4.6.09 It's Great to be CANCER FREE!!!

Today was the 6th and final cancer treatment for our Warrior-in-Chief. And, the results are in - and confimed by the CA-125 Cancer Marker test:

Wanda is CANCER FREE!

It has been a long, long road since those days in July when something just wasn't right...to the mastectomy in October and the 8 1/2 hour long ovarian surgery in November. All along the way, you all have stood with Wanda in your prayers and your thoughts. We couldn't be more appreciative, humbled or grateful for the many things you have done for Wanda and for the family!

Take a moment and celebrate this miracle in all of our lives. Take a moment to reflect on how wonderful life is. And, take a moment to thank God for this and the other many blessings we receive!

This isn't the end....but the beginning. We will shift this blog to telling you stories of what Wanda the survivor - not the patient- is doing. Of course, there will be some Dr. visits to report on....but we hope to tell some fun stories too!

So, Wanda, your body is void of cancer and you have finished 6 rounds of chemo..what are you gonna do now? ANYTHING SHE WANTS!!!! (and, yes, Disneyland is May 26...lol)

3.30.09 update

Spring has sprung in Riverside, CA and there has been some gorgeous days down here.

The las round of chemo (5/6) has really been one of the rougher ones we have seen. As expected, because of the compounding nature of the treatment, there has been more fatigue. But, our Warrior never looses her spirit!

Wanda got a wonderful Colorado visit from Donna Hesse and her niece Shelly Bozak. What a weekend-brightener! And, now, Wanda will rest up the rest of the week in antipation and preparation for:

THE LAST CHEMO ROUND ON APRIL 6! YEAH!!!!!

As we all look back on this journey...we thank you for your continued support, prayers, friendship and love over the last months.. we could not appreciate you all more.

More to come...........

3.20.09 Happy Spring - UPDATE

We have gotten a little behind here. So, let's catch up!

Wanda had Chemo on Monday, 3.16. This was round 5 of 6 - and the warrior is going for a TKO on the next round.

She has been meeting with her medical team and assessing the next steps as she moves up on this milestone.

This has been a hard week for her...but this morning she is feeling better and Rich and Wanda are hopefully going to meet up with some friends in San Diego this weekend.

Enjoy this first day of Spring!

3.11.09 They are finally S*T*A*R*S!

Wanda and Missi make national tv on the "Bonnie Hunt Show"

3.11.2009 Wanda and Missi on "The Bonnie Hunt Show"

As we reported earlier, Wanda and Missi went down to see a taping of the Bonnie Hunt Show yesterday. Evidentally, they had prime seats and when Bonnie Hunt introduces the guest band, she is standing right next to them.

Check you local listings. The guest included Gary Marshall.

3.9.2009 Update

Wow...two weeks go by really, really fast here! It has been a typical post-chemo time for all of us. The first week after chemo was slow go and a little rough at spots. But, Wanda is a trooper and continues to press on. We all had a great time this past weeked at Tom's Farms (http://www.tomsfarms.com) riding the train, carousel and even hanging out in the smelly petting zoo!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, Missi and Wanda are taking some girl time and are going to see a taping of the Bonnie Hunt show in Hollywood. That should be a fun time for them.

Wednesday, Wanda has an appointment with Dr. Hahn for her 3 month post-op check-up. Can you believe it? 3 months ago we were all on pins and needles as Wanda endured 8.5 hours of surgery. Wow..time and healing are going fast!

Next week starts Chemo Round 5 on Monday...so we are all soaking up every bit of this fun time that we can this week. We would ask that you continue to lift Wanda up in your prayers and thoughts. With just two rounds to go, it gets progressively harder...but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Hope you are all having a great week!

2.23.09 Drippity Doo-Dah, Drippity Day....

CHEMO IS A GO!! Missi called and the infusion started around 11:30am this morning. The numbers were WAAAAYYYY up there..a good sign that our Warrior got some rest and was ready to fight on!

As many of you know, the week after Chemo is hard..both physically and emotionally. So, we would encourage you to reach out to Wanda with a card...a note...or even post a comment on the blog. Your prayer, thoughts and wishes do more for her than any vitamin ever would :)

2.22.09 A bump on the road to recovery...

Just a brief update...Wanda was scheduled to have Chemo on 2.19.09. She had some tests that came back too low to proceed with the infusion. So, Wanda has been taking it easy this weekend, lots of rest and taking care of herself. She will trek back down to City of Hope tomorrow (Monday) to get re-tested and hopefully get treatment then.

Because she is such a strong lady, we may tend to forget that this is still serious business and the side-effects that come with chemo. We would ask that you continue to keep Wanda in your prayers and positive thoughts as we go through. The battle wages on.

