Shannon Iezzi-Watson's blog

EULOGY FOR SHANNON WATSON - BY HER LOVING HUSBAND

2010-04-21T19:46:00.004-04:00

I am not going to try to summarize Shannon's life over the next

few minutes, because it would be an impossible task. She has

accomplished more in her 29 years on this Earth, than most people

could hope to accomplish in ten lifetimes.

Shannon's mission in life was to help others, who like her had

been diagnosed with cancer. Her other mission was to inspire

people to improve their health and live a life of love to the fullest.

Based on the outpouring of support we have been showered with

over the past few days, I can confidently say that she accomplished

both of her life's missions.

Shannon was a self-described - cat loving, tree hugging, outspoken,

healthy, happy survivor who was told that her life would be short...

but she was determined to take control of her situation and

completely ignore the timeline given to her by her doctors.

Her goal was to become completely healthy while helping

everyone she could on the way.

She was many things to many people. To me she was my wife,

my best friend, my soulmate and my hero! If you spent any

length of time with her I can guarantee you walked away a

better person. She had an infectious laugh, and a smile that

could warm your heart.

She touched countless lives, and inspired countless others to

live life to the fullest. She was not defined by her cancer diagnosis,

but did use her diagnosis as a vehicle to share her story with

thousands of people. As easy as it would have been, she never

felt sorry for herself and never adopted a "why me?" mindset.

She always said that she was glad that she was diagnosed. Being

diagnosed at the age of 25 gave her perspective. It allowed her

to focus her energy on what really matters in life. It also allowed

her to meet so many other inspirational and amazing people -

many of whom are in this church today.

Even until the very end, Shannon was more comfortable with the

thought of her passing than she was with the impact that it would

have on her family and friends. We can let her rest at ease, and

honor her memory by living our lives to the fullest...by finding

a silver lining in every situation. Don't let anything, or anybody

hold you back from chasing your dreams. Get outside of your

comfort zone. Challenge yourself, demand the best in life, and

don't let fear or self doubt stand in your way.

Lastly, at the end of each day ask yourself, "Did you do something

that makes you happy today?"...and make sure the answer is YES!

-KEVIN WATSON-

Since Arizona

2010-03-25T21:50:00.007-04:00

Sorry It's been so long since I've blogged. Life has been a little hectic since Arizona.

Here is my grandma Arlen and I on the golf course. We just followed as Uncle David, Melissa and my grandma's friend, Frank, played.

This is a group of us out to eat.
Even my cousin Luc was able to make it down from school to hang out at my grandma's
I thought this cactus was so funny. Woodpeckers make these holes and people filled the holes made with golf balls.
Some of the girls hanging out at dinner.

All the ladies from my grandma's tap class got up and did a dance routine they knew at the resturant we were at.

There is a park close by that is absolutely beautiful. I sat by that waterfall and didn't want to move. The smell of the water and all the greenery was incredible and refreshing.
We hung out at the park for a while.
I wish this was in my backyard.
Arizona was a fun time. It was really cool that My Uncle David, Melissa and my cousin Luc also were able to make it out there while I was there. I spent a lot of time laying in the sun. I had some fevers and some really bad abdomen pain, so I really couldn't walk around much and do many things. My grandma and I went to a beautiful park nearby. We went golfing (well, we watched everyone golf and we cruised around in the cart which was good enough for me). We went to watch my cousin Luc and my Uncle David play hockey up at Luc's college. It was pretty low key, but the trip was just what I needed. The good thing about having all this time off is that I am really able to spend a lot of quality time with my family and friends, getting to develop much better relationships with everyone. All and all I love Arizona and it was a fun time.

What has happened health wise since my trip:

When I got back from Arizona I was so incredibly weak. I literally could not walk on my own. I got my bloodwork and my hemoglobin was 7.5 (which is the lowest mine has ever been). Normal is 12 or higher (I forget how high it goes). So I got another blood transfusion the day after I got back from Arizona.

I went to the Pain Clinic the next day because I was having the awful pain in my abdomen and nothing was working to get rid of it. Their recommendation was to take more pain medicine. I got a PET scan done the following day to see how things were going inside my body. So, I was in the hospital 3 days in a row after my Arizona trip. Fun! At least I got a weekend off before I started my new chemo, Ixempra, on Monday.

I had to take the Neulasta shot the day after chemo, which is for having low white blood cells. The terrible thing about this shot is that it causes the worst bone pain in the world. One week later I was getting my blood counts checked and at the same time I had the worst bone pain that I literally could have cut off parts of my body it hurt so bad. My red blood count was down to 6.3 (lowest ever yet and of course I couldn't walk on my own) and my platelets were super low at 11 (150-300 is normal). So, of course I needed to go to the hospital to get a hemoglobin and platelet transfusion. I actually wasn't that upset to go, because I knew I could get IV Dilaudid all day and night which is about the only thing that will completely take away my bone pain. I even decided to stay the night when the transfusion was done, so I could just get IV Dilaudid all night long. Now that's when you know I am in bad pain.

So now, the pain has started to fade. No more abdomen pain. I think I have enough blood cells now. I think they might give me a lighter dose of chemo next time... I hope. Why???????? Because Kevin and I have booked a vacation to Puerto Rico mid April. I am so excited to be able to go on a vacation WITH KEVIN. We're staying at a really nice hotel that has it's own private island that has the whitest sand and the crystal clear bluest water. I cannot wait to go.

I also booked a shorter trip with my mom and sister, Stacie, to go to Marco Island, FL in early May (right after my 30th birthday). That place looks equally unbelievable. I cannot wait to spend some quality time with them just hanging out on the beach. It's not like I'm all better or anything. I might be sick or in pain while I am on vacation. I understand there are people who think I am crazy, but I am not going to stop living. I might not do much there at all, but all I am really interested in is the weather and the beach. I think I will have a great time and I'll make sure to bring lots of medicine.

Well, that's about all for now. I'll blog sooner next time. Life has just been really crazy and when I am not doing all this stuff I am sleeping because my new anti-nausea medicine makes me sleepy all the time.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Lots of love

Shannon

I'm in Arizona

2010-03-03T21:48:00.005-05:00

Here is me and Kevin at my grandma Arlen's birthday party. This is my new wig and Kevin has his new glasses on. He's worn contacts for about 6 years and finally got a couple pairs of glasses. I think he looks cute with them. My hot husband.

Uncle David and his girlfriend, Melissa, came into town and were able to be at grandma's birthday party. This is the very talented Melissa who took the pictures when I was in California. Think Uncle David is doing Blue Steel.

Kevin got me flowers for Valentines day and man, they were beautiful. I loved them.

This is our niece Riley at her 1st birthday party. She got the biggest smile when we put the birthday hat on her. She should be a baby model. I call her Smiley Riley.

Well, surprise...I'm writing from Arizona. Yep, my grandma Arlen decided to go out to her Arizona house and open it up for a couple weeks, so I decided to come out with her since I am always searching for a way to get away from Michigan weather. I'm only staying a week though. I just got here today so my next blog I will be writing about Arizona. Uncle David and Melissa and my cousin Luc will be coming out here this weekend, so it will be a nice family get together. I'm excited.

I can tell you about my travels out here though. A while back I got bad bone pain again. Once that went away I got bad liver pain. Once that went away I got really bad pain under my left rib. We did a CT scan to see if it was a blood clot in my spleen, but nothing showed up. So, it's a mystery pain, but it is intense. I cannot stand up straight it hurts so bad. My doctor told me to use the Fentanol patch which is a pain relief patch you put on your arm. If I still have pain I'm supposed to take Dilaudid. I did that this morning, but I think the two combined are way too much for my stomach. My in-laws, Roger and Edie, took me to the airport. I was throwing up in a bucket the entire way to the airport. It was rough and I felt bad for them. I kept asking them to pull over so I could dump the bucket, but then I would throw up again. Luckily, I got it all out in the car and I didn't have any issues on the airplane. I did get a compliment on my puking skills though. Roger said I am really quiet, so that's good. : )

I've adjusted to being bald and I do like my new wig. I still have another wig on its way but it's on backorder in Germany. I can't wait to get it. The chemo I am on now does not really seem to be working because my liver tumors have grown since the last scan I had. Next time I get chemo we're switching to Exempra. I need to look it up and see what side effects to expect. I've only had one transfusion since the last time I wrote in the blog which is an improvement. I just wish we could find a chemo that worked and didn't screw with my body so bad.

I am so glad that everyone liked my idea of the indoor water park. I guess there are two already in existence, one in Japan and one in Germany. Now, we need one in Michigan. It's fun to dream.

I'm happy to tell you all that we have started planning the Bras for a Cause show for 2010. It will be at Royal Oak Music Theatre again Saturday, September 18th. We're going to have way more food and a lot more seating. We learned so much from last year and I think this year will be incredible. I hope to raise between $75,000 - $100,000. Last year we did $50,000, so I think it's possible.

Well, we all know I don't do much because I sit home all the time and have family and friends come over and take care of me, so there's not much more to write about. I appreciate everyone's help. I also have people cooking for me and that has been a huge help to Kevin and I. I am so lucky to have so many caring people in my life. THANK YOU!!!!! I love you all!

Take it easy. I'll be soaking up the sun and I'll tell you all about it.

Lots of love and sun

Shannon

Winter Blues and my great idea

2010-02-17T14:30:00.004-05:00

Me and Chloe chilling.

This is my friend Todd who basically took care of me every day for the past few months. He is also really good at getting my cold caps on really tight when I get chemo.
Here I am getting chemo writing my blog. It's a really long day when we do the caps. It takes an extra 5 or 6 hours.

I am just plain sick of this weather. I cannot believe it has not gotten over 30 degrees in weeks and weeks. The sun is non-existent here and the 10 day forecast never shows me any sign of relief. Usually I love winter but that is because I LOVE snowboarding. Since I cannot walk up the stairs without feeling like I could faint, there is no way in hell I could suit up and get out on the mountain and make it down the hill. Snowboarding was the highlight of my winters, but now I have nothing to look forward to. It’s only mid February and time is going slow since I am sick in my house.

This past Valentines day Kevin and I decided to go up north to Frankenmuth to the indoor waterpark. It was me, Kevin, about 200 screaming kids, and about a million pounds of chlorine since I’m sure these kids were peeing, pooping and gross stuff like that in the water. We went on the water slides a couple times and went in the hot tub, which had so much chlorine it was making us cough. We had a god time, but it gave me a great idea. If I had the money I would totally make this happen. Why do the kids get all the fun??? Why doesn’t someone make an adults indoor waterpark??? I’m talking an indoor getaway for adults from the long Michigan winters.

Here is how I see it… A huge place connected to a hotel. Artificial sunlight, a beach with sand and clear blue water, lounge chairs everywhere, a lazy river, some hot tubs and maybe some waterslides for fun. Then, they could have some tropical music playing, and a pool with a swim up bar where they serve beer and frozen mixed drinks. What adult would not want to go there?? I’d probably make weekly trips. It could be like an indoor Cancun. I think it’s a brilliant idea and I really wish some day (lets say in the next week or so) someone builds one.

Health update and Penguin Cap update:

My health has been struggling. I’ve been really sick and tired. Weak, sore, the list goes on and on. I’ve had to have people, like my friend Todd, take care of me every day since it is so hard for me to move around. I’ve had to have another blood transfusion. Pretty soon I will have a scan and we will hopefully see if this chemo is even working. The Penguin Caps may not be working anymore with this new chemo I am on called Abraxane. This past Friday I started having hair fall out. Every day it got worse and worse. I got one more round of chemo hoping that it wouldn't be the end of my hair, but it didn't work out that way. Today my hair was coming out 100 strands at a time. I was making a mess all over the house. Kevin shaved my head and I am now once again, for the third time in my life bald. The Caps worked for Gemzar, Cisplatin, and Carboplatin, but Abraxane is too strong for them. It's supposed to be easier on your body and bone marrow which is good since I was having to have so many transfusions, but it's really hard on hair loss. Oh well. Here is my list of positives now that I am bald...

1. Chemo will be super short. Maybe an hour and a half tops.

2. No more hair falling all over the house

3. I don't have to freeze my head anymore

4. I don't have to pay for the cold caps

5. I found a couple cute new wigs I should be getting within the next week

6. I get to hear everyone tell me how I can pull off the bald look

7. I don't have to be extra careful not to make my hair fall out when I shower

8. No more shampoo (since I am really smell sensitive and I end up hating every shampoo smell within a week of using a new one)

9. No more stressing about if all my hair will fall out or if it is just thinning. The mourning process is pretty draining on the spirit.

Anyway, I am convinced the caps work for some chemos, but not all. Not Abraxane.

I'll get some bald pics and show you all as well as new wig pics once I get them.

Trying my hardest to be positive

Shannon

2010-01-23T20:30:00.005-05:00

Right next to the Santa Monica Pier

The pier. It looked so pretty later in the day.

I love this picture. Good job Shannon. : )

There were lots of surfers out.

Despite the fever I was so happy to be on the beach.

The movie room at my uncle's. I'd open all the windows and let the fresh air in all day long. Loved the breeze.
My best friend Ranger. He hung out with me the entire time I was at the house.
The fevers and bone pain did not let up the rest of the time I was in California. The last night I was there was especially bad. I had the worst bone pain and an awful fever where I was shivering uncontrollably. We all decided it would be best that I went to the emergency room to check and see if I had an infection and also to try and get some better pain medicine since the oxycotin makes me throw up. They took blood cultures and did a CBC. We did find out I was very anemic meaning my red blood cells (hemoglobin) were very low. That explained why I was so tired, out of breath and moving around even the slightest was incredibly difficult. They weren't able to get me any better pain medication except Dilaudid through IV while I was there. We were able to leave by 4am. We had enough time to go back to the house, shower, pack and take off for the airport. So after an all nighter I was trying to make my 7:30 flight. My flight was delayed until 11am. Finally they sent me to another airline and I flew out by 1pm. I didn't get home until midnight. It was a very long, exhausting day and being anemic did not help.

My doctor wanted to see me ASAP once I got back. My appointment was at 7:30am the next day. It took a long time to get everything taken care of and getting me ready for my transfusion. I was supposed to wait to get called from the hospital when they had a bed ready for me to get the transfusion. I guess they lost my paperwork and never called. I finally called by 5pm and they said "oops" and had me come in. The transfusion took FOREVER.

Since California I've had bone pain, fevers, bad headaches, and liver pain. We switched up pain meds and tried so many different things to alleviate all these symptoms. I got a spinal tap to see if there were cancer cells in my spinal fluid. We thought that could be a possibility since I had headaches all the time. It came back negative thank god. I had a CT scan done as well. Once again my liver tumors have grown and very fast. My liver is huge. My stomach is so hard from all the pressure. Everything else is stable, but the liver is the most important spot to worry about.

It appears that the chemo was not working. So, we stopped Gemzar and Carboplatin and I have switched to Abraxane. So far I am tolerating it much better. No more bone pain and I just feel better. The Abraxane is a weekly chemo though, so I will be at Beaumont more often.

Anyway, I am leaving out a couple emergency room trips out of this blog. Nothing really came of them. I honestly cannot keep up with everything that is going on with me. I have my fingers crossed that we picked the right chemo and hopefully next time I write a blog, I can write about something else other than bone pain, headaches, not being able to breathe etc...

Thank you all for your support lately. People have been making us meals and I cannot even explain how much that helps us. I have not grocery shopped in months. I never have energy to make anything at the house anyway. We are loving the meals and are so happy to have one less thing to worry about. Thank you!!

The Rest of the Photo Shoot Pictures with Melissa

2010-01-21T09:25:00.007-05:00

Here are the rest of the pictures of the photo shoot. It was hard for me to loose my blanket. I literally had that thing wrapped around me the entire time I was out there.

Melissa was really good at posing me so I didn't feel too awkward at any time.
And of course I had Uncle David's commentary the entire time making me laugh so it was easy to have a natural smile.
A more serious one.
I did have a few of those fake eyelashes on so that is why my eyes look a lot better. My eyelashes are very short normally.

Laughing at uncle david again.
Melissa normally works with models. In some of her past photo sessions they have painted words on the models faces for the pictures. I was able to pick out the words I wanted written on my face. Hope, Love, Passion, Truth, Peace, Strength and a Chloe paw print is what I picked. I do have a tube top on and I have the blanket wrapped around me as well. The picture is cropped exactly where the shirt and blanket end.
After we did a number of these pictures we painted my lips white too.

And that is the rest of the pictures from the photo shoot. It was a lot of fun. I was surprised how good I looked despite having a really bad fever. The makeup worked really well for covering up black circles under the eyes.

I have a lot to update you on my health status. That will be very soon with some of the California pictures I took.

Shannon

Photo Shoot With Mellissa and Uncle David

2010-01-18T13:31:00.006-05:00

My Uncle David's girlfriend is a really good photographer. She wanted to take some pictures of me. These are the pictures of me and Uncle David goofing around before the more serious pictures started.

I still had a fever so while they were getting me ready for the shoot I was wrapped up in a blanket. Actually, I have been wrapped up in this blanket the whole time I have been here. We called these pictures our Snuggie Model pictures.

We were supposed to be making cold faces, but I was just smiling.

Uncle David's commentary during the shoot kept me laughing.

Uncle David had me cracking up most of the shoot.

This is our catalogue model picture. Don't we look really surprised by what we are looking at?

Anyways, there are more pictures of just me. I'll put those up on another post. I think Melissa did a really good job.

I'm flying home tomorrow.

Feeling better. Still have fevers and pain, but it is getting better, so that's good.

Lots of love

Shannon

Going to California

2010-01-11T20:08:00.013-05:00

The Santa Monica Pier yesterday

Me and Ranger hanging out with Uncle David. Such a cute dog.

Well, my platelets were in fact REALLY low. The next day I got a transfusion of two units of platelets. I had to go to the hospital. It took almost 7 whole hours to get done. It took forever. After my transfusion I went home and booked my flight out to California to stay with my Uncle David and his girlfriend Melissa. I got bloodwork done before I left. I was given the okay except I developed a upper respiratory infection and had a 103.3 fever the day before I left. I left on this past Wednesday in a hurry to get in some warm weather and to fit in the trip before my next chemo treatment (antibiotics and pain meds in my carry on).

The first day I pretty much just chilled around their house. I opened every window in the sunroom, layed in the sun on the huge comfy bean bag and smelled the freshly cut grass as the lawn crew did all there work. There was a perfect Breeze to cool me off when I needed and it would also bring the grass smell rushing back in the room. After the
yard crew was done I got in little shorts and a tank top, grabbed a
lawn chair, a book and some shades relaxed and worked on my tan. Some
would say I did nothing that day, but for me it was awesome. Plus I got
to hang out with a really cool, smart, carrot loving dog of my uncle's,  Ranger.
I might have overdid it in the sun because my skin was burning up all
night and I was completely drained, but oh well. I usually feel like
that all the time anyways, so what's the difference.

Day 2 I woke up with a mission. I was going to the beach. Now, it
might seem like everything is a-ok with my body, but nothing could be
further from the truth. When I left I was dealing with horrible bone
pain and 103.3 fever. Well, the infection picked up and my throat is
pretty raw. I still have fevers but lower grade. My bone pain was
replaced with some muscle pain that was very intense. I think my
muscle might be pinching a nerve. Then, the bone pain also came back.
On top of all that I have a headache that will not go away. I am so
sick of taking pain medicine, but I can't function without it the pain
is so bad. Moral of the story is, I can change my environment and love
it, but I can't change what is going on with my body.

Honestly though, just changing my environment is proving so refreshing
to me. Not being in my bedroom where I sweat all the time and have
sleepless nights. Not being on my couch where I resort to when I have
no more chance of going back to sleep. Not looking outside at the same
yard covered in snow and seeing the usually grey skies. Out here
everything is alive. There are flowers in bloom. It smells different.
I'm in a different bed without any negative stigma that I created like I have with my bed at home.

The beach was great. I went to Malibu first and watched the surfers.
There were some big waves. Then I drove down to the Santa Monica Pier
to have lunch. Afterwards I sat on the beach again. It was so nice and
relaxing. I love the smell of the ocean. My sense of smell has been
like a dogs since I started chemo. I can smell things from so far away
and everything smells so strong. Bad thing is, most of the smells make
me feel sick. All colognes and perfumes, anything scented, laundry
detergent etc etc.... But this day I could smell the ocean from inside
the resturant I was in and it was wonderful. I wish I could trap that
smell and somehow tape it over my nose.

My uncle's girlfriend Melissa and I watched Julie and Julia at night
and ordered Chinese. It was very nice and relaxing.

Today is day 3 and I have the worst bone pain ever. I was stuck in my seat and couldn't move because it hurt me so bad. I had the same thing a couple days before I left for California. I have to take Oxycodone and Oxycotin together. Those two combined make me pretty sick. I was throwing up a lot. I can't handle those two medicines combined. Actually I threw up here in California on just the 4-6 hour Oxy, so I just cannot tolerate that stuff. Anyway, just because I was in pain didn't stop me from getting a lawn chair and sitting out in the sun until I finished my book. I'm getting by though. I'll let you know how the rest of the trip goes. I am very happy I came out here. Still having a great time despite what is going on with my body.

Sending sun and warmth to everyone

Shannon

No News Does Not Always Equal Good News

2009-12-29T20:41:00.008-05:00

Christmas Eve at my dad and stepmom's house.

Hey everyone,

I know, it has been a while since I have last blogged. A lot has happened and we have been dealing with a lot.

I went to the hospital once again. This time I had a small infected spot on my skin by my port in my arm. When there is infection by a port you always have to be EXTRA careful. So, Kevin and I went to the emergency room on Monday night (December 21st). They gave me IV antibiotics and wanted to admit me overnight. I did not want to stay and really wanted to get some sleep, so I signed out against their recommendation and went home...at 4 in the morning. The next day I had an appointment with my oncologist, who in turn wanted me to go right back to the hospital and get admitted for a couple days. I was pretty devastated because this would keep me in the hospital until Christmas Eve.

I did stay there until Christmas Eve and was finally let out in time to get to Christmas at my dad's only 1 hour late. On Christmas day I had to go to a clinic and get IV antibiotics for an hour in between Kevin's family and my mother's Christmas dinner. They had me go to the clinic daily for a week until they completely confirmed that I didn't have a blood infection.

I got some tests and results. Overall my CT scan was improved. Liver tumors shrunk, more cancer cells are dead, but there were new spots in lymph nodes. My doctor thought I got the best response from the chemo, Gemzar (the stuff that sent me to the hospital with the fluid around my lungs). We decided to add the Gemzar to the chemo I already do (Carboplatin) despite the fact that I will develop fluid around my lungs. I take steroids for 2 days and then just tolerate it the rest of the time. I do have fluid around my lungs, but as long as I can breathe and am not in major pain, we just deal with it.

When I got chemo I was anemic pretty bad (low red blood count). So, the day after I had to get another blood transfusion, this time getting two units of blood.

Honestly, this chemo is kicking my ass. No need to sugar coat it. I feel horrible all the time. I have had a headache non stop since I got chemo. I never sleep because I am still waking up drenched in sweat multiple times each night. Sleep medicine is not working. My body aches. I was really nauseous before and actually throwing up, but since I stopped taking Oxycotin for pain, that has gone away. I have no energy after getting no sleep and sweating all night. I am still really skinny. 120lbs now and that's with me eating like crazy trying to not loose any more weight.

Today I went for a checkup and found out that my platelets might be extremely low. (It could be a mistake, they are re-testing and I'm waiting to hear from Beaumont) Either way, they already have me scheduled for a transfusion of platelets for tomorrow. I'm supposed to stay basically on bed rest and to not do anything in case I happen to bump or cut myself. If I start bleeding at all tonight (like from brushing my teeth), I'd be at risk of bleeding to death and have to go to the ER. 150 - 350 is the normal range for platelets and mine came back at 11. I never had this before. My platelets have always stayed in the normal range through ALL the chemo I have ever done, so I am half expecting this to come back as a mistake. I'll let you all know.

All and all, I have just been depressed. Not like this freaking cold gray weather that has no end in sight is helping my cause. I just want one 60 degree sunny day so I can open all my windows and take a short walk outside and breathe some fresh air. Uncle David doesn't know it yet, but he is getting a call soon because I need to go somewhere sunny and warm right now before I slip into a state of depression I have never seen. Some nice 70 degree LA weather might be just what I need. I'm sure my doctor would tell me to stay home, but I realize my need for a change. All I do is sit around my house. If I leave the house, I get so darn tired I race back home to lay on the couch. I am so SICK of my house. I'm SICK of my bed. I'm SICK of the smell of freshly washed sheets. I'm SICK of watching TV, but honestly, it's all I have the energy to do.

