Wellness

[cookiegal]

Hi Ladies!!! Sorry it's been a while!!! Unfortunately, sometimes "life" has a way of getting IN the way!! Lol. I've just been crazy busy---juggling too many things on my plate right now. Plus it always seems that school for the kids is busier at the end!!! They only have about 4 weeks left--and of course they try to fit so much into that time. There's so much going on that I can't keep track!! Lol. In fact, I just made an eye dr appt for the kids and realize now I have to reschedule it because it's on a day when one is going on a field trip. The worse part is that I had the calendar in front of me when I made the appointment and it was written right there!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about ditsy!!!! Lol!!!! Anyway, I hope you all are doing well!! Good luck GM with your PET scan--you're in my thoughts and I know everything will be fine!!!!!!! Have faith!!!!! Hugs to you both!!!!!!!!

[Gracies Mom]

**HI Cookie!!**

So good to hear from you!!

No word yet on my scan--no news is good news, right? I will call my radiation doctor on Monday if I haven't heard anything. I'm too scared to call right now--does that make sense?

I'm glad you are "crazy busy" with GOOD things!! My brother tells me the same thing you said--that these last few weeks of school are the busiest (with his kids)--was it that way when we were kids? I don't remember!

How was your Mother's Day, Cookie? Hope it was wonderful! As I predicted, it was a tough weekend for me, but I got through it. Yesterday was two months since my Mom died--I can't get over that--how fast the days go by. I miss her voice so much! I'm still cleaning out her things--I spend most Saturdays shredding old papers and looking through old photos--sometimes I cry, but sometimes I laugh!

Joe's birthday is this Friday--and so is Gracie's (she will be TEN!). No special plans--maybe dinner out--we still have a gift card to the Outback given to us for our anniversary last November--we'll use that finally! I told Joe to buy what he wants as his gift, so he bought a pair of headphones he wanted. Gracie will get a few new toys (yeah, like she needs more toys!).

I will let you both know when I get my scan results--prayers still needed!!

Love & God Bless,

GM

[LooPY]

Hi GM and cookie! I'm sorry I've been AWOL for awhile--we've been away, out of town and then on vacation where the internet access could be spotty. I figured my whereabouts were on a need to know basis, and nearly 26,000 pairs of eyes didn't need to know!! Hahaha!! Please let us know the results of your PET scan GM--we'll be thinking of you, with fingers crossed that all is well!! Happy belated birthday to Joe and to Gracie, too! Now, you know GM--you can never have too many toys! (That goes for guys, too!!) Oh yes---the end of the school year--I remember it all too well, cookie!!--it's like running a gauntlet, and we need the whole summer to recuperate! The icing on the cake for me (literally!) was the year (or three) that I hosted the teachers' luncheon--an extravaganza for 75 people. I was running around trying to get the helium balloon bouquet decorations ready, the morning of the event. I prevailed upon my dear MIL, a true friend, to help me. She was such a trooper, and when the last of the decorations and tables were set, someone handed us each a glass of wine, and then snapped our picture, while we toasted our success. It's one of my favorite photos, and one of my favorite memories! Take care both of you--lots of love and hugs!

[cookiegal]

Happy Memorial Day weekend!!!!! And happy belated birthday to Joe and Gracie!!! I hope you enjoyed your dinner out!!!! We also went to dinner last weekend--a makeup for Mother's Day since my oldest got sick that day!! The boys picked Red Lobster--they both love snow crab legs!!! I had tilapia--wood grilled! It was really quite good!!!! GM, any news on your scan yet???? Positive thoughts your way--I'm sure all will be a-okay!!!!!! :-). Keep us updated when you can!! Loopy, so glad you got away and had a nice trip!!!!!! It's such a nice time for a vacation (before kids are out of school). And speaking of school, I love your story!!! I can't believe you hosted the teachers' luncheon!!!! I don't think I could handle that!!!! Lol. I'm much too disorganized!! Hee Hee. Talk about stress!!! Lol Do either of you have any special plans this weekend??? None here really--we did go to a local festival yesterday for a little bit--the weather was beautiful--it was quite shady, which was perfect for me!! Tomorrow I would love to get some flowers/plants for outside. We would have gone today, but most local markets are closed on Sunday!!! We have lots of yard work to do--mostly DH since I usually limit my time in the sun (of course I can always help early evening). I hope you both are enjoying this wonderful weather!!! Have a super great weekend!!!! Hugs!!!

