SURVIVOR

Hello everybody, my Marcus reminded me today how much I have really neglected my Blog these past few months. I found facebook & that is where I have focused my updates these days. It seems like once I got through the hospital chemotherapy treatments & I moved on to the next phase of maintenance chemotherapy treatments, which were out patient, my life started picking up the pace again like I was never sick at all. (& that is a good thing)

I am very happy to report I just finished my last round of Chemotherapy treatment on December 5th! WOOHOO!!! I am so glad that part is finally over. I go back to the James Cancer Institute in January 2010 to get the 7th bone marrow biopsy taken. I am confident it will still show I am in remission, since I just finished chemo. The true test will be the bone marrow biopsy in the fall of 2010. That will be the fist biopsy in over 2 years that I have not had any chemotherapy to keep the cancer away.

Christmas will be here soon & it is hard to believe that this time last year I was desperately fighting for my life, my how things have improved. I hope this holiday season finds you all happy, healthy and surrounded by the ones you love. Don’t take one second of your life for granted!

For those of you who have AML & stumbled across my blog in your search for information or survivors. I have been in your shoes. The search was an obsession when I was initially diagnosed & it was hard pill to swallow when I went months & found no survivors I started to panic & slipped into a severe depression. I have detailed my journey from initial diagnosis to remission on this blog in the hope that it will help someone else because finding survivors helps give you hope. Scroll down to the right side of the page to the archive section. My AML fight all began back in September 2008 & although it was a long road it was not an impossible one. Don't get to hung up on the medical bills, you will never be able to pay for them all, set yourself up with payment plans that you can afford to pay on for the rest of your life. (Be realistic & keep them small, you will have multiple billers you have to pay on) You need to have a really good support system, mine was my Marcus. He pushed me when I needed it & loved me through it all. My children were my motivation when I felt I could not fight it any longer on the really bad days. For every bad day the good days far outweighed them. I have been VERY involved in my treatment & always pushed the doctors to keep me informed every step of the way. If you do not question them they will not tell you because most of the patients are to sick, tired or weak to know what questions to ask. Now I am a firm believer that attitude is everything & you have to stay positive. If you just lay there & let it, the cancer will take you! You have to fight it, the fatigue, the depression, the cancer... I used to be a pessimist, it was a major change for me but I had to become an optimist (I always say I am a realist so I wanted hard facts & in my age bracket there were not many to go off of since the demographic for someone with AML is 65 years or older males & I am a 35 year old female. The point is, THERE IS HOPE & YOU CAN DO IT!

Although I am not on my Blog much these days I am on facebook just about every week, so is Marcus. My e-mail address is sandittie1@yahoo.com or type in Sandi Golden-Vest on the facebook search engine & add me as one of your friends. I post something just about once a week & if I don’t Marcus does. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you all so much for your prayers & support,

Sandi Golden-Vest

August 4, 2009

Ok I have been putting most of my pictures on facebook because it is so much easier to upload them in bulk on there. Here are a few of the good ones from Sharon's visit...
Granma & Grandpa Oard's house


Dinner at Red Lobster, Dads favorite next to Kewpee, with & Aunt Bonnie & Jessica as well


Copper & Aunt Sandi


I even cooked a few home made meals while Sharon was up here


I was able to stop by & see my other side of the family as well while I was in Lima to. Grandma Darlene, me, Elaine, Aunt Debe, Aunt Lynn, Paige & Zack. Preston was there to but it looks like he ran out of the picture.

Brandon & Zack at the LHS Football Pancake breakfast fundraiser


This is me at Cycle 5 Chemotherapy treatment last week... look at all that hair finally!


If you want to see more photos go to facebook, type inmy e-mail & request me for a friend & I will confirm you. I have tons of pictures of the family on there.

July 29, 2009

I am back in for treatment this week. I am on Day 2 of my 5th Cycle of Maintenance Chemotherapy. I did see my Dr. today she is going to work on Marc's FMLA forms. We talked about the future a little & I let her know I quit taking all my medication. It was a long talk to say the least. I am trying to let my body stabilize a little bit & let my immune system recover itself... so far she is being supportive but cautious. We talked heavily about relapse in my age group it is very likely that if I am going to relapse it will be within the next year so time will tell.

