We have moved!!

We got the biggest truck they had and we just could not get it all to fit.  We ended up getting a pull behind trailer as well.

Dad, Dave and Treyse



Colton, Ryan J. and Nathan



Mikayla, Emily and Meg



Roman and Tanner 

We are no longer at 260 West Berdine, Roseburg Oregon.  We are off on our adventure of finding a new home for our family.  We want to thank everyone who helped us pack up and load the truck and trailer.  Ryan J., Treyse, Nathan, Colton, Tanner, Dave, Rex, Kyle and Dad all helped get every last thing in.  Whew!  Emily, Mikayla, Sonja, Michelle, Glynda and Mom all helped get the house cleaned after all the furniture and boxes were out.  Thank you again to each and every one of you.  We miss you all already!  More updates soon....

My first haircut

Thankfully hair does grow back!  It was time for a cut, I was starting to look like a mix between an afro and a mullet.....not a good look.  I was just so happy to have hair again, I put off getting it cut.  You know how it is when you go to the salon and you feel excited for something new, but nervous that it won't turn out the way you wanted?  Well, I had none of that this time.  I was just excited to get it cut and have a style.  I have not had a "style" in over a year.  Unless you call hair falling out in clumps or a fuzzy head, a "style". 

                                                                             Meg

a rare picture of Darryl

Roman's last baseball game.  Waiting on first base. 

Ovary removal

We have been contemplating this decision for some time now and have been going back and forth between just removing my ovaries or doing a full hysterectomy.  We have decided to just do the ovaries now.  We chose this for many reasons.  First, the ovaries make the most estrogen and they need to come out.  Second, this surgery is a one week recovery versus a 6-8 week recovery from the hysterectomy.  Third, I can always have my uterus out at a later time.  Fourth, I am going to switch medications, off of Tamoxifen, which is the one that is most risky for the uterus.  Taking Tamoxifen makes you 3x as likely to get uterine cancer.  So that was a big worry.  I feel good about this decision and I am trusting my gut on this one. 
 
Friday afternoon was the surgery.  I did it here in Roseburg at the Surgery Center.  Dr. Wonderly performed it.  I was in surgery for about 1 1/2 hours or so.  It was all done laparascopically.  I have three incision sites on my tummy.  I am pretty sore and tired, but doing well.  So now I am in full blown menopause.  At age 35, not many people are going through menopause.  It is uncomfortable, but not unbearable. 

Meg is back from Girls Camp.  She had a great time and made some new friends.  Roman is looking forward to Cub Scout Camp in two weeks.  We are busy working on our home, getting it ready to sell.  Hope to sell quickly and move to northern Idaho before school starts. 

I got my port out!

Last Friday we went up to Eugene and saw our surgeon.  It was time to get my port out!  It was an in-office procedure.  It only took 20 minutes or so.  So this is what it looks like.  A little gross, but it sure did help me.

After our doctor's appointment we went to the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene.  They take injured birds and care for them and if possible return them to the wild.  The ones that cannot be returned are there at the park for the public. Here are a few of our favorites...

 Pretending to be little eggs in that BIG nest!



Last Herceptin treatment

Yesterday was my last IV Herceptin treatment.  No more going to the cancer center and sitting for 2-3 hours while a bag of fluids and medicine is pumped into me.  On one hand I am so excited, but on the other I have felt so lucky to be able to get the Herceptin.  It is an amazing medicine that keeps the cancer cells from reproducing.  So in a way I feel a little nervous that I won't be getting that anymore.  But, research shows that you only need it for one year.  So that is what I have done. 
  In June I will schedule to get my ovaries out.  Should be an outpatient procedure.  Also in June I can get my port out!  I think I am most excited about that!  It will feel like my treatment is truly over and I can move forward when I don't have this foreign thing under my skin.  But, just so you all know, if any of you ever have to have treatment, please get a port.  It makes your life so much easier. 
  I will need to do another mammogram in September and then after that just do them yearly.  Of course I will be checking for anything growing constantly.  :)  You know, before this past year I did not know what I was even checking for when I was told to do self exams.  Without going too far into it, my advice would be to feel for anything that is hard.  What I felt was something harder than my normal muscle/tissue.  I  am so thankful that we decided to go get it checked, just to see, if I had ignored it, then my cancer story would have been very different.  I had only felt it for maybe 2-3 weeks before I went in and in that time I was already stage IIB.  Much longer and it would have spread to my lymph nodes and who knows where else.  So, again, my advice to each of you is if you notice something different and it feels a little hard, go get it checked.  It is probably nothing, but just in case it isn't, you will be glad that you went in early. 
 



Happy Mothers Day!

Gray Sharks

Roman is playing machine-pitch baseball this spring.  His team name is the Gray Sharks.  He is really enjoying it and learning a lot.   He is the first one on the left, second row.

 Some of the little guys in the dugout.  Roman is #20.

 He was the catcher for the first time today!



