tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9942527364249306792024-03-12T23:08:03.827-04:00Walking with Big EZon his journey with multiple myeloma... gaining strength from faith, family and friendsTarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14817882710228513104noreply@blogger.comBlogger466125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-86586579782030474532021-07-02T00:09:00.027-04:002021-07-02T19:55:44.190-04:00A Lot Can Happen in Five Years<div class="separator"><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6iAicmrAOuSyhKMDB-RB5v4t_3BE3agkyKzsy-EY2KUdIqbnBMeBQJSHDBEwwqVHmqqAXaKJrb9VV-wp697KxQPcpjF1IjxgF0yOGswozQzkO1GLWUTpWD7lV67911ADDOT6Et8Ah7U/s1242/IMG_0459.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1242" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi6iAicmrAOuSyhKMDB-RB5v4t_3BE3agkyKzsy-EY2KUdIqbnBMeBQJSHDBEwwqVHmqqAXaKJrb9VV-wp697KxQPcpjF1IjxgF0yOGswozQzkO1GLWUTpWD7lV67911ADDOT6Et8Ah7U/w643-h402/IMG_0459.PNG" width="643" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vzBm82RLs1fvZBbsRBg1OIeKJB0sxoAn7B_bzFtxc1XTBVMgFXqSongZsJYR5awPBDdW2gBClP5ioU9HwbiXi2IAY2qqpqfAqS_1qGv7SGdrQ9hdakRWJhqkTYKIqPGpSvgvApjoZ3Y/s1079/IMG_8091.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1079" height="639" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vzBm82RLs1fvZBbsRBg1OIeKJB0sxoAn7B_bzFtxc1XTBVMgFXqSongZsJYR5awPBDdW2gBClP5ioU9HwbiXi2IAY2qqpqfAqS_1qGv7SGdrQ9hdakRWJhqkTYKIqPGpSvgvApjoZ3Y/w637-h639/IMG_8091.JPG" width="637" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxterGn-6rFFmmvTLwga9Ip5XxQlyazJ2xg5bdIz7MlLAgFVBXCUNR2muOUS0y0mld_WFuWeGIcO-WYuohtQjSDk0qzpnqb8Pw4d87PAVd30-vaQIVynX7DjBe9IaE4qa5spo8wDDjFM/s1231/IMG_8049.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1080" height="691" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTxterGn-6rFFmmvTLwga9Ip5XxQlyazJ2xg5bdIz7MlLAgFVBXCUNR2muOUS0y0mld_WFuWeGIcO-WYuohtQjSDk0qzpnqb8Pw4d87PAVd30-vaQIVynX7DjBe9IaE4qa5spo8wDDjFM/w637-h691/IMG_8049.JPG" width="637" /></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">It’s </span><span style="text-align: justify;">hard to believe that I haven’t updated our blog since January of 2016. So much has happened that I feel it is impossible to adequately share it here. However, after hearing from two dear online friends this week, who I met through this blog, I knew I needed to come back and share some very difficult news.</span></div></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Big EZ lost his battle with Multiple Myeloma at 5:00pm on April 26, 2019. He was surrounded by family, and not in pain, as he peacefully left this earth for heaven. He valiantly fought blood cancer for nine years and four months. He endured seven different treatment combinations, a clinical trial, 70 radiation treatments, surgery to insert a pin in his left femoral neck, kidney cancer and the surgical removal of a kidney, two autologous stem cell transplants, foot drop, and multiple compression fractures in his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His cause of death was Multiple Myeloma. He did not contract pneumonia and thank goodness this was all before any of us had ever heard of Covid 19. We were married for over 43 years, and I still find it hard to believe he has been gone for over two years now. I miss him every single day, and may never get used to being called a widow. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In typical Big EZ fashion, he always remained hopeful, kept his sense of humor, and never complained or asked “Why me?” He set an example for his family and friends of what it means to live out your faith, to make the most of your days, and to be intentional in telling your loved ones how much they mean to you. We were able to celebrate his 67 years of life at our church in Raleigh, North Carolina, enjoying a slide show of over 300 photos, heartfelt words from his family members including his three children and six grandchildren, testimonies from his closest friends, his favorite blue grass music, his favorite snack foods, and trying our hand at his much loved cork tricks and brain-teaser puzzles. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulRpKxl8pJji4tC5l95tjZ8eHVVeCPU3GIaiY2hec4NWZpG0w4C8R6oCDBGqmxmPz0_rTTZtMvl268Zp3U7I-4zepwN0LHjBffcDlvPd_wCD3Q1Ao7p1wKbzwoVEDQJGiMb4CnJerSU0/s1079/IMG_8088.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1079" height="645" 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style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"> me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day…”</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"> 2 Timothy 4:7-8</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will write a few more posts to fill in the huge gap of what went on in our lives during the three years from 2016 to 2019, including a move to our log cabin in the mountains, two unforgettable vacations, relapse, more treatment, and a second stem cell transplant at Duke. I am so grateful for those friends we met through our connection with Multiple Myeloma and this blog. Your encouragement and support through the years meant so much to EZ and I. Unfortunately as social media began to change, keeping up with blogging was replaced by simpler postings on Instagram and Facebook, and I lost touch with many of you. I hope and pray you are well and continuing to fight the good fight until a cure is found. </div><div><br /></div><div>Linda</div>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-65452364281606962722016-01-20T14:51:00.001-05:002016-01-20T14:53:30.503-05:00Looking Back on This Day in 2010<a href="http://walkingwithbigez.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2014-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2015-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=3">January
20th will always be a significant day in EZ's Multiple Myeloma history.
You can read all about it in my post from 2014 by going to the link here.</a><br />
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I couldn't let this day slip by without reminiscing. January 20, 2010 was when we first met EZ's local oncologist, Dr. Alan Kritz, and began this journey of life with Multiple Myeloma. We hardly knew what was about to hit us then, and it feels good to be six years down the road and looking forward to the future with great hope and expectation. We are so blessed to live in an area where two hospitals do stem cell transplants (Duke and University of North Carolina), and where there are many excellent myeloma specialists available to treat patients. We are thankful NOT to be in an oncologist's office today, but rather at home in front of the fireplace, waiting for some snow flurries to begin falling.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccssCgDgvhzQPO_nzAaIkQFcrYckbUIP_SQjGNIAzydzSpvL3c1Q4OdloikccRBBty2nXKSEHosOlQIQzhV8epIowosAXx5powZAJNqTjMEBD36CB0WRC_Bd4cJRQlNlwLpL0sUBTkys/s1600/lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccssCgDgvhzQPO_nzAaIkQFcrYckbUIP_SQjGNIAzydzSpvL3c1Q4OdloikccRBBty2nXKSEHosOlQIQzhV8epIowosAXx5powZAJNqTjMEBD36CB0WRC_Bd4cJRQlNlwLpL0sUBTkys/s640/lucy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy, our newly adopted English Springer Spaniel</td></tr>
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As I think back to a time of deep uncertainty with EZ's cancer diagnosis, job/insurance loss, a 31 day hospitalization, huge financial concerns, radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and a scary future, I am reminded that none of this came as a surprise to God. He holds our future in His hands, and He helped us get through each and every day with His strength, not our own. We hardly knew how to put one foot in front of the other, but He loved us. He helped us. People prayed for us. Friends and family supported us. Doctors cared for us. We are grateful. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EZ's Mr. Clean look</td></tr>
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We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. We will continue to be educated about all things MM. We will be involved in our Triangle Multiple Myeloma Support Group. We will give to wonderful organizations such as the IMF, MMRF, and LLS, in the hope that research and advances in treatment might continue to improve and prolong the lives of patients. We will pray for a cure. We will live life with hope, and treasure every day. We will try to show love and support to others who are fighting the good fight with MM. We will do this together, hand-in-hand, one step at a time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacardi Beach, Samana Dominican Republic</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Please leave a comment if there is any way we can encourage, or be of help to you today.<br />
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; border: 0px none;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-61857276331695411002016-01-17T15:57:00.002-05:002016-01-19T11:58:10.701-05:00Happy New Year 2016!<br />
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Greetings! For those of you that may not have heard from us in the past year, can you tell from this picture that life is good? Hope that puts your heart and mind at ease right away. We realize that in the world of unpredictable Multiple Myeloma, not hearing from fellow survivors for a bit can be scary. </div>
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In November of 2015, EZ and I were able to celebrate our 40th anniversary (a month early) in beautiful Samana, Dominican Republic! It was an amazing time away for the two of us, to reflect on all of God's goodness in our marriage, and in Ernie's battle with MM. We took long walks on the beach, snorkled, dined in fine fashion, watched beautiful sunsets, and just enjoyed celebrating love and life. </div>
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With EZ's diagnosis six years ago, we were shocked, saddened, devastated, fearful, confused and overwhelmed. But today, we are grateful and full of hope for our future. Our prayer is that others would be encouraged by our journey, and see that there is One bigger than ourselves and our circumstances. Thank you to our family, friends, and church for your prayers and support over the years. </div>
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EZ's M-spike remains at 0, "undetectable". The results of his bloodwork remain stable, as they have all year. He continues to take 10 mg Revlimid daily, with no days off, and has been on this regimen for 5 years now, tolerating it exceptionally well. Yes, he lives with neuropathy, daily sweating, a suppressed immune system, and insomnia, but overall, he can still enjoy life every day!</div>
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I can't wait to share more highlights (EZ's deep sea fishing trip to the Bahamas), and lowlights (the passing of his sweet Mom), from 2015. My goal is to blog much more often. We love and appreciate those we have met online, traveling a similar, or dissimilar, journey with MM, and never want to lose touch. There were many times in the past that we never imagined traveling again, or seeing our 40th anniversary, but here we are. If you are facing difficult circumstances, try to keep the faith and hold on to hope for the future. We are proof you might be surprised by all the blessings that await you!</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-68482800883494396962015-06-12T10:36:00.000-04:002015-06-12T10:36:55.167-04:00Remembering my Dad<br />
