Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dada! I love you! We are going to make this the best year ever!
Love,
Sherrie

Lasik

Hi There,
This past Friday, I had Lasik surgery at Northwestern. It was by far the best thing I have ever done medically! I have been wearing glasses since I was eight, and contacts since I was 12. Now I have 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in another. I highly recommend the procedure!

Well Wishes

Hi There,
Please join me in saying a little prayer for my Papa Bill. At 91, he has a voracious appetite and spirit! However, his little legs have been giving away lately, and he has been falling and injuring himself numerous times a day. I love you Papa Bill, Go Sox!

Slide Show

Hey There,
Here are some pics from a great 30th birthday party my friends had for me. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

http://web.mac.com/fundraiser2/Site_11/Photos.html#grid

Happy Belated Birthday Mom, and 18 months out!

I am 18 months out of transplant today! Only 6 more to go until we are considered in the safe zone from relapse. Also, Happy Belated Birthday to my wonderful Mom. Her birthday was Halloween. We had a fun night last night!

The Gang

Here is a pic of the gang with our new Sister-in-Law to be, Jenn. We had a really fun engagement with the happy couple this weekend. Happy Fall!

17th Months Out!

Hey There,
Today is my 17th month anniversary of my stem cell transplant! Kind of a weird anniversary to remember but...I saw Dr. Winter a few weeks ago, and everything is awesome with my scans and labs. She informed me that weneed to plug along and set goals for the two year mark. After two years being clean after a stem cell transplant with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the chance of relapse becomes almost miniscule.
Great news all around!

Clean Scans!

Hey There,
I just wanted to let you know that my preliminary scans came back, and they are very clean! Once again, our prayers have been answered! I do still have low blood counts, but my white count has risen to 2.0. My Neutrophils (infection fighting level) are still below 1,000, which is pretty risky. I did get more immunizations today as well, and got a flu shot. Also, my left ovary is showing numerous egg follicles! I meet with Dr. Winter on Monday to discuss the results. Have a great weekend!
Sherrie

Hi

Hi There,
I haven't checked in for a while. After all of the early mornings, and long days at school, I had another restful weekend in beautiful Door County. It was gorgeous up there on Saturday, but I can't wait for Indian Summer! FYI...We have Thursday off for a holiday this week. My schedule will remain in tact with waking up really early as I have my scans at NMH first thing on Thursday morning. Please pray that they are ok!
Love,
Sherrie

Hi There

Hey There,
I was just reminiscing about what happened to me with my cancer experience two years ago. Can you believe I was first sick two years ago? My, how time flies. My Mom and sisters were in Washington D.C. for the weekend.

That was the weekend that my hair started falling out. The Thursday before, I got a cute short hair-cut, because I was waking up every morning with long strands of brown hair all over my pillows. It was so terrible.

That Saturday and Sunday, I remember that even though I was only a few weeks into chemotherapy, I was getting my energy up and my Dad and I walked about 3 miles each day.

One of those weekend mornings, Dad and I went to Walker Brothers for breakfast. The weather was not unlike this weekend, 80 degrees and sunny. We had the windows open in the car, and as we were driving along, my hair was flying out in huge whisps. I purposely didn't wash my hair that weekend because I knew I would have clumps falling in the shower.

That Sunday night, my Dad took the #5 clippers to my head. That first time, I never got completely bald, but it was still pretty bad.

This morning at church, my female Pastor, Jane told me she is going to be shaving her head in January for Pediatric Cancer Research. After going bald 3 times in one year, it is safe to say that I told her I didn't think I could share in that fun experience with her!

Other than that, things are well. I am having a lot of shortness of breath lately. I had symptoms of this last fall as well, and after so many tests, nothing was decided. I think it could be some allergies, but it is the same feeling I got as the tumor in my chest started growing. I have a CT scan on September 13, so we will see.

Talk to you soon!
Sherrie

Crazy Day

I have the most wonderful class in the entire world! There are 21 kids, and they are all very sweet, and extremely well behaved. We had some issues today though....After a great day, 10 minutes before the bell rang, the tornado sirens went off in school. In all of my years teaching, I never had that happen. It was such a strange way to start the year. After over 1.5 hours in the hallway with the kids hands over their heads sitting Indian style, we finally got the all clear. I texted my Mom to tell her about the days events, and she informed me that all of the schools in Barrington where I live were on lock down because there were two armed gunman roaming in Barrington Hills. Sounds like Judgement Day. I have been working very hard (getting up at 4:30-5:00am each day) but I feel as though I am back to my old tricks from before I was sick. I have been pulling over 12 hour days to get things ready, but then I have been driving up to Door County on the weekends to work. I know I should take it easy, but this is who I was before I was sick, and I guess that I haven't lost my assertive force. Anyway...
Have a good weekend!
Love,
Sherrie

Welcome to Third Grade!

