I need your positive thoughts...please

This is the hardest post I hope to ever write...6 days ago I had a normal happy lovely life.Today I lie in a hospital bed waiting to be taken down to xray to begin radiation on my brain.
Last year I had a deep excision of melanoma taken off my right leg, tests came back for clear margins and clean lymph-nodes but somehow with the every 3 month check ups those cancerous cells managed to travel and  set up shop in my brain and lungs, as if one place is not bad enough.

What started me on this adventure was the bad cold I was complaining about last month it  had me coughing up blood...not a good thing for anyone. My Dr. sent me for a check x-ray and then a CAT scan that revealed nodules on my lungs. Once the bad new was delivered that it most likely melanoma I was sent directly to see an oncologist that specializes in Melanoma. A plan was made for testing, a brain MRI, anther chest and abdominal CAT scan, lung biopsy and a PET scan. Unfortunately symptoms of the ugly brain lesions rared up so quickly to give my a totally numb face, tingling in my right hand and foot and dizziness. So here I am at Baptist hospital in Nashville being pumped up with steroids and starting brain radiation today as well as having the lung biopsy today.  To add insult to injury the places they need to biopsy are not in good spots and my lung may get punctured in the process. Is this crazy or what? I am still waiting to wake up from this horrible nightmare.
I was unsure If I should share this or not, but I have made such wonderful friends blogging and need all your positive energy's to help me through this. You all are such caring and wonderful people and I really need your prayers and positive thoughts.

One Fare and Feel Your Boobies!

I checked two things off my list today....Mammogram and the dentist for a cleaning and oral cancer screening. I am a little frightened or should I say "terrified" of these cancer checks since I was diagnosed with the invasive melanoma on my leg. Every little blemish or sore I think is cancer, the Dr. says that is normal...I get to see the surgeon on Thursday for the fun all over check. Every 3 months for 5 years, something tells me we will get to know each other quite well. So ladies, just a reminder to feel your boobies too!

One Fare

I go through phases of what I create and lately it is with found objects or vintage/antique pieces. In this piece it was the antique brass connector that told me what to do. You can find the connectors here. I added a vintage bridge token, a few rosary beads as well as an antique watch clip as a closure.

  

Ginger

Christmas 2010

Ginger, Lee, our son Nick, myself and Ed my DH.

I am still here in Connecticut and will be for a few more days. Ginger my mother in law passed away peacefully on Monday surrounded by her loving family, she was 79 years old. My words can not tell you how wonderful of a women she was, she did not know a stranger. A week before she passed she dictated thank-you cards to be written to her friends for all of the years of friendship, only a truly amazing women does that. I was honored to be able to take care of her for the last month, she was my mother for the last 30 years. We all will miss her terribly. Thank you all for your kind words and prayers, they have meant so much to me.

Nick and his Grammy

December 2010

Ginger with her daughter Kara and son Ed

December 2010

May peace and light be with you my dearest friend and mother.

Love you always,

Judy

garden of hope...

 The tree of life stands in the garden of hope...

I am feeling just a bit melancholy as I pack my bags to head back to Connecticut. My dear mother in law will be starting radiation and chemo next week and I would like to be with her as she goes through this ordeal. The hope for the treatment is that it will slow the growth of  the cancer in her pancreas. Her pain has been intensifying and this is her only hope.


Ginger, my MIL had sent me a lovely card before I had surgery on my leg last month and the words of that card are with me all the time, "The tree of life stands in the garden of hope..." I will pack the card in my bag as a reminder of what we need at this time.


The above picture is a glimpse of a piece I made last night, a comfort I suppose and a distraction. I am not an overly religious person but find comfort in certain items.


Sometimes life just plain sucks, we never know what will be thrown at us, but it is how we deal with it that counts. Gratitude helps us deal with all those curb balls, I know it has helped me. So now this post has turned  sad, it was never my intention, I just never know what is going to come out when I start typing!

 Please share with me three things you are grateful for today, it may be hard or easy but they are there....tell me.

Good News

We just got home from my post-op visit and have good news to share. The lymph nodes that were removed are free of cancer...thank the Lord! I had prepared myself for different scenarios so I would be ready and thankfully I heard the news I wanted. My leg looks good according to my surgeon but to me it looks like I was bit by a shark ( a really big shark), so that's my new story and I'm sticking to it, I think it will make things a bit more interesting.  Thank you so much my friends for your prayers and good wishes, I feel you all have helped me through this. I am so happy we will be able to make the trip back to Connecticut to be with my MIL who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. My MIL is an amazing woman and has helped me through this ordeal and I hope I can do the same for her.

Blessing to you all!

Up and About ever so slowly

I am so glad to be upright and moving about, how ever so slowly and loudly, clunking on the wood floors with my crutches and ortho boot.  Thankfully the pain is subsiding and my mind is clearing, I am grateful...

Ever since I got home from the hospital my companion has been my big Ole lap cat Sam Adams. He likes to walk all over me and has to kneed on all my hurting spots, he found a comfy spot lying on my boot today.

Surgery went well, I did not need a skin graph as what was expected so that was a huge relief, my surgeon was able to join the skin together on my leg. Two lymph nodes were removed from my (R) groin, I am hoping pathology will be in by Thursday when I go for my post-op visit. In the meantime I am able to get into my studio put my legs and up and get some work done. My darling DH organized everything so nicely for me. I have very dear friends that are making us meals and keeping me company, like I said I am grateful...it is a huge blessing to have such wonderful family and friends. Many thanks again for all of your well wishes and friendship.

Show signs and advertising

 

I wanted to share with you a great and inexpensive way to advertise your business. A little over a month ago I ordered two large car magnets from Vistaprint, using an uploaded design of the front of my business card. When I went to their site my original intention was to order a banner, but I felt the banner was so large and too intrusive for my display. I saw the  large car magnets (17.3 x 11.25) and liked the look of them and thought I would order that. When they arrived I was so pleased at the coloring and gloss, they were awesome! I went and looked at all of my old frames that I use in my display and the magnet fit into one of them perfectly, I already had chicken wire on the frame so it stuck to it so problem, Voila, instant sign! The other magnet I use on the car when I am doing shows, so I get a little extra advertising in while traveling. Vistaprint is always having some type of sale so I am sure you can get them at a good price. I paid less than $35 including postage.

 I will give you a little update on my medical situation....I saw my surgeon today and have surgery scheduled for Dec. 8th to remove about a fist size area from my right leg. They will also be doing a skin graft and doing a dye injection into my lymph nodes to check for metastasis of the melanoma. Once that is done we will know what kind of treatment will follow, if any. Thanks for all of your kind words and thoughts on my previous post, it means so much!