Today is Monday, December 9th, 2013

Very busy weekend so let's catch up...  I saw T on Sat. for an afternoon visit.. walked and talked and wished I could have curled up beside him...

T 12/7/13

Look at that hair

So T is faring well and flirting with all those wonderful nurses... During my visit Casey related that she'd walked in on T several days ago when he'd been freed from all IV's for a little while and T had Santana's 'Smooth' playing as he danced around his room.... our song... can't wait to dance with him again... soon

So the news:  once a week chemo infusion for a 3 week cycle starting last Tues.   Not sure how many cycles and whether T will come home at all in between.  argh...  

Naughty boy

The coast has been absolutely alive with marine life... anchovies ever present so, yesterday, Sunday, Riley & my walk on the beach was amazing... I could hear the seals from the trail... looked like Hitchcock's "the Birds" and the dolphins were frolicking amongst the otters and seals...  Home to put in a couple more work related hours and then, off to the Whitnicks for the Niner game!!  Good news: They showed up and beat those rascal SeaHawks and what a game!!!  Riley loved being in a different house and being fed tri-tip and assorted cheeses and crackers...  I was glad to be surrounded by family...  FaceTime w/ T was sooo fun as we all watched the game...

I'm off to show property... keep sending white light to surround our T and Carpe diem!!!

Today is Friday, December 6th

The good news is T is doing well... his spirits are up and I'm loving FaceTiming him!  He looks great and I can't wait to see him...

I had a great day yesterday!  Lots of work related stuff- previewing property, preliminary study for a potential listing and great news that David's offer was accepted for a San Jose home.  I'm very glad for him!!!  Today I had a listing apt. and am very excited about the opportunity.

and then, there was a very strange call from a 'care nurse' wanting to speak to T.  After explaining that he was in the hospital and I could speak for us; she proceeded to try and get an apt. to 'help' us through this difficult period.  I kept asking what she could do for us and finally she said she could explain stuff to me.  I said that wasn't necessary and that I didn't have a problem questioning anything  (she certainly doesn't know me) I didn't understand and basically questioning everything.  Well, she ended up calling T and asking to meet with us.  Since I hadn't had a chance to speak with T prior to her call; he consented and asked her to call me to set it up.  Once again without speaking to T first; I went ahead and scheduled it for mid-week.  I've had a bad feeling about it all day, then, I finally spoke with T.   We agreed.  We don't need Blue Shield to get in the middle.  I'll be canceling that meeting directly.

So, with the love and support of our family and friends we'll make it through this and live to fight another day....

 May Father Mandela rest with the Angels as he so deserves...

Carpe diem!!!

Today is Wednesday, December 4th

Aching heart... twenty four years ago today Daddy passed away... awoke this morning feeling very sad and stomach sick... so I decided to give myself a day off... been meaning to just vege and it hasn't happened.  So today, I tackled my Quicken issues and with the help of Kirk Reid, phenomenal tech support!  I was able to get back into it and take care of finances.  Phew!

Tracy had a very bad night BUT the good news is he was going to go to the holiday ballet in the Stanford Atrium today and his paperwork has gone to Penn.  OMG!  Tears of joy!  I'm taking deep breaths and I hope you'll all send good intentions to Penn too and surround our boy with white light.

So, Daddy was ill and in hospice for about a week when he passed away.  His body had just given up.  He had been ill for a very long time.  I had moved back to the east coast, DC to be closer to my elderly folks (a 6 hr. drive up 95 in my BMW, a puddle jumper to New Haven or a relaxing train ride)  I was HR for the Apple Federal Systems Group & Govt. Affairs.  I felt very torn and unable to grieve ... death is complicated .. I was almost relieved because his caregiver, my Mom, was failing under his pressing needs.  How do you deal with that?  I tried to get back to work in a week... that's what corp. America deems plausible and several years later it hit me like a ton of bricks.  My advice:  take the time to grieve...   So, like a lot of folks, Dad & Mom had waited for WW2 to end to marry.  They were older when they had we 3 kids so, just when I was mature enough to have a relationship... they were gone.

Now, I'm almost jealous of my peers who still have their parents in their lives... but I was lucky to have them for as long as I did.  Rest in peace...Daddy.

Carpe diem

Today is Tuesday, December 3rd

Timing is everything!  I keep repeating that mantra and it keeps on ringing true...

I'll admit it... I had a melt down last night.   I was pissed at myself for wasting time over the last year arguing or just not talking to my T.  What a stupid idiot to not have seized each and every day!!!
My partner in life was at the heart of it all... I finally slipped into dream land, realizing that today would be a new day.... isn't it amazing how that works?  we get the opportunity to start fresh every single day!  Carpe diem!!!

