OCTOBER 13, 2008

Fox News TONIGHT!!!

My mom has a friend, Shelley, who is good friends with the news director at the local Fox news station. In talking with her, Shelley mentioned my story and they became interested in it as a human interest story.

Well, with tonight being the New Kids concert (Woo!!!), they are doing a story on the concert, and thought that this would be a great tie-in for me! Oh my goodness. The lady is going to be here in about an hour and a half, and they are going to interview me at the house, then apparently we are going to meet back up at the concert and they are going to record video of Julia and I heading into the concert. 

It will be on the 9 and 10 o'clock news tonight. Channel 10. 

Do you think I might be able to ask for backstage passes?!?! It can't hurt, right? :-) 

I have to clean my house now. Um. Hmm. So much for relaxing. Anyways, I will post more when I have more information. And, if I am able to get pictures, I will TOTALLY post those as well. 

WOO! New Kids!

Later:

Pictures from my NKOTB concert

Now, I know that there are going to be people who don't care about these pictures. Tough - I also know ther are people who are going to want to see them. Please remember that I do not have a decent camera, and took what I could.

My boys....I had such great seats. Thanks to my company for providing them. It was truly a gift that I recieved them, and I am so grateful. And, I highly recommend the suite tickets if you can afford them - very nice!!!

Sigh - such a handsome (HOT!!!) group. When I was younger, I don't think I would have ever imagined taking my daughter to this concert. And, I can't imagine that I ever thought about what these guys would look like 15 years later. However, I wanted to buy a poster for MY wall - just hot! All of them - I have no favorites. Well, I do. Joey, always. Donnie - yum! :-)

Dancing on stage. They are such great performers.

 

This is the circular stage that they moved to halfway through the concert. It was almost at the opposite end of the arena, so it afforded everyone a different view. I don't think the people in the first rows were happy, but everyone else was.

Sigh - such a great concert. I wish that I could have stayed for the entire thing, but then again, I wish I didn't have cancer, so I guess you can't get everything you want. Oh well. :-)

Comments:

Jennifer Witham Buck / Graceful Expressions said...

ahhh! this is great! great pics! did julia have a great time? What happened with Fox news? I am very tempted to stop at target on the way home and pick up their new cd... I am so glad that you had a great time. Take that energy with you this week going into ROUND NINE, baby! 

hugs from michigan

October 14, 2008 at 4:43 AM

Later:

What A NIGHT!!!

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/Entertainment/Detail?contentId=7639442&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=7.1.1

Before you read this, you should really click on the above link and click "play" on the screen. Then, come back and read this....

Okay, assuming you have seen the TV program. Yes, that's Julia and I from tonight. As I said in my previous post, this came about because of the work of my mom's friend, and Shelley - thank you! I can't wait to meet you in person and give you a BIG hug!

Basically, the new station (Fox 10 in Phoenix) wanted to do a story on me as a human interest story, and thought the tie-in from tonight's concert was a perfect fit. While I wished that they had focused more on WHY I am such an advocate for colon cncer awareness, they did post a link to the Colon Cancer Alliance on their webpage, so that's something, I suppose. Anyways, I am pretty happy with how it turned out, how I looked, etc. :-) LOL! Of all the things to worry about...

Anywhoo, it was a great experience, and remided me that I can TOTALLY handle televisin interviews. It wasn't nearly as bad as thought, and they had a cute cameraman, which helped. (If you are familiar with country music at all, he looked like Blake Shelton.)

And, the concert. OH, the concert. I will say that I am bummed that I didn't feel as good as I would have liked to for this event. I noticed that I got tired so quickly, and wasn't able to scream quite as loud as I would have liked. (That's all right - Julia helped in that area!) But, the concert was wonderful. If you are a NKTB fan (even if you're not), you HAVE to check out their new CD. It's completely different from their previous music, and totally awesome. Very hip-hop, R&B feel. VERY sexy. No really, it is. They use some un-kid-friendly terms, and luckily, Julia didn't pick up on any of those.

The opening act (the one I recognized, anyways) was Natasha Bedingfield. GREAT voice, awesome performance. Then, on came the main act - whoo! Awesome. Just great. They played a mix of the old and the new, and it was just a great show. They started out on stage, then half-way through their show, moved to a small, circular stage with a piano that turned. Very cool. Julia and I had to leave early (someone - and it wasn't me - was tired and getting cranky, and the music was super loud, so her ears were bothering her....), but I am pretty sure it was towards the end of their performance, except for the encore. I am bummed that I didn't get to stay for the whole thing, but I am so glad that I went, and got to share this with Julia.

She did finid a favorite, much to my amusement and pride. After their first song, she sked me who the one in the pink shirt was. It was Joey McIntyre, who was my FAVORITE when I was younger. I am so proud. I bought her a poster, so she can put it up in her room. When she finally wakes up. LOL!

Overall, it was a pretty cool night. I will post pictures in the next post.

Comments:

The Wallen's and Begins said...

THAT WAS SOOO COOL....man i wish i could have gone with you we could have stalked them after!!

You looked great on camera and i am so proud of you that you are being used in a good way even in your own trial. You are such a beautiful soul and I am blessed to know you.

