Andy pops the question!

We are so excited that our son Andy is getting married to his sweetheart Chelsea.  He popped the question last Saturday night.  He took her to dinner at the Tree Room at Sundance and after dinner they drove down the canyon to the secluded Nunn's park where his cousin Sydney and her husband Adam had set up the engagement area to create the ambiance Andy wanted for the special event.  Syd took about 200 pictures on her fancy camera and really captured the special moment.  They had spread out Andy's tee shirt quilt on the snow and Chelsea said that she loved that symbolism.  The quilt has blocks that represent all the things he has done in his life up to a point and she felt like he was welcoming her to join his life and to make their own history together.  It was terribly romantic and such a special evening for them.  We're so happy to welcome Chelsea into our family and look forward to their marriage and wedding celebrations coming up in June.  They will be married June 14 in the Los Angeles LDS temple and have a ring ceremony following that day at a beautiful beach venue in Malibu.  They will honeymoon for a week and then return home to celebrate on June 22 at a venue in Provo Canyon. Andy is so happy to celebrate his marriage at the beach and in the mountains, his two favorite locations.  We are so proud of them both and love them a lot. Good times they are a comin!

Loving me some Downton Abbey humor

I credit my daughter Claire for introducing me to Downton Abbey.  She started watching it right from the start and got me hooked early into season two. And the rest they say, is history.

33 treatments...and done!!! *

Today was my LAST radiation treatment.  Hooray!!! They started on January 7 and I have gone in every day at 2:30 pm Monday-Friday since then.  The first 25 treatments were to my upper chest area where the tumor was located and the last 8 treatments have been what they refer to as a "boost" that is concentrated in an oval shape right on the surgery area.  I got two doses of radiation from each side from the radiation machine for the first 25 treatments and then directly down into the surgery area for the last 8.  The side effects have been manageable - fatigue, redness, peeling, some general discomfort to the radiated area and some occasional pin prick pains in the radiated area.  I think they have figured out that radiating from each side causes fewer side effects, rather than directing the radiation directly in to the body for all 33 treatments.  My white blood cell counts have gone down, but they should rebound in the next couple of weeks once treatment stops.  Dr. Clark the oncologist radiologist has been wonderful as well as his staff who I have seen every day for the last 33 days.  They are kind people who are perfectly suited to the job they do every day.

I've now finished the triathlon!  Surgery.  Chemotherapy.  Radiation.  I had surgery on July 20, 2012 and now I finish radiation on February 20, 2013 exactly 7 months later.  The oncologist and the radiologist will continue to be check my blood for any signs of the cancer returning and I will have several mammograms this year to make sure that all is well.  The doctors both reiterated that they feel like I have an excellent chance (90%) of no re-occurrence since the cancer was caught so early and it was only a stage I cancer.  We'll continue to hope and pray that that is the case.

So now, on to celebrate the end of treatment!  I'm going to give myself a couple of weeks to get stronger and then I'm ready to party.  They say that it takes about a year to get regular strength and energy back, so I'm giving myself time to heal.

Rick and his mother are throwing me a party!  It will be near my 58th birthday as well.  It will be an open house to Celebrate Life on Saturday, March 9 from 2-4 pm.  All friends and family are invited. If you want more information, just let me know. The end of treatment really is cause to put a HUGE smile on my face.  I'm so grateful I survived it.  I'm grateful for what I've learned along the way.  I'm grateful for ALL the many people who have supported me and helped me get through it.  I'm just grateful.

*I will still continue to receive my Herceptin infusions through my port every 3 weeks until August.  They will continue for one year from the time they started in August of 2012.  While the drug doesn't cause any major side effects, it can cause heart damage, so I will continue to get periodic echo cardiograms to make sure my heart is staying strong.  After that time, I can get the port removed from my chest.

Sweet Charlie turnes 1 year old!

Courtney is so creative!

The little man gets his own "year in review"

What a darling family!

What a great birthday cake for the little man.

Apartment decorations ready to go...

...with two cakes!

Get ready to open presents.

Getting some fun boy gifts

What a lovely day for a birthday party with friends and their children.

We all love you little Charlie...1 year old on February 11.

Chowing down on his football cake and loving it.

Sharing a kid friendly meal

Last week I took a meal into a friend who just had her sixth baby.  Since she has five older kids, I decided to prepare a kid friendly meal.  It was a hit!