Hey There!
I just wanted to let you know tomorrow is my first day of school. I will post some pictures of the room tomorrow! It should be a fun and exciting day. I have 21 students in my class. Wish me luck!
Love,
Sherrie

Congratulations!

Hi There!
I just wanted to let you know that my cousin Michelle Keany, (Uncle Mike's daughter) had her beautiful baby boy yesterday. After she was induced, and her contractions began, she delivered the babe in under 5 minutes! Michael John Keany was 8 pounds and 1 ounce. He is beautiful, and will probably be called "Mickey!"

Hi!

Hey There!
I have been in Austin, Texas this weekend with my best friend Laura. My cousin Chris lives here as well, so we have had a very fun time with him showing us around. Chris is a trooper...he took us to very nice lunches and dinners and upscale shopping centers. He is awesome!

I got a call from the doctor's office at NMH after my labs were done last week. I was feeling like I had swollen lymphnodes in my neck, however, I was doing a lot of physical labor working at Al Johnson's and at Ecology Sports. My tumor markers (LDH, SED) were below normal again which is wonderful! That means that there is no evidence of Hodgkin's activity based on blood work. What is not so great is my ANC and my white blood count. These two levels are your infection fighting ability. When I was going through chemo, and if my ANC were .500, they told me not to leave the house. Now, my ANC is .800. A normal person probably has an ANC of 4.5 or even higher. This is a scary thought considering I am going back to teaching this week!

I met a very nice woman from San Antonio, Texas at the pool here. She was bald, and I figured she was going through breast cancer. Absolutely not. This woman, 6.5 years ago, was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She had an Auto transplant and then relapsed two and a half years later. She was treated again. She relapsed again 8 months ago with Pre-Leukemic cells. When you are given so much chemotherapy and radiation, there is a great chance that you could develop Leukemia. Well, she did. She was given an Allogenic transplant four months ago, and she looks fabulous, and she is clean! When I see someone like that, I feel guilty because I don't feel like I have been through anything compared to her! I guess it is all relative.

Here are some pics from the trip.
Have fun!
Sherrie

Pics

http://web.mac.com/fundraiser2/iWeb/Site%208/Photos.html

End of Summer

Hi There,
I am so sad! It is nearing the end of my summer in Door County. I have been working so much, and although I have fun at work, I don't feel like I have gotten time to do everything that I love.

I am going home on Tuesday, re-leveling books for my classroom on Wednesday, taking a little trip over the weekend, and then back to work!

I can't believe that it has been two years since I was so sick, and not able to work. I am excited about setting my classroom up though, and I love the first few weeks of school!

Here is a pic of Lizzie and I on her birthday, and also a shot from my friend Maureen's bachelorette party in Sister Bay last night.

Have fun!
Sherrie

Prayer Request

Hi There,
I just wanted all of you to wish well wishes to my friend, Molly. After she had her second baby last Spring, she was randomly diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. She was 29 years old. She had her Thyroid removed, and many lymphnodes (I think 24!) She had the Radio-Iodine treament done at NMH. Now, she is pregnant with her new little one, and found out that her tumors are still malignant. She has a wonderful husband and daughters, and is going to beat this! She will win, once again! Please keep her young family in your thoughts and prayers!
Love,
Sherrie

An Ephraim Sunset

It's the Gals, Not the Goats!

Hi

Hey There!
How are you? I have been trying to post a lot of Door County family pics when my Grandparents were up along with my Auntie Char and Uncle Phil, and some of my Mom's friends. We have a dial up wireless situation here so everything runs as slow as molasses!

When I was home, I had labs done and my white count and Neutrophils are again, very low. Your ANC is your ability to fight infection. When I was going through chemo, if my ANC was .5, I was told not to leave the house. Now, my ANC is .9. Kind of scary.

However, I have been working at my two jobs about 6 days a week, dealing with massive amounts of the public and knock wood, I haven't gotten sick. We will see what happens when I get around the kids this fall.

Here are some of my pics. I can't believe summer is flying by!

A Very Exciting Time!

Hey there!
I wanted to let you know that my brother Gary, and his girlfriend Jenn got engaged today after 10 months of dating. It is a very exciting time!

Uncle Mike's Obituary

My Uncle Mike had a wonderful write up in the Chicago Tribune for his obituary.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/obituaries/chi-hed_strodenjul08,1,3816446.story?coll=chi-newsobituaries-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Summer Pics and Uncle Mike

Hi There,
We came home from Door County for Uncle Mike's wake and funeral. Although he suffered at the end, there are a lot of joys to be thankful for as well! In late August or early September, my cousin Michelle is having her third baby boy! This little guy will join Hugh (4) and Owie (2). Michelle was going to name the baby a nice Irish name, but decided to name him Michael after my Uncle Mike. That is so awesome that he will have a namesake!

