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Easter Cookies and Miss Potter

Sherryl spent Wednesday evening baking cookies for the children at day care -- 4 dozen carrot-shaped cookies, that is, covered in orange and green frosting.  This evening Sherryl produced for an autistic teen she used to care for, Erik, and his friends, little chick cookies.  Yellow frosting, colorful sprinkles, and half a jelly bean for the eye yield a third dimension to these barnyard toddlers.  Holiday love in the form of homemade confections flow abundant from RaRa this week as she looks forward to celebrating Easter and Nadine's birthday with our family on Sunday. 

In recognition of spring's newborn fawns and chicks and lambs, we pay tribute to children's author Beatrix Potter.  Bunnies in jackets with brass buttons and forest characters with delightful names like Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Squirrel Nutkin came to life thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of this remarkable woman. Thank you, Miss Potter, for your charming tales and memorable illustrations.

Happy Easter, everyone!          

Apples, Sundaes, and Hairspray

What in the world do those three things have in common?  Here is the answer:

Today, the Sisters Three (Arleen, Sherryl, and Nadine) and Annie spent the day at Sherryl's house simply enjoying each other's company.  We played a very fun game called "Apples to Apples," a favorite of Annie's that clearly elicits her giddy charm. 

Although we had originally talked about going to Ghiradelli Square today to enjoy a trip to The City and to enjoy Ghiradelli's famous hot fudge sundaes, we decided to stay home instead.  As we savored our homemade sundaes, we watched the movie Hairspray, which we all enjoyed very much.  We talked of taking trip to Ghiradelli Square very soon.  Annie has never been there, so it is one of the things Sherryl wants us to do together prior to chemotherapy potentially beginning again. 

Spending time together as a family was the perfect way to spend this holiday Monday.  Sherryl has two more radiation treatments scheduled in the next two days, and she receives this Wednesday the results of the PET scan that was performed last week.  We remain optimistic that the results of the PET scan will be good.  Please join us in our optimism.

Happy New Year

Sherryl has thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this holiday season.  She was able to participate in all activities before and during each celebration.  She's been surrounded by family and close friends, and heads into 2008 with her usual optimism and energy.  It is our hope that 2008 will be very, very good to RaRa.  She does, after all, deserve it. 

Happy New Year one and all!

Eight Crazy Nights

Sherryl has had another great weekend, this time it included celebrating Annie's 13th birthday, spending time with family and friends, and running pre-Christmas errands.  She also won a raffle sponsored by Villeroy and Boch, a store located at the Petaluma outlets.  The prize is a lovely footed bowl, two mugs, two ornaments, a smaller bowl, plus holiday beverages and treats.  So she and Arleen went to pick up her winnings today.  What fun!

Tonight marks Night 5 of the Festival of Lights.  Happy Hanukkah, and thank you, Adam Sandler, for this great song!

Appointment with Radiology Oncologist

Sherryl had an appointment with her radiology oncologist today to plan for radiation treatment.  The doctor was pleasantly pleased and a bit surprised Sherryl is experiencing no hip or pelvic pain.  When he asked about her back, Sherryl explained that she rests when she gets tired but she no longer uses the back brace or the walker.

When they began to discuss the time line for radiation therapy, Sherryl expressed to the doctor her choice would be to begin treatment after Christmas as long as that start time would not jeopardize her progress.  The doctor told her it shouldn't be a problem and they agreed to begin radiation therapy after the first of the year.  At this point, only one appointment is needed in the next couple of weeks to prepare for radiation.   

Sherryl had a very busy and productive weekend.  She is excited the reports from her doctors are so positive.  She feels "really good," and spent some time at day care today.  She is particularly thrilled to realize her creativity is in high gear.  Sherryl is welcoming with open arms the reality that there are just not enough hours in a day to accomplish all she wants to get done.  But now that chemotherapy and its side effects are behind her, there's no telling what this girl and her creativity will do.  Just watch for all the energy coming from inside "the house on the hill!" 

All is Calm, All is Bright

"Everything is really, really, really good." Those were Sherryl's first words to us following her appointment with her oncology team today. 

Results of tests performed earlier this week show no new cancerous sites and no existing cancer is growing.  Specifically, there are no signs of cancer in any of the major organs, and there is nothing in the lungs.  The bone scan that was done earlier this week was compared to the one done in August.  While bones take a long time to heal, no more cancer is seen.  All is stable and Sherryl's favorite nurse told her, "You've hit a home run.  It can't get better than this right now." 

Moving forward, Sherryl will continue to benefit from chemotherapy treatment as it stays in the system for a while.  While Femara was prescribed prior to chemotherapy, Tamoxifen will now be taken orally.  In addition, Zometa will continue to be administered once a month. 

