Booster!

I decided to launch a booster tshirt campaign to help me relieve the financial burdens of life during treatment as well as bring some awareness to Melanoma.

To support me on this - and to get a cool #melafreakinoma shirt, go to booster.com/melafreakinoma and see what shirt you like best!

Thank you for all your support!

A preview of the shirts

All things personal

Last post was all medical - this is all personal and fun things.

Since surgery I have felt very good overall which has been nice. I started to drive 12 days after surgery and that allowed me to be free to do what I like and go to the store and all those things. Went to a movie, went to my friends sons birthday party and did a wagon ride, dressed up for Halloween, went to the last summer farmers market at Wheeler Farm, took the boys (Ben and Jack) out trick or treating in my sisters neighborhood (which was really fun), turned 34, got the keys to my new place and have started to slowly move in.

Social Butterfly

My birthday usually is a big deal for me but with surgery and the whole no eating fat thing I kind of was a downer about it for a bit. I never realized how food centered a birthday is until I couldn't have anything fun! In the morning I met up with little Ruby, her mom Ali and her sister Jane for some acai bowls and healthier food. It was fun to be goofy with the girls and of course to see sweet Ali. You can read her blog here. Since I got the keys early (got them on the 1st and was planning on getting them on the 5th) I had some friends over to the empty place that night and just ordered pizza for them and such. It was a lot of fun to have everyone over to see it.

Look at this pretty cake my friends got me - even though I couldn't eat it until the next day. My wonderful friend Elise also went out of her way to make me a sans free birthday dessert - strawberry shortcake. It was delicious!

Since then I have been slowly moving things in and we have movers coming tomorrow to load up my storage unit. I'm a bit nervous to see what I have in there... some of the stuff has never been used so it will be like Christmas! I'm still deciding on what I am going to do with all my Sweet Janes stuff. I'm torn on it - want to keep it but also don't want to just store things to store things. I am also not sure I want to close that chapter all the way. We will see. I have until the 30th to have the storage unit completely cleaned out.

Besides moving I am going to try and do some fun things before life gets shaken up on the 10th. Not sure what, but definitely will do something each day not medical or moving.

One thing I want to acknowledge is that there is a saying that you never know your true friends until you have to ask them to help you move. Well, I am overly blessed in the true friend category. I have too many helpers! How is that possible? I sure do love my army.

LaterBlog: September 29-October 2

Three days doesn't seem like much but man did I cram a lot of stuff into those days!

September 29th was the Huntsman Cancer Institute Gala that I attended. I was invited by a friend of a good friend who works there. This is an annual gala hosted for Huntsman donors, staff and some patients. Afterwards there is a party for cancer patients, caregivers and family called "Take a Night Off of Cancer." I had attended the after party last year and had a great time. This year I was lucky to enjoy the program and dinner before, as well as look at the auction items. The one I wanted (two tickets to see the Ellen Degeneres Show) went for $4k+ so that didn't work haha! I will get there one day! In the program one of my doctors work was mentioned (Dr. Robert Andtbacka and his work to get TVEC approved) and he was in multiple pictures. I felt like a super fan the whole time! I didn't stay long at the afterparty this year but it was set up beautifully.

October 1st was a full day!
I started the day attending the AIM Melanoma Summit at Huntsman where both my oncologists (Grossmann and Andtbacka) spoke as well as some other doctors. There was also a patient panel that was very interesting and informative. I even scored a picture with my lovely doctors.