[Gracies Mom]

**Hi Loopy & Cookie!!**

It's wonderful hearing from the two of you and that everyone is doing well--I pray for you both everyday!

As for me, I saw my radiation oncologist yesterday--he said my PET scan showed activity near where my cancer recurred--and so he advised I have an MRI to make sure it's nothing--hopefully just radiation changes. Nothing else points towards my having cancer again--cancer blood test was fine, as was my exam by the surgeon last month--and I'm not bleeding or anything like that. The radiation doctor told me that radiation does weird things to the body and that could be what is showing up--but we want to be sure. I'm having the MRI this Monday, June 2--the doctor said he will call me with the results. So here I am once again--anxious about having the MRI--but more anxious about waiting for the results. My Joe is very upset--we thought all this was behind us--it seems every time I take a test, it shows something and I have to take another one. I'm also still having bladder issues--can't manage to stay out of the bathroom for more than an hour--the doctor told me the radiation made my bladder less "stretchy", so it holds much less--one of my crosses to bear now. I will let you two know how my MRI comes out--please pray for me once again!

On top of that, our friend's brother died of pancreatic cancer last week and we had to attend the burial on Sunday--so the Memorial Day weekend wasn't pleasant for us. Oh well--hopefully the July 4th weekend will be better.

I enjoy hearing about what you two have been up to---continue to have fun this summer and enjoy your families!! Hopefully I can have an "uneventful" summer and fun,too!

Love & God Bless,

GM

[cookiegal]

Hi ladies!!! GM, I'm sorry to hear about your test results--I'm praying that your MRI comes back normal!!! Have you received the results yet???? I'm also sorry to hear about your friend's brother!!!! :-(. You certainly had a tough Memorial Day weekend!!! Have faith--Things will look up!!! :-) Well the kids are finally out of school!!! Yeah!!! I think I'm just as happy as they are!!!! Lol. Of course, the summer seems packed already--many events and dr appointments!!! But that's ok--it's always better doing these things when the sun is shining!!! Lol. Although lately, we haven't seen too much sun---just lots if rain!! The one positive is that I haven't had to water my plants!!! Hee Hee We had a few celebrations--one was our anniversary--16 years!!!! :-). The other was my sons birthday!!! :-). I always say this--where does the time go?!?! :-). It seems like time goes by faster each year!!!!! Well, I'm going to sign off--need to get up early--you guessed it--a doctors appointment!!! Lol. Hope you and Loopy have a good night and a good weekend--it looks like we may see the sun shining!!! Yay!!!!!! :-)

[Gracies Mom]

**Hi Cookie!!**

HAPPY 16th ANNIVERSARY!!!! Hope the day was wonderful--I wish you many many more years of happiness!!

And Happy Birthday to your son! How old is he?

Ugh, having the MRI was no picnic--30 minutes of banging noises laying in a tube! My radiation oncologist left me a phone message a week later saying that to him, my MRI looks OK, but he's consulting with the hospital radiologist and will let me know if anything changes--no phone call so far, so maybe they decided all is OK. I guess my pelvic area looks weird since the extensive surgery and internal/external radiation--so it's hard to tell what's going on. I'm going to think positive and say that I'm OK. I see the surgeon in late July and the radiation doctor in late September--they are all keeping an eye on me.

Any vacation plans yet?

I'll be working all summer, hopefully. I missed most of last summer. Joe will probably take off a few Fridays & Mondays to make some long weekends--just to rest & relax.