So I don't blog forever and all I do is complain. Sorry. Kind of why I haven't blogged. I usually only like to write when I have something good to say. I'll let you all know about the platelets and think of something positive to say soon. Maybe I'll have a flight booked soon and I can blog all about the sun and fresh air breezing in from Venice Beach.

Penguin Cap update - I still have all of my hair. There is no thinning at all even with the two chemos combined. I'm thinking these things really work. I have noticed my hair has a little less life in it, but otherwise it's just awesome to have hair still. I'll keep you all posted on how the penguin caps go.

Penguin Caps - Hopefully Keeping My Hair

2009-12-01T09:36:00.013-05:00

Christmas tree and lights are up. Yankee Candles smelling like mistletoe are burning and I am ready for the holidays. Chloe too. She loves sleeping under the tree. (and chewing on the branches)

Hello,

Well, it's been a nice few weeks away from the hospital. It's also been a while since I had chemo. I love this every three weeks schedule. While I've been out of the hospital I have felt much better, but there's always been some issue every day. I kept having the sweats bad every night for a while. I also was loosing so much weight I was at risk of wasting away. Even my skinny jeans that I almost gave away because I never thought I would fit in them again, were big on me. I spoke to doctors about it and they basically explained to me that my body is running a marathon. The cancer is making my body work so hard, plus I have the fevers at night and sweat for 8 hours that my metabolism is going crazy. Luckily though, the sweats have slowed down. Last night I barely sweat. My weight has remained steady which is very relieving when before I was loosing at least 2 pounds a day.

I've once in a while had bad liver pain. A couple days ago I was having bad bone pain where I have tumors. Kevin and I keep telling ourselves the pain is because the chemo is fighting the tumors. I do still have fluid in my lungs. The doctor said another 2 liters, but was comfortable waiting to see if it gets any worse since I'm not in major pain and can breathe good enough. The chemo causes this fluid to build up and I guess until the chemo gets removed from your body the fluid will keep being there. I guess they just keep tapping people until the fluid stops building up. I'd like to just deal with it and wait for it to go away. I would really rather not be tapped. I'll let you know what we see.

So, what I wanted to tell you all about is the Penguin Caps I am using. These were invented by some guy in England. They are these caps with some white stuff in them, and they get frozen REALLY cold. You put them on your head 1 hour before chemo, all during chemo and 3 hours after. You keep your hair follicles frozen and it prevents the chemo from getting to them and causing your hair to fall out. A lady bought them and used them at Beaumont right around when I was first diagnosed in 2005. They worked and Dr. Margolis became a believer and got a freezer for Beaumont. They did a clinical trial and saw they were effective a lot, so now they let you use them. You have to pay for them, but if I keep my hair it's worth it.

Okay, I do not sit in the chemo chair with a penguin on my head. My dad thought it would be cute to put this stuffed animal of my sister's on my head via his photoshop skills.

You have to switch out the first three caps every 20 minutes and then the rest are every 30 minutes. When you first put them on it hurts because it's so cold. Luckily, I've always liked ice and cold things on my head. By the end I am freezing and I'm bundled up in blankets. I go through 13 caps and I'm there all day. The one thing that does suck, is when I am done with chemo, I am ready to GO, but I have to stay an extra 3 hours with caps on my head.

My dad usually goes with me. I get IV Adivan with my chemo, so I'm really sleepy and I pass out every cap we do. Usually by the time I fall asleep, it's time to change the caps. You have to have someone with you to put the caps on for you. So, you have to bring someone who is willing to stay all day. The first time we did the caps we were the first people in and the last people out of Beaumont. That was when I did Gemzar and Cisplatin. At least my new Chemo, Carboplatin is a lot quicker..

I got Gemzar twice with no caps, but that only has a 20% chance of making you loose your hair. Then I added Cisplatin to the Gemzar and we did the caps. Cisplatin is one of the chemos that is like a 95% chance of loosing your hair. Carboplatin (which I use now), I think has a high chance of making you loose my hair too (I didn't look it up). So far so good. I keep tugging on my hair, but nothing comes out. I would be so excited if this works. I know two people who used them and kept their hair through chemo that usually for sure makes people's hair fall out. My doctor seems to think they are working.

Last thing, I am having a Jewelry Party this Sunday, December 13th at my house. It will be open house style from 12 noon to 5pm. I'm selling necklaces, bracelets, earrings, bookmarks, and wine glass charms. I'll have food and drinks. My prices range from $10 to $30. I accept cash and checks. Please email me if you are interested and need my address. iezzzi@hotmail.com.

Okay, that's all the updates I have. Even though I am having some issues every day, I am still so happy to not be as bad as I was in the hospital.

Shannon

The Sickest I've Ever Been

2009-11-23T18:40:00.005-05:00

Isn't my sister Paige the sweetest girl in the world????

Well, It’s about time I let everyone know what I have been going through the past couple weeks. Well, I had the fevers for months and I was trying the enzymes as a natural therapy to my cancer. After a couple tests it confirmed that I think I was too far along with the cancer for the enzymes to work. My liver tumor sizes doubled and the activity was much more aggressive.

So, I decided to go back on chemotherapy and take a break from the enzymes. The chemo I chose was Gemzar. Funny thing is it gives you a really high fever the night you get it. Now, I’m used to fevers, but these were unbearable. I was curled up, unable to move, shaking uncontrollably all night. You know how they show people in movies after getting chemo and they are all sick and out of control??? I always see that and say “that’s not realistic” Well, now I’ve changed my mind. That was me.

The other thing Gemzar does is cause fluid around your lungs. For a while I was unable to breathe. I would be out of breath from walking 10 steps. I couldn’t do anything. I went to get my next chemo infusion and my pulse oxygen was really low. So, instead of chemo on Tuesday I went to the emergency room. They admitted me and I stayed overnight. I got a couple chest X-rays and we discovered that 60% of my right lung was collapsed from fluid buildup all around my lung. They thought it could be from cancer or from the Gemzar. Then, I had to have an awful procedure called a Thoracentesis, which is where they inject a small tube in your back and drain the fluid from my lungs. It hurt really bad and while the drained the fluid my lung started opening which causes you to have an awful coughing attack. Once I started coughing so much they had to stop. They drained 2 whole liters of fluid from my lungs. 2 freaking liters. Like a 2 liter of Coke. Did you know that 2 liters of fluid weight 4.6 pounds?

I got to finally go home to recover. Then on Thursday I went to get Chemo since I missed it on Tuesday. This time I added a new drug called Cisplatin. Cisplatin sucks. It’s really hard on your body, on your bone marrow and it makes me really nauseous. We added it because the oncologists are pretty scared of my situation and they kind of scared me into getting really aggressive with chemo since the tumors made so much progress in such a short amount of time. Plus they were still considering the fact that all that fluid in my lungs could be caused from cancer.

Friday night I woke up with debilitating pain in my right chest. I called my oncologist and of course she told me to go back to the Beaumont emergency room. AND they admitted me AGAIN. I had more chest X-rays and they showed that the fluid was back. The same amount…..in less than 2 days. This worried everyone. They were still testing the first fluid they drained to see if there were cancer cells in it. They wouldn’t let me leave. They even started talking about doing a surgery on my lungs where I would end up with drains coming out of my chest to keep draining the fluid after the surgery. I was in so much pain the whole time. They put me on Dilaudid which made me either asleep or completely loopy. I had to stay Friday, Saturday and Sunday night getting a chest X-ray each day. They started me on Steroids because they were supposed to make the fluid go away if it wasn’t from cancer and was from the chemo Gemzar.

By Monday we got the test results from the fluid and luckily there were NO cancer cells in it, so the fluid must have been caused by the chemo. On Monday I was supposed to have another thorancentesis, but when they did the ultrasound to figure out the best place to “tap” me he said I didn’t really have enough fluid to drain. So I guess that means that the steroids worked to get rid of the fluid. The other thing that happened was I got completely anemic. Your red blood count is supposed to be between 12 and 14 and mine was 8. I had to get a blood transfusion. Between needing blood and having a 60% collapsed lung it completely makes sense how I barely had energy to walk and could barely breathe.

Since I got out of the hospital things have been much better. I’ve had a lot more energy. I switched chemo drugs. I now get Carboplatin only which is supposed to be easier to deal with than Cisplatin. I haven’t really had any bad side effects. I still have trouble breathing a little.

I had a CT scan last Thursday and the results are promising. My liver tumors shrunk a little bit and I guess the cells look like they are dying. Guess the visualization is working. Please keep it up. We do. They did say that there is a significant amount of fluid around my lungs again, but they say less than I had on Monday in the hospital. The fluid can come back, so I am going to keep a close watch on myself and hopefully take care of things with steroids or another procedure before it sends me to the emergency room. That’s kind of where I’m at now.

It was a horrible time, but things have been so much better. I really appreciate every day I don’t feel horrible. I’ve lost a lot of weight and can’t seem to put it back on. I’m eating a lot too. I’m keeping an eye on that as well. I still have a lot of sweaty nights and that drives me crazy. I still have to wash the sheets all the time and I soak through about 3 t-shirts a night on the bad nights. I haven’t been taking my temperature at night, which I am going to start doing. I don’t feel like I have a fever, but for some reason I still sweat it up at night. I’ll give you all an update soon. It took me a while to write this because I had to remember everything that happened and it’s all kind of a blur to me.

Please keep up the meditation and visualization for me. I am so thankful for it and I think it is working.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

I am thankful for every day I get to spend away from the Beaumont Hospital and I am SOOOOO thankful for all the support I have gotten from all my friends and family. This would be so much more difficult without all of you

Lots of love

Shannon

Help with Visualization

2009-11-02T22:14:00.011-05:00

Here are a couple pictures of a liver to help with the visualization.

This picture makes me think that the chemo dissolves the cancer cells on the liver and then sends them down the Hepatic Duct and into the intestines where the cancer cells are then excreted. There are many different and detailed ways cancer cells are removed, but I think for the sake of visualization, we should keep it as simple as possible. That works for me.

I want to provide some help for everyone with the visualization/meditation we are doing every night at 9. Kevin and I usually talk about how it went afterwards and he said he needed to know what a liver looks like, what tumor cells look like and to also understand how that cancer cells actually leave the body. Some people need lots of details to actually get a picture in their head. I know I do and so does Kevin. Luckily, I really paid attention at the Body World Exhibit when it was in Houston and I actually saw a healthy liver next to a liver with cancer all over it. So, I kind of know what it looks like. Plus I always loved anatomy in school and crazy enough, took a special interest in the liver back in the 6th grade. I thought it was an amazing hard working organ.

The liver is the largest organ inside the body. In an adult it is about the size of a football and weighs close to three pounds. It is located behind the ribs in the upper right-hand portion of the abdomen. Shaped like a triangle, the liver is dark reddish-brown and consists of two main lobes. There are 300 billion cells in the liver that are connected by a well-organised system of bile ducts and blood vessels called the biliary system.

The liver is such an important organ that we can only survive one or two days if it shuts down—if the liver fails, your body will fail too. Fortunately, the liver can function even when 75% of it is diseased or removed. This is because it has the amazing ability to create new liver tissue (i.e. it can regenerate itself) from healthy liver cells that still exist. Wonderful news for me.

When we start the visualization, we kind of welcome everyone from all over the country who are joining us. I thank them for doing it with us and express my deepest gratitude. I acknowledge that the power of all our thoughts, prayers, good vibes and good thoughts all focusing on the same end result has exponential power since we are all doing this together. Then I go into focusing on my breath and then start the visualization. We have been really good about doing this every night and I hope everyone else keeps it up. I need the help and the hope. Thank you so much for doing this with us.

I've had a lot of medical stuff going on this past week. Either Kevin or I will write a blog really soon and let you all know what is going on. I'm doing a lot better right now, so please don't worry too much.

And what would my blog be without cute kid pictures. Here are the kids in our family for Halloween.

Our nephew Miles as a puppy for Halloween. How cute?
Our nephew Drew was Tigger.
My sister, Paige was Super Woman.
Our niece Riley was a cute little white kitten.
And our niece Lauren was a pink butterfly. I love seeing them all dressed up.
Once again, thank you so much for helping Kevin and I get through this tough time by joining us at 9pm for visualization and support. It means so much to me. I really can't explain in words. I love you all for what you do for me and I have eternal gratitude for how willing you all are to help.

Love to all of you

Shannon

How Can YOU Help ME

2009-10-28T10:17:00.005-04:00

Feeling sick, but trying to smile for the camera.

My nephew Miles is getting so big. He's such a love bug.
Beautiful fall tree at the park by my mom's house.

I don't want to go into the health situation for too long because I have more important things to discuss on this blog. Well, I don't think the enzymes worked for me. Honestly, I think I was too far along to rely on enzymes removing the cancer from my body. All the fevers were not from the enzymes, but from tumors on my liver. They have doubled in size and now my liver is partially compromised. I guess liver tumors cause fevers and also cause a TON of pain when they get so large. I got a CT scan and PET scan. The PET scan showed that they were more active than before. I also have a lot of fluid in my abdominal area. It make sense, because I have lost a lot of weight from lack of appetite, but my stomach sticks out. My legs and arms are smaller though.

I started chemo last week. I don't feel like I had much of a choice. I love how many times I have gone back and forth between not doing chemo and then doing chemo. I'm taking Gemzar. I got another port because my veins are very small and I'll get the chemo often and Gemzar actually burns your veins as it goes in. HURTS. I got to experience that last week and man was it fun.

So, enough about that. Here's hoping to me getting better, liver tumors shrinking, fevers going away and fluid disappearing so I don't feel like my abdomen is trying to explode.

Now what can you do to help? Well, Kevin and I have started a 9pm ritual. So far for 5 nights we have meditated/visualized together. We lay down in silence with our eyes closed for 20 minutes. First we just focus on our breath until our minds are clear. Then, we start the visualization. We visualize the chemotherapy eating away at the tumor cells around my liver and then swooosh they get swept away to be taken out of my body. The other thing we visualize is the cancer cells right on the liver turning into healthy liver cells. Cancer cells are gray to me and the liver cells are red. I mostly vision the cancer cells there, but more like dead cells where the liver cells are very much alive. Every time my mind starts to wander I focus back on my breath and then get back into the visualization again.

Once again, how can you help?? Join us. You can stay in your home, but join us at 9pm and do the visualization with us. It has been proven that more minds don't just duplicate the power by the extra number of minds, but they exponentially increase the effectiveness. Please don't look at this and say, "Oh, that's nice. I'm sure someone is doing this for them." Don't assume someone else is doing it. I NEED your help and I am asking you for it. You don't have to do it every day, but please join as much as you can. You don't have to do the full 20 minutes either. If you have the time, please from 9pm to 9:20 focus your thoughts on my cells turning into healthy cells. Some people are into meditating, some visualization, some like to pray, either way, we all have the same goal and I think us doing it together will increase the effectiveness.

Here are some tips on visualization:

1. Make sure you are in a quiet area where you won't be disturbed

2. Set an alarm, so you don't have to worry if the time is up yet and you can focus

3. If your mind starts wandering, just let the thought lightly pass, focus on your breathing and start again.

4. ALWAYS have a positive attitude while doing this and try to internally smile.

5. If my picture doesn't work in your head, create your own picture of chemo, cancer cells and healthy liver cells

6. Think in the present moment. (VERY IMPORTANT). Think that at that moment all my cells are turning into healthy cells. If you keep thinking about it in the future it will always b in the future and will be less likely to happen

I don't really ask people for much. I get a lot of "please let me know if there is anything I can do" offers. Well, here I am taking them all up at once and I need them all. Please do your very best to help us with this as much as you can. I will have so much hope doing this knowing that I have so many of you out there helping me make this happen.

Thank you all so much

Lots of love and healthy liver cells

Shannon

New York Trip and Health Update

2009-10-19T11:43:00.012-04:00

First - All the pictures are available to view from Bras for a Cause. They are on the website.

www.brasforacuasemichigan.com

Things have been interesting lately to say the least. I've had a fever for the past 11 days straight. Before I go into that, I'll tell you about the New York trip.

On Wednesday I went to fly out to New York and my flight was cancelled because of wind. They said they couldn't get me out to New York until Saturday which was no good because Kevin and I were supposed to fly back to Michigan on Sunday. (Kevin was already out there for work and was supposed to spend Wednesday - Sunday with me). I tried Thursday and Friday to get on the 7:20 flight standby, but it didn't happen. So, three mornings in a row I woke up at 3am trying to get out to New York. I had them at least make my return flight a few days later, but unfortunately I would be in New York without Kevin. I kept thinking maybe this was a sign that I was too sick to go to New York. I went anyway (finally on Saturday)
Here is Kevin, Pat, Sue and Dave at Central Park.
Me and Kevin.
Grand Central Station. Beautiful place.
Me and Dave on the Subway.

We had an action packed Saturday. We went to Central Park, Times Square, Grand Central Station. My uncle did an amazing thing and actually got Kevin and I tickets to see Saturday Night Live filmed. Those tickets are almost impossible to get. I was so excited to go. If I could pick any show to see filmed it would be SNL. We had such an incredible time. Then we walked around Rockefeller Plaza and watched people ice skate.
Here is Kevin and I outside NBC studios after the Saturday Night Live rehearsal.
This is a cool crystal thing that hangs in Rockefeller Plaza.

The next day, we went on the Staton Island Ferry, Kevin went home and I got a really bad fever and felt like complete crap. The next day I was slightly better, but not much. My friend Dave took me to the Met and we looked at art in-between my frequent breaks to sit down because my body was so exhausted. That night Dave, Pat and I went to a comedy show at the Cellar. It was so much fun. We saw Jeff Ross, Colin Quinn, and Jim Norton. Louis CK was also there, but I don't think he ever went up on stage.

Here I am rubbing the head of the bull. It's supposed to bring you wealth. Hopefully enough to cover the cost of the enzymes I am taking. : )
I went to a Broadway show caller Superior Donuts with Dave and my friend Mark and got to see the financial district. Dave and Mark were both pretty good at understanding my energy level and were always trying to find elevators and escalators as well as places for me to sit down often. That helped a lot. That way I could still see what I wanted, but not kill myself doing it or feel bad about inconveniencing them.

This is my friend Mark. We were neighbors in college and stayed friends.
Times Square looks VERY cool at night. I don't think pictures do it justice.

Since I have gotten back I have been exhausted. I have fevers every day. My bones hurt, I get winded from standing too long, my liver hurts and just about every single night I break my fever, sweat until I wake myself in a pool of wetness, but the fever doesn't go away. I have not been myself for a long long time. It's been rough to say the least, but I have a plan. I'm going to decrease the amount of enzymes I take at a time and that should help me feel a little better. Nonetheless, I have been just plain sick of feeling sick. I've had a pretty negative attitude lately. Maybe I can vent, get it out and start focusing on the positive.

So, I created a list in a effort to get it all out and move on:

Here are some things I am SO sick of:

1. I am sick of asking Kevin to get me things and do things for me

2. I am SO sick of washing my pillow cases, sheets and comforter almost daily

3. I am sick of waking up in a pool of wetness on my side of our king sized bed, moving to the center which is dry until I wake up again and now my side and the middle is wet, then kicking Kevin out of bed and sending him to the guest room to sleep and finally waking up on his side, soaked again. I go through 3 pillows and the entire area of our king sized bed every night.

4. I am so sick of not having energy to do anything

5. I am so sick of the TV, movies on demand, everything I have DVRed, and everything on all the premium channels. I hate the TV, but have no energy to do anything else.

6. I am sick of my negative state of mind. Seems like it is one thing after another lately and I am sick of the fact that I am expecting bad things to happen to me.

7. I am sick of pain. (Bone, liver and muscle pain) A couple times a day the pain makes me take a Motrin and it drives me crazy since I am trying to DETOX my body.

I cannot just make this negative list without making some effort to force myself to focus on something positive. While writing this list I decided to write something positive about every single item I listed.

1.I am so lucky to have a husband who will be my own personal slave when it is impossible for me to take care of myself. And this is not just through a 3 day cold or anything. He's been taking care of me like this for a month now.

2. My pillowcases and sheets are getting that nice broken in soft feeling you can only get after owning them for a really long time (or when your a crazy sweaty person like myself)

3. Thank god we got a king sized bed. I am lucky to have so much space to move around and find a dry spot on my bed to sleep in so I can get back to sleep quickly.

4. I got so sick of the TV that it forced me to get a new book. I got Dan Brown's latest book and it is a page turner.

5. I have been gradually getting more energy as I have been off the supplements for a couple days. I can use this time to accomplish some things and visit with people.

6. I think my negative state of mind has hit a breaking point. I now realize it's time to get serious again about changing my thought process and expect good things to happen to myself.

7. My pain is different every day, it's not like it steadily gets worse of anything. Today I could be in terrible pain and tomorrow my body could feel like nothing happened. There is always the hope of tomorrow being a better day.

I wrote all this yesterday and I already feel a tiny bit better today. Things always have the opportunity to get better.

Take care everyone. I'll take care of myself and hopefully I'll soon be writing about my next voyage away from my house. For now, I'll just enjoy saving so much gas money by staying home all the time.

Your VERY SWEATY friend

Shannon

Been in a Real Funk Lately - New Supplements

2009-10-04T16:35:00.006-04:00

Starting off on a happy note, here are a few pictures that my dad took of the Watson family.

I think this picture is great. Roger, Edie and Lauren are so happy and Riley just started to cry. She has got to be the cutest crying baby in the world.
Here is the whole group. It was such a nice day. Keith, Kevin, me, Roger, Edie, Lauren, Kevin S., Wendy and Riley.

I have to be honest. Lately I have felt like complete crap. I'm not sure if it is due to the new supplements I am taking (hopefully that's the case) or if my body is slowly deteriorating from disease. Of course I always have my doubts.

The new supplements I am on are supposed to get rid of tumor cells and bring them out through your body meanwhile causing a lot of "toxic" symptoms. All these symptoms are supposed to be signs that it is working. You're supposed to take them for 15-20 days and then stop for 5 days to let your body detox. For 4 days straight I had a fever at night. I felt horrible. Every night I would wake up absolutely drenched in sweat. The bed would be soaked. I'd have to dry off, change and move to the other side of the bed and kick Kevin out to the other room. Along with the fever, I have aches and pains all over the body. My liver has hurt since I've started these. Sneezing, coughing, laughing breathing deep and laying on my right side all cause me pain. I feel sick to my stomach a lot. I eat way less than I used to and a lot of the time I only eat because I SHOULD and not that I WANT to. For three weeks I didn't sleep because I was taking a supplement at the wrong time of the day. That didn't help things for a while. Now, I have that on the right schedule, so sleeping is no longer and issue.

I've had a lot of bone and muscle pain. I'm weak, tired and just feel crappy all the time. I think the worst part is that I feel like I have lost my zest for life. That little spark in me you have all complimented so many times has been missing lately. I went to Chicago and didn't want to do anything except lay on the couch and watch TV. The second time I went to Chicago for more Purina media interviews I was supposed to stay longer and hang with Jessica and Joe. Instead I cut the trip completely short and went back home to my bed as soon as I could. I didn't want to admit it, but I would have stayed home for the Michigan State vs Michigan game and watched it on the couch. I am so glad we went. That was the most life I've had in me in a long time. Kevin and I were jumping up and down and screaming the whole game. Of course on the way home I slept the entire time and was pretty useless the rest of the day. Sunday I passed up tickets to the Tigers game. The possible game to put them in the playoffs. Instead I wanted to stay home. Now, I know I am still under the weather and that any normal person might have done the same thing....but not me. Normal Shannon would have gone to the game in a heartbeat.

I'm worried because on Wednesday (tomorrow) I go to New York. There are so many things (lots of them on my bucket list) that I want to do in New York. I'm worried that this funk I am in is going to make this trip no where near as great as it could be. I don't want to be wishing I could be napping while I'm in Central Park. The last couple nights I had fevers again. Woke up in a pool of sweat again. I'm on the enzymes right now, but I think I'll take a break from them while I am in New York to hopefully feel better.

I'm working on staying positive and healthy. It's hard. I'm sick of feeling sick. I know people see me with a smile on my face looking physically healthy, but inside I have been hurting lately. Here is where the positive thing kicks in. IF, this sickness I feel is due to cancer cells leaving my body....my god I will EMBRACE the pain and crappy feeling. Bring it on!! Problem is, I don't know for sure. I will try to believe that is the case and appreciate ever crappy feeling I have as it is part of my healing. I usually bounce back really quick, so maybe that is what is getting to me. This has been going on for about 4 weeks. Since the bra show. Like I said, I am sick of feeling sick.