Applesauce Cake
Blend:
1 cube soft butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce

Add:
2 c. flour
2 t. soda
3/4 t. ginger
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 t. clover
Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese softened
1/4 c. butter
1 t. vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
Mix and spread over cooled cake



Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 - onion, diced
1 - 32 oz package ore ida crispy crowns or tater tots
2- 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 can green beans
1 - cup milk
1- cups grated cheddar cheese
pepper, to taste
season salt, to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef and diced onions, adding, pepper, seasoning salt to taste. Drain.

Pour ground beef & onion mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. In a separate bowl mix together the soup, green beans and milk.

Pour the soup mixture over on top of the ground beef layer spread evenly to cover the meat mixture. Top with tater tots, sprinkle with grated cheese over the entire casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and cheese is completely melted.

Snickers - Apple salad

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed or 2 cups fresh whipping cream (I prefer the real cream)
2 large Snickers candy bars
4 -6 granny smith apples (you can vary the apple with successful results if you choose to, but I would NOT recommend a soft variety)

Directions:

1.  Mix softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
2.  Fold in Cool Whip or whip fresh cream until stiff

3. Cut Snickers into bite size chunks and add to cream cheese mixture.
4. Chop the apples into chunks and stir.
5.  Chill 1 hour before serving.
6. Chilling for a long period of time (such as overnight) will result in liquid being released from the salad.

My little VALENTINES

 

Don't they just put a smile on your face?  I LOVE these little ones.  Happy Valentine Day from Grandma Vonnie!!

Looking good (or trying to anyway)

I've been completely bald for almost six months now.  Luckily my experience being bald has been through the winter months so that I've been able to wear a lot of hats and scarves and I haven't had to wear my wig every day.  I'll admit that I'm getting tired of being bald and I look forward to my hair coming back.  I'm starting to see some new growth, kind of like peach fuzz, but it's going to take awhile to be able to go hat/wig free.  I suppose my hair is trying to decide if it's safe to come out again!

It is hard to look in the mirror and not see my familiar face and hair.  My skin has been very dry and has gone through various stages of puffy to having rashes and other strange manifestations of the poisons that were/are in my body.  My eyelashes have come out on the bottom of my eyes completely and I have about 10 eyelashes left on the top eyelid.  My eyebrows have really thinned out and have bald patches in them.  I pretty much look like a turtle with a bald head, no eyelashes and big eyes.  I asked Rick to take some pictures of me in this state, just so I can remember how much my appearance has changed.  It is a little disconcerting.

Also, my fingernails are a disaster.  Seven of the ten are coming off.  They are attached at the cuticle line, but from there on out they are unattached to the nail bed and are discolored and looking very bad.  I suppose that as the new fingernail grows in that it will push the dead one off so that it can be cut away.   Yikes!

A few weeks ago I went to my first breast cancer support group meeting.  I was given this assortment of makeup products that is valued at several hundred dollars.  This wonderful organization called "Look good feel better" is helping cancer patients get through the trauma of hair loss and and generally feeling unattractive and beat up by cancer treatments.  Their mission statement goes as follows:  Look good feel better is dedicated to improving the self-esteem and quality of life of people undergoing treatment for cancer.  It is our aim to improve their self-image and appearance through complimentary group, individual and self-help beauty sessions that create a sense of support, confidence, courage and community. A virtual workshop showing how to apply makeup is located here. 


I not only received all of the beauty products seen in the picture, but we were also given handbooks on how to look our best without hair, eyebrows, etc.  Women who are volunteers came and taught the class and were so kind and supportive as they helped us address our different issues. I'm very appreciative of the "look good feel better" organization and all the volunteers and beauty care manufactures who donate their products to women with cancer.  It really is a boost!

I don't have the guts to put up a "before" picture.  The contrast is quite stark...and startling.  I also made an interesting discovery when all my hair was removed...my face is NOT symmetrical.  Far from it.  Oh well! Hooray for compassionate people who are generous with their time, talents and compliments!

Radiation therapy 101

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading.  At low doses, radiation is used as an x-ray to see inside the body and take pictures, such as x-rays of teeth or broken bones.  Radiation in cancer treatment works in much the same way, except that it is given at a higher dose.

Radiation therapy can be external beam (using a machine outside the body aiming radiation at cancer cells) or internal radiation (when radiation is put inside the body, in or near the cancer cells.)

