Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent as recognized by many Christians. My day started off with penance...going to 8am Mass and receiving ashes. No the Mass part wasn't the penance, it's the 8am!  I am completely a nocturnal creature and really don't do mornings before 9, but I did it!!! Often times I "give up" something but sometimes my Lenten focus is on "doing" something extra. This year I am going the "giving up" route and I am trying to "offer up" any stresses or roadblocks as penance. This was something taught to be by my mom and my aunt. Jesus suffered tremendously for our sins and I know that my trials and tribulations are really nothing compared to that. It just makes sense to put them in God's hands and to suffer through them as a form of thanking Him for His suffering.

What does all this have to do with cancer, illness, or daily struggles? Well, my thought was that by sharing this idea maybe those of you struggling with anything in your day to day journey may want to give it a try. We all have different ways of dealing with stress. It's my hope that by sharing this simple idea maybe someone else may find it helpful. Sending prayerful thoughts to all who may be troubled today!

January 30, 2014

Winter blahs, cabin fever, seasonal depression, simply stir crazy? Does that sound familiar to anyone?  As far as I know the only one that I have experienced so far is the stir crazy.  Actually maybe it's just the "crazy" part.  "Minnie Paws" seems to be knocking at the door. I can feel periods of anxiety over sometimes absolutely nothing, my patience has been wearing thin, and I have had some night sweats. Oh the joys. My yearly was in December so the menopause discussion ensued. Of course with a history of breast cancer hormone therapy is not an option. It was a relief that my NP had some ideas to share. At least I have options.

Of course every day stress can be a huge factor and to say that our family has experienced stress would be an understatement. The fresh start to a new year hasn't panned out so well. Another friend from church has been diagnosed with breast cancer, her second occurrence as she has had thyroid. Yet another is awaiting testing in hopes her lump is a cyst, another has colon cancer and another continues on chemo for a recurrence. The new puppy has been sick and needed lots of extra attention. Kinsey had second thoughts on the whole engagement thing and I totaled my Suburban on black ice. The shooting at Purdue was quite frightening as Brad is on campus all the time for work. We know so many who attend and work there and they all were on my mind. And what about the crazy weather and of course the impending issues with the propane shortage?

I came home the other night and Brad was on the phone. Apparently I  looked pathetic because he grabbed me, gave me a big hug, and whispered "You look stressed." Good read dear, good read!  Feeling completely overwhelmed I solicited prayers from friends, and they could be felt immediately. Being a firm believer that God helps those who help themselves I tried to do my part. Our Jacuzzi tub is amazing therapy! Beyond that an evening glass of wine, some scrapping, painting toe nails with Kinsey, and cranking up some good tunes to drown out any stressful thoughts. Ahh, free therapy at it's best!

Needless to say February can't come soon enough, and after that Spring Break in March. Hallelujah!

Since I mentioned toe nails this seemed a fitting way to sign off. Now that is priceless free therapy!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Merry Christmas everyone!  I'm sure many are still celebrating with Christmas falling mid-week this year. At our home we celebrate through New Years and leave our decorations up for the full 12 days of Christmas that ends on the Epiphany. Love every minute of this blessed time of year!!!

I just wanted to take a moment to share a few holiday pics that were part of our special memories at the Deno home.

                                           Loved the early snow on our nativity.

"Brown paper packages tied up with strings. These are a few of my favorite things!"

                                                                     
                                                           Our gang!

                               
                                                24 years on December 30th

My sister had to "rig" our name drawing because she already had a gift for me...this awesome breast cancer purse!  The ornament was a little surprise from a dear friend and the necklace is from Kinsey. Love, love, love!

May you and yours continue to have safe and happy holiday celebrations and travels. Wishing the best to our troops currently serving, and praying for those who find the holidays a difficult lonely time. 

Blessing to you and your familys the remainder of 2013!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Good Grief Charlie Brown it's almost Christmas! Like all of you we've been busy celebrating Thanksgiving and prepping for Christmas. Working hard here to stay positive and trying to enjoy the things I take for granted. Seems there is always sad news but it always ramps up around the holidays.

Our neighbors lost their barn and 9 horses in a tragic fire this week. We have one family member that struggles every holiday affecting all those around. A friend who has been fighting cancer several years was just told it has spread again, this time to a major organ. And lastly a young gal at church, just 38 with a husband and three young children, has invasive breast cancer. Stress is everywhere!

Survivor's guilt. Very real, very tough. I have certainly been experiencing that these last several weeks. Father led the entire congregation in prayer for our member with breast cancer and I had to fight back the tears. So worried for her and her family yet so thankful once again for my health. Sometimes it's tough to know if I should reach out. So glad I did as our Christmas card from their family reflected appreciation for our conversations. Glad that sharing my experiences can help bring hope and peace to another. Really praying for these two ladies whose holidays are filled with doctor appointments and treatments!

Fortunately we ended our week on a much brighter note. Kinsey got home Tuesday night for her Christmas break. On Wednesday morning her boyfriend knelt at her bedside wearing a Carhart jacket. Inside was a puppy wearing a collar with a very special present! We now officially have a daughter who is engaged, a son-in-law to be, and a grandpuppy "Bruce"!!! Kinsey, Kybren, Kybren's mom and I celebrated with a brunch here. (Yes Kybren asked our permission so we had a head's up). From there he took Kinsey to get her nails done and then they ran the circuit to show grandparents and Godparents. Tonight we are invited to the Fosters for dinner and more celebration. Exciting times ahead!

