CANCER FREE!

OKAY the photo on the top left is NOT me but I wish it was. I posted it to represent how amazingly my skin has recovered from radiation a month ago.

close friend Lana and her daughter Kimbie each have tattoos like this on their ankles. This is Kimbie's foot. Lana is my dear close friend from 8th grade that lives in San Antonio. She and her daughter got the tattoos in Memory of her husband, Phil's sister who died from breast cancer and in Honor of me. The only tattoos I have are the six dots on my boob for radiation.

I finished with the 36 Radiation Treatments June 26. My dark crispy boob has fully recovered, It is back to smooth and non crispy, except a bit of redness when I get the water too hot in the shower. The wonderful lotions given to me by Susan Wells (Emu) and Susan Wilbourne have been instrumental in the healing of my skin.

I saw Dr. Hixson Monday, July 23. He said I was doing great. He will see me in 6 months.

I saw Dr. Tan July 17th for my every three month check up. I told him I saw a T-Shirt that said "My Oncologist is my Home Boy!" He said I was doing great!
I am Cancer Free!!! Pet Scan Clear!!!

My eggs are now officially powered. I am in complete hormone deprivation.

The super hot flashes have reduced to like 4-6 per day.
My energy level is much improved but I have a long way to go before it is consistent.

I will take Arimidex every day for the next 5 years to block the production of estrogen & pro estrogen.

I am scheduled to have my Medi Port removed as an out patient Thursday, July 26 at SBRMC.

Thank you for all of your prayers. I truly believe the many prayer lists I have been on lifted me up and allowed me to keep such a positive attitude and have such remarkable results. Thank you and the many churches. Labor Day it will be one year this all began.

Please Pray for Lisa Breckner Wood and her family as she continues her battle with cancer in Tijuana , Mexico. She and her husband Shane left last Wednesday for San Diego and on to the hospital. All conventional treatments available here had been tried to no avail. The Fish Fry/ Car Wash/Bake sale was a success Saturday.
Robert Breckner, Lisa's brother will be having a BBQ fundraiser soon at Legion Post 99 in Foley. If you can help him, give him a buzz at 251-223-BANG. It will also include raffles and such. So, if you have something to raffle off or want to bake a cake or whatever, just let him know.

I must be getting better because I am expending time and energy on politics. I am very concerned about the upcoming SENATE 32 Race . I implore you to please enlighten yourself of the qualifications of the candidates which are running. Please give special consideration to Randy McKinney my personal choice. If you have any questions or concerns please email or call me. Make sure you are registered in Baldwin County and GO VOTE! AUGUST 7th


check out his web site.


http://randymckinney.com/

Watch your Speeding in August!!!


During the Judges Conference last week, a representative of the Department of Public Safety spoke concerning an upcoming event I thought you would be interested in learning about. During the week of August 13-18, 2007, the Alabama Department of Public Safety will have every supervisor and eligible staff person in uniform and on the roads. This will add approximately 150 more troopers to the highways during this week.

It is my understanding that they will be maintaining a “zero tolerance” rule on speeding and other violations, meaning that if you are 1 mile over the speed limit, you will be ticketed. They will also be looking for other traffic violations, such as not wearing seat belts and reckless driving.

The purpose of this campaign is to emphasize public safety on the roads and hopefully save lives. While I hope you will always drive safely, please be aware of the special emphasis on road safety during this week.

Callie T. Dietz
Administrative Director of Courts
Administrative Office of Courts
300 Dexter Avenue

Have been Celebrating Since June 26th

Left to Right, Jamie, Denny, Zana w/ 3 mo hair, Trey age 4 ½, sister Tammy.

Last of 36 Radiations was Tuesday, June 26

All treatments finished!!! NOTE * the Extra brown Pork Skin photo!

Radiation does take a lot of you energy wise. The dark crispy fried skin is beginning to return to normal. I am getting better every day. I will get a burst of energy and then pay dearly for it the next day.

