Wow, it's really been over a year since I have posted here.

A lot has happened in this past year.

Jeff's company closed his sales desk in Boston and he had to look for and found a great new job even in this tough economy, I was offered the job of a lifetime and what many know is my "dream job" as the Director of Leisure Sales for Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton, my 2 favorite hotels in Bermuda, Alyssa graduated high school and now lives in North Carolina as a freshman at East Carolina University with plans of becoming an Occupational Therapist, Frankie is still home with us plugging away at high school, and I lost my mother to breast cancer 3 months ago. Cancer sucks and I am still trying to get over the pain of the loss of such an incredible mom. She was on her 3rd round in her 20+ years of battling this shitty disease. This time it got the best of her but damn, she put up a good fight. She was an amazing woman and I owe a lot of my life's successes to her. I miss her a ton, every single day.

My best news of the year is that I have just been given another clean bill of health. I still visit my awesome oncologist, Dr. Hammond every 6 months and he gives me the good news. I always get anxious and scared leading up to my visit but I have been lucky to walk away with a huge sigh of relief for another 6 months. Amen.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I don't think I have to tell anyone this fact as there are enough pink ribbons to do that for me! Ladies, PLEASE take the time to make that overdue mammogram appointment, do that self breast exam, or whatever it takes. Breast cancer does not discriminate. It doesn't matter how old you are or if you've had a family history - breast cancer happens to the best of us and most times when you least expect it. I am not trying to scare anyone, I'm just being realistic. Please don't put it off. Use October as your reminder to help create awareness and to also get checked yourselves.
The end of this month will mark my 2 year "Cancerversary"and I will be celebrating another year all month long!!!

Got this quote from my sister in law today.....

“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show or any good things I can do to fellow human beings, let me do it now, and not delay or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

- William Penn

Today is a new day......

I'm feeling energized, motivated and healthy!!!!

Never, never, never give up. ~Winston Churchill

"I slip back many times, I fall, I stand still, I run against the edge of hidden obstacles, I lose my temper and find it again and keep it better, I trudge on, I gain a little, I feel encouraged, I get more eager and climb higher and begin to see the widening horizon. Every struggle is a victory. One more effort and I reach the luminous cloud, the blue depths of the sky, the uplands of my desire." - Helen Keller in "The Story of My Life"

Big Dipper at the Middle East April 26, 2008

What can I say? It was unbelievable!! I never had the pleasure of seeing the band together back in the day, but after 18 years they rocked like no tomorrow. They were absolutely incredible and people are still blogging about it! Jeff's an amazing drummer and it was fun to have the family all there to see him play. The kids were blown away! We were all so proud :)

Overdue Update!

Wow - last post was the beginning of the new year. It's crazy how much time has passed already. Things are great - I started a new job back in November which I love, the kids are doing great in school, Jeff and his band BIG DIPPER are getting back on the road next month for a few reunion shows in NY/NJ and Cambridge! It's pretty cool that after 18 years, they are still in demand! The Phoenix just published a great article in the Arts & Music section last week, they had an interview with The Noise just the other day, and the shows are coming right up at the end of April. If you want to check them out here in Cambridge, they will be at the Middle East on Saturday, April 26th. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster. We'd love to see you out - it's gonna be a fun night! Oh, and on March 18th, 2008, Merge Records will be releasing Supercluster: The Big Dipper Anthology. Get one while you can!

Anyway - this was supposed to be about me but that's really just too boring if you ask me. There's been a few people asking me to post a hair update. I'll do that soon. As I expected, my hair is coming back in just as thick and ornery as it was when it fell out! I was looking for the silver lining in the whole hair loss thing, hoping it would come in thinner and not as course, no such luck. Oh well, I suppose I should be grateful that I have a head of hair!

I'll take some pictures soon and post them another time.

In the meantime, THINK PINK and stay healthy!!!

Happy New Year to all!

Things are going very well. I started a new job at the end of November and Jeff and I have been commuting every day into Boston. It's been fun. Especially that 5 hour drive back to New Hampshire during that historical day of the storm!

The holidays are over, I'm feeling great and life couldn't be better!

A year later!!!

I cannot believe that it all started just a little over a year ago.

It's amazing to think that this same time last year it was just a day after my surgery and I was scared to death at what I was about to go through. I cannot get over how fast time really goes by. I can say that now.

Now here I am, feeling great, enjoying each and every day. I am so grateful for my family, my friends - I am very lucky.

That's all.

Think Pink!