My sister made it back home to Colorado. Pictures will be coming soon. I won't put a date because you all know I have been slacking off my blog something awful.

Katie is coming home soon from Louisiana & Paige is heading out for Atlanta to spend some time with her Aunt Wendy. Brandon is in full swing of football conditioning & camp, 2-a-days will be here before we know it. Brandon & Tiffany celebrated their "6 month" anniversary last Friday to dinner in Hillard & a movie this was a a big deal for Brandon & then last Sunday they went to Kings Island. Seems like he is never home anymore & when he is Tiffany comes over... to be young & in love...


Zack is Zack rotten as ever but still cute as a button. I will get pictures posted one of these days.

Marc has been in the garage every night this week swapping parts off my motorcycle. He sold my bike & got a me one that is 1 year newer, it was to good of a deal to pass up. She is a beautiful Pearl color. Thats about it in a nutshell!

July 14, 2009

Sorry I have been out of touch since before the 4th of July. I have been busy since I am back to work full time plus I was down at the base 4 days last week. My sister Sharon will be flying in on Friday so we have been trying to get the house in order before she gets here. We pulled up all the old carpets in the house & moved Zack up to his room I finally got done painting the dresser. He was too scared to sleep in his room the first night but he slept in the last night. Marc has been painting his old room he still has one more coat to go...

I have some really good pictures from our holiday weekend but I have not made the time to upload them yet soon... I hope.

June 25, 2009

I really like this picture of Zack on the slip & slide

It has been 15 days since my last post & I have had many phone calls asking for updates so here goes: My 6th Bone Marrow Biopsy results came back at 1% Blast cells, this means I am still in remission. As long as the Blast cells are less than 5% I am considered in remission. I finished my fourth cycle of Maintenance chemotherapy, Dicitabine, last Thursday. This is the halfway point, we have 4 more maintenance cycles to go. I should finish up somewhere around October. My Dr. released me to return to work full time effective next Monday. I have been building up to this & although I am not 100% I am pretty sure I can handle it. Here are a few pictures of the Biopsy, a lot of over the shoulder shots since Marc was not able to be there with me. I can't get over how fast may hair grew it is a little over an inch long in certain areas now. If it was not or my eyeballs most people cannot tell that I am still sick anymore.



The Union re-instated me as a steward at work & I already filed a grievance for someone. I also threw together a 3 year Training & Exercise Plan for the Agency over the past 2 days so I have been jumping right back into work without to much difficulty. I am still coming home & crashing every night though. I really don't have the energy like I used to have but once the Chemo is over I hope that it will eventually come back.


This is a good picture of Zack & Marc a couple of weekends ago


this is the last picture I got of Katie before she left to go to her dads

This is a cute picture of Paige in the egg toss during Circleville's Community day

We are taking a break from riding this weekend & staying home. Friday night we are taking the kids up to the Strawberry Festival & just hanging out at home all weekend & then next weekend we are taking them camping for the whole weekend. Brandon will be going with Tiffany & her family camping in Cambridge the same weekend. After Brandon's girlfriend slept over the weekend while we were up at the lake I was not so sure we were ever going to let him do much of anything, but he is almost 18 & we have to start letting him make his on way. I am hoping her parents will keep close tabs on them.

This is a picture of Marc & I the weekend we went up to Lake Erie for Sandusky Bike Week. If you look real close you can see the senic Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in the background...

I have not seen my sister since I got sick & she is coming home the weekend of July 18th. She will be bringing my nieces with her, Copper & Sierra. It will be great to see them all. I have only seen pictures of Copper & Sierra is the same age Zack was the last time they were up here so I know her & Zack will have a lot of fun together. I will have to keep on Marc to make sure he stays on top of the pool especially with it being so hot here lately. I told Sharon we will have to go on a ride while she is up here, she used to ride a little Honda Rebel. Can you see me riding Marcus bike with the Ape Hangers...

My Aunt Lynn is also coming to town in August so I am anxious to see her & Dennis as well. I really hope that they can come down and stay for awhile. I really feel that we have gotten closer especially when I got sick. My Lynn & Aunt Debbie both have been very supportive & close to me through this. When I moved away from Lima I have been real bad about not making it home & staying connected to the family. I can't say that it is any easier now but I am not making any excuses for it. I think I did that a lot when I went from 1 child to 4.

