Hot dogs with some brilliant pre-schoolers

My kids are in Vacation Bible School this week. Today there was a hot dog lunch for the moms (and dads) and kids. Megan & I went since her kids are attending as well. We sat at a table with some of Angelica's classmates. The smartest of all the little girls asked Megan if she was Angelica's grandma.

I am still giggling...

Fruit of our labor...

This post could also be titled "Boring!". lol A bunch of pictures of flowers. And it also does not include any shots of our fruit because they are not quite ripe yet. So there will be more pictures soon. That is if I can sit down and post. We have been very busy fishing and playing and swimming and enjoying summer in Michigan. Man, there is NOTHING like it! I love love love it here!

And I am just loving my gardens. They are exploding with blooms and butterflies.

I hope you are enjoying your summer too.

xoxo

Thank you

This year, more than any year I can remember, I was so moved by Memorial Day. I am embarrassed to say that, more years than not, it has just meant a 3 day weekend with grilling out and picnics. But the Memorial Day holiday is meant to honor America's fallen heroes and be thankful to them for their efforts and their profound patriotism.

I have a hard time leaving my children and dogs for an overnight trip. These men and women leave their homes and familys for months and years. How can I ever adequately thank them?

Megan and I went to outdoor mass at a gorgeous cemetary near our houses. They had fields of flags, each in honor of a Michigan soldier that had died in Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

There were too many flags.

Poor Oddie...

I got so tickled listening to Angelica tell Oddie that it was time for his "bab - BOOOO -shka". This dog has the patience of Job!





Now, tell me he doesn't look like a little Russian grandmother?


xoxo

Couple more...

I love my family...
The only thing that would have been better is if Suzanne & MB were there too.


Megan didn't want her photo taken anymore... :-)

Thanks for letting me share!

xoxo

Volume up...but not too loud if you are at work

This is a sample of the pure joy I experience being with sisters, kids and dogs. There are no kids in the video because they were all in the swampy area looking for frogs. The dogs made brief appearances between getting all muddy too.

Ahhhhhhhhh...bliss!

Ms. Moons Goes to Washington

I was in Washington D.C. part of this past week....and oh what an incredible experience it was! I have been so excited to write this post. I could not wait to tell you guys about it!!

I was a "consumer reviewer" at the Department of Defense US Army Medical Research & Materiel Command’s Congressionally Directed Breast Cancer Research Program panel (mouthful!).....to be referred to from now on as DoD BCRP . LOL I was nominated by and proud to represent my HER2 Support group. The Department of Defense paid for my airfare, hotel and meals.

The DoD BCRP has something like $150 million in congressional funds to be specifically applied to breast cancer research. So a panel of scientists and consumers (me and others) reviewed proposals with a goal of allocating funding to support high-risk, high-gain research.

So, what did I do...what did we do...? We would read and evaluate research study proposals, discuss them and then vote on them. My vote counted equally with the scientists!

I was so HONORED to be a part of it. There were just a couple consumers reviewers besides me...and LOTS of scientists. It was like alphabet soup of degrees in the room: PhD, MD, MPH, etc. The critical mass of brain power was incredible!! So many great minds in one place! There were molecular scientists, breast surgeons, surgical oncologist, epidemiologists, biomedical engineers...and a dozen others I have never heard of before. But they were all SO nice and so cool...and most were really fun. There were even a couple cuties so that was enjoyable! :-)

By the way, EVERYONE knew Dr. O'Shaughnessy (my Dallas oncologist).....and hold her in the highest regard. She is famous...in a good way!

As we were reviewing the research proposals, I found it interesting that it wasn't all just "out-of-this-world-can't-get-my-little-brain-around-it" science but also proposals relating to the effects of nutrition and exercise, which I thought was great. I was especially interested in the evidence-based alternative breast cancer therapies. Some even pertained to Native American use of medicinal herbs to treat breast cancer.

We reviewed 48 proposals. There were 49 but 1 got triaged (eliminated before review). In the beginning it took around 40 minutes to complete each review, discussion and vote. Then we picked up the pace. Regardless, we worked hard...really hard...morning 'til night!

