Sunday, January 6, 2013

reflections & opportunities



taking a moment to reflect on the emotional year that 2012 was, and to look forward to what the new year will bring us...

from the very low that we experienced early last year, when we found out that my cancer had returned and I would require another surgery, to the very best moment of my life when I married my husband, 2012 was quite the journey. Right after returning from our whirlwind wedding in Puerto Vallarta in April, I was on the operating room table once again. But I came out stronger than ever before, and once again loved ones came together to show me their support. I started a new job the end of June and had to say goodbye to my coworkers at the Center For Women's Health, some of the most amazing and kind women I've ever met, but new beginnings are always full of hope and excitement. In July my beloved grandmother passed on from this world, and I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by our family as we grieved. She will live on in every note of music I play and every photograph I take. We celebrated our marriage in September with one hundred of our closest friends and family, and the power of all the love we were surrounded by was overwhelming. The event was the result of a lifetime of dreams and the collaboration of so many to make it possible. Later in September I went in for what I thought would be my second radioactive iodine treatment, but ended up finding that whatever cancer was left was not going to take up the iodine. While this seemed like terrible and scary news, our outlook soon changed when we found that actually there's only a very small amount of cancer left and I wouldn't have to go through external beam radiation. For Thanksgiving we traveled to Houston to be with my family, and took Jesse on his first trip to Texas, which turned out to be such a fantastic week. I'm thankful that I had so many opportunities to visit with my extended family last year. We spent our third Christmas together in Friday Harbor once again, and the few days of quiet were much needed due to all the chaos of our lives right now.

What chaos, you ask? Well, we are overjoyed to announce that we are moving to Bellingham! I spent three amazing years in this house during college, and I can't wait for all of the memories that Jesse and I will make there. This 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom house seems like a palace to us after living in a 2 bedroom apartment in Seattle for the past 3+ years. And I will have a kitchen again! A big, beautiful kitchen for creating all kinds of amazing vegan deliciousness...and a dishwasher so that Jesse doesn't have to assume that role ;) Right now we are back and forth, working on getting the house ready to move into and packing up our apartment. It is a lot of work! But, I am looking forward to being back in this small city that I simply adore. And the possibility of starting a second new job within a year is overwhelming, but I am excited to see what Bellingham has to offer me as a nurse.


As far as my health goes, I am going to stay with my doctors at Virginia Mason because they are very specialized and experienced. Presently we are waiting for another shipment of Thyrogen so that I can do another stimulated thyroglobulin test. There's constantly a shortage of the medication, so it could be another month or more before I am able to do the test. In addition to that I will do another scan around the end of February. Still just watching and waiting, and living as healthy as I can....


Happy holidays and may this year be your best one yet.


xoxo,


Lisa


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