VALENTINE SWEETHEARTS PROMOTION

Click the link below to see more details:-

http://www3.stampinup.com/nz/documents/sweethearts_flyer_1210_aunz.pdf

Summer Mini Catalogue - 2010/2011

The new Summer Mini Catalogue is current from 1 December 2010 to 31 March 2011.



Check out the wonderful new exciting product here:-

http://204.228.150.61/catalogs/flash/en-AU/20101101SummerMini/index.html

A mixed bag

Yes, this is going to be a mixture of everything and it will be a l-o-n-g blog to make up for my lack of blogging lately.

I am feeling better than I was but still only running at about 50% which is affecting my energy for cardmaking, not to mention everything else!  Anyway I will update you on my current situation later in this blog.

This Christmas I received some beautiful handmade cards from my cardmaking friends so wanted to share these with you:

Pauline McArdle:

Debbie Lamb: Jacque Pedersen:
Carol Hallett (UK) 
Joan Hallett: 
Sally Williams: 
Karen Rogers:
Thanks so much for these lovely inspiring cards.

Now for some photos from my very low-key (was still in a lot of pain) but enjoyable Christmas Day.

Think that’s all the news apart from the current situation with my cancer(s).  Went to my hospital Oncology appointment this Wednesday.  The rib they removed contained a tumour in the marrow and the biopsy report identified it as a plasmacytoma.  Plasmacytoma is a solitary cancer but if it comes back or has already spread is then known as Multiple Myeloma.  I am now going to be referred to the Haematology Department for assessment which may or may not also include having radiation treatment on the rib and having a bone marrow biopsy.  I pray they don’t find it necessary to do either of these things.  Also my CA125 levels (for the fallopian/ovarian cancer) which were up to nearly 200 before my operation are now up to 500 but scans still cannot locate where it may have spread to.  Normal CA125 levels should be 20 or under!  They are hoping that this level will come down after my body settles down from the op as apparently they had to deflate the lung to do the operation and this could have caused my levels to go up so dramatically.  They will know in another couple of months whether that is the case.

Anyway now I am fighting two different cancers and they still haven’t definitely ruled out whether I also have thyroid cancer.

I am healing from the op and not getting the bad pain I was – just a little bit uncomfortable and sore now so that’s great.  The downside is that I have no energy – feel like I am running at only 50% capacity.

Well that’s my life for now – more hospital visits, more doctors.  My oncologist laughingly asked me if there was any other department in the hospital I would like to visit as I have just about been to them all now.  I replied that I wish I could be like a student and just take a gap year – it would be so lovely to not have to think about all of this for a while!

New Year catch-up

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope 2011 will be THE YEAR that we all enjoy good health, happiness and freedom from worry of any sort.

This post is going to be a mixture of information – things I have forgotten to post about recently and a further brief update on my health situation.

First catch-up is a couple of photos of my youngest grandson Tyler who took part in the musical production of Seussical – based of course on the Dr Seuss books.  He was one of the Who’s but I didn’t see much of him on stage because he is so small he kept being hidden behind the larger kids.  However, he enjoyed it and it was a great production.

        
Tyler walking down the red carpet.                       The whole cast.

 

 

 

Tyler with his certificate.

 

 

 

My dear friend Anne came over before Christmas with this scrumptious Christmas cake she had made for me.  And yes, it tastes as great as it looks.  Thanks from the bottom of my heart Anne.

 

 

Let’s get the never-ending health report over with now.  I’m still very sore after the operation though it isn’t as painful as it was.  Just yearning for a good night’s sleep without waking up because I have tried to lie on my side or tummy and it is hurting me.  I do so hate sleeping on my back all the time!

My surgeon rang and had the results of the biopsy.  Wait for it ….  the tumour wasn’t the original fallopian/ovarian cancer nor was it the suspected thyroid cancer.  No, it was something different again.  It is (or hopefully was) plasmacytoma – a cancer that forms in the marrow of the bone.  To say I was gob-smacked is an understatement so now have to go back to Oncology on the 12th January when no doubt they will have decided what to do with me next and will explain it further.  In the meantime I am making some decisions myself as I have decided that past treatments of radiation added to the radiation that I think I received as a child in England has contributed to all these cancers.  So I am going to do some investigating and will start by sending a request form I have for past records from the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London.  That is if they have kept these records from so long ago and can find them buried deep in their archives!  I need some answers as the reason why all of this is happening to me is driving me crazy!

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season.  In my next post I will share with you some of the lovely hand made Christmas cards I received.

Take care and drive safely.