Yesterday Brody learned he was accepted to Purdue University!  Boiler Up!!! It is right out our back door and actually was Brody's third choice. Now he has a huge decision to make-University of Indianapolis, IUPUI, or Purdue???  That's a great problem to have!  We are so proud of him and his dedication to homework, work, and sports. Pretty sure I could not handle the schedule he sets for himself.

As I type we are under a winter storm warning and I LOVE IT!  Big fan of snow but especially at Christmas time. It seems to add magic to the air and really kicks me into high gear for the holiday season. It is my hope that this beautiful marshmallow world brings joy and happiness to those facing difficult journeys, those who are alone, and those less fortunate in any way. Stay safe all and enjoy this winter wonderland!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Last week was a 6 month oncology follow up. This time I saw Becky the NP (Nurse Practitioner). She did a very thorough breast exam and found no issues.We covered lots of bases but I did mention that my memory has been lousy since the last two surgeries. I attribute most of it to four major surgeries in 12 months and the fact that I didn't wake up well with the longest one. Of course there is also the factor of my age, almost 47. As we know dear old "Minnie Paws" is starting to show signs she is knocking at the door. UGH As I already knew Becky verified that surgery can have the effect on people and she herself has experienced it. Otherwise I got a clean bill of health and will be back in six months.

I've been anxious to speak with Becky about my idea of an informational handout for women with breast cancer. Apparently chemo patients receive a folder full of resources but those who do not require chemo do not get the information. She immediately acknowledged that we all hear the same thing, "You have cancer" and therefore all experience many of the same thoughts and fears.  Becky was very open to my idea of providing at least a flier to women who undergo lumpectomy, radiation, and even mastectomy but don't require chemo. I simply need to provide her with a list of reading material etc. that I found very helpful and she has agreed to make it available.  I'm thrilled! Now I need to get to work! If any of you have resources or reading references/websites you care to share please contact me and I would be happy to try to include those in the info I present.

On Monday at our regularly scheduled support group meeting our leader and founder Teresa outdid herself! She had F. Elaine Olsen, author of the book we have been reading together, Beyond Cancer's Scars lined up to Skype with us! Remember me focusing one post on "somethings'?  That was Elaine and her creative writing! She spoke with us for nearly an hour about her journey as well as how she has been able to relate it to scripture. Since you couldn't all join us I will share some of her insight. Elaine said that for many "cancer is a classroom and we are it's students. Survivorship has less to do with defeating the disease but more with defeating the silence about it." I couldn't agree more.  She says it's "less about beating cancer and more about beating silence. God intends for us to share our story." She feels our stories evolve into a type of "kinship".  So well said Elaine!

It was fascinating how she spoke of "destruction and reconstruction".  Hmmm, our breasts are destroyed and many are reconstructed.  We can relate this to the Bible in many ways, but my first thought reflected back on the many plagues.  I have often referred to cancer as a modern day plaque. Cancer can be so destructive to our bodies, our emotions, and even our daily lives but we can assist in "reconstruction" by giving of ourselves and "reaching out to others who need encouragement." Elaine had so many wonderful points to share I think we could have sat and listened to her all night. She will be sending us another book she has authored and I can't wait to read it.

In closing I will leave you on this stormy Halloween night with this...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

You can't miss it because it's advertised everywhere-October is breast cancer awareness month. I absolutely love that businesses and organizations are helping raise awareness about breast cancer and are also raising money to help with prevention and cure. Statistically it affects one in eight which is huge when you think about it. All the hype and publicity, the openly shared struggles of fighters and survivors, they are all very empowering. I must say they are also a source of encouragement to me to be so open about my journey. It's no longer taboo to talk about boobs in public. Who would have thought that??? haha

That being said, I completely understand that for folks with other cancers all the pink may feel like a negative.  I will never forget the lunch I had last October with a friend diagnosed with melanoma. Deb was a guest writer here and she spoke at Relay for Life. She said sometimes she wonders "Where is my melanoma day?" That statement really hit home to me, especially as we sat in Panera and the restaurant was all decked out in pink. Pretty sure I have shared her thought before, but it seemed only fitting as I sit here and type in my pink shirt touting "Power in Pink" that I post something this month that isn't just all about breast cancer. All cancers are evil and anyone who hears the words "You have cancer" experiences a gamut of feelings that can be very overwhelming. We can buy shirts that represent other cancers, we can even have them made, but there is just something about strength in numbers. Those things will never have the same effect as pink plastered everywhere from newspapers, to football fields to cakes in a display window. 

In an effort to help educate and raise awareness about other cancers and diseases I hope to find more guest writers for my blog. Our stories are different but we have a common bond. Great strength can be gained from sharing and it can also be incredibly therapeutic. If you would like to be a guest here please feel free to contact me through my blog or my email at kbdeno@sbcglobal.net. Together we can make a difference!

Below is a link for cancer awareness months and ribbon colors:

http://www.choosehope.com/calendar-of-cancer-awareness-months

http://www.artedesigns.com/awareness_color.htm

Of course I will continue with my passion for pink but in the meantime may this rainbow of color represent all who are facing any kind of struggle.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Remember my friend Cameron Von St. James and his wife Heather who won her fight against mesothelioma? Well Heather has been working very hard on a campaign to raise awareness. September 26th is Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Please click on the link below to learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma.

Thank you Cameron and Heather for sharing your link. And might I add...Heather you look amazing!!!!

www.mesothelioma.com/heather/awareness