October 14, 2008 at 7:34 AM

 wyldirsh123 said...

OMG!!! You're interview was great and you look amazing! I love the short funky hairstyle on your Michelle! It kind of reminds me of my haircut! :-) Anyway, I'm so glad they interviewed you and you spoke so well... as you always do. You have such a knack for writing and speaking... so professional! And the concert looked amazing, as did your pictures. Wish I could've been there with you & Julia enjoying NKOTB. So great to see you in video, not just pics! Take care & talk to you soon! Murph

October 14, 2008 at 8:31 AM

 Amanda: said...

Oh wow! You did SO great with the news people! Trust me - I KNOW how nerve-wracking that is :)

I'm so glad you had a good time - what an awesome thing for you!!!!!

Oh - in case I didn't mention it before, I LOVED Joey when I was a little girl - he was just so dreamy!!

October 14, 2008 at 9:03 AM

 Jennifer Witham Buck / Graceful Expressions said...

you are fabulous. 

you also made me cry!

what an incredible memory - and you have it all on tape. 

you are my inspiration... 

enough said...

October 14, 2008 at 5:19 PM

OCTOBER 9, 2008

For those days when you just need to laugh....

Trust me - watch this. It gets funnier each time I watch.

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/7/Verizon-Wireless-Surprises-Customer-537412.html

Comments:

The Wallen's and Begins said...

oh my soul Mick I peed my pants!

October 10, 2008 at 5:08 PM

OCTOBER 5, 2008

Just a thought....

The thing about trying to be on virtual bed rest during the week of chemo and the few days after is that I tend to think about things. Sometimes, those things are silly and meaningless (like, um, I don't know - why haven't they brought back the Smurfs, but they brought back the Chipmunks?). Sometimes, the more serious things make me take a moment more and really re-evaluate what I am thinking about.

Example - today, I am feeling pretty good. I know I need to take it easy, but it's hard when there is so much I want to do and I am finally feeling up to it (sort of). And then it dawned on me - I think part of the reason that I am so antsy to DO something is that I can still see the end of this journey. Well, this chemo part of it. I can anticipate the time, in the not-so-distant future, when I will once again be able to live normally. I won't have to schedule life and it's details around my chemo schedule. I won't have to worry about whether I can schedule something, based on whether I have chemo that week or not. I will be able to breathe each morning without counting the pills I have to take, or worrying about the side effects that day, or worrying about my energy level. I can't wait to get back to that point.

I don't think that means that I will go back to the chaotic, unrelenting, super-busy schedule that I had before. On the contrary, this cancer has led me to look at life in a different way. I recently finished reading Randy Pausch'sbook, "The Last Lecture." I imagine that you have at least heard of this guy before. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and instead of living his life mourning the loss of the time he thought he had, he lived his life laughing, spending quality time with his family, and making sure that he taught everyone he came in contact with a lesson about life. If you haven't read this, I highly recommend it. It's a quick, easy read, but means SO MUCH! Anyways, part of the book is how Randy's diagnosis led him to look at life more fully. He took the time to stop and smell the roses, as they say. And, in doing so, he created a legacy that most can only hope to achieve. I want to be like that - I want to make sure that I take the time to read my kids bedtime stories, and run outside with them, and do their homework, and kiss and hug them each day. I want to make sure that I take the time to listen to what Levi has to say, and to make sure he knows how MUCH I love him. I want to make sure I take the time to make phone calls to family and friends, to make sure that I do my best to put a smile on their face. And, I want to make sure that I take the time to appreciate my life. To appreciate me. To remember that this is my second chance at life.

I know you probably get sick of me talking about these ideas I have, talking about my advocacy for the CCA and colon cancer awareness. I am sure that you scan through these posts, and while I might make you smile or (occasionally) roll your eyes, I hope that I, every once in a while, make you think about your life. What would YOU do if you had to deal with a cancer diagnosis? How would you change your life? Would it make you reprioritizethings a little bit? Would hearing the sentence "You have cancer" make you look at your email less? Allow you the freedom to let the phone go to voicemail, rather than jumping up to get it? Would it give you the permission to spend more time with your kids? Your family? Your friends?

Please, keep something in mind. You don't have to wait for a cancer diagnosis. I beg of you, don't wait for that moment. It might be too late. Instead, take the time, today, RIGHT NOW, to stop and think about your life. Think about the stresses you are going through. Are they going to be important in an hour? a day? a month? a year? Will those pending deadlines at work have any bearing on your life, long term? Will those emails, if they don't get answered today, make a hoot of difference in the long run? I bet they won't.

If you think about it, the biggest things we have to worry about is how we treat other people. How we treat ourselves. How they treat us. And, how we deal with those people. Your legacy isn't going to have any relation to the amount of money you make. It isn't going to have any bearing on the type of house you live in, the kind of purse you carry, the clothes you wear, or the "things" you have. The legacy you leave, when it's all over, is going to have a direct relationship to your relationship with people. How you treated them. How you raised your kids. How you handled family issues. And, how much you laughed. (I am a firm believer in this last one....).

