Gabbi and Our Christmas Tree

I took this with Camera ZOOM FX for Android. Check it out!! http://bit.ly/qH3Ahd

Petition for a Cure

Please sign this petition for a vaccine that could be a potential cure for NH Lymphoma. Thanks!

Change.org|Online Petition Form

Gabbi is Five

Gabriella is now 5 years old. As of November 17th. She had a great birthday. I took her roller skating with family and friends. She wasn't so great at it, but she's learning! I've been working now for almost 9 months. Tine flies and no one realizes what I've been through unless I tell them. You wouldn't know it if you saw me.
I had my official 5 year checkup and I'm still cancer free. I feel great!
Here are some pictures of Gabbi's birthday! And one of her and her kitty Villain cause it's cute!

5 Years Cancer Free

I have now been in remission for 5 years. In the world of cancer that usually means cured. I feel like it. I am so much better. Gabbi is doing great. How is that for a happy ending? My life is still moving forward. I have made changes in my life that I might discuss some day but for now, I will just say that I'm doing well and so are my girls.

I love being a nurse and have been at my job now for about 8 months. Time flies! I wonder how everyone out there is doing in the blogger world? I do get busy but I would like to start trying to fit in at least a small post here and there. I love my comments so please feel free to comment :)

Gabbi went to a friend's house to play recently and well, the two got into a little trouble with a bucket of paint. Perhaps she wanted to be a smurf??? Uh oh. :(

Life Changes and Positive Thinking

I am going through some major things in my life right now. I have already dealt with a lot yes, but I am also going through some changes that are pretty much right up there with the hardest I have dealt with. I am reminded to think of the positive things in my life by a good friend. I have had a lot of heartache, and sadness but maybe I focus on that too much. I guess it's understandable to a point. I have had a lot of trials. That's not all my life is though. I beat cancer which IS positive and HUGE. I am proud of that. I went back to school and got a bachelor's degree. That's also a big thing. I'm an RN which is a huge dream come true. I have a great sister who is my best friend and has stood by me through thick and thin, even if it wasn't always easy.

My life isn't a sad story but it's a story of me overcoming the hard things life tries to throw at me and consistently overcoming them, one at a time. I lost my dad, it's a sad thing, but I remember him and I'm happy. I know he would want it that way. I have a big family which is at times difficult to handle because rumors and lies spread like wildfire. On that same note? I am proud of having a huge family. I'm proud that my grandfather was a preacher and now my uncle is. Ok there are a lot of them but they preached and currently preach at the church I attended. I was once a Sunday school teacher, a lifeguard, a writer for a newspaper and more! I love working with people and helping them. I have focused too hard on the negatives for entirely too long. It's time to focus on the happy things in my life and move forward. I'm still currently struggling with that because of current issues in my life but I am promising myself today I will be making changes for the better, starting today.

Fixed! Blog Back in Action

First of all, who hacks a blog about being pregnant with cancer?? Who out there thinks their page is more important than helping someone who gets a diagnosis of cancer in pregnancy? Not sure but you know it really irritates me! I messed with html forever. I tried so hard and then along came a reader who commented with the solution. A piece of code was in a "recent comments" widget. I removed the widget and magic! It's back. I am sooo glad. I have missed my blog and my readers. Stay tuned! I'm making wacky cake tonight.

HACKED!

I'm trying to fix it. My blog has been hacked. :(

Karmin and Rolling Stone

I have really loved a new artist named Karmin since she came onto the scene. The girl did a lot of cover videos for youtube when she was discovered. She has some hits out there now, but is still working her way up to get noticed. I consider myself a long time fan simply because I was watching her youtube videos before she ever made her big break. So now I'd like to help her out a bit. She needs votes to make it on the cover of Rolling Stone! So I am going to post this here.  Vote for Karmin, once a day. If she ends up on the cover it will be so cool. She's a wonderful singer. I find I like her renditions of certain songs MORE than the originals. She has a really cool, different style.

Here's Karmin. Listen, and vote. :) Thanks!

Six Flags and Sasha's Tumor

Well we took the kids to Six Flags this past week. We bought summer passes so spent two full days there. It was HOT. But we drank a lot and got shade as often as possible. It ended up being a great time. Gabbi rode rides and I even got on a lot of roller coasters with the girls.