Amongst all of this sadness, here is a link to some fun summer pics. Hope you are all enjoying your summer!
http://web.mac.com/fundraiser2/iWeb/Site%207/Photos.html

Sad News

My Uncle Mike passed away today. His body just couldn't handle the fight of his lymphoma any longer. Please pray that he is in heaven, and that my Aunt Carol and Michelle weather this horribly emotional storm.
Love,
Sherrie

Sad Family News

Hi There,
Please pray for my Uncle Mike, and my Auntie Carol and cousin Michelle. Carol and Michelle have decided to convene and make final decisions concerning my Uncle Mike's life. He has been on life support for 12 days, and his infections and blood clots are only getting worse. His organs are beginning to shut down. It is such a sad time for my family. Please pray that the Lord takes my Uncle Mike naturally, and my Aunt and cousin are not forced to make such horribly difficult decisions on thier own.
Love,
Sherrie

Well Wishes and Prayers

Hi There,
I always feel like the bearer of cancer news. This beautiful little girl is yet another person afflicted by this horrible disease. I don't understand cancer. My family and friends had never experienced it, and now all we do is live with it. Please check on little Teagan daily.
Love,
Sherrie
www.princessteagan.com

Anniversary

Hi There!
I just wanted to give you a few updates.
My Uncle Mike is still on Life Support at NMH. They did an MRI of his brain, and noted that after two treatments of this chemotherapy that his brain tumor is much smaller. He is only on 40% strength for his life support level. Please pray that he gets through this!

I am up in Door County for the summer and having a blast. I am working at Al Johnson's one day a week, and have been filling it at Ecology Sports. The problem is, I don't think that I am as spry as before I got sick. I am extremely exhausted at the end of the day, and end up passing out around 8:30, and sleeping twelve hours. I wonder how things will be when I go back to teaching in the fall!

I am also taking golf lessons, spending time with friends and family, and scheduled to take paddling lessons. The weather has been so beautiful that I am just trying to keep as active as possible!

I am also working on my book about my cancer experience and have touched base with a wonderful copy editor that my friend Anita used for her book. My goal is to finish my complete rough draft by August 1.

Today is the two year anniversary of when I found out I was sick. My how time flies. I have written a little bit about that day in my book, and here is an exerpt.

"The weekend crawled by, and considering it was June in Chicago, the temperatures creeped up into the 90’s. On Monday, I woke up and decided that I couldn’t feel bad anymore. I showered, threw on a cute summery outfit and curled my hair. My Mom and I were going with my sisters Lizzie and Katie to meet my Auntie Sherry for lunch in Lake Forest. I was awfully quiet on the ride to Lake Forest. We approached a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, and I got a call from a strange 847 number on my phone. “Pull over,” I told my Mom. We knew that this is the phone call that would determine my fate. I paced around the car and answered the phone. “Sherrie, this is Dr. Charrous. You have Hodgkin’s Disease which is a type of cancer. You didn’t do anything to get this, it just happened. A lot of young people get this type of cancer. You are going to have chemotherapy. Do you know what that is? You are also going to have radiation, do you know what that is?” I answered meekly, “Yes.” Also, I want to let you know that this is a very curable, treatable cancer. If you are going to get any cancer, this one is the good one.” The good cancer? After all of my treatment and hardships, NO cancer would be the good cancer!
You would think that a person, especially a young person, would be hysterical and upset when someone tells them they have cancer. I wasn’t. I was so relieved that they found something. I took the news graciously, and was so at ease knowing that the determinate of my symptoms had been revealed.
My Mom and sisters knew it was bad as I paced around the car. When I told them, seconds later, all I remember is my sister Katie, who generally does not show emotion broke into hysterical, wet and salty weeping sobs. She was sobbing so hard, her face was beet red, and fat tears stung her eyes. My Mom just gripped my hand. I called my Dad right away. I could hear him on the phone, choking away the sadness. Later on that night he told me that he had known I would be diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease all along. There were three indicators in which he discovered the source of my symptoms. The first was the day of my lymphnode biopsy (the previous Friday), Dr. Charrous really didn’t come out of the OR and tell my parents that things were all right. He came out of the OR and when my Mom and Dad inquired about my status, he remarked, “It doesn’t look good.” My parents told me later that he came to talk to them, and stared directly past them; he couldn’t even look them in the eye. He explained that a Hodgkin’s Disease cell resembles a large circle with two big eyes, almost like owl eyes. The lymphnodes he collected from my neck were big, puffy owl eyes. I don’t even know how my parents could look at me all weekend, knowing that I had a potentially fatal disease, and still remain positive. The second inkling that my Mom and Dad had was the research that they were doing online. All signs led to Hodgkin’s. As my Dad sat at work that frightful Monday morning, he was forced to participate in a meeting. All the while, a strange number kept on popping up on his caller ID. Finally, after many tries by the caller, my Dad answered the telephone. “Gary,” said my Uncle Joe. “I’m calling you because I need to prepare you and your family for the news you are about to receive.” My uncle, who was a doctor at Glenbrook Hospital had been sleuthing around that Monday. He said when he found out the results of my biopsy, as well as my abnormal chest film, that he instantly went weak at the knees. I was his favorite niece, I was one of the first kids to be born in the family, how could this be happening to Sherrie?"

