When Life is Turned Upside Down

This gifted artist needs no embellishment from me.

Watch and be blessed....

Amen...

Vacation Doings

All is well at Vacation Central!  I drove up to the Lake today to spend some time with mom and dad and found everyone rested and happy.  Actually fat and sassy was more like it!  Vacations seem to agree with them.  I mean, what's there not to like about Fishing, Eating, Napping, Laughing and Relaxing?!

Here's a taste of the day:

As you can see, the afternoon ended up at Country Java's Coffee Shop for a little somethin' sweet!  The Mile High Chocolate Heath Bar Cake sure hit the spot.  As did the Strawberry Melt-in-your-Mouth Cake.  We didn't want to be pigs, so we only got two desserts and shared.  Good idea, yes?  Yes.

Mom is feeling pretty good, all things considered.  The thrush is just about gone, and the pain under her ribcage is maybe a little better.  She's only taking the break-through pain once or twice a day (as opposed to 4 or 5 times a week ago).  And this will be her week off from chemo, so we're expecting her stamina to continue.  She and Ruth have been taking short walks each day, and I think that's also helping strengthen her leg muscles.  Of course, next week she will be back in full swing with physical therapy and doctor visits.

But for this week, it's Vacation Full Blast.  Ahhhh... Nothing Better!

Canciversary Dilemma

Not really sure if Canciversary is a word, but we're going with it.  It's the anniversary of mom's cancer diagnosis, Canciversary....anniversary, cancer...  Ok, so I was never an English major...

But, the thing is, mom's Canciversary is just around the corner.  On November 16, 2010 she began the fight of her life when the doctor told her she had pancreatic cancer.  Life has not been the same since.  One year of living with this beast.  Good days and bad days, all under the shadow of cancer.

The dilemma: How do you celebrate a Canciversary? 

Part of us wants to ignore it...

And part of us wants to celebrate with all the gusto we've got...

I mean, how do you reconcile the two?  If we had our fondest wish, we would never have been dealt the cancer hand at all.  So who really wants to celebrate living with cancer for a year?  But then there's that exact sentiment: mom has lived the entire year with joy and grace, defying the grim statistics facing most pancreatic cancer patients.  That's reason to celebrate, right?  Of course, it only reminds us we are on borrowed time.  Ever since she passed the first 6-month prognosis we've known her time with us has been narrowing to the final chapter. 

So...  we stew over the upcoming Canciversary.  Odds are the celebration will win out.  We do like to party!  But reality is such that celebrating cancer in any shape or form just doesn't feel appropriate.

Dilemma debate is ongoing.  Stay tuned...

Flea Market Heaven

With Mom and Dad safely relaxing at Lake Texoma, Katie and I decided to do some "serious" shopping at our favorite of all favorite Flea Markets, Canton Trade Days.  This is the Original First Monday Trade Days, full of antiques, crafts, collectibles, home furnishings and the most amazing assortment of junk you've ever seen.  It has been toted as the world's largest outdoor flea market and I think it just might be!  My feet are sure protesting this morning!  But what fun we had!

We laughed, ate and shopped the day away.  Along with about a million other shoppers!  It was enthusiastic, elbow to elbow, treasure-hunting fun from sun-up to sun-down...

There were babies...

Puppies....

Turkey Legs....

And crafts galore...

And for the drive home, some heavenly cookies and cream fudge....

Definitely a good day!  May all your "treasure-hunting" this week be full of sweet surprises and satisfying successes!

Love ya, Jane

Busy Days!

It's been a busy couple of days for mom. You would never know she was fighting an aggressive battle with cancer by the schedule she's been keeping! Her perseverance, I believe, is due to her amazing will power and mind over matter attitude. So glad she's pushing thru, even with bouts of pain and sleepless nights...

So let's see, on Wednesday, Pat and Ruth took her for her first physical therapy session. I think they had an ulterior motive. They didn't go along just to watch her work up a sweat! They took her to lunch and shopping afterwards! An enjoyable, as well as productive afternoon was had by all!

Mom said physical therapy went well and she was encouraged by the therapist. His name is John and he told her he was pleased with the muscle mass she still had. He acknowledged that she was in negative catabolism, which means her body is now breaking down her muscles because it's already used up all her fat stores. This is a serious problem and is common among many pancreatic cancer patients. It even has a name, catabolic wasting. The trick to handling it, is of course to eat more, and to make every calorie count. Because her appetite is a little better, that's becoming easier to do. John wants her to up her protein intake and continue with exercises at home. In addition she will go in for therapy several times a week. That will strengthen her remaining muscles and increase her stability. What a workout.