As for Sasha, she is my dog. Some may or may not remember my Husky. She has had a knot on her stomach the size of a golf ball for awhile. We aren't sure it's a tumor but we are sure it's grown. It feels like a tennis ball now. She has arthritis. She's about 11 years old now. But I am definitely not ready for my dog to be sick! She is healthy otherwise. Well we had her stay at the kennel during our trip. We picked her up and she literally has a large hold on the spot where the *tumor* is. My husband rushed her back to the vet. We assume she's been scratching at it. We are NOT sure how the kennel did not see this. This is at the vet's office. They had groomed her! But somehow they did not notice a hole in her stomach. She is on antibiotics now. Surgery is a possibility to figure out what is going on.

Prayers for my dog are appreciated!!!

In Memory

This weekend has been a hard one. We have lost a dear friend. I have spoken of my brother in law's band frequently in the past. The band name is Short Lived Fun. My brother in law is the drummer. One of the band members passed away suddenly yesterday...leaving behind a wife and children. My friend Corey and his wife Wendy are absolutely amazing people. She is a nurse. They are giving, loving people. It's sad and honestly right now I am just in shock. Please send prayers to his family. His loss is felt deeply by anyone who ever met him because he was just that kind of guy. We love you Corey! You are missed. I can't even begin to imagine never seeing you again.

Still Not a Fan

I really am not digging this new Blogger look. It makes me less likely to post. I don't know. I guess I'll get used to it, but at this point it just looks and feels wrong. I have had a good weekend. I got to relax yesterday and spend time with family. Last night I got to go out with the hubby to one of our favorite restaurants. Unfortunately it was the first bad experience we have ever had!


The first thing that tipped me off that our waiter was new was when he asked how I want my pork-chops done. Uuuuh.....Then I asked to get soup instead of a salad. Well we waited and waited and finally we just got our food. My husband hadn't gotten his salad at all. My pork-chop had the soup with it on the plate. My husband was like "Where is my salad?" The waiter said "oh!" Then he went and got my husband's now warm salad. I then asked why I didn't have a side with my pork-chop and why my soup was on my plate and didn't come earlier? Then he said "you said you wanted soup?" I said "instead of a salad....which is before the meal??? Not to replace the side dish?" I didn't say it like that and I was really really nice...but frustrated. So he brought me a bowel of broccoli....and that was that. We waited forever for our check too. Then he came up to us and told us how he moved here to take care of his ailing grandma. Hmmmmmm Tip hunter? I don't know. We still tipped him but the service was AWFUL!!! I am not naming the restaurant because I love this place and this is the only time that's ever happened.


And just a side note, I woke up today to a spider crawling on me. Not cool!

Delilah Show anyone?

Did anyone catch the show recently? My story was on it. I had heard about it and never got to hear it. I contacted the show and guess what? They sent my segment!!! So enjoy yourself, have a listen and let me know what you think. I love Delilah!!!!


I can't hear the sound on my computer so let me know if you can hear it!

Time Off

I am really enjoying two days off with Gabbi. Yesterday we went shopping. We had a great time. She loves shopping with mom. I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that I tend to buy her a little something? Ya think? haha

Did I ever tell you that I was on the Delilah show? Well, my story was. I was at work and never had the pleasure of hearing it. I never even knew it was going to be aired! I was at work and my work phone rang. It was the floor below me at the hospital. There is a little radio at the desk and they heard it. It was so cool. I was really happy that my story is spreading more and more. I still get emails from women who have received this dreadful diagnosis. I think my story and Gabbi and my own health will continue to inspire for a long time. I sure hope so!

New Blogger?

Yeah I know I've been gone a little while. I have been working third shift. I find myself wanting to get out and DO something on my days off! If I don't, if doesn't feel like I have any time off at all. I love my job though it's very stressful. I never know from day to day what to expect at work. It is not uncommon for patients to complain of chest pain or shortness of breath. It seems to happen to me often really! I am getting to the point where I am not freaking out now though. I find there are simple answers usually before you get to the panic mode.

It's nurses appreciation week so please tell a nurse you appreciate them and what they've done for you! It's no easy task. I love my patients and care very much for them. I work 12 hour shifts and even though it's at night I tend to really get to know them and it's hard to walk away from it sometimes. I had dreams of my patients all night last night!

