Suvivor Corps'

I received an email from Dani Sevilla of Survivor Corps, to help spread the word about their program for U.S. veterans and service members, Operation Survivor.

Here is the info on their Operation Survivor program:

Survivor Corps Supports Returning
Troops and Their Families!

News Facts
Within the United States there are over one and a half million service members that have served in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over thirty thousand have been physically wounded, but many more have experienced less visible, psychological wounds. Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have emerged as signature injuries of these conflicts, with recent reports suggesting an increase in rates of suicide, alcohol and drug abuse, homelessness, and domestic violence among returning service members and veterans.



These traumatic affects of conflict, left unaddressed, could have far-reaching negative consequences for the individuals affected, their families, and our country. Survivor Corps’ work in some of the most conflict affected countries in the world has shown community reintegration to be the key factor in those that overcome their traumatic experiences, and those that are consumed by them.

YOU CAN HELP!

Operation Survivor
Ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating a generation of veterans in the United States from all branches of the armed services and all 50 states who are struggling to overcome physical and psychosocial injuries. Most combat veterans convalescing in military hospitals across the country will survive physically, but getting on with their lives after returning home to their families and communities is proving a significant challenge for hundreds of thousands. Among the 1.6 million who have served since 2001, suicide is on the rise, as is unemployment and incidents of substance abuse and domestic violence.



The successful reintegration of returning service members is an issue that will have a long-lasting impact on American society, and may become the single defining struggle facing this new generation of veterans. Survivor Corps and its partners are determined to avoid the mistakes made when veterans returned from Vietnam, which resulted in tens of thousands of post-war suicides and over 200,000 men and women living on the streets.



To head off this tragic outcome, Survivor Corps will build peer support programs at the community level that will bring service members and veterans together for mutual support and encourage both individual responsibility and collective action to help others in need.



Survivor Corps is offering an alternative “treatment” that can be made readily available in all communities, regardless of proximity to traditional military or govern¬ment centers of support. Our approach is nimble enough to address the needs of individual survivors, while still broad enough to build a coalition of survivors and service providers working to effect long-term positive change.

This new program will help the recovery and reintegration of hundreds of thousands of returning U.S. service members at a critical time for them and their country.



Video Elements
Kyra Phillips of CNN Interviews Scott Quilty About Survivor Corps





About Survivor Corps

Survivor Corps helps people around the world who have suffered war and violence to rebuild their lives and rejoin their communities. By connecting those affected by conflict through networks of survivors, we help people overcome trauma and injury and regain their place in society. Survivor Corps (formerly Landmine Survivors Network) was born out of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, and recently spearheaded the development of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Over the past ten years, we have established successful peer support programs in eight war affected countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.






Contacts
Scott Quilty
squilty@survivorcorps.org
US Program Manager
Survivor Corps
2100 M St, NW, Suite 302
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 250-3946

Elizabeth Miner
eminer@survivorcorps.org
202-250-3929
2100 M St. NW Suite 302,
Washington, DC 20037

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Sept 28th at 8:30

Hello hello hello. Yes it's been a while, but hey probably no one reading this anyways and if you are you probably already know whats goin on, but hey maybe for those who don't here a new little tidbit of info.
Sept 28th at 8:30pm I will be performing in my own one woman (ok and one guy playing the piano yay Brett Kristofferson) show at Don't Tell Mama. If you're in the NYC area and feelin like checkin me out in person, see how funny i may be and hear my luscious tones as i sing through some musical theater tunes and ooohh a kd Lang tune, come out and see it.
Again thats:
When: Sunday Sept 28th at 8:30pm
where: Don't Tell Mama
343 W 46th Street btwn 8th adn 9th ave
New York, NY
tix are $10 and there's a two drink minimum
for reservations you can call 212.757.0788

Got a call back this coming monday for a preview reading of a new musical. Should be interesting.

Hanna has dropped some rain on nyc today. I made it wandering around quite a bit and then walking from my train stop to my apartment, i finally got completely drenched. This huge downpour started and the wind came. Of course by the time i made it to my front door...it stopped and went back to a moderate rain. Figures. But hey at least I was home and could change quickly and laugh at myself without anyone noticing!