Owe these two a lot. Dr. Robert Andtbacka (left) and Dr. Kenneth Grossmann (right)

List of the drug approvals over the last 35 years... I've done all but 2 of these (Pembro and TVEC)

That night my sister, Tyler and I took a mini road trip to see the Spiral Jetty at the Great Salt Lake. We stopped on the way at a iconic drive in and then headed out to the Jetty. The roads weren't what we expected and weren't really fully paved but more a grated dirt road at times. Very crazy, and bumpy. When we got there it was almost sunset so we headed down to the Jetty and were told to walk to the water as it was beautiful and worth seeing. Growing up near the Great Salt Lake we would go on field trips as a kid and all I remember is how stinky and gross it was. Not the case at this part of the lake. It was amazing. We were basically walking on inches and inches of packed salt that looked like an ice rink and you felt like it should crack beneath you but it didn't budge! Once we got to the water we were amazed to see it was pink. Yes - pink! I asked if this is where unicorns live because it is that unbelievable. The pictures don't do it justice. On top of just being cool and beautiful it was sunset so we got the best of everything. Can't believe it has taken me so long to make the trek out there!

Spiral Jetty

Both trying to get a good panoramic picture, circling one another

Salt Flats

Nope, not ugly.

Crazy wind hair (and expression)

Pink Water

Tylers jump picture

October 2: High Tea and Dinner with Friends
I went to high tea with a close friend and that sure was fun! It makes you feel so fancy. It was a good time chatting and catching up while eating finger sandwiches and drinking tasty tea. I'd love to go back with some of my friends little girls and just watch them enjoy every second of it!
That night I went to Tylers where he cooked a delicious meal for me and two friends. He sure spoils me! Homemade rolls and everything. There was an awesome thunder and lighting storm that night too and he lives on the top floor of his building so we had a great view of it thrashing around. Very cool.

High Tea at the Grand America

It was a full and fun weekend .. sure love my people.

Cramming in the fun

It's been a good week. After the emotional roller coaster of a day last week, I started to move forward and continue on with things. I cancelled all I needed to cancel for the upcoming weeks and booked a trip to California to see my best friend and ocean. One of my close friends got married and we had a great time at the celebration. It was held at the Leonardo which used to be the old library. My grandpa was the commissioner when it was built so there is a plaque with his name on it. I always think it is cool to see. The Leo has an exhibit called "Flight" right now so there is literally an old airplane inside. It is pretty amazing. There are also all sorts of flying things too - hard to explain. It was really great to see all the developments in flying that I take for granted! 

   

I also saw my friend run up a ski jump. Yep, ski jump. It is the Red Bull 400. You gain 500ft in elevation in 400 meters. It is insane! And of course he is amazing at incline running so he placed first in his division and second overall by just milliseconds. I just watch in awe as all the heats continued on. They are crazy but good on 'em! 

I have been working a bit this week too. Trying to get some money before being laid up for a bit. It feels good to have some purpose in the day. Sometimes not. ;)

Mumford and Sons were in town this week and I have been looking forward to this show for a long time. Things didn't go as planned and I sat in my car and listened to the concert, I know that sounds super depressing and sad but it was actually nice! I've been laughing about it all week. It made it so I could listen to the first presidential debates as well as the concert AND I didn't get stuck in the traffic after the concert was over. In and out! Ahh, my life is a bit special. 

Tonight I am headed to a gala for cancer with Huntsman Cancer Institute. It is the annual "Take a night off of cancer" party so they have some inspirational speakers and dinner before the party. I am lucky enough to get to be a part of the gala because of my good friend who works for Huntsman. It is always fun to get dressed up and go out and about. I'll update this when I get some pictures from it. 

Surgery is now under two weeks away although it feels like it is coming up faster than that. Although I have kept myself busy, the worry of what life will be like after the surgery still creeps in. I have joked about things being referred to as BC (before cancer) and AC (meaning after I found out I had cancer) but now I need to figure out what to say in regards to this milestone. AS(s) haha. I think I'm really funny by the way... 

I am trying my best to be in the moment and not worry about what is to come. Easier said than done, but working on it. 

I have a lot of things jammed into the next two weeks, especially a lot of eating since that will likely be limited after surgery and with radiation. Enjoying what I can now! Oh and I have an MRI tomorrow to see how my brain tumor is doing. Really hoping that it is smaller. I haven't had as many headaches. Have been having a good amount of nerve pain though... let's hope that surgery takes care of most of that! 