On a different note, the family is doing well. Gabbi is such a big girl now. She's 4 going on 15. lol She is enjoying school (daycare). I love spending my days off with her though. She's still my little cuddle bug. She is starting to understand her story a little bit. I told her we beat cancer together.She will never be under the assumption that just mommy is a cancer survivor because she is every bit as much a survivor. The cancer was not in her body but she was in mine!

Happy Nurses Appreciation Week!!!!

Officially Every 6 Months!

I saw my Oncologist on Friday. Everything is going good. I am healthy. Not only that, but the doctor has started showing me his laptop with my lab results on it now so that I can read them myself. I love that! He has always been very supportive of me going back to school to be a nurse. He definitely wants me to work in Oncology. I am currently doing a more general area but I wanted to grab some experience and then apply for a job at a cancer center. This is my goal within a year or two. I want to get certified to do the chemo drugs and this will all take time. I am ready for it though. I have come this far and have no intention of stopping.


I am starting nights as of tomorrow night. Kinda nervous about it, but ready for it too. I am done with my training on days. I will be officially working nights from here on out. I do 3 twelve hour shifts per pay period which is Sunday to Saturday. If I work it right I get a lot of days off in between.

Are there any plans out there for Easter? Any family festivities or fun recipes to share? I'd love to hear bout them. Feel free to link to them. I love finding new recipes.

Sea Buckthorn Review

I was recently given the opportunity to try a product from Sibu Beauty. They have a wide selection of products on their website. They have various skin care products made from Himalayan sea buckthorn berry. The website states that these berries are good for hair, skin and nails. I was very anxious to give these products a try. I chose the Sea Buckthorn Body Cream. I am always up for a new body lotion. This body lotion was amazing. It smelled great. I was reminded of a citrus type scent. I got a lot of compliments from my family. One thing I really noticed was how soft and smooth my heels are. Honestly this is the first time in a really long time they felt so soft.


I can't think of anything I really dislike about this lotion. I want to try other products that they carry now. I was unsure about this because I do have pretty sensitive skin. This product has made my legs silky smooth. Now I just need to decide what I want to get next!! :)








I was given this product to review but the opinions stated are mine and mine alone. 

Gabbi the Princess

Gabbi really does believe she is quite the princess. She loves all the pink stuff, crowns and frilly clothes. On the same note she's quite the tomboy. That girl will burp or fart and just thinks it's the funniest thing on the planet. It's hard to not laugh while teaching her it's not nice to do that and laugh about it INTENTIONALLY. I understand those things happen but she does it on purpose and gets a kick out of it. Anyone else have a child that thinks bodily noises are just hilarious? haha Oh man. Who knew 4 years ago that's what I would talk about on my blog?

I have had 3 days of orientation on the unit now. By that I mean working on the floor as a nurse. All of those shifts were 12 hours so it feels like a lot more than 3 days. I work tomorrow for an 8 hour shift so I bet it flies by. I really feel like I have learned a ton. I have done so much in this time. I know I have a lot more to learn and it's overwhelming sometimes. I know I'm meant to be in this profession though so I pour my heart and soul into it.

I have some gift cards for a movie that I got at Christmas. I am just so unsure as to what I should watch. Any suggestions out there?

Orientation and A Review Coming Up

I started Orientation as a nurse this week. It has been a lot of long and hard days. It's not even physical work. I am listening to people teach me things for the most part and boy would I rather be on the unit doing actual work! I have been learning the hospital computer program which I already know well since I went to school there. However nurses from other schools do not know it so I have been learning it all again. There are new things of course that I am learning as a nurse that I was not doing as a student. It has been informative and I will take a l ot of this information with me on Tuesday. It will be my first day on the actual unit. I start my orientation on the floor that day. I am really excited but anxious because I will be working 12 hour shifts. I have heard horror stories about those shifts turning into 16 hours and really I do not think I can physically manage that. I just do not think I can. We'll see. I will try to manage my time well!

As for the review, let's just say I got a new product in the mail today and I am SOOO excited to try it out! As soon as I am ready to give my opinion I will be posting it. So be on the lookout for it soon.

I passed!