So, take five minutes today. Think about how you can affect your legacy by spending time away from the computer, the TV, the Internet. And, take a moment to spend time with your family. Truly, you don't know how much time you have left. Savor what you have - and, let me know how that works out for you.

Comments:

Jennifer Witham Buck / Graceful Expressions said...

So very well said, Michelle.
I needed that. thanks for keeping me "in the moment"
you pretty much summed it all up.
thank you...
lots of love from Michigan,
Jen & Kevin

October 5, 2008 at 10:53 AM

 The Wallen's and Begins said...

Mick ever since I got the chance to be blessed to feel the movements of my little man inside my tummy, to smell his sweet baby skin, to nurture him, to love him and to watch him grow I have embraced all that you commissioned us to do. Because God blessed me with him I realize what charge I have been given as a mother. So in order to BE that person I want him to be I have to live it, not talk about it, not think about it...BE IT. So thank you for your words of encouragement because my legacy while small in stature is growing up to be quite a man.

October 10, 2008 at 5:19 PM

OCTOBER 4, 2008

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y.......

(Imagine for a moment the Elton John song "SATURDAY.") So, for the last couple of treatments, I have felt like crap up until Saturday night. It's not like I suddenly feel up to partying on Sat night.....no, I just notice a change in my demeanor, my mood, and my body. It's like my body is breathing a sigh of relief - she's done abusing me for the week, and I can start to heal. 

So, I just had to share with you all, especially after my last post. I am feeling better today. In spite of my cold, thank you very much. Yes, as if to add more to my pile of issues, I now have what I believe to be the beginnings of an upper respiratory infection. Yikes. I called this morning, and I am now on antibiotics, on top of everything else coursing through my body. Fun, right? 

Yeah. That's it. :-)

OCTOBER 3, 2008

Round 7 Roundup (Damn it!!!)

Well, the good news is that I made it through another round of chemo with few problems. The combo of Tylenol and Advil seems to have made a huge difference in my response to the chemo, along with the forced bed rest and regular meals (thanks, Daddy!). I was able to eat some semblance of breakfast, lunch and dinner on all three chemo days, and while I wasn't the prettiest girl at the fall festival (insert sarcasm here), I made it through. Take that, cancer! 

However, the bad news that pretty much ruined my day on Thursday was that this was Round 7 of chemo, not Round 8. Because of the issues I had back in August with the hospital stay and the following treatment issues with fever, they want me to repeat a cycle, which means 13 cycles instead of 12, and that means that this whole damn chemo schedule gets pushed out 'til December. That just pissed me off to no end, I can tell you that. 

I was pretty upset yesterday - I think it was only the third time since I was diagnosed that I have cried about this whole thing. It's like the end of the tunnel, the proverbial light, was right there, within reach, and WHAP! It was yanked out of my reach. It's still there, but a bit dimmer than it was on Wednesday, when I still thought I was in round 8.

I guess the thing to remember is that things change, and that we have to do whatever we have to do to make sure we kick this cancer's ass. However, having now been in chemo for over 3 or 4 months, this whole thing is getting old. The treatments are starting to wear on me mentally as well as physically. I am feeling like an old lady, unable to do much of anything without assistance. I can't get up and go when I want to, mainly b/c I don't have the energy. I can't just do things that I mentally know I am capable of, b/c my damn body won't allow me to. This is probably the single most frustrating time of my life, b/c so few people can truly understand what it's like to feel this way. 

My family has been so supportive, but it's hard to hear "This is for the best" or "We have to do this to win this battle" when I am the one on the front line. I know that this is what I have to do. I get that, in my brain, I really do. I understand logically what needs to happen, why we have to repeat the cycle, etc. But, that doesn't mean that my heart is following suit. I think this is something that cancer patients deal with - the difference in opinion between their heart and their brain. It's a tough battle to deal with internally - you want to live life to its fullest, especially knowing that you have just been dealt a serious blow that could potentially shorten your time here on Earth. But, to prolong that time, you have to deal with the sickness, the gross feelings, the exhaustion, the pain, the suffering. All that to try to get to the other side. It's not an easy battle, that's for damn sure. 

So, while I am upbeat about being able to make it through yet another round of chemo without ending up in the ER, I am pretty sick and tired of being sick and tired, esp knowing it's going to be prolonged. But, again, I have to do it. What other choice is there? Giving up? Not an option.

Comments:

Jennifer Witham Buck / Graceful Expressions said...

You are right it's not an option... don't get ahead of yourself. You are more than 70% there. Focus on the successful treatments. Take it a day at a time. I know it has to be hard. But do what you have to do, one extra round of treatment may equal being cancer-free for the rest of your life. Don't focus on the numbers (funny how I can use that in this case when my doctors were telling me that while in treatment) focus on one day closer to being cancer free...
So we may have to push or vegas trip back a few weeks, big deal... We love you! (and I love seeing you on Facebook! Is it great?)

October 3, 2008 at 12:34 PM

 Amanda: said...

I'm sorry you have to repeat a round. I KNOW how important "the date of the last treatment" is, and it SUCKS when that gets pushed back. Keep on trucking. One day this will all be a memory :)

October 3, 2008 at 1:37 PM