Hope all is well!
Sherrie

Prayers

Hi There,
Please pray for my Uncle Mike Stroden. He has thrown over four pulmonary embolisms to his lungs as a complication from his lymphoma. The clots are located near the aorta in his heart. He has been paralysed and sedated in order to sucessfully keep him on life support. There is a chance that he could pull through this, yet it is a very serious situation.
Thanks!
Sherrie

Prayers

Hi There,
I just wanted to let you know that my friend Janice passed away this morning from Melanoma. She is survived by her husband, and three kids.
Also, please keep my Uncle Mike in your prayers. He is still fighting a battle with Lymphoma of the Brain. He was admitted to Northwestern this morning, with symptoms of fluid filling his lungs.
Love,
Sherrie

Relay for Life

Hi All!
I was involved with the Barrington, Il Relay for Life in regards to corporate sponsorship and silent auction prizes. I just got an email from my friend Chris Freeding whose wedding I just stood up in and he is Relaying in Chicago in honor of me! At Erin and Chris' wedding, my heart melted because during the final prayer, our friend CJ discussed prayers for those healing, and they felt inclined to mention my name during the prayer. Needless to say, I was a very teary-eyed bridesmaid! If you would like to donate to Chris Freeding's Relay page, the information is: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=191207&lis=1&kntae191207=6A5440153E104672B0A428C729F0137B&supId=179681281
Thank you!

Surgery Possibility and Scan Results

Hi There,
I just wanted to let you know that I was down at the hospital all day on Monday, Tuesday and today. My scans are all clean, and scar tissue in my chest is getting smaller. Also, my bones are showing up as stronger, and healing on the scans.

Today, something strange happened on the way to Northwestern. I was walking down the stairs and felt the nail holding the rod in my femur click and move. By the time I got downtown, I could barely walk, and I had a huge lump bigger than a golfball right above my kneecap.

We ran to an emergency appointment at Dr. Fox's and everything is in place! The screws haven't moved. Very strange situation. He cited that it is inflammatory bursitis and we can't figure out why I have it. If the problem persists over the weekend, or if I choose to, I am having surgery next Friday to cut through my muscle and remove the nail from my leg. I am just worried that will be a long recovery time. I had a horribly extended recovery time after the rod was put in my femur. We'll see what happens!

Sherrie

Cancer Survivor Walk

Hi There!
I just wanted to thank everyone for supporting me during the Cancer Survivor Walk today. My sisters and I got a great picture with Mayor Daley! Also, here is the link to other pics taken as well!
http://web.mac.com/fundraiser2/iWeb/Site%204/Cancer%20Walk.html
Love,
Sherrie

More Fun!

I just found out Maggie Daly, Mayor Daley's wife, will be speaking at the walk on Sunday and will be introducing all of the folks on the banners. How fun!

Good Thoughts and Prayers

Hi There!
Just wanted to give you a little update...
First and foremost, please help me pray for my friend Janice Clarke. She is from Barrington, and she is very, very sick with Melanoma. She needs a lot of prayers.
Also, my "scanic" is occuring. I have my PET scan on Monday, CT of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis and an MRI of my spine on Tuesday. I also have labs, and get to meet with Dr. Winter as well. This is the last time I am fortunate enough to be able to go every three months for my scans, because my insurance won't cover it any longer. Please pray that they are still clean!
On Sunday, we have the cancer survivor walk down at Grant Park. It should be really fun! We have a ton of people walking. It will be great to honor my friends such as Auntie Josie, Molly, Janice, Jason, Alese, Kay, Uncle Mike and Anita! It is cancer survivor day, so keep your survivors in your thoughts!

Help! A Great Cause

Check this place out to send the REAL Shane birthday cards! www.shanebernier.ca

NMH Lifetime of Health

Hi There!
Here is a scanned copy of the Northwestern Lifetime of Health magazine!
http://web.mac.com/fundraiser2/iWeb/Site%204/Blank.html
Also, if any of you watch Desperate Housewives, the character Lynette on the show was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease in the season cliffhanger.