Wednesday was definitely a busy day!

Thursday was Chemo Day. Doctor appointments, blood work and chemotherapy make for a long day too! But good news here - blood work was all behaving, chemo was a go! However, the doctor confirmed another side effect that mom has been dealing with. Thrush, in her mouth and throat. She suspected it, he confirmed it. Just when you think you've experienced everything... Now thrush. What next? Oh, nix that question! I don't want to know! Anyway, they caught the thrush early and she is on Diflucan, an antifungal that will take care of the problem. Thank goodness. But, whoa, another pill to add to the regimen!

By the time we got her home, we declared Thursday was really a busy day!

Today, Friday, has been busy too. Mom and Dad packed all morning, then met up with their friends, Manny and Ruth and headed for a week long vacation on Lake Texoma. They are staying at a beautiful resort right on the banks of the lake. Lots of fishing, relaxing, card playing and eating is in the works. But just getting there has made Friday a very busy day!

But.... the next week will be sooooo relaxing! Nothing more strenuous than planning what to have for dinner. Great week is in store for them all. And it's about time. We've had enough of the busy days for awhile!

Praying your week is winding down, and plans are in place for a kicked-back, fun-filled, soul-rejuvenating weekend. May time slow down and moments expand as you Live Life Fully.

Grace to you, Jane

Goat Roundup

Time for the annual goat roundup here at the farm.  Vaccinations, de-worming and hoof-trims.  It is not the goat's favorite activity.  But we take our goat wellness program seriously! So here's the drill:

Start with a nice bucket of feed

Open gate and walk around the Guard Cat

Holler for Goats, rattle feed bucket, and wait for them to come running

Corral goats in makeshift chute

Draw up Vaccine

Inject Vaccine.  Ouch!

Deworm and trim hooves.

No pictures, sorry :), my hands were needed for goat-handling!

Job Done...

Reward everyone with Sweet Feed

Mama's are happy.  All's forgiven. 

Papa Buck doesn't trust us. Go figure...

Working with the goats reminds me of how easy it would be to neglect our own health.  Sometimes it's a real hassle dealing with those annual physicals and doctor visits.  Just like it's a hassle working the goats, knowing we're going to get hot, sweaty and dirty ensuring that they are healthy and vaccinated.  And I for one dislike injections of any kind.   But vaccinations are necessary and save lives every year (for goats and people!).   Just like the new pancreatic cancer vaccine could save lives every year.  We can hope and pray that it comes out of trials with a Big Yes!

For now, we sigh with relief.  Goat Roundup was a success.  Mama's are due to kid around mid-February, and then the real fun begins!  Can't wait...

If today you are facing a Roundup of sorts, whether it is medically, emotionally or spiritually related, just know that you are not alone.  This cancer journey will bring us all occasional days of  delightful green pastures with quiet waters, and also nights of shadowy valleys filled with paths to dark to walk. May the struggles we wrestle with now, lead to that sweet place of peace, where fear has no place and cancer has no hold.

Only in Grace, Jane



Dana Delany has a Message for You!

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to ring the bells and let it be known that November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.

Not that you aren't already aware of pancreatic cancer ;-/ but this is the "official" edict. It is a chance for more emphasis to be put on this devastating disease and in so doing, channel more money, more research, and more advancement into finding a cure. And ultimately ending the reign of terror that pancreatic cancer holds over us.

Today I found out that the actress Dana Delany lost her father to this terrible disease when he was only 56 years old. I hope you'll take a few minutes and watch her video:

She speaks to the truth of how unrelenting pancreatic cancer is. The battle is ferocious and often much too short.

We can change that.

In our lifetime. By bringing the spotlight to bear on this disease, by participating in local events like Purple Stride and the Purple Light Vigil for Hope, by contacting our members of congress and urging them to support more research funding, by coming alongside those struggling with this cancer and offering to put our money where our mouth is. And I speak to myself as much as to you...

If you want to learn more about volunteering for progress, check out the Pancreatic Action Network at www.knowitfightitendit.org.

To show your support this month, wear some purple and cheer us on!

Love you all, Jane