Thank you for your continued kind thoughts & prayers--they are still very much needed!!

Enjoy the weekend--it's really nice out--and yes,it finally stopped raining--those were some terrible storms yesterday!!

God Bless,

GM

[Gracies Mom]

**HI Cookie & Loopy!!*

Just wanted to let you ladies know that I heard from my radiation doctor yesterday--he called me at work (nearly had a heart attack when I heard it was him!)--he wanted to let me know that I'm FINE---my MRI showed NOTHING---the small polyp that's been seen in all of my scans is a piece of FAT---he told me to have a great summer and he will see me at the end of September. I'm THRILLED!!!!!!!! I do have to see my surgeon at the end of July, but at least they are all keeping an eye on me-which brings me comfort.

Hope you two have a wonderful weekend--weather is supposed to be nice--we're going to Joe's union picnic tomorrow.

Write!!

Love & God Bless,

GM

[LooPY]

Hi GM and cookie!!

Here Comes Summer (school is out, oh happy days!) Now, if you're not as old as I am, (but then again, who is??!) you might never have heard of this golden oldie (no, not me...!) but I've been singing it or thinking about it every summer since 1959! We've earned it, after that horrid winter we all endured!

Yay GM! What great news about your MRI! A little itty bitty piece of fat?? I'll take it!! Now you can relax and really have a wonderful summer!! Here's to you and your continued good health, and I hope you and Joe toasted the same at his picnic today!! It was a picture perfect day for any outdoor event, and hope you both had a grand time!

Happy belated 16th Anniversary, cookie! How delightful to celebrate such a special occasion with your dear husband (a DH indeed!) And to enjoy your son's birthday festivities to boot! I'm sure it will be a bit less hectic for you now that school is out! My daughter said everyone's mood is lifted because it just makes the household less frenetic (even though of course we all realize school's important!)

We were away in Boston for a reunion of my dad's gigunda family--or as my hubby calls it, a dysfunction palooza! (Nah--he's just kidding--they're a pretty mellow bunch!) It was a lot of fun seeing all my cousins, some of whom I've not seen in years, and my two grandsons met a little boy cousin of the same age for the first time, and it was an instant love fest! They were, as the saying goes, as thick as thieves! It was a pleasure to watch them all, and I hope they can continue the relationship throughout the year, because that's what it's all about (like the hokey pokey!)

Take good care both of you, and be well! I'm wishing you days filled with sunshine and happy memories to keep with you always! Lots of love and more hugs than I have wacky relatives!!

[cookiegal]

Hi ladies!!!! GM, so so glad to hear all is well with your health!!! What a RELIEF!!! Now you can enjoy the summer!!! Hooray!!!!!!! And Loopy, so glad you had a wonderful visit with family!!! Another hooray!!! :-). Well, now I'm beginning to enjoy the summer--FINALLY this week, taking a step back to take a breather!!! Although it is short lived!! Lol. Apparently I am needed in the office to do catch up work--since the kids are home, I plan on taking most of the work home with me!! I should be able to handle most of it at home, which is good. On a more serious note, I could really use your prayers for my mom. When she was down visiting me, she mentioned how she hadn't been feeling well--constant cough (for a long while now) and how lately she's been spitting up blood every day. Then she said how she thought she pulled a muscle because she chest, shoulder and arm have been hurting her. She went to the dr lady week and she ordered a ct scan of chest and a mammogram. Well today, her drs office called with the results of the ct scan and said they want her to come in to the office to discuss. Of course, my mom didn't ask any questions. I'm a nervous wreck!!!! I prayer it's nothing serious!!!! She did use to smoke many many years ago--and she lived with a chain smoker for years after that!! I just have this sick sense!! I hope I'm worrying for nothing!!!!!!! Well, I hope you both are continuing to do well, and enjoying this summer--it is certainly a delight after the winter we had!!! Take care both of you!!!!!!