This is Marc's mid life crisis bad hair day!!!

Zack got his 2nd annual summer mohawk yesterday, as if he does not look rotten enough already.

This is me & my buddy Bill Larue in the background, we meet up during Bike week & finally got to ride together for the first time.

I found this picture from a ride Marc & I went on down by Jimbo's earlier this year & I can't remmber if I posted it once already.


Marc was back on his camera kick tonight when the severe storms rolled in & he got picture happy with the raindrops.there were a lot more than this.

June 10, 2009

Katie made it off safe & sound to her Dad's, I talked to her this afternoon, she said she was babysitting her brother Jonah & they were having a good time. I know she was ready to get a break from the pace of our house. I sent her report card with her & she told me she has not shown it to her Dad yet, her grades are not that bad but she could have done much better if she would have applied herself a little more. She said she is starting Art classes in July so I am sure she will really enjoy that.

I took Zack for a very short motorcycle ride last night, he loved it. Brandon started Drivers Ed today & is lifting for football daily except the weekends. Paige coned me into hair dye & baking goods at the grocery store tonight. I am going to enroll her the next time the Red Cross offers their CPR/First aid course here in town so she can get a baby sitting job if one comes along this summer. She took Zack to the Park on Tuesday afternoon & they had fun, they stopped at McDonald's afterwards & had a Happy Meal.

I will be back down at the base again on Friday. Only 2 more weeks of part-time hours at ODH & then I am back to Full Time. We decided we are not going to try & go to Sturgis this year, wishful thinking but it just isn't going to happen.

As far as my condition I have really been slacking when it comes to keeping up with my lab draws. My lab order expired & I forgot to call & get an updated order. They still drew them on the expired order at Madison County Hospital but it was a pain, no pun intended. I did call the Hospital again & they said they sent it but I had them fax it again only to find out they re-faxed the expired lab order. Needless to say I am not having my lab draws done twice weekly...

So here are my Lab Updates:
Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
6 Mar---185-----1.4------80---------11.3---------120------------N/A
I had a couple of lab draws when I went in for treatment in April but I do not remember what the labs were. So like I said earlier & as you can see below, I have really been slacking...
28 May---268-----1.3-----400---------11.4---------200------------N/A
10 Jun---287-----3.5----2200---------12.5---------198------------N/A

I am sure my Dr will give me a long lecture when I go in tomorrow, I will have my 6th Bone Marrow Biopsy. My ANC counts are good so we should be a go for the Biopsy. Marc is fighting with his work for FMLA so he cannot go with me, that will be a first & I am really not happy about this plus who will take the pictures? I will have to do the Biopsy without any drugs other than a topical numbing agent, I do not want to risk driving & getting in an accident afterwards & I will be going to the James straight from work.

This week after completing 3 day's in a row of the Homeland Security Exercise & Evaluation Program course, it has deflated me. The only reason I think I survived was due to my colleague's Paul from ODH & Kristen from Sandusky County HD, thanks guys my cheeks hut from laughing!

The weeks keep going by faster & faster & it seems like each time there are many tasks that I do not get done. Marc who is normally a morning person & up at 4:30 am every morning has been not getting up until about 5:30am. To my surprise he has been hitting the snooze button several times. this is very not like him. We both seem to be really tired a lot here lately. I will blame it on the nice weather & endless list of things that always seem to be done, such is life. As soon as I get the results back from the Biopsy I will update the Blog, I hope I am just being paranoid but for some reason I have been real nervous for this appointment, we'll see.

May 26, 2009

I am very happy to report my hair is starting to come in a little bit more! I still do not feel the greatest. My allergies have been in over drive & I don't think my sinuses can take much more. My Great Uncle Noonie, Andrew Jones, passed away last Friday. Unfortunately I do not feel well enough to make it to the viewing tonight & the funeral is tomorrow. Lima is such a long drive even when I am at 100% but it seems especially long when I am not at my best. I sent flowers and our condolences I hope the family will understand.