Amongst all the talk of T cells, epidemiology, polymorphisms, nanoparticles, immunology and epigenetic something or others, I did get the chuckles a couple times. One of the scientists had a very strong accent and kept saying "toomah"....tooooo ma. Reminded me of Arnold in Kindergarten Cop. LOL

Watch and then hit your back button: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaTO8_KNcuo&feature=related

I also had to bite the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't giggle when they were talking about cleavage. They were not talking about what I used to have peeking out of the top of my shirt but rather splitting cells or something.

One time one of the scientists made a joke about using polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery...and how that was just like trying to determine genetic factors in a genome wide association study without a symptom cluster. Oh, the eruption of laughter.....! I guess it was a real knee slapper!!!

Seriously, the scientists were GREAT! Some were older, some were younger, some were male, some were female, some were outgoing, some were shy. But they were all lovely...and so grateful for my involvement. Can you imagine?!?! They thanked me. Here are these people that have dedicated their lives to eradicating this disease and they were thanking me! I was weepy with gratitude to them!

I am so glad I was able to do this! It was empowering. It made me feel like I was ACTUALLY doing something. Like it was not all for naught. I was able to represent all of us that have been touched by breast cancer. I am so grateful!

xoxo

What a long, strange trip it's been...

Guest bloggers Megan, Michele and Janice here...with some great news to share. After 18 months of treatment for Breast Cancer, we now leave Karmanos Cancer Center to celebrate Maureen's FINAL CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay...that is as far as we got on Monday. It's me...Maureen again. I am not such a control freak that I took back the blogging from my guest bloggers. It's just that we were very busy celebrating and they did not get farther than the above paragraph. :-) But, for those that have known me a long time, of course I love this post title - loving the Grateful Dead band as I do.

So...yes...I am done. Done. DONE! No more infusions. Thank you, sweet Jesus. I am grateful beyond words. Thank you, Megan and Janice, for being with me Monday and always!

One of the other best parts of my last chemo was also the best part about my first chemo. Michele was with me. Yes, that is right...Michele from Costa Rica via Miami flew in as a surprise to go to me with my last treatment. I was floooooored! And to think I was mad she wouldn't call me back. She couldn't...she was on a plane! ha It was FANTASTIC to have Michele with me in person. I was so grateful!

For those of you that don't remember my sister Michele, you can read more about her here: MICHELE

Megan took a great photo of the infusion pump reading "Volume Remaining: 0.0 / Time Remaining: 00.0".....

Some other photos from my last treatment:

Above: Me eating a yummy chocolate covered strawberry that Janice brought.

Below: Me and the girls...



...More soon on other neat things happening...

xoxo

Lots to tell you...

Please check back soon. I have so much to tell you!

xoxo

Sweet memories of my mom

I hope I can do as good of a job being a mom as my mom did. I pray I can always have that balance between encouraging my children to stand on their own feet but cuddling them up with tenderness when they need it.

Here are some of my favorite memories of my mom:

• She was always nice to people. She smiled and was kind - even when there was no reciprocity.
• She could enjoy the greatest laugh-until-it-hurts-and-you-might-wet-your-pants laughs...serious belly laughs. So contagious!
• Water fights...my mom loved a good water fight!
• She would regularly perform the miracle of the fishes and loaves, with food and clothes, as she raised us on a meager secretary's salary.
• She always had a green corsage for us to wear to school on our national holiday, St. Patrick's Day!
• When Megan and I were young, like 3 or 4 or 5, she used to pin a note to our jackets before we went out to play that said "Please don't feed us. We won't eat our dinner" (we lived in a safe place...the neighborhood behind Brother Rice high school in Birmingham....it was called the Catholic Ghetto)
• She occasionally let us have breakfast for dinner...what a treat!
• She made me take typing for 3 years in high school so I would have a skill to fall back on in case no other career panned out.
• She had incredibly versatile tears. She would cry from sadness, happiness, laughter, joy...or a hallmark commercial. (We all have that in common with my mom. My dad used to laugh that our tear ducts were too close to our bladders. With 7 women in the house, someone always had to pee or was crying)
• She loved her garden
• She talked to me about her impending death as she was dying from breast cancer. She let it be out there...out in the open. It was a gift. And a privilege to be a part of. She was the bravest person I have ever known.
• She hated cats but every cat within a mile ran to her. So funny!
• She would fall asleep while we watched t.v. in her bed with her. She would wake herself up snoring and say "Oh, was I snoring?" Then giggle and go back to sleep.

