Hill Update 2/16/09 From Vic (aka Dad)

Hi to all

It has been over a month since my last update so I thought you might like to be brought up to date. On Jan 12th Hillary had here PET scan. The doctor read the scan and told Hillary she was in Remission. Hillary and Nancy read the doctors face, then looked at the scan. It shows 2 odd spots, 1 on the liver. The scan says they are not Cancer but They are suspicious. After a few weeks of discussion and a little depression we have come to realize that our positive attitude has gotten us this far. If we give in and start believing it is back then We all start to have a pity party. That was bringing us to an all time low. Hillary turned to the computer and researched some alternative protocols to do. Most of it is a new diet and getting off some of her meds. She has a team of doctors that have agreed to work with her. This will give her a 3 month head start on a treatment plan if the cancer does come back. We really don't know anything for sure. We were letting our minds wander She has a better attitude now and has her spunk and fight back. We were all very low for a while. Hillary got out of the funk by inviting some of her college friends up for Charlestown Winter Carnival. If you haven't seen a broom Ball game you have to see it for yourself. Slick ice, sneakers, kitchen broom, soccer ball, and goals. While she was out at the carnival, that killer smile was back. Even though she was diagnosed with pneumonia and caught it early in the weekend her fight was back. Her team lost both games right off and were out of the tournament but she was back. I have not been able to write for a couple reasons. Fairpoint bought out Verizon in our area. Notice my new address. I have my regular computer that still is not working after 2.5 week. I've been up in the middle of the night many times in the last month and just can't find the right words on my work computer. I've got to say that it has been an emotional month. I think we are back to loving life and the good people that we know. I have been carried by my friends this month. The article below helped Hillary look at herself from a new perspective. I have attached it if you have time to read it. Hope life is treating you all well. Look at the bright side!! Sometime you have to look harder to find it. The article below was posted on another blog. If they only knew she is 110 lbs soaking wet. Linda Keenan really figured Hillary out. She has spunk!!

Linda Keenan is a former CNN senior producer. Posted February 11, 2009 09:15 AM (EST) BIO Become a Fan Get Email >> Alerts Bloggers' Index>> Meet Hillary, Cancer Warrior Princess

Read More: Baldies Blog, Cancer, Hillary St Pierre, Lymphoma, Living >> News>>>>>> Show your support.>> Buzz this article up.Buzz up!

I'm hoping Hillary St. Pierre likes how I present her post, because I'm afraid that if I piss her off, she'll come and give me a beat-down. I don't know Hillary; I've only emailed with her a few times. But my guess from reading her blog is that she was a fierce creature well before cancer launched a terror attack on her a few years back.

One of my dearest friends was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma 16 months ago, and in my web wanderings through cancer-land, I recently arrived on Hillary, a 26-year-old mother of a 5-year-old named Xander. She writes Baldie's Blog and to get an idea of what she's been through, here's her accounting.

"Diagnosed: April 2006 Hodgkin's Lymphoma May 2006- ABVD Therapy >> Sept. 2006- ASHAP Therapy>> Oct. 2006- ICE Therapy >> December 2006- Mini Beam therapy January 2007- Syngeneic Transplant(from my identical twin) Feb. 2007- Lungs fail, my family is told I will not survive. March 2007- I WAKE UP and throw a party!! June 2007- Radiation Therapy August 2007- Cancer Reoccurence, Radiation Therapy Feb 2008- Reoccurence. Radiation therapy, Biopsy, and an allo transplant recommended. April- Second opinion, Sloan & Kettering. Looking into alternatives. May- Third opinion at Dana Farber. Sign on to their care. July 2008- Start trial drug- LDH My husband undergoes surgery for Crohn's disease silmultaneously which finds carcinoid tumor September 2008- FOUND A DONOR!Transplant is postponed due to shingles infection. October 2008- Admitted to Brigham & Women's for a "mini-allo" transplant. Mid-October 2008- Move out of Hospital to nearby Hotel."

Her latest scans showed more cancer and right now, Hillary's status is this: "Researching like my life depends on it :)".

What amazes me about her blog is how raw and real and fearless she is: when she's depressed, disappointed, exhausted, terrified, angry, she's not afraid to say it. And despite the terrible setbacks, she keeps plugging ahead with what she calls "Plan Y".

But it's her role as Mom that interests me the most. In a time when it's a sort of vogue to declare yourself a marginally "Bad Parent", Hillary is intense about her desire to educate her son Xander, herself, despite her condition. And with this post from Baldie's blog, it's clear the education goes both ways.

Republished "Live like a Stilleto."