Heres a Dad Update

When fate hands you lemons,

you make lemonade.

-Dale Carnegie

Hi to All
I realize it had been maybe a couple of months since I last emailed. The summer is always busy and when everything is "Normal" we all tend to coast. Normal is a very good thing and we can enjoy a summer of soccer swimming and sun. I actually had not talked with Hillary about any treatment for a while. She decide to take July off from any chemo treatment and just enjoy a month. She spent 2 weeks in the white Mountains Camping with the family. Xander is 8 now and can do a lot more on his own. He is very active so Hillary doesn't stand a prayer of keeping up with that barrel of energy. Watching Xander's activity even gets me tired.

This is Hillary's first summer in 3 years that she can go swimming. No Tubes sticking out of her chest. She is allergic to the sun so she has to relegate herself to big hats, just like the English royal family. She is happy in the shade, no big deal. 

View from the beach at White Lake

She has been coaching the 7&8 yr old soccer team. That is going very well. With her and my memory it takes all year for us to memorize the kids names. Hillary has found a way to feel like she is accomplishing something. 

She is making jewelry. We are now polishing her own stones. Now we are into finding special stones as we go places. We did not realize what we have right below our feet if we look hard. It does not require a lot of energy and can be started and stopped easily. She has taken a few classes and some of the pieces are gorgeous. I can't say I am ready for ear rings yet!

Sunset From the beach.

Today she had a Doctors appointment with Dr G. He looked so young when we started this treatment. Now he has gray hair. The labs were inconclusive. Some hi some low. Today she is having another PET scan to look for any new spots starting. She does not have any individual sore spots so we are hoping for a clear scan. She has tapered off the steroids to a low level. we hope that will slow any growth of the Hodgekins Lymphoma. It also has slowed her activity and energy. She is trying some alternative medicines. Got a Chinese Doctor that mixes up a batch of something like tea. She has decided not to eat worms however!! I would have drawn the line somewhere!! I don't know if it is Wong or wight. Bad Joke--

    She does require a lot of rest and a lot of pain control. It seems like her bag of medicine has gotten smaller however. She has not needed the wheelchair in about 6 weeks. We have learned to live and survive with cancer. If you are given Lemons make lemonade! Enjoy the lemonade as it will quench your thirst, and make you pucker up for a big kiss. That is a very good alternative. 

   I hope all of you are enjoying your summertime. Keep a positive attitude. Make every moment count. Please keep Hillary in your prayers.  A special prayer for a cure for cancer would nice also.

Vic, Nancy, Patrick, Grace, Heather, Allen, Pierce Preston Jon, Xander and especially Hillary

-- 
Five Eagles Design, Victor St Pierre 110 Great country rd Charlestown NH 03603 603-542-4915 Office 5eagles@myfairpoint.net 5eaglesdesign.com