That's all I got for now.

Oh, go to www.catchow.com/pink and upload a picture of yourself and your cat and for every photo uploaded, Purina Cat Chow will donate $1 to Susan Komen for the Cure.

Take care everyone and bare with me for a while. I miss the happy and productive me too who actually gets out, does stuff and visits people. Hopefully my old self will be back soon healthier than ever.

Lots of love and healing

Shannon

What am I doing now??? It's always changing.

2009-09-27T18:06:00.004-04:00

***If you would like to get email notifications on a blog post please email iezzzi@hotmail and let me know so I can add you to the list***

Here I am with my new treatment I am trying. 72 enzymes a day.
This is how I really feel about taking all these supplements every day at times. It gets a little old.

I left you all hanging. Before the Art Bra Show I told you how the pain that put me in the hospital was one of the tumors on my liver growing. Of course I went for CT scans, PET scans, blood work and everything was grim and gloomy. Masses were larger and my blood work went WAY up. The doc wanted me to start chemotherapy immediately. I was supposed to get a biopsy of the liver, a new port put in (this time on the other side) and I was supposed to start chemotherapy all before the art bra show. Nice huh?? I friggin HATE chemo. I can’t stand it. I’ve done WAY too much of it. If I keep at this rate I won’t die from cancer, but from too much chemo. I also was not looking forward to more surgery, biopsies etc…

So, of course I freaked out and got depressed. I was close to giving in and doing all of that in one week. Instead I started looking into more alternative things I can do. It led me to some enzymes called Solozyme and stuff called Cesium. The enzymes are pancreatic enzymes that you take in VERY large doses (like 72 a day). What they are supposed to do is break down the protective barrier on tumors and then digest up tumor masses and flush them through your bloodstream to get eliminated from your body. A doctor cured himself from pancreatic cancer with these and has cured many more once he started making these available to everyone. The Cesium alkalizes your body and is supposed to starve the cancer cells to death. That’s as medical I am getting in the blog, but I at least wanted to explain a little how I believe these could help me.

The thing with the enzymes is that as they digest up the tumor cells and they enter your bloodstream you feel like shit. Same thing with the Cesium. Tumor cells are filled with toxins, so a HUGE part of this protocol is detoxing daily with the coffee enemas. Since I already did this, it was easy for me. However, even with the coffee enema you still have a lot of toxins in your body. Let’s see, you feel achy, feverish, nauseous, irratible, tired etc etc… All these symptoms are supposed to be signs that it is working and removing cancer cells. I can honestly say that since I have been taking these, I have lost weight because I feel nauseous a lot, I have goosebumps on my arms regularly and I’m always cold, I am SO achy and I am tired all the time. I think about taking naps a lot and I am NOT a nap person. I’ll deal with this feeling all the time if it means I am ridding myself of tumor cells though.

Why is chemo not the cure??? Well, I talked to multiple oncologists about my situation and I got a certain vibe. The vibe was that I was not expected to live long even with the chemo. If that is the case, screw the chemo. Chemo is not a cure anyways. Maybe I can try something natural that actually has been a cure to so many.

Anyway, no friggin chemo for me. That’s the plan for now. Like I have said before, I will keep trying and trying until I find the magic combination that will make me completely healthy and cancer free.

Anyway, we all have our opinions. I respect everyone’s opinion, but only I get to decide what I do and no one else. It’s my life and my body so that means I am the head honcho. I call all the shots.

I’ll keep you all posted on how things go, but we have to give it time. Glasses up and let’s toast to health. AND to the LIONS!! Holy crap!! They won finally!!! Can you believe it!

Bras for a Cause - BIG SUCCESS

2009-09-21T10:15:00.008-04:00

The First Annual Bras for a Cause Show Was a Complete Success.

Myself, Michael Radner, and Sarah Angelini.

We had Shutterbooth there. Here I am with my sister and brother in law right before I had to do my speech.
See in my hands is my speech rolled up.
I love this booth. It's so fun.
Think we'll have a photo booth next year too.

It’s funny when I think back to the day I walked into the executive director of Gilda’s Club’s office and introduced myself as a new member. I first mentioned that I would like to start a group for young women with breast cancer. Then I started to tell him about a fundraiser I would like to plan for them that I think would raise a lot of money. I knew at the time I was the only one who could see it the way I did. The amazing thing is, when I was up there on stage the night of Bras for a Cause, I realized the night was everything I had imagined in my head. And I'm a big dreamer too.

I remember saying confidently that I could sell 300 tickets to this show. We ended up selling 530 tickets. I also remember saying with confidence that I could raise $25,000 with this fundraiser. Once I started crunching numbers in my head I realized 25,000 was too easy of a target for me, so I doubled it. It’s after the show and I have crunched the numbers and we have raised $50,000. How amazing is that????? I need to have this kind of determination with being healthy, because I think a determined mind can accomplish anything.

I am so proud of myself, the committee, the models, my family and friends. It’s amazing planning fundraisers, because you meet so many people who are good deed doers. I met so many generous people willing to help. We had incredible programs, auction items, amazing art bras, models, vendors and great food. Everything was wonderful.

I was running around like crazy and hiding back stage with my uncle trying to get the nerve up to go on stage and thank everyone. I was so nervous going on stage that it started to interfere with my enjoyment of the night. My fingers went numb before I walked out there and I thought I was going to throw up. When I went out there I held my uncle in a hug and asked him to stay up there with me. That helped. Once I started talking everything was fine though and I was able to thank everyone appropriately. Then, afterwards I was able to take a deep breath out and enjoy the night.

Everyone said I didn't seem nervous on stage. I was actually fine once I was out there. Think the torture was getting ready to go out there and the anticipation.

Kevin bringing back our live auction art bras. "Bee Cups" and "Living Life to the Fullest"

We learned a lot this first year, but for a first year event I don’t think we could have done better. Our biggest shortcoming was that we sold way more tickets than expected and we didn’t have quite enough food for everyone. Please feel free to post as many comments as you would like on the blog and we'll take them all into consideration. Tell us what you liked and what we can improve on.

Here are some of the best compliments we got

“No first year event goes that smooth.” Manager of Royal Oak Music Theatre

“You know it’s a good event when the crazy people start buying tickets” Royal Oak Music Theatre’s box office

Other’s told me they haven’t felt that good in a long time and were truly inspired. That makes me feel so good, that we not only raised a ton of money, but we held an inspirational event.

Nancy Armstrong, myself and Alyson Thrift (3 Rack Pack and committee members) getting everything ready for the show at Royal Oak Music Theatre.

The marquee the day of the show.

The most important thing to me was that the models enjoyed themselves. They loved it. They loved being models and they loved the event and meeting each other. That was probably one of the most important things to me was that survivors enjoyed this event and it made them feel good. That’s what it’s all about for me. We deserve that day where we can just feel good about being a survivor and enjoy it with everyone.

Very soon I will be getting all the professional pictures my dad took of the night. Once I get those, I will post a photo album with all the pictures on the website.

Lastly, if you were a volunteer and have the pink lanyard we gave you, we are trying to collect them all back. Please contact me and we'll figure out a way to get them back.

Thank you everyone for your involvement in Bras for a Cause and for your support. I am truly so proud of all of us.

Lots of love

Shannon

Uh oh. We know what the pain was.

2009-09-03T14:09:00.008-04:00

Well, I think we figured out what cause the pain that sent me to the emergency room in London. It was what I feared...progress in terms of the tumor on my liver. That one stupid tumor that was not responding to hormone therapy while the rest of them were keeping still or even shrinking. The liver tumor is growing. The ultrasound confirmed. Where it is growing there are a bunch of nerves, so something could have aggravated it and caused the pain. The pain has also come back. Not to the point where it hurts as bad as in London, but it hurts. I really don't care about the actual physical pain. I'd deal with the pain for the rest of my life if I could trade in what the pain meant. That's what's screwing with my mind.

My blood tumor markers are also going crazy which completes all the clues we are looking for to determine that my cancer is no longer idly sitting in my body, but starting to grow again. They went from 440 to about 880. Scary.

Of course I freaked out. Kevin was at the airport getting ready for a nice boys trip to Vegas with some Austin friends and I called him hysterical. Remind anyone of anything???? If you've read my blog back in the day you'll remember when I was re diagnosed, Kevin was on his way to the airport for a Vegas bachelor party and I called him to tell him the cancer spread all over my body and that they said I wouldn't live more than two years. Of course he skipped his trip and I forever felt guilty because he missed his Vegas bachelor party. So, this time I got my shit together and told him to GO and have fun. I should have just told him when he got back, but I can't help it, he's my emotional dumping ground and he plays the part well. He's always been there for me and I know he will always have my back no matter what. He keeps me sane for the rest of the world.

I feel for Kevin. This affects him almost as much as it affects me. I get so caught up in my own fear and sadness that I have no room left to feel sorry for him or worry about how he is feeling. Then, I get all the sympathy from everyone and Kevin I think comes up shorthanded. I can't imagine what this is like for him. I know he wants to make things better for me, but what can he do??? That has to be difficult to deal with.

Medically, what the hell am I going to do?????? Well, I am considering getting the ovaries out which is more effective hormone therapy than what I am currently doing. I manage no hormones pretty well, so I think it should be a pretty doable adjustment. However, now that things are looking a little worse, I have more to consider. I got a CT scan today and I get a PET scan tomorrow. What we're looking to see is if disease in other spots are progressing or just this one liver met. If it's just the one, we might consider RFA (ablation - sort of a surgery to remove the one non-hormone therapy tumor) If there are more spots then I think my doc is going to start speaking the dreaded word chemotherapy. I'm getting a little ahead of myself. We have two major tests to consider, but I've been down this road a few times and kind of know the plan. I pretty much know what my oncologist is going to say and suggest before we make an actual decision. We plan multiple courses of action for each possible way things turn out during every appointment, so we have a plan ahead of time. I'm just very resistant to the chemotherapy plan she always suggests.

Anyway, not a good day for me. I also have to stop getting tests done at Troy Beaumont. It's so close and convenient, but also the hospital my grandpa Joe died in. Every time I walk down that long hallway I remember the countless times I walked down there just hoping for a miracle. I walk past area D where I went up to his intensive care floor and I get immediately choked up. I remember my family hanging out in the lobby with my little sister trying to keep her occupied so she stops asking to see Pupa because it would be much too traumatic for a 4 year old. Honestly, I decided I will start making the drive out to Royal Oak for all appointments so I stop remembering that time. Guess it didn't help having that memory followed by the phone call to tell me my tumor marker results. It set me over.

Wow is this a depressing blog. Sorry. A girl's got to vent and Kevin's on his way to Vegas.
Here's the deal. I get bad news and I'm very traumatized and sad for one day. Usually by the next day I've gotten my head together and I can move on. That's usually when I write in the journal. So, today, you get traumatized, sad, scared Shannon rather than, day after already thinking positive Shannon.

It's a beautiful day and I'm going to do some gardening. Maybe that will take my mind off things. Or, I could just let Chloe keep sleeping on me and take a nap myself.

On a completely opposite note to try to end this happily...........
The Bras for a Cause show is coming along great. It's a welcomed distraction. Saturday September 12th. Come and see what we've worked so hard on for a year. I'll even get up on stage for 5 minutes to talk since I'm the president. I'd love for all you readers and supporters to come.
http://www.brasforacausemichigan.com/

Check out some of these pictures we took of the planning committee for the program. They got funnier as we kept trying to get a good one. These are some of the people that are making this show happen. (as well as my uncle, my mom, my grandma...my family and a lot more people as well)
This is your Bras for a Cause Planning Committee.

Then we broke into the art bra selection and all picked one to wear.

Kevin cracks me up. Never worried about his masculinity.

See, there's always something to smile about.

I promise I'll tell you all about the socialized health care in London and my experience in a blog soon. Might be after the bra show. And of course I'll tell you what the CT and PET scan says as well as what route we go to get me back to healthy. You all know I'm a trooper, so please don't worry too much. Things will be turning for the better in no time.

Your determined to be positive friend

Shannon

I Went to the Emergency Room in London

2009-08-16T21:48:00.009-04:00

I'm back from a long 11 day vacation in London and Ireland. We did so much and saw so much, I couldn't possibly cover it all in here. So, I am not writing about the trip part at all (in this blog entry, more to come). Instead I am going to tell you about my experience in the ER in London.

Yes, I went to the ER in London. It all started the second day of our trip. Yep, right as this picture was being taken, I was realizing that I needed to go to the emergency room I was in so much pain.

Here is me after our 24 hour stay in the ER. I'm totally high on pain pills and I look spent, which I was. Want the story........????? Read on.

We were in the British Museum looking at some old Greek statues and Egyptian tombs and drawings when all of a sudden I got the sharpest stabbing pain right under my lower ribcage on the right side. Kevin noticed and I tried to shake it off. It happened about 4 more times but went away. Then we went to a lunch and it started hurting again, but this time the pain wouldn't let up. It was constant. I was in so much pain I could barely focus. Standing, sitting, walking, it didn't matter I was in pain. After trying to cover it up for a while from the other couples hoping not to rain any of the fun we were having I had to give in and go back to the hotel with Kevin.

Frantically we tried to figure out what to do. I could barely walk, the pain had me in such agony (and I have a high tolerance to pain). How do you go to the hospital in another country? How does insurance work???? How much will this cost us??? It was bad. If I was giving in and going to the hospital in another country it was bad.

Luckily in London they have socialized health care. It's free. All you have to do is write your name and address. No ID, no insurance card, copays, deductibles and pages and pages of stupid forms to fill out with the same info on each page.

We were seen within an hour. They drew blood and said it looked fine. That helped us rule out appendicitis since there would be signs of infection. The liver is located exactly where the pain was so I was very worried about something being wrong with my liver especially after the last scan showed increased tumor activity there. My liver enzymes were just fine though. The doctor told me I must have pulled a muscle working out in the morning. I had to stop myself from jumping across the table and slapping him on the face for suggesting such a thing. Still, he sent me back to the hotel with some heavy pain meds and told me to wait it out.

Then, we got an email from one of my oncologists suggesting that it could be a blood clot in the lungs. We did some research and realized if that were the case I could easily die from it if we didn't do something. We also looked at the fact that I was such a high risk person to get a clot. Being diagnosed with cancer, the hormone therapy I am on, the fact that I was on a 10 hour flight, and I also have a genetic condition that makes me more prone to clot. .....and off we rushed back to the hospital.

This time they took us very seriously and I think agreed that it could very well be a blood clot. Unfortunately the only way they could really tell was by getting a CT scan which couldn't be done until the next day. They wouldn't let me leave since it could be a clot and that was so dangerous. So we got to sit in the emergency room from 1am till 3am in the morning after a Saturday night while all the drunk people from the bars came in puking their guts out from drinking too much, getting their stomachs pumped, and there was a guy with his face bashed in from a bar fight crying. Honestly, Kevin and I listened to people puke all night.

Finally they transferred me to the overnight unit where there were more people puking. We barely slept. They would wake me up every 45 minuted to check vitals just as I was starting to fall asleep. I got a blood thinner shot just in case and they barely woke me up to give it to me. WTF?? It totally freaked me out. Then I woke up to about 7 doctors surrounding my bed. They talked about what was going on and my upcoming CT scan. I finally had it done by 11am and then we sat and sat and sat. It was a beautiful day outside and I was REALLY starting to feel guilty. Here Kevin works his ass off all year to get this trip and then of course I have to make it all about me and get sent to the emergency room, so we can't even enjoy our time in London. The rest of the crew we were with were watching the changing of the guards and touring Buckingham palace. Kevin never made me feel bad. I just did it to myself.

Finally someone came in except they told me the doctor who was going to read my CT scan wouldn't be in until 5pm. And then I started to cry telling them I just wanted to leave and I wanted to be on vacation. The tears worked. Within 30 minuted another doctor told me he didn't see a clot and I was free to leave without worrying about dropping dead any minute. We still were clueless, but have finally ruled out everything life threatening.

We went back one more time before we left for Ireland to get my blood work done because the pain had not stopped the last 4 days in London. I basically just walked around with my head in a cloud on those Codeine pills they gave me. It was quite the experience as well, but that's for another blog. Anyway, we were checking my liver function to see if anything changed (well to see if it is still working). It checked out fine. The doctor that night thought it was possibly an ovarian cyst that burst. The pain is much higher than where my ovary is, but I guess the pain can radiate up really high. He wanted me to stay and get an ultrasound, but it was too late and we had to fly out to Ireland.

Don't worry, the ER didn't ruin the trip and neither did the pain. I'm a tough girl, so I dealt with it the entire time and was still able to focus on all the awesome times in London.

Afterwards we went to the London Eye.

I saw the Tower Bridge which was my absolute favorite. The actual London Bridge is just a plain concrete bridge. Funny huh??
We walked miles and miles every day.

Half of our time was spent navigating the tubes or the "underground". Thank god we had navigator Kevin who had lived in London for 4 months during college. These are the other couples that were with us. Matt and Carrie Koster and Nick and Kelly Miotke.

Rick Kidd joined us a couple days in. Here we are making the long hike to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral. It was soooooo cool.
On the tube again. The happy group. This was before the ER.
This is me and Kevin on the London Eye. It was cool. Rather than a seat, we were in this big bubble room that fit 20 people to go around. You could see everything from here.
The group on the eye of London wheel.
I'll write a blog about London, one about Dublin and the I will write one comparing the differences between the socialized medical system they had in London to our system here in the states. It was an interesting experience.

I've since had a ultrasound back here at Beaumont in Michigan. Nothing showed up, but it it was an ovarian cyst that burst it probably would have been absorbed before I had this test anyway. We might never know what caused it and that will drive me crazy. Where is Dr. House when you need him. I was all messed up on the pills in the hospital telling them that I bet he could figure out what was wrong with me. This was by hour 22 in the hospital.

The pain is much better now and I barely notice it.

Anyway, that's my ER in London story. Never a dull moment.

Peace and love and pills

Shannon

Upload your Kitty picture for Purina and raise money for Komen

2009-07-28T18:30:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone,

I was just contacted by the Purina people and told we are doing more Purina Cat promotion stuff September 30th in Chicago (ready for 2 visits in one month Jessica and Joe??)

I think we were supposed to go to New York, but now we're going to Chicago, which is fine with me. This time I think I get to choose if Chloe travels with me and I think I might let her stay home in peace. She's not a huge fan of changes of scenery.

Anyway, they sent me the link www.catchow.com/pink where my story is as well as Missy and Lara's story (the two wonderful survivors I was able to meet for the filming.) You've probably already seen mine, but their stories are really good.

Purina wants people to post a picture of themselves with their cat (no need to be a survivor, just a cat lover) and for every picture posted they will donate $1 to Komen. So why not throw up your picture on the site? I want to go on there and see some familiar faces. Once you post a picture, leave a comment on the blog, so then we can search by name and see you. You can see mine on there.

Let's raise some money for Komen by uploading a picture. Get going!!!

I have to get going to the Dave Matthews Band Concert. : )

- Enjoying summer - Shannon

Bras for a Cause - Tickets on Sale Today!!!

2009-07-16T10:24:00.015-04:00

http://www.brasforacausemichigan.com/

Check out our latest Art Bra made by Johs from Brown Dog Welding (who will also be selling art at the show). This bra is amazing.

To say I have been busy would be an understatement. I have been planning and recruiting and calling and emailing and selling and organizing and sewing all for the big fundraiser we are holding for Gilda's Club Metro Detroit. The event is called Bras for a Cause (as you can see with our super cool logo)

I've poured my heart and soul into this event. It means so much to me since Gilda's Club has been a place of support to me since I moved back to Michigan re diagnosed with stage IV cancer, completely bald, in the middle of chemotherapy and all alone with no other survivor friends. I was able to walk into Gilda's Club and see a bunch of faces who understood what it was like to be in my shoes. Their services are completely free to all members, and they rely on people like us to be generous to keep them going.

Here are the event specifics:

Bras for a Cause benefiting Gildas Glub

Royal Oak Music Theatre ***TICKETS ON SALE TODAY 3p.m.***

Saturday September 12th 6-10pm
Art bra fashion show (with survivor models)/silent and live auction/food/drinks/music and fun

Hosted by Dave Coulier of Full House
TICKETS ONLY $35 ($40 DAY OF EVENT)

Tickets available from any consignment seller or from the Royal Oak Music Theatre box office
http://www.romtlive.com/
800-919-6272
318 West 4th Street
Royal Oak, MI 48067

Consignment sellers:
(****ALL TICKETS PURCHASED FROM CONSIGNMENT SELLERS OR PHYSICALLY AT THE BOX OFFICE AVOID ALL SERVICE CHARGES****)

Gilda's Club Metro Detroit

3517 Rochester Rd
Royal Oak, MI 48073
248-577-0800

A Woman's Image

43273 Garfield Rd
Clinton Township, MI 48038
586-286-1277

Individual Consignment sellers:
Shannon Watson
Kevin Watson
Sara Angelini
Catie Hormel
Nancy Armstrong
Edie Watson
Alyson Thrift
Karen Coulier

You can also donate online to the event at

http://www.firstgiving.com/brasforacausemichigan

Join us on Facebook Facebook Group:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=94471492004&ref=search#/group.php?gid=102370210669

Facebook Event: (To RSVP for event)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102370210669#/event.php?eid=94471492004&ref=search

This is my MSU bra I created. I am hoping some U0fM grad takes it upon themselves to make a UofM art bra. We shall see.

My old manager, Mark Engelhardt made this Spartan Head made of copper. MSU is representing in this Art Bra Show.

Hope to see you all there!!!!!! I'll be speaking up on stage. That might be worth the ticket itself.

Shannon : )

Kevin and I are going to London and Dublin soon. Soooo excited. We leave August 6th!!!!

PET Scan Results

2009-07-12T07:40:00.007-04:00

We got a Picture of Kevin and I. Finally.
Well, My PET scan results came back Friday and I learned a few things.

First, that my mind is a powerful thing.

Second, that the hormone therapy I am on, Femara, can cause pain especially in the bones

Third, that I am not supposed to die soon, like I have been thinking in the back of my head where that evil little part of my brain lives

On Friday my doctor called me and I frantically dropped my sister's call to switch over and get the news before the weekend. I first ask her the overall impression of my scan before we get into specifics. That way, I can pay attention to her details before I'm trying to figure out if the cancer has spread like wildfire through my body as she talks about one detail at a time. All in all she said she was pleased with the results. As the weight of the WORLD seemed to slip off my shoulders, I asked for the details.

I had just started feeling some painful spots on my spine I was very concerned about. Every time I have a scan I start aching all over my body pinpointing where possible new tumors could have grown. I do have a couple active spots on my spine(not masses, but just where there is possible cancer activity), but we have known about those for a while and they never had pain. Like I said, there is no hiding from PET scans. They show where tumors could form before it even happens. Anyway the point is that there were no NEW spots on my spine and the old ones are actually doing less than they were before which is great. The glucose uptake is half what it was the last time I had a PET scan. There was absolutely no activity on these new sights of pain on my spine I have been noticing.

My liver had developed new spots a few months ago at my last imaging. We don't really know when these appeared because they were found on an ultrasound and not CT scan which might have missed them a few months before that. (did they appear before or after my last CT scan we will always wonder) The hormone therapy can sometimes cause growth first and then actually start working, so those new spots could have been a result of starting hormone therapy. Anyway, those spots were still there but they were less active too. Once again the large (original) liver masses have shrunk and decreased in activity significantly.

But this good news has to come with a drawback. There is one spot on the right side of my liver that is very active. I don't know why everything else can be less active and smaller except one mass. My doctor said you can sometimes get a mixed response from treatment. Of course the next night of sleep, when I usually feel and focus on all of my pains, I didn't notice the spine pain anymore, but right side of my abdomen hurt right where my liver is. The mind is a VERY powerful thing and mine seems to have a tight grasp on me lately.

I know a lot of the pain is in my head. I am ALWAYS focusing on it at night when I lay there trying to fall asleep.

Femara (my hormone therapy that gets rid of estrogen in my body) causes bone pain. Zomeda to help my bones grow also causes bone pain. It's nice to know this so I don't always have to think "TUMOR!!" when I have a pain in my bones. I try to tell myself this all the time, but it's hard when you are having aches all the time.