Sherryl's next appointment with her oncology team is not until after Christmas and tumor markers will be recorded every two months.  In the meantime, the team will continue to monitor how she feels.  Sherryl is scheduled to see her radiology oncologist on Monday, December 3.  Discussing the start of radiation treatment will be a key topic at that appointment.

Sherryl's successful response to treatment can clearly be attributed to her excellent team of health care providers and to the unbeatable emotional support she receives from family and friends.  RaRa deserves a lot of credit, too, for her optimism and grace.  While Sherryl is aware of the importance of her state of mind during this time, she is also indebted to so very many people for their unconditional love and support.  As she shared at our Thanksgiving table, she doesn't think she'd be here without all the love she feels from her family and friends. 

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in New York was lit tonight for the 75th consecutive year.  As the holiday season officially begins, it is with great peace and gratitude that we know, for RaRa, all is calm, all is bright.  Thank you once again for loving our sister as much as we do.

A Perfect Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was very special this year to us all.  Following a full day of love, laughter, and a lavish feast that began with tearful individual gratitudes and ended with amusing group songs, there was a slumber party at Sherryl's house.  The younger generations stayed and conversations, including those with RaRa, continued well into the wee hours of the morning.  Once everyone was asleep, Sherryl tells us she woke up once in the middle of her slumber and realized she was smiling.  She said she thought to herself, "Perfect.  What a perfect Thanksgiving."  And it was.

The rest of Sherryl's weekend was busy.  She is taking full advantage of welcoming energy back to her side, and was out and about on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Some have told her she sounds great.  To others, she sounds just like she always has -- exuding happiness, connecting with every single person she meets, and loving life itself.

As scheduled, Sherryl had an MRI today; tomorrow brings a CT scan and physical therapy.  An appointment to learn test results is scheduled for Wednesday.  Given Sherryl's great response to all treatment to date, there is much optimism as we await the outcome.  In the meantime, she is determined to rebuild her strength and has vowed to walk as much as possible. 

You may have noticed the color scheme for this update page has changed.  And, in keeping with RaRa's resolution to do a lot of walking, the little icon located in the upper left corner of this page, which was once a photograph of California poppies, is now a photograph of shoes.  There's a reason for the color change, and the shoes are not just any old shoes.  'Tis the season, you know. 

On RaRa's Favorite Holiday,

we wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving.

"Freedom from Want" by Norman Rockwell - The Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1943

Halloween at the Cancer Center

The first of three weekly chemotherapy treatments was administered to Sherryl today.  This session was the long one as it included the full chemo cocktail.  Anticipating the end of chemotherapy and next steps, Sherryl scheduled her bone and CT scans for the Monday and Tuesday following Thanksgiving.  If all goes as planned, radiation treatment may not begin until after the holidays.  That said, Sherryl continues to stay open to all options for the course of her treatment.

Sherryl's tumor marker, aka "the number," is 24, the same as it was last time it was reported.  Maintaining a 24 is a good sign that Sherryl is responding well to treatment. 

In honor of Halloween and consistent with her ongoing generosity, Sherryl delivered to her friends at the cancer center batches of cookies she made and decorated over the past few days.  Staff were amazed and pleased that she had the energy make them. 

Many physicians and staff came to work today in costume, and a costume contest was part of their workplace festivities.  There were to be three judges for the competition.  Two of the judges were physicians.  And who do you suppose was asked to be the third judge?  Yes, it was Sherryl!

She described some very clever costumes, but her favorite and the one she voted for was a group of 3 nurses who dressed as Three Blind Mice.  She said it was comical to consider a blind mice starting IVs, changing IV solutions, and giving injections.  She will learn on Thursday the outcome of the contest.  In the meantime, she is resting and hopes to not feel too depleted of energy in the next few weeks. 

We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!   

Lots of Cookies, Lots of Sleep

As planned, Sherryl made many, many cookies this past weekend.  She also got loads of sleep:  11 1/2 hours Saturday night, and, in between batches of cookie dough, there were a few long naps on Sunday.  She is rested and the lilt in her voice is back.  Hurray.

As for the cookies, Sherryl successfully created for the first time Biscotti, complete with slivered almonds, chocolate chips, and sensory-evoking orange zest.  She also made from scratch a few dozen shortbread cookies and another few dozen traditional sugar cookies.   

Simpler cookies involved (1) converting Nabisco Nutter Butters, white chocolate chips, and chocolate chip morsels into spooky ghosts and (2) converting Keebler Fudge Stripes and Hershey's Kisses into little witch hats. 

As Sherryl finishes decorating the sugar cookies, she anticipates that the next three sessions of chemotherapy will hit her pretty hard.  As always, she is handling this notion with grace.  Instead of dreading what is ahead, she is enjoying this opportunity for creativity.  She is also enjoying the tradition of giving annual treats to the children at Day Care.  And, this year, she is looking forward to gesturing with her cookies her immense gratitude to her new friends at the Marin Cancer Institute.