I could go on for days...

xoxo

News story on my family...I am so HUMBLED!!!

Wow...I cannot believe it. Unbeknownst to me, my sister Megan wrote a beautiful Mother's Day letter to WDIV, Detroit's NBC affiliate. She is such an incredible person...I feel so humbled. Well, WDIV called and asked to interview me.

The NICEST folks at WDIV, Karen Drew and her camera man Ted, spent about an hour with me this morning. They are such lovely people...so kind. The story will air at 11:00 est on WDIV, channel 4 here in Detroit tonight (Friday).

Here is the teaser: http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/23491496/index.html

Pay no attention to the date stamp on the above photo. If this was actually taken in 2003, I would only be 19 years old. lol

Here is the letter that Megan wrote :

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and I want to share a great “mom story” with you. It involves a native Metro Detroiter and her Breast Cancer journey that brought her back home.

My sister, Maureen Moons, is a 44 year-old single woman who wanted to be a mom, so she adopted her children from Guatemala. She has a son who is 7 and a daughter who is 4. Her daughter had only been “home” for 10 months in October, 2008 when my sister learned she had Breast Cancer. The news was grim…Stage 3C Invasive Ductal Carcinoma that also invaded her lymph nodes. She was approved to be part of a clinical trial, using new drugs to fight her particular kind of cancer. She went on medical disability from work and began treatments almost immediately.

Maureen (a.k.a. Mimi) is the 5th child in our family of 6 girls. Our parents only planned on having 4 kids, so Mimi and I were “blessings” to them. She moved from Birmingham to Dallas in 1989 after graduating from Walsh College in Troy. In Dallas she made many friends who became her family-away-from-home. They were there for birthdays, sick days, holidays, etc. And when she was diagnosed with cancer, they became her day-to-day caregivers. My other sisters and I would fly to Dallas to be with Mimi for major medical tests, procedures, treatments and to help care for her children, but we are scattered all over the U.S. and couldn’t be there every day.

Being the incredible mom she is, Mimi has always put her children first and tried to insulate them from the torture of cancer. Throughout this journey she has not skipped a beat when it comes to caring for her kids. She still took them to the State Fair, went on vacation, took them fishing, worked in the classroom, attended church, etc. She kept a blog to journal her experience and titled it “Raising Children…Razing Cancer” (http://www.moonsfamily.blogspot.com/). The title says it all.

After 8 months of chemotherapy, Mimi had a double mastectomy and lymph node resection on May 5, 2009. Her recovery was amazing…she was sitting up in bed and chatting with friends only hours after surgery. Within 2 days she was home from the hospital, after a stop at a local Mexican joint for lunch and a margarita! In no time at all she was back on her feet, exceeding doctors’ expectations and amazing everyone who knows her. Her next leg of treatment included 7 weeks of daily radiation, which finished in July, 2009. A combined family reunion & birthday party for Mimi took place at the end of July in Michigan and it was quite a celebration!

Within 2 days of returning to Dallas Mimi called me and shared some great news… she decided to move “home” to Detroit, after being gone for 20 years. She understands the importance of family and raising her children with their cousins, who live close-by. Her employer transferred her sales job to the Detroit market and she moved in September, 2009.

She continued chemotherapy treatments, transferring to the Karmanos Cancer Center in Detroit. Her last session is May 10th. On May 12th she leaves for Washington, D.C. to be part of the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel. She was invited to meet with scientists and review proposals for Breast Cancer Research funding.

What I most admire about my sister is her tenacity. She looked cancer in the eye and said, “You picked the WRONG person to mess with!” (see blog post December 27, 2008). Her doctors initially gave her a 60% chance of recurrence upon diagnosis. This percentage has decreased to a possible 10% chance of recurrence because of her positive attitude, sense of humor, dedication to healing and overall refusal to let cancer define her.