Marc was not feeling to good most of the weekend either & by this morning he was so sick he could not go to work. It just kept getting worse, he ended up at Urgent Care by midday. They put him on a Z-pack & a few other things. He had Brandon drive them home, Brandon is already out of school for the summer. Katie still has one more exam to turn in.

The Tooth Fairy made her second visit to Zack last weekend. He came to our bedroom & told me his tooth was loose & next thing I new 1 little wiggle & he was handing me the tooth.

While fighting the allergies Marc decided to go ahead & open the pool this weekend. it was getting to the point that it was pond more than pool. Brandon said he pulled a frog out of it. After some motivation from my cousin Amber, Marc decided it was warm enough out to go ahead & start up the pool. The water on the other had was not so warm though according to the kids.

Brandon had a good time at Tiffany's on Monday he was there from 10:30am & got home about 8pm. He has grown up so fast, I told Marc he is almost all grown up. I took him to get his driving permit last week. The week before he passed the written test but his Birth Certificate had the wrong last name on it so we had to go get it fixed only to find out that his social security card cut off the last 4 letters of his 2nd middle name. It seemed like the odds were against him to get his permit but we did finally get it.



Zack was excited all week waiting to go to the Park for a few hours with Misty & he was wired for sound when she brought him back home. The weather was hot & they went out to eat twice & the Dollar store so he was in heaven. The weather was great even though we did not feel the best we took advantage of it & got out for a ride. Unfortunately the weather did not stay on our side on the way home...Maybe this explains why Marc is so sick?

May 21, 2009

2 weekends ago Marc had a little too much fun at the Benefit we went to, he wiped out on his bike... he was hot roding It in the grass (trying to recapture his youth I think LOL). These past few days been a little rough. Marc thinks I have allergies, sinus pressure, congestion, cough, runny nose can't breathe for the past 3 days but no temperature. I have been feeling awful but without a temp above 101 I get to stay outta the hospital. I have been in training at the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA) the past 3 days taking a course on Emergency Planning for Special Needs Populations so the days have been rather long. Along other things it has reminded me just how much I hate Columbus rush hour traffic. Here are a couple pictures from Paige's & her friends before the 8th Grade Dance last Friday Night. We have really been enjoying the weather. Zack loves to play outside here lately he has been very fascinated with baseball. He can hit & through pretty good. This is a cute picture of Paige & Zack Brandon & Tiffany are still going strong, she was over the other night & I believe Brandon is going to her place on Monday for a Holiday Picnic with her family. Katie has had a total image change she colored her hair blond awhile back & I really had a hard time with it, it just did not look good on her so she colored her hair a dark auburn & it actually looks pretty good on her especially with her pale skin tone. This one was in progress & this one is after, she loves it As you can see Spike may still be a pup but he is not so little anymore. I will be at the Base this Friday & Next Friday making up my June Drill weekend. I am still tolerating my work load fairly well so as a whole I can say my transition back into the workforce is going better than anticipated. My next major medical event is my 6th Bone Marrow biopsy which is scheduled tentatively for June 8th.

I am in the process of adding another video of Zack & the Kids playing Rock Band, Zack really gets into singing, I am sorry my camera does not record volume as well but for reference the song is "The memory remains" by Metallica. Once I get it uploaded in you tube I will post it on my Blog.

May 14, 2009

I know I have kept many of you in limbo waiting on the prom pictures so here they are posted below. I also finally got my Easter pictures off Marc's camera & they are below as well.

This week I have been doing good at work & have been very busy even though the situation seems to be deescalating to a certain extent. I will say that by the time I get home every night I am still really tired. I am going in tomorrow to have my labs checked I think my counts are off a bit.

I go back to the James cancer Hospital for my 6th Bone Marrow Biopsy on the 8th of June or sometime during that week. After next week I will be back to work 4 days a week so I may have to schedule it differently.

I found out that my Uncle lost his job last week due to the economy. He had been working there for several years & it was very unexpected. The job market is slim everywhere right now especially in isolated areas, such as theirs. So prayer warriors please add my Uncle to your list!

Paige has the 8th grade dance Friday night. After serious discussion Marcus & I agreed to let her go. She is really excited so those pictures will be posted hopefully next week sometime, you guys know how I have been very delayed in my postings since I went back to work.

