New Year, New You!

New Year's Eve we had our usual dinner party, with dear friends from New York and Baltimore who come every year. (This was our 21st year.) This year was a little different... Our friends from Baltimore brought Chicken Chesapeake, YUM! Also this year our friends from Texas surprised me and arrived in time for our celebration. It has been 16 years since they were with us for NYE. What a thrill it was to see them. We were able to spend some time visiting with them on NY day as well. It was a great way to start a new year!

Two weeks later, I went to NIH to be screened for a study of ovarian cancer. (It was primarily to watch closely for certain protein markers, to indicate the return of the cancer .) Well I was not accepted into their study group, because I don't have the type of cancer they were screening for. I have "primary peritoneal carcinosarcoma". It is a rare mixed cell cancer and there are only 29 people in the liturature worldwide with this type of cancer! Lucky for me that my oncologist followed the recommended treatment which is to treat it the same as ovarian cancer.
You never know what life has in store. So I am going to live life to the fullest, as long as I can. My CT scan showed no evidence of disease; my CA125 (marker) is still @ 4. I am feeling well, getting some energy back and growing some hair!

We have a new addition to our family, in the form of a 4 month old Shih Tzu puppy. She is a bundle of energy and is giving us all a run for our money, including Ginger!(our 10 year old Shih Tzu) She is adorable; we call her ZuZu (from It's a Wonderful Life.) Everyone is adjusting nicely, including Tom!

I will keep in touch monthly to let you know the latest news. Next month I will try to get some pictures of the dogs onto the blog for all to see. Stay well and continue to pray that this remission lasts for many years. Till next time :-) Bets