Cancer: Finally some good news!

I came back from Boston last week with some good news! The trial seemed to be working finally! The large right lung tumour had shrunk in the latest CT scan - not in millimeters but with the naked eye in centimeters! The cancer trial medication doctor agreed that it was proceeding in the positive direction.

The plan is to continue with the trial drug and I will be going to Boston again in Feb. I really hope that the trial drug will come to my home town to cut down cost and time away from my family. My daughter has been asking me not to go to Boston anymore. It's really difficult emotionally for me when my 7 year old beg me not to leave.

But as for the change in my health I thank you Lord, and all the prayers and good vibes from my friends and family! I will continue to pray and I hope my friends/family will continue to pray and send good thoughts for my family and I.


Wishing you all a Healthy and Joyful 2019!! :-)

I have been busy....

I have been busy! I made a whole bunch of fashion jewelry for friends, family and the nurses at the chemo centre. There is 1 male nurse at the chemo centre so I made a few wooden bead things for him to choose from. I'm really enjoying this! It's creative, I love giving gifts to people I know, I love seeing my creations being worn, it keeps me busy from silly thoughts, it used up lots of beading supplies that I have, it requires less physical exertion, etc. It's a perfect pass-time while being ill!

Here are some of the gifts I made. I forgot to take a picture of the 20+ pieces of jewelry that I gave to the chemo centre. My kids drew the designed the fabric ones for me to make and my son asked for the Snoopy:

I made many custom pieces for friends and family because I knew them well and I knew mainly what they like. As for acquaintances, I made mostly earrings as gifts because sizes don't matter much. Necklaces are not as bad but people do have preferences for long or short necklaces. Bracelets are the hardest. I have a very thin wrist so most bracelets fall off me and don't look good. So it's hard to figure out if something will look nice on someone else with a different shape or size of wrists (meaty, bony, prominent bone, etc). And I find that a lot of people will take a lot of fashion risks with their earrings but not so much with the other types of jewelry.

I still haven't heard back from my queries about using my jewelry for fundraising for my local chemo centre. I need to check that again. I would love to raise some funds for chemo centre, even if it's only $100. I need to talk to the chemo nurses for sure.

Only the kids are decorating the tree this year

In previous years, we would let the kids decorate the x'mas tree with whatever they like. Then after they had gone to bed, my husband and I would do a major edit to the tree decor. This year, I decided to just let the kids decorate everything and not edit anything. It's much more 'organic' that way. They used their Lego to decorate the bottom of the tree. They put their little stuffed toy into the branches. And they put the beaded and fabric ornament I recently made onto the tree too!

Tree decoration in progress by the kids

X'mas decor continues.....

I continue too make decorations for our x'mas tree. I have used up almost all the beading wire:

I guess I need to make some stuffed ornaments now! Or should I go buy some beading wire?

My cancer story on the local newspaper

My cancer journey is now posted on the local online newspaper:

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/9066210-markham-mom-with-stage-4-lung-cancer-needs-support-for-u-s-clinical-trials/

I hope this will bring attention to our Go Fund Me Campaign as well as patients like me who are stuck between the provincial health insurance program and no insurance. I'm sure there are lots of patients with serious illnesses like me in Canada, even though we have a basic universal health care program. How do we solve this problem, especially with complicated medical illness like cancer, with medical treatments that advanced much faster than the legislation can follow.

DIY Holiday decorations

I started making fabric and beaded holiday decorations for our x'mas tree. If I make 1 a day there should be about 20 new ornaments for the tree. The kids had also drew things on paper for me to make into stuffed 'whatever'. My daughter drew a cloud and asked me to make it into a stuffed cloud. My son drew a puppy's head and asked me to make it into a stuffed puppy head.

More added pockets for practicality

This blue wool tweed cap sleeves jacket was made a few years back. I love the fabric and the cardigan shape:

After adding pockets, a closure and some waist shaping, it becomes much more wearable:

It's great for travelling and stylish too!

Cancer post - what is my new role?

I'm continuing to go to Boston for the cancer trial drug first week of Dec. The last cycle in Nov resulted in a 'no change' situation - there were no increase in number or size of cancer tumours but also no reduction in number or size either.  It could be taken as an encouraging sign that things are not worse. Or it could be interpreted that the trial drug had stopped working.

The Boston trial only eliminates a participant if the cancer has progressed 2 months in a row - if the cancer tumours have grown in number or sizes. So that seems a while to wait for someone who's not sick enough to lie in bed all day, nor well enough to be able to even change a bedsheet by herself without having a breathing issue.

My mind is coherent enough to be super bored right now but my body is not well enough to resume 95% of what I used to do before my cancer diagnosis. It's a really frustrating place to be for a person who used to be very busy and like being useful. I don't know what my new role should be. I also cannot count on myself each day to be consistent - same energy/health level to deal with the kids or housework. Some days when the kids come home from school, I had the energy to deal with them. Some days I dread the sound of them coming home. How is this inconsistency good for the children? I also don't want them to have a heavy emotional reliant on me in case the cancer takes a turn for the worse quickly and unexpectedly.

I just want to be the old mom again. I can't right now. I don't know what my role is right now. I don't know what to do.............

New Fashion Jewelry - beaded tassel necklace

I love making crafts - Jewelry making, sewing, paper crafts, home decorating, etc. Lately I have been clearing up my jewelry making supplies and decided to make some new fashion jewelry. This was what was created:

I think this will look good with a nice sweater or sweater dress!

Refashioned: Plaid wool woven dress to tunic

I entered this plaid wool mix dress late last year into the PatternReview.com contest. I had only worn it once at a school Christmas concert. So I thought it would be more useful as a tunic top. I simply just cut it midriff and I had already worn it twice. Not bad for something that I made a year ago!

Before:

After:

Adding a closure to the Purple Reversible Faux Fur vest

I have been feeling well and not well depending on the day. So when I do feel good on a day I would like to take the opportunity to do something I enjoy: jewelry making, sewing, refashioning, etc.

Since I have to go to Boston now on a monthly basis, I wanted to make the clothes that I currently own more practical. This purple reversible faux fur vest was made late last year. It was warm and cozy except it required a closure. So some quick remnant denim and 2 buttons made the vest warmer and practical:

Before:

After:

Now it's even warmer and cozier to wear!

Chemotherapy hats for fundraising

I sweat shopped myself this weekend and made some chemotherapy hats for funding raising. I'm fundraising for my chemo centre as well as myself. I have made 2 Small sizes and 2 Large sizes. I will make 2 more Medium ones and then move onto tote bags. I think the bags may be easier to sell. I'm going to talk to the chemo nurses on Monday and see what the rules are for fundraising just for the chemo centre. I emailed the local hospital foundation but they didn't reply back. I think I will need to talk to a real person to figure this out.