a big thumbs up

woo hoo....ginny's counts were high enough (1600) for chemo...they have lowered the dose a bit so hopefully we are back on track with the every three week schedule...i continue to be amazed at her endurance and her ability to process all of this poison...what an incredible woman (ginny you continue to amaze me with your optimism and outrageous strength)...we are pushing the CT scan forward a week...so instead of the 7th, ginny will have her CT scan on the 14th of april...we are anxious to see if the "super dope" is doing its job...

tomorrow i am off yet again....miss allegra pihlaja (joce & byron's kiddo) is going to be 10...i am participating in the festivities...dinner tomorrow night and then helping joce with a slumber party on friday night...not byron's thing, so auntie kirsten is helping out...

on a side note (although quite a big deal)...ginny's mom is needing to move from assistant living....she is really needing more care...a room has opened up at a memory care facility within 1/2 mile of our house...we will be moving her next week...

busy busy are we...we are loving each other and looking forward...
kirsten and ginny too!

the big city with katie

well the training ended friday afternoon....katie and i high tailed it out and made our way to san francisco for the weekend...

friday night...it was so fabulous...had been five years...and i was definitely ready to see it again....

saturday began with a trip to alcatraz...a beautiful sunny day...thank you to the weather gods...could not have been a better day....we mark our spot...on the deck of the boat...katie is one of my "girlie" girlfriends...purses...froofiness and shoes...i have to say that i love the pink shoes...the "coach" tennies didn't make the trip...i love this girl :)

we arrive at alcatraz...

we take a walk across the "recreation yard"

little left of the "warden's home"....

the cell house....AMAZING...the tour was one of the best i have taken...self guided audio...

katie at the entrance to the "sally port" just up from the docks....

after alcatraz we hit hit pier 39...had lunch and walked up to fisherman's wharf...we stopped along the way to take a pic for my ginny....the flowers along the waterfront were incredible....i love you ginny!

we shopped...we found our selves in a salt water taffy shop...60 flavors...we had a blast choosing flavors...will be sharing mine with allegra and haakon (joce and byron's kids) over easter weekend...we also visited ghirardelli sqaure...purchased chocolate and then made our way back to the hotel for a late afternoon rest...in the evening we headed back to pier 39 for a little more shopping and a trip to the end of the pier to see the sea lions before dinner at the crab house...

i am exhausted and energized at the same time...a terrific day...will spend the morning at the wharf before making our way to the airport early afternoon...

kirsten...and katie too!

boom boom...so good...so very good

we (katie and i) arrived in san jose california on wednesday night for the Link Crew refresher training...have been looking forward to the trip for weeks...katie is a colleague from work and and my partner for Link...i love Link and have have been so impressed with the training in the past...my hopes for this refresher training was simply to focus on me...to invest in work and in me...i feel like i probably shouldn't say this, but i really needed the time...was so good to step out of life for a few days...

training met all my expectations...felt good to be immersed in good stuff with great people...

carolyn and micah (trainers)...two claps and a hell yes you rock!

katie...shmeepy me...here's to good times and a great girlfriend...

the training was held at Hayes Mansion in  San Jose, CA...very nice!









i left my ginny home with Nadou and Radar...in our daily calls she has reported days full of visits and short trips out and about with friends...it is saturday night and i have to admit that i am READY to be home...READY to see my ginny...

kirsten

false start

well my super star student got an "F" this morning...ginny's counts have come up 1 point since last week... unfortunately they needed to come up 1001 points...so we wait until next week...in the meantime she is needing to be careful...she is super susceptible to infection...they have asked her to wear a mask when she is out and about...and so ginny, being ginny...will opt out of using the respiratory accessories and will be keeping a low profile, enjoying home time...

i leave in the morning for san jose, ca....i am really looking forward to the time...am grateful for those who are hanging out with ginny while i am gone...

k

round three...ding ding ding

well it is monday night and chemo in on the agenda for the morning...gin's white count was low last week and so there is some question about whether or not she will be able to have treatment...blood test in the morning will reveal all...

we celebrated our birthdays this weekend...good time...great friends...felt really good to celebrate life with each other...

i am leaving wednesday, going to california for a training for work...we have come up with a plan for ginny...actually the plan is for me...i will feel a whole lot better about leaving with a plan...a little nuts i know...but i will not be able to relax while away without it...

after round three is completed ginny will have a CT scan (April 7th) to see if the dope is doing the job.  if the chemo is not working they are likely to try a new cocktail...before revisiting surgery (which has not been an option because of the risk to ginny)...hoping hoping hoping hoping...

the question asked often this week?  how are you holding up...i am holding up...i will say that i am anxious with the CT scan coming up...and trying to not put energy into stuff until i need to...although that is hard to do some days, in some moments...i catch myself thinking about the past 3 years...it has been an amazing ride...focusing in on the trip to france and italy this past fall....i want more....lots more...and i am counting on ginny's determination, our love for each other and the dope to work in concert and kick this crap to the curb...

kirsten

nose hairs

Nose Hairs

I think a lot about hair these days

Because I don’t have any.

Chemo did this.

My profile reminds me of Mahatma Gandhi .

God knows how many I’ve lost:

He said every one on my head was numbered.

Let’s look on the bright side:

I save a good hour every a.m.

                Shampooing, curling, spritzing….

I save on shampoos, conditioners, and gels,

                Also on electricity (hairdryer) and hot water.

No leg hairs either.

No armpit hairs.

Not even any old-lady bristles on my chinny-chin-chin.

Everything’s smooth as a baby’s bottom.

But, folks!  When the sun shines onto the parquet floor

                Around 4 o’clock

                And I see the dust motes floating in the air

                Or huddled together along the baseboard,

Here’s what I miss most:

My nose hairs!

Yes, those undernoticed, underappreciated sifters

That  God created to keep our lungs

From forming hairballs.

When is the last time you thanked God

For  them?

Really.

Let us pray.

Amen.

-virginia claire-

heads up

thought we would share the fashion show with you...here is ginny's day wear...

here she is sporting her "au naturel" look

ginny queen of the vikings

peacock print

tis a tuque

african scarf

tis another tuque

this one is ginny's favorite

thanks to all for participating in the covering of my ginny's head...many to choose from...much love...kir and ginny too...

the woman is amazing - cheers

wednesday ginny had her second chemo treatment...it was a busy day with and othro appointment and uncertainty over whether or not her counts would be high enough for treatment.  the friday before her white count was at 600, on wednesday morning it has risen to 1300...although not 1500...the good doctor felt it was high enough to go forward...

when we arrived in the infusion center, the staff were waiting for us...at ginny's first treatment there were several jokes about the benedryl and the fact that it hit her hard...much like an evening of martinis...so at our second visit the girls presented ginny with a pseudo pomegranate martini complete with umbrella...throughout the day (we were there 6 hours) the drinks kept coming...

ginny has handled chemo beautifully...yes the hair has fallen out...yes there have been moments of hot and cold flashes...yes food isn't tasting great (tinny taste)...despite the yeses...she feels good...she is active and vibrant...taking it all in stride...there is a lot of talk at our house about spring...the garden...summer travel...a visit to see friends jocelyn and byron in sicily next fall...and more...lots more...