I'm now officially an RN. I passed the boards. I am officially RN, BSN. I'm pretty proud of my accomplishments. I've come a long way to get here. I finally decided to go back to school after already having a family. It was hard, but I did it. I then got sick and pregnant again. I took a little time off but went right back to it and this time with four kids! It hasn't been easy but yesterday the result of all my efforts came to me in the form of one simple word: PASS. :)

Photo Contest!!!

Win a teeth whitening or a grand prize of a professional teeth whitening session in NYC for busy moms who need a get-away and a beauty pick-me-up. I entered Gabbi. Please go here and vote for her picture:http://www.topdentists.com/smile/entry/243427. 


While you are there enter your picture too! Who makes you smile?? Upload the picture and then just try to earn the votes. It's a lot of fun. I never seem to get a lot of votes in these things but I'm trying so share the link, spread the word and enter the contest too! We could all use a little beauty pick-me-up right? I know I can!

Maybe Germs are Loving this Mild Winter?

There is so much sickness going around where we live right now! Central Illinois has been experiencing some wonderful temps for the end of January. I am used to Illinois winters. I am sick of the snow and was not ready for it this year. Last year we had so much of it starting in November and it kept going. We had one storm that literally left one open lane of traffic and 15 foot walls of snow on either side. I wouldn't drive in that. If a car came the other way, what then? Ha!

So this year I kept hearing it would be a bad winter again. I got grumpy and hoped everyone would be wrong. So far? They are wrong. This time of year I'm usually convincing myself it's almost February! Winter will be over soon. Maybe it will warm up a little in March? Well my thermostat read 62 yesterday. 62 in January!!! I'm used to negative temperatures in January! I mean at least in the low teens. So everyone is getting sick. I know a lady who worked at an after hours doctor's office and out of the 8 strep tests she did only one of them was negative. That is a lot of strep! My girls are no exception. Gabbi has been sick with a bad cough. We all lost our voices and have been battling a cold. Mikayla started to get better then got worse again so I figured I better take her in. She has laryngitis, bronchitis and strep throat. She's happy about no school for a few days though.

I think these warm temps are a great breeding ground for the germs usually going around this time of year anyway. Now nothing is stopping them. My throat feels a bit scratchy at the moment. Not sure if I should worry...or not. I did expect some snow this winter. We have had a bit, but not much. Certainly nothing to be concerned about. I keep wondering if the winter will go out like a lion since it came in like a lamb. That's how it works I think!

NCLEX

I have my date set to take the boards. It's coming up fast so wish me luck, send prayers, whatever it is you do! I know I can use it. This past few years I have overcome a lot. I went back to college, had cancer, had a baby, went back to college AGAIN and continued on. I went to nursing college and though at times it seemed like too much I made it and graduated with that Bachelor's degree. I am proud of all I have done and sometimes I sit back and wonder how the heck I did it.

I am relaxing tonight with family. My husband lost his grandmother this past weekend. We attended her funeral yesterday. The hubby's brothers were able to come and spend some unexpected time with us which is nice despite the circumstances. His grandma lived close to us and the my hubby's family is all in North Carolina. It has been very nice to have his brother's here. They stay up late visiting and playing cards. I take my little Gabbi and cuddle with her in bed. LOVE my cuddle time. :)

Technically Four Years

So I have always considered my date of remission the day they called and told me that I was cancer free after my PET scan. Well I discussed with my Oncologist at my last appointment that they consider remission the day of your last treatment, not including radiation. I am not sure why. This would mean my remission date is October 22nd and would make me technically four years in remission. This also means that as of this next October I will be going to my doctor every 6 months instead of every 3 for checkups. I still consider that day that I heard my doctor say there was NO cancer the day I was free from it. That was the day I knew it was gone. I'll be glad to be considered 5 years out in October and the fear of it ever coming back is minimal. I will miss seeing my doctor and nurses so often though. They are like family to me.

I still have to take NCLEX. Please send prayers my way! Things are really moving for me. Thanks for all the love and support all of these years since I began blogging!

What to Expect Prize Giveaway!!!!

Drum-roll please! The big winner of all three books in the What To Expect series is: Danielle!!! She followed me on twitter and followed what to expect as well gaining extra entries. Way to go Danielle!!!