Mimi and I will be walking in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure (Team Moonwalkers) in August, and I look forward to every step of our 60-mile journey!

I would LOVE to share Mimi’s story with your viewers. Do you have any type of Mother’s Day celebration planned? If there is a “Best Mom” competition…I have your winner! I’m contacting you specifically because I think this is a great home-town story of someone returning to our city and state.

Best regards,

Megan Moons-Grattan

Thank you for checking in on me...and for your loving support...and for caring about me and my family.

xoxo

another funny memory...

Oh my gosh, sitting here reminiscing about this time last year (see next post) made me think of one of the funniest things that happened on May 5, 2009.

Obviously it was a long day of waiting while I was in surgery. My sister Suzanne and our dear friend Julie were in the waiting area. It was getting later in the day. Well, apparently, at 3:00 all the nurses that cover the big desk in the family waiting area go home. Their day ends at 3:00. Literally, they turn out all the lights behind the desk area and they go home. Well, several patients are still in surgery, like me. And the surgical nurses and doctors call that front area to give updates to the families. So someone has to answer the phones. The nurse came around the desk and, out of the room of people, pointed to Suzanne and Julie and said "YOU...I need you to answer the phone". Suz and Julie look at each other, like what the #*&!? If you knew these girls, and heard them tell this, you would be ROFL like I am to even be typing this. So they jump right in and do as the nurse tells them. They answer the phone, get the patient's families name, and yell it out into the waiting room - just like they were born to do that job. They even divvy up the roles. Suz answers and Julie yells. Hilarious!!

The only thing funnier than all of that was that there was a sweet, delightful mentally handicapped girl that would run towards them flailing her arms at every name that was called saying it was for her.

Not sure if this translates in a blog post. I have tears of laugter just from writing this. If you see Suzanne or Julie, you have to ask them to tell you the story because, damn, it is funny.

xoxo

One year ago today...

It was exactly 1 year ago...at just about this time...that I was at the hospital for my surgery. I never could have fathomed the turns my life would take, at 43, to have been diagnosis with cancer. Then to have 8 months of chemo. Then to have such a prominent, important part of my body amputated. Then to bounce (no pun intended) back so quickly, emotionally and physically (thank you, God, so much!). Then to endure 12 more months of ongoing treatments, during which uprooting our life and moving to Michigan. Then to be wrapping up my very LAST chemo treatment on Monday, May 10th...yahoooo!

Whew..........what a whirlwind!!!

I am the luckiest, most blessed person alive to have had such an army of loving supporters with me every step of the way. And to have His hand on my shoulder every second, before and after this cancer stuff.

When I think about this time last year, what memory stands out the most was playing Scrabble in the hospital waiting room with Megan and Suzanne and lots of laughing. Not nervous laughter, just "you have to let me win" and I have to go to the bathroom AGAIN laughter. Then waking up with my sisters there with me.

All my memories are of the love I received. Not the pain or the fear. Does it get any better than that?!?!?!?!? Seriously!

xoxo

Shame on me the second time...

Okay, this time I knew I was putting too many bubbles in. Add a raucous boy. And stir.

What a mess!! But so much fun!

xoxo

Bubbles...

After 7 months I finally figured out how to operate the jacuzzi tub in my bathroom. What I have not figured out yet is the correct amount of bubbles to put it.
:-)
xoxo

Patsy

Rest in peace, Patsy. You are in our hearts always.

xoxo

Couldn't wait to get my hands in the dirt...

We woke up this morning to the sound of many geese flying over our house.....coming home after the long winter. It was like a band of trumpets welcoming the morning. I loved it.

I am going crazy in my garden. I hoped outta bed, fed the kids and then got my hands in the dirt for about 6 hours. I may be too sore to brush my teeth tonight but it is wonderful therapy.

I feel so alive, so deeply grateful and so inexpressibly content. Thank you, God!

xoxo

And again...