Lizzie's Graduation Pictures

Hi There!
Here are a few pics from Lizzie's graduation from Butler University last Saturday. Enjoy!

Bits and Pieces of News

Hi There!
My family had quite a scare today. We were in Indianapolis celebrating Lizzie's graduation from Butler University this weekend, and our friend Cheryl who was watching Barney said he was acting funny. We came home and rushed him to a 24 hour vet. clinic because he was tripping and slipping and walking in circles and bumping into things. We thought he may have had a stroke (the poor little sweetie is also a cancer survivor and 13 years old!), however the vet. thinks that he could have Vertigo from an inner ear infection or Vestibular Syndrome which affects balance in older dogs. We don't have a verdict yet, but our little baby is finally resting comfortably after a little Valium. He is spending the night at the hospital, and we will know more tomorrow.

I was down at NMH on Thursday taking pictures for yet another cancer brochure. My article in the Lifetime of Health magazine came out. I grabbed several copies so if any of you would like one, let me know! I have the Cancer Survivor Walk coming up on June 3 where I am going to be on one of the banners with a quote, and then I was taking pictures for a brochure for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern. When cancer patients see all of these publications, they are going to say, "Who is this crazy girl, and why does she keep on showing up on every cancer brochure?!" It is fun though.

I am in charge of corporate sponsorship for the Barrington Relay for Life on June 9, and that has been really fun. It is amazing how a personal story, and a little bit of socializing can assist with fundraising. I have been having a lot of fun getting area businesses to donate to the cause and my favorite part is getting silent auction prizes!

Happy Mother's Day!

Wedding Pictures

Here are some fun pictures from my friend Erin's wedding. She was an exquisite bride!

Prayers

Please pray for Alese Coco's family. The spirited young woman who inspired me to fight so hard passed away today at 1:20 California time. As I went through my Hodgkin's experience, she encouraged me to fight. Through my blog, many of you have understood first hand, Alese's strength, beauty and perserverance. The Lord and the Angels in Heaven have recieved a very special person today.

Prayer Request

Please help me in praying for Alese Coco. She has been fighting Hodgkin's for so long, and she needs so many prayers right now. Please allow her to continue her fight, and recover from this horrible illness.
Love,
Sherrie

A Special Day

Dear Friends,
Today is a special day for our family. This is the one year anniversary of Sherrie’s stem cell transplant. She has now been cancer free for one year. She has been truly blessed, “Praise the Lord”!
Without our Heavenly Father watching over us, we couldn’t have gotten through these past two years. He gave us strength through our wonderful family and friends that were always there for us. We had many trying times when we didn’t know what our next step was going to be, but through lots of prayers, He always lead us through the right path. He gave Sherrie the best doctors, nurses and the best facility where she was treated. He also gave Sherrie the ultimate strength to get through this on a daily basis. When we think of how many times she was poked & prodded throughout the day, and how very sick she was, I know God was always watching over her. He gave her unbelievable strength to keep smiling. In her weakest moments she always managed to smile. She is truly the strongest and bravest person we know.


Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon Sherrie & our family. Please continue to bless Sherrie with good health throughout her lifetime, and keep her cancer free. We also thank you for hearing our cries of help during Sherrie’s illness, and answering all of our prayers. In Your Name, Amen.
Gary & Gloria

Dr. Visit

Hi There,
Everything seemed good at my Dr visit today but they are slightly concerned about one thing. My white blood count, and absolute neutrophil level have been so low since my transplant. This occurs in less than 20% of patients. They took blood from me, so a pathologist could examine my blood to make sure that nothing else was going on that would contribute to my low counts. I really don't have any physical symptoms of the disease, and I feel great, so I am confident that all will be well!

Happy Sunday!

Hey There!
For those of you in the Midwest, what a beautiful weekend we have had! It is so nice to see sunshine, and wear sandals. I think the weather is supposed to change again this week, but we have been blessed!

Things are going really well. I have been kind of hiding under a dark cloud for a little bit (I think the Winter hangover could be to blame!) I think this boost of Spring is good enough to get a spring in everyones step!

Another very exciting thing...it is baseball season again! Here is a pic from the Cubs opening day!

Tomorrow morning, I meet with Jane Winter for a check-up. I think everything is going okay. I have been itching a bit (which is a classic Hodgkin's symptom) but it could just be change in weather. I am very concerned about my hormonal levels though. I have been off of Estrogen because we are trying to determine if I am really in menopause. The last time my levels were checked, they were very menopausal. Plus, I have been having symptoms of that. Let's hope they drastically change for the better!

Love,
Sherrie

Prayer Request

Please help me pray for my Uncle Mike. After finishing chemotherapy in January, his brain tumor has re-occured. Please pray for him, and allow him to beat this all over again.
Love,
Sherrie

Boston Marathon T-Shirt

Hi!
A friend of mine sponsored someone who is running the Boston Marathon. That person has my name on his T-Shirt, and is wearing that shirt as a tribute to my cancer. It's really neat!

