On the road again

I can't wait to get on the road again.

Cha having fun with Grandma

My birthday weekend

I celebrated my birthday this weekend with my parents down in DC. We had a wonderful time and the weather was perfect. Altho, I'm sure it could have been stormy and cold and we'd still have fun.

Matt, Cha and I got down to the hotel around 8:00 pm Friday night. Philly and DC traffic were both a mess so it was a long drive. Cha was looking forward to seeing her grandparents and ran to Grandma's arms when she saw her in the parking lot. It was very sweet.

Saturday we took a open air tour bus of DC. I've seen the sights many times but it was such a beautiful day and being there with family made it very special. The tour ended at 7:00 pm so we decided to eat dinner at Union Station before we drove home. Our first stop was Pizzeria Uno which had a 40 minute wait. That was a no-go for a hungry crew of tourists so we found a restaurant called America on the main level. It was actually pretty good food and there was immediate seating. The server was wonderful and made us feel very relaxed. I'm baffled why the people waited at Unos. I've eaten there several times and it's certainly not worth a 40 minute wait.

Sunday morning we took off for Annapolis, Maryland. My dad found a boat that took tours of the lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay. Being my dad is a lighthouse geek, this was the perfect day for him. We had fun finding our way to Annapolis and waiting on the dock for the boat to arrive. The tour was less than 50% full so there was plenty of room for us to walk about and relax. The tour guide was very personable and knowledgeable about the history of Chesapeake Bay so it was a good experience for all of us.

Monday morning we packed, had breakfast and came home. If it weren't so late I'd probably say something witty about the 'special' host dropping my dad's silverware on the ground only to pick it up and hand it back to him. Little does that poor guy know that he's now part of the Jenkins lore. We'll be talking about him for years to come.

When we got home Matt mowed the lawn, I swept the patio and made sure my roses were still alive and did a week's worth of laundry. Cha and I walked to the 7-11 with the neighbor girls to get a Slurpee and had a nice restful evening.

Forty one has been a pretty good year so far.

Hanging with Grandpa and Grandma


Waiting to board the Bay Lighthouse Tour in Annapolis, MD

Feeding the ducks and playing with Grandma in Gaithersburg

Waking up from a long nap on the boat.

Thanks for everything Mom and Dad!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to Spencer and Tamara and the rest of the May Jenkins babies!

Race Day!

Matt, Cha and I got to the hotel Saturday afternoon and I started feeling bad. We went swimming and out to dinner and I kept feeling worse. I was up all night with a migraine and seriously didn't think I would make the walk this morning. I spent most of the night laying against the toilet and tub praying for the pain to end.

Somehow I managed to get up and out the door. The walk from the hotel to the art museum was nice and cool and it was nearly empty at 6:45 am. We picked up our team sign (which was a little bland, I was hoping for some color) and then went to the survivors tent for breakfast. I was still feeling icky and the tent was packed and loud so I didn't eat.

The tent was at the bottom of the art museum steps and I knew there was a survivors parade down the steps (a la Rocky) so we stood there until the parade. We were right next to the news people and I kept moving so I wouldn't get in the camera. I was not looking or feeling my best and didn't want to be on TV.

They made the announcement for the survivors to go to the top of the steps so I left Matt and Cha behind. She was very tired and clingy so I felt terrible leaving. The whole thing was a little overwhelming for her.

I was doing okay standing there until Kelly called to say our team were there. I started crying and then everyone around me started crying. There were lots of hugs with strangers. It was pretty incredible. The band played a little bit of the Rocky theme and then we started down the stairs. Everyone was bawling and it was so emotional. Some of the women were bald from chemo and weak from their illness and I felt so guilty for complaining about a migraine.

When we got to the bottom I found Matt and then we walked over and found the rest of the team. I was so happy to see them that I had to cry some more. I'm telling you, it was an emotional day!

The runners were the first to take off and my friends Kelly, Val and Nadia all ran (3.1 miles in 39 mins, I was so proud!). I knew I couldn't keep up with them so I decided on the jog/walk option instead. It was so crowded that we were forced to keep a slow and steady pace. I'm hoping that we would have jogged faster if we had the chance, but who cares either way! I made it in 1 hour 5 minutes (which was actually less because we didn't start right on time).

It was an amazing experience.

Here are some pictures:

At the breakfast


The Survivors Parade


Walking Down




Finally reaching Matt and Cha, I was bawling!


Matt was standing right next to Gov Rendell


When I met up with my girlfriends. We all bawled!


Finishing my walk


The Team


The entire crew


BFF Kelly and I


Kel's son Johnny and Char


BFF Leila, who we didn't find until after the race


Before the race

And finally, because it's soooo cute, he's our mini-Rocky

Random Pix for Grandma

Am I asking too much?

Am I asking too much? All I want to do is be as happy as Cha is in that picture. I want to be 2 again, just for a little while.

I upped my dose of Lexapro to 15 mg a day. I started out at 5 and was on 10 for a couple months but felt like I needed more. All it does is make me tired. I yawn all day, can barely keep my eyes open and am constantly in need of a nap.

Last night I only took 10 mg. I don't think the benefits of the 15 mg a day outweighs sleeping the day away. We'll see how it goes.

Three more faces

This is what I was faced with when I tried to go to bed last night. My pillow belongs to Evil Kitty. Look at that face! She hisses if you try to move her so most nights I just sleep around her.



Here's Olivia and Pete. My little angels.

This is what it's about

I know that some women who are battling breast cancer prefer to keep it to themselves. It's a hell of a struggle and with all the emotions involved sometimes it's more comforting to crawl inside yourself.

I decided to be more open about my battle. When I was first diagnosed I did a blog search on breast cancer and read several stories of women who were fighting. I learned more from their posts than I did from the doctors. I checked their blogs daily (sometimes several times a day) and sent thank you notes for allowing me to peek into their world and see what I'm in for. Minerva's blog was always my first stop. She has experienced it all and shared everything. It takes great courage to be that vulnerable. (Lace up Your Gloves is another blog that still manages to inspire me. Check out her latest post if you get a chance.)

Since the beginning of my fight four friends have approached me about breast cancer scares. They either found a lump or felt something funny and immediately jumped to worst case scenario. This morning I was contacted by a woman I barely know. She said she heard about my story and wanted to talk to me. She found something and the doctors said they couldn't get her in for another two weeks. If there's anyone who can understand what she's feeling, it's me. Ugh, the wait is the worst and despite what they say there is no way you can just put it out of your mind. Talk about a gigantic pink elephant in the room!

So this is what it's about now. Being open to others about my experience and sharing in their fears. I'm a walking reminder to schedule your mammogram.

But that's cool.