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Today is the sixth anniversary of my father's passing. We miss him every day, and wish so much that cancer had not robbed us of many more years with him. I know there are many people reading this today, and feeling the same way about a loved one. I admired him for so many reasons, and loved being his little girl. I wanted to share what I wrote to be read at his funeral service, so that others could get to know him, and remember him today.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif";">Remembering My Dad</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It is hard to put in to words all the
emotions and memories that are flooding my mind. I simply want to say that I
sure do love my Dad and will miss him more than words can say. I am so grateful
to have had him for so many years, and for being there by his side as he went
to be with the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He will forever be a man of great courage,
not only by the way he fought his battle with cancer, but in the way he served
his country in Vietnam. He taught us to honor the American flag, love our country,
and pray for the troops, wherever they might be. My two brothers even spent
time in the Army, following in his footsteps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know that made him so proud.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He was a man dedicated to his family,
showing us the world during his military career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent so much time together exploring far
away places, and experiencing things like water skiing on the Panama Canal and
walking up Mt. Vesuvius in Italy. He took us boating and camping that our
family might steal away and be together, creating memories that have lasted a
lifetime.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He was a man of integrity and honesty and
never in my life do I remember him telling a lie. He showed us the value of
hard work and never seemed to run out of energy before he had cancer. He was
organized and cared for his household in a meticulous way, and we often joked
that his garage was neater than our house. He loved his Park Avenue and would
refuse to drive it if the forecast called for rain, lest it should get dirty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He was a dedicated Alumnus and his love for
FSU and the Seminoles was apparent in his home, his cars, and certainly in his
dress. Even to his last weeks in the hospital and hospice house, he held up his
finger and told everyone the Seminoles were number 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bobby Bowden would have been proud to hear
the song Dad made up and sang in his honor. Our children grew up wearing garnet
and gold and we would often find hidden FSU decals secretly placed on our cars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He had a sense of humor too, as many of you
well know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were in stitches thinking
back to his antics and I am grateful for his funny side and the memories we
have of him laughing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He considered my Mom the love of his life, married
60 years, and together they showed us children what it meant to be committed
for life, till death did they part. Often far away from extended family, they
stuck together and made it through many a difficult day. My mother’s care for
him during his battle with cancer certainly extended his days, and we are
grateful for how she unselfishly served him, stepping up and taking care of
many things he had always taken care of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My Dad also loved his church, his Sunday
school classes, his fraternal brothers the Masons, the Eastern Star, his
Scottish and Southern heritage, and of course his cat Sheba.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "GoudyOlSt BT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you Dad for leaving a legacy of
courage, patriotism, family, integrity, honesty, loyalty, laughter, love and
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will never forget all you
taught us, we will take care of Mom and Sheba, and we look forward to seeing
you again, in heaven.</span></div>
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<br />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-27057983747873667852015-06-09T16:05:00.003-04:002015-06-10T00:10:10.146-04:00Great Day at the IMF Regional Community Workshop in Charlotte, NC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Saturday, June 6, 2015 was a great day in Charlotte, NC for the International Myeloma Foundation's Regional Community Workshop, titled "Living Successfully with Multiple Myeloma". The featured speakers were ones we had never heard before, and we were very impressed: <b>Dr. Saad Usmani (Dr. Barlogie was his mentor)</b>, Director of Plasma Cell Disorders and Clinical Research in Hematologic Malignancies at the Levine Cancer Center/Carolinas Healthcare System, in Charlotte NC, and <b>Dr. Craig Cole</b>, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. <b>Charise Gleason</b>, MSN, NP-BC from Emory University Winship Cancer Center, Atlanta, GA also spoke to us on Supportive Care. These doctors are brilliant, and full of hope and energy in regard to the battle against Multiple Myeloma and the exciting advances in science and research! Their work is groundbreaking, and we were privileged to sit under their teaching for the day. The Westin also fed us very well, which never hurts when you are sitting for so long trying to understand very difficult terminology, some of which is familiar and much of which is not.<br />
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Unfortunately there were no handouts, so we were writing furiously as they spoke, trying to capture screen shots of charts, graphs and other key bits of information. (I still understand very little of the science associated with MM cells
and treatment, so I apologize for keeping it simple, and not sharing
more. There are plenty of sites like IMF, MMRF, LLS, Myeloma Beacon, and others, that have comprehensive information for you!) With so much outdated information circulating on the internet, it was encouraging to hear about accurate, up-to-date findings, with promising data from clinical trials, especially<b> Antibody Targeting of Multiple Myeloma </b>(Antibody based therapy) in relapsed or refractory myeloma. Myeloma cells have surface proteins, antibodies attach to surface proteins, multiple natural processes attack the MM cells identified by the antibody! Clinical trials of the following <b>immunotherapy </b>combinations are showing wonderful response rates, fewer side effects (no neuropathy), and increased time until relapse, so we are excited about these trials and combinations and look forward to FDA approval:<br />
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Daratumumab + Rev/dex<br />
Elotuzumab + Rev/dex<br />
SAR + Rev/dex<br />
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Here was lunch. I told you they fed us well :-)<br />
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Below are a few excerpts from my notes that were important to us (I
apologize in advance for any inaccuracies):<br />
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<u>Dr. Cole </u>stated: "Multiple Myeloma represents 1% of all cancers, 10% of blood cancers, and it is not inherited. The cause remains unknown, though data showing exposure to ionizing radiation, diesel/engine fuel, and pesticides is convincing. The incidence statistics show 3 per 100,000 are Asian, 5 per 100,000 are Caucasian, and 12 per 100,000 are African American.<br />
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An essential feature of MM cancer progression is the variability within cancer cells called<b> 'intra-clonal heterogeneity'</b> (ICH). There are 3-6 sub-populations of cells that have different characteristics and aggressiveness. The most aggressive take over...survival of the fittest. 82% of patients have multiple gene definitions; different biological characteristics and treatment reactions. Relapsed MM is so hard to treat because you are dealing with so many different sub-clones! BUT, people ARE getting better, and clinical trials are becoming the standard of care...then, CURE! Great changes are coming quickly with the goal of gaining maximum effectiveness from treatment, with little side effects. Question your doctor, demand more, and take an active role in your treatment decisions. "<br />
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<u>Dr. Usmani</u> stated: "In regard to Myeloma options at diagnosis, <b>MM is not one disease</b>, so one size does not fit all. Individualized therapy by a myeloma expert is critical. Don't ever be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Patients and doctors are a partnership, and must be able to work together as a team. Good and standard risk patients make up 80%, benefiting from novel agents and high dose melphalan/stem cell rescue. 20% are high risk. My goal is to change MM to a chronic illness for the majority, and probably curative for a subset. 85,000 are living with MM in 2015. Your prognosis factors include: 1) tumor burden, 2) tumor biology and 3) patient related factors. Deeper responses to treatment improve overall disease free time. "<br />
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<u>Maintenance Strategies</u> (Dr. Usmani) - Revlimid (10mg) and Velcade (sub-subcutaneously) are the two drugs he primarily uses. Revlimid maintenance after ASCT does produce improved overall survival. You get better mileage from Revlimid if you are on maintenance, and don't just use it at relapse. However, it is unclear whether ALL will benefit from maintenance...doctors must tailor the treatment choices. He also mentioned: 1) Ixazomib and Oprozomib 2) Pomalidomide, and 3) Monoclonal antibodies (Elotuzumab, Daratumumab and SAR 65084). <br />
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General practitioners need to be taught two screening mechanisms for MM detection in patients over 50: SPEP (serum protein electrophoresis) and FLCS (free light chain survey). Earlier detection is critical. MRIs and PET/CT scans are a much better picture of the bones than skeletal surveys as, according to him, they don't show lesions until 70% progressed (this was shocking news!). <br />
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So there you go...our day in a nutshell! It has been forever since I blogged, but wanted you all to know that EZ is well, and continues to be in CR (5th birthday coming up August 25, 2015!). Blessings to all of you! Sure would love to hear from our blog friends. This is us at our son's wedding reception December 20th...dancing the night away!<br />
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<br />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-1741029468199069652015-01-03T13:39:00.000-05:002015-01-17T10:15:00.764-05:00Happy New Year 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hardly know where to begin, so why not wish everyone a Happy New Year! Right off the bat I'd like to set your minds at ease and say that Big EZ continues to be in complete remission with no detectable M-spike and all other numbers stable. When we haven't heard from fellow bloggers in quite a while, we worry that something is wrong, and often it is. For us, life is just full and busy, so for the most part, a quick Intagram post is about all I can muster! We are extremely grateful that five years post diagnosis, EZ has not relapsed and his numbers continue to look good. </div>
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And now for a quick review of 2014 and four very exciting events in the life of our family: </div>
