Filled up

I went to a Stake Relief Society conference tonight, after our family celebration.   We ate wild caught Alaskan salmon, cooked in organic coconut oil, with a giant cancer killing salad, and carrot juice.  It made me late for the meeting, but it was beautiful to be together, celebrating this day as a family.  I got really full, something that has rarely happened in the last 6 months.  (I ate more than 2 oz. of fish this time!)

Then I went to the conference, and was filled up spiritually.  I want to work as hard to get rid of some of my weaknesses as I've worked to get rid of this cancer.

While there, we watched this very touching short video.  I think it is the best one I've seen.  I came home and watched it and cried again.  It is a touching analogy about how much our Heavenly Father loves us.  It is a reminder to be a loving parent.
Enjoy.  I'm off to bed.  Tomorrow is another weekly blood test.

Time to Celebrate!

So...here is the long awaited news!  My hcg level is in the "normal" range.  It feels a little anticlimactic, because the lab result still shows "less than 2.4" (Blogger won't let me type in the "less than" symbol without messing up the whole page.  I think it is an html code or something.) I've been waiting so long to hear "0.0", that it is hard to feel happy about "less than 2.4"  Anyway, it looks like I've been in the "normal" range for a couple of weeks now.  We could have been doing the happy dance a while ago!

I'm still waiting to hear from the oncologist, but it looks like I will do one more weekly test, and then go in every four weeks for the next year.  As long as the hcg doesn't rise, then I'll just need a yearly hcg test after that.

I am cancer free.  That feels really strange to say. 

I guess I don't feel as elated as I thought I would. I feel relieved, but I kind of feel like crying more than cheering.  I think it is because I know so many people who have cancer right now.  Last week our backyard neighbor died from pancreatic cancer.  Our family is praying for four other people right now who are battling cancer.  Sometimes I feel guilty for being the one hearing good news.  I want everyone else to be healing, and to be cancer free too!  

Cancer has been such a huge part of everything I've been doing for the past 6 months (I know that 6 months is a really short time when you're talking about cancer).  I also have lots of questions about how I am supposed to transition from my cancer diet.  I want to build on what I've learned, and to stay healthy.  It is actually really overwhelming.  Maybe I just need a while to let it sink in, and a while to transition to putting my time and energy into other things. 

But I am so grateful.  My heart feels like it will burst.  I'm so thankful for all the answers to prayers that I've received, for all the prayers by others in my behalf, for the kindness and service given to our family.  I feel like when I was trying to decide how to eat, what supplements I should take, and what foods I should avoid, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place so quickly.  Then I'd read other protocols, articles, books about cancer, and I'd realize that I had been doing so many of the right things.  It was miraculous.  I've been healed from a cancer that is described as very aggressive (although very treatable). 

 

 I'm sure happy that I am alive and that I get to be a Mom and wife to my favorite people in the world.

Bob and my older children are gone today, so our celebration dinner 

& carrot juice toast will have to wait a little bit.  

Enjoy some carrot juice or a big salad today!

Still waiting...

So, I guess this new bhcg test takes a lot longer to perform.   I still haven't heard on the result.  But, I'm pretty peaceful about it, because if I understand it correctly, there's no way my hcg could be higher with this test.  It might turn out that all of the 2.4 is from the cancer, or some of the hcg is just from my body, and the tumor titer is lower.   And, maybe, there is no hcg from the cancer.  Maybe it is already in normal range.  (Hoping!)

I'm so touched by my sister-in-law and aunt who have carrot juice and apricot juice waiting already for the "zero" celebration.  I hope I have good news soon.  (Especially if that is freshly made carrot juice...I know from sad experience that it doesn't stay fresh for more than about 24 hours!)

I'll post my result here as soon as I hear!  Now I'm off to do a "clean up crew" with my little ones before we do our classes for the day.

First day of classes!

Today is the first day of our home school group's winter semester classes.  We are so excited!  Everyone is getting ready and finishing up jobs so they can leave.

Check out iFamily's website here: http://www.ifamilyleadershipacademy.com/

Aliysa is taking Art and Economics ("No More Funny Money"), along with her concurrent enrollment class at BYU-Idaho.

Jace is taking Shakespeare and Economics

Courtney is taking Shakespeare, Art, Writing ("Say What"), and Orchestra

Spencer is taking Shakespeare, Young Writers Club, Improv, Jumproping and Orchestra

Mallory is taking Clogging, Math Alive!, Improv,  Jumproping and Orchestra

The rest of us are staying home again (sigh).  Zach, Andrew, and Abby will be doing classes about space, art, and cooking with me, along with their normal lessons in math, reading, writing, gospel study, etc...  And we'll be taking it easy and resting a lot.  I will miss being with the amazing families that are a part of this group.  By fall semester, I hope to be there with my children again!

Here's some pictures from last semester:

A New Favorite Book

I recently purchased "Large Family Logistics" on a great sale price from Vision Forum.  I highly recommend this book for all families, large or small.  It is full of practical tips to help your home run well.  It has improved so many things around here!  I had it on my wish list for a long time, but when I saw that it was only $8 (instead of $19 on Amazon), I bought it quickly.  I'm so glad that I did! (I just checked and found out that Amazon actually has the paperback copy for $13, so it isn't the greatest sale I've ever seen.  I'm still glad the "sale" price lured me in.)