I've been searching photography classes to take. I got a new digital slr camera and need to learn how to use it properly and take great pics.

Lets see what else?! My hair is still growing yay!! And 3/4 of it is super curly. But hey I'll take it! It's funny the sides next to my ears are quit a bit straighter then the top so it's entertaining.
I'll post a pic (it's of me and my friend Pat at the preseason Giants vs Patriots game out at the Meadowlands from couple weeks ago.) That was my first nfl game (or well almost regular season game, but still first nfl)

So thast about all, just workin and memorizing and rehearsing!!

july update

Howdy all!
First a shout out to Duncan and his cast of Prince Trevor Amongst the Elephants and the Midtown International Theater Festival. If you get a chance check it out!
Got the results of my latest Pet/CT scan and evrything is all negative!! Yay!! No activity and thats a good thing! whew!! I had some weird itching on my ankle that was freaking me out like hodgkins coming back but it wasn't. Mustve just been some sand flea from the beach biting me!
I got a new MacBook and am loving it. Though it is something to get used to since I've been on a pc for so long. I do miss some applications! I need to get a copy of windows for mac thats for sure!
I'm finally motivated to put my cabaret feature length debut show together. I've been listening to tons with thoughts of what to do and how to piece it all together. I'm thinkin sometime in Sept as long as I have an accomp and the venue is free! Most likely a sunday or a monday night. If you have any suggestions of what you may want to hear me sing....let me know!
Oh! and my website it kind of up and running. It's really generic but for know it's something. I have to figure out how to add some music to it. If you care to take alook at it it's www.saundreasanburn.com . Or you can also check out www.myspace.com/saundreasanburn and check out a couple of songs there. I threw that back up there for a submission for an audition. All i heard was we'll get back to you in a couple days so I dunno if i even get to go to the audition lol. Hopefully I'm getting new headshots in August! If you've seen my headshot, then you really know it needs an update for sure! Oh it's from 2002 and my hair has since fallen out and grown back and as you can see is now short (but growing!) and curly! Still trying to figure out this curly business. I'm used to wavy but curls are good too!
Guess thats the update for now
ciao!

Alaska sideshow

Here's a slide show of my Alaska Cruise pics!

Cruisin through Alaska

Happy Memorial Day-a little bit late. But hey I was on a cruise in a Alaska over Memorial Day.
i have to say it didn't start of so great. My first flight (to Atlanta then would connect to a flight to Seattle) was an hour late. Normally wouldn't be that big of a deal but I only had 45 minutes between flights in Atlanta. I missed my connecting flight and had to wait 3 hours for the next flight out. I had the last seat on that sucker, the middle seat, in between two guys. One extremely tall, but who slept the whole flight and one metrosexual guy with his eye mask on to sleep. Seemed to get an attitude when after about 4 hours i finally was like "excuse me" so I could get up. whatever dude. Anyways, just before I was boarding the flight to Seattle, I realized I didn't have my passport or my birth certificate! ahhhhhh!!! I was thinking Alaska, its the US why would I need it. Not remembering that we also were stopping in Canada. Luckily I texted and left a voicemail for my roommate and my mom called her, I knew exactly where my documents were and told her. She was able to find everything and scan it to my moms cousin who lives in Seattle and works 2 blocks away from the hotel we were at. So 8am the next morning she dropped those off. I had to take a cab to the hotel becuase the one we were staying at was not covered by the shuttle bus and the bus voucher i had from Holland america, they closed at 11 and i got in at midnight. However my luggage made it on the original plane i was supposed to be on, so it got to Seattle before I did.
The next morning, Diana dropped of the documents, we talked to the Holland America rep who said luckily they are the only cruise line who will accept copies of the actual documents. When we go through embarkation just ask to speak to a supervisor. When we got to the embarkation place, we talked with the supervisor. She saw we had copies of everything and was very happy to tell us it was all ok and we did good. And we got on the boat yay!! Apparently the week before a couple couldn't find the passports and had no copies. the were from Georgia and ended up not being able to get on the boat. So lesson learned, going on a cruise anywhere, always take your passport and birth certificate!
It was a great trip. Alaska is beautiful!! I took over 290 pictures, not including the ones I deleted along the way as bad ones lol. The weather was great! Juneau was around 72degrees, Sitka around 68, Galcier Bay 60's, and all sunny. Ketchikan (the Salmon Capital of the world and rain capital of alaska) was cloudy, around high 50's but no rain!! Victoria started in the 70's but since we got there in the evening it did drop quite a bit. We took 3 whale watching catamarans (Juneau, Sitka, and Victoria) Saw Humpback whales and seals in Alaska and in Canada we saw Killer Whales or "Orca's". We watched a whole pod, the J Pod, about 15-25 of them just frollicking and having fun. It was great! Couldn't get any great shots becuase of the boat bopping up and down and my slow camera but was really fun! I definelty recomment cruising to Alaska.