Oscar told me this morning that a zillion things in our house are made out of china. All his toys and his Star Wars guys and the kitty's food bowl.....all "made outta China". I thought he meant glass china...not the large nation in East Asia.

He suggested we should send some things their way from Michigan. Amazing that a 7-year old can recognize the U.S. trade deficit with China.

xoxo

funny...

Here is our conversation from the other morning...

Angelica: Mommy, I have good news!
Me: Oh yeah, what is it?
Angelica: I am not allergic to butterflies any more!

Me thinking....????????????????????????????????

Me (trying not to laugh): That is awesome, Angelica. I am so glad!
Angelica: Yeah, but Oscar is still allergic to pickles.


She seriously makes me laugh out loud several times a day!



Our weather has been beautiful. So on Monday night after dinner, Oscar was out riding his bike. Angelica decided she wanted to ride a 2 wheeler. So I got the tools out and took her training wheels off. I told her to hang on a second and I would help her. I turned around and she was gone. Unbelievable! She got on that bike and rode away. She crashed into a mailbox and I ran to help her...but then she was off again.

Oscar is equally spectacular! We all had a blast on our little holiday. The kids swam and we all relaxed.




Hope you are all well and enjoying Spring!

xoxo

oh, the horror...

Nouns and proper names now allowed in Scrabble....tsk!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/08/a-proper-fuss/

Happy birthday, Reid

We had a very nice time last week celebrating my nephew Reid's birthday. These kids are so precious!!! I love them so much it hurts! :-)

Megan, the artiste, made his castle birthday cake. The photo doesn't do it justice...it was darling!

Other news. I am so happy to tell you guys that they found a 100% match donor for my neighbor!!!!! They are thinking about starting a blog: Craig's Lift. Isn't this a great name!?!?!?

xoxo

Identity crisis

I was born Maureen. But, from what I understand, my nickname "Mimi" came along almost immediately. Story has it that my mom didn't love the nickname "Mo". And, as I am the 5th daughter, my mom declared "No Mo"....as in, no mo' kids and no Mo as a nickname. Funny. Anyway, Mimi stuck for 24 years. Then I moved to Texas and became, for this first time in my life, Maureen...or Mo (which I like, especially if I am fond of the person calling me by that moniker).

So for nearly 20 years, in Texas, I was Maureen - or Mo. Sometimes also Moonpie or Maureenie or Coo Coo. Seriously. But mostly Maureen.

Now I am back in Michigan. Without skipping a beat, I am back to Mimi. People I meet at the kid's school say "Hi Mimi" to me in the halls (thanks to my sister). People I do not remember meeting call me Mimi. Of course, being back in town I see aquaintances from long, long ago and they all call me Mimi.

I like it. It feels welcoming and familiar and comfortable.

Problem is...I can't remember my own name. I automatically say Maureen.

Then the confusion starts all over again...

This doesn't really pass the "so what" test. But I love having such inconsequential things on my mind. :-)

xoxo

Shameless....

...using my blog to reach the tens of you reading. tee hee Sorry....I can't help it.....it is a great cause.

Will you sponsor me?

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR?px=4693263&fr_id=1467&pg=personal

xoxo

count down......for sure this time!

I am so excited to say that I only have 3 more infusions to go...for real this time. I do not see my oncologist extending them again or changing them or adding new ones. I am doing fantastic! The only slightly distressing thing was when I told her how excited I was to get my port out...and that I wanted to get the procedure scheduled. Her response was "No". She told me that she wants me to wait until all my scans are done in August before I get the port out. Okey-dokey. lol I do understand. And I can certainly wait three more months for the port removal. No biggie. I am still on cloud 9 that the end of the treatments is near and I can get back to normal as much as possible!

As I have said many times before, I wish I could reach out and touch each of you the way you have me. You, my dear friends and family, have carried me for so long now. I look forward to a nice rest for all of us. Thank you for your unwavering love and support. You are all my heroes!

xoxo

evening prayers

Angelica's evening prayers last night...

Thank you Jesus for our dogs...
...and for my mom
....and for our mailbox
Amen

So glad I made the cut.

xoxo