Oooooh, what a great little find while antique
hunting in the used bookstore
this weekend...a vintage find from Istanbul.
Listed on Etsy : Vintage Turkish ephemera - 10 pages

Steampunk supplies listed on Etsy.
Vintage enamel pocket watch dials.

Merry Christmas!
...Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas
...I was due for chemo today (23rd) but post-poned it till after
the holidays :o) Now I have time to enjoy my family and
the festivities! Chemo #5 will be on the 30th but not
to worry, we're not "New Years Eve" people.

Take care!
Kat

Feeling much better...this round (round 4) went surprisingly well.
I'm pumped about being so close to the finish line...only 2 more to go.
Today I am trying to bump my 5th treatment till after Christmas
so that I may enjoy the holidays with my family.
(keep your fingers crossed for me)

Relisted these fun little earrings I made on Etsy...they're $5 and
I'll make a donation to breast cancer society from the sale.

Thanks to all who've left msgs of encouragement...
I appreciate the boost!

Off line for a few days...this is round 4 of chemo so I'm finally
on the downhill slope of what I think is the worst part.

As for the Avastin treatments they will stop...not that they ever really
started past round 1...although my blood pressure is fine at home
when I get to the hospitals (for visits with the oncologist & chemo)
it spikes up to levels they are not comfortable with.
Avastin + high blood pressure could = stroke or other heart damage.
So... :o( ...apparently it's called "white coat syndrome".

Have no fear I'll return with Christmas cheer! :o)

A little gratitude journal...the very day I was diagnosed with
breast cancer I also started a gratitude journal...I decorated it
with pics of my family and art from my kids...I cherish it!

I made this little gratitude journal for you!
Enjoy!

Domino pendant kit ($5) ...wannabe crafter? Thinking
of opening an Etsy store to sell jewelry?...don't want
to buy an obscene amount of supplies to try it out?

My Etsy domino pendant kit comes with:
- 1 white or ivory pre drilled domino with bail
- 1 chain & clasp 18" long
- several various images perfect for this project
- a few acrylic gems as embellishments
- stamped domino pendant tutorial
(incase you want to try inking too)

...all for $5 bucks!

A couple months ago I created this inchies digital collage sheet perfect for scrabble tile pendants!
I relisted it today on Etsy and remembered I hadn't shared it with my blogger friends...
Looking for a free scrabble tile pendant tutorial? Here's mine:

http://www.squidoo.com/scrabbletiles

What a great day today is! Whew...I feel great...the metal taste in my mouth from the chemo drugs is tolerable today...it gradually disappears but never totally leaves...but today is good. Which always helps when meeting liquids intake...

Felt so good, I've re-opened and started listing in my Etsy store again. Sold and relisted one of my famous 50+ collage kits, sure to inspire the altered mixed media artist. Filled with ephemera, embellishments, images, various charms etc...


Also listed in my Etsy store is a fun funky pair of tool chick earrings...had these scrapbooking embellishments and thought someone somewhere might know a tool chick in need of a stocking stuffer.

All my earrings are $5 bucks.

Enjoy!
Kat

Have you seen it? Julie & Julia...??? OMG! It's wonderful!

3rd round of chemo was Friday (13th) and the following
Monday & Tuesday were horrible! Ugh...but thank god for
feel good amusing movies...I watched it twice...you will
too!

p.s. Wednesday was the lightbulb moment when all the bad
chemo feelings went away and I finally felt like "I can
do this"...so obviously, today I'm feeling great! :o)

Ahhh...I'm finally starting to feel better. :o)
It's a long week of feeling yucky; nausea and bone ache
but when you reach that good day
(and for me it comes about a week later) it's so nice!

I appreciate everyone's comments and encouragement
...for so long I kept this private and after
round one I just knew I needed more
emotional support to get me through this.
Thank you!

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to chemo I go...this is #2 of 6.