Zack has been on white every day still & is looking forward to the field day (all day fun activities at school). we had to make a color wheel at the house because all his pent up orneriness would come out when he would get home & the only thing that really works is threatening to change his color.

Katie is in her own world these days preparing to go to her fathers for a couple of months this summer. She has been a bit more moody than normal with everyone in the house. I am also a little worried about her school, she still has 5 courses (credits open) this means her exam grades are not back & she still has a few exams to turn in. She only enrolled in 7 credits this year Brandon has completed 9 & has 3 more that are open. He had to take more credits to play sports at the High School that & he is trying to graduate a year early.

The weather is getting much warmer finally but with the warm weather come the spring rains. I will ride my bike when its wet but I don't particularly like to. Marc is getting used to his ape hangers but I see him dropping his hands from time to time to get some blood back in them. I tease him about it but he says it looks cool.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!

May 10, 2009

May 9, 2009

Just a quick update Brandon & Tiffany went to prom last night we should be able to post the pictures tomorrow. Tiffany looked beautiful her dress was unbelievable she looked like a princess & Brandon was quite handsome. Today is Tim Glick's Benefit go to the Missing Link website for the details he could really use all the help he can get.

Also Kimm Sandusky ran the Flying Pig marathon at Cinci last weekend in my honor. She has been outstanding raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, getting people to donate blood 7 has gotten over 100 people to sign up as Bone Marrow Donor's through the DOD Marrow Donor Program. I am so thankful for everything she has done, she says I am her hero but really she is mine.

I will update more tomorrow & post pictures.

May 4, 2009

I finally got a picture of Marc's bike with the Ape Hangers on them.

Here are my Lab Updates:
Day----WBC----ANC--------Hgb--------PLT---- Transfusions
6 Apr----214-----2.0----1100---------11.1----------29------------N/A
9 Apr----217-----1.1-----900---------11.6----------23------------N/A
4 May---242-----2.4----1100---------11.6---------149------------N/A

I went to the James Cancer Hospital this morning to start my third cycle of the maintenance chemotherapy. I figured I would go in early and get it over with and then go into work afterwards. BIG MISTAKE if it could go wrong this morning it did.

Traffic was terribly backed up by campus. My weight was ugh… I don't even want to say. The lab put my IV line in at my wrist even though I asked them not to because I would have to type & I would be moving it a lot. Once she got the line in it was extremely sluggish with the blood return so they kept moving the catheter around & digging it in, it was rather painful.

I had to wait 2 hours to get a room so they could administer the Dictebine only to find out they were debating on giving it to me. You see my ANC Counts have not been cooperating. Finally Dr. walker said I could get it but they are only going to administer it 4 days instead of 5. That does not break my heart any especially with Brandon having prom this Friday night.

I ended up getting to work at 12. Which I suppose is not to bad but I wanted to get in earlier. I stayed until 4:30. It has been a long day & I am tired. Needless to say I will be scheduling all other treatments in the late afternoon & take of work early it will be easier to work around.

I did find out today that I may have another infection but it is not serous. I have been having quite a bit of abdominal pain & trouble going to the restroom so we will have to see the results show if anything, they should be back in a day or two. It’s a wonder I haven't had an infection sooner with all the medications I am on.

We found out this past weekend that I am photosensitive. My face looked like a lobster Saturday night & although I did get out on my bike a little bit Saturday afternoon (& it felt great by the way) I was not out in the sun hardly at all. The redness does not last too terribly long but it is painful. This morning my face looks flush & the skin on my arms is flaky dry go figure.

To all my fellow motor cycle riders there is a big benefit this weekend for one of my Missing Link brother's Tim Glick (Shooter) if you don't have any plans it is going to be a great time http://www.missinglinkmc.net/National.html

Marc put the first coats of red on Zack's wall on Sunday; he got a little spooked because on the wall it said "Get Out" through the paint. I think one of the girls did it in hair spray it has an aerosol look to it. He said if it comes through the paint on the second coat were moving, LOL he is a mess.

The rest is all from my last post but some good resources:
It is a good practice no matter what is going on in the world (all hazards) flood, ice storms, tornados, pan flu etc. to have an emergency kit at your home. Go to http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html for information on making a Family Emergency Plan.