Frustrated that my dryer chose yesterday to cease heating...one more thing to deal with... after Adolpho did everything he could to clean the hoses... I put out the call to my network for an appliance repair man.  This morning before we left for the beach, I called C&N Appliance Repair.  Ken reassured me that he knew my Maytag Neptune inside & out and he really did!!!  He even had the part in his truck and in about 20 min. my dryer was back!!!  He's the best!!!

So, Riley & I set out for a walk to the beach this morning and he was soooo excited!  We walked and I felt the salt air renewing me. Afterwards as I was rinsing our boy off, I noticed his skin was irritated around his stomach and groin.  Poor thing!  Immediately into our shower, amazed as he willingly entered without so much as a backward glance... he smells so good now and he's stopped constantly licking...Riley is back!

I Facetime'd T and he's starting on the Itusaman (spelling?) clinical trial today.  Treatment has begun.  He's on the road back...

Catching up with some clients and then, I'm going to slip into my slug station and just plain vege.

CARPE DIEM!!!  White light surrounding us all...

Today is Sunday, December 1st

Good News?  We could all use some!  Bad News?  I'm out of steam...  So, thank you all my friends and family for the phone calls and emails!!!  Your support and concern are phenomenal.... but please try to understand... I feel like I've run a marathon and didn't train for it and by the way,  there's no medal in sight.  I'm going to rest at home for a few days.  Take care of business and restore my energy.

Please forgive me if I don't answer your phone calls & emails right away... try to understand there's only one of me and you're all important to us,  I just need to regain my strength.  Traveling is brutal and I hit the ground running.  Wrote 2 offers yesterday and drove to Stanford... today I went back to meet with T's doctors....

We have great hopes!!!  T is in good hands even tho' Bruno is still out of the country.  We met with the team this morning and we're satisfied.  T will need to start with a new protocol very quickly.  The leukemia cells that have emerged were not extinguished with the initial protocol.  Continuing down that road would be fruitless.  There is a Stanford trial that T will hopefully, be accepted into shortly...

With our permission today, T will also be submitted for the Univ. of Pa. protocol that we read about last year in the NY Times.  One of the Drs. we spoke with has the personal experience of having referred a patient for the study who is now CURED!!!!  We want in!!!! ... the new Stanford trial has not yielded very long remissions but T needs intervention asap and it will NOT preclude T being considered for the U of Pa trial.   Of course, Stanford will probably have the same clinical trial sometime in the next year or two.  Unfortunately, that won't work for our T.

 Send white light please and all the good energy you can!!!   Upon admittance to the U of Pa study,  T will have to go to Pa. and have T cells harvested.  Not sure of all the time constraints etc.  but we're going down this road with great intention and lots of enthusiasm cause we want our T around for many years to come...

Love, luck and happiness...  you know, timing is everything!!!

Today is Friday, November 30th

what is it about this time of year?  People check out... like my Dad on Dec. 4th, 1989 and Tracy's Dad right after Christmas 1993 and then, there are the blips on the screen...  

I'm a little crazy and in love and knowing that there IS a solution.  Unfortunately, I have bad news.  Tracy's leukemia has returned.  He was admitted to Stanford last Fri. just before my trip and upon my return last evening, he told me the truth.  I'm going to see his Dr. tomorrow at 9am & I'll have more news then.  please check my blog.  it's tough to try and keep up with everyone....

I'm convinced that there is a treatment that will rid my T of this F____g disease!  I know there are several alternative ways to go.  1 is at the Univ. of Penn.- read about it last year in the NYTimes.  If T has to go to Pa. ; we'll figure it out.  There's some other program going on at Stanford also.  Tomorrow will tell... I'm exhausted.  Wrote an offer on a short sale today and then, went to Stanford to see my T and bring him some personal stuff.  My T has a deep depth of love and emotion...

I just finished writing an offer for a fabulous RDM home this evening.  Somebody's got to make the donuts as my bro said...


Keep the faith and keep the white light coming PLEASE!!!!!

Today is Friday, November 29th

Quite a respite and fabulous Thanksgiving holiday!!!  I'm now sitting in the Admirals Club at Logan Airport awaiting my flight... sipping a latte and trying to decide how I'll spend the time 'til about 11:30AM which is when I think we'll be boarding.

Yesterday was food loaded and a lot of fun.  The turduckit was fabulous!!  Holly is quite a foodie so, it was fun to partake.  My great niece loved her dress and put it on immediately

Arwin in her new dress

 When Ethan, my great nephew, opened his packages and found just clothes he bolted.  What no toys?
What a waste of time!!!

So, then there were the desserts....mmmmm!!!

So, I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday!!!

I'm on my way back home and I'll see my T tomorrow right after I've shown a San Jose home to David.

Love, luck & happiness!!!

Unwrapping our presents

My traditional cheesecake

Cheesecake & Apple Pie