All in all I am happy with my PET scan results. I really slacked on the whole health regimen for a while when my grandpa was in the hospital and everything. I am getting back on track now. Back to the juicing, sprouts, enemas, supplements, sauna and exercising and all all the other stuff. The physical stuff is easy. What I really need to start focusing on is my mental health. Kevin has told me I have been pretty negative lately (I think I've improved since I got my results). I've been worried about my health a lot lately with really bad expectations. That negative thinking goes against everything I try to focus on mentally. It's hard to change though. Fear is a powerful emotion. I'm ready to stop living in fear and focus on what I can control. What am I doing worrying??? Accomplishes nothing and makes life suck while I'm doing it. Someone needs to slap me in the face and say snap out of it. I need to get a grip on my mind and release the grip it has on me. Good test results can help with that so I will start from there.

Here's to more stability in my life. Thank you a for listening. Another PET scan, and yet again some results I am happy with.

Shannon

Married to Kevin for 2 years

2009-07-08T20:29:00.011-04:00

A little birdie told me I was WAY overdue for a blog. The birdie was right. Sorry I have been M.I.A. everyone.

I think everyone should buy bulbs in the fall and watch flowers like these come up in the summer for a beautiful surprise. I was so excited when these bloomed.

Kevin and I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past Monday July 6th. 2 years married already!! It's been an incredible two years jam packed with adventures. Our marriage has been tested, tried, and celebrated. We have grown ever stronger through the good times and the bad......I'm leading into a trip down memory lane...........

Over our two years of marriage (NOT IN ORDER):
I've done a combined 18 month of chemotherapy (9 months of Taxol, 3 months of Xeloda, and 6 months of the clinical trial on the Parp Inhibitor flying back and forth to MD Anderson in Houston every month)
I've now done 4 months of hormone therapy
I had my port put in (right after the honeymoon)
And then I had the infected port removed that was the worst infected port my surgeon has ever seen who surgically removes them for a living.
I let Kevin fill the flaming red infected wound with gauze. I think that was enough to test our marriage alone.
On to better memories; we went to a honeymoon in St Lucia, New Orleans twice, Chicago Twice, Boyne Mountain, Cedar Point, the Grand Canyon, Sedona and other beautiful places in Arizona
We sold our house in Austin
We moved to Michigan into an absolutely beautiful house
Had a nephew and niece born
I completed the 3 week course at Hippocrates Health Institute
I passed my two year since diagnosis mark
We went skydiving
My Honda Died
We got a new JEEP Liberty
We realized that we are crazy about the card game UNO and we love UNO tournaments
We got through the tragic death of my grandfather
Kevin won a trip to Ireland and we added on a 5 day stay to London (going this August)
We've been planning a HUGE fundraiser for Gilda's Club (more info coming soon)
We finally got an HDTV and had a T.V. tech upgrade (then we bought another HDTV)
I built a beautiful relaxing garden.

Oh, we have done a lot. I love Kevin more today than I did yesterday. We had an incredible anniversary day. We rode our bikes up to Spencer park and went swimming in the lake. The lake was warm and clean. The scene there was beautiful. Then we got home and watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Yep, that's how much Kevin loves me. He watches Harry Potter movies with me. He knows how excited I am for the 6th movie to come out. Kevin knows me and loves me exactly as I am (including all my baggage and mental issues). I love him unconditionally as well. I am proud to say he is my husband.

Anyway, I'll leave you all with a health update for myself. My blood test this past month went up some. That's not good, but my doctor wasn't worried because it wasn't that high. I do have a PET scan tomorrow and naturally I am having aches and pains all over my body. I honestly have forgotten what it is like to have aches and pains on your body and not conclude that it could be a tumor growing somewhere. Sad huh? I'm hoping it's my nerves though. I really hate getting PET scans. You can't hide anything from them. If there is active cancer, the PET scan will find it and expose you.

Wish me luck and I'll be blogging again soon
Lots of love
Shannon

I realized while putting pictures on this post that we don't have many pictures of the two of us that are recent. That will be my goal for the next month.

Of course I took a Chloe picture. Here, she's about to try and jump through the screen to get a bird.

Here is Kevin, my little sister Paige and Chloe relaxing.

Okay, bye

Love to Grandpa Joe

2009-06-18T15:31:00.010-04:00

(that's me as a kid at Cedar Point with my Grandpa Joe)
No I have not gone missing and no I am not done blogging.

My last entry I told you about my grandfather's health problems.

My grandpa Joe was about the healthiest 80 year old man anyone's ever known. He had a gall stone blockage about a month ago that we took him into the hospital to have it removed. Unfortunately from there things spiraled out of control and went downhill fast. I have an empty pit in my stomach and it causes me so much heartache to say that he passed two Saturdays ago.

Grandpa Joe was always someone I was excited to see. You couldn't help but smile when he talked to you. He could do anything and would do anything for anyone. I always told Kevin he was where I got my strength from. He was also where I got my incredible skin color and tone from. I never had to worry about getting sunburns my whole life because I had his nice olive italian skin color.

Look at this guy. I don't think you could have a cooler gramdpa if you tried. He was tan year round.
One week before he first went to the hospital he was laying cement. Yes, he still worked part time at 80 and he was a cement worker. It wasn't until his funeral that a lot of us realized that the other men he worked with were all in their 30s and 40s. I always thought he was laying cement with a crew of old guys for some reason. When Kevin and I moved into our new house in Michigan, Grandpa Joe along with the help of my dad and my cousin Mark painted my house in under two days. It was amazing. I couldn't pick out colors fast enough to keep up with them. My dad was saying that grandpa Joe was always telling him that he takes too many breaks and paints too slow.

I am completely heartbroken and so is my family. I don't think I have cried more about anything in my life honestly. This took my family completely by surprise. We all assumed the first surgery would go so easily and he would be back to work and the racetrack in no time. One surgery turned into another that turned into one complication after another. His liver stopped working, his kidneys failed, his blood pressure dropped, his heart rate spiked, he got a stomach ulcer and on and on it went. I practically lived at the hospital the whole month with the rest of my family.

The hardest part was watching him go through it all suffering. He was unconscious for almost a week. We took him off the respirator one day and he started breathing on his own again. Then the next day he became conscious again and would look at us when we talked to him. We were all able to talk to him knowing he could hear us. We all told him how much we loved him. My dad assured him we would take wonderful care of my grandmother. I asked if he felt comfortable and he nodded yes. Not long after that he died with his whole family at his bedside.

My grandmother is always wondering why this happened. How it happened. Was there a way to prevent it from happening by forcing him to go to the doctor sooner and making them test his blood against his will. (like most grandfathers he was very against going to the doctor). I keep telling her this is the way Grandpa Joe would have wanted things. He would never want to get diagnosed with something like liver disease and be on treatments. He never wanted his blood drawn. He never wanted to walk with a cane or need help from anyone. He LIVED FULLY during his 80 years of life, never taking time off to be sick or disabled.

If wealth is judged by how deeply people love you, he is one of the wealthiest men in the world.

We all love you Grandpa Joe and miss you more than anything.

Shannon

It's been 2 years and I'M STILL ALIVE!!!!!!!

2009-06-06T11:11:00.008-04:00

June 6th came and went and I'm sure you were all waiting for my blog entry. I had one in the works, but was completely sidetracked by my grandfather's illness. My grandpa Joe who is one of the strongest men I have known in my life is really sick in the hospital. It all started with gall stone blockage in a bile duct that probably went too long for an 80 year old man. After the procedures to remove the stone, things started to go downhill quickly. Blood pressure dropped, liver stopped working, heart rate spiked, he got a bleeding ulcer, and the his kidneys failed. I have been living in heartache at the hospital for quite some time. Please pray or send your good vibes to us (whatever your thing is). This is very difficult for me. I asked Kevin about my blog and what I should do. I has a post ready to publish with pictures and everything, but it felt too positive to post considering how I have been feeling. Then again, June 6th came and I'm sure some of you want to know how it felt to have that day come and go. This post is for all of you. I promise I won't drop off from the blog, but you have to bear with me through these VERY difficult times.

Here is the blog I wrote a while ago.....

Well we've been waiting for it. No one has been waiting for it as much as I have. Kevin is a close runner up though. It's been two years since my re-diagnosis and I am still alive. Two years since I was told I had 12 to 24 months to live and I am up and running (literally). Life is great. I feel great. This morning I went over what I was grateful for and of course I mentioned that I was grateful I was alive, grateful for the fact that my body is functioning on this beautiful June morning.

Then I called my dad and wished him a Very Happy Birthday and then I went on to begin the celebration for myself still being alive on the last day I was supposed to have to live if things went well with my prognosis. Guess things have gone really well.

Still this day was emotional. Of course I cried. (I seem to cry about everything now. Cancer made me emotional) I cried because I was scared that my next blood test would be bad and I would feel a fool for celebrating. Then I started doubting the fact that I should celebrate this day. What if one month from now I die from cancer??? Is it really that great that I survived the two years and had an extra month??? I was sad that I didn't have this huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I don't know what I expected to have happen.

Once I got myself together though and started thinking right. I knew this day wasn't going to erase all my doubt. Really this day passing gave me the opportunity to stop obsessing about a prognosis I got. One less thing to have on the negative side of my brain. I knew it would be an emotional day and it was. Anyway, the rest of the day was great. We had some family and friends over to help celebrate. I got some gifts even and man do they all know me well. Whole Foods gift cards and book gift cards to feed my reading habit.

As you can see from these pictures I went skydiving this past weekend. It was amazing. Nothing like the feeling when you're about to jump looking out the plane. If you look closely you can see my friend Todd in the plane getting ready to jump next. We went as a birthday present to ourselves with Kevin and my cousin Luc.

We did a front flip out of the plane. I liked free falling upside down.

It is so cold up there. We jumped from 14,000 feet. The air was ice cold, but it didn't really matter. The free fall lasted a long 60 seconds.

We came in for a perfect landing (Kevin, not so much). My ears were popping, but I had so much fun and want to go again. I am such an adrenaline junkie.

I recommend skydiving to anyone who loves a thrill.

Right after that we went to Cedar Point with my brother Taylor and my sister Marina for another action packed day of rollercoasters. Man did I have a great weekend.

Since I wrote this blog obviously things have gone bad with my grandpa Joe. I did get my blood tested for the tumor markers and I am in fact doing good. It went down over 30 points. That was great news and what I am doing combined with hormone therapy seems to be working. Life sure has its ups and downs.

Shannon

I Plan Ahead

2009-05-20T16:36:00.013-04:00

This is why I haven't wrote a blog in a while. I have been outside for a week straight making this garden. Good thing I have nice Italian skin or I would be burnt to a crisp instead of being golden brown. I'm working backwards with the pictures to have the pretty picture at the top. Finished product.
Here it is with the walls built, stone pavers in, dirt in and everything. My Uncle Danny came up with the design and helped get it all together. I did a lot of work on the soil after this. Added garden soil, peat moss, fertilizer and humus, I aerated it and I added some potting soil too. I'm hoping it's good enough for all my plants to grow.

This part sucked. Digging up sod is a nightmare. I had to call my brother Connor and Kevin to come and rescue me or it would have never gotten done. The sod was all wet and really heavy. I had some major back pains after this part.

This is what we started with. You can see the outline of where we didn't mow the lawn.

Here are all my veggie and fruit plants that were barely hanging on waiting for me to get the garden ready and plant them. ******HUGE gardening tip: Meijer of all places has a TON of organic veggie and fruit plants. Whole Foods does as well. They have blackberry, raspberry and blueberry plants too (which I got all of the above) I looked for organic plants at English Gardens, Bordines and Home Depot and nothing. Remember if the plants you buy are not organic, they have probably already been sprayed. Still better to buy those and not spray them any more than to buy conventional stuff at the market.

Blog Time........

If you have been with me from the beginning (or even from my second diagnosis) you might remember a lot of my history. You might remember the Caringbridge site I used to post everything on (and get a lot more comments). You might remember when I first started to drink green juice or when I started taking wheatgrass shots. You might remember when I finally mustered up the courage to write about my re-diagnosis and the very POOR prognosis I was given. If you remember all of that you might also remember when I finally opened up to all of you about my fear of an early death and how it can get the best of me at times. I wrote about my experience with all my laundry detergent when I broke down crying about my fear that I might not live to see the end of it because I had so darn much of it.

For a while I went about my life like that. Afraid to make any plans to far out in the future. I was afraid to plan a trip without travelers insurance. I would buy summer clothes in the winter and wonder if I would be around to actually wear them. I was afraid to buy or plan anything that wouldn't be used up for all of its value in the next year. I would plan the Bras for a Cause show wondering if I would live to see all the hard work I did. "Would all this work be worth it if I'm not there to see it into fruition?"

I knew the way I was thinking was unhealthy for me and well just plain depressing and miserable. So, I started to rebel against that way of thinking. I'm not sure I completely changed the way I thought yet, but I was changing my actions to go against such a terrible way of thinking. I went out and bought the biggest container of natural laundry detergent I could find (actually I bought two). I started buying summer sandals and all types of clothes a couple seasons off. Kevin had a time when he really thought I was crazy obsessed with shopping and I was causing us to have a lot less money because of it. Honestly though, it was my way of dealing with my mortality fears. I never bought clothes for the season I was in, I bought clothes for the next season coming or the next. You should see the stock of summer dresses I am so excited to wear. (MD Anderson trips to Houston with some great shopping and a lot of mortality issues going on in my head because they treat me like I was just trying to gain an additional 6 months of life on the trial)

June 6th 2007, one month before my beautiful wedding to Kevin, I was told my breast cancer metastasized and the average person with my diagnosis would live 12 to 24 MONTHS!! Yes, it was such a short time, they told me in months instead of years. I'm sure with your quick math you are realizing that all I have to do is hold on for a couple more weeks and I can be one of those people that tells their story saying how according to the doctors, they should be dead by now and instead they feel great.

I tried and tried to stop thinking about this date. For a while now I have honestly believed in my heart of hearts that there is no doubt I would live to see this day (which is also my dad's birthday). Even though I knew this was the case, I still cannot wait to have that day pass. I cannot wait to get it out of my head so I no longer count any days and just stick to living every day the best I can with nothing looming over my head.

I plan ahead now (even before June 6th 2009). I planted tulip and other flower bulbs last fall wondering the same thing I do about everything...."Will I live to see it??" Guess what...I lived to see them bloom. This fall I am going to plant more bulbs especially in the new garden I built this past week. Perennial bulbs everywhere. Kevin and I are going to plan vacations without travelers insurance. I'm getting a new car (since my old Honda died) with a 5 year loan. The Bras for a Cause show is this September 12th and I already have my outfit picked out for it.

I know I am already on the right track in the way I think, but it will be really nice to have June 6th pass so then I can give the day back to my dad and have the only signifigance of that day be his birthday. I'm not sure if I went back in time and knew that the prognosis I would be given would cause me such duress if I would have changed the fact that I asked for it. I am one of those "I have to know...give it to me doc" kind of people. Then again, I am a determined, resourceful, smart, healthy, happy, will never give up kind of person who LOVES to beat the odds because I know I am special. Glad that this will soon be behind me and that the future is unknown.

Shannon

Shannon and Chloe Purina Video Debut

2009-05-11T18:18:00.016-04:00

Hey all,

This is a picture of me getting bamboo towels from my Grandma and mother for my birthday. They are so soft. (more on this at the bottom of the blog. Mini health lesson below)
The debut of the Chloe Purina Cat Chow video is coming, but I got a sneak peek...so of course all of you get one too. I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. I've been burned by media before (interviewing you for over an hour and then only telling 2 minutes of your story can really skew things if that is what they want) For this 2 minute video there were hours of video footage, so I was really hoping that when it was pieced together it was a true example of me, Chloe and our story.

Chloe does look a little fat with the way I am holding her in the video. I had to explain to her that the camera adds about 10 lbs. : ) No really, she just has so much fur that she looks way bigger than she really is. There's just an 8lb skinny kitty underneath all that hair. I can tell I look made up more than usual, but it doesn't look like nearly as much makeup they actually put on me so that's good. Every time I watch, I want to go in the video and rub off all the makeup from my face though.

The video is a little sappier than I am used to. The music in the background almost made me get a little sentimental. I guess that's what they're trying to do; pull at your heartstrings. Anyway, I think the video is great and I proudly share it with you. Thank you Jennifer and Jennifer of JSH&A.

Click here to watch the video.

http://www.kefmediastream.com/shannon_purina_5609.wmv

Other quick news....

The day after my birthday my trusty 1996 Honda Accord with 152,000 miles decided the birthday presents I got so far were not enough. It decided that I needed a new car too and it died on me. The transmission is gone. I've been car shopping since. Hectic, but fun.

In addition to getting a car (hopefully soon) I also got an Iphone from my in-law family (Wendy, Kevin, Keith, Jen and Roger and Edie) Thank you so much!!!! I LOVE IT. What a fun toy. I have been searching apps, adding music and pictures etc etc. What fun. Anyone have any favorite apps?

My grandma and mom got me some bamboo clothes from a store we saw in Scottsdale when I was in Arizona. Not sure if any of you have ever felt bamboo clothing, but oh my, it is softer that organic cotton. It feels so nice.

Mini health lesson. Here is why bamboo clothing is so good for you and the environment:

It's soft - more breathable than cotton. (nice for women on hormone therapy for cancer who get hot flashes at night). They actually say it is thermal regulating. Warmer in cold weather and cooler in warm weather.

It's antibacterial - bacteria cannot grow on the fiber (no mildew or mold either)

Naturally organic - Bamboo grows so friggin fast pesticides and fertilizers are never used on it (cotton is the #1 plant in pesticide use in our country which is why organic cotton is so much better to use)

It's 100% biodegradable

It's hypoallergenic (if will not give you any skin issues or cause you to be allergic to it)

It dries easily - will not use as much energy to dry.

Anyway, I hope you like the video

Peace and kisses to our kitties (or dogs or whatever pets that keep us happy)

Shannon

Lesson #10 Colon Health AND Happy Birthday to me!!! 29 Baby!!!

2009-05-06T21:53:00.003-04:00

Go Shannon. It's your birthday!! See I can have cake.... When it's watermelon cake. Yummy!!

Today is my birthday and I got to watch my nephew Miles earlier in the day. He couldn't be more excited that it was my birthday.

This past weekend I was out working on getting the garden ready. Very excited to start it. I can't wait to try some new veggies.

Well, it's my birthday today and I have some very exciting birthday health news about me. I went for my oncologists appointment yesterday and had the tumor marker blood test drawn. Last time it went up which is bad. Ultrasounds showed new spots on my liver but the larger spots had shrunk by 25%. Didn't know how to feel about that news. The last time my blood test went up by 100 points in 4 weeks which is bad. I had gone 6 weeks since my last appointment (I love to stall them) and my blood test came back the same. YEAH!!! Yes, stable and staying the same is a good thing for me. I am so super excited. I'm staying on hormone therapy and we will re-test in one month. Can I get a hell Yeah??

What a great way to celebrate my birthday. I'm finally posting my colon health lesson. Let's talk about poop and the colon. Get ready because there is a lot of good info in this entry. (nice drastic subject change huh?)

There are so many studies, books, and people that will say an unhealthy colon is what causes disease. A healthy colon one of the keys to living healthy and disease free.

Googelers BEWARE!!! If you go searching colon health online, there are a lot of pictures out there of what has come out when some people do enemas and other colon cleansing stuff. At least don't be eating when you do research.

A healthy person should be going #2 about 2 to 3 times a day. Do you????

What makes an unhealthy colon??

Over the years we eat crappy food and are exposed to toxins. We also take many drugs (prescriptions count as taking drugs) that are toxic in our bodies and also cause constipation. I learned that the hard way when I started chemotherapy and was on viccodin after my surgery for a week straight. I think a whole week went by without a bowel movement.I was pretty miserable. The level we are exposing our bodies to these toxins are much higher than our bodies have the capability to get rid of. Our liver, blood, lymphatic system and all our other avenues of detoxing can not keep up. So, all these toxins end up traveling through the colon and get caked up on the sides where they are reabsorbed by your body sometimes doing twice as much damage to your body. We end up with loads of excess crap on the sides of or colon that never get properly eliminated. Our large intestine/colon is about 5-6 feet long. That's a lot of area that excess waste can build up on.

We also have taken our diets from being fiber rich to being refined and almost void of fiber. There are doctors out there who will argue against colon cleansing saying that it is unnecessary. They say our bodies naturally remove toxins. Well, the amount of toxins in our environment and the sad state of our diets is not natural. Our bodies cannot keep up. Fiber plays a very important role and acts like a broom that sweeps all the crap (literally) off the sides of your colon. Without it, all the yucky stuff stays inside us.

Why is it important to have a healthy colon???

Fecal mater can get stuck on the walls in an unhealthy colon. Some of this matter can be stuck to the sides for YEARS. Not only is this coating not good for you, it also prevents the absorbing of nutrients. Yep, we absorb nutrients through our colon wall. So when I do a wheatgrass implant, I completely absorb the wheatgrass through your colon wall getting all the nutrition as I would drinking it. (just an example of how the colon absorbs)

The problem grows and grows. Once you are constipated, you go to the bathroom less, making your colon weak from lack of exercise, in turn making it harder for you to go. As a result you end up going even less often.

Some ways to make your colon healthier:

Eat better - More organic foods and less processed foods

Eat more fiber (perhaps an apple a day) - stop taking the skins off of food (but choose organic if you eat the skin). Eat apples, cucumbers and potatoes with the skin still on them. Fiber is in the skin. Lots of veggies and fruit have fiber (this is for the people who only think of cereal when fiber is mentioned)

Enemas and implants - you can do filtered water enemas as often as daily and wheatgrass implants too. I'm just giving you all the info. I'm throwing it out there. If you don't like it, you can throw it right back at me. I feel great after doing an enema. It really works to get some of the built up stuff out of you. I have a little mental "hell yeah!" when I know I got some toxic stuff out. The bad stuff usually makes your stomach hurt when you are going. I do the coffee enemas because the coffee stimulates your liver to purge toxins, so you could also consider doing those. Just make sure you let the coffee cool. I don't want anyone suing me like McDonalds.

Colonics - Monthly is recommended, but even yearly will be better than nothing. 1 colonic is equal to about 30 enemas (If you want to know what a colonic is like you can email me or go on youtube. I found a guy who video taped his whole colonic experience) There are a couple different kinds you can get. One I did not like at all and the other was perfect for me, so remember to shop around.

Supplements for colon cleanses - If the enemas, implants and colonics are not your thing there are some supplement packs you can get for cleansing out your colon. You buy the set all together with a bunch of supplements that you take a few different times a day for about a week. This is a much less invasive way to get some colon cleansing done.

Probiotics - keep the good bacteria in your digestive system which will make your colon healthier and will help you break down food

Drink LOTS of water - water is the best way to prevent constipation. The more water you drink the easier your bowel movements will be. It keeps your colon hydrated and soft. In addition to drinking lots of water, avoid soda, coffee and other caffine drinks that cause constipation.

Squat when you go. I always think of my nephew, Drew, when I think of this. He's just getting potty trained, but when he used to go in his diaper, he would stop what he was doing and squat down really low. It was a dead giveaway that he was going. He has it right though. We should have our knees higher when we go because it is the best direction for our bowel to eliminate. Some people get a stool in their bathroom to prop their feet on. Knees up.

Lay off the drugs - okay, not like you guys are drug addicts, but those over the counter ones and prescription ones cause all sorts of havoc to your system. Most cause constipation - especially pain pills.

Relax man - People can get so stressed out and uptight that they actually tighten up their colon wall therefore making themselves constipated

When you do go, it should be relatively effortless. If you are straining then you are constipated.

Here's another interesting tidbit. The morning poop is supposed to be anywhere from 1 foot to 2 feet long. (I read in some places up to 4 feet, but I'm not sure that ever happens or that any toilet could handle that) Holy crap!!! Ha ha. I love how literal all these words I am using are. Also, your poop is supposed to be soft but not runny. S shaped means your colon is healthy too. You shouldn't have to strain to go and it shouldn't take you long to go. I am always proud of myself because it takes me no time at all to go. So, there are some things to look for. Now, when you go to the bathroom, you have a goal. No more being ashamed of pooping. Go do your #2 and be proud.

It's funny. I used to think pooping was bad. I was almost ashamed to do it and I'll be damned if I did it when anyone was around even in my own house. The less I went the better as far as I was concerned. I spent a good majority of my life being constipated and not really realizing it. It's amazing how things change. Now, if I don't go in the morning, I am crabby for the day. Things are a little off. If I have a "successful" experience in the bathroom, I walk out of there with a smile on my face and a skip in my step no matter where I am. I get so happy and appreciative that my bowel is working correctly and getting rid of all the waste my body no longer needs. I love how I feel after and I go at least twice every day.

