  I will cherish each and every one of them.

Say a prayer for my Dad.  He's in the hospital and not doing well.  As all of you know I have been estranged from him for years.  This does not mean I don't love him.  It means that my Dad, the one I want to remember, died a long time ago.  He is suffering with major health issues and not to mention being away from his family.  I hope and pray Nana Salvato opens her arms and takes him with her.
Love you Dad!

Happy New Year! Be Safe!  I watch a good movie yesterday with Clint Eastwood called Trouble with the Curve.  His wife died and on her tombstone was the quote:
 
 
"May God Grant You Extra Innings"
 
Isn't that true!  Loved it!
 
Love,
Debbie
 



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Gingerbread Houses




Forgot to post pictures of my gingerbread houses I did with my grand kids.  It was so much fun!
Little Markie really knew what to do this year and Hailey just wanted to eat the Royal Icing so Nana had to help her decorate.  Moments I will never forget.

Love,
Debbie

A Sad Day

 
 
Today will be a sad day for my family.  My sweet angel Auntie Mary Joan lost her battle with breast cancer.  She was a fighter to the end.  She saved my mom and I will always be grateful to her.  She was a very and I mean very generous person.  Never asked for anything in return.  I will always miss her beautiful smile.  I am at peace knowing she is not suffering anymore and will always be my angel in heaven.

Love,
Debbie

Sunday, December 16, 2012


My Sweet Little Angels

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Yesterday Was A Sad Day

Yesterday was 12-12-12 and a lot of people think it was a lucky day but not for me.  Yesterday my sweet auntie Mary Joan lost her battle with breast cancer.

She was a fighter to the end.  A beautiful person both inside and out.  Very, very generous and always reached out to those in need.

Although I called her Auntie, she was my first cousin.  She was my Dad's older brother's daughter and was only a few years younger than my parents.  To respect my elders, I have always called her Auntie Mary Joan.  This also includes several other first cousins too.

I thought last night that the word "Auntie" started with the letter "A" and so did the word "Angel".  She is truly an "Angel" now.  I prayed she would watch over me and give me strength to keep fighting this horrible disease. 

I know deep in my heart that she is in heaven with Uncle Doug and that she will watch over all of us.  This gives me peace!

Please say a prayer for her.

Love,
Debbie

Thursday, December 6, 2012

There's No Place Like Home

There's no place like home!  Boy is that true!  I'm so glad to be home finally from the hospital.  Went to the lung specialist on Monday.  I'm still sick with pneumonia and have to take it easy.  One thing that upset me so much was the lung biopsy showed amyloid in my blood tissues of the lung.  The hospital doctor told me the news and said to stop taking the meds for the pneumonia and that there was nothing they could do.  So I basically was given the death sentence.  I called Dr. Kevin Anderson immediately.  He calm me down and explained exactly what was going on.  The truth is if the doctors did biopsies on other parts of my body they would find amyloid everywhere.  Our bodies have amyloid every where in the blood tissue.  The doctor lead me to believe that the amyloid is what caused the infection in my lungs.  On Monday I met with the lung doctor and she said no that it is pneumonia.  Yes I have amyloid in the blood tissue of the lungs but that is not what caused me to be admitted to the hospital.  My oxygen saturation is still low at 88 but they all feel once I have cleared my lungs of the pneumonia that will go up to normal range in the 90s.  I'm so glad to be off the oxygen.  What a pain that is.  I couldn't go anywhere for more that 3 hours and at home I was on a leash (tubing) all through the house.

So I had a 3 week break from Decadron and this week was my first time back on.  To be honest I have not been sick or sore this time.  What is that all about?  Next week I am going to take my break from Decadron.  I will continue with my normal treatment of Valcade every week, Decadron every other week and Cytoxan once a month 300mg for 5 days.  I will do this until Stanford contacts me with a new treatment plan because of the recent discovery of the amyloid in the lungs.  I don't really think Dr. Schrier will change the treatment because my numbers are low at 70.  But we will see.

Saturday is my little grand daughter, Hailey's 1 year birthday.  We are having a big birthday party for her on Saturday.  Sunday everyone is coming over to decorate the gingerbread houses I have made.  I made 7 little ones (Markie, Hailey, Angelina, Ashanti, Amelia, Cashious, Riven and two big ones for me and Nancie.  Sunday is gingerbread decorating day with the kids.  I'm so excited.  I have done this for so many years and don't want to break the tradition.  It means so much to me and I'm going to enjoy every moment.

First time ever Mark and I are getting a fake Christmas tree.  I'm tired of the mess and the problem with lights burning out and the cost.  For $50-$75 you can get a 6.5 foot tree with the lights already on and the stand.  So tonight we are off to look for a bargain fake Christmas tree.

Maxwell will be home for Christmas and I'm so happy.  I haven't seen him since I visited him in San Diego in October.  He is doing so great!  Going to school and has a great job.  Mark and I are so very proud of him.

Please include in your prayers Auntie Mary Joan.  She is really sick and Hospice has been called in.  I don't want her to suffer anymore.  She is truly an angel and I love her so very much.  Also, please include in your prayers my dear friend Judy from Virginia who is suffering with Amyloidosis.  She finally after 7 years waiting for a kidney transplant found a match donor only to find out that the disease has spread and the transplant was cancelled for tomorrow.  She is very sick and needs the transplant ASAP.  Please pray for both of them and all who suffer from terrible life threating diseases.  Be grateful everyday for your health.  Money, jobs, things do not make you healthy or happy.  Enjoy every moment you have on this earth.  Life is so precious!

Love,
Debbie