From the pages of the Salem Observer in New Hampshire - Frankie gets involved with his fellow Future Business Leaders of America group at Pelham High School:

Thinking pink to fight cancer

BY DARRELL HALEN

The sales of pink bracelets and freshly baked cookies during a school fundraiser may not bring in a lot of money, but for Taryn Kayo it’s a way to support the fight against Breast Cancer – a disease that struck her grandmother nine years ago.

“It’s a serious issue for me,” said Taryn, 16, a member of the Future Business Leaders of America chapter at Pelham High School. “I want people to understand it’s a serious thing.”

During lunch periods in the school cafeteria on Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 11, FBLA members are selling chocolate cookies with pink candy-coated pieces for 50 cents each, and pink bracelets for $1 each.

The FBLA chapter sells chocolate chip cookies yearlong to support club activities. But this two-day special fundraiser is part of a program by Otis Spunkmeyer, the chapter’s cookie dough supplier, to support the National *** Cancer Foundation.

“It makes me feel like I’m doing my part,” said Taryn, who is co-chairing the fundraiser with fellow junior Ellisse Goss.

When the company asked business teacher Wendy Dorval, the chapter’s adviser, if the club wanted to get involved in its pink cookies fundraising program, she took the idea to the students.

She was pleasantly surprised when they embraced it.

“I thought the club wouldn’t be interested,” Dorval said. “It’s an older person’s issue and these are teenagers. In reality, they are all affected because of their extended families.”

Like Catherine Byron, an 18-year-old senior, whose grandmother has Breast Cancer and whose former color guard coach was diagnosed with it, too.

And freshman Frank Santangelo, 14, whose mother was diagnosed last year. She went through chemotherapy, temporarily lost her hair and is now cancer-free, he said.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The students are selling their goods at tables covered with pink table covers. Cookies are served on pink napkins.

“I’m hoping people will think pink and know this is serious,” Byron said.

The bracelets each feature one of four inspirational words: Faith. Hope. Strength. Survivor.

Students who purchase a cookie or bracelet receive a free pink ribbon.

Walk for a Cure!
Today was the Susan G. Komen 5K Race/Walk. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the walk was my first ever. We walked as the "Trans National Titans" as a corporate team and there were 14 of us all together. It was a very touching and moving morning. When we went to pick up our numbers and the woman asked me how many years I had been a survivor, I welled up and could barely keep from tearing up when I said "Not even 1". I knew it was going to be a tough day. But it was an inspiring one to say the least.

I am so grateful to everyone who donated and my teammates who walked with me: Jeff, Frankie, Alyssa, Marcy (my co-captain and survivor), Alyssa, Darcy, Hannah, Vikas, John, Betty, Lauren, Kay and Frances.

I can't wait until next year to keep growing our team and our donations to HELP FIND A CURE!!!!!!!!!!!!


THINK PINK!!

Hair check

Can't believe how fast my hair is coming in - for those of you who remember my old hair, you probably don't find it hard to believe, actually!

We spend just about every Labor Day weekend up at a YMCA family camp in New Hampshire on Sandy Island in Lake Winnepesaukee. I thought I would post a few pics from the weekend. This year ne of my good gal pal's from high school came up with her husband and kids. We had a great time!

Lyssa's Sweet 16

Lyssa's Auntie Renee and I took her and 5 of her friends into Boston and stayed over night at the Fairmont Copley Plaza and had a really nice time. Here are a few pics. Check out my hair! WOW - it's coming in like crazy!

Feeling like a million bucks!!

I haven't updated in quite a while so I thought I would throw something up here, in case there are some people still checking it out! If so, thank you!

I've heard that friends and family members have passed my blog on to others that have just recently been diagnosed with BC. I am flattered and honored that they felt this blog would help in their journey like it did for mine.

Anyway - here's what's been happening:

I've been back to work full time since May 2nd. I go into Boston 2 days a week and I work from home the other 3. It's a fantastic schedule since now that I have so many appointments up here in NH, I can run out at lunch or first thing in the morning. Also, I get sooo much more work done from home. I love it! I am so lucky.

I've already traveled twice - once to Aruba on a short business trip and we just got back from
a much needed family vacation to Aruba the first week of July. We had a really great time!

Lyssa got a job at Dunkin Donuts here in town. She started today. Drivers Ed begins on Friday and before we know it, she'll be driving! Yikes.

Frankie's hanging out in camp in town this summer. He loves it and it keeps him completely busy and out of my hair (no pun intended)

Speaking of hair, my hair is growing so fast! I cannot believe how every week it looks thicker and it's getting longer. Well, not long, but you get it. Here I am with Lyssa in Aruba.


Jeff just spent a week out in Colorado for business. He got to hook up with an old high school friend so that was nice. Needless to say, he was happy to be home in his own bed after 2 weeks of back to back travels!