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1. Our son, Nick, got engaged to the beautiful Anne Davis in March. When EZ was diagnosed in January of 2010, he wondered if he'd live long enough to meet the girl Nick would one day marry. Our prayers were surely answered and we love Anne so much!</div>
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2. In celebration of my 60th birthday, EZ and I took an amazing trip to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Zion National Park and Las Vegas in April. </div>
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3. We welcomed a new grandson, Will, in May. Big sister, Emery, was beyond excited, and so were we!</div>
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Guenthers Christmas 2014</div>
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That makes six beautiful grandchildren for us!</div>
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Dews Christmas 2014<br />
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4. Nick and Anne got married in Chapel Hill, NC on December 20, 2014!</div>
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The wedding party with EZ serving as Nick's best man. It was such an honor for EZ to stand beside his son on this very special day!</div>
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Our five oldest grandchildren all participated in the wedding. Were they ever adorable!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gigi looks beautiful surrounded by 5 of her great grandchildren!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful engagement and wedding photos by Robyn Van Dyke Photography</td></tr>
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All Bakers have now married in the month of December, with Nick and Anne marrying on our 39th anniversary! Here we all are at the wedding: Nick and Anne, day one, Leah and Kyle 8 years, Tara and Jamie 14 years, and Ernie and I, 39 years! What a cause for celebration!</div>
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There was so much more to celebrate in 2014, but these are definitely some of the highlights. May you all have a healthy and happy 2015, and hopefully you will hear from us more often! We care very much for those of you who stop by our blog, and would love to hear from you! For now, let's all try to remember these wise words in the new year:</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-79454473861878284462014-01-20T18:13:00.000-05:002014-01-21T21:24:57.317-05:00Four Years Ago Today<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-style: normal;">When you are diagnosed/living with any form of cancer, you can lose hope, forget how to laugh, and immerse yourself in a world where numbers suddenly become the most important thing to you. EZ has always been a "numbers person", but I have always struggled with numbers...I am a people person. You are soon forced to discover a lot of new terminology that you never dreamed you would become proficient with, and you can hardly concentrate on anything but the disease.</span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Four years ago today we had our first meeting with Oncologist Dr. Alan Kritz, from Cancer Centers of North Carolina.<i> </i>Having the results of EZ's MRI (1/4/10) and sacral biopsy (1/14/10) in hand, Dr. Kritz did a bone marrow biopsy and extensive bloodwork, ordered a 24 hour urinalysis and long bone x-rays (bone survey). </span><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;">The</span><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> <b>Bone Marrow Biopsy Report and labwork from 1/20/10 </b>revealed the following: </span></i></div>
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<li><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b> M-spike 2</b>, WBC - 7.0, Hemoglobin- 12.0, Platelets - 200 K</span></i></li>
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<li><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b> 20-30% plasma cells</b>, monoclonal<b> IgA kappa </b>plasma cell population</span></i></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Cytogenic studies revealed trisomy 3, but <b>negative for both</b> a deletion of RB1 on chromosome 13</span></i><i><span style="font-style: normal;"> and a deletion of TP35 on chromosome 17. </span></i></li>
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<i><span style="font-style: normal;">A<b> Bone Survey from 1/22/10</b> showed the following:</span></i><br />
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<li><i><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>Multiple punched-out lesions</b> involving the skull, bilateral humeri and left femur </span></i></li>
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I often look back to my notes from 1/5/10 when we met with our
orthopedic doctor to get the results of the MRI. I didn't even know how
to spell "myeloma", let alone understand what he was telling us about
the suspicion that this mass of abnormal cells (plasmacytoma) on EZ's
sacrum most likely indicated some form of blood cancer. Complete shock!</div>
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We were indeed facing Multiple Myeloma, and treatment proceeded in earnest. Radiation to EZ's sacrum began on 1/26/10, a port was surgically implanted on 2/4/10, and chemotherapy and bone strengthener infusions began on 2/5/10. All the while we were trying to educate ourselves about what we were facing and what the prognosis might look like. As many of you know, much of the literature can be outdated and grim, but many new advances are taking place in the world of Multiple Myeloma, and though not curable, it is highly treatable. Wow, how we clung to those words...<i>highly treatable</i>. Our plan was to beat this aggressive blood cancer into remission, and move on to stem cell transplant, and maintenance therapy. Though not without its share of hardships, we accomplished our mission and EZ has remained on maintenance therapy (Revlimid 10mg) for over 3 years now. Under the care of Dr. Kritz, and Dr. Cristina Gasparetto at Duke, he has achieved wonderful results and we are so very grateful. We, of course, are praying that remission continues for a long time to come, though we are not ignorant of the fact that relapse is a very real possibility. </div>
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I want to encourage those of you who may have also received very unexpected news at one time or another, that all hope should not be lost. Dig your heels in, educate yourself with up-to-date information about what you are facing, choose your doctors wisely, don't be afraid to seek second opinions, ask questions, surround yourself with family and supportive friends who will "come along side" you in your battle, and never underestimate the power of prayer! All that we have been through has served to strengthen our marriage, deepen our faith, and enlighten us as to the beauty of each day, never taking life for granted. </div>
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We have many fond memories of the past 4 years. We have had 3 grandchildren born (with another on the way) since EZ's diagnosis. We have traveled to Disney World, the Keys, Seattle, Alaska and soon, The Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. We have moved to a new home where life is more manageable (and yard maintenance is provided!). We have met some incredible people, in person and online, who are also battling MM or caring for a loved one with MM, and our lives are richer because of them. We have been humbled by the generosity of many, some of whom we have never met. We have learned to accept help. We have laughed. Most of all, we are even more convinced of how much we are loved by God, who in His faithfulness, has sustained us. </div>
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We look forward to 2014 with hope and excitement, as there will be a new baby boy to meet, and new travel adventures to enjoy with one another. Live life, remain hopeful, and stay positive.</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-9842149983150901292014-01-17T00:01:00.000-05:002014-01-17T00:03:27.761-05:00Five Little Blessings with a Sixth on the Way!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ3gNmOffR5YseRPCOhqNHbb0ggbjx2W6oI7iXia5UriGUe_5sl5WxgpHsLgctPS9nJFKbSKCLk6DI-cum2ituQLC7jpl8LXvJ5fExlOdTsoFccVJqZHv1ue2qdLCHFfA2-jJxyH38Ho/s1600/IMG_5821.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></div>
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Can I just say what a blessing these five little ones are to us? To think that four years ago, when EZ was diagnosed on January 20th of 2010, we had one set of twin grandchildren, Natalie and Nathan. Our daughter Tara was expecting our second set of twin grandchildren, Samantha and Samuel, that February. A year later, our daughter Leah gave birth to our little singleton, Emery, and so there were five. In May, Emery will have a little brother and there will be six! We are beyond ecstatic!</div>
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When we were told that EZ had Multiple Myeloma, we were so very uncertain about what the future held. And though the past four years have had their share of peaks and valleys, we can say without a doubt that these five have been the best medicine, and brought the most joy! Their giggles, exuberance, cuddles, and love have brought us smiles on even the most painful of days. We are so grateful for our family and the love we share. This Grandma and Grandpa will never take it for granted, as we treasure each day with them. God is so very good. </div>
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<i>I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.</i> Psalm 89:1</div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-6919786349803722622014-01-16T09:10:00.000-05:002014-01-16T09:10:42.362-05:00Happy New Year 2014!<br />
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-30403610917608351192013-10-29T09:43:00.000-04:002013-10-29T11:59:15.564-04:00Blessed By The Beauty<div style="text-align: justify;">
EZ and I recently spent a week in our cabin over in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. The leaves were definitely peaking and we were so blessed each day as we took excursions to soak in the beauty that surrounded us. In the midst of whatever you might be facing, it is so refreshing to just stop and rejoice over the good in your life. Many people always seem to see the cup half empty, but we seem to see the cup half full. Why not count your blessings, be positive, smile and hold on to hope for a wonderful tomorrow? Enjoy this road trip through the Appalachians and have a great day!</div>
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-22924369546220018142013-10-18T09:56:00.000-04:002013-10-18T10:15:47.965-04:00Eat More Fruit and Veggies<div style="text-align: justify;">
Seems like I am always on a quest to make better food choices, but "will power" gets in the way. As the holiday season approaches, what better time to TRY to commit to eating more fruit and veggies. We all know processed food, way too many grains, and tons of sugar are the staples of the American diet, and I am the first to admit I love to bake and sweets are my greatest weakness! But I am reading, learning from others, and trying to change the way we eat, slowly but surely. The Paleo lifestyle makes alot of sense to me, but actually making the change is difficult, so we are taking baby steps. My mother is insulin diabetic, and with EZ's compromised immune system, we need to give ourselves every advantage by making better food choices. There, I said it, now I have to be held accountable. I'm not saying there will never be another Monkey Bread in our future, but we will try to do better on a day to day basis. </div>