Second Photo Shoot

Hey!
I had my second photo shoot for NMH today, and the pictures will be used for the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Cancer Survivor Walk which will be held at the lakefront on June 3. These pictures will be on banners highlighting the lake, and I guess I am going to be on them!
In May, the NM Faculty Foundation Magazine will debut with an article about my transplant experience, and how it relates to Celebrating Life and the survivor walk.
The photos from today should be posted on the following site: marcharris-photo.com/
When you get there, log on to "Clients." Then, add the password lurie. The pics are not up yet, but my name is. It is amazing how many survivors are out there. The woman getting photographed before me was pregnant, and the little girl after me (absolutely adorable!) must have been only 4 years old. It's exciting to see that even though I feel like a cancer minority because of my age, there are so many people out there like me.
Love,
Sherrie

Happy Easter!

Hi Everyone,
Happy Easter! Today is a special day for me. A year ago today, I was told that although I wasn't in remission, my Hodgkin's Disease was on the run, and Dr. Winter wanted me in for a transplant a week and a half later. The rest is history. That, along with finding out I was in remission, was probably the happiest day of my entire life! Hopefully I will someday have more good days to top that, but for now I am so thankful to the Lord.
Have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!

12 Hours of Travel and I'm Finally Home!

Hi There!
I just got back from a week in the Cayman Islands with my parents, and Katie. We had a very fun time, especially while swimming with Stingrays on Thursday. Notice how my hands are strategically placed on the Stingray. I am kind of a baby when it comes to touching marine animals. It is such a weird sensation to swim with them. They are like giant portobello mushrooms that glide around your feet, and forage for squid out of your hands. It was a very freaky feeling, but an incredible experience. Have fun with the pics!

Stem Cell Panel

Hi There,
I have been working on this short clip from a stem cell patient panel I was on two weeks ago. Hopefully it works!
http://homepage.mac.com/fundraiser2/iMovieTheater9.html

My Journal: The Picture Worth A Thousand Words...

My Journal: The Picture Worth A Thousand Words...

Dear Alese,
You are amazing and you look as adorable as ever! I am so happy that you are feeling better! Love, Sherrie Teuber

Playing Around

Hi There,
I was playing around with my scanner today and took some pics from yesteryear of my Grandma and Grandpa on both sides, of my Mom and Dad and some pics from when I was little...

Thank You!

My friend Alese, although not completely out of the woods, is doing so much better! Thank you Lord!

Prayer Request

Dear All,
Please pray for my friend Alese Coco (alesecoco.org). She is going through a horrible time, and she needs prayers from every corner of the Earth. Please be with her as she continues her battle against Hodgkin's Disease. She has fought so hard, and so long, and I know that she is going to be okay. Please help me, and everyone else believe that. You know what they say...When two or more are gathered in His name, His will will be done. She will beat this.

Help another cancer survivor

Hi There,
With the spirit of luck, and St. Patrick's Day coming up, I wanted to let you all know of a young girl who is having tandem stem cell transplants at Children's Memorial Hospital (the sister to NMH).

She is adorable, and she is Irish! Her name is Meghan, and she was diagnosed with Wilm's tumor, which has metastasized to her lungs.

She is having a fundraiser in her honor at US Cellular Field, where the White Sox play. I wish I could go, but I will be out of town. If you are interested in seeing someone who is going through double what I went through, check out her sight.

It is: missionformeghan.org.

It might be a good way to volunteer, and help someone out who is very young, and is fighting very hard.

Fun Day

Hi There!
Although I have been up since 4:50am, my Mom and I had an exciting day. We were in the city by 6:30 to meet with Dr. Winter and her fabulous PA Elizabeth. Although I had labs on Monday, my blood counts are still extremely low. You have two counts to ward off infections...Your WBC (White Blood Cell Count) and your ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count). Mine are remaining steady, but very low. A "normal" person probably has a WBC and ANC between 4.0-10.0. My WBC is around 1.8, and my ANC is .9. So I am very at risk for getting sick, even though I look and feel great!

I am so thankful because Dr. Winter also said that I can have full scans again in 3 months. That takes the edge of worrying about reoccurance.

I met with Robert, a photographer for NMH, and we took pictures for an article that they are doing about the cancer survivor walk, and my stem cell transplant. He had me wear pink for the occasion (How suitable!) I can't get the pics for three months, but when I get them, I will shoot them your way.

Also, I will send out invites to the cancer survivor walk. It is on June 3 at the lakefront and a big celebration.