Anyway, Vision Forum's "New Year's" sale ends in a couple of days.

http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/large-family-logistics-the-art-science-of-managing/default.aspx

The Canterville Ghost

After weeks of hard work and many rehearsals...

Aliysa and Jace and the rest of their advanced acting class ("ACTivate") are performing their play "The Canterville Ghost" to rave reviews.   They had three performances this week and will have 3 more next week.  It is a delightful play with amazing acting, impressive costumes, set, and top-notch direction.  

Jace plays Lord Cecil Rowland, a proper gentleman

Aliysa plays Lady Catherine Delamere, an overbearing presumptuous woman who is determined to marry her daughter, Primrose off to Lord Cecil. 

These pictures are from their dress rehearsal.  More performance pictures to come next week...

Quantitive bhcg test

When I e-mailed my oncologist to tell him that my hcg level was the same, he wrote back:

"Tasha, call the lab.  Tell them that the test is a 'quantitative tumor titer' because of the diagnosis of 'Trophoblastic Disease' and find out what their 'normal range' is for this situation."

This confused my doctor's office, and they eventually told me that it looked like we had been doing the wrong hcg test.  Of course, I was worried about how this would change my result.  I should get the result from the new test on Monday.

It looks like it wasn't so much the wrong test, as Dr. Jolles wants to do a specific test that will show what the hcg from the tumor is, if there is any.

Here is his explanation:

"Tumors produce different types of beta-hCG that may be detected.  We are just verifying that we know the date that your level normalizes because we use it to determine safe followup in the year to come.  I am thinking that it is possible that levels less than 3.2 are considered normal in their lab.  The tumor titer normally reads anything less than 1 as normal.  Let me know what it shows."

So, on Monday we'll see how much hcg is actually in my blood from the cancer.  I feel that I have been healed from cancer.  I'm just waiting for the blood test to show that.
 

Our Homes are to be Mission Training Centers

“The new MTC is the home,... The new family history center is the home. This teaching model [the new curriculum] is going to help the youth and the parents, both, in that role.”

-Elder Boyd K. Packer

Read more about how the Lord is "hastening his work"

Raw foods

I liked reading this article about  "8 Ways To Eat More Raw Foods"
I think it is a motivating article

Hmph.

My hcg level stayed exactly the same this week.  2.4,  exactly!

Soon I'm going to get to zero, and we'll take my sister-in-law Tara's suggestion of declaring a carrot juice toast on that day.  So, get your carrots and juicer ready, a juice celebration is coming soon!  If you don't have a juicer, you can make a salad!

Spudman

Spencer (Spud) has been being creative with his construction set, Construx.

I think soon everyone will be wearing a name helmet.

Smiles

 I think every home should have a two year old.  Taycie is constantly filling our lives with joy and enthusiasm.  Her smiles are the funniest lately.  I love her happiness, bear hugs, and smooches.  Even though she is constantly exploring and getting into things lately, it is so fun to watch her grow and learn.  We love you little Taycie Grace!

Mallory dressed her up and took her out in the snowy front yard for a photo shoot

Sledding

 We went sledding on a frozen lake

 Abby surprised me by being brave in the frigid temperatures

 Even Taycie was brave...

 ...for a while.  She was braver than me, though.  I was ready to leave during the walk to the hill from the van.  I have no cold tolerance lately. And it was COLD.

 Abby's ready to go too.

 So, I left with the two little girls and left Bob and these braver children. 

 One last run with Taycie.

I'm so grateful for a big strong husband who is also an amazingly sweet and fun dad. 

Christmas

Making gingerbread cookies at Grandma and Grandpa's house

During the Christmas program at the Senior Citizen Center

Well, I'm not quite a month late for Christmas pictures.  We had a wonderful, amazing Christmas.  We were able to do a Christmas program, we got to go to Utah and be lifted by spending time with family, and then come home and spend Christmas with our own family.  We had many, many Christmas angels who blessed us with gifts galore, food, a car, and much more.  We were so touched.  Our difficult year ended with happy memories.  I love Christmastime!

Heading downstairs.  Abby isn't happy because it's early and Taycie got ahead.

Taycie, thinking "I'm not sure what all this early morning fuss is all about...?"

Checking out the stockings

These stockings were crocheted by Bob's Grandma. 

And the present opening begins!

Taycie got an adorable hat and gloves.  Thanks!

Abby's new hat

The boys and their BYU hats

Aliysa's new socks and hat

Spencer enjoying the day

Courtney, already wearing her colored jeans that she squealed and danced about.

Jace likes Courtney's soft fuzzy pillow.  He constantly steals it.   Jace, we'll get you a pink fuzzy pillow someday too.

You know you're a health nut when you're smiling about a book titled "Gut and Psychology Syndrome"

Aliysa opening a new phone - her day was made.  Her phone had broken a few days before.

Yes, I know I'm cute.  New necklace, skirt, and dress up shoes.  What more could Abby need?

Oh, how I adore these little girls.  look at all the pink, sparkly, glittery.  I love it.

This was one of my favorite gifts of the day.  All the kids buy a present for one of their siblings.  Abby had Spencer.  We let her choose the gift.  And she chose a truly heartfelt one from a 4 year old girl - Barbie Jacks, and a soft bunny rattle.  Spencer was a great sport about it, and we all tried to hide our laughter from Abby.