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My niece, Sarah, is an excellent cook, or should I say chef, and she has started a blog that can really encourage anyone who wants to make a change in what they buy and how they eat. She is especially vigilant about what she feeds her children, in order to establish better lifestyle choices from an early age. Her blog is called <a href="http://mypaleotastickitchen.blogspot.com/">My Paleotastic Kitchen</a>. I encourage you to go take a look at what she has to say. In the meantime, here are a few things we have enjoyed lately. Have a great weekend everyone, and eat more fruit and veggies!</div>
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P.S. Contrast these foods with many of the new offerings at the NC state fair here in Raleigh this week: Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joes, and deep fried Red Velvet Oreos.We will NOT be sampling these...heart attack waiting to happen!<br />
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-3062810307171384542013-10-17T11:53:00.001-04:002013-10-18T09:18:24.927-04:00Getting Crafty - Burlap Wreath and Drop Cloth Curtains<div style="text-align: justify;">
My daughter, Leah, has inspired me to get back to DIY projects and crafts. She recently made a burlap wreath and gave me a one-on-one lesson as to how it's done. I also watched a few tutorials on Pinterest which were a big help. I ended up using twice as much burlap (2 full rolls - 20 yards!) as Leah did, but I wanted a thicker appearance. It is easy to do, requiring only a little time, burlap, accent ribbon, and a wire frame. It makes a large wreath which is perfect for a big front door, or you can scale it down if your door is smaller. </div>
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Here is a simple tutorial you can look at to see how its done, and there are many others on Pinterest:</div>
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<a href="http://www.texascottageblog.com/2012/08/burlap-wreath-tutorial.html"> burlap wreath</a> </div>
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I took a few pictures of mine as I worked on it one day at our cabin and believe me, it isn't something you can easily mess up. Just make your loops look pretty uniform, scrunching them together as you go, and before you know it, you are done! (I made a different bow after these pictures)</div>
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Here is another fun wreath I found on Pinterest that I might have to try next, along with some really pretty burlap flowers I would like to make.</div>
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And hey, since it's Fall, look at this great idea for embellishing plain pillar candles...anything with cinnamon smell is fabulous to me!</div>
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My other project was making drop cloth curtains for our new screened porch. The morning sun is pretty intense shining in, and curtains would filter that, and give us some privacy on both sides of our house. Again, my daughter, Leah had made some for her family room, so I followed her lead. I simply headed out to Lowes (or Home Depot), purchased my drop cloths, broke out my sewing machine (which I hadn't used in about 9 years), and got started. I pre-washed the cloths, laid each panel out on the family room floor to measure, cut and pin, then stitched the hem, ironed them, and hung them up. We found the perfect rods at Lowes that had the clips on rollers in a built-in groove, so they slide open and closed very easily.<br />
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There you go! Don't expect them to be perfect...after all they are drop cloths and the edges won't always be straight, but they are very natural, fairly inexpensive, washable and easy. Let me know if you have any questions or have made either of these projects yourself!</div>
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-65884348006766286782013-10-11T00:30:00.000-04:002013-10-11T00:30:05.317-04:00A Recipe for You - Sour Cream Coffee Cake <div style="text-align: justify;">
Shortly after we moved, our new neighbor, Darlene, surprised us with a warm, delicious coffee cake. We enjoyed it so much all week, that I decided to bake one myself and take it to the kind folks that bought our house. Easy, pretty foolproof, and scrumptious...especially if you love all things cinnamon like me. For those of you looking for a sweet breakfast treat to go with your coffee this weekend, here ya go! I would say it serves 16-20, so it's a good recipe to keep in mind for a family gathering at Thanksgiving or Christmas. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Sour Cream Coffee Cake</span></div>
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½ cup butter, softened</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 cup sour cream</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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1 tsp baking powder</div>
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½ tsp salt</div>
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2 cups flour</div>
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¾ cup chopped nuts</div>
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¼ cup sugar</div>
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1 tsp cinnamon</div>
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and sour cream together with a mixer, adding one ingredient at a time for a fluffier cake. Beat in dry ingredients. In separate bowl, stir topping ingredients together. Grease an
angel food cake or tube pan. Pour more than half the batter into pan. Spread
with half the topping. Pour in remainder of batter and cover with remaining
topping. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out
clean. Let cool a bit (20 minutes), then remove from pan keeping topping side up. Make your
favorite vanilla glaze (confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla) and drizzle
it over the cake when cool. Enjoy!</div>
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Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be back next week. </div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-86032222659710620692013-10-10T00:30:00.000-04:002013-10-10T00:30:01.356-04:00Thankful Thursday - Our First Light the Night Walk - Team Walking with EZWe are so very grateful to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for many reasons, but especially for their Co-Pay Assistance Program. Honestly, I don't know what we would do without the yearly grants we have been approved for, that help with insurance premiums and co-pays. Below is a description of the program from their website, and you can click <a href="http://www.lls.org/diseaseinformation/getinformationsupport/financialmatters/copayassistance/">here</a> for more information.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Co-Pay Assistance Program
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Dealing with cancer is hard enough without
having to worry about its financial burden. The Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society Co-Pay Assistance Program helps you pay your insurance premiums
and meet co-pay obligations. We'll also help you find additional sources
of financial help.</span></i></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Their mission is to "find a cure for blood cancer, and to improve the quality of life for patients and their families", and they work mighty hard at it!</span> They are also dedicated to funding research, which is critical if a cure for blood cancer is going to be found. Time is of the essence.</div>
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We were pretty excited about our first Light the Night Walk and an opportunity to give back in support of the LLS. We got on board late, so only our son, Nick, was able to walk with us, but next year we will be there in full force with lanterns shining! It was a wonderful experience to celebrate life with the many survivors, friends, families, corporations, and LLS volunteers and staff. Thank you to those who gave in support of our team!</div>
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It was a beautiful North Carolina Saturday night with an awesome band, delicious food, and great people. Survivors were treated to dinner and a t-shirt, and carried white lanterns. One gold lantern per team was carried in remembrance of those we have lost to blood cancer, and there was a wonderful Remembrance Garden and Ceremony. Red lanterns were carried by the friends and families of those surviving blood cancer. What a sea of beautiful colors lit up the night sky in downtown Durham! It was an honor to walk with such an amazing group of people...especially my survivor. Team Walking with EZ will be back next year for sure. Hope you'll join us if you are local!</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-29177019519122379102013-10-09T00:01:00.000-04:002013-10-10T22:10:38.650-04:00Three Years Post Transplant Appointments...All is Well!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has been a busy couple of weeks with doctors appointments, but it makes it all worthwhile when the news is good! Both our local oncologist and the team at Duke continue to be pleased with EZ's stability, numbers and undetected M-spike. For now, he continues with visits every other month to the Cancer Centers of North Carolina to see Dr. Alan Kritz, and the Duke ABMT Clinic to see Dr. Cristina Gasparetto (only once a year now). They both agreed he should stay on 10 mg Revlimid as maintenance.<br />
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Why not take a little snooze while you wait? <br />
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Here is the happy patient with Dr. Gasparetto (sorry it's blurry!). She is such a wonderful, caring oncologist and spent real quality time with us:<br />
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After EZ's appointment we took a victory lap down and around the clinic hallways. How well we remember being in the position of so many we saw that day... no hair, feeling so weak and sick, sleeping, receiving stem cells, or harvesting stem cells all hooked up to that amazing aphresis machine! (For a look back on our journey, you can click on the "Stem Cell Transplant" label.) I was deeply touched by a nurse hugging and comforting a wife/caregiver who was in tears in the hallway, out of her husband's sight. We saw them walk into the clinic, and he was so weak that a staff member followed along behind him with a wheelchair fearing his strength would give out. It brought back memories of a day I felt exactly like her...scared to death! Hopefully EZ can give others hope that they too will be taking a victory lap one day. They certainly are in good hands at Duke!</div>
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Below is a look back on what I wrote the day EZ's stem cells were harvested for transplant on August 17th of 2010: </div>
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<i>What
a day of celebration this is for us as we look back on all the steps it
took to get us here...23 chemotherapy treatments, 22 radiation
treatments, 8 months of doctor's visits, 31 days hospitalized at Rex, 26
days unable to get out of bed, 5 months of walking with crutches or a
walker, surgery to have a port put in, surgery to have the port taken
out and a Hickman catheter put in, echo-cardiogram, EKG, chest x-rays, 3
bone marrow biopsies, a failed intrathecal pain pump, 2 great physical