Wanda gains so much through your messages, both on the blog and by other means. Take some time today to drop her a card to let her know you are thinking about her. You cannot begin to phathom the power that has on her battle!

We will update tomorrow with the results of the tests.

Wanda and the Warriors heading to the dessert for some LOVE!

A early- Happy Valentines Day to all of the Warriors out there! My gosh..time seems to go by so fast in between posts.

Wanda is doing really well after the last round of treatment. She has had more strength and energy this time than recent treatments. Amazingly enough, Wanda has retained a great deal of her hair through chemo (yes, I know..there was so much..how could it all leave...) so much so that she got a day of beauty last week with Missi. They both look stunning!

Wanda is heading down to Dessert this weekend for some much needed R&R with some of the Riverside, San Diego and Palm Dessert Warriors for a Valentines hul-a-ba-loo! Should be a great time!

Next week, Feb 19, is round 4/6 of Chemo. Please continue to lift Wanda up as this phase of the battle continues.

Happy Valentines Day!!

Aren't you all glad the title of this entry wasn't "Wanda and the Warriors heading to the desert for VD!"??? LOL!!!

It's really how you look at it....

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

And, we know, all you Warriors thought it was about shovels...right?

Update 1.29.09 - WE ARE HALF WAY THERE!!

We are half way thru Chemo! Warriors...this means all of us! Today, Wanda received round 3 of 6 treatment infusions. Word from the hospital was that, while some of the counts were down...progress is still being made and that is great news.



You know, some of us were getting very sad and depressed when we thought about this cold..dark...sterile room with our Warrior in Chief laying on a cold table with tubes in her. So, we sent our investigative reporter to sneak in with a hidden camera to capture the dismal atmosphere...



You can almost hear her "Shooting at the walls of heartache...bang, bang....I am the warrior" or Gloria Gaynor's "I will survive". Ah...what a lady!! Do you see that ring on her finger...my gosh!

Yay, Yay..we are half way! Our deepest thanks go out to each and every one of you that has been on this wild ride with us over the past months. She is a tough lady...who continues to need your prayers and positive thoughts.

And, for today...CELEBRATE THIS MILESTONE IN ALL OF OUR LIVES!!!!!

Update 1.26.09

WOW! It has been awhile since our last posting. We want you all to know how much we have appreciated all of your prayers, emails, thoughts, wishes. It has been a challenging time.

Let's get you up to speed. Wanda has her last chemo infusion on 1.8.09. Chemo is a wiper-outer! Wanda pushes through..but the weeks after are hard...and it is not until the week of the next infusion that she is feeling back to "normal". And, that would mean, this Thursday 1.29.09 is another infusion.

However, during the time, she has had the opportunity to go out and get a new attitude with a new hairstyle

And..then there were some styles that didn't make the cut...

Of course, she has managed to get in some celebrations


And, had a wonderful visit from Tonia and Thomas Lorenz (and Alexia and Ian). This visit prompted the first ever Wanda's Warriors video. Warning..if you adverse to cuteness...do not watch :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE5hvTZaTvk&fmt=18

Please continue to keep Wanda in your prayers this week as she hits the MID-WAY point on chemo! It will be 3 rounds down..three to go!

We won't be so long between updates! Don't be strangers! Wanda loves to read each and everyone of your comments!!

Credits: Special thanks to Lindsey Martin for the wonderful pictures and Tonia and Tomas Lorenz for the awesome Warrior video!

Update 1.5.2009

Happy New Year 2009! We hope that you are all having a wonderful new year and are busy making those resolutions! Obviously, we are counting that one of your resolutions will be to lift up Wanda daily through prayer and positive thoughts. They have gotten us this far..and they will bring us the rest of the way on this journey!

Wanda has been doing really well since our last update! She and Rich have been hiking in the hills by their home (Canyon Crest) almost daily. The whole crew (Wanda, Rich, Missi, Jeff and the 3 grand kids) went for a New Years Eve hike followed by a park visit and then lunch to celebrate 2008 out the door! I think all the adults went home for an afternoon nap!

On Saturday, Wanda took the first steps in taking control of one of the worst side affects of chemo - hair loss! She visited her stylist, Anna, who gave her a "sassy" short little do! She looks amazing! We have even seen here "striking a pose" with her new style! We are hoping to get a picture up of the new look!

OK, Warriors! This week begins in earnest!! We have physical therapy on Wednesday followed by round 2 of chemo! It is going to be a tough week - but this lady (and her band of warriors) are way tougher! Let's all get together - lift Wanda up daily - and encourage her on in the battle!

Better times await us all in 2009. We're just gonna have to clean up some of the crud from 2008 and get going.....