For Margie (and also about her and her family)

Another tune for you, Margie! And anyone else. Bits of news follow:




Margie is feeling well-loved these days, with Anabel up from Belize for a week and Steve and the family up from San Diego for a night over the weekend. She is also simply delighted to see the Haddocks again. They are her neighbors at the old condo (upstairs) and are just like family.

She feels weary on and off, needing nice restorative naps.

If you visit or talk with her, please remind her to drink lots of water and to keep moving as much as she can. She's been taking walks in the past couple of weeks.

Ceci and Donna are in Kauai. Here are a couple of photos. One is the condo and the other is the view:

Margie keeping up radiation

It's the 28th of May, and Margie is continuing her radiation treatment.
She's not hungry enough, but can be tempted and encouraged.
Margie is excited about Anabel arriving today and about all the San Diego Ford's coming this weekend. Her granddaughter, Ellie, has a special event to attend so everyone will come up to see Margie/Mom/Grandmom.

Ceci and Donna are off to Kauai on Friday. More sunshine there than in Wisconsin right now, but those of you in San Diego and Santa Barbara don't have that problem!

Speaking of sunshine, here is a song for today (and maybe tomorrow, since I don't update this blog everyday). love, Ceci

Margie!! May 25th

Special message to Ellie in Mexico! Also more video of Margie!!

Special Message to Ellie from Aunt Margie!



AND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: MOM IS IN LOVE WITH LIFE AND "IT'S WONDERFUL!"

set back but margie strong in spirit but weary in body

Well, we got a bad report on the small small, pearl-sized bump that Ceci found near the site of the mastectomy.  The pathology report identified this growth as the same cancer as Margie's original breast cancer. This small tumor must have grown rapidly, because there was no evidence of cancer growth in the PT Scan just 3 weeks ago.

 Ceci and Margie will see the chemo-oncologist tomorrow. The doctors appear to agree right now that Margie needs to continue radiation treatments to reach a level of radiation to reduce cancer growth around the original tumor site.

What is not clear is what the next move will be. Dr. Greenwald (whom I call the chemo man) is a very thoughtful scientist.  We meet with him tomorrow to explore options for what to do next.  Certainly a scan is in order, now or after the radiation is finished.  The scan will tell us whether any other tumors have formed.

If you pray, meditate, or send positive energy in other ways, this would be a fantastic time to turn on that spirit.

Margie is both strong and weary.  

Love to all...

Margie tired but good

Margie is starting her 3rd week of radiation tomorrow (Monday the 18th).  She has a bit over 4 weeks to go, and she's starting to feel pretty tired.  She is literally counting down the days till she's done with this treatment.  She is also on some heavy duty antibiotics for the "H. Bacter", the cause of her ulcer (recall her hospitalization midway through the chemo).   The antibiotics are also take the fun out of eating since they are hard on her digestive system themselves.  

Margie hopes that anyone she's talked to on the phone, at dinner or at the East Beach Grill (walkers) will forgive her for incoherence.  The fatigue is taking a toll on her concentration, and she is self-conscious about that.

She loves all the notes and the calls, and she misses her schedule of riding the train to San Diego to  stay with Steve, Linda, Ellie and Tyler, along with visiting her sister Jane and niece Kit.

Margie also wants to share her excitement about the siting of a Jaguar and her pups at El Pilar, the archeological and ecological preserve that Anabel has devoted her life to for so long.  It is surely a wonderful sign that this mysterious animal is comfortable in that very special place.

Other news: Steve was here a week ago and showed mom a wonderful time.  She is still glowing from that.  She talked with Steve today and reports that he attended Tyler's graduation from.... well she couldn't tell this reporter what exactly Tyler graduated from, but she was happy to report that there'd been a celebration.

By the way, Linda's Aunt Jo stopped by after attending the wedding of one of Margie's neighbors, a resident at Vista del Monte.  Ceci (your reporter here) enjoyed meeting this tall, elegant and energetic woman.

May 8th-- update

Marjorie is fine. Some ash around, but she's calm.
One of her care-companions took her to radiation today, which went easily and quickly.
They then went to see Joe Ford, Margie's former husband.
He had been evacuated from a care facility that was closer to the fire. Today, Joe was move to another center in Montecito, where Margie visited him
There is no stopping this woman!

Margie okay during fire

Margie is not in an evacuation area for the current SB fire, though her former residence, the condo, is just within the evacuation zone.

I (Ceci) have talked to Margie a couple of times today (Thursday). She is in good spirits, had a 4th day of radiation treatment, and also had a lymph massage to work on her right arm, which is having some swelling from her surgery.

"My children's father" -- as Margie sometimes refers to Joe Ford-- has been evacuated from his care center to a facility quite near Vista del Monte.

This is a good time to use whatever connections you have to protective and calming powers in the universe to send them toward our loved ones and all those affected by this fire.

Ceci

Margie is doing well. Busy busy busy. She's insisted on taking a driving refresher course starting today (Monday the 5th) (3 hours!), and she starts radiation today as well.  She's been doing pool exercise.  Her right hip popped out last week. It's awful when that happens with those hip replacements, and she feels some aching and weakness with that, but it's not stopping her.

Ceci will be staying with Margie for 10 days starting Tues. the 12th.  

Brief update and beautiful music

Margie will finally start her radiation treatment on Monday, May 4th.

She is doing well, despite having her right hip pop out on Friday as she got out of the car at the Cancer Center. 

She had Andreya, from Home Instead (companion, helper, etc etc) with her and got right to the ER and fixed up.

Here is a lovely music video that expresses how we all feel about one another as we come together and love one another through life's challenges:

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.