therapists, brilliant oncologists, long bone x-rays, MRIs, CTscans, and
Neupogen injections. But most of all, we are here because of the power
of your prayers and a mighty God who loves us and has a perfect plan for
us, all in His perfect timing! Here is Ernie with his stem cell harvest
after 6 hours of aphresis.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBduQ8xPha8kY0Li7xRKDAUD-2wdK2h_Mpcf-U7x_vEBZwG43SEoEgSEzkJin05uO8usKPB6asWkOl5wnz3oYcch2eNejCuGzAx_b2VBdjKv_95rSP9nxwC-BFlFzurCRp-4M_hohrg/s1600/Stem+cells.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506535035170473282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBduQ8xPha8kY0Li7xRKDAUD-2wdK2h_Mpcf-U7x_vEBZwG43SEoEgSEzkJin05uO8usKPB6asWkOl5wnz3oYcch2eNejCuGzAx_b2VBdjKv_95rSP9nxwC-BFlFzurCRp-4M_hohrg/s400/Stem+cells.jpg" style="cursor: hand; height: 400px; width: 300px;" /></a></div>
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We always have to take a picture of EZ beside his pic on the Hall of Fame in the Transplant Clinic. It is encouraging to see so many survivors on that wall!!</div>
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So very thankful that, for now, all is well.</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-73813170264586335402013-08-26T10:46:00.001-04:002013-08-27T10:50:37.270-04:00Three Years Post Stem Cell Transplant - Happy Birthday EZ!August 25, 2010 is a day we will never ever forget. This is the day EZ
got a new lease on life with his stem cell transplant at Duke. We will
forever celebrate each year we are given, and never forget the
difficulties EZ faced, and overcame, to get here. Click the titles on his <a href="http://walkingwithbigez.blogspot.com/2011/08/stem-cell-anniversary-1.html">One Year Celebration</a> and his <a href="http://walkingwithbigez.blogspot.com/2012/08/two-years-post-stem-cell-transplant.html">Two Year Celebration</a> for a look back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzkSzTwR0kxEp2srpz_S-VYZmo4ZNJjXKuuZNNbRd5BBM1G3mOCakj5iGdG790Nx2sgqIykPTSWu6cLI24q7eAb-q-SMLGKkvOWQoHZGAnboiuhtABiK9WgMO2LO0ngo9oETYDoNUq1Y/s1600/trio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzkSzTwR0kxEp2srpz_S-VYZmo4ZNJjXKuuZNNbRd5BBM1G3mOCakj5iGdG790Nx2sgqIykPTSWu6cLI24q7eAb-q-SMLGKkvOWQoHZGAnboiuhtABiK9WgMO2LO0ngo9oETYDoNUq1Y/s640/trio.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had a wonderful, fast paced celebration with the Dew Crew yesterday
after church and before Awana. EZ planned the menu of French Dip
sandwiches, kettle cooked chips and pretzels, and cookies & cream
ice cream pie with Oreo crust. (For all the food critics out there, I KNOW this isn't the healthiest menu...it was his birthday, so we indulged! Back to leafy greens, veggies, fruit, lean meats, and much less sugar tomorrow:-)<br />
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This year we have been heavily involved with downsizing and moving to a new home that requires much less maintenance on our part. We sold our house of nine years, and moved to our new home on August 9th, which is the reason I have been absent from the blogging world. Now that we are somewhat settled, I hope to do alot of catching up. </div>
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Once again we have so much to be grateful for. Here are just a few things that come to mind:<br />
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1. No hospitalizations or major illnesses this year.<br />
2. EZ can sit for longer periods of time and we have enjoyed dinners out.<br />
3. EZ flew for the first time! Six hours from Charlotte to Seattle, first class, no problems.<br />
4. We were able to take a cruise to Alaska, courtesy of my sweet mom. Amazing!<br />
5. EZ almost single handedly packed up our entire basement, making multiple trips with his trailer to<br />
a storage unit to unpack. His physical stamina and ability to build and work on projects has<br />
greatly improved.<br />
6. He remains on 10 mg Revlimid daily, and continues to be in complete response with no detectable<br />
M-spike.<br />
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When you live with an incurable cancer, you never know when the tables
will turn, so for now, we celebrate special 'anniversaries' such as
this, with much joy. Sleep remains elusive, peripheral neuropathy wreaks
havoc in his legs and feet, he lives with pain every day, and fatigue
hits pretty hard sometimes, but he copes, never complains, and carries
on. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj294ubhWs2mPgmJdiNNeiIczuVABzfGkg8W6ez01mKI4YYZWsI2ZRxyrj1siqHsJv3Tl6kaJqWkeLRz2psOKFRo5ZgcgbLlYdo_VHhme_mjALvgNS89KIXvONYHqzMTacpH2kxylXgIdM/s1600/celebrate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj294ubhWs2mPgmJdiNNeiIczuVABzfGkg8W6ez01mKI4YYZWsI2ZRxyrj1siqHsJv3Tl6kaJqWkeLRz2psOKFRo5ZgcgbLlYdo_VHhme_mjALvgNS89KIXvONYHqzMTacpH2kxylXgIdM/s640/celebrate.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J8BAMSU4zISzQrhKq_vfEfHFY6A4jz6O7lf_RwmJP3QbXQRzytzSxHZhm7MW4J9ZOI2bUEQKoV9dHhtrJ28_eTGQeuylg1DnXm4dpMRltaBVnXiTqLU0ZJSpeQYjXc3jQfIMBBNqSXg/s1600/awana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1J8BAMSU4zISzQrhKq_vfEfHFY6A4jz6O7lf_RwmJP3QbXQRzytzSxHZhm7MW4J9ZOI2bUEQKoV9dHhtrJ28_eTGQeuylg1DnXm4dpMRltaBVnXiTqLU0ZJSpeQYjXc3jQfIMBBNqSXg/s640/awana.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Can you tell Samuel wasn't too happy about this picture?)</td></tr>
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We don't ever want to take this day for granted and thoroughly enjoyed planning and celebrating! We are grateful to be in our new home, creating new memories, and remembering God's goodness to us. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SkYb-yoSyRnzJUCx2xtbb0CVkgTAxBOn9Wl8vr0kiDyTABFAHLXt9gv3lEf_al9J-DVxqIaTDgCX18OaBSsNEES4SPHLUcDonlRaXGb-ORPLOWJ5a8h-OpTPzJDoU7NYIcOeSrsw-yo/s1600/home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6SkYb-yoSyRnzJUCx2xtbb0CVkgTAxBOn9Wl8vr0kiDyTABFAHLXt9gv3lEf_al9J-DVxqIaTDgCX18OaBSsNEES4SPHLUcDonlRaXGb-ORPLOWJ5a8h-OpTPzJDoU7NYIcOeSrsw-yo/s640/home.jpg" width="506" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Our daughter, Leah, created this housewarming sign for us!)</td></tr>
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Thank you so much for stopping by to rejoice with us!</div>
<br />
<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-16172842859245496142013-07-19T00:30:00.000-04:002013-07-19T10:00:14.735-04:00And Now...Let's Go To Seattle!<div style="text-align: justify;">
My younger brother, Johnny, and I were born in Seattle. My father was in the Army, and my parents were stationed there two different times, with an assignment in Alaska in between. My mother has always dreamed of taking us back to see our birthplace, and she had hoped that we could even find the house we lived in back in the 50's. The beauty of all of this is that she also wanted to take her three grown children and their spouses on an Alaskan Cruise with her, up the Inside Passage...departing from Seattle! She made that dream come true for all of us, in early May. We flew non-stop from Charlotte to Seattle, spent three days exploring this "City of Seven Hills", then boarded the Holland America cruise ship, Westerdam, for an amazing 7 day cruise. This was huge for EZ as it was the first time since his diagnosis three years ago, that he would be flying (and for six hours straight!). We had no idea if he would be able to "sit" for that long, but with some extra pain medication and first class seats that reclined a bit, he did great! We were all so excited about the amazing adventure we were about to go on thanks to Mom. We kids hadn't been together, just the grown ups, since before we all had children, and now grandchildren. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWcguuLufbRAk0rRCEUnf5eRKYlYMt1RBfqvSeGv73mRNLch2lYdoqFSqCE5XZ8t_bvwNh6udPRYim3hcWE7yfroRH1ypZyMsKDYKGjCpkzxaeL4Z0ER6s3UP4P4Co00j4efMESZofoA/s1600/21-IMG_4192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWcguuLufbRAk0rRCEUnf5eRKYlYMt1RBfqvSeGv73mRNLch2lYdoqFSqCE5XZ8t_bvwNh6udPRYim3hcWE7yfroRH1ypZyMsKDYKGjCpkzxaeL4Z0ER6s3UP4P4Co00j4efMESZofoA/s640/21-IMG_4192.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB37OJRXZ7SJLXHCQl4fGdAqesPUnQR1nY1tW2UT_XtlXZ00MXXHS-SZEyiGbHSvupDflXjnnb2HZD7jZX2cGQKItJARilubs38i5BrT68anv4xycfWzFeBuS4q41jc8drwjgJYHsg6o/s1600/22-IMG_4198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB37OJRXZ7SJLXHCQl4fGdAqesPUnQR1nY1tW2UT_XtlXZ00MXXHS-SZEyiGbHSvupDflXjnnb2HZD7jZX2cGQKItJARilubs38i5BrT68anv4xycfWzFeBuS4q41jc8drwjgJYHsg6o/s640/22-IMG_4198.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airplane food isn't all that bad (yeah first class!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqg4ASpY6vP81ufIJAETT_hYJWve114LirXxZtRO2Awm21786AC-OjPlmIl54-BuAfO1lYedbHMSkA_u2gmax8dz0OFSeSds3DiRbuvp7TFm6mrTq9Rwm9yHeoJTuV9LkqBCR5CeDxMc/s1600/23-IMG_4202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqg4ASpY6vP81ufIJAETT_hYJWve114LirXxZtRO2Awm21786AC-OjPlmIl54-BuAfO1lYedbHMSkA_u2gmax8dz0OFSeSds3DiRbuvp7TFm6mrTq9Rwm9yHeoJTuV9LkqBCR5CeDxMc/s640/23-IMG_4202.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those mountains!</td></tr>
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While in Seattle, we chose to rent a house overlooking Lake Washington, with a view of Mt. Ranier, rather than staying in a hotel for the three days. I am soooo glad we made that decision. It was beautiful, serene, and in a great location. We had two rental cars to explore the city with.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home for three days with view of the floating bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom<br />
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Oldest son David with wife Shannon <br />
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Youngest son Johnny with wife JoAnn <br />
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Middle child Linda with husband EZ </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look real closely and you can see Mt. Ranier in the distance (from our balcony)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a long day of travel, time for pizza with Johnny and JoAnn!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the good times begin with Mom, David, Shannon and EZ!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have a great weekend everyone! </span></div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-80700975300861850142013-07-17T11:01:00.000-04:002013-07-17T11:27:21.973-04:00Nick is off to Nepal!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can't believe the time has finally arrived for Nick to head to Nepal. (To learn more about this amazing country, click <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Nepal">here</a> and read all about it!) He has been planning this trip for about 9 months now, along with four others from the UNC School of Dentistry, and yesterday, off they went!<br />
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<img height="407" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.give2nepal.com/public/images/cms/fcd42e757b6f97ae597c404e39515c75.jpg" style="margin-top: 31px;" width="640" /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congested Kathmandu</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These paragraphs from a fundraising letter they sent out will help explain what they will be doing in Nepal:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Greetings from the <b>fourth annual UNC School of Dentistry Nepal
Project</b>! We ask for your support
with this year’s humanitarian project, designed and executed by students and
under the supervision of UNC faculty.