 He got the grounder

After hitting the ball and making it all the way to third, he is hoping to run home. Go sharks!

Paul Revere- by Roman

We learned all about the beginning of our country and the story of Paul Revere.  This is the song Roman came up with to remember Paul Revere.  Sing to the tune of Frosty the Snowman.....

Revere was a hero.

He loved his country.

The British were coming

an alarm was needed.

Two lights by sea.

He rode his horse

from Boston to Lexington

to warn the people of the land

the British were coming by sea!

Zoladex

This Monday I had another Herceptin treatment, only two more to go!  I also received a Zoladex shot, although it is more like an implant. My nurse tried to explain it to me like it was similar to getting a belly piercing.  Ummm, never had a belly piercing.  She sprayed some numbing spray on my stomach and in the needle went.  The little Zoladex goes right under the skin and lasts for 28 days. It is supposed to shut down my ovaries.  I opted to do this shot for a few months before deciding whether or not to have the surgery to remove my ovaries.  My doctors really want me to get my ovaries out, so it will lower my estrogen levels even more.  We have not decided what to do about that yet. 

We had a very nice Easter with our traditional scavenger hunt.

 They found the basket!

Meg had a great experience today. She got to dissect a frog!  It was not her favorite thing to do, but she did it and has now gone through that rite of passage.  Great job Meg!

Spring Break

We took a trip to Mackay, Idaho to see Darryl's parents.  The weather was beautiful and the roads were clear.  But first we stopped in Jerome, Idaho and dropped off 600 pounds of shoes to go towards Jorin's shoe collection for his Eagle project.  That was a total of 470 pairs of shoes! 

Once we got to Mackay we stopped at the local reservoir.  It was frozen over, but starting to melt along the edges.  

Meg and her cousin Emery.  They had a fun sleepover and then they spent the morning running away from the boys (Roman and Cordovan).

Roman, Cordovan, Meg and Emery.  Myler cousins together in Mackay.  In front of the cabin that grandma and grandpa Myler are renting while they build their house.  

We were able to see Kent and Justena and their kids, along with Aaron, but unfortunately I did not get any pictures with my camera.  On our way home we drove through Salmon, Idaho.  It is the birthplace of Sacajawea. 

We stopped at the border of Idaho and Montana and let the kids enjoy the snow.  That was the highlight of the trip for them!  Roman was so excited he could barely contain himself.  The first thing he did was lay down and make a snow angel.  

We had a great time, but are so glad to be home.  I will see if the kids have any more pictures from their cameras and add them as well.  Thank you to Dean and Kathie for letting us stay with them!



Recent mammogram

Last Tuesday I had another mammogram here in Roseburg.  I had not been back to that office since I first discovered the lump and went in for an ultrasound and mammogram, last May.  I was a bit nervous and apprehensive going in.  Although I feel good and I am getting stronger each day, I felt I could not depend on that, as I felt good last May when I went in.  I asked the radiologist if he could tell me right away if he found anything.  After the mammogram, he came in and told me that everthing was clear!  Whew!  What a relief!  I was cautiously excited!  We had the office send the films up to my surgeon in Eugene.  We wanted him to look over the films as well.  So, basically, we wanted a second opinion.  We heard back today from him and he said he could not be happier.  He could not see anything suspicious!  YES!! 
 Yesterday I went in for another Herceptin treatment.  Also saw my oncologist and he said he would say I am NED, which means No Evidence of Disease.  They can't tell me I am "cancer free" and in remission means you still have cancer, it just isn't growing and is stable.  So, I am NED.  That is where we are!  We are very excited! 

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

My sister sent me this video and I just loved it!  I hope you all enjoy it too!

FYI-I have my follow up mammogram today.  Please pray that everything is clear.

A look at February

A quick look at a few of the fun things we have been up to in February!

1. Playing with a catapult that Aunt Ranelle sent us.  We had a hard time getting the marshmallow to get in the cup.  We then switched to a bowl and  it finally went in, but then it bounced right back out! 

2.  Meg and I went up to Vancouver for a quick weekend with Rachelle.  We had a lot of fun and love spending time with her!  One night we went to a Mongolian Grill for dinner.  Meg loved it!  Each time we go, we try and eat somewhere different and get a new "international" experience.  :)  I know it is a stretch, but, hey, we are having fun and we don't even need to leave the country!

3.  We got "heart attacked" by some mystery giggling girls.  What a surprise, thank you!

4.  Roman had his first Blue and Gold dinner. He received his first patch, the Bobcat.  He made this cake and frosted it.  What a great job!  The next day he learned how to stitch his patch on his uniform by hand. 

5.  Meg had a presentation on Thomas Edison in our homeschool co-op.  She made up this board and gave a 5 minute presentation to her class.  She did a fantastic job and really learned a lot.  She thinks Thomas Edison looks a little like Grandpa Reber.  Did you know that Thomas Edison proprosed to his second wife using Morse code?  How romantic....





Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

One thing that I look forward to during the week

Does anyone else love it?  Don't forget that it is on tonight!

Frogs, toads and tadpoles by Roman and Meg

Roman had to write a song about frogs for reading today.  Meg helped us out and this is what they came up with.  Sing this song to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle"........

I like toads and bark mulch too.

Bullfrogs are the kings of the zoo.

Tree frogs are the best climbers

and they stink at swimming with birds.

I think they are really cool

'cuz they don't have to go to school.

Tadpoles like to swim around

and sometimes they tend to frown.

Turtles are their enemies.

They can't even see their knees.

Frogs and tadpoles are the best.

They don't even have to get dressed!

Glass-by Meg Myler

Glass

            Golden sand sparkles and kingdoms grow and fall, in the land of glass. Crabs whisper sweet secrets and bottles line the shore, in the land of glass.

Rows of rock reach out to touch the sea, in the land of glass. Shells smooth as silk and soft as wool dance in the sun, in the land of glass.

Water rolls and falls and the sun warms the air, in the land of glass. The breeze is soft and slow and the birds soar high in the sky, in the land of glass.

Boats sail on the glass, still as stone, I hear the ocean calling me, beconing me into the water, in the land of glass.

The taste of salt touches my lips and a cold mist washes over me, pushing me over.  I smell fresh cooked hot dogs and cold lemonade, in the land of glass.

A thought for today

Flu bug

We have all been bitten by the flu bug.  Ugh.  It has been 4 days, so we should be doing better any time now.  We have done a lot of laying around, watching movies, playing board games, drinking water and eating soup.  Not much else going on.  This is actually the first time I have been sick with something other than chemo sickness, since last May.  We have been using our essential oils and they do help us feel a little better.  Especially the lemon and peppermint.  Roman has had a headache and we have been putting peppermint on the back of his neck.  At first he was wondering what on earth we were doing, but the next day he asked me to do it again.  It must have helped!  Hope to be feeling better soon!

Roman loves cub scouts!

DoTerra essential oils

Quick update today.  I have started using essential oils.  The company that I have chosen to use is DoTerra.  So far we are using Frankincense, which is supposed to be a cancer fighter, Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon.  I am loving the smell of them!  They have all sorts of health benefits. I put 2 drops of lemon in my water everyday and it tastes so good. Darryl has also been using them and he really can tell a difference in his mood and energy level.

My mom and I went to a DoTerra class a few nights ago and we had a "scan" done.  Really you just put your hand/palm on this machine and it scans you somehow (don't ask me??)  It then tells you what essential oil your body needs and how it could help you.  There were around 70 possible markers that it was checking.  Before I did it, I was absolutely sure that when my report came up, it would show 70/70 were messed up.  But, to my surprise, my number was 16.  Out of those 16, 14 of them would be fixed by using the Deep Blue oil.  The other 2 would benefit from the Basil oil.  Pretty interesting.  We have started using a diffuser in the house.  Everyone loves it so much that we have to take turns getting to choose what room it is in.  It is easy to do and smells great.  Plus the added health benefits! 

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Cuts and wounds
• Cold and flu
• Insect repellent
• Fever
• Memory loss
• Cancer
• Multiple sclerosis
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Hot flashes

the list goes on and on.....

Happy birthday mom!

Today is a very special day!  My sweet mom was born 74 years ago today!  I don't know what I would have done without her this past year.  She has taken me to doctor appointments, sat with me during chemo, watched the kids, brought us many meals, prayed for us, went grocery shopping and really was just always there for us during this very difficult past year.  I know it was probably hard for her to watch me through those tough days, but she was always right there.  For that, I want to say thank you a million times over.  Thanks mom!  I LOVE YOU!!
 (I wanted to put in a photo, but I am having trouble loading pics right now.  I will try again in a few days.)

Feeling good

Well, it has been one week since we started eating vegetarian.  Our meals are very delicious!  It does take some planning ahead.  I am trying to get better at making up a meal plan for the week.  I have not missed the meat at all actually.  Well, maybe it is because I have never been very good at cooking and preparing meat, so now that I don't have to, I feel like the pressure is off!  Now I can just have fun cooking!
   I hit a milestone this past week, I am going to let you know what it is, albeit very pathetic!  I was able to jog for 30 seconds on the treadmill without wanting to lie down on the floor and pass out!!  I am not even kidding.  Before my diagnosis, I was running on the treadmill just fine.  Then during treatment I could not even walk across the street to the mailbox without feeling faint.  I gained about 20 pounds during treatment.  It is so weird.  During the first 2-3 treatments I lost weight, after that I started gaining and never stopped.  Ugh.  So now that I am feeling better, I am working on getting back in control of my body!  Yesterday I had my Herceptin therapy again and I had lost 2 pounds.  I have been exercising 3-4 times a week.  I am feeling stronger and healthier each day.  I have read that exercise also lowers your estrogen level, so that is another GREAT reason for me to get out of bed in the morning and go work out!