California Academy of Sciences-Awesome!

So Julie and I went to the new museum in Golden Gate Park on Monday November 10. It was completely PACKED with other anxious visitors like ourselves. Well worth the money, and by far the best museum I've been to in a long time. We were able to see the Planetarium (got in the nick of time) and the 3D Bug show which was quite fun as well. Here are some pictures. I stayed one night at a Hotel called Hotel Carlton and it felt more like a B&B than a hotel because it was void of your typical sterile hotel decor. Infused with art, culture, and pictures from around the world, it was quite the treat.


And here's a view from the room..you can see it through the screen!



For Susie, a Tomato Frog:


For Clay, a Giant Stuffed Bear!!


My favorite, the Phirana:


Just so you know, there are lots more pictures, and this museum boasts a Rainforest, Aquarium, Planetarium, and Living Roof. There is so much to see! Here's Julie and I being silly:



One shot from the Aquarium:

A Party To Remember

So, though my best buddy got hurt on her way to the airport and couldn't make it for the big event, it still went off without a hitch. I was so happy to see the friends that I've missed while I was away. We had laughs, good food, good beer and other beverages, and good times. I was surprised that everyone fit in the house. I hadn't had a large party since I lived in midtown, and that unit was actually smaller. Anyway, here are some pics from the night. Thanks again to everyone who came, and those who couldn't--you were missed!!

Paula, Jessica and I (Above) Charlie too...


And here's Katie (holding meagan) Faye, Kristen, and Amanda (below)

And a picture of one of my cakes! That's right, there were two!! Paula made me a homemade red velvet cake! So tasty! This picture is of the one from Costco

Jeff and Clay discuss something very serious:

Jennifer, Christina, Laura and Kirk, manning the food table.


So we all had lots of fun. Some of us even played our favorite drawing game (kind of like pictionary and telephone combined). Here's to many more years!

Pacific Beach and Visit With Shannon

Finally made it to the beach, and it was a beautiful day in the little town of PB.




A little idea of the shops around PB at Garnet and Cass streets:


And my long lost friend from High School happened to be out on a trip with her husband to Anaheim for an optometrist convention and she came to San Diego for a nice visit. So good to see her and the boys. I didn't get a picture of her little tot Jude who is incredibly cute at the age of 3 who had a blast playing with Miss Pickles.


And guess what? I am posting this blog from MY HOME IN SACRAMENTO! That's right...I'm baaaaack! Just got home at 4 this afternoon. It feels nice to be in a place that feels like my home but it feels a little strange too after being gone for so long.

I'm Radioactive

Well I'm not uptight
Not unattracted
Turn me on tonight
Cause I'm radioactive


Today I went to the Radiation Oncologist in La Jolla for the injection of the radioactive isotope. It felt quite bizarre. I could feel the injection of the needle and syringe as it filled the balloon in my skull with liquid. Not many can say they know what it feels like to have something poured into your head! It was a little awkward and uncomfortable but not really painful. Then to mu delightful surprise my Neurosurgeon removed the staples from my head as well.

So, right now I'm dangerous. More dangerous than usual. My family cannot come within 3 feet of me. I can't go near Miss Pickles. I can't go near any small children or animals. I'm surprised that I'm no danger to myself! As you'll see from the pics below, my uncle thought that to further protect himself I might want to wear a hat...



Come Wednesday next week the radioactive isotope will be removed, and somewhere near the end of the month I will have the surgical procedure to remove the balloon and catheter.

All in all, I am enjoying myself very much in San Diego. It's nice to have my family by my side and to just focus on recovery. I'm already 50 pages away from finishing the 3rd book in the Twilight Series, a series I'd only just begun before I arrived in San Diego. I intend to make it to the beach while I'm here just to relax, and I intend to hop around town whenever possible. I'm told to stay away from Tijuana. Here's a pic of my room at my Uncles' house:



Miss you all. Thank you for the cards and well-wishes and for all the pretty flowers. They've really made each day here that much more special. I hear there is supposed to be some hip party when I return....
In the meantime- I love this picture of my head bandages after the surgery.

I am feeling great

I wanted to upload some pictures but that will have to wait for another time.

I feel so relieved to be out of surgery. All went really well, and I have been impressed. My surgeon is quite satisfied with the procedure.

I'm now at my uncle Kevin's house in San Diego recovering. I have my own cute little room upstairs that has windows that look out over the canyon. My bed is very soft and comfortable and I'm taking all my meds as instructed.

I have a couple of appointments in the near future, just next week. I've still got to get the radioactive material placed in the balloon that is inside my brain/skull. I believe it stays in for about 5 days. Kinda freaky but I've got to trust the doctor.

I'll be home soon and I look forward to seeing you all.

I need a new digital camera

So, time for something new?

Treatments are to start soon. Probably in a couple of weeks unless I can squeeze in some second opinions before I begin. I had an appointment yesterday with radiation oncology to simulate the treatment that will be given to me. They took another CT scan and made a mold of my face and neck out of this plastic thing. It's basically going to be like a cover/shield when I get into the machine. It keeps me still.

I'm pretty excited about a trip that I was invited to. Disneyland! Can you believe that I haven't been since 97 Grad Nite? I'm going with a couple ladies from work and it's going to be pretty awesome. Maybe I'll catch a photo with Eeyore? ;)

Lesley is coming out to visit me again later this month. She'll be here on the 25th.

Other than that, things are pretty much as they were before. Things are getting back to normal at work, and I still don't have any headaches.

Anaplastic Astrocytoma

I know it's a mouthful.

Grade III. The worst is grade IV- a glioblastoma multiforme. I don't have that one.

It's cancer. I'm ok. There's not a very good nor a very definitive prognosis.

The tumor is too large to operate. 5 x 6 x 9 centimeters. About the size of my fist all squished in my right Temporal lobe. (It's good that it's in my least dominant lobe of the brain; thank goodness I am right handed).

Radiation therapy and Chemotherapy is standard treatment. Radiation has been proven to be effective, the chemo--not so much. I'm not sure if I will undergo chemotherapy until I get a second opinion and some additional questions answered. Much of the research and articles available online state that chemotherapy is not a proven beneficial treatment for this type of tumor/cancer. So I don't want to be sick as a dog and on my ass for a year or lying in some bed if I don't have to. Oncologists will try to tell me that my lifespan will be even shorter if I don't do the chemo, but then they also tell me to try and do normal things and have a positive outlook. I would like to try to do the normal things I enjoy doing, and since there is no way to tell how my body will respond with chemo, and if it's not even all that beneficial...


The enormity of the situation is still a lot to swallow and a little too big to wrap my arms around at this point.

Right now the best thing that can help me is all my family and friends' smiling faces, normal daily activities and routines, a positive outlook, etc.

I'll write more after I meet with the radiology oncologist sometime this week. I'll write more after my consultation with a nurse from Loma Linda University's proton therapy program. A treatment option my loving uncle recommended that I look into..

See you all soon.