All hair is returning, head, eyelashes, eyebrows, leg hair. A great deal more Salt than Pepper but hair none the less.

The whole Famn Damily went to see "Little Shop of Horrors" in Gulf Shores the night before Jamie's birthday June 26. Trey loved it! I ordered him the VHS movie so he will learn the words and stop singing "Little Shop of Whores" over and over. He watched it 2 1/2 times yesterday.

The good lord was looking out for me the Thursday before my company came. Dalia Leyva a lovely young woman came into Underwood Printing to order some business cards for her House Cleaning Service. She asks me if I knew of anyone who needed their house cleaned? I thought…. DING! “I DO!!!” I made my to- do list on a legal pad page and a half. So, I had she and 2 other hardworking Mexican women came first thing Friday morning and they cleaned like crazy upstairs, both bedrooms & bathrooms from ceiling fans, A/C vents, furniture, base boards, floors, bed linens. Then came down stairs and cleaned the half bath, vacuumed & mopped the Hugh split brick nasty floor in the kitchen and back entry. All in three hours!!! If you are in need of help call her cell 251 504-6840 and tell her Zana recommended her highly. She has her own car and brings cleaning supplies. Even though I had plenty. I buy them but never use them. You know I don't just believe in miracles ... I count on them!

Lana, Phil and the kids came in Saturday July 2. Her daughter Valerie and her husband Keith and three children came too. We had not seen Valerie since she married Keith 7 years ago. Valerie, Keith & the two boys left the next day for Orlando until Thursday night. Lana, Phil and baby Mattie who turned 1 year old, July 3 stayed here.
Denny and my sister Tammy took a weeks vacation and we played tourist all week.

. We went to see the Fireworks in Summerdale Sunday evening,
2. beach two days,
3. swam in the pool,
4. visited the Foley Depot on Tuesday and saw all of the miniature trains working.
5. Went to The Wharf, ate at Johnny Rockets, shopped,
6. to Fairhope, shopped,
7. spent the 4th of July on Magnolia River.
8. Shopped at the Art Center , Stacey’s to get me a vanilla coke & Lana a chocolate Coke. 9. Took Lana by Hope Medical and Gulf Coast Cancer Center to meet my all of my Chemo/Radiation Peeps.
10. Shopped at the Tanger Outlet Mall, Love Me Two Times
11. Watched two videos, “I Walk the Line” and the 1985 video from their visit here and we took lots of video at Romar Beach (NO Condos) and Destin. Lana & I decided we were pretty Hot back then. Jamie & Tammy were 14, Valerie & my niece Shannon were 9 and Kimbie was 5. And Denny and Phil always had a beer in their hands.

It would not be vacation with Zana if we didn’t have Gumbo. We made 23 quarts of gumbo, w/ 15 Lbs. of shrimp and 2 dozen crabs from Billy’s Seafood. Everyone helped . Thursday and Friday night we ate until we were almost sick. I sent two qt back to San Antonio for Kimbie & Phil. Plus Kimbie some Bar-B-Q pulled pork butt.

I went to Mobile today to Doug Montgomery's mother's funeral. She was a great lady. It was a beautiful service. I went by Martha's Salon on the way back and Randy buzz cut my hair and trimmed the hair over my ears. First hair cut since last Thanksgiving.

I see Dr. Tan on July 17, and he will tell me what course of maintenance medication I will take to prevent the hormones from effecting the growth of tumors. I see him every three months for two years. My appointment with Dr. Gilmore is set for the end of August for my annual check up and Mammogram. By Labor it will have been a year since this all began.

I will continue to post every few weeks to my blog. Thank you for your thoughts and many prayers. I have been truly lifted up by the force of god. Your prayers are the reason I know that I have had such a wonderful treatment experience, combined with my loving supportive family and many dear friends. There were days that I wondered if I would ever feel better like I even do today. There is an end and a brighter tomorrow.