My Mom and I were ladies about town today and hit every store/restaurant in a 500 mile Chicago radius. By 9:30am, it felt like it was already 4:00 in the afternoon.

Also, yesterday I got my first haircut. I got it shaped. It still kind of looks the same just a little more "shapley." I found the best hairdresser and our goal is to grow my hair out.

Have a fun weekend!

Sherrie

Such Exciting News!

I just got awesome, exciting news from downtown! My PET and CT are totally clean! Also, my right ovary has egg follicles on it! In December when I had my scans, my left ovary was functioning...Now my right is! Each ovary works every other month so these studies are telling us that both have some sort of function! Also, the mass in my chest keeps on getting smaller and smaller, and it is just a few mere cm.! I have been having a lot of hip pain which has concerned me, but the PET noted inflammation in both of my hips. Maybe it has to do with the weather or something! I am so excited and thankful!

PET/CT Scan

Hello There,
I have been up since 4:10am, and was at NMH by 6:20. I had my PET and CT scans. From what I can see, (based on my stellar radiology skills) my PET scan is clean! I kind of sensed that it would be, but you always have that doubt.

It is really interesting to see what an unclean lymphoma PET scan looks like. If you go to Google Images, and Google "Hodgkin's Lymphoma PET scans" you can see what I mean.

When you get a PET, they introduce radioactive sugar into your body based on your blood sugar level. Any organ that metabolizes glucose (the brain, heart, kidney's, bladder etc.) show up black on a PET. Cancer cells react in the same way, and they are also black on a PET. Luckily, my scan looked very "grey scale" which is great news! I know I have to wait for a radiologist's interpretation, however, I think I am in the clear!

I will be meeting with Dr. Winter on Thursday and hopefully having my "photo shoot" for the Northwestern Cancer Survivor's calender!

At night lately, I have been watching Joel Osteen videos. If you have ever seen him, he is a phenominal religious, as well as motivational speaker! I kind of think I want to take an overnight trip to Houston to see him. If anyone is interested in doing that with me, let me know!

Also, do you any of you have a racing heart after you drink alcohol? Even if I only have one or two drinks at night, I wake up in the middle of the night with my heart absolutely racing. It is a scary feeling because "alcohol pain" is a very common Hodgkin's Disease symptom.

Off to watch last night's Desperate Housewives!:)

Hello!

Hi Everyone!
I have a lot of news to report, some good, and some not so good.

I have been having a lot of hip pain, and pain in my femur. I am having an MRI tomorrow, to rule out any lymphoma type of activity. Also, this Monday, I have my PET scan and CT scan at Northwestern. This I am praying will be clean, but I always error on the side of caution.

Some really exciting things are happening to me right now. I was emailed on Valentines Day by the head of media at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. They want me to do three things for them. The first thing is to be the subject of an article for the NMH faculty magazine. They want me to do a photo shoot next week, and be a calender girl for the NMH cancer survior calender. Also, they will use those pictures and make banners out of them for the NMH cancer survivor walk on June 3. This is a celebratory walk focusing on survivorship, and when people are walking the 4 mile walk by the lakefront, I will be on the banner cheering people on! I am so excited!

On St. Patrick's Day, I am going to be part of a patient panel, along with the top doctors in Chicago (the lovely Dr. Winter included) to discuss bone marrow transplants. I am so happy to get my life started, by helping others.

I also started a book about my cancer experience. Things are taking a little bit of time because I am not that motivated to write right now.

I hope all is well with you, and I look forward to seeing and talking with you soon. I recently changed my cell phone number so if you would like the new number, please contact my email for that information.

Love,
Sherrie

Here are some pics from yesteryear...When life wasn't so complicated. Sorry about the bad quality!

Dr. Fox

Hi There!
It is almost my one year anniversary of my femur surgery. Last February, I had a rod put in my femur because the disease was so bad in my left hip, they needed to protect the area. I have been having a massive amount of hip and knee pain as of late, and went to Dr. Fox today to get X-Rays and check it out. The X-Ray could show if any Hodgkin's Disease were back, and luckily it didn't. He put me on a prescription of Alleve twice a day. He said that for anti-inflammatory purposes, he thinks that the drug in Alleve is better than Ibuprofen in Advil. Also, with Advil, you need to take three pills, three times a day, whereas with Alleve, you only need to take two pills, twice a day. If any of you are having some aches and pains, I guess Alleve is the way to go!

Doctor Visit

Hey Everyone!
Everyone here in Chicago is mourning the Bears loss in the Superbowl, and well as absolutely freezing! The warm trend for this week should be about 14 degrees! It is brutal.

I got some not so good news right now from the doctor. My hormone levels from last week came back, and they are again consistent with the fact that I am very post menopausal. I was getting my hopes up, and it is kind of sad. Who knows what advances they will make in the future though!