Off to the gala I go...

September 4-23rd - All the things!

I’ve had a pleasant few weeks. Still keeping busy, living life. Because of that I (again) haven’t kept up with my blogging updates!

I went to a pie social and ate all sorts of pie, got a massage, had lunch with many different people on different days, family dinners, coffee dates, went to the fair per tradition and held a 7day old goat – heaven, ate fried cookie dough (at the fair of course!) went to a makeup class for cancer patients (scored a lot of good free makeup!), lots of farmer’s market visits, brunches, birthday parties, learned how to make my favorite aunt Annie’s cinnamon rolls – so many things!

 

My dad celebrated his 71^st birthday on the 8^th. It is wild to me that he is 71, he doesn’t look or act how I imagine someone who is that age. Not sure if that is a good thing or not? We had a family dinner and a giant cake to celebrate.

Sarah (my sister) and I ventured out about 45-minutes north to Brigham City Peach Days. Expectation: peach everything; peach pies, peach cobbler, peach drinks, peach candies, actual peaches. Reality: basically a fair like event with one stand selling peaches and then a random peach flavored thing here and there – maybe 5 things. So, not what we expected but it was still a lot of fun and I would definitely go again. We had some tasty Dutch oven dinner and peach cobbler (one of the only real peach thing we saw outside of the actual peaches). I want to do a Dutch oven cookout or something, maybe just dessert. I think that sounds fun!

My sister and I also went to an Indian cooking class where we learned how to make butter chicken, aromatic rice, pickled eggs Indian style (forget the name of this dish), mint and raisin chutney and my favorite, naan. It was a lot of fun and man there are a lot of spices and ingredients to each dish! The instructor tried to kill us with a Carolina reaper pepper but we survived. I don't do well with spice but it turned out good! I could go without the eggs, but am happy to have tried it all and now know how to cook some Indian food from scratch! 

I had my liver levels checked (on the 14^th) and the levels are down a bunch! Both are under 100! Best news ever. This means the liver meds are doing what they are supposed to and I can stay off of the steroids. Yep you read that correct – I am officially off of the prednisone!! It is pretty great. I have felt pretty good since being off of them, just low energy. I am able to not use a sleep aid now and my shakiness (mostly in my hands) is much better. I do have some skin reaction to the new BRaf meds but not bad enough to take steroids again, and truly hope it stays this mild and I can tolerate it. 

 

My last 5mg dose of prednisone! 

A long way from 120mg!

My dear cousin came in town to play (and deal with some family stuff) and we had some good times. We had a delicious dinner out the first night and then followed that up with a ReAl Salt Lake soccer game. It was a sister double date – her sister and my sister joined us. It was a lot of fun even though the game kinda sucked. The next day we went to the Wheeler farmer’s market and then headed up the canyon for brunch and to see the amazing leaves changing. It was beautiful. After brunch we walked around Silver Lake, an easy local hike (walk). It was so great to have her here to play, and I am so happy that she and I have become close in the last few years. We’ve both had some major stuff happen to us and we just connect on a deeper level.

 
              Sisters photoboming sisters - priceless!



 

Mandy’s (my melanoma soul sister) family invited me to go to a paint night with them. Paint Nite is where you head to a restaurant or bar and everyone paints the same picture step by step while being able to drink or eat. The painting was “Rainbows and Dragonflies.” Dragonflies is how Mandy said she would come back as to come say hello so it was only fitting. It was a lot of fun and it is great to see how different everyone’s painting comes out – even though we are painting the same thing. I was happy with mine; the colors are much more bright outside of the bar lighting.

Mine is on the left - Shaundra's (Mandy's momma) in the middle - and family friends on the right

I am truly lucky and amazed each day to have such great and fun people around me. Life is too insane to let it conquer all aspects of your life – you have to live a bit and enjoy yourself! I have worked hard these past two months to live it up and I feel like I am definitely succeeding. I have a good friend’s wedding tomorrow that I am looking forward to and then just spending time with my army. Man my blogs get super long when I don't do them often! Goodness!