Our goal is to promote oral hygiene education and prevention as well as
to provide oral health care to those who otherwise would have no access to
it. Over half of Nepal’s 30 million
residents are <b>living below the
international poverty line</b>, and the entire country is currently served by <b>only 500 dentists</b>. An overwhelming majority of these dentists
are located within the capital city of Kathmandu, making it impractical and
extremely difficult for those living in rural areas to seek treatment.</span></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>In July 2013, five UNC School of
Dentistry students and a faculty member will travel to Nepal for a month, in
partnership with the Nepalese Health and Development Society. We plan to hold dental camps in the
Solukhumbu and Chitwan regions of rural Nepal to provide much needed dental
care such as extractions, fillings, cleanings, and sealants. From the Solukhumbu camp we will continue on
foot in the Annapurna Ranges, providing oral hygiene education and supplies to
villages along the route.</i></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">This is an amazing opportunity for Nick not only to put into practice what he has learned this first year, but to provide education and care to the Nepali people, halfway around the world! As you feel led, please pray for the team...safety, health, compassionate hearts, stamina, skill and lasting impact. Will post updates as we hear from Nick.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anne and I will especially be missing this guy!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-20632726855483475092013-07-16T12:17:00.001-04:002013-07-16T12:18:54.390-04:00More Projects, Then Ready, Set, Sell!<div style="text-align: justify;">
In our ongoing effort to get our house ready, we realized there were a few more things that would really make a difference in the appearance. The deck was begging for a facelift, so we had it pressure washed, EZ replaced the top and bottom railings (with some help from Nick and Kyle), then we had it stained and sealed. Much improved!!</div>
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Next it was time for a new garage door...lighter, quieter and no more sagging (failed to get a pic of the old one!). <br />
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We never had pickets on the steps leading to our unfinished basement, so EZ built a new railing and added the pickets, making it a lot safer! Glad we never had one of the grandkids go over that edge!<br />
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And finally, EZ got me a small pressure washer so I could go to town on the side walkway, patio furniture and gutters, brickwork, and front porch and walk. It is one DIRTY job, but I love the results! </div>
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The sign went up, we had seven showings in three days, and got a great offer and contract from a couple in Texas. We were due to close on May 30th, and rent back from them for three months (until August 30th)...perfect! THEN...they terminated the contract on the last day of due diligence. Agh! So we re-grouped, made it active again, and in the first weekend we had two couples look at it and got another offer from a couple moving down from New York. Our due diligence has passed, and we are totally "a go" to close on August 8th and move to our new home. We are excited about the future, and so grateful things seem to be working out. More on the new house to come!</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-56342996840291434772013-07-12T00:30:00.000-04:002013-07-12T20:47:23.458-04:00Next...the Mudroom!<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of many things I have loved about our house is the extra large laundry/mudroom/office and 1/2 bath. But for nine years we have looked at rose and cream colored torn vinyl, and it was time to update with some ceramic tile...Carolina clay color. As with the roof, tearing out the old flooring created a big mess, and at one point there was actually a toilet on our deck! At the end of it all we wondered why on earth we hadn't done it sooner. Isn't that always the case? Have a great weekend everyone!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New tile</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our appliances taking up our eat-in kitchen area </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling up the old<br />
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EZ got in to the action too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VkZ0bMy2AbbuykDVLzYFOxOgzowPApSjqr9EgOE2d4ZVzQ4IPI1myv9a76LEpj6V9CzN7vrkpR5d3cahjfGVTkRsI1EwzPndGtIOxTpCkvVYeVTiEgcPqq1-WSJ8msrtfetb9UN5o5s/s1600/07-IMG_3483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VkZ0bMy2AbbuykDVLzYFOxOgzowPApSjqr9EgOE2d4ZVzQ4IPI1myv9a76LEpj6V9CzN7vrkpR5d3cahjfGVTkRsI1EwzPndGtIOxTpCkvVYeVTiEgcPqq1-WSJ8msrtfetb9UN5o5s/s640/07-IMG_3483.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting there</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCMMuCh1eMIW4TabraQQayfJQB8cgD2COf4_beUaRbB32ldwHx8l16GX5sAH9u3xtUWblJ65jS4pgP94c6iwvLRF8hoR8mRvbzPb5kqKj3vNjIWLnHhag7oUidBBEQ-LLOI8NSc5NQPg/s1600/09-IMG_3489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCMMuCh1eMIW4TabraQQayfJQB8cgD2COf4_beUaRbB32ldwHx8l16GX5sAH9u3xtUWblJ65jS4pgP94c6iwvLRF8hoR8mRvbzPb5kqKj3vNjIWLnHhag7oUidBBEQ-LLOI8NSc5NQPg/s640/09-IMG_3489.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mess!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv1bP8SyFc9umNEXON_IGuW7W30jBmPgm1OO0IbCxwZcz8Zx-7AH9o7HBDSdJ7fO8UTKudSk6M3AM1O_MIfAIopvQD7EBB2bluJl4ieqEUSvmWbwlqLEr9mH4kRbC8flCftrquQjTv78/s1600/12-IMG_3495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv1bP8SyFc9umNEXON_IGuW7W30jBmPgm1OO0IbCxwZcz8Zx-7AH9o7HBDSdJ7fO8UTKudSk6M3AM1O_MIfAIopvQD7EBB2bluJl4ieqEUSvmWbwlqLEr9mH4kRbC8flCftrquQjTv78/s640/12-IMG_3495.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toilet on the deck anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10azUXXR-Ud6ma6jqA3pXEbnhkss3PSD4eeZSATuNq6C4pqJOBodRsVbHFQjiXAEgbXXtgkILWur4vK7BaeUx2DwFaku8dlwv6xmdUGIkODXw0CzbraMXqg7LK_ro3Sqn2giH2w2KPX4/s1600/11-IMG_3490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10azUXXR-Ud6ma6jqA3pXEbnhkss3PSD4eeZSATuNq6C4pqJOBodRsVbHFQjiXAEgbXXtgkILWur4vK7BaeUx2DwFaku8dlwv6xmdUGIkODXw0CzbraMXqg7LK_ro3Sqn2giH2w2KPX4/s640/11-IMG_3490.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQ7tiQl3-wMRRmTsCrz1-d7BNGZKBReoOo39_o5vjVcoZY61DQI1LK83vbCM0eZUX4c2X-xSlladIjqudPZ-v8k6ksQQMHT4jKw_KgTTnvyTiz2WA0Zr4RWmIcLbhV3rBeUgvQbLKJZo/s1600/15-IMG_3499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQ7tiQl3-wMRRmTsCrz1-d7BNGZKBReoOo39_o5vjVcoZY61DQI1LK83vbCM0eZUX4c2X-xSlladIjqudPZ-v8k6ksQQMHT4jKw_KgTTnvyTiz2WA0Zr4RWmIcLbhV3rBeUgvQbLKJZo/s640/15-IMG_3499.