Go to http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/index.htm for current H1N1 Flu information

Go to http://www.ohiopandemicflu.gov/ for additional information.

April 30, 2009

With current events things have been very busy at work & I have been very tired each night when I get home so here is an update.

Last post if you remember Brandon had an ear infection, well this week... I took Katie to the Dr. last night she was not feeling well (temp over 100, threw up twice, sore throat & coughing). She was freaking out thinking she had the Swine Flu (she has been watching too much TV)after reassuring her she was over reacting her Dr. swabbed her & the culture came back positive for strep. She started her antibiotics late last night. For now she is pretty much room bound, she ate dinner tonight but she still is not feeling very good.

I noticed last night my throat was hurting a little & still is today but I am not having any other signs or symptoms so I am keeping my fingers crossed I don't catch Katie's strep.

I am going to the base tomorrow & then Monday morning I start my 3rd Maintenance Chemotherapy Cycle at the James Cancer Center. Instead of working 3 full days at ODH next week I will be working 4 condensed days to accommodate my treatments.I am so grateful they are working with me on this.

Brandon & Tiffany will be going to the Prom next Friday night. Tiffany sent me a picture in her dress she looks beautiful, I was not allowed to show Brandon it is a surprise, I can't wait to see them together, his tux is pretty sharp!

Zack got a green day on Tuesday, one step down from white so it really wasn't bad but it surprised me a little. We have noticed he has been testing his boundaries with us here at home lately & we have been correcting him quite a bit more than usual. It is probably just a phase but we want to nip it in the bud in case it is not.

Paige doesn't have any updates other than she wore purple to pick her seat today...She is playing Guitar Hero.

I tried to call my cousin Amber yesterday to see what was going on with my Aunt Debe but the number I have for her now belongs to some one else, so I will call Debe this weekend for an update.

Marc had been busy "ensuring we (the family) are prepared". We have been very proactive & are keeping a close eye on the news. It is a good practice no matter what is going on in the world (all hazards) flood, ice storms, tornado's, pan flu etc. to have an emergency kit at your home. Go to http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/index.html for information on making a Family Emergency Plan.

I am going to end this one with remember to wash your hands frequently, cover your cough & no hugs or handshakes for now. The planner in me says as always plan for the worst & hope for the best because it is better to be proactive versus reactive. Go to http://cdc.gov/h1n1flu/index.htm for current H1N1 Flu information

Go to http://www.ohiopandemicflu.gov/ for additional information.

April 22, 2009

There is a bone marrow drive on Monday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The James Cancer Hospital, 300 W. 10th Ave., room 518A. Potential donors need to be between the ages of 18 and 60 years old and in good health. Donor registration takes 15-20 minutes and participants will be asked to fill out a health questionnaire, sign a consent form and give a cheek-cell swab. There are no fees associated with becoming a donor on this day.

I found out at work Tuesday afternoon from a collage that her two-year-old grandson in Dayton Ohio was just diagnosed with AML-M5 in March of this year & he is going to need a Bone Marrow Transplant very soon. Please help save the lives of 35,000 children and adults who develop life-threatening disease each year.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I updated, were do I start… I still do not have the pictures from coloring eggs & before Easter. They are on Marc’s camera & I don’t know where the attachment is for the computer. Brandon took some good pictures while he was in New Jersey over Spring Break with his Uncle Eric, Aunt Lindsay & his cousins Loudon & Esme.

This is Brandon Balboa:
I do not have a picture of Katie yet with her new hair do… personally I don’t like the blond highlights at all but she loves them, it is a drastic change with the bob haircut. She looks good with the bob but she always pulls her hair back instead of wearing it down & scrunching her curls, she has beautiful curly hair & of course she hates it…

Paige got highlights as well but they blend in real well with her hair.

Zack of course looks rotten as heck.

The day Brandon came home he went to Tiffany’s, they are pretty attached. He gets a little cranky if they go to long without seeing each other. She came over for his 17th Birthday & got him a picture of them together & a Tap-Out T-shirt, it was sweet & he loved it. She was over last weekend as well. She brought the back piece to her prom dress so he could match up his tux & her corsage. He is really getting into taking her to prom. They are going to her prom in Grove City, it sounds like they are going with a group of her friends out to dinner & they have a limo. It’s a good thing he saved up his money from working last summer because he is dropping a small fortune on this. He was really surprised from the sticker shop when he went to get fitted & picked out the flowers. I think he is finally starting to grasp the concept of money & that it does not go very far. Prom is May 8th so we will have those pictures to post in a few weeks.

