2010 Was a VERY Good Year!

Hello...and let me say thank you to anyone that visits me and who puts up with my long absences. My new mission is to LIVE and not loose time anymore doing things that distract me from soaking up all the goodness that the good Lord has offered me. :)

I am well this 2010 as are all my family and friends. I have been disease free for just over 2 years now and still on the Femara, Zometa, and Zoladex. I am showing uncomfortable signs of joint pain...in my feet, hips, elbows and shoulders which gets me down but I take ibuprofen and it seems to help me manage it better. The mornings are the worst. I was able to get a spinal mri recently due to the back pain as Dr Kaufman wanted to make sure the cancer didn't spread to my bones...all they found was Degenerative Disc Disease...oh is that all? You can see how there is white in all the discs except the bottom ones...they are not filled with as much fluid anymore and that is what is causing the pain and the spasms when i twist or lift wrong or too much. I suppose being on my feet all day doesn't help much either. I love seeing what MRI's show...
This next picture was taken at a rugby game at NEC during homecoming weekend in October. It was a blast! One of the players actually landed at Emily's feet trying to catch the ball! I got to see a bunch of old friends and had the rare feeling of time travel as I felt like it was 25 years earlier.

The girls are getting so big and life is never boring...Ellie took archery this year and got a bow for Christmas (we got her a right handed one and still need to switch it to a lefty though). Em is now a "working girl" as she does "mother's helper" hours with my next door neighbor. It is such a win-win situation...emily loves feeling needed and the 2 little ones love having her attention. The mom loves being able to fix dinner without little one's distracting her and my other 2 like having some quiet time after school. I'm happy that she is developing positive self esteem and gaining confidence as she grows. I also remember that hard age and liking having other women (other than my mom) to talk to. You can never have too many female role models for young girls!
Ellie ran her first 5 k this year and as a matter of fact I participated in a 5k this year too...but walked most of it. We also climbed 2 mountains Kearsarge and Cardigan
(I still can't believe I did it!) and did some hiking near Lake Winnepasaukee too! with great friends :) This pic was taken with my phone using a panoramic setting...so cool!
I have to say that climbing isn't so much fun...but the view is spectacular! And after that spinal exam...the doctor told me I had to KEEP MOVING! So there you go...more mountains to climb!This one is at Attitash where we went on the alpine slides and the kids got to try rock climbing...even sara did a great job! I was so fortunate to meet up with my internet chemo buddy Sara and her family there and we were able to get to the top together...but then again we aready had. It was such a marvelous metaphor though...it made us both cry...who would have thought we could have been together there...at the top 2 years ago?!?!?! Certainly not us! She told me of her friend that led her to me (well my Etsy shop) that had suddenly passed away earlier that spring...it's hard to imagine the plan that God has for us...how we all touch eachother in ways we sometimes don't even know.

Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year! Blessings, Jodi

I'm still here...REALLY!

Wow...has it been since january since i last posted? I guess it's the ebb and flow of illness...i retreated to a solemn place...a place to let my brain catch up with the world and what became of my body. I nested with my kids all winter as I was laid off and could hold them again...what a joy it is to hold my (now 4 year old) baby!!! For 2 years she couldn't be picked up by me...and now she can...as long as i sit down real fast...she has gotten soooo big!

My weight dropped quite a bit this past winter, down to about 115...but it's July now and I've put 10 lbs back on :)

I'm back at work at the golf course...working over the grill...oh the heat...these 90 degree days are taking their toll. I have less energy but really don't mind too much...it makes me slow down and appreciated the kids more. Those days with sprinklers and slip 'n slide and friends to share them with.

I listen to Air1 quite a bit now...and my favorite singer these days is Francesca Battistelli.


I am attending Soulfest this year with friends...and I am soooooooooooooooo excited! I hope we can make it through the day to see kutless.

This song is awesome! (Find more info about the song and band here)
5. What Faith Can Do
Everybody falls sometimes
You gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you’re stronger, stronger than you know

And don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
You may decide to take that step
Out on the water
But it’ll be all right

Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

Overcome the odds
When you don’t have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It will tell you that it can

(Repeat Chorus)


So knitting has slowed down a bit but I will get back to it as the days grow cold again. Now I'm trying to have fun being a craftysoul and practice my golf game.

I have been having an awful time with my elbow/arm (left side) and lower back pain. So Dr. Kaufman wants to run some bone scans and an MRI of my spine to rule out bone cancer. He x-rayed the elbow...wish it were something simple...cuz it really hurts...it wakes me up and the numbness does too...will sleep ever just be the wonderful slumber it used to be...ever???

My life is getting along...moving into the next phase of Survivorship...side effects...gratitude and moving on!

Blessings,
Jodi

Still knitting for sanity

Simplifying my life these days...still have aches and twinges, recovery comes slowly...my oncologist might be giving me some different medicine to keep me in menopause as I think my body is coming out of it but other medicine needs me to stay in menopause to work well (taking any medicine daily just sucks)...still have days where i don't want to lift my head off the pillow and face the day...but trying to just take one day at a time...or rather one stitch at a time...also been listening to audio books and Christian radio (air one and local station)
just not chatty lately...but thinking it's all part of the journey...

Blessings to you all....Happy New Year