Once again, I am not a doctor or nutritionist. I'm just someone trying to stay alive for as long as I possibly can so I have done loads of research and talked to many people who have naturally cured themselves or other people. I love sharing what I have learned, but I am always the student as well.

I am doing something SUPER cool for my birthday, but it will be a little delayed. Stay tuned.....

29 and Feeling Fine

Shannon : )

KEVIN'S 1ST GUEST BLOG

2009-04-26T20:58:00.013-04:00

Hey Hey! Exciting stuff going on with the blog. I Finally got Kevin to write a little something to all of you. I let him write away and then read it afterwards. It does focus a little too much on me, but now he promised to write again about his point of view. I thought it would be cool for everyone to see his perspective of being the husband with the Stage IV cancer diagnosed wife who writes about it all the time, goes to support groups, plans events to help those groups, does coffee enemas, wheatgrass implants, colonics, juices, makes smoothies, all sorts of weird raw concoctions, get crazy water filters, infrered saunas, goes to Vibe sessions and takes over 50 supplement pills a day. Yeah, I sound like a crazy person. Aren't you curious how he continues to be my knight in shining armor???? Maybe he needs to do some major venting?? Who knows. We'll see next time.

Next blog is on COLON HEALTH. FUN!!!

Take it away Kevin.......

Shannon had asked for me to write a guest blog a few weeks ago and I have been procrastinating pretty effectively. I have been dragging my feet for several reasons. The main reason is that I have some pretty big shoes to fill. Shannon has a way of telling a story, or sharing an experience and making us feel connected. It is almost like we live vicariously through her. Over the past few years her blogs have inspired us to be better people, to do more with our lives, and get the most out of life's precious moments. They have taught us the importance of eating healthier, exercising more frequently, detoxing and cleansing our bodies. They have made us laugh, and on occasion made us shed a tear. She has helped us put things in perspective. She has helped us realize that little things that used to ruin our days, aren't such travesties after all. I am going to go out on a limb and guess that she has helped each and everyone of us improve our lives in some way, shape, or form. She has ultimately helped us all to be become better people.

I cannot promise that my blog is going to have quite the impact on your lives. My only hope is that it will not lull you to sleep.

I do want to impart some wisdom while I am up on the soapbox though. For starters if you are going to go on a long bike ride check the weather channel first. If there is going to be a torrential downpour, hail and 75 mile an hour winds you may want to prolong your bike ride until the storm blows over. Also, if you are going to need to get home in a hurry, it may not be a bad idea to plan your trip so you are working with gravity and not against it on your return route. Last but not least, avoid tree's, transformers and trailer parks during an electrical storm. As you may have guessed Shannon and I got caught in a huge storm this weekend while out riding our bikes. We had made it about 4 miles away from our house when we noticed the dark black clouds closing in on us. We figured that we could make it home before the rain started coming down. We were way wrong!

We started riding back home, up hill, against 75 mile an hour winds straight into the driving rain / hail. When we finally got to the top of the hill we decided to take a short breather, under the cover of some tall trees. We had barely gotten of our bikes when the transformer directly overhead started raining down sparks. We decided that this was a sign to get back on the road. We got back on our bikes and decided to keep going. There were not any sidewalks where we were so we had to ride on the small ribbon strip of gravel (not the best traction). The people in the steady stream of cars passing us by on the road were either laughing at us or shooting us stares that seemed to say, "I am SOOOO glad I am not you!" We finally got home, just as the rain slowed down and came to a stop. We were physically exhausted, soaked to the bone, and ridiculously sore. Not quite the leisurely bike ride that we had set out on.

One last thing before I get ready for bed. It is important to feel good about your life. Right before we go to bed Shannon and I have gotten in the habit of thinking about 5 things that we are grateful for and/or 5 good deeds we did that day. If that does not work and you are still in a bad mood here are three additional things you can do to feel better (1) go to Walmart, or any other 24 hour shopping center at 3 in the morning...trust me, you will feel better about your life (2) watch re-runs of Jerry Springer, Judge Judy, etc. Once again, your problems will seem very insignificant (3) log onto Youtube and watch "chocolate rain"...I cannot watch the video and not laugh...If you have not checked it out I would strongly recommend it. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THIS RIGHT BEFORE BED THOUGH OR IT WILL BE STUCK IN YOUR HEAD ALL NIGHT LONG

I have just been told that my guest blog was supposed to be focused more on me and what is going on in my life. It looks like you will be hearing from me again soon.

Kevin

Austin Trip and Austin Art Bra Show

2009-04-22T08:11:00.008-04:00

My trip to Austin was awesome and the Art Bra Show was once again a huge success. This is my good friend Shauna. Co-founder of the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls, art bra model, survivor, and one of the master minds behind this incredible event.

My friend Catie's dad made this metal bra. People were raving over it all night.

Me, my old oncologist who I loved, Dr Hellerstedt, and my good friend Runi (also Dr H's patient)

Tim and Michele who let me stay at their house and Rhonda love to attend the art bra show every year. I was happy to not be a model this year so I could actually spend some time with them (when I wasn't hugging and catching up with one of the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls)

Some of the hot models they had this year. Totally sexy to be a survivor.

Okay, I'll finally start the blog and stop with the pictures for a second.

My trip to Austin was a blast. 1 million times better than the last one when I got so sick I couldn’t enjoy a moment of it. The first day I stayed with my friends Aaron and Brianna Mottaghi. We went to the bar straight from the airport and I got to see some other Austin friends. I drank water until 2am and didn’t go to sleep until 3. I actually felt hung over.

Saturday I went to the Graphic Art Bra Show (the one I am modeling my art bra show in Michigan after) for the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin. They did sell out of tickets with 500 being sold. It was a huge success. I got to see all my Pink Ribbon Cowgirls (my network group in Austin for young women with breast cancer). I miss them so much. It was kind of weird just being at the event and not being an art bra model this time. Then again, it was great because I got to visit with everyone so much more and actually watch and enjoy the show. The art bras this year were amazing and the models looked hot. OMG. Austin has some really good looking breast cancer survivors. This event is truly magical. You get to see these amazing people celebrating their struggles and triumphs together. At this event it is pretty bad ass to be a cancer survivor (not that it isn’t all the time, but at the event you’re more like a celebrity)

My friend’s Rhonda, Michelle and Tim went to the show with me and we went out after. (totally killing the daily routine of liquid until noon/yoga/sauna/enema/meditation/affirmations/get to bed at a reasonable hour) Oh well, on vacation. I still took all my supplements, drank powdered green drink, made one fresh green juice, ate reasonably good (had some salmon) exercised a little. I did what I could, but I am tired and I think it's because I got out of my routine.

Anyway, I got to hang out with the old Riata friends from our old apartment complex. It was great catching up with everyone. I went to Scott and Cindy’s to see their new baby girl who was tiny, and I then went to see my friend Trena’s baby twins that were smaller than the first baby combined. They were premature and are in the NICU, but they are doing great. So cute. Little identical twin girls. That evening a bunch of friends got together for dinner at my favorite place in Austin, Z-Tejas. We goofed around and went to the bar afterward where yes, more water was consumed…and yes, some alcohol for the rest of the group.

Riata crew below. I still remember when we met them all out on the volleyball courts at our apartment complex and how we would spend every Monday night in the hot tub after volleyball.

Monday I went to visit Heaven.....I mean Whole Foods Headquarters. That place is amazing. I wish I lived inside there with access to all this wonderful fresh organic food all the time. They even have a raw foods station with all sorts of creations. Rebecca would appreciate this….I got a pound of sunflower sprouts for $3 at Central Market. I wish I would have had time to go get some to smuggle back to Michigan. That much would cost me about $25 or more in Michigan. I love Austin for that. I have a wonderful Whole Foods really close to my house here in Michigan so I am lucky, but the variety of veggies at Whole Foods and Central Market in Austin is unbelievable.

All in all the trip was wonderful. I think I did pretty good balancing visits with everyone and not making myself go crazy and get run down by doing too much. Usually I try to do too much and then get myself all tired out. I am on the plane while I am writing this, but it will be posted way later. It was sunny and 95 degrees in Austin when I left Kevin called me and told me he got hailed on today. I also heard that it is supposed to snow tonight???? Then, in a couple days it’s supposed to go back to 77 degrees. Oh well. That’s Michigan weather for you.

That's all for now. But coming soon..... (very soon) I have a treat for you. Next couple blogs will be one on colon health and then we have a guest blogger. I'll leave you in suspense wondering who it is, but I'll give you a hint. His name starts with Kev and ends with in.

Peace out Austin

Shannon : )

Happy belated Earth Day.

Chloe the Purina Cat Model and My Hero

2009-04-16T18:26:00.011-04:00

We're working on some different hair looks for Chloe's cat modeling portfolio. lol. No really, when Chloe is asleep she's out, and Kevin and I can goof around and make little spikes all over her hair without her waking up. Edgy huh??

We thought she looked funny here sleeping in her cat climber with her arm stretched out .

Close up of my little miniature lion Chloe. She has such a pretty face and eyes.

Chloe does this all the time when I do yoga and get the mat out. She sneaks under the mat and makes a little tunnel and then if you dare walk by her, you might get attacked by surprise. Sneaky kitty.

Here are a few pics I took of the filming/photo shoot we went on for Purina in St Louis. Here is the awesome hotel room we stayed in. Since I was with Chloe I didn't leave the room all night, so we hung out in there together for a long time.

Chloe HATES being in her cage and she looked at me with sad eyes and cried the entire time we traveled. It breaks my heart. Once I let her out in the hotel room she was totally happy and make herself at home. Purina gave us food and water bowls but Chloe prefers MY glass of water always.

Purina also hooked us up with a litter box, litter, food (Purina of course, which Chloe actually liked a lot), and a bunch of cat toys. Chloe has a new favorite from all of those that she now carries around the entire house. Here she is resting after playing with all her toys in the room. She still behaves like a kitten.

Everyone wanted to know how the photo shoot went with Chloe so I'll tell you. Purina is getting involved in breast cancer awareness month by donating $$$$$$ to Susan Komen. Their packaging is going pink during October too. Part of the program is focusing on breast cancer survivors who had cats that were very helpful and comforting through treatment. They had three survivors do the filming where we told our stories on our diagnosis, treatment and precious cats that were by our side the entire time we went through treatment. Those videos will be online and I will post as soon as it is ready. Additionally, they are trying to get other people (doesn't have to be a survivor) to upload their pictures of themselves and their cats. For every picture uploaded, they will donate $1 to Komen.

So, how did the travel and shoot go with Chloe??? Well, travel with a cat is never a walk in the park. Chloe peed in her cage on the plane and then rolled around in it (I think it's a way of acting out or because she is scared). Fun. When we got to the hotel I scrubbed the cage in the shower and then had to wash Chloe. That's always fun. The next day for the shoot we were a one of the survivor's lovely houses, but she had two cats and a dog that Chloe could smell. (she was not happy). They wanted me to bring Chloe out on the set in the family room to tell my story while holding her. Problem is there were about 10 people out there in a big new room (I had her staying in the bedroom), with video and regular cameras, lighting everywhere and a big microphone above our heads and all this stuff was operated by men (Chloe prefers women strangers over men) Needless to say, she freaked out, hissed, scratched me as I tried to hold on to her, and finally ran away from the set.

We tried a couple times and it was looking like it was a waste of an effort for me to bring Chloe all the way out to St Louis. Once she went back to the bedroom, she calmed down and was totally happy. I told them that just one camera and one interviewer in the BEDROOM, might be the only way Chloe doesn't freak out. We tried this and I managed to do the entire interview while petting Chloe and she layed there purring and rolling on her back. Once we did it HER way, everything went smooth and Queen Chloe was happy.

I think I did okay as well. I was a little stressed because of Chloe and I was tired, but I tried to stay positive and focused. I had a pound of makeup on, but they assured me I would look natural on screen. I think I did good telling my story. We had a couple scripted things we were supposed to say. I think I make scripted talking sound well...scripted (not an actress). I'm hoping they only show me telling my story and have one of the other girls when they did the scripted talk.

Anyway, I included the short story I gave Purina about Chloe and how much she helped me through treatment. It's hard to explain where I think people would REALLY get it how important she is to my life as I have had her at my side all through my cancer treatment.

Chloe Story for Purina (this would be good for those of you who didn't start following my blog when I was diagnosed the first time)

Before starting treatment (first diagnosis) all I could really think about was chemo and my fear of all the known side effects. I was scared and I could not think about anything else. Kevin knew how bad I felt since being diagnosed and he would do anything to make me happy again and take away my fear.

Kevin never wanted a cat since he was allergic. Everything changed dramatically when one day a doctor said to me “you have breast cancer and you will need chemotherapy and radiation.” Now I had some leverage! Thinking about getting a kitten was the only thing that seemed to put a smile on my face. Kevin started to consider it and I knew there was a chance. I promised that if he was really allergic we could bring the cat back. I said I would brush the cat twice a day, give it weekly baths, and that our bedroom would be off limits for the cat. The cancer card turned out to be pretty powerful, and he finally agreed to go kitty shopping with me.

We must have gone to about 7 pet stores that day. There were two of the cutest kittens at the last Petsmart we went to. They were tiny, not even 7 weeks old. They were the last two from a group of 15 rescue kittys. We took out the cute little girl that almost looked like a baby lion. She sat on our laps and was very calm, which was very important to Kevin. I was so happy and she was ours. Our little Chloe. Thanks Cancer!!!

Chloe and I spent every minute through my treatment together. I slept all the time and she slept right by my side being especially attentive on the days I really felt bad. I have heard that cats can sense when humans feel bad and I am convinced that it is so true. She would even lay down on areas of my body that were particularly hurting me. Amazing. When I had to go for Chemo or scans I would bring a picture of Chloe as a bookmark to remind myself to smile and think about her. We would play together and I talked to her all the time. She is so comfortable with me that she can sleep on my lap and if I need to get up I can pick her up in my arms and she will stay sleeping, curled up in a little ball and let me pass her on to my husband without waking up. I can trim her claws while she's out that’s how soundly she sleeps.

She made me smile, played with me and gave me company while I was going through cancer treatment alone at home. Any time I would feel bad she was my magic weapon where all I had to do was think of her and I would smile. Even at the times of my greatest despair when Kevin didn’t know what to do or say, he would get Chloe and put her in my arms and it always made me feel better. I always have to smile around her. There is something about a cat’s unconditional love and grace. Something that translates to you when you really tune into how your cat can live in the moment and suddenly worrying seems silly. I know my cat loves me.

Chloe is a very important part of our family. She is always around with the two of us when we are home. She's on our laps if we're on the couch, she's in the sink if we are in the bathroom, she's laying outside the shower if I'm in there, she's in front of the computer screen if we are on the computer (practically every post I write Chloe is in the way sitting in front of the screen or laying on my lap), she's on our bed every night, she's in the kitchen if we are cooking, and she's outside the sauna doors begging us to come in the entire time we are in the sauna scratching at the door knob trying to get the door open.

Kevin has absolutely ZERO allergies to her. As for the promises I made to get her (brushing her and keeping her out of the bedroom etc etc..)…she sleeps on our bed every night, she does not like to get brushed so I don’t even attempt it and Chloe is good enough at bathing herself, so I refrain from that chore as well. I keep Chloe away from bathing in the tub (unless she wants to drink water from the bottom of it) : ) Kevin loves her just as much as I do. She shows us her love for us by bringing us a mouse toy every single night before she jumps in bed with us. We truly love her.

Shannon Watson

*** I will post the professional photos from the shoot when I get them as well as the video***

***Health/Environment tip*** I went to Target, because yes, I AM now caught up and slightly obsessed in the Twilight book series. I had to buy the next one, Eclipse. Anyway I saw that Target has organic cotton sheet sets for about $40 for a queen bed. That's a great deal and they are VERY soft. They also have organic cotton decorative pillows, towels of all types, bath rugs and more. All very cheap. All very soft and they are all cute too.

Think about this. Cotton uses the most chemicals to grow out of any plant in the country. Getting organic cotton can really impact the environment.

Healthy Easter Treats For All of You!!!! Recipes!!! Good Ones!!!

2009-04-16T18:18:00.012-04:00

Here is my new Orange Julius recipe. Sooo good.

Below are incredible recipes so please read because you wouldn't want to miss out on these healthy and VERY YUMMY treats.

Here is a great Martha Stewart-like creation? Fruit kabobs. My sister Stacie (Stewart : )) made these for Easter. Get kabob sticks and put fruit on them. You can get little cookie cutters and make cheese and melons into cute little shapes too. That's what we did. They are fun to eat and these were a huge hit. My kind of treat (as I gave away my pieces of cheese)

My sister Marina, my grandma Arlen and I were getting competitive about who could make the best looking kabob.

What made me incredibly thankful this Easter was the effort my family made to be healthier. I hope this was not just for me and they all understood how being healthy will benefit their lives as well. It does make my life so much easier though, so thank you to my family for the wonderful Easter.

Even my nephew Drew kicked in with his "I love Broccoli" bib. He does love broccoli and he likes my green juice too.

My nephew Miles and I kicked it on the couch for a while. He helps me remember to relax.

My grandma even made an all organic salad. Yummy. Nothing is better than loads of options for salad toppings with Tom's homemade dressing of lemon, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Yum.

NOW...................
Do I have a treat for you. Recipes. But not just any health recipe. These are freaking awesome. They are sweet and delicious. Honestly!!!!

It all started when I had lunch with my friend Rebecca and she told me about a better way to consume my cottage cheese and flax oil which is part of this protocol for cancer by Dr Budwig. There is supposed to be this amazing anti-cancer effect from the combination of the cottage cheese and flax oil. Anyway, I was mixing 6tbs of cottage cheese and 3tbs of flax oil and eating it. It's actually not that bad once you get used to it, but nothing to be excited about.
Rebecca told me to blend them (they are supposed to be blended very well in order to achieve maximum results), add some vanilla almond milk (unsweetened) and then add Stevia to make it sweet. She said it kind of tastes like cake batter and it does.

Then, I decided to get a little creative. I added ice to make it a blended frozen drink and two frozen strawberries. Holy crap!! Yummy!!!! Strawberry shake.
Then, I really got crazy and did the cottage cheese, flax, almond milk, vanilla extract (alcohol free), Stevia, ice and fresh squeezed juice from an orange and it tasted like an orange julius!!! Haaaaaaaaleighluia!!! (that's me singing) I'm sure you can add just about any fruit you like and it will be delicious.
Honestly, it tasted so good I was convinced it was bad. I went over the list of ingredients and make sure they were all good for me to consume...

Here's your recipe:
6 tbs Cottage Cheese - okay because it is part of the cottage cheese/flax oil protocol
20 drops Stevia - really good for you
1/2 cup Almond Milk - good
bunch of Ice - good
1 tbs Vanilla extract - good
Frozen fruit of fresh juice - alright in moderation. Honestly a little goes a long way, so I won't need to add much and it does taste good without any fruit. I've even added cinnamon and made it thicker and it was like ice cream.

Seriously, give it a try. This is my #1 recipe recommendation.
I made it for my family on Easter and they all loved it. I accidentally got vanilla with alcohol and it tasted different and I know that was why. Alcohol free vanilla extract is very important. Kevin and I have been going Orange Julius crazy lately. I honestly need to tame myself down and stop adding so much fruit and fruit juice all the time for myself, because this is part of my supplements and not desert every day. I did go from not looking forward to the cottage cheese, to getting excited hours before I make it. (you can spot the sugar/desert deprived people from a mile away)

Another recipe is a desert as well. It's a chocolate mouse made out of avocado. I actually got it from my sister's deceptively delicious cookbook (a lot of good ideas in there). I made one change to it and that was adding Stevia over a cup of sugar. I don't measure at all so you have to keep adding stuff until you like it. Blend an avocado until it is a puree. Add raw unsweetened cocoa powder, Stevia, some corn starch, almond milk or water....hmmm I think that's all. I cut up strawberries to dip in it. The avocado is a great consistency to make it a mouse and it is healthy loaded with good omega fats (beware of the calories though and don't over do it.)

Last one is cauliflower mashed potatoes. You can do this a few ways, but the idea is to puree, blend or mash the cauliflower and eat it. Kevin is a picky eater because of texture and he hates cauliflower because of the weird texture. I blended it and he had no problem eating it. You can cook it before or consume it raw like I do so I can get all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes out of it (when you cook it you cook that stuff away for the most part) I did straight up raw cauliflower blended with some butter and salt (so Kevin would eat it the first time I tried it) and i heated it on the stove top to make it warm, but not to cook it. I loved it. (Garlic is nice to add too). You can do the same but cook it. You can also mix it with mashed potatoes to hide the good veggies on your family members you are cooking for. Always try to sneak the veggie in. Or, serve the veggies first.

Here's to healthy eating and I'll tell you all soon how Chloe's photo shoot went. I'm getting behind on blogging lately.

Off to Austin tomorrow. Yeah!! Warm weather here I come. If you make any of these recipes, I would love to hear what you think.

Shannon

Austin - St Louis - Chloe the cat model - Health Status - MSU game

2009-04-10T17:56:00.007-04:00

Very exciting news - I am flying out to Austin right after that for a visit and to attend the Graphic Art Bra Show (the original art bra show that inspired me to do one here in Michigan) I'll be attending as a guest and taking it all in. No art bra modeling for me this time. The show is Saturday April 18th for Austin people interested. Go to BCRC.org (not .com) to buy tickets online. ****I was told there are only 50 tickets left. None will be sold at the door as they are expecting to sell out by next Tuesday so get you tickets NOW**** I fly out Friday the 17th night and fly back to Michigan the following Tuesday. I cannot wait to see everyone, be warm in the Austin weather and be inspired to throw a fabulous show here in Michigan just life the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls and the Breast Cancer Resource Center have done for three years now in Austin.

My friend from Hippocrates, Debbi, was in town a while back and we shared a wheatgrass shot. I forgot to make Jason (another freind from Hippocrates) take a wheatgrass show with me while he was over and get a picture. Then, we could send the pictures to Hippocrates so they could be proud of us for keeping the diet up.

Other news (very exciting news) Chloe is going to be a cat model. We were selected to be in an ad for Purina where breast cancer survivors had cats that were important to their healing and happiness through treatment. Sounds like something right up our alley huh? My friend Rebecca found me the opportunity. Thanks Rebecca!! We fly to St. Louis April 14th and come back the 15th. Chloe is practicing all of her cat poses. Sniffing, looking in the distance, crazy "I''m going to attack you" face, blue steel...yeah she knows them all.

This is her, bad cat pose where we tell her to get down and then wash all our glasses.

Well, Monday's State game was hard to watch. A couple things amazed me. People were not mad as they left Ford Field and neither was I. It wouldn't have amazed me if they lost a close game (and people didn't get mad), but they were killed. I think people overall are looking to be more positive and that's awesome. The common attitude towards MSU basketball is "Awesome run through the tournament State" rather than being upset by them getting killed by a team with basicly 7 NBA players. I'll NEVER forget how much fun the Final 4 game was.

Quick health update - since my blood test went up we decided to do an ultrasound to look in my abdomen and at the liver. Well, they found some very small new spots on my liver. At the same time, the large liver lessions I have had for years shrunk a decent amount. One shrunk from 2.8cm to 2.1cm. That's a big difference where I would be jumping on my couch with my shoes on about the news, if I wasn't thinking about these new spots. Don't know how to feel. Guess I'll pick happy. I will stay on the hormone therapy and get another blood test soon and see how things are going. The spots are very small so they could have been missed on a CT scan so they might have been there for a while. That is what I am going to convince myself of because I think something must be going right if the larger ones are shrinking.

I feel great so that's what matters.

Anyway, have a great Easter if you celebrate it. I cannot wait to get together with the family and the take off to go cat model with Chloe.

Lots of love and daffodils blooming (I just bought some)

Shannon

Michigan State to the Rescue

2009-04-06T11:27:00.009-04:00

If you have read my blog for a while, you know I am a sports fan. I love watching sports and I am a Michigan State grad. So, you must know how exciting these basketball games have been for me.
Me and Chloe celebrating after the elite 8 game win against Louisville
I kind of stopped writing about sports for a while because I needed a focus for my blog so I chose health and my life living with my diagnosis. Not that people wouldn't benefit from hearing what I think about sports, but I think more people would benefit from health hints I have learned as well as how someone learned how to enjoy life with such a diagnosis as stage IV breast cancer.