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xDNa67rMC3Z-4OLgWbgTT6Ek69IP31Z0SmN4C6xRo1K3LV9y9Hs0FI3D0rYuko2fGH-hR-tuLa20uAUD4N31cx2bmZp5lfXlhKlKtKHHR2kJub1wL4vfEn8foyNwJ86mHPDZSR9MuVw/s1600/17-IMG_3533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xDNa67rMC3Z-4OLgWbgTT6Ek69IP31Z0SmN4C6xRo1K3LV9y9Hs0FI3D0rYuko2fGH-hR-tuLa20uAUD4N31cx2bmZp5lfXlhKlKtKHHR2kJub1wL4vfEn8foyNwJ86mHPDZSR9MuVw/s640/17-IMG_3533.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A muddy mess...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwmqndFXC1ZyBlHOjbcYeOpcMhtvcwrUY3KDCKBfd0ZneSNwVGIK9rrZMkIa3bTiQHHePJbw3ZlCNP-gyB9ZdSC18J9iJ_-6IyxXNt_yozRE0ZV4rrvK9unnTLuoL203eoCCZNYEHlfA/s1600/19-IMG_3543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwmqndFXC1ZyBlHOjbcYeOpcMhtvcwrUY3KDCKBfd0ZneSNwVGIK9rrZMkIa3bTiQHHePJbw3ZlCNP-gyB9ZdSC18J9iJ_-6IyxXNt_yozRE0ZV4rrvK9unnTLuoL203eoCCZNYEHlfA/s640/19-IMG_3543.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqFmbzHepEm3cf_VQsf8X2zJHv89k6-xmFBBdp_Q41ZNmPB37_1mHHXFjTGGz2y0A3iCedIMz5kyeKzd8inL8JwZswPei2XimG1IkQ1UbSTFjX3QBrpXvtHELjoiVvE-3LTXQeKV0D1g/s1600/18-IMG_3537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqFmbzHepEm3cf_VQsf8X2zJHv89k6-xmFBBdp_Q41ZNmPB37_1mHHXFjTGGz2y0A3iCedIMz5kyeKzd8inL8JwZswPei2XimG1IkQ1UbSTFjX3QBrpXvtHELjoiVvE-3LTXQeKV0D1g/s640/18-IMG_3537.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The floor is done!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincz0YdU1cXRlCHSobswYdC1rR9LnP5O5Wrc6Jg-GozBlWMUSbo49sq-UXIifGXVIDCZF66dl9NI6hPY8XzhzX8smZ7yzO9uTz46pZuV8BVhatwvDH4Ac3Q9cnEyyGtESrgxqpJICV8A8/s1600/painteddoors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincz0YdU1cXRlCHSobswYdC1rR9LnP5O5Wrc6Jg-GozBlWMUSbo49sq-UXIifGXVIDCZF66dl9NI6hPY8XzhzX8smZ7yzO9uTz46pZuV8BVhatwvDH4Ac3Q9cnEyyGtESrgxqpJICV8A8/s640/painteddoors.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newly painted cabinet doors that EZ added to cover my "stuff"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></div>
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-18861524431423429072013-07-11T00:30:00.000-04:002013-07-11T00:30:00.451-04:00First Things First...the Roof!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before we could list our home, there was the matter of some major and minor projects, beginning with a new roof. Our house was built in 1988 and the roof is original, so it was time. I had no idea what a mess it was going to create, but the end result was definitely worth it and we knew it would help in the sale of the house. The architectural shingles were nailed down by hand, so there was ALOT of banging. Four days of banging to be exact. Those men were amazing up there on that roof!</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdz0D9dzMU7G4dm2paAueaprYgwXAXHRpV5AmpI1czQXiyUr1EbH9UXGopzxqbxDMfYm3Js7nlYcjYQBoffyiHHhYFxYGsAXCBCCyoEpqiQxKJjCcJ72UnhLpeasaTx1AU5_eXMm3nCI/s1600/09-IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdz0D9dzMU7G4dm2paAueaprYgwXAXHRpV5AmpI1czQXiyUr1EbH9UXGopzxqbxDMfYm3Js7nlYcjYQBoffyiHHhYFxYGsAXCBCCyoEpqiQxKJjCcJ72UnhLpeasaTx1AU5_eXMm3nCI/s640/09-IMG_3733.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shingles, shingles and more shingles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gojlOVpvoe3Cy8v8KraUIRhMuEQVTcNYhsS4niQdZYffRtrJtG08-AOLgIjrXQqYnwrIwGe1jOho1se-LL-jbm8z4n6IPqwr4s0DzmilfAnuWvqWIqHAdzy8SXBK-EdRjGzIlyyM0rQ/s1600/08-IMG_3732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6gojlOVpvoe3Cy8v8KraUIRhMuEQVTcNYhsS4niQdZYffRtrJtG08-AOLgIjrXQqYnwrIwGe1jOho1se-LL-jbm8z4n6IPqwr4s0DzmilfAnuWvqWIqHAdzy8SXBK-EdRjGzIlyyM0rQ/s640/08-IMG_3732.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old roof...ugh!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0rnCIWQhfpCndV48wO0xmnG-6atJlPXKVnMIYhK37MQy1QGojvBBrrFa9G2-dOO551QOOawVy-lQlgC1rMmEnTdZuFu1nKV9VnyjCTtevmOfsQ29m4yXU8hD1pnyvd6PKEe-_09svBw/s1600/11-IMG_3826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0rnCIWQhfpCndV48wO0xmnG-6atJlPXKVnMIYhK37MQy1QGojvBBrrFa9G2-dOO551QOOawVy-lQlgC1rMmEnTdZuFu1nKV9VnyjCTtevmOfsQ29m4yXU8hD1pnyvd6PKEe-_09svBw/s640/11-IMG_3826.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mess</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiXyaVm3GjE8rkwmiW24-OOVRGK7sWAVmVIcx2iMQd2Xqr6hri7QqCr_vuVeddlXatJddEPFNfgZU6VpOmBVxnkM9fVD9HpLL1EwEG7880aMRtKhD53QSwFHwOEfcaExfv25VIkLXm2A/s1600/12-IMG_3824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiXyaVm3GjE8rkwmiW24-OOVRGK7sWAVmVIcx2iMQd2Xqr6hri7QqCr_vuVeddlXatJddEPFNfgZU6VpOmBVxnkM9fVD9HpLL1EwEG7880aMRtKhD53QSwFHwOEfcaExfv25VIkLXm2A/s640/12-IMG_3824.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off with the old, on with the new (glad they had safety lines, but I still couldn't watch)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsymp_v0GQJhhedxxGKHdyK2reJqXzNwJ4ejuW_1fbNcbkSIGk63ib_232XpZl7B5lmFrRd_IYp9pufGoIOZo3c1HeHSi3Fv8ktnB0xk9gk2drQmx_X1P-qbGUB4FfhEUFVqkwkncI50/s1600/06-IMG_3724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsymp_v0GQJhhedxxGKHdyK2reJqXzNwJ4ejuW_1fbNcbkSIGk63ib_232XpZl7B5lmFrRd_IYp9pufGoIOZo3c1HeHSi3Fv8ktnB0xk9gk2drQmx_X1P-qbGUB4FfhEUFVqkwkncI50/s640/06-IMG_3724.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old on left, new on right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsyx8z6iui-T5U_fiMOOUiSR9i2HUat6rBhWzlph204sLkAsJF6cgfxOQzs3Qhtn3cvkDxnK84BPJCJoxjzjUtIuKVWRDbFJAFsse9HK-G4LLFD01LQ-ZPZ-u31PXDIV-29X31c4C6E0/s1600/13-IMG_3834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrsyx8z6iui-T5U_fiMOOUiSR9i2HUat6rBhWzlph204sLkAsJF6cgfxOQzs3Qhtn3cvkDxnK84BPJCJoxjzjUtIuKVWRDbFJAFsse9HK-G4LLFD01LQ-ZPZ-u31PXDIV-29X31c4C6E0/s640/13-IMG_3834.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done...and we love it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-40313724195421791012013-07-10T12:05:00.000-04:002013-07-10T23:12:32.300-04:00Time to Move On<div style="text-align: justify;">
Change is never easy, but beginning
last Fall it was becoming increasingly obvious to us that it might be
time to think about downsizing. We bought our house in 2004 and so many
memories were made here. It has been a season in our lives that brought
much joy with college graduations, Leah's wedding, and the birth of our
five grandchildren, but also much heartache with my father's passing,
and EZ's diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma and subsequent job loss. The sun
was setting on this chapter of our lives.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3jP49jwHQ6yGsyIeT1YGeyvlhgH1bkkNjudRxiOYvMJjD4CtB87WC__TBN5bdNnjQAo9bM7pheNsSSJvuiox9UcKoj7ksWGBg8efMqydTqrOJ_-F4gDg59Rrv0sGrZRfIFazXPBpSOY/s1600/6-IMG_1982.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3jP49jwHQ6yGsyIeT1YGeyvlhgH1bkkNjudRxiOYvMJjD4CtB87WC__TBN5bdNnjQAo9bM7pheNsSSJvuiox9UcKoj7ksWGBg8efMqydTqrOJ_-F4gDg59Rrv0sGrZRfIFazXPBpSOY/s640/6-IMG_1982.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Little
did we know nine years ago how important it would be to live next door
to our daughter, Tara, and her husband, Jamie. We wouldn't, in a million
years, ever dream that they would become the parents of not one, but
two sets of girl/boy twins! They needed all the hands we could provide
and we loved every minute of helping with those precious little ones.