On the med front, the steri strips all fell off the med port removal incision. The scar is a little lumpy so I keep massaging it hoping it will go down and not be a keloid scar. but if it is it is. My next scan isn't until end of summer, though I kind of wish i had one a little sooner. Just nerves of not knowing or having confirmation that things are still fine.

If you want to see some pics just let me know, i'm not good at posting a bunch on here. or you can checkout my facebook page too (just ask for it)
happy summer!

I have been deported!

Well folks,I have been deported! That is to say, I have had my mediport removed. This morning to be exact! I had to be at the hospital at 7:45 in the morning. Ugh. Now thats a hard fete but I made it. I dragged my roommate Angela with me (thanks Ang!) as they said to bring someone with you because of the sedation. Well come to find out after all was said and done, I didn't have any seditives so really didn't need an escort, but it was a funny experience.
We got there, i got registered then went on up to the vascular radiology dept. They let Angela go in the room with me and this young guy named Bradley I believe came in. When walking to the room, i heard him quickly say his name, while just staring at Angela. Once in the room he repeated his name, then added the Dr Speilman or whatever it was, and still would look at Angela. lol. In my head I was like hey I know she's the hot one but hey I'm the patient lol It was rather amusing. Then we moved to the room next door and waited awhile. the nurse came in , took a look at the veins and said yeah these will work basically. Then came back and said, they said you don't need seditives they're just gonna numb up the area so you don't feel anything. Ummm ok. So after a while of waiting Dr Charles is ready to being. And they kick Angela out back to the waiting room. then they begin. I'm just layin on the stretcher in a gown, jeans, tennis shoes, they stuck a cap over my bandanaed head. He numbed up the area, which friggin stings! Then started slicin and dicin. there was a point where i was like ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch! "Ooohh thats just the scar tissue that hurts more", was the response. then i said "well use more lidocaine!" they did. it was a gross feeling when he was tugging away trying to pull out the port. after a year I guess it was nicely stuck in there! ick gross, cuase he was tuggin pretty hard for it to come out. then he stitched me up. There was a couple little spots where it stung a little more but they said no more lidocain lol. then it was done. I think it took like 15-30 minutes in total. During the procedure, the doc was making small talk like "Do you have any children?" To which i said, no. then it was, "do you want any?" which i said, "someday but i have to have the husband first." "Well when is that happening?" "Ummm thats a good question" lol. Then it was "what do you do?", "I work for a publishing company" (which he actually knows of and subscribes to one of our jrnls, which is apparently expensive lol) and I said I sang and oh didnt he hear my roommate singin in here earlier. his reply was "oh that was your roommate? You two must be a force.....maneaters!" hilarious. But I think through this morning they all probably thought we were lovers lol.

Then we left, went to breakfast, did some shopping then came back. Then i took a nap yay! I love naps!

I have to say, the removal was much easier and moving around afterwards, much easier. I remember when I had it put in, it was hard to lay on my side or stomach but now I can lay on my side, well not that side, but get to the side easier and move without any problems.

So that was my day!

Side effect or no side effect?