I joined a gym this week and started exercising to lose my chemo weight! I know I've dropped some naturally just from getting all those steroids and other disgusting chemicals out of my body. I need to really get in shape so I feel healthy and am healthy!

I had a bone scan today just to be on the safe side. I've not had any type of tests all throughout chemotherapy. I hated having to go but now that it is over, I can just sit back and wait to hear from my doctor. I feel so good, that I know there won't be anything there! It's just good to have I guess.

Ok, enough blabbering! Thanks to everyone that still follows my blog. I appreciate all the support that I have gotten from all of you over the past 9 months!

xoxo
Tracy

Close friends and family are the most important thing a person can have!

We had a great little gathering of some of our closest friends from High School yesterday. I cannot believe that so much time has passed since we graduated in 1983. Next year we'll have our 25th reunion! We're so blessed that we have stayed in touch and manage to get together as often as we do. Granted we make more plans than actually materialize, but that's par for the course in anyone's busy lives! We're very lucky to have each other!

This is the first and only picture that I have ever posted of myself since chemo took my hair. As you can see, it is growing back pretty fast considering it has been 2 months to the day that I completed my treatments. My friend Kim's 5 year old daughter "petted" my head all weekend. She loved the way it felt so soft.

Chemo Closure!
It's out! I got my port removed on Friday and it feels great. That was the final step for me to put the past 4 months of chemotherapy behind me. The procedure was really quick. We had to be at the hospital for 8:15am for a surgery at 10:15am. It's crazy how they make you get there so early for a 15 minute procedure. We bumped into my doctor right before and she told us that she had another one just before me and that she would be done in no time. She was right. She got me in and out of there in record time. She is amazing. They gave me so much anesthesia that I was out cold for most of the day. Seemed a bit overkill but I did tell the anesthesiologist that I didn't want to see anything, hear anything or know anything that was going on. I think he listened! Dr. Ponn told Jeff afterwards that she had the TV on for me in the OR. Pretty odd since I was completely out. Well, it's over now. I can put that chapter behind me. I will say that god forbid you or anyone you know has to go through what I did, the port is the way to go. I was deathly afraid at first from the thought of having something foreign inside my body that didn't belong there. I did get used to it and not having my veins all messed up from the chemo made the port a really great decision! Chia Pet! That's just what I look like these days! My hair is really starting to come in. It's so funny how all of a sudden it just appeared. At first it looked like it was coming in really light, but it has since darkened up and has been joined by some serious gray hairs. Oh well. I knew that was coming! I had them before so after this ordeal, and raising a 13 and 15 year old, I knew the gray would take over soon! In my estimation, I should have my big 'ole head of hair back by 2017 :) Until then, I will enjoy the hot summer with my chia head!

3 weeks post chemo and FEELING FANTASTIC!

Jeff and I went to my oncologist today for my post chemo check up. My doctor was amazed at how fast I have bounced back from my treatments. My counts are looking great and he gave me the ok to get my port removed! That has to be one of the best things I have heard all year! Of course, in the car on my way home I called to set up an appointment for the surgery. I am going in next Friday at 830am to say goodbye to my port for good!

Prom Night for Alyssa
I thought I would post a couple of pictures of Alyssa and her friend Ben from before they left for the prom tonight. She looked gorgeous thanks to my sister Stephanie who, despite the fact that she had a hernia surgery a little over a week ago, did both her hair and makeup. She did a fantastic job!

Getting back to a routine

It's been 2 weeks today since my last and final treatment. I got through it pretty well but I'm still feeling those last lingering side effects. I started back to work full time last week. I am only driving into the office in Boston twice a week and the other days I am working from "the New Hampshire office". I am so lucky to be able to do this. My company has been so incredible to me while I have been out. I could never have gone back to work full strength if not for this flexible schedule. I am so happy to be back to work. It's exhausting, even just going in 2 days a week but I will get used to it.

Frankie left on Tuesday for his 8th grade trip to Washington DC. We've heard very little from him. They have them on such a crazy busy schedule so we usually get the 10pm call when they are just getting ready to tape the doors! ha

Lyssa is going to her first prom tomorrow night. She is going with a friend who's a senior. We've been really busy with that lately. I cannot wait to see them all tomorrow night! I still cannot believe that I have a daughter in high school. Next year it will be her junior prom. Next year Frankie will be a freshman!

Well, I am off. I just thought I would post an update. I'm kind of in a interim state until I see my oncologist again to hear what my next steps are. I'm quite sure the hard stuff is over. Now if they can only find a cure for the hot flashes that I am experiencing!