Well these past few weeks have proved that sports are a part in making my life happy while living with my diagnosis. I haven't given anyone a "Shannon health update" in a while. It doesn't mean things have been good or bad, it just means I haven't felt like talking about it. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I would do anything to live ONE DAY without thinking about cancer. Since diagnosis in October 13th 2005, there has not been a day I haven't thought about it once. NOT ONE DAY. Crazy huh?? I don't obsess about it, but there is always some reminder. My lack of hair, eyelashes, eyebrows. Now, even though my hair is back, I would prefer to pull it in a ponytail, which I cannot. My eyelashes still randomly fall out on me (frustrating) even though it has been a year since I have stopped chemotherapy. I still have dark spots on my face from chemo (I cleverly cover up). Of course I have my lovely infected port scar and a couple more from breast surgeries. Those are just the reminders I get when I look in the mirror.

How about when I have a doctors appointment and have to get infusion for my bones? Or when I have to get the tumor marker blood test and I torture myself before calling wondering if I am mentally ready for the results. Even worse when I get a scan and they are actually taking pictures of what is going on inside my body. Think I want to call for those results and it doesn't weigh on my mind every day??

Then, there are times that I cannot avoid or complain about because it is a reminder that people love me. When they ask how are YOU???? or How ARE you????? They all want to hear that I just went to the doctor and that there is no longer a trace of cancer in my body. Or they just want to know how I am doing and my warped mind has to make everything about cancer. It can make a person go crazy and I have had many crazy days. I read about cancer - not focusing on cancer, but how people have brought their bodies back to health. I think about it with every food choice I make. "Is this food on the good side or the bad side?" If I choose something from the bad side I even find it hard to enjoy because I might later beat myself up for eating it.

Now is where I have to give you all my health update.........I had a blood test come back higher (which is not good). It was almost 100 points higher (moving faster than we would like) I started the hormone therapy and sometimes it can cause a spike before the drop it is supposed to, but the spike in the test was a little higher than we planned for. Nothing too terrible. Then, lately I have started to have some aches and pains. At first I was really scared since these came at the same time my blood test came back so you know where my mind was. Every little pain came with the fear that there was a new tumor in my body. Luckily, I just read that the hormone therapy I am on, Femara, comes with a major side effect of pain in bones and muscles. Wouldn't you know it, once I figured this out, some of my pains lessened. Seriously, how much of this is in my head?????

With all of this going on my mental health has been a little off. Another slump and a big one. They never last long, but they suck. I have had my crying spells and negativity spells. If you could hear the way I talk when I am really depressed and scared, you wouldn't believe it is the same author of this blog. Kevin knows. He is there for the good the bad and the ugly. He has also gotten really good at understanding what helps me through these times.... Distractions.

First thing he does is get Chloe and plops her on my lap. He tells me to list things I do have that I am grateful for. He understands that distractions help me a lot. A majority of my burden is that I just want to forget about it all, but I never can. Every day has its reminders and it's struggles.
These games did come at a good time and my brother-in-law came to the rescue yet again with some well needed Spartan Final 4 and Championship basketball tickets. What a perfect distraction.

My friend Todd, got Kevin and I tickets to the slam dunk contest for Thursday night. I had my last break down about my stress and my situation on the way there and that was the last of it. I wiped my eyes before we met up with Todd, and had a great time. Smiles the rest of the night. The next day I went to the Spartan's open practice at Ford Field (with 25,000 other fans) and had a great time all by myself. Then, we got to go out with my friend Jason to Canada where we gambled with some college coaches until 1am.

Saturday of course I lost my voice screaming out of excitement at the MSU game. I was jumping out of my seat the whole night. Everyone had the biggest smiles and Ford Field was filled with happy MSU fans. NOT ONCE DID I THINK ABOUT CANCER. Not once. I told you earlier that there isn't a day I don't think about it. Honestly I would not want to do the study where I find out how long of intervals I can go without thinking about it. They wouldn't be long. So, these 5-6 hours I was wrapped up in the Spartan game were a well needed rest from things.

Kevin, me, my brother-in-law, Kevin and friend Chris all enjoying ourselves at the final 4 game
The scoreboard right before MSU had the victory in the history books.

Thank you Michigan State Basketball. (One of the things I listed that I am grateful for)

Thank you to all of you as well. Every single personal interaction is helpful to me. Maybe I cannot be left alone to my own thoughts?? I work hard on my thoughts and keeping them positive. One thing I noticed is that when I am around other people my thoughts are always positive and I am always smiling. If I'm smiling, you know I am not thinking about cancer.

Please do not think of this as an un-invitation to ask me about my health and how I am doing or for advice or anything. I love helping others and I love knowing that people care about me. Do what you want to do, say what you want to say, and contact me whenever you want to. Thoughts about cancer would be on my mind whether if people ask me how I am doing or not. It is my mind and what I choose to think.

90% of the time I am thinking good thoughts and everything is well. 5% of the time I am thinking about cancer, but not is a negative way. I am thinking if I am doing something to make my body healthy so I can live a long life. The other 5% of the time I am worried about cancer; if I am doing enough, if my test will be good or bad, if I'll make it past the predicted 2 years, if this pain in my abdomen is a tumor growing or if it's being surrounded by white blood cells trying to wipe it out. Maybe I can consider it a blessing that this 5% usually gets clumped together into a few days. I can get it all out and then get on with life.

Anyway, I want to propose a toast. Here's to the Michigan State Basketball team. May we all get inspiration from them doing what the sports analysts said they COULDN'T do and to doing that three times now. (Kansas, Louisville, and UConn. And some crazy people even said they couldn't beat USC) Here's to them playing for the state of Michigan (almost like this run is dedicated to Michiganders). Here is to the sea of green we saw Saturday and the sea of white we will see tonight for the big white out. Here is to high fives being really cool for one more night. Here's to watching the news and it being a positive experience. Here's to making 70,000 people jump out of their seat and scream out of excitement in one place. Here's to bringing smiles to so many people from Michigan (not forgetting my spartan friends in Texas). Here's to bringing some well needed money to our economy. And here is to well needed positive distractions for everyone.

Go State!!

Now let's raise our glasses whith whatever you have to drink (I have wheatgrass : p and drink to Michigan State Basketball) Why not really celebrate the positive moments in life?

(my friend Jason wrote an article about me and how this experience has been for me. He kind of opened my eyes and really made me notice how things like this can make a huge difference in my life. It gave me the idea to write about my apreciation for what is happening with these games and how I went from feeling like a zero to on top of the world at the game. Thanks Jason)

Skin Health

2009-03-25T22:29:00.010-04:00

Hey, did you know that the skin is the LARGEST organ in our body?? Yep, it is and it serves a lot of functions. One major function is keeping us healthy. Also, our internal body health will help our skin health and condition. When the body is unhealthy, the skin cellular turnover takes a dive so the body can focus on other things. Keep the whole body healthy to keep the skin healthy. There is tip number one. But now, let's take a look at some info about your skin.

These are my exfoliating skin gloves that I love so much. Easier than a skin brush.

Major Facts/functions of your skin:
* Your skin is the largest organ in your body

* 70% of your lymph is in your skin

* Your skin protects your whole body

* Excretion (getting rid of)- it excretes toxins and waste from your body

* Secretion - Secretes oil, the skin self lubricates and also secretes acid which is healthy because your skin has a 5.5 acidic balance which is healthy

* Absorption - it absorbs what is on it so we have to remember to put only healthy things that we would want in our bodies on our skin. (remember that when you are cleaning) Put essential oils and herbs on your skin instead of chemicals. Absorb good stuff. Stay away from Parabens.

* Heat Regulation - You blood vessels can contract and keep heat in your body, or they open and your skin sweats to cool you body temperature off.

* Good looks - Yeah, if you take care of your skin it will take care of you by blessing you with great looks. You will have that natural glow. Win/win

* Detoxing - You skin is one avenue for toxins to remove themselves from your body. Thanks skin!

Here is my FAVORITE lotion of all time. Pure coconut oil. The kind you cook with. It's solid at room temperature but put it on your hand and watch it melt. I have a jar in the kitchen and a jar up in the bathroom for after my shower. The Whole Foods brand is organic and a good price (I think $5 to $6. Some are expensive so you have to check out all the prices) Get organic though.

Ways you can care for your skin better:
* Only use natural and organic products on your skin. I know, I repeat myself, but one of the tops ways people are exposed to toxins is through household products. It's not the factories around us, it is the items we pay for, bring into our homes, and then willingly let touch our skin and then be absorbed into our bodies.

* Read labels. Go back to Health Lesson 1 about products and give yourself an extra boost.

* Dry skin brush - Yeah!! My number 1 favorite part of skin care. There are tough brushes you can get, but if you want to speed up the process get exfoliating gloves. I have a pair and I rub my whole body down like crazy right before I shower. I don't think you are supposed to exfoliate as much as I do, but I think it is so cool to feel how incredibly soft I can make my skin in a matter of minutes. There is supposed to be a method. Skin brushing not only makes you skin nice and soft, it also is health promoting by moving your lymph. Your lymph needs help moving by skin brushing and exercise, but your lymph cleans up your body and removes toxins. You are supposed to direct all your skin brush strokes towards your heart. It you want an extra bonus of really moving your lymph, put a little extra focus on the front of your armpit and right around your bikini line where a good amount of your lymph nodes are.

* Sweat the bad stuff out - exercise until you sweat (hot yoga, running, eliptical, or you can sauna). Are you exercising until you see and feel sweat?? I used to hate the fact that I was a really sweaty person. I almost felt abnormal for a girl. Well, now, whenever I sweat a lot I just tell myself that I am detoxing and I am thankful that I am sweating. Sweating is great for your skin.

* Shower after sweating (or towel off) - the whole purpose of sweating is to remove toxins. So all those toxins are in your sweat, so shower and rinse them off. Not all would go back in your body, but better to wash them off or wipe them off.

* Soak to remove toxins - Epsom salt, baking soda and maybe essential oils will draw out toxins and make you relaxed and happy. This will soften your skin too. Maybe do a major skin brush and then a soak??? Nice : )

* Don't go fake baking - yes, you need natural sun (15 minutes a day to get your fare share of vitamin D), but don't go to the takking booth.

* Use only natural sunblock

* Drink lots of water - I should have put this one at the top. Nourish from the inside out. I rarely use any lotion or oil on my skin and Kevin is always telling me how soft my skin is. I do drink gallons of water every day. Moisturize your skin from the inside out. Every time Kevin says something about his knuckles being dry my first question is are you drinking enough water?? His answer is always no. Drinking water tremendously improves the moisture in your skin.

Did you know: The human body breathes out 2-3 cups of water a day and sweats out 2-3 cups of water a day?? Yep. So, now do you feel like you might benefit from drinking more water??

This has nothing to do with skin, but we found Chlow taking a nap in the guest bathroom sink.

Tips I use to love my skin....

* When I dry brush I dry brush like crazy. By the time I am done I can literally feel my skin being baby soft. I also have an exfoliating loofa I use in the shower. It's scratchy though.

* I use coconut oil for my skin lotion. I LOVE it. You buy it in the grocery store by the other cooking oils. It's solid at room temperature but in seconds on your hand it melts. It is COMPLETELY natural and gives your skin back the oils it needs not all the other crap they put in lotions. And it smells so good, but doesn't make you smell like coconut all day.

* Exercise to the point of sweating. When I do yoga, I close the door to the yoga room so it gets really hot in there. I try to sweat as much as possible.

* I eat really healthy. I honestly have a lot less skin issues than I used to have once I changed my diet. You are what you eat.

* Water water water. I drink tons of water for my health and as an added bonus my skin is super soft. Nice. Even through the brutal Michigan winter it was really soft.

* I made a natural salt scrub, because I looked at the ones I still had and they had Parabens. Those things are everywhere. So, I took some the the epsom salt I had and added some essential oil to it and threw it in a cup and brought it into the shower. It worked fine and it was much cheaper than the ones you buy in the store with Parabens. Next time I am mixing the salt with the coconut oil. Crazy!!

* I remember that my skin is an ORGAN. When I think of it as am organ I tend to want to treat it better. Give your skin the credit of being a major part of your body

I think that is all I know about skin health, so I will stop there. I haven't talked about sports on the blog in quite some time, but I am still living the life of a sports fanatic. Kevin and I have watched every MSU basketball game. We are so excited to say that we will be at the Final 4 game here in Detroit!! Yeah!!!! Thank you to Kevin Schnieders, who else. He seems to always come through with tickets when it really matters. We'll take pictures.

Okay, I am signing off. Take care

Goooo Green!!!!

Goooo White!!!!

Go Sate Go!!!

MSUUUUUUUU!!!!

Shannon (your proud spartan)

2009-03-25T18:44:00.008-04:00

Bras For a Cause Art Bra Show hosted by the Rack Pack benefiting Gilda's Club Metro Detroit.

Saturday, September 12th, 2009 at Royal Oak Music Theatre, in Royal Oak Michigan Art Bra Show Time!!! Mark your calendar now and read on please. It is time that I write about something else that has been keeping me busy. Besides doing my affirmations, making lemonade and juice, my cottage cheese/flax oil concoction, swallowing a million supplements a day, making coffee for reasons mentioned in previous blogs, doing yoga, working out, sitting in the sauna, meditating, getting colonics, going to the chiropractor, going to my doctor, and everything else I do, I am also planning a HUGE fundraiser for Gilda's Club with some incrdible people. It will be similar to the art bra shows I have been a part of in Austin. I have some pics of art bras from the Austin shows we have done with the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls

Here is a cute one Barb got to wear. The oinwheels actually spun around.

Here is one made out of metal. They was also one made out of glass that was awesome, but I cannot find the picture.

This one of a dragonfly is all tiny seed beads. Must have taken forever.

Mardi Gras time!!

Butterfly wings.

For those of you who have been following my story for a while you will remember me doing the art bra show with the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls in Texas benefiting the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin. That one still goes on and I will be there again this year (April 18th Austin people. Hope to see you then.) Well, I am also bringing the Art Bra show back to Michigan with me and we are calling it Bras for a Cause. The event will be held by the Rack Pack (the young women with breast cancer group I formed with friends) and it will benefit Gilda's Club Metro Detroit.

Here are the very important specifics:
* The date is Saturday, September 12th 2009 (Mark your calendars NOW)
* It will be held at the beautiful Royal Oak Music Theatre
* We will have artists selling local art, tons of silent and live auction items, tons of fabulous art bras created by survivors, celeberties, and whoever else can make them. A select group will be silent auctioned and then some will be modeled in a show by survivors and live auctioned.

* There will also be food and drink.

* My uncle, Dave Coulier, will be hosting the live auction and bra fashion show. I do want all my family to be at the event, but since he is famous, I am putting my uncle to work a little too ; )
* I am also planning on speaking at the event. I'm practicing my public speaking skills already. (Gulp!)

* It will be fun, hip, uplifting and all for a great cause. (please read the older post on what Gilda's Club means to me and other survivors if you would like to know more)
* I am determined that this event will be huge the first year I do it.

We could use all of your help though. Start thinking about all of your contacts and who you know......are you thinking?????
Okay now, here is what we need from you:
* Items/gift cards donated for the silent and live auction
* Local artists to sell their art or donate art for the auctions (booth cost $100)
* Corporate sponsors (opportunities from $250 to $5,000)
* Fabulous art bras made by artists, celebrities, or anyone who wants to really
* Vendors to donate some food (heavy apetisers and deserts)
* Vendors to donate for liquor and beverages
* Someone to donate long tables X10 or more (all together, not one per person or anything)

Don't worry, we're on top of this, but everyone who reads my blog is so supportive. Why not use your contacts too???

There are many other factors that go into planning a huge event like this. I am learning as I go. I'm sure I will think of other stuff I need, but I'm starting to plan way ahead.
So far we already have some very promising things for the auction. Big ticket items. I am so happy that we have such a successful start.

Oh yeah, another thing I need is ALL OF YOU TO BE THERE. Make sure to get your butts there. When ticket sale time is around, I need all of you to buy a ticket (Tickets will be from $30 to $40. We're still deciding) This event is going to be my pride and joy. While I do not have a career as a project manager or a planner, I have now created this as the new project I can manage and plan. Planning this event makes me really feel like I am contributing to the world. I know I contribute with my writing too, but I need something I tangible.

Once again, I feel very strong about donating to Gilda's Club. It is a completely free place anyone can turn who has been impacted by cancer. There is a growing number of young adults with cancer who are looking for support and companionship at places like Gilda's Club. We hope that this event will get the word out that there is a place for young survivors and survivors of ANY age as well as their friends and family to go and find support. I honestly feel better every time I walk out the big red door of Gilda's Club.

Please contact me if you want to get involved by donating anything or if you have a contact that would like to donate. You can also let me know if you are interested in going to the event and I will keep your contact info so I can sell you a ticket. Ticket sales will be much further down the road. My email is iezzzi@hotmail and my cell number is 248-343-4884. You can also leave a message on the blog or send me a Facebook message. See how flexible I am being? So many options for contacting me.

Okay, keep thinking on how you can contribute to the first annual Rack Pack's Bras for a Cause Show!!!! It's going to be so awesome and fun. Yeah!!

Next blog I have a health lesson and a few REALLY GOO and EASY healthy recipes. YUM!!!

Take care everyone and Bras for a Cause

Shannon : )

Our Trip to Arizona was Awesome!!!!

2009-03-20T01:08:00.011-04:00

I loved Arizona. Kevin and I had such a great time. No true blog entry this time. Just pictures with descriptions about our whole trip and a few final thoughts about the trip. It was a true vacation and a vacation from the whole health regimen to be a cancer free health nut.

Here I am happy as ever in Sedona.

We went to a spring training game (Rangers beat up on the Mariners). The next day we went to the desert botanical gardens where they had a Dale Chihuli exhibit there temporarily. (the same glass blower who made the famous Bellagio hotel ceiling in Vegas) This piece was absolutely amazing. This piece is way bigger than us. (love our new camera)
We took about 700 pictures this vacation. Insane right??? Well, we were learning how to use the camera and there was so much to take pictures of.
It was in the 70s, 80s, and 90s in Pheonix and Sun City. Sunny every day. Beautiful. Here is Kevin looking cute by the blue swirly glass sculpture.
After the botanical gardens we went to Sedona. This was such a beautiful and peaceful place.
We stayed the night and went on an early Pink Jeep Tour (the famous tours in Sedona) for two hours to go inside all of the beautiful red rock mountains. It was so much fun.
From Sedona we drove up to the Grand Canyon. Yeah!!! We stopped at just about every viewing point along the entrance. Neither of us are scared of heights, so we got really close to all the edges. There is this quiet mild wind sound there that is so calming.
I was so excited to finally be at the Grand Canyon on a beautiful day. It was amazing. Pictures do not do it justice. You really have to stop, breathe, and take it all in.
Then, we hiked down the canyon. We went to about the mile and a half mark, but had to hike back up because the sun was setting and we wanted to take more pictures (of course). The trail was really cool and I would have loved to hike there all day (but we only had so much time)
EARLY the next morning, at 6:45, we got up to take sunrise pictures. It might be warm in Phoenix, but it is COLD in the morning at the Canyon (in the 20s) I was freezing while we were outside the hotel trying to get the pictures.
We did get some beautiful shots so it paid off. I could have gone hiking that day too, but we wanted to get back to the warm weather in the valley of the sun (Phoenix area).
So, that same day in Sun City we made it out on a sunset golf cart ride at the golf course across the street from my Grandma Arlen and Tom's house (this was our home base for the trip). It was 80 degrees back there. Ahhh warm. I can't believe this was the same day we were freezing at the top of the Canyon.
Kevin had to fly back Monday and I stayed a few extra days. My grandma and I went hiking at the White Tank Mountains. She did the shorter route and I went further up. It was beautiful and hot. We had lots of fun. She is one active grandparent.
Tom had a birthday while I was out there and we had a nice dinner for my last night.
They were very hospitable to us. My favorite part was going in the back yard, picking lemons, oranges and grapefruit from their trees and making fresh squeezed juice to drink. Yummy and so healthy when it is that fresh.

People in Arizona seem very nice. Everyone we encountered was so friendly.

I also got to go to a couple parties with their friends in Sun City. They had very nice friends who love to party.

I also went to my grandma's tap class with her and danced. They are good. It was actually enough to push me over the edge to get really serious about finding dance classes in the area.

To finish, 10 things I love about Arizona

1. My grandma and Tom

2. The funny quail that are constantly running across the street really fast

3. The sound of the air at the Grand Canyon

4. The sunset and sunrise in Sedona (incredible and colorful and also warmer than the Canyon). I still love the sunrise and set at the Canyon.

5. Riding around all of Sun City with the golf cart

6. The lemon, orange and grapefruit trees (I would love to have those in the back yard)

7. Cottontail rabbits all over the place (at any time you look you will see at least two)

8. My grandma's citrus juicer (I have been squeezing my lemons by hand every day. I am totally getting a citrus juicer)

9. The warm weather in the spring (and the complete lack of clouds)

10. Hiking everywhere (Sedona, Grand Canyon and the mountains around Phoenix)

There are many more things, but I'll leave it at that. Chloe is on my lap and it is hard to type. She has been attached to me since I got home. You can tell she is so happy I am back home.

Okay, I'll be blogging very soon.

Lots of love and warm rays to everyone

Shannon

My New Language

2009-03-05T14:48:00.008-05:00

Kevin and I got a new Cannon Rebel DSLR camera. I'm still just getting used to it with the automatic settings, but I had fun getting some cute shots with my nephew Miles while I was babysitting him. He grabs his feel all the time.

This past morning I felt inspired to take a pic of part of the morning routine as the sun was shining in. Lemonade, coffee, fish oil, my many many supplements, liquid chlorophyll (yummy). Oh, and some Truvia (which is the sweetener made from Stevia which I told you all about. I don't use it, because I just use liquid Stevia. I got it to show all of you so.) Ahhh, good morning.
Miles is probably getting teeth soon because he puts everything in his mouth.

Miles has some incredibly big blue eyes. He's such a happy baby.

Quick update stuff first before I blog:

Hormone therapy is going fine. I have no side effects yet.

I now see a chiropractor that I really like and I already feel more flexible. Yeah!

Kevin and I have an every Monday night Yoga date now. Also helping with flexibility.

We are going to Arizona next Wednesday March 11th and I will be there until the 19th (Kevin flys back the 15th I think) We're staying at my grandmother's in Sun City and we will be taking a short trip to the Grand Canyon. I'm sure we'll have some good pictures to go up on the blog.

Okay, last picture. Chloe getting some water tonight. She's my new glamour shots kitty now that I have the new camera.

This post is about my new take on language and what changes I am making to mine:

First word I am eliminating from my language is should. Should is a bad word that people use all the time. What is wrong with should??? Well, when you say you should do something you are implying that you are automatically wrong if you don't do it. For example: "I should write a new blog post before I leave for Arizona" If I don't, what is implied here with the word should is that it would be bad. Okay, now insert the word could. "I could write a new blog post before I leave for Arizona." Now this sounds like great opportunity I could have instead of being bad for not doing something I SHOULD do. I got this from the book You Can Heal Your Life, and I agree with it. I do everything I can to replace the word should with could. I do 10 pushups if Kevin can catch me saying it. Honestly, try it out. Try a couple sentences. It almost feels like a weight off your shoulders when you use the word could instead.

Another word I am trying to eliminate from my language is fight. YES FIGHT. I will no longer FIGHT cancer. No more winning the fight, battle, or whatever else people say I am doing to cancer. When people tell me I will win this fight or how good I am fighting, I kind of ignore the comment and say to myself that this person is wishing me health. That way they are still helping me which is what they are trying to do. Here is the reasoning for eliminating the word fight. We attract into our lives what we focus on and give our attention to weather it is negative or positive attention. So if I constantly focus on FIGHTING cancer than I will most likely attract cancer into my life. I know if sounds weird that this can happen but I believe in it. It's really tough because fighting stuff we don't want has become so popular and commonplace in our society. It's our usual language. So instead of fighting cancer I will be focusing on health. So, if you start talking to me about fighting cancer and I look like I am zoning out, well, just know that I am translating that into a positive message about health in my head.

To take this to another level it is wise to eliminate all negative language from your vocabulary. I'm going to stop focusing on what I don't want and start focusing (and talking) about what I do want. I am trying not to focus on not wanting MY CANCER to come back, and focus on being healthy in the future.