Visited TONS of doctors this week. Sheesh every day but today i was seeing someone! Though tonight is Reiki! yay!
Monday started out with a trip to the physiatry doc for my wierd tinglies in my legs, but only when I look down. She said yeah thats weird and sent me off to get a circulation function test (arterial dopple of the extremeties). Basically you lie there and they put 3 blood pressure cuffs on each leg and one on one arm as the base blood pressure reading. Then they just take readings from each cuff and listen to my heartbeat with a handheld sonogram thingy. (love my tech jargon haha) at two spots on each foot and the crook in my arm that they were taking the reading from. Thenthat was all. He said there's nothing major to report back to the doctor immediatly so she'll have the results on this coming monday at the latest. That test ws done on Wednesday. This coming Monday I'll see her for the nerve function test. Which i have no idea what it entails, but I just envision being poked by needles. eek!
Tuesday was a visit with the dermatologist. This is the gross part people... so she looked my side where a large cyst under my skin was getting very angry and red looking, then she shot some numbing juice in it and make a couple little slices into it. Then she pushed on it and drained some of the stuff out of it, blood and whatever else. She said it didn't look infected but would send it off to test it. I haven't heard back so I guess it wasnt. then she put a shot of steroids in it and a layer of antibiotic ointment and bandaged it. Now I see her on Tuesday this coming week. If it's shrunk and small enough she will cut it out and stitch it back up, if not she'll send me to a plastic surgeon to do it. Fun stuff...
Thursday was a checkup with the Oncologist and the radiology oncologist. Nothing big there, just go in say hi. Got the number again to schedule the port removal. He said if the dermatologist takes off the cyst, it's fine and I can still get the port removed. Told the radiaologist about the weird tinglies and he said it actually could be a sympton from the radiology since it was hitting my neck and spine. Something called Lhermittes syndrome. He said don't tell the other doc though. Let her run all her tests to be thurough. Sometimes if they find out it could be something else they won't be as aggressive, he said, so dont tell her lol
I guess should the other tests come back all negative, we'll figure it's this and will resolve on its own.
So that was alot of doc visits this week. ugh.
Also saw a very unwanted guest in my apt the other day...on my bed. Agggghhh a bedbug. I hate those little things. I hate movign into a place and barely a month later having them show up. I know the people on the 6th floor have them, i ran into them the other day and they mentioned it. Oh and they are the peopel that used to live in the apartment I'm in. So I'm guessing since they travel all the time, one of them picked them up from a hotel and deposited them into the apartment we now have and the one they have. Ugh sucks!!! So now we have to launder everything! Exterminator is coming on Monday to fog the place and I just ordered a box spring, matress and pillow encasements from protect-a-bed, which is supposed to be the best covers/encasements out there. We are trying to get the owner to cover the laundering costs, or we will just deduct it from out rent since our apartment was actually never cleaned or repainted after the people moved out, becuase they moved out the day we moved in as the upstairs place they were going in to wasn't dry til that morning. So we are arguing or well my roommate is arguing with the landlord.
So thats the excitment on my end of the world aaaaaaggggggggghhhhhh!!
have a good weekend

All moved in

I'm all moved in! Actually as of april 1 I've been moved in. Been a slow process of getting the apartment all together though. First thing is that it was never cleaned adn painted when we came, as teh people in it where finishing moving their last pieces of crap out as we started in. Reason: their lovely new renovated apartment 3 floors up had wet floors until that morning. Sucks for us especially since this place is in needs of some serious repair in places. It's had a couple major leaks, needs silicone caulking along with basebords, the paint is like 70 years of layers and chipping everywhere! I saw a mouse today. But that doesn't really bug me, I mean really tehy are everywhere. But we have cat...who just layed on the ground staring at it. Nice cat action there. Oh our landlord is dropping by this coming monday and tuesday and my roomie has a whole list of things that need to be attended to, and asking, should we get a cleaning crew in here and just have them bill the management company? Oh and an exterminator too?!
We went to Ikea yesterday and I got to pickup my little 4drawer dresser and nightstand. yay! I put them together today. Now all i have to do is fill them!
Oh and we got curtains for the living room, a new shower curtain and red bathmat and curtains for my room. I have some white blackout curtains hanging already, but these are nice sheer white with little teeennnyy tiny green flowers on them. I mean really teeny flowers. Cute though.
On the health front.... I was supposed to have had my port out this week, but I ended up getting a mild case of shingles and so that had to be postponed. The shingles showed up behing my ear first. The oncologist looked at it but I guess it was just starting and he thought it was just an irritation. Well 4 days later my shoulder started itching and i felt these bumps, yep it had showed up on the same side just down near my shoulderblade. But luckily like i said it was a mild case. The worst of it just felt like getting a neck hair caught in a necklace. So completely tolerable, and luckily my new roomy did not get chickenpox! Apparently ifyou've never had chickenpox (which she hasnt) you can get them from someone with shingles (although I think you have to directly touch them and she didn't so all was good). Now that they're cleared up I have to call and reschedule the port removal.
I have a physical on Wednesday night, which is good cause I want to get a bunch of things checked out. This weird tingly thing in my legs has been happening after I walk about 2 blocks and then if I look down, bend my neck down, it gets all weird tingly in my legs. So I'll bring that up. My back hurts and muscles are all tight constantly. Want to get my lungs and heart checked and run a diabetes test since it all runs in my family on both sides. Anywho, guess thats whats happening there.
Man my room is a mess, boxes still everywhere. Tomorrow off to see Sunday In The Park again. I love that show, then I'll probably come home and unpack a bit more!
ciao for now!

