anna's blog

u2..pampering party...upcoming events....

Posted Mon, 09/28/2009 - 00:29 by anna

wow, i have not blogged in a few days, so this might be a long one....

this past week my weekly checkup went good...numbers were good and tj and i stayed at home after that...it was a great day for us...and it felt great to feel like my old self with doing laundry, watching tj and even cooking dinner...on tuesday we went into my parents house and spent the day there...on wednesday tom worked from home so tj and i stayed home..i went to the supermarket with him and did some grocery shopping and spent good mommy and tj time....on thursday tom and i had a hot date...we went to see u2 at giants stadium..it was great!!!! they really put on a good show as always and we had good alone time along with 75,000 - 80,000 u2 fans (as tom put it)...

today, i had my first pampering party and my dear friend kathleen (who is an independent mary kay consultant) sponsored the event since it was a fundraiser for light the night which is this coming saturday (thanks kreddy!)...it was great to see lisa and tamieka as well as talk to wonderful neighbors that stopped by...it was great entertaining for them..donna was great help as well..i could not have done it alone...tom and tj had a daddy and son day..they went shopping to woodbury commons and did a little bit of damage...

this week is a busy week...another cycle of my maintenance regimen begins on tuesday..this means i will get chemo via my port (an iv push to be more exact) and then the steroids come in for 5 days...on thursday bianca comes into town for our wisin y yandel concert that is on friday and on saturday after many months of fundraising our light the night walk is here...for those of you who would like to join us, events start at 5:30pm, survivors ceremony is at 6pm where my name will be announced and the walk around brookdale park begins at 7pm...it will be an emotional day especially when i stop and think where i was a year ago...God is good!

well, i am signing off and will try to get some sleep since it was a busy day and it will be a busy week....

great day...great friends...surprise email....

Posted Wed, 09/16/2009 - 23:48 by anna

its been a great few days...i have been going to see the cancer center therapist since i think the end of july or beginning of august...it has been really helpful to talk to patty(therapist)...it was good talking and crying with her without any worries...well on tuesday (sept 15) i went to meet with her and at the end of our session i graduated...which means i dont have to go and see her anymore...she said she feels i am doing so good mentally (not that i was crazy) and emotionally that i dont need to see her unless i feel like i need to talk or have any concerns that may arise...praise God!

today after a trip to costco with tj and donna, i went into the city to meet my best friend judy to do some shopping for our upcoming wisin y yandel concert on october 2nd...it was so much fun shopping with her, like the old days..after getting a really cute top at banana republic we went for burgers at Five Guys..so yummy and we literally were chatting like 2 school girls!!!!! afterwards we met tom, who has a cold and isnt feeling too good and we drove judy home...

once tom and i got home i asked tj if he missed me and he said i missed you so much mommy...wow, it just melted my heart...this little boy is one of the greatest gifts God has given me..he is amazing...God bless him...

while tom was having dinner i checked my email and much to my surprise i received an email from kristin, my dear friend and favorite nurse that took care of me while i was at 5300...as i have mentioned before kristin, along with rebecca and many other nurses were there when i needed them the most during my stay and saw me at my worse....kristin was the nurse that shaved off my hair when it started to fall out, a very special moment in both of our lives..wow, God blessed me by meeting her and the other nurses and i will be eternally grateful to them...anyway, it was great receiving an email from her and also very emotional...i read the email aloud to tom and was teary/crying off and on while reading it..i could also see that toms eyes were watery as well..he knows how special kristin is to me and the special bond her and i have with each other...she lives in north carolina and we dont talk on the phone, we just keep in contact via email and i swear our friendship is so special despite the distance...

overall, it was a great day seeing judy and receiving kristin's email...

one final note, light the night is right around the corner and we have raised almost $6K...how amazing is that! let's continue to support the leukemia and lymphoma society.....anna.gaff.net/walk

God bless!

birthday weekend and weekly check-up...

Posted Mon, 09/14/2009 - 23:08 by anna

this past saturday was my 33rd birthday and this year it was very special since a year ago i was in a very different place..it is amazing how things change in just a year...it was a good day...my parents came over with their friend aida and we cooked up a cuban feast...we had black bean rice, steaks, croquetas, potato salad, regular tossed salad, plantains (maduros) and for dessert, cupcakes, a cake i made and bunuelos (cuban dessert)...everything was yummy and i had good time...of course, when it was time to sing happy birthday and blow out the candles tj was front and center...i had tears rolling down my cheeks and i could tell my father's eyes as well as tom's eyes were watery...like i said this year my birthday was a big deal...

sunday was a quiet day..i went to church in the morning and then tried to find a salon so i could cut my hair or at least give it some style...i didnt find a salon open so i came back home..later on in the day tom, tj and i went to target to get a couple of things...we went in the car since we returned the old car on saturday...tj really loves the dvd and puts his earphones on and literally gets into a trance...i am getting used to driving "the beast", as we lovingly call it...

today, my mother in law came down for her week to be with us as well as my weekly checkup to see where my numbers are and how i am feeling...praise God everything is good...

cancer does not cease to amaze me with its cruelty...in the little time i sat in the waiting area of the cancer center waiting to see dr grossman, i looked around the room and saw so many people that are sick and it just saddens me...i was saddened to hear tonight of Patrick Swayze's death...but we know he is a better place where is no suffering...rest in peace and let's a say a prayer for his wife and family...