Another phrase I am eliminating is "my cancer" "my tumors" or I HAVE cancer. All together I will be trying to say the word cancer as least a possible (after this blog where I feel like I am saying this word a million times). The reason for not saying my cancer was given to me by a hypnotherapist I saw. He says that it is human nature to want to hold on to the things we own. If we have things,we tend to want to keep our things. He says the same thing goes for cancer and any other health condition. My cancer will make me in a subconscious way, hold on to my cancer. I don't want to do that. It's hard to re-word everything I say, but I believe it is worth it. I know it makes people sometimes get suspicious that I have issues, but so what. So, rather than say I HAVE cancer I say I was diagnosed with cancer. Other words I can use are dealing with, facing, challenged with etc..

Here are some other language changes I am making: If someone finds out I was diagnosed with the "c" word they always ask and assume "so you are in remission right?" or "you beat it right". The last thing I want to do is confirm to them and myself that no, I still have my cancer. Instead I will say something like "my treatment is going very well, or everything is going great." I'm not trying to be secretive about anything, but I don't want to cost myself any health by trying to explain to people what is going on inside my body. My hypnotherapist told me that at a subconscious level, our language impacts our health. The things we say can shape our lives.

Anyway, just thought I would write about the language changes to explain to you all why I might seem secretive when I am trying to answer a question. I now it seems a little crazy to be so aware of the exact wording you use when you talk, but I'm trying to do EVERYTHING I can to give myself a longer happier and more fulfilling life.

Well, we're super excited to leave for Arizona so soon. I think we'll go to the Canyon, Sedona and at least one spring training game while we are out there. I might go bead shopping with my grandma so I can bring home some original beads for making jewelry. Anyway, we'll see where the trip takes us. It will be great for Kevin to be on vacation.

Peace love and lots of cool pics coming

Shannon

What am I doing for treatment?????

2009-02-24T21:10:00.005-05:00

Are you wondering what I am doing for treatment?? Better yet, what am I doing myself that is going to bring me back to the health I had when I was a super cute, healthy kid?? Our bodies were created to be perfect and balanced. What can I do to get my body back to the perfect balance I used to have?

I have always loved dancing my whole life. Time to focus on what I truly love and use it to heal myself.
I was confident that I had a bright future when I was young. Why should anything change now?
Even as a kid I smothered kittys. Some things don't ever change. My true passion.
Okay, enough with the cute kid pics. Let's talk game plan.

Like I said a couple blogs ago, I am off the clinical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. No more trips out to Houston. I had A little bit of growth in one spot, but some shrinkage in the liver area (tumors shrunk not the liver). Back in Michigan, my oncologist and I decided to get me a PET scan because this shows how active any cancer cells are.

When we went over the results, we agreed that I had taken this cancer from a super fast moving highly aggressive cancer to a slower moving disease. The uptake of glucose by the cells was lower than expected. My doctor decided that we could try hormone therapy instead of chemotherapy (I think I was going to do this anyway, but it is nice to have her blessing).
I still get this drug through IV called Zomeda for my bones (not a chemo) and then the hormone therapy is called Zoladex. I did not know that it is a little pebble that is injected into your stomach that slowly dissolves over the next 30 days until I was there for the infusion. I had to get my stomach numbed (which hurts itself, but not as bad as the HUGE needle that puts the pebble under your skin on your stomach. I didn't feel it go in which was good, but I could feel it after under my skin. I think they instaled a tracking device in me and are watching my every move. (Or, I've watched too many spy shows).

In a week, I start aromataste inhibitors which also get the rest of the estrogen floating around in me. We'll see how this all goes.

Nevertheless, I will focus on what I want to, which is the fact that I think I am on the right path. I am slowing things down. Am I getting close to figuring out how to balance my body??? I think so. This is not time to relax, it is time to get crackin. You are in for a big treat. Below is my NEW AND IMPROVED HEALTH LIST!!!

Time to get resourceful and disciplined. Time to declare my plan to the world and stick to it.
The big thing is that I am constantly adding to the list. It is ever evolving. One day I will find the magical combination and I will be completely healthy. Until, then, this is where I start today.

My Morning Routine:
1. While still in bed with my eyes closed, I sit and repeat my affirmations. (about my health and well being) "I am so happy and grateful for my perfect health" Stuff like that.

2. Then go over all the things I am grateful for (things I already have and am grateful for)

3. When I get out of bed I drink some Kangen water (at least 10-15 gulps.)
(Kangen water is ionized water that is highly alkaline 9.5. Healthy cells thrive in alkaline environments. Disease cannot grow in an alkaline environment. It also has a lot of oxygen and antioxidants) I'll do a lesson on PH soon.

4. Meditate for 5 minutes focusing on my breath and body

5. Stretch for 5 minutes

6. Dance therapy - turn on the Ipod and rock out dancing to a song while I make my bed

7. Downstairs for fresh squeezed lemonade with Stevia (lemons are HIGHLY alkalizing when you eat them) Maybe add cayenne pepper once in a while to help cleanse the liver some more

8. Brew a pot of coffee (not to drink - more on this later)

9. Make my huge 32 ounce green juice (2 cucumbers, 3-4 celery stalks, sunflower sprouts, snow pea sprouts, and 3-4 kale leaves)

10. While juicing take my supplements (with Kangen water)

My supplements are.......
Liver Detox
Multivitamin
Vitamin D (in the winter)
Probiotic
Digestive enzymes
Systemic Enzymes
Tumeric
Garlic
Milk Thistle
Spirulina
B Complex
Liquid Chlorophyll (tastes good like spearmint)
Chlorella
Indol 3 Carbinol

Folic Acid
I have added to this list since I wrote this, but once I get the supplements down I will do a supplement entry. I won't be telling others what supplements they should take, but I will explain what I take and why. My cousin is hooking me up with some wicked awesome supplements that have some amazing combinations that are made for bringing down inflammation, detoxing, and all sorts of cool stuff. I'm giddy about getting them in the mail.

11. I also will be doing something called the Budwig protocol where you eat 3tbs of cottage cheese mixed with 3tbs of flax seed oil. (gross) A doctor found that the reaction of those two mixed, kills "c" cells. I did more research than that, but I don't feel like explaining that all in this entry. That's around lunch time.

12. Once my veggie juice is done, I juice wheatgrass and drink half of what I juiced (about 4 oz)

13. Upstairs for the coffee enema. I know. Coffee enema??? Really??? (if you don't know what it is, look it up. Or don't if you don't want to know) Not like I love doing this. (I do this because it cleanses the liver and makes it purge all the toxins. Really. Look it up. This is huge for people who are on some form of drug treatment and especially if you have liver tumors. I think this is what helped me get the liver tumors to shrink this past month because that is when I started it. I did enemas every day for a few weeks and the next test the tumors shrunk.)

14. After the coffee enema I do a wheatgrass implant because this also makes your liver purge toxins, cleans your colon, but it also lets your colon absorb all the nutrition from the wheatgrass just the same as if you were drinking it. (If I don't go running back to the toilet) One woman was on her breast cancer death bed and couldn't eat anything she was so sick, but started doing wheatgrass enemas on a drip where it stayed inside her and brought herself back to health. She is now cancer free.
We have to remember that this is cancer and not the common cold right?? Cancer calls for more drastic measures. You might think I am crazy, but what would you be willing to do if you were in my situation?? I'm past worrying about people's judgement on me. It doesn't matter anymore. My mind is focused on doing what needs to be done. Plus I feel great afterwards, and I think that has something to say for itself.

15. Yoga or running/walking outside or eliptical (45min - 1hr)

16. Rebound for 15 minutes (this gets the lymph flow in your body to move when you jump on a trampoline)

17. 1 hour of my infrared sauna

18. While in Sauna either watch the Secret or listen to one of my visualization/meditation CDs.

19. Shower (skin brush if I'm not all sweaty)
(Now you can understand how the day can fly by without me getting much else accomplished. This whole routine takes a LONG TIME.

My eating habits will be changing a decent amount and here is what I am doing
1. Every day until noon I will NOT eat any solid food and only do a liquid diet in the form of wheatgrass, green veggie juice, fresh squeezed lemonade, herbal tea, or Kangen water. No chewing until noon. This gives my body a mini liquid fast every night and morning. I will be asking a lot less out of my digestive system and the rest of my body, so it can spend it's precious energy on cleaning out excess toxins and maintaining a healthy immune system. (It's like a 1/2 day fast out of every day). You've read that your immune system works the most in your sleep I'm sure. That is because you are resting, not eating and not digesting food.

2. Lunch will be my biggest meal consisting of a salad, maybe some fruit and possibly a snack like hummus or something.

3. Dinner will be before 7pm for sure, but I will aim to finish dinner before 6pm. No food after 6pm. So, every day I will not eat for 18 hours out of the day. Just think about the resting time my body will accumulate with this new schedule. Liquid is fine, but no fiber. I'm still getting nutrients so DO NOT think I am on a starvation diet.

4. The last thing about my eating schedule is I will fast (juice and wheatgrass fast) one day out of every week. I will do a 36 hour fast where I will start at dinner the night before and have a complete day without food and will not eat solid food until lunch the following day. Every year I will have fasted for 52 days. That's a lot and it shouldn't be too hard. I started last week with a 28 hr fast and it went fine. This week will start the 36 hr fasts. This is not an attempt to "diet" at all. Actually my veggie juice contains a lot of calories. I drink 32 ounces of it as well, but all the calories are good ones that help my body function.

I think my next lesson will be on fasting so I'll stop explaining everything with the fasting for now. (PH lesson, Supplements lesson, fasting lesson get it straight Shannon!!)

As far as what I eat, I am almost completely organic. I kind of only eat non-organic food when I am not eating in my home. I think all my groceries are organic. That is a HUGE change that I have made over a 3 year period. I will also be eating 70-80% raw food. I have given up milk completely since Hippocrates. I have also given up all red meat and chicken. Special occasions only for fish. I also gave up cheese for the most part which I have struggled with the most. I have some raw cheeses once in a while. Ruining the cottage cheese with the flax oil for the Budwig protocol is hard to do because I love cottage cheese but not with flax oil. The one time it is okay for me to have dairy it tastes like crap. I sneak some a clean spoonful every once in a while.

Evening
1. I will try to have a big mug of herbal tea with Kevin. I have about a thousand types and flavors. I will be making this with my alkaline water as well.

At Night
1. Supplements again (all except the vitamin D & B, which is only 1 time a day)

2. I drink Cell Food with Kangen water (this puts oxygen and other good stuff in your cells as a liquid supplement)

3. I will also be doing the Netti Pot, where I wash out my sinuses every night

4. Read Greatest Salesman with kevin

5. Affirmations before bed ("so happy and grateful for my perfect health")

6. I will get to bed by 10pm every night that I can. My body needs lots of sleep because you heal and your immune system does its best work while you are sleeping. "Get to sleep Shannon. Get off the computer!!!"

Coming soon
1. I will start going to the chiropractor again (3 days a week) I think I found one that is close and in network with insurance.

2. I will also look into getting accupuncture monthly as well

What I still have going on:
We still have the whole house air filter and water filter. The water filter makes it so I don't absorb any chlorine when I shower. That's huge. We have tons of plants now too so hopefully there is a lot of oxygen in the house.

Weekly
1. Soak with epsom salt, ginger, and essential oils (already do this)

Monthly
1. Massage (already do this)

2. Colonic (I just had my first one since Hippocrates and I would have to say it was very successful. Now I just have to keep going. Kevin told me to not give too much information so I will stop there)

Other new things I will try..
Vibe machine - ever heard of that? My friend Kristin told me about a lady who wanted me to do this while I was in Austin. Too much information was getting sent to me at the time and I couldn't keep up. (plus I was getting ready to stop working and move to Michigan so a lot was going on) I keep seeing it come up in my research, so I am willing to give it a try. It's a machine that creates an energy field that is vibrating at a certain high level. Sick cells vibrate slowly at a low energy level and healthy cells are just the opposite. You go and sit by this vibe machine for a while and it makes your cells vibrate at a high level which creates an environment suitable for healthy cells and not "c" cells

For now, that is my list, but like I said it is ever evolving. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions. As you can see, I am open to trying anything. Now that I have declared my list to whoever reads this, I will hold myself accountable to it. I will print copies of this so I can cross of my accomplishments. So, if you see me repeating some affirmations to myself like "thank you for my perfect health", don't think I am crazy talking to myself, I am just in the process of healing myself.

Lots of love and healthy lists
Shannon

I LOVE Kevin and Boyne Mountain - Happy Valentines Day!!

2009-02-16T09:33:00.010-05:00

Hey there Lovebirds!!

Kevin and I went from our planned, low key, low budget, Valentines Day to a spectacular weekend at a winter wonderland called Boyne Mountain.

Winter was showing signs of ending and we were running out of weekends when we would be able to trek it up north, so I seized the opportunity. We stayed at the Mountain Grand Lodge. Our room had a view of the pool and the mountain. It had a fireplace that was remote controlled and it had a hot tub.

Here I am after an exhilarating snowboarding session. Boyne is huge compared to the hills around me. The conditions were very good and fast. No wind and sun most of the time. Kevin didn't ski because he broke both ankles before and didn't want to risk anything. I snowboard alone all the time, so it was fine with me.

We got to hang out in the pool afterwards and the hot tub. It's fun swimming outside when there is snow on the ground.

This is the Mountain Grand Lodge. It's only 3 years old. It wasn't here last time I was at Boyne.

We had a wonderful Valentines Day dinner at the hotel and they had fireworks on the hill afterwards.

We also got to go tubing down the hill. This was fun. Watch the video of Kevin tubing below.

We were also able to go to Avalanche Bay which was an indoor water park. Yes, we were the oldest non-parents in there, but we had fun. There was a cool slide to race on. We spent most of our time there and watching kids wipe out on the surfing simulator.

Here is a kid trying to surf. The water goes so fast and strong it will lift anyone up and shoot them back to the top. People sit there all day and watch kids wipe out. It's a blast.

All in all, we did so much and had so much fun in a short weekend. I felt so great snowboarding. Kevin and I had a blast and it was like a vacation packed in 2 days. Really felt like a get away. I would love to do that more often, but we might run out of money. We did Valentines Day right though.

Before we got that little bit of snow here in lower Michigan I was able to go outside and get a picture of what was left of our cute snowman after all that warm weather and rain. The black buttons, carrot and sticks for his arms were all still out there.

I just wanted everyone to know how great of a weekend we had. So far I am doing great at living life like everything is wonderful. Who is to say life isn't wonderful if you don't believe it yourself? Right?? Doctors, nurses, everyone can act like I should be sad, but I'm not. Ha Ha. I am having the time of my life.

I however am not being reckless. I have a treat for you for my next blog. I will be posting the new list I compiled of all the things I am doing to be super uber healthy (kind of like the old list, but much longer and way improved). Some of you might think I am crazy with some of the things I do, spending a ton of money on all of this and devoting a majority of my time to it. What is most important is that I believe in it. It will work. I will be healthy and happy.

Your snowboarding fool

Shannon

Fun Winter Stuff anf My 25 Random Things List

2009-02-10T09:00:00.006-05:00

My brother-in-law, Kevin, and I went to Mt Brighton on Friday for a snowboarding lesson for him. It was about 35 and sunny the entire day with no wind at all. Absolutely perfect snowboarding day. I had so much energy, I could have gone all day long.

At the top of the hill with my snowboard. It's 10 years old, but I still love it.

Then, on Saturday it must have gotten up to 45 to 50 degrees. Kevin and I made the perfect snowman in our back yard.

Look at this guy. Isn't he so cute?

The snow was so heavy because it was melting so fast. It was hard building him, but we managed to make him perfect. He's completely symmetrical.

So, we went to Bordines nursery to return my lemon tree that didn't make it. We bought a few plants with my store credit and came back home a couple hours later. This is what our snowman looked like when we came back. Even Chloe came out to see him and take a walk in the snow.

He was melting fast. and leaning a lot.

About 2 hours after he was born, he collapsed on the lawn. : (

I Love winter!

Change the subject:

Here is something everyone is doing on Facebook, which I am a part of. A few friends sent me this list of 25 random things about themselves and asked that I complete one. Well, we all know about my love affair with lists, so of course I started mine. I was about to post it to Facebook, when I learned that I could post my last 25 blog entries there instead and I could have Facebook automatically pull my latest blog entry there. So, I figured I would write my 25 random things about me list in my blog and then my blog entry would be on my Facebook page. Anyway, now all of you get to see my 25 things list too.

Here we go:
1. I was the messiest kid with a very disorganized room when I was younger and now my house is clean all the time and I have everything organized.

2. I’m a BIG sucker for 2 for 1 sales.

3. I love sitting with my really soft blanket with my kitty, Chloe by the fireplace. I also love winter unlike so many people.

4. I grew my first garden this year with cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, zucchini and so much more. The garden could not have turned out better. I amazed myself.

5. I play chase with my cat and she sometimes scares me to the point where I scream (Okay a lot of the time). It's a daily thing.

6. I have a lime tree in my house and I pick limes from it but I never end up using them. I killed my lemon tree, but I’ll try again this summer.

7. My first job was working at Mesquite Creek in Clarkston MI. Then I worked at Rams Horn and then Joe Balognas. Up at Michigan State I worked at the Roadhouse. I waited tables for all my jobs until I was done with college.

8. When I was a kid I always wanted to be a hair stylist and a cheerleader. By the time the opportunities came up I had changed my mind.

9. I broke my right wrist snowboarding at Pine Knob, when I was going to hit a 20ft tabletop jump and I swerved not to hit a patch of ice. My friend Kara was with me.

10. I went to Central Michigan wanting to become a doctor. I did great and got a 3.8, but decided to go into business and I transferred to Michigan State after 2 years.

11. I do have a problem and it’s that I am a shopaholic.

12. I proudly drive a 1996 Honda Accord with 150k plus miles. The power locks don’t work anymore, the passenger window doesn’t work, and it rattles all the time, but still drives very well. It would run perfect if I didn’t get hit a while ago.

13. I actually really enjoy shoveling snow

14. I have three sisters and two brothers. My oldest sister is 31, then I’m 28, my brother is 16 and is adopted from Romania, my other brother is 15, my other sister is 14 and is adopted from Russia, and then I have a little sister who is 3 years old. Yes, I am 25 years older than my sister.

15. I’m planning a huge fundraiser show for breast cancer and Gilda’s Club this September and I am actually the event chair (leader)

16. I have a hard time finishing movies. I’ll watch 90% of the movie and then start picking up around the house or I’ll go on my computer and stop paying attention.

17. I love dancing. Not club dancing, but ballet, tap and jazz dancing.

18. Kevin and I met working at the Roadhouse up at Michigan State together. He was the busboy and I was the waitress. He was the best busboy there and I always tipped him extra. We were friends first and then realized there was an attraction.

19. If I could change ANYTHING about my house I would build a walk in closet for myself.

20. I honestly believe my life is a million times better after I was diagnosed with cancer. It’s more meaningful and I am just way more happy. Not because the diagnosis made me happy, but because it pushed me to work on myself in so many ways. It also made me stop worrying about what other people think so much. Just live your life and do what makes you happy you know??

21. In the past 6 months I have flown back and forth to Houston, for the clinical trial I am on, 11 times.

22. I have 20 total plants in the house (26 when I am growing wheatgrass and sprouts). I try to keep lots of oxygen and life in my house.

23. Of the plants I have in the house, 7 of them I can eat. Lime, 2 rosemary, dill, 2 aloe, and mint. Not that I actually eat them, but I could. Of course I juice the sprouts and wheatgrass too.

24. I have been to so many concerts in my life growing up. Page and Plant (twice), The Eagles, Billy Joel and Elton John, Coldplay (twice), Jack Johnson (at least 4 times), Metallica (7 times), Red Hot Chili Peppers (twice), Kid Rock (twice), Oasis, Snoop Dog (twice), Eminen (twice), Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Pantera, Jason Mraz, Cypress Hill, Dave Matthews, Woodstock 1998, Steve Miller Band (every summer), Tom Petty (twice), Ludacris, Counting Crowes, Pearl Jam, Black Crowes, ….the list goes on and on and on and on but I can't think of them all (Benefit of living close to Pine Knob)

25. I freaking love my husband, Kevin, and I think he is such a hottie. He’s also what I call my life coach. I go to him for all my advice.

26. I own at least 40 different colored bandanas and 6 wigs.

27. I always go over my commitment on a list. If I say I’ll write 100, I’ll do 101. Same thing goes with push-ups.

28. My heart would break if I ever see an animal mistreated.

So, it was really my 28 things list.

Lastly, a special treat for all of you. Here is the video I took of Kevin snowboarding after I gave him my lesson. He started off only going on his back edge of the board the whole way down, but a couple hours later we was carving all the way down the hill. I was snowboarding behind him video taping. Press play to watch.

I LOVE winter and am sad that it is getting closer to being over. Spring is super sweet too and then I can start getting ready for my garden.

I hope to get up to Boyne Mountain before the end of winter so I can snowboard on a nice big hill for a couple days.

Lots of love and 35 degree sunny, snowy days.

Have fun! Shannon

My Last Houston Trip

2009-02-03T23:32:00.016-05:00

Here I am enjoying my last Jamba Juice drink. Don't worry I wasn't driving while I took this picture.

I need to lobby to get a Jamba Juice down the road from my house. This place is one of the things I love about Houston, especially where Paul lives.

My friends Jessica, Paul and I out to dinner on this beautiful night. Notice, no jackets in February.

I was missing the first half of the Superbowl, however I did get to see one of the most incredible sunsets I have seen in my life. It looks so awesome to be above the clouds and watch the sun go under them.

This is one of Paul's neighbors' houses. This is the SIDE of the house. The front is just as wide. There is a ton of oil money in Houston. I go running on this path on this street every time I go to Paul's and I just drool over all of these houses.

This is a plant store I drive by on the way home from MD Anderson to Paul's. They have these IV statues everywhere. It's so cool to go there on a sunny day. They have orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime trees there too. One lemon tree had 22 lemons on it.

Hey everybody,

I am no longer on the clinical trial. I showed progression and once you have progression you are off the trial. Here's the details. My blood test went up (CA2729 went from 256 to 321) That's pretty significant. So, when the doctor came in and told me the scans didn't look good I wasn't surprised. There is this area in the Omentum that had growth. Tumors are not measured there (I don't know why), but they are growing. This area is spread out and I think more fluid than say the liver, so growth there I think really impacts the blood test more since it is spread out in tissue more rather than a compact tumor. The bone scans are exactly the same. The liver "polka dots" have actually shrunk in size. They have not budged for over a year and now all of a sudden they shrink?? It is possible for a drug to work on one area but not in another which is what I think is happening. I have also been doing some liver detoxing all the past month and I think that helped. I am super excited about the liver spot shrinkage. Hopefully it was the detoxing and not the drug since I will continue the detoxing and not the drug.

Now, lets not get sad and feel sorry for me because I am fine. I don't take this as bad news just different news which means it is time to try something different.

The nurses who were completely normal to me before I got the results came back in the room with an attitude like I was dying. They were sad, gave me pity faces, talked slow to me and kept asking if I was okay or if I needed anything. I kept saying I was fine, but they didn't let up. They acted like I was at a funeral for myself. I kept saying, "I am okay, I'll figure something out. It's just time to try something else." Then they said "Are you suuuure???" Then I started to get pissed off at them. Here I am coping with the news just fine and I feel like they are almost trying to get me sad. Or they are so sad for me that I have to cheer them up. WTF?? I have enough to process and concern myself with right now, and I'm supposed to worry about cheering them up too??? I know it is their way of showing they care a lot about me, but come on. Still I kept assuring them that everything was okay and I left on those terms without telling them that the only thing really bothering me was how they were acting towards me.

Here is the new mantra I have adopted for this situation. It's from The Greatest Salesman which Kevin and I read parts from every day. It is fitting that we are on the chapter of persisting until you succeed. It is written for a salesman, but you can apply it to life so much. Here are some of the life parts I have taken from this chapter:

I will persist until I succeed.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal (perfect health). Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner (like this corner I will have to turn right now).

Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.

I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.

I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep my eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.

So long as there is a breath in me, that long will I persist.

When I called Kevin and cried to him about my results but more so my frustration on how the nurses treated me like I was dying, he reminded me of some of these phrases from the Greatest Salesman they we use to apply to me and my quest for perfect health. I got my shit together, wiped my eyes, took a deep breath, and walked into Whole Foods on a mission. They have a Jamba Juice (which serves wheatgrass shots and green tea shots) and there are also two other Jamba juices on the way from MD Anderson to Paul's house. So, I decided I will persist until I succeed. I walked into Jamba juice and ordered doubles of wheatgrass and green tea shots in every one of them on my way home(6 healthy double shots). Ahhhh. Back on track.