My it's been awhile!

Wow I didn't realize it was a little over a month since I last posted a blog! lol
Guess not that much had been going on till recently.
I decided to move out of my apartment in Astoria and move into the big city with my friend Angela. So that past couple weeks we were checkin out apartments.
We saw a few one night and put a deposit down on one, 5th fl walkup ouch! small apartment. And the next morning I just had this horrible feeling that it wasn't right. Sucks becuase even though we told the realtor before 24 hours was up, we lost the deposit. Ouch big lesson learned. So the search was back on, keepin in mind that my new roomie has to be out of her current place march 31! So the next day we looked with another realtor and found the perfect place! It was more than we wanted to spend but after seeing the place it was soooo worth it. Big rooms, lots of light, quiet street, 1/2 a block from the Hudson River, river view from one of the rooms, laundry in the basement and an elevator bldg, apt on the 5th floor. We went back to the realtor office, filled out all the paperwork and handed over the deposit. That was a friday, come monday we get the news that no we didn't get it because someone else had applied earlier that day and their realtor didn't advise anyone of it. Needless to say I was sooooo bummed and Angela was bummed. So the search continued that night. We found another place, elevator bldg, 3rd floor, big and spacious. Still on the higher end, but still a good deal for the apt and area oh and laundry in the basement. The only issue is that it doesn't get alot of natural light and may be a little warm. There's a hole in the bathroom door, that will bereplaced before we arrive to a week within getting there. Ooohh and there's currently a tenant in it. They are moving up to the 5th floor for more light. But we saw teh 5th floor and it was in major fix/repair mode, though I dunno if they can get it done in time, but they really have no choice. And the tenants got alot of stuff so they need to start packing and gettin out of there! Oh and teh Super quit on Monday lol. Still I think it will all work out fine. Neigborhood is /seems quiet. Still 1/2block from the river. Big park that runs along the river. Riverbank State Park. Apparently its like 95 acres all built on top of like a water treatement plant. The only one of it's design in the US. Lots of stuff there.
So I called the movers and Tuesday April 1 i'll be takin the day off and finishing packing and watching the movers haulit all off to the new place and put it all inside!
Guess I better start packing! Oh and my current roommates have found a replacement the other day and she'll be movin in on April 4th I think he said.
So that is the news.
Saw the oncologist and got the all clear to call and have my mediport removed. So as soon as the nurses call and give the script info and bloodwork info I can call and schedule it within the next two weeks! ah! Hoepfully I wont be a big ole cry baby again like when they put it in !!
So that's whats fit to report!
wish me luck gettin all packed!

Take me out of the bath cause I AM CLEAN!

Well boys and girls, Monday I went and had my PET/CT scan. The 2months after radiation ended scan. It went fine. Tasted a new horrible flavor of barium crap. This one was supposedly Apple. But tasted nothing like an Apple ever would or should. It was sooooooo nasty. But after an hour of slowly sipping it or just trying to gulp it away, it was finished. Went into the scans (nodded off every now and then in the machine) and then I was done.