Yesterday my oncologist said I have to let go of me need to
schedule these sort of things...that many other factors come into
play and counting on specific dates will only set myself up for
disappointment...so we'll just have to do the 3,4,5,6 count down for now.
The only factors that could change my mornings outcome are
a) my blood pressure and b) the blood work...I'm more worried about
a vs b right now as it's high and as for blood work it's still early on
in treatments...if I post later today you know I didn't get it...if you don't
hear from me for a few days you know I did :o)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Quick update: Round 2 is over YIPPIE!
I was not able to take the Avastin as my blood pressure was too high :o(
But missing 1 treatment of 1 drug that I will receive for a full year
I don't think is that big of a deal. The Avastin and Herceptin I take until
October 2010. So...now we have to work at lowering my blood pressure
so that in 3 weeks time I can get ALL of the drugs and not miss anymore Avastin.

If history is going to repeat it'self I'll start to feel flu like symptoms late tonight until about Tuesday...Tuesday I come off the freaky drugs like the steriods which really mess up my sleeping patterns...but we're also going to try something new
for that as well. So if you don't hear from me for a few days, you know why :o)

Kat

Ugh!...a neighbour just came over and we realized my math is off...not so unusual for me as math has never been my strongest subject...but it would seem as though my last chemo day is now January 13th...not the 8th...oh well, not much of a difference...still do-able :o)

84 days to go...

So I woke up this morning kind of dreading the downhill run to next Friday...I know I have to go, I know what to expect, I know I'll feel better about a week later but I'm still wishing the days would slow down.

The 1st few days after chemo the hours and days seem to take forever...then once you start to feel better the days just click by. Funny how that is...

I've also noticed my hair is starting to fall out. I was told it would, so I think I'm prepared for it. I have chemo caps and other hats, scarves etc...my kids will be shaving my head once we decide to do it...trying to make it somewhat fun for them.

I've been asked how I feel about loosing my hair...I don't think I'll mind too much. I've never been really "attached" to it and I've often thought of going really short but never knew what it would look like so this way, when it grows back in I'll get to see the different stages and see if I like "really short".

K

p.s. I felt well enough this week to catch up on my Squidoo lenses, here is part 2 of my breast cancer story: http://www.squidoo.com/my-breast-cancer-story-2

90 days and counting...

Ok. So I've been off of blog land for a while. Wasn't even sure I'd return, however I need a mental count down calendar of sorts to help me get through this...when I logged off last in May I had just been diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer. (<---My Story on Squidoo)

I quietly went through the biopsy, MRI, other scans, the lumpectomy, lymph node removal, port insertion, but can I just say that chemotherapy is a different bag of tricks all together... Because I am HER 2 positive I was asked to be part of the BETH trial. If any readers come along who have experience with Avastin I'd be interested in speaking with you...

My 1st chemo treatment was Friday Oct 2nd and while I went into it with my pink ninja attitude in full mode may I just say the drugs knocked me on my ____ for the 1st week. This is where the 90 days and counting is coming into play...I need a deadline. 90 days from today I am scheduled for my last chemo treatment (that will be Jan 8th).

The idea of this metal taste in my mouth, the soar throat and liquid mostly diet for 90 days makes me wonder how I'll ever do it, but I have to.

So...do let me know if you have any suggestions, helpful tips etc...they'll all be appreciated! :o)

Today my fortune cookie reads:

Count your blessings by thinking of those whom you love.
...so I am taking an extended "online" break...to do just that.

Whoohoo! My DIY Scrabble Tile Pendant tutorial or lens
made it to Squidoo's AllTop Lenses list!

http://www.squidoo.com/scrabbletiles

Also check out my extension of the pendant lens:

http://www.squidoo.com/scrabble-tile-jewelry

...for different ideas like cufflinks, rings, etc....

New Inchies or Scrabble Tile Pendant
digital collage sheet.
Now listed on Etsy.

I have expanded my Scrabble tile tutorials...

click: http://www.squidoo.com/scrabbletiles to learn how to make Scrabble Tile Pendants

and click: http://www.squidoo.com/scrabble-tile-jewelry to create Scrabble tile rings, earrings, bracelets and cufflinks!

My mom has come for a visit during March break and I mananged

to get her to join Squidoo and write her first lens...

http://www.squidoo.com/travel-RV