I have an additional surprise now. I have 3 more books to give away! Each person will get one book. I will select the book to give you since more than one person might pick the same book. I will do it randomly. The winners of the 3 additional books are:

1. Leslie: You will get the What to Expect book, first in the series
2. Kristi: You will get the What to Expect the First Year book!
3. Sheryl: You will get the What to Expect the Second Year book!


Since I did not have a lot of entries this was a really great contest because I think the majority won something. Congratulations. I will be holding more contests in the future and I hope to get more entries next time. Remember to try for those extra entries. They are very easy to do by simply following me on Twitter, etc. :) I will be sending off the email addresses to the sponsor so we can get the books out and congratulations again!


Just to let everyone know I used: http://www.random.org/widgets/integers/ and gave each person or entry a number and that's how I selected the winners randomly by order of entry :)

Michael C. Hall Stands Up

Pet Peeve of the Week and My Giveaway

I really love to read news stories online. I rarely if ever watch the news on TV anymore. If I want to watch it I can watch it any time I feel like online. I love to do it and I catch up this way on current events whether they be related to an earthquake or even celebrity updates that I may admittedly get sucked into. I do however hate the way yahoo posts every news story I read on facebook. I don't think everyone needs to know what I'm reading. Do you? This is my pet peeve of the week!

Also please do not forget to enter my giveaway. Enter it for someone else if you do not need the books. These are great books. Whattoexpect.com graciously offered to sponsor this giveaway. I have a surprise. The big winner gets all 3 books, but I will be selecting an additional 3 entries to receive one of the books! So that is a total of 4 winners. I do not have many entries right now. Please scroll below to enter the giveaway. Also please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! This is super important. There are ways to earn extra entries as well. Share the link, spread the word!

For your convenience I'm giving you the link to the giveaway! It ends January 14th. -->
http://www.pregnantcancer.com/2011/12/what-to-expect-giveaway.html

Enter My Giveaway!!!

Enter the Giveaway by clicking below:

WHAT TO EXPECT GIVEAWAY!!!! THREE BOOKS!

You don't want to miss this one. Share the link. Pass it around. This is three books from WhattoExpect.com. You can enter for someone else if you don't need the books. These would be the BEST shower gift. If you can use one, you can give the other to a friend. Follow the link to see the titles included in the giveaway and enter. Extra entries available!

What To Expect Giveaway

It has been such a long time since I have done a giveaway but I think I'm ready now that I have graduated from college. I love doing these things and now I have more time again finally.


I have four daughters. Each time I was pregnant I referred to the What to Expect series. Do you remember those books? They are amazing. I read them every single day. I marked my pages and referred back to them constantly. My sister was also pregnant at the same time as me during two of my pregnancies. I would relay the information to her as well. I had the answers because of these books! haha I have to admit it has been the source of a lot of the information I already had when I started nursing school. I had an advantage in the obstetrics and pediatrics courses because of the information I got in these books.


My favorite book was What to Expect When You're Expecting. I particularly loved the comparisons to the size of the growing baby inside me. It was just so amazing and really helped me to visualize how big my baby was. The books continue to What to Expect The First Year, and What to Expect The Second Year. I also referred to The First Year book. It helped me a lot and I continue to pull information from these books. They are such a great resource.


What to Expect.com has contacted me and offered to host a giveaway on my blog! I am honored to be a part of this as I whole heartily support these books. I know if you are pregnant or if you have a young child you will love these books! For this giveaway I will be giving away the first 3 books of this series including:

One of my readers will receive:

• What to Expect When Expecting
• What to Expect the First Year
• What to Expect the Second Year

To enter this giveaway you must follow Pregnant With Cancer publicly, and leave a comment telling me which book you will enjoy the most. Please include your email. You must do this before you complete any of the extra entries! You can enter for someone else if you wish. These would make a great baby shower gift as well. You can always share one of the books with a friend. 

Extra entries – leave a comment telling me you have done each of these: 

*Followed me on Twitter -  http://twitter.com/#!/sandilynn1975 

*Followed What to Expect on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/WhatToExpect 

*Tweet about this giveaway up to once a day (leave the link in your comment)

*Post this giveaway on your blog (leave the link to your post)

This giveaway will end on January 14th, 2011. Good Luck!!