Tuesday was not such a great day. Monday, foundout a friend has passed away after her fight with stage 4 lung cancer. Tuesday we went to the service. Quite a large turn out, over 500 people. For a young woman she really touched a lot of peoples lives thats for sure! Marissa will truly be missed by many people.

Wednesday, just another day in paradise.

Thursday took my roommate Kevin and I over to Studio 54 to catch the opening of Sunday In The Park With George. I really love this show. And after seeing it live, I really really love this show! The leads that were brought over from the London revival were excellent. The digital lights and effects used to recreate George Seurats Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of Gran Jatte, most excellent. I wept (ok not obsessively or embarassingly). We had a couple of celebrity sightings at the event, one being Jane Krakowski (who i kept seeing throughout the night..it was like she was stalking me haha jk) and Lauren Bacall. So fun evening.
Oh during the day I went to a new gyn doc. Not a very happy warm greeting and i waiting a long time in the room for her to make her entrance. Then it was like oh why do you come every 6months? My reply was becuase I was told too, I mean i'm not the doctor so I dunno what the rules are with that. She said oh thats a waste of resources you only need to come annually. Then talked about having Hodgkins to which she said..Aren't you a little old for Hodgkins?? In the same kind of tone someone would say, aren't you a little old to be dating so and so, or aren't you a little old to be wearing that? REALLY?????? Hmmm well the biopsy (ya know wher ethey cut into you and take a piece out and study it under a microscope and see the tell tale signs and markers of the disease....well yeah that is what it said it was, i dunno what to tell ya. She just returned to writing on the form. Then she took off, as apparently there was another patient with an emergency. So i waited a bit longer after changing into the tent they gave me to change in to. She came back, told me of the emergency and how i had perfect timing (cause ya it's all my fault some woman had an er issue and you're swamped yep all me i cuased all that) but then her demeanor turned really pleasant and caring. So wierd. I dunno if i'll go back there in a year lol

And today....today my results were supposed to be 2pm but i got a call to move it up to 11:15. So i walked over in the snow (love it, it started snowing somewhere between midnight and 3:30am yay) got there, gave my blood. Then waited forever in the room waiting for the doc to come in. He forgot I was in there. I could hear him through the glass chattin with another doc in the office, then started singing "these boots are made for walking" hilarous. Then i asked the receptionist (right outside my room) if she could remind him i'm in there. The nurse was walking by so she did. He then quite hurridly came in. Then opened up the file and showed me the report that said....... ALL CLEAN!!! No signs of malignancy anywhere!! Yay!!! So I see him in a month just to checkin but no more petscans until end of summer (around 4-6 months he said) he may throw in another ct scan sometime but maybe not. Then after that one at the end of summer, not another one after that for another 6months. So good news! I was really getting nervous on the walk over to the office man. Butterflies in the stomach somethin bad. Just kept tellin myself I'm cured, I'm cured, over and over. Glad that wait is over! So glad it all came back clean!

Tomorrow is a fun filled movie day. Fo $30 at AMC i'm see all the best picture Oscar nominee films. from 11-11 I'll be there. I get a free large popcorn too with free rifills and some keepsake lanyard with pics of the nominated movies.

So there's my week recap!! Hope everyone has a great snowy weekend!!!

a little scare

Whew had a little scare today, but all is fine. I went to the oncologist this morning. All was fine, said I looked fine, said oh your hair should start growing back in in about a week, week and a half. We'll see. I had them take the blood from my port since they had to flush it anyways. Told the doc about my issue with standing up from squatting looking at some low shelves or getting up from laying on the couch and things start getting a little black. NEver have passed out but came pretty close in GameStop the other day. He said it was because of the radiation. The area that was radiated is now all stiff and whatever ventricle that helps the blood pressure regulate is not quite up to par, so just get up slowly. lol. ok guess I can do that lol. So i was an hour late to work, no biggie. Then about 12:30 the docs office and says to come back in and have my blood drawn again. The platlettes were too low compared to a month ago. yikes, whats up with that. So I went and came back and all is fine. As the doc put it it was just clumpy. Whether it's clumpy inside my port or just clumped up in the tube i dunno, but the blood drawn from my arm is much better and pretty regular numbers so they sent me on my way yay! i have to say though, it's too cold to be runnin back and forth lol!
But i'm glad that they are lookin at all the numbers and act on them.
I'm super excited for the end of May to be here! My mom and I will be hopin on a plane and goin to Seattle to then catch a boat and go cruising through Alaska!! yay!! I can't wait. I think i'll just be standing along the railing taking pictures the whole time. Well, when I'm not off the boat on a tour taking more pictures!! I can't wait!
Well thats about all, guess I should go do some work now!
ciao