Yellowstone 2016

One of my favorite childhood memories was going to Yellowstone almost every summer and staying at Campfire Lodge. We would usually camp but sometimes we would get a cabin, we would play in the river, roast marshmallows, go into town and head into Yellowstone National Park. It was a girls trip and we always had such a good time. We got to pick out a treat each time - so we usually picked Doritos, Oreos and Oh's cereal. Simple times and amazing memories.

The past few years I have wanted to go back and stay at Campfire and see the park again. Luckily my friends are open to my random ideas so we booked it! We got a cabin at Campfire and not much has changed there besides being a lot more expensive I guess (or so my mom says) and it was just as I expected. Super rustic and cabin-y. No cell phone reception. No wifi. Just nature, and it was as beautiful as I remember.

   

     

We headed into the park for two of the days. It was the 100th anniversary of national parks system so entry to the park was free for our first day. This was great but it also meant it was a bit busy but it was manageable. The first day we did the Old Faithful loop and saw a lot of bison and elk. We walked my favorite hot pot and found a new spot that we had never been. It was near the lake and it was gorgeous. Can't believe we had never done that stop. We finished off the day with swimming in the Firehole river swimming hole. This is what I wanted to come back to so bad - I had remembered stopping here one time and thinking it was just the most fun thing ever! When we got here it wasn't exactly like I remembered but that didn't take away from the fun we had getting in the semi-cold water and letting the current take us and then walk back up just to have the current take us again. There were fish jumping just feet away from us and the sun was setting. It was pretty great. Sadly there were multiple fires burning while we were there and while we were driving out the fire was just yards from the road. They have a "let it burn" policy inside the park so they rangers and firefighters just watch the fire basically. 

Day two was spent more north. We saw some paint pots, the canyon and the upper and lower falls. Three of us did the crazy stair hike down to a lookout point of lower falls, 320+ steep stairs down the side of the canyon. Nope, not for me. So me and Brooke hung out in the parking lot and had some random laughs. I tried to feed a crow - you know just my usual. The fires were blazing on this day so there was ash falling all around as well. Pretty crazy.
We then drove more north to Roosevelt Lodge and on the way stopped to look at a black bear in a tree - who knew they really climbed trees? Like to the very top of a pine tree! What?! Once we got to the lodge we all got a drink and sat on the rocking chairs on the porch and just took in the surroundings. Not too shabby! On the drive back home we saw a momma black bear and her two cubs, pretty adorable!

We had dinner in town and then headed home for some indoor S'mores (since the fire danger is so high they didn't allow any campfires sadly) and then called it a day. In the morning we had breakfast in the cafe per tradition and then I put my toes in the Madison river which was super cold, not surprisingly. After we loaded up the cars we headed into town where I got a custom screenprinted tee, some fudge and a delicious huckleberry iced tea. Sarah got some fun traditional purchases as well. We had to leave by 11:30 so we could make our 1pm check in at Bear World in Idaho to feed the bear cubs. We made it right at 1pm! And oh my goodness the baby bears were adorable. They were 7 months old and 60+ pounds. We bottle fed each of the 6 cubs and they were so sweet. They have the longest eyelashes and the sweetest eyes. So worth it. After buying some lottery tickets and getting lunch in Twin Falls we made the final trek home.

Another successful Yellowstone trip full of it's own new memories. I am already looking forward to our next one and it will need to be longer! I want to visit Mammoth hot springs and possible head south into the Tetons and Jackson. Long road trip but probably beautiful. Here's to an amazing Yellowstone 2016 and looking forward to Yellowstone 2017!


To see more pictures from the trip click on this link:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6ZzNZ6t1WSXbkhReVRmdWI0NGs