Many people with cancer need radiation therapy.  More than half (about 60 percent) of people with cancer get radiation therapy.  Given in high doses, radiation kills or slows the growth of cancer cells.  Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells right away.  It takes days or week of treatment before cancer cells start to die.  Then, cancer cells keep dying for weeks or months after radiation therapy ends.

Just like chemotherapy, radiation not only kills or slows the growth of cancer cells, it can also affect nearby healthy cells.The healthy cells most always recover after treatment is over.  In order to avoid killing healthy cells, the radiation oncologist uses the lowest does of radiation possible to balance between being high enough to kill cancer cells, yet low enough to limit damage to healthy cells.  Radiation is spread out over several weeks allowing normal cells to recover while cancer cells die.  The radiation oncologist also aims the radiation at a precise part of the body using new techniques such as IMRT and 3-D conformal radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy does not hurt while it is being given.  The side effects that people get from radiation can cause pain or discomfort.  They include fatigue, skin changes, diarrhea, hair loss in the treatment area, mouth problems, nausea and vomiting (depending on the area being treated), swelling, trouble swallowing, urinary and bladder changes.

External beam radiation therapy comes from a machine that aims radiation at the cancer area.  The machine is large and makes various noises as it moves around.  It does not touch the body, but rotates around, sending radiation to the body from different directions.

Most people get external beam radiation therapy once a day, 5 days a week, Monday through Friday.  Treatment lasts for 2 to 10 weeks, depending on the type of cancer a person has and the goal of treatment.

At the beginning of treatment, the oncologist will define the treatment area.  A CT scan is done to define this area and decide how much of the body will be radiated.  Small tattoos are put on the skin to mark the treatment area.  The radiation therapist uses the tattoos each day to make sure the body is in the correct position.  A mold is also made for the neck and head area so that each day during treatment, the head and neck are held in the exact position to keep the person being treated from moving. Red lazer beams guide the radiation therapist to line up the body to the exact measurements and positions as prescribed by the radiation oncologist. 

Every day the person being treated will report to the radiation area, change clothes into a hospital gown to expose the area being treated.  The patient will then lie down on the radiation table while the radiation therapists get the body into the exact position to treat the same area every day during the course of treatment.  At actual beam of radiation to the body lasts anywhere from 15 seconds to several minutes, depending on the type of cancer being treated.

Live theater...a personal favorite

I've mentioned before that Rick and I love well-done live and musical theater.  We love a good story and we really enjoy seeing it come to life on the stage.  I marvel at the actors ability to remember volumes of lines and to act them out in a way that makes it seem believable and real.  The sets, the lights, the costumes, the action, the music and the staging all add to the experience. I applaud those who bring the stories to life and who make it such an entertaining experience that leaves me with new ideas, new ways of looking at life and different situations and a better appreciation for the arts.  It truly enriches my life.
We've been season ticket holders to Pioneer Theater for four years now.  I love their plays!  We've seen some new works that we have never seen before, and with only a few exceptions, we have enjoyed them in every way.  A couple of weeks ago we say the play "The Philadelphia Story" and it was delightful. Here is the line up of the plays we have been to this year.  Each one has taken us to a different time and place and we have enjoyed the journey!

Tonight we are doing to have another fun and enjoyable experience.  BYU received the rights to do Phantom of the Opera on a campus stage and we will be in the audience ready to enjoy this great musical. I'm looking forward to it! The reviews are great and I think they've gone all out to make it a great theater experience.

Here is a list of the 2012-2013 season line up for Pioneer Theater that we've seen so far.  It is a great date night experience and it is really something we both enjoy doing.

---

	..	Winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Score and finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama! In the Heights Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda September 14 through September 29, 2012
		The timeless American classic! Of Mice and Men By John Steinbeck October 19 through November 3, 2012
		The spectacular new MUSICAL version of a holiday classic! A Christmas Carol: The Musical Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Book by Mike Ockrent & Lynn Ahrens November 30 through December 15, 2012
		The sparkling romantic comedy that has charmed generations of theatergoers! The Philadelphia Story By Philip Barry January 11 through January 26, 2013
		Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama! Clybourne Park By Bruce Norris February 15 through March 2, 2013
		The laughs never stop in this iconic comedy by America’s best-loved playwright! The Odd Couple By Neil Simon March 22 through April 6, 2013
		Winner of 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical! Les Misérables A musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer May 3 through May 18, 2013 Extra weeks! May 20