Update:
Took forever to get the authorization for the PetCat scan but finally got the call and hten was told, oh you don't need precertifications for out of office scans. So i waited for a couple days for nothing. But I called this morning and my scans will be on Monday. I have the day off from work then anyways so no big deal. Just can't eat after 9am. Guess I'll have to wake up early anyways and eat breakfast. Then go back to sleep haha.

Thats the latest

Waiting.....

Howdy. Nothin really big to report. Just throught I'd drop a line since I haven't in a little while. Had my 1 month after radiation checkup with the radiation oncologist. Ended up waiting in the exam room for like 45minutes till he finally finished with a patient. Took a little nap lol. Nurse came in at one point to tell me they hadn't forgot about me and if I needed anything. I said, how about a pillow and a blanket haha. The appt went fine. I still really like Dr Shah. He so nice and thorough, generally there is the whole hair issue he forgot to mention in the beggining but other then that he's great. He never guarantee's anything, which is kinda good since really, can you really guarantee anything in life? There is a small possibility my hair wont grow back, another possibility it will grow back patchy or it may all grow back soft as babies hair (in the beginning). I choose the babies hair please thanks. He's seen it all. But teh good news is that since it held out on falling out till 3 days before I was done with radiation, it wasn't unhappy with it early. I alsohave little patches of peach fuzz in areas that were definetly hit by the radiation so it's a good sign that the other places will start to grow back too, just will takea few months. Sucks it's winter cause the back of my head is cold!

Saw Kathy Griffin at the WaMu theater at Madison Square Garden. She's hilarious. She did a straight 2 hours. She is just so hilarious, bawdy, foul mouthed, I love it! Kelly from Boston (chemopalooza) came in to town to see the show with me.

I see the regular oncologist beginning of February. Then we will schedule the PET scan and hopefully the removal of the port. The scans have to be 8 weeks after the last radiation so no false positives show up. So heres hopin for some clean scans baby!

hmm for not much to say I certainly seemed to have said alot. Still thinkin with moving to Portland OR probably in a year. The city just drives me crazy. I guess unless I can move someplace near a park, away from constant major street noise. So we shall see!!

That's all for now!

I am now 34 years old...is that a new age box???

Yo yo yo yesterday was by birthday biatches step up and recognize! hahaha. well it was my birthday and it was a really great day! yay! I even had 3 drinks! A glass of red wine, a glass of white wine and a mojito! Great food and good friends!

Today I went to the oncologist. It was fine. Just had to wait a little while. Tried to get blood from my arm (since it doesnt hurt there I rather that then the port) but the blood was moving soooo slow it was crazy. i dunno if it was my vein, lack of hydration since I really hadn't drank anything, or the phlebotonist. She was a newer one for me. I had to have my port flushed anyways so they gave up quickly and Gerri just got the blood from the port and flushed it. Waited for a bit and then the doc came in. Everythings fine was just a checkin. Slightly enemic most likely from the radiation. Throat is about 95% better. I got back in a month and then we'll schedule the port removal and the PET/CAT scans.

My grannys surgery went great and within 2 days she's been up walkin around, sitting in chairs and eating! She had colon surgery, removed a tumor. When the surgeon got in there the tumor had shrunk so much he had a hard time finding it!

Moms biopsy is scheduled for Jan 16th.

I think the hair or whats left on the back of my head has finally stopped falling out. Now just waiting for some peach fuzz to start comin in!! :O)~

Guess thats all for now! Happy January!