And of course we never anticipated that we would need them like we did
when cancer entered our lives three years ago. It was 3/10ths of a mile
from our front door to theirs, and what a comfort that was to all of us.
We could be there for one another in a heartbeat, whenever the need
arose.<br />
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Jamie
was pastor of our church, and their family lived in the parsonage on
one side of the church, and we lived on the other...just through the
woods. My mother moved in with us after my father died, and Nick moved
home from California to work and help out however he could. The church
body and our friends rallied around our family for these life events and
supported us in so many ways, from prayer, to providing food, to
raising funds for EZ's medical expenses, and taking care of our yard. We
will never forget the endless kindness and love that was shown to us,
in good times and in bad. We feel so blessed.<br />
<br />
We have
loved experiencing the changing of the seasons in this home with our
own little forest of trees. We will certainly miss the beauty of
looking out our windows onto this:<br />
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It
is now almost three years post transplant (8/25) and EZ remains in
complete response. However, there is much upkeep with a 25 year old home
on three acres, especially when he battles fatigue brought on by a
daily chemotherapy pill. Jamie resigned as pastor, and is now the Dean
of the College at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They moved
to a home within walking distance of the campus, so we are no longer
each other's closest neighbors. Nick moved back to Chapel Hill a year
ago to begin his four year journey with the UNC School of Dentistry. Our
daughter, Leah and her husband, Kyle, moved back to North Carolina from
Georgia, with our precious granddaughter, Emery. This house is more
than EZ, Mom and I need, and difficult for us to maintain, so we knew it
was time to move on. So began the long process of completing projects,
listing, showing, offers, counteroffers, inspections, repairs and house
hunting. It is emotional and stressful, to say the least, but hopefully
on August 8th we will close on our current home at 11:30, and buy
another at 12:30, embarking on a new season of life. We are certainly
praying that it comes to pass. More details to come...</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:3-5</i></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-54167813657296621872013-07-09T00:55:00.000-04:002013-07-09T11:03:44.399-04:00Woah, Long Time No Blogging!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I really can't believe it's been three months since I blogged. As our routine became more "normal" and issues related to Multiple Myeloma became more mundane (and that's a good thing!), the busyness of life just took over. So much has gone on these past three months it's hard to know where to begin!</div>
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We had a wonderful Easter celebration with the whole family able to join us at home. We even had a special guest...Nick's girlfriend, Anne. We were all smitten, and very thankful she could join us for church and Easter dinner. Anne has just completed her second year of dental school, and the two of them really compliment one another. We have enjoyed having her at many more gatherings since Easter and already feel like she is part of the family! (She was a brunette with straight hair when we met her, but has gone back to her natural color and curls. All of our curly haired granddaughters are thrilled!)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Lovely dishdrain,..hostess fail!)</td></tr>
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EZ had his 6 month check-up at Duke (4-4-13) and all is great. No M-spike detected, continue on 10 mg. Revlimid daily, and come back in 6 months. We were thrilled! This August will be three years post transplant. We continue to have confidence in the oncologists that are determining EZ's plan of treatment, and pray that this complete response hangs around a long time. We also attended two seminar/dinners put on by the ABMT Clinic at Duke (in April and June), and were able to hear from them about all the latest research and clinical trials. It is always a blessing to re-connect with other survivors, new and old, and see them doing so well!</div>
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Our son Nick was presented with his "white coat" during a special ceremony at the UNC School of Dentistry (4-5-13). This signifies his official entry into patient care at the clinic, and it was quite impressive. We are so proud of all the hard work he has put in studying this first year in order to reach this point. He will be leaving on July 16th for a month in Nepal, to participate in a humanitarian project with four other students and a faculty member. They will hold dental camps providing much needed dental care such as extractions, fillings, cleanings, and sealants. They will then travel on foot in the Annapurna Ranges, providing oral hygience education and supplies to villages along the route. This is an amazing opportunity for Nick and we can't wait to see pictures and hear about his experience.<br />
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We celebrated EZ's Dad's 90th birthday (4-11-13) with a visit to the mountains. His father continues to amaze us with how active he is mentally and physically. He loves nothing more than riding tractors, four wheelers, and bulldozers in the woods. We just recently celebrated EZ's Mom's 89th birthday (6-18-13) and feel so blessed to have both of them in our lives, married 67 years!</div>
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On 4-25 we headed for Jacksonville, FL for the wedding of a longtime friend's son. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, seeing friends from our years spent in south Florida. It was a beautiful rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception and we are thrilled for Daniel and Rebecca!</div>
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The biggest news for April involved all the preparations to list our house for sale. It is sold, and we are officially closing in a month, both on our current home and a new home...yikes! More on all that coming soon, but for now I've got to start packing!</div>
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Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-28284406071465616282013-03-28T15:14:00.001-04:002013-03-28T15:14:56.818-04:00Minnie in the House!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Emery and Samantha are certainly into Minnie these days. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song can be heard playing most mornings in both households, they have Minnie dresses, Minnie stuffed animals, Minnie books, Minnie socks, Minnie figurines, Minnie coloring books, Minnie hairbows...well you name it! Just had to share how cute our two youngest granddaughters are, all dressed up as Minnie (Natalie chose to be a lady tiger!)!</div>
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Made me think back to our last trip to Disney World in 2011 with both sets of twins...so much fun! What little one doesn't love Mickey and Minnie?</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-994252736424930679.post-16200165645055417912013-03-27T00:30:00.000-04:002013-03-28T14:24:52.634-04:00New Year's Resolution - Healthier Eating<div style="text-align: justify;">
No doubt about it, I love to cook, take pictures of food, and try new recipes. I am especially attracted to desserts! Pioneer Woman recipes are some of my favorites, and it's no secret she loves to use sugar, heavy cream and butter. As 2013 approached, I decided it was time to tame the sugar monster a bit and attempt to prepare healthier dishes. How better to do that than <a href="http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/">Whole30</a>, "an original program designed to change your life in 30 days...a short term nutritional reset". Thirty days to eat real food; nothing overly processed with ingredients you can't pronounce. Not only would this be good for me, but I knew EZ and my mother would benefit from it as well. I liked the structure and thought, "Thirty days...I can do this!" So I began it on January 2nd, and much to my surprise, I did it and I liked it! (I am not a nutritional expert by any means, and I understand this may not be for everyone, but feel free to read about it and decide for yourself.)<br />
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My grocery items looked way different than they used to:<br />
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Here is a fitting description from Whole30 of what I needed to do for the next 30 days: <br />
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<i><b>Your only job for the next 30 days is to focus on making good food <i>choices</i>.</b>
You don’t need to weigh or measure, you don’t need to count calories,
you don’t need to stress about organic, grass-fed, pastured or free
range. Just figure out how to stick to the Whole30 in any setting,
around every special circumstance, under any amount of stress… for the
next 30 days. Your only job? Eat. Good. Food.</i></div>
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It's pretty simple...no sugar, dairy, grains, MSG, alcohol, sodas, white potatoes, or legumes. That means your grocery cart will be filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, quality meats and seafood, eggs, good fats, nuts, and sweet potatoes. And no weighing for 30 days...it isn't about the weight as much as it's about how you feel when certain things are eliminated from your diet. One thing I know for certain...I felt better and was so proud of myself for being able to say no to certain foods, regardless of what people around me were eating. I never thought I could have that kind of self-control.<br />
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Below are some of the meals we made on the plan:<br />
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After the first 5 days or so, the hardest thing to do without for me was creamer in my morning coffee. Just couldn't handle it black, so drank mostly apple cinnamon tea. For the most part we didn't feel deprived, fruit never tasted so sweet (my favorite
dessert became grilled pineapple), we loved the beautiful color of fresh
fruits and vegetables, our stomachs and appetites shrank, we didn't crave sweets, no
more acid reflux, bowels became very regular, and we all had more
energy. After the 30 days I had lost 9 pounds and EZ and my mom lost pounds as well (they weren't as hard core as me). I have kept the weight off and lost an additional pound or two, even having some dairy, sweets and grains occasionally. It has definitely helped me think about what I buy and what I put into my body, and I am still making much better choices for the most part. I am probably going to do another strict 30 days soon, just to keep from opening the floodgates of sweets, dairy and breads again. Anyone else have healthier eating and/or weight loss as a New Year's Resolution? Would love to hear how you are doing with it!</div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/82/67D66677FA11CD0A0222AC5986A1B93F.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" />Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10624367358276749264noreply@blogger.com8