Stay warm!
Sherrie

Mixed Feelings

Hi Everyone,
I just got home from 6 days in Florida with my Mom and my Auntie Sherrie. We visited my cousin CJ for two days in Miami, then headed to Tampa and Ocala to hang out with my Grandma and Grandpa Teuber.

It was a fun trip but not really vacation like. We spent most of our time in the car shuttling between the different cities with a lot of luggage. Wherever my Mom and Aunt went, TJ Maxx bags seemed to follow them!

I slept at my Grandparents house, and that was nice to spend time with them. They are very spry, 84 and 89, and they work around their house as though they are 40!

I feel so well, and I look healthy. It is just so hard to think that a year ago, the doctors were telling me that my cancer had spread, and I wasn't harvesting stem cells. It was not that long ago, but it seems like my world has changed, and I never had cancer.

My friend, that I met over the Internet, Alese Coco, is a Hodgkin's champion, and has been working at eradicating her disease since 2001. She just found out that she is to have her second stem cell transplant. She is so spunky, and pretty and full of life. I can't believe that she is going through this some more. Please say a prayer for her at alesecoco.org. There you will find links of cancer surviviors and a memorial page. She has been sweet enough to put my blog on her page. The disturbing thing was to see how many memorial tributes there are with people who had the same crippling disease that I had.

It just makes me put everything into perspecitve. After I started feeling better, I started to do things like before I was diagnosed such as drinking alcohol, and eating food that wasn't so great for you. And now that I am better, I feel like I am back up to my old tricks.

Seeing people who lost their fight, or are still fighting Hodgkin's, brings back a sea of emotions for me from my illness, and a reality check. I fought so hard to be here, and now that I am here, I am not fully appreciating my life as much as I should be. It is almost like I have forgotten everything I have been through. Sounds crazy doesn't it?

I just need to always keep my experience close to my heart, and never forget. The scariest thing with cancer is that even though it is gone for a while, it doesn't mean it is going to stay away forever.

I see Dr. Winter early on Thursday, and we will do full labs, full hormone testing and a panel to see if my measels, mumps and rubella immunizations have been compeltely wiped out, or if I have some immunity left. This will be great because with the fertility tests we can gain a sense of if I really am menopausal or not. I will let you guys know when I find something out.

Love,
Sherrie

Good News, I think?

I talked to Dr. Streicher, the new Ob-Gyn I saw, and she had the results of my hormone levels which would determine if I have beginning ovarian functioning or not. The levels are extremely surprising!

In July, when I had the levels tested, my doc said that they showed I was in the latent stages of menopause and would never recover. He then put me on an estogen/progesterone patch to make my bones stronger and curb menopausal symptoms.

After being on the patch for 5 months, I had the levels tested again. In November, the levels were even worse, and showed that I was in menopause.

But then I got my period, and my PET scan showed my left ovary glowing a bit. The radiologist at the time, said that my ovary was lighting up because I could be re-gaining ovarian function!

Well now the levels are showing wacky things! My Estrodiol level (three different estrogens mixed) in November was less than 10 which is majorly menopausal. Now, a little less than two months later, my estrogen level is at 146! My LH level still says I am menopausal, and my FSH level shows that I am in the later stages of menstruation before menopause! I don't know what to think!

I am going to stay off the hormones for a few more weeks, and have my levels tested again when I see Dr. Winter on February 1.

Some not so great news....A wonderful man, named Frank Fromm who worked with my Dad for 15 years passed away yesterday. He was a driver for the business, and would make deliveries. He was well over 80 years old when he stopped working at RT, but he was so strong. I loved him so much! He was such a talker! I remember when I was teaching in Buffalo Grove and I would run to Deerfield's Bakery for lunch. I would see an RT car sitting in the parking lot. I would walk in, and Frank would be socializing with all of the ladies and having coffee and doughnuts. I used to tease him that he was on a perpetual coffee break. He was such a nice man, and I am so upset that he has passed away.

Have a fun weekend! Rainy, sleety, icy, snowy and cold if you are in Chicago!

Happy New Year!

Hey!
Happy Belated Holidays! I hope you all had fun with your family and friends. I cannot believe how time flies. A year ago, this week, I was preparing for my second week of ICE chemotherapy, and now I feel so great! Let's just pray that it stays that way.

Please help me in saying a little prayer for a friend of mine. He had Stage IV Hodgkin's, and as of late, Dr. Winter thinks he may have relapsed, and is due for a stem cell transplant. I talked with him today, and he has such a great attitude!

I just arrived home after two weeks in California and Hawaii with Chris. We had a blast! I will post some pics as well.

Tomorrow, I meet with Dr. Streicher at NMH. She is going to run many fertility tests on me so we will see how that goes.

Love,
Sherrie