Thanks Aunt Jamie!!!

A big Thank You to Jamie for yet another magical Nutcracker experience!

Happy Birthday to Jamie!!!

Best wishes for a rockin' fun day, and a splendorous year ahead —

Happy Twenty-17th, Jame!!

Love, Katrina (and J,M&E too)

Please Support Ovarian Cancer Research

Jamie and Katrina are participating in the 2009 Swedish SummeRun benefiting the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research.

Ovarian Cancer can affect those who least expect it. Research into detecting Ovarian Cancer in its early stages is key to curing the disease. Support us in our efforts to raise funds!

Every person who runs, walks, pledges or volunteers is helping make a positive impact on ovarian cancer research.

You can join me at the Swedish SummeRun by clicking right here: Join the Swedish SummeRun. You can also help by sponsoring either Jamie or Katrina. It's easy to make a gift, just click on our names, and pledge!

Please, and Thank You!

Introducing....

The Twins!

We have two new young ladies, I mean, hens for our flock. We've had them for two days and they have already settled in quite nicely. They are about a year old and we adopted them from the animal shelter, via a lady who worked there.

They are very different from RC. Spry and slender, which RC is not. The lady at the shelter showed John how to clip their wings, as they could easily fly out of the yard. Apparently if you clip just one side, they have a hard time staying balanced, thus really can't fly too well. RC is so heavy and large, we have never had a need to clip her wings.

So far the girls have been very productive and given us an egg a day. In just two days, we have half a dozen eggs! Don't be surprised if we just happen to drop a dozen or so by. The twins produce a whitish colored egg, slightly smaller than RC. It will be interesting to see if they are different inside.

Yes, we are now officially Crazy Olympia People!

Follow a Friend

I am helping to author a new blog for my dear friend, Brittany. Some of you have seen a few earlier posts, where I briefly introduced her. She has agreed to let me help get the word out regarding her battle with cystic fibrosis.

This past week, she made a giant leap across the country from Seattle Children's to Duke University via Airlift Northwest. She is undergoing an evaluation to be considered for a double lung transplantation.

She has had a "minor" set back this week and had to be put on a ventilator. In her case, this isn't a horrible thing, but it does mean she will need the transplant sooner than later. The ventilator is helping to get oxygen into her lungs, so that her body can work to rid itself of CO2. Her levels were way too high, and something had to be done. She will undergo a surgery to place a trach tube so that she will be able to talk and eventually start her physical therapy regimen to get her strength up so her body can withstand the surgery and recovery.

I invite all my devoted supporters to take a look at her journey, and encourage you all to give her words of encouragement and support as you did for me through my battle with cancer. I don't know if you all will ever know how much it meant to me to read all your comments of love and support. When I was feeling low or just plain yucky, I could always log on and read all the wonderful things my friends and family wrote to encourage me to push on! I know many of you still check regularly for updates and I can't tell you how much it means to me. Brittany is a special girl and could really use all the encouragement and support we can give her. I think it is also so important for her family and friends as well.

Follow Brit's journey at www.brittanybreathes.blogspot.com

By the way, I am not sure when the healthlink special will air. I, like you, are anxiously awaiting its premier!

9 and a 5

The 9 is for my new CA-125 number!! It went down a couple of points from the last check, so Dr. Goff said that was a great sign and nothing to worry about! I'm up for another CT scan in 3 months, along with the standard blood draws and another CA-125. She said all "felt" well with my other unmentionable exam (hehehe).

So prior to this appointment, which was rearranged a couple of days, Dr. Goff's wonderful nurse, Heidi, called to ask me if I would participate in an interview with Dr. Goff regarding her grant she received from the OCRF (see link below). Since she is my personal "hero" I of course agreed.

So here comes the 5! I will be on KING5 news healthlink series on Wednesday March 4th!! It was a really fun and cool experience. I'm guessing it wasn't exactly the experience Dr. Goff was used too, as she said "that's it???" when the camera man said "I got it!" It was really informal and we just talked with the reporter and really didn't realize we were being interviewed. I hope I was able to pull off the "natural" ease with which Dr. Goff talked, but I do have to say I was a little nervous and really excited.

The grant is helping to further research in detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages. It is running over two years, and is trying to enroll 12,000 women (a lofty goal) to participate in a symptoms screening questionnaire prior to getting examined. Dr. Goff is hoping that general practice doctors will understand the symptoms that women present with and get them treated early. As we all know, the earlier you can't this crazy cancer, the easier it is to kick it to the curb!!

Congratulations Dr. Goff !!!

My Mom told me about this link to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund website, where Dr. Goff has been named to lead the OCRF Ovarian Cancer Symptoms Study. Follow the link below to learn more:

http://www.ocrf.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=305:oc-symptoms-study&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=422


I still think about how lucky I am that she is my Doctor. I just wish other women were as lucky as me! I can't wait to see her again at the end of the month. I have my three month blood draw next week and three month check up a week after that. Time just seems to be flying by! It's great to be healthy. I hope all is well with everyone.

Also, I will be letting everyone know about the Relay for Life soon. I got my invite in the mail and will get our team started shortly...posts to come soon.

A Wish Come True

Brittany was able to go on her "Make a Wish" outing this weekend. Here's a sample of what she had in store for her!!

http://www.komonews.com/home/video/37848389.html?video=pop&t=a


I can't wait for her to tell me all about it tomorrow!!

Brittany

As some of you know, John has a second cousin Brittany, who is here at Seattle Children's Hospital. She is a super courageous kid, well, teenager (everyone under the age of 25 seems like a kid to me!) I've been lucky to be able to get to know her through her stays here at the hospital. Today, I hope I was able to be of some comfort to her as she had to undergo an emergency procedure to put a chest tube in to drain out air that had escaped from her lung into her chest. She put on her brave face and had the procedure, which has successfully let the air out so her lung could regain it's shape and start working again.

I am still amazed by the health care we have here in Seattle. Her nursing team was awesome today. She had a nurse, Brittany, who went the extra mile and stayed with her, past her shift, to make sure she was being taken care of. It reminded me of one of my favorite nurses on 7SE, May, who worked tirelessly to get my pain under control after surgery and went the extra distance to always make me feel like I was her only patient. I was always surprised to know that she had roughly two other people she was looking after. And also Michael, Christy, and Jennie, who were also the best and saw me through the chemo. I also fondly recall Dan, my chemo nurse at SCCA , who told me exactly what to expect and when to take meds so that I would feel the best I could after chemo.

I'm glad I can be in the position I am right now, slowly rocking in the chair beside Brittany's bed, looking out for her as she sleeps off the anesthesia. I'm so glad she is comfortable, and her breathing is so much better. I wouldn't probably be able to be in this position without my "team" which includes my wonderful husband, my best friend Katrina, my amazing family, and all my great friends who supported me while I was down. I'm excited to look towards a wonderful 2009, knowing that I am well and all the cancer is behind me.