Chemo & Site Updates

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I went to my oncologist yesterday and after discussing my latest results with her I decided against chemo. Everything that came back was, for the most part, positive. So, I opted to live my life while continuing with my screenings. Hopefully these screenings along with exercise and healthful eating habits will keep my body in check.

During this visit I also had my blood drawn for various tests. Upon returning home yesterday evening I found out I was no longer anemic. To know I'll regain my energy during my continued healing process is a relief. Thanks so much for your support, well wishes and prayers. I look forward to getting back to commenting on everyone's blog very soon... without long interruptions.

As for Naquillity, I have been importing old posts from my last blog. Due to so many posts it will take some time to finish this process. Hopefully this won't clog your readers and you'll enjoy looking back through my archives. Have a great weekend~

Groundhog

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We were taking our cat to the vet yesterday morning when we saw a groundhog. He was exploring alongside the road as we drove by without pause. We would have been late for the appointment had we taken the time to stop and take a picture, sigh.

Returning home we saw another groundhog.  He was at an abandoned house not far from our home. When we first spotted him he was crawling under a building. How he escaped from beneath this building without me seeing him I will never know. Maybe there was a family of groundhogs holing up there.

Anyway, when I looked around the property I saw the pictured groundhog. Instinctively I moved from where I had perched myself  and walked across the yard, almost tiptoeing. Now in view of one another, we pause. Realizing there's not immediate threat the groundhog disappears beneath the old house.

Microsatellite Stability

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The last of my test results are in and it shows I have microsatellite stability (doctor says we wanted to see microsatellite instability). Instability would have meant my cancer was unstable and less likely to come back. Still, my cancer has only a 9% chance of returning. And, with chemo I could drop those chances down to 5%.  That said I have an appointment to meet with the oncologist Friday.  We'll discuss these results and decide whether or not chemo will be started.

Last week I went for my gynecological checkup and found out today everything looked good. There were no signs of cervical cancer. You can imagine my relief at this news.

Hope everyone is taking care of themselves. I hope to be more active online after next week if all goes well. Happy Weekend, : )

Turkey Vulture

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On my way home Tuesday I saw this turkey vulture eating on a black cat. The cat had been hit by a car several days before. When I passed the vulture it flew up into the tree. So I pulled to the side of the road, walked as closely as the vulture would allow and took its picture. Shortly after this pic was taken he/ she flew off across the field. Isn't it a beaut? 

Red Fox

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This morning was one of the few times I didn't grab my camera and take it with me. How I longed to have it in my hands to share the beautiful sunrise rising above last night's snowfall. But, not all was lost as my daughter spotted this red fox hunting in the field adjacent to our house. He would stop and look back at her every so often before his attention was drawn back to the mouseburger he was trying to catch. If you look closely you can see him carrying the mouseburger in his mouth (top pic).


I woke early this morning to read Japan was hit with an 8.9 earthquake followed by a tsunami. I want those who've endured this tragedy to know my thoughts & prayers are with them. To my friends in Hawaii... may God watch over you.

High Dynamic Range (hdr)

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My first attempt at HDR (high dynamic range). I think the photo turned out nicely but the HDR needs a serious facelift. I guess skipping some steps doesn't help the process along either, lol. Hope everyone is having a great day.