I still have a lot to figure out. If you have been with me a while you will remember the "Am I doing enough?" post I wrote. Well, I am going to write a new one and kick it up a couple hundred notches. I will have to go to my doctor in Michigan and discuss medical options too. It's basically low dose chemotherapy or hormone therapy. I am not into the chemotherapy. I will be keeping my hair thank you very much. It might seem vain, but looking healthy makes you feel healthy and feeling healthy is key to actually getting healthy. It is not fun being treated like a sick person by every single person you encounter throughout the day. I DO NOT LIKE PITY. That is why hair loss doesn't work for me.

Now that I am off the clinical trial I am going to focus on the good things about being off the trial like...

No more monthly trips to Houston. I did like going but it gets a little old not having a say of when I have to go.

Less scans I need to go through because they over-scan you on trials.

Less sickness from travel and fatigue from travel.

Eventually one day we will get my travel money back so we will get about $6000. One day.

I will FINALLY go out to Chicago and hang out with Jessica and Joe like I have been promising forever, but have not gone in a while because I always felt like I was either about to leave for Texas or just getting back from Texas.

Kevin will be happy because I always go shopping in Rice Village or the Gallaria and I usually come home with a new article of clothing on every trip.

Here are some great things about Houston I will miss:

Jamba Juices everywhere - I mean everywhere

Jason's Deli - HUGE ALL ORGANIC salad bar with everything you could think of for your salads

70 degree perfect days and not a single cloud in the sky (in the winter) I did not see a single cloud the entire time I was here. (3 strait days. That doesn't happen in Michigan in the winter)

I will miss running on Tanglewood DR. and drooling over all the multimillion dollar homes right by Paul's

The Gallaria - HUGE mall with all my favorite stores

Rice Village - College town that is so cute with wonderful shops. I love shopping in Houston

Paul - Yeah, just some guy that let me stay at his place every time I come to Houston. Okay, also a dear friend who I will miss hanging with monthly. Guess I'll have to see him in Michigan now.

So remember, we will not be having any pity parties for me. (Kevin is like "What??? we have those all the time at home") Once I am done venting to Kevin it is on to happy and healthy thoughts. I will let you all know what I decide to do.

First thing on my therapy list is snowboarding. I heard that was killer for shrinking tumors.

My brother in law, Kevin, and I are going in an hour, so I have to go and get ready.

Lots of love and Jamba Juices

Shannon

Recipes and update on my life (off to Houston again)

2009-01-31T23:01:00.005-05:00

Drew says; DRINK YOUR VEGGIE (with beets) JUICE.
Hey everyone,

I have some recipes to share with all of you, but first you have to read about me first.

What’s new….hmmmm..

I found some aluminum water bottles that are a good price at Old Navy. They are cute and they have the tops I like. Anyway, the Sigg water bottles are expensive, but Old Navy has some that are like the Siggs that are about $7 or $8. Go check them out. Yoga pants are on sale there too right now. And, I just saw a couple cute aluminum bottles at Pottery Barn for $10. I’m glad I found ones everyone can get without spending too much.

Kevin and I booked our flights out to Arizona (March) and we will be going to the Grand Canyon from there. Time to start checking off some stuff from my bucket list. We'll see the Canyon, hike the Canyon, I’m not sure if we can camp or make it all the way down to the bottom of the canyon so we can white water raft or kayak the canyon. Either way, we plan to do some cool stuff there. I'm hitting up Sedona too because they are all crazy hippy spiritual healers there. Right up my alley.

I have been attending my Toastmasters meetings (2 so far) and the second meeting I was voted best table topic speech (2 minute impromptu speech) Go Shannon! I was a little surprised to get the votes, but so far so good. Not checking off being a good public speaker off my bucket list yet. I still need some training.

I fly to Houston on Super Bowl Sunday. Yes, the sports fanatic will be on a plane in the air while the Superbowl is starting. Think of me. Hopefully I will be able to get to Paul’s in time to watch it DVRed on his TV. Oh, and I’ll get all the scans, blood work and have a doctor’s appointment so I’ll let you all know what comes of that. We’re looking for lower blood counts and stable or shrinking scans. I’ll keep you posted. My magic 8 ball says "Chances of success are high"

I've been watching my nephew, Miles, every Wednesday. We have a lot of fun. He’s 4 months. He laughs, smiles, talks baby gibberish, and he loves to be held by me.

We went to our niece Lauren's, 3 year old birthday party. We got her a dress up wedding dress, because her favorite thing to do by far is dress up and make believe. If there was a prize for best present brought to the party, I think I would win (or come in tied for second or something because she did get some really cool stuff.)

She's sad about something else (not the dress).

Kevin got this icicle off our roof. We have some very dangerous ones dangling off the sides of our house. I keep knocking them down. For one reason; it's hella fun. The other reason; I think it's bad chi to have them hanging over you when you enter the house. SCARY

Last bit of news: Kevin and I went bowling tonight. We needed something to do on these freezing winter days. Anyway, Kevin started with two strikes in a row and ended the game with three strikes in a row, which is a Turkey I just learned. His score was 150. Go Kevin. I broke 100 on a game and that was enough to make me proud. Kevin is thinking about joining the bowling league and soon we will be watching him after SportsCenter ends before Football on Sundays. JK

Want some new recipes I've tried so far as part of my New Years Resolution????? I was going to include pictures, but I forgot to with the avocado rolls and Kevin said my soup looked like throw up. He said he liked how it tasted, but I was discouraged from taking a picture.

Avocado Rolls:
Here are the ingredients:
Spring roll wraps (the tapioca rice ones)
cabbage or some lettuce leaf wrap
shredded carrot (I used my spiralizer)
cucumber (I slice it into long thin strips)
Avocado (about 1/2 of one per roll)
Peanut sauce to dip the rolls in them

Then, you dip the spring roll wrap in luke warm water (they are hard before) for 2 seconds. Then you put them on the plate.
Put the lettuce wrap over the spring roll wrap
put the carrot and cucumber in there.
Then put avocado slices over that (The way I saw them when I decided to try them myself the avocado was on the outside of the lettuce inside the spring roll and the slices were all aligned perfectly and it made them look really nice. I'm no sushi roller, so I just put everything on the inside and it still tastes the same)
Then, you roll it like a sushi roll. Or like a burrito. Or like a doobie. You get the point.

Dip it in the peanut sauce and enjoy!!!

Clean your fridge out veggie soup (This will be enough for leftovers)
Make this soup when you need to use up those veggies that could go bad soon. Keep a couple things of veggie broth on hand all the time and you can make this soup anytime. I don’t really measure so you’ll have to bear with me.
Cut up about 4 carrots
Cut 1 large stalk of celery
Cut one large yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
In a pan simmer these with olive oil and some water for 10 minutes or so
In a large pot add two things of veggie broth and start that on low
Add the veggies cooked so far
Add some garlic salt
Add some pepper
Add some thyme
Cut up some potatoes
Cut up some mushrooms
Simmer theses with olive oil and water for 10 minutes and add them to the pot of veggies
Cut up a bunch of green cabbage and add that to the pot
I then added some quinoa noodles from some pasta I made the night before
Then I just let the pot cook on low for 20-30 minutes
Tasted great

Insulin Reducing - Gluten Free - yummy sweet cereal (do this with whole grain oatmeal too)
So the cereal is Bon’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. It’s wheat free, gluten free and dairy free. The ingredients are whole grain brown rice, corn, white sorghum and buckwheat.
I boil water and then simmer the cereal for 10 minutes.
Add some cinnamon
Add a little vanilla flavor
Add some Stevia
The cereal is sweet and tasty. I love it. It’s nice to have something this sweet that would actually over your insulin levels. Why does it do this? Both cinnamon and Stevia reduce insulin levels so they act opposite of what sugar would do. Yeah!

Grandmas Hummus
Mix one can of chickpeas in blender
Add 6 medium garlic cloves
2 tbsp of tahini
juice 1 lemon and add juice
Veggie Oil
blend in second can of chickpeas and blend very well
Tada. Your own homemade hummus

Well, I have to go pack for Houston. Yeah!!!

Your traveling to Texas friend

Shannon

Health Lesson #9 Where you should eat

2009-01-19T12:20:00.007-05:00

Hello Everybody!!! I Have A New FAVORITE Restaurant!!!

Mind Body & Spirits (yep, that's the name)

I was just going to make the blog about how great this place is, but I think I am also calling it a health lesson because if you are serious about your health and the environment, you will seek out places like this to eat at. So, this is Health Lesson #9 on Where You Should Eat.

How lucky am I? This restaurant just opened up about 2 miles from my house in Downtown Rochester on main street (Rochester Rd) and 2nd Street. Why am I so stoked?? This place is 100% organic. That’s right 100%. I can’t even shop 100% organic at Whole Foods because the don't always carry everything organic. But that’s not all. It is also almost completely local food. The water is reverse osmosis filtered. The soda is homemade with Agave Nectar. There are gluten free pastas on the menu that are to die for.

You think I am done? Well guess again. It is also a green restaurant. Right now it had Green lights as part of the Downtown Rochester light display, but I’m talking environmentally green. The floors are sustainable bamboo, cork, and recycled tires. The tables are made of compressed sunflower seeds or compressed saw dust. Of course they used paint with no VOCs. The cement floors are made with crushed up bottles that were left over from the Owner’s other bars. It looks really pretty too. There is a greenhouse in the back where some veggies and fresh herbs are grown. They compost all the leftover food, so nothing goes to waste and then they get this awesome completely natural fertilizer from that. They recycle everything. They catch rain water to water the plants in the green house. The list goes on and on.

This is the cozy lounge upstairs. Kevin and I ate up here sitting at a couch and we looked at books from the collection they have on their bookshelves. It was so nice and relaxing.

So far I have tried the veggie burger and I was just taken away. I am so used to a “veggie” burger being smashed black beans and this was a delightful surprise. The burger was veggies, but I am telling you it was the best burger I have ever had. Non-veggie people would love it. Kevin loved it. My uncle had the fish sandwich and he loved it as well. My mom and cousin had a pasta dish with chicken and I was doing a juice fast that day so I had to sit there and torture myself and smell it. It looked so good and smelled so good, I was close to breaking the fast. I had the red pepper hummus as the dip of the day and I wish it were the dip of the day every day. The potato pancakes are so incredibly good. I also heard that the half chicken was wonderful. Everything I seem to try there is incredible. They put a lot of effort and care into making these foods.

The owner of this place is Mike Plez and he is a class act. He also owns the Rochester Beer Mill and he sold the Royal Oak Brewery to open Mind Body Spirits. He is an incredible individual and did not miss a beat when designing this place. Honestly, you will not find one area that he didn’t put thought into. He has always wanted to make a restaurant like this and this was a life long passion. When my Uncle David and my sister Stacie went there to eat, he gave my uncle and me about an hour long tour of the place telling us every little detail he used in making this restaurant. It was incredible. The ambiance is extraordinary too. They have free WiFi upstairs in a lounge with couches and coffee tables. You can eat dinner up there too. They have book shelves with products for sale and they have a ton of books that you can pick up and read or even borrow and bring back later. It is decorated beautifully with bamboo plants throughout the place and flat panel TVs displaying some of the prettiest pictures of Michigan.

They also use geo thermal heating and cooling (using the earth’s core temperature), solar panels, solar hot water, energy recovery ventilators (using the old air temperature to either heat or cool the new air coming in). You get the point, this place is incredible.

The website is http://www.mindbodyspirits.com/

Go to the site and click on "In The News" and click on the "Fox 2 News Clip". They had the news there when I went there to eat with my uncle and my sister. Of course they only wanted to interview my uncle, but if you pay attention to the background, you will see me talking to my sister and laughing at my nephew who decided to spill water and hit some other things over when the camera started rolling.

MICHIGAN PEOPLE, you have to go there and check it out. You could go downtown Rochester, go see the lights and then get dinner there afterwards. The fire and ice festival is this weekend. Ice sculptures and fireworks. Feel good about the food you eat and go there and have dinner. This is the start of some major change and I am so happy. I cannot wait to see how much things have changed in another 5 years. People are waking up. People understand that it DOES matter what we do and what we put into our bodies. Although the FDA and even some doctors do not look out for our overall health, we can be sure that we are all smart individuals who care about our earth and care about our bodies. Sooner or later “big money” like Coke and Pepsi did with Stevia, will have to come around and make healthy food for everyone because that is what we as consumers will show them that we want. Remember we vote with every purchase we make.

The big day is today. Obama is our president. He is an inspiration to me and he shows me that a person can achieve what others call "imossible".

Happy Birthday to my sister Stacie. Her birthday is the 20th so this year she gets a very special event on her birthday as well.

Okay, just wanted to ell everyone about this incredible place to eat.

Peace, Love, CHANGE and organic food

Shannon : )

Donate to Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit

2009-01-13T15:09:00.006-05:00

We had a girls night out with some Rack Pack members and Young Adults members to go see Uncle David do his stand up show at the Comedy Castle in Royal Oak. We al had a great time.

Here is a picture of the Gilda's Club house on Rochester Rd between 14 and 13 mile.

Hi all,

BURRRRR!! It's COLD out there!!!

I just wanted everyone to be aware of the need Gilda’s Club currently has for donation money. Gilda’s Club is funded SOLELY through donations from individuals and corporate sponsors. Now that we are in the middle of one of the biggest financial downturns our country has seen, these individuals and corporations are all strapped for cash. I’m sure some of the first cut backs made were the donation funds. Gilda’s is hurting because the donated funds are now no longer covering the operating cost of the club. They have already cut back on staff and our meeting times. The monthly newsletter I used to look forward to getting will no longer be sent out. The clubhouse is closing on Fridays and some Saturdays. I hope that is the end of the program cuts.

As members we are all a little sad and concerned. We love Gilda’s Club and would like it to stay the way it is. This place is the biggest area of support we have being cancer survivors. I honestly don’t know how I would be coping without a place like Gilda’s.

They have a full kitchen, tons of rooms with fireplaces and cozy couches, all sorts of topic discussions and classes with some experts, spa days, support and networking groups with licenced social worker facilitators. The house is a truly comfortable place to walk into for the first time.

A lot of companies have a program where you can have a charitable donation automatically deducted from your paycheck. The cool thing about these programs is that the money is pre-taxed and usually the company matches what you donate. Way more bang for your buck. I used to donate my money to The Boys and Girl’s Club until I was diagnosed and then all my donations went to the Breast Cancer Resource Center. A lot of people would donate to Komen on my behalf. I appreciate all these wonderful gestures, however, places like Gilda’s Club and The Breast Cancer Resource Center in Austin have made much more positive impact on my life. Plus, Komen gets SO much money and is so well recognized nationwide. They also get a ton of money from pharmaceutical companies. (trust me, I could break out the numbers and you would be amazed) Cancer drug research is more than covered. What is most important to someone diagnosed is support and mental health. A lot of time when treatment ends everyone expects you to go back to normal and that is when the realization sets in that cancer will always be a part of your life. That's when places like Gilda's Club can come to the rescue.

The other important thing is meeting other survivors. I cannot stress how much I have learned about treatment options, doctors etc etc… from all the other members. This information is very important to have and unless you have a cancer network like Gilda’s it’s hard work to find all this information. You become a smarter and more empowered patient joining a network like Gilda's Club.

So, if you would like to support an organization that supports all people affected by cancer, Gilda’s Club is the place to be. If it were not for Gilda’s Club, I would be all alone as a survivor here in Michigan. I would be depressed and have no one who understands how your life completely changes when you are diagnosed with cancer. I have made so many friends, learned so much, been helped though many issues and I have been able to help so many others as well (that is therapy in itself). My life would be a lot different if I didn’t have a place like Gilda’s. I'm there all the time because it helps me so much.

Here are some things you can do to help….
1. Charitable donation from your paycheck at work
2. Go to any of the Gilda’s Club events and spend some money
3. Be an individual donator and send money to Gildas (one time thing)
4. Become a corporate sponsor of Gilda’s or for an event that Gilda’s has
5. ***Go to the ART BRA SHOW I am having for Gilda’s at the Fillmore Detroit*** (Or be a corporate sponsor) I will tell you all much much more about the event soon
6. Tell cancer survivors and family members about Gilda’s Club and have them go
Go to http://www.gildasclubdetroit.org/ to donate online

You can mail to Gilda's Club, 3517 Rochester Road, Royal Oak, 48073 Attention: Kristen Bernat

I know a lot of people made a new years resolution to spend less money. Charity towards something that means a lot to you shouldn’t be something you cut back on. Spend less on clothes (ouch that hurt to say) Spend less on gas. Bring your lunch to work. Turn your thermostat down a degree. Don’t cut back on charity. These are the times charitable organizations need help the most.

Here are some good New Years ideas from my friends and I:
Kevin and I did a 2008 year wrap up video. We talked to the camera and told stories about our year in 2008. It’s like a video scrapbook. We also do yearly regular scrapbooks.
My friend did a 2009 vision board and went through magazines and made a collage of all the things she wants to do in 2009.
My other friend started a gratitude journal (Oprah style). So far she’s been really good at writing in it every day.
So far I like my idea of a new recipe every week. I made avocado rolls yesterday and they were so good. Maybe monthly I’ll write my recipes and take some pics.

I’ll see you soon.

2008 Christmas is so much different from 2007 Christmas

2008-12-25T09:28:00.013-05:00

First some really exciting blog news. I changed it so anyone can post a comment without signing in. I think you'll have to write your name at the bottom of your comment unless you want it to be anonymous. We'll see how this goes. It's super easy now. Try it out and let me know if you like this better. There is a (subscribe by email) link there too, but I DO NOT recommend doing this because it sends you an email every time someone posts a comment and not when I write a new blog. Still though, I need to figure out how you can subscribe to get the notification that I wrote a new blog. For now, if you want to get the blog notification send me an email with the address you want it to go to and I'll add it to the list. It's really no trouble for me. iezzzi@hotmail.com

Here is the Cut It Out shirt my sister got me for Christmas. Like it Uncle David?

I got my nephew, Drew a kids Sigg water bottle. He used to steal mine every time I came over. I think it was one of his favorite Christmas presents.

My sister Paige and nephew Miles hanging out.

Okay, now my blog

Christmas was different this year. Well, first I didn't have to wear a wig and I would consider that a huge difference. While we were visiting with the family I kept thinking about about how this Christmas was so different from last year. A year ago we we had just settled into our new house. In December we had to live at my dad and step-mom's house for a couple weeks as we waited for our new house to become vacant for us. We had about 10 days in the new house before Christmas. I remember last year we got the huge snow storms as well, but I was on chemo and could not help Kevin with the shoveling because I was pretty weak. Poor guy. This year I feel good and strong and I shoveled a lot of snow so far.

Last year, the main thing on my mind was how I hated drawing on my eyebrows and eyelashes because I didn't have any of my own. I also hated to have to wear my wig. My eyes were also running with tears constantly. It's a chemo side effect and the dry winter winds didn't help the situation at all. My feet and hands were getting numb and tingly from Taxol. My face was getting the dark spots along with my arms. I kind of felt like crap and thought I looked hideous. Now I feel a lot better and look better. My hair has finally gotten to the length where I can put barrettes in it. That was a pretty huge day and I was very excited when the barrettes went in. Now, we're styling.

Kevin and I now feel at home in Michigan. Our house is all set and it is a healthy haven for me. I got the sauna, my super juicer, a huge fridge to house all my veggies, the huge jetted tub to do my soaks in, my yoga room, and the basement is turned into our wellness room with the rebounder the elliptical machine, our perfect push up things, weights, yoga mats (even though I do all my yoga in the yoga room), the infrared sauna, and our vision boards are on the wall to remind us to go after what we want in life. We spend a lot of time down there watching 24 and Alias on DVD while working out and sweating in the sauna.

I love our house and I love being back in Michigan. It's been a year and we're not packing up to go back to Texas. I also got reconnected with so many friends from school which has made it so much more enjoyable being back in Michigan.

My nephew, Miles was born and I got to witness it. He has already grown and changed so much. He is making all sorts of noises because I think he discovered his voice. My other nephew, Drew has grown so much too. He walks around and pretends to make juice and says "Juice, Shannon, Juice" It's so cute that he associates me with juice. My sister, Paige has grown so much too. She is so much fun to play with. Our niece Lauren is a year older as well. She talks so much more now and she really likes me. We have fun playing together. I love watching all the kids grow up without having to say "they've gotten so big" every time we see them.

Well, another year is wrapping up. We all have a little less (or a lot) money thanks to the stinking economy, but somehow we have all united in this struggle together. I'm glad we all remember what is important in life like our health and friends and family. A year is passed and I am a year closer to passing the 1-2 years I was originally given to live from my doctors. Yep, I had to bring that up again. I know I am supposed to forget that number and remember that it is just some crazy estimate based on people who are not ME, but I will never really get it out of my head until that day is passed. Crazy enough it lands on my Dad's birthday, June 6th. Kevin and I were married July 6th (1 month after my re-diagnosis on June 6th). Once my dad's birthday comes and goes a huge weight will be lifted off my chest. Last year I was scared about making it to this day. This year I am confident that June 6th will come with no troubles at all. (maybe a port area infection or something, but nothing too serious)

Last thing to discuss......what is my New Year's resolution???? I have so many rules for myself that I try to enforce on a daily basis, I honestly don't know what to make my resolution. I know.....less TV (except for work out time). That's a good resolution. I never feel like I am living my life to the fullest when I watch TV, but I sure do when I am out interacting with people or being physically active. Okay, I think I got it. Less TV. Okay, now I got the ideas rolling off my brain. The other resolution I want to try is to try one new raw food recipe a week. I never make something unless I have don it before and am confident that I will make it right. I need to learn some raw recipes so I can eat stuff other than salad and zucchini pasta. maybe I'll write about the new ones I like.

Kevin and I are doing nothing tonight for New Years eve, so we've left it up to our own imaginations. I'm sure we'll have fun hanging out together. Kevin is looking forward to not working tomorrow.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I cannot wait for an even better 2009. 2008 was a wonderful year and I enjoyed it so much.

Shannon

Stevia Approved BY FDA!!!!!

2008-12-22T20:16:00.007-05:00

As I am typing right now, we are getting even more snow. About 3 more inches and it's still coming down. This was the day of our first big storm. Our backs hurt the following day.
Kevin and I are responsible for this mountain of snow.Oh My God and Holy Crap!!

The FDA Approved Stevia as an additive in all foods as a sweetener. And guess who was responsible?????? Not me (Mrs. Stevia lover and preacher) I'm glad you all think that highly of me where I could have that much influence. lol. No. Would you believe it that Coke and Pepsi were the ones who pressured the FDA to make this monumental decision? They were.
Read this article. It's not long and it's an easy read. It explains how unfortunately the FDA did not make this decision to benefit consumers. They made this decision because big money (Coke and Pepsi) pressured them. Aspartame used to have the FDA right where they wanted them where they were rejecting all proposals to approve Stevia. Thank you Coke and Pepsi for stepping in and pushing their dollars around (also not for our best interest and only for their profits, but I'll take the decision any way I can get it)

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000626_stevia_Truvia_FDA.html

Do you understand how HUGE this is????? This is HUGE. This is the biggest step in getting America healthier I think I will ever see. Why didn't I put this on my bucket list? Probably because I thought I would never see the day. Now people with Diabetes can eat all sorts of food that is sweet and not have their insulin rise at ALL from the sweetener. People with cancer can eat without the same worries.

NOW, I am not saying that processed foods are good. They're not. I will still maintain the same diet and it won't really change things for me too much. I do not drink pop. (yes, Texas people, I said pop) These processed foods will be a hell of a lot better than processed foods with sugar or cancer causing Aspartame. I wonder how long it will take before we see the products on the shelves? Goodbye Aspartame and synthetic chemical sweeteners. Coke and Pepsi have patented the Stevia and call it Truvia so that is the additive name you will look for. Now I'm sure they won't grow it organically, but we'll take this big step they have made to squash Aspartame once and for all. Yeah!!

I hope this drives down the price of Stevia. Most importantly, this will make Stevia popular. So many people have never heard of it and it is HEALTHY for you as the supplement. Go back and read my entry on SUGAR for the recap on Stevia and the health benefits of it. I'm always preaching Stevia, Stevia, Stevia, and now the general public will know what I have been talking about.

VERY VERY HAPPY
Shannon
Merry Christmas Everyone!

I will leave you with a picture of my sister and I planting my latest batch of wheatgrass.