I have been working for 1 month now & I think I have tolerated it very well so I will be going to 3 days a week for a month & if all goes week we will move up to 4 days a week then back to full time so keep your fingers crossed!

I went to my Dr. today for a check up. She was not to happy with how low my levels dropped last month so she is keeping a close eye on those. She also wanted to put me back on the hormone pills & my neupagen shots. I am against both. I have put on quite a bit of weight from the steroids & the hormone pills & it has really been bothering me even though in comparison my weight is the least of my worries. The neupagen is rather pricey & it makes my bones & joints hurt like hell after using it continuously. She called the lab & had them run some tests on my thyroid & if I am still having trouble breathing during physical activity she is going to have a pulmonary function test & another look at my heart. She is hoping that I am just reconditioned however there have been cases where the Dicitabine (sp) has resulted in cardiac & pulmonary compromise…well see. I am scheduled to start my 3rd cycle on May 4th. It was a logistical nightmare trying to get it scheduled around work, the absolute latest I can come in is at 2pm & the earliest is 8am. I am going to have to do some fancy flexing off if my boss will let me. Luckily I only have to worry about 3 of the days this cycle but I should be back to full time when I start the 5th cycle & it will be even tougher… My work has been great working with me so I am sure we can figure something out. I also had to give her Marc’s FMLA paperwork, I guess DR&C requires it once a quarter, she has had to fill out 4 of these since September last year & has to be sick of them by now. Marc couldn’t go with me today because he had training at work. It was the first appointment that he missed & she definitely noticed. It was rather comical actually, Marc is so blunt with everybody & he is my Dr.s snitch when I don’t give all the details, he keeps me honest up there.

What else is happening…we finally got rid of the suburban, YEAH! I hated to see it go but not the payment. At one point Marc & I thought we were going to have to let it go back to the bank we had so much negative equity in it after gas prices soared last year but thanks to current rebates & dealer incentives we were able to trade it in on a much smaller but more affordable car payment without taking to much of a loss. Now when we ALL want to go somewhere it will require to cars but with Brandon being 17 & hopefully driving soon…if he ever takes the test he still does not have his temps & has not expressed any intrest in going up to take the test.I guess he has more important things to do... Either way there should not be to many times we all have to go to the same place at once.

Marc is happy that he finally got his motorcycle running. It is something to see, as Brandon says to his Dad in an oriental voice “You tough biker, real hardcore”. I will get a picture in the near future & post it. I am so tired of the rain but I hear we may get a nice break over the weekend it is supposed to get up into the 80’s – wow a heat wave! I am sure we will get out & ride.

I talked to my Aunt Debe for quite a while last night. I am very worried about her, she saw a Dermatologist who referred her to a Rheumatologist, she was going in for additional blood work this afternoon & should have the results next week. It sounds like they are trying to rule out rheumatic diseases. For all of you out there that are praying for me if you would please add a prayer on for my Aunt Debe she could really use it right now.

As a whole life in the Vest household is pretty calm these days but never dull. Zack is working with Katie on his Litter Critter project & has still been having white days at school everyday since the beginning of the year, Brandon’s still in a trance over Tiffany he had over 17,000 text messages last month thank god for unlimited texting, Paige is mellowing out, she likes playing her my SIMs Kingdom game Brandon got, Katie is starting to focus on her looks a little more, she had a poof/bump style today that looked really good but she feels that it makes her face look boxy…They all had dental checkups & cleanings last week, needless to say Zack & I got very good reports from the dentist the other three not so much. Brandon’s was the worst followed closely by Paige & Katie came in third. All three need fillings Brandon & Paige are scheduled for the first week in May. Katie will be leaving for her Dads on June 6th, Lance sent me her itinerary. As much as I will miss her she really does need to go down there & spend some time with them. It has been awhile since she has been able to see them for an extended period of time & it will be good for her.

I am pretty much rambling now & this is pretty long post but it was long overdue. So I will post again…soon!