Paulapalooza's Birthday Party!

Whew! This week has flown by. After Chemo Treatment #4 on Tuesday, and Mom's birthday on Wednesday, it's basically Friday already! We started this week recovering from a big weekend in Idaho Falls for cousin Daniel's wedding. Mom was feeling great and we were able to spend time with lots of family and had a blast. Nick got to come for the weekend, too--so I was pretty happy about that! :)

My last post told about how the last few days had been a struggle. Right after that, Mom decided to call the doctor and find out if there was anything she could do to feel better, so they had us come in and then pumped some fluids in her. Who knows if it was the fluids, the timing, or a little bit of both, but the next few days were MUCH better! A week later she met with Dr. Whisenant, who did a great job of validating her concerns, and encouraging her to be optimistic for the last stretch of treatment. He reiterated the importance of the last two treatments in curing it, even if the PET scan comes back clear next week. He also told her that he is confident that the scan will come back clear. (A nurse told us the other day that he's the best doctor they have-and he wouldn't say he's confident if he didn't really feel that way) Hopefully, he's right, but only time will tell. She goes in for her scan on the 3rd, so all the good vibes and prayers you can throw at her would be much appreciated!

Treatment #4 went really well. It took the least time, so far, and the affects that day seemed to be less, as well. We're hoping that the last treatment cycle was an anomaly and it won't keep getting worse. They even let her get her shot the same day (apparently Medicare just changed the rules...again...) so she didn't have to get it on her birthday! Small victories. :)

Mom is so cool in her hat! 

Yesterday was great. Like a true grown up, Mom went to work on her birthday, and was happy to be able to feel well and get things done there. Then we all met up at the house and headed out to dinner at Five Guys before the Real Salt Lake US Open Cup Quarterfinal against the Carolina Railhawks. They helped make Mom's birthday great by winning 3-0. It was a fun game to watch and great to get out and relax with the fam. We missed Caiti and Lucy at the game, but silly over protective parents thought a soccer game wasn't the place for a 5 week old baby.
Sheesh... :)

We're prepared for this weekend to be hard again, but hopefully not as bad as it was before. If it is, though, at least we know that it won't last forever. She must be feeling great, because I'm signing off so I can eat a delicious-smelling homemade lasagna she just pulled out of the oven. Yum!

Wish Paula a Happy Birthday!

I know you're never supposed to discuss a lady's age, but I can't help but brag about Mom.  Yesterday she turned 61, and chemo and all, she's living as rip-roaring a life as ever.

HAPPY 61st, MOM!

Paula, Queen of the Hill!

This photo is from a trip we took to Zion National Park when I was expecting our oldest, Megan.  Becoming a grandma hasn't slowed her down a bit!  Meg (6) said once that she hopes that she gets to be a "young grandma" like Grandma Paula is - a grandma who climbs around on the floor and throws the kids around, and a grandma who has years and years ahead with her grandkids.

Just like on Scott's birthday, we've set a big goal: to raise $610 to celebrate 61 amazing years!  

In my mom's case, we have years of cancer research to thank for the fact that she WILL have many years to share with her family.   I just got off the phone with her, and we talked about the changes that researchers are hoping to make in the chemo regimen she's currently on.  In the near future, they hope to replace some of the chemotherapy drugs with immunotherapy drugs that will eliminate the side effects of hair loss and nausea. Can you imagine?!  This is the future we're fighting for - for our family and yours.

Please spread the word, and wish Paula a happy birthday by helping others to get through the same thing she's dealing with right now.

SOMEDAY CAN BE TODAY - HELP US HELP RESEARCHERS TO CURE THIS THING!

The Good Life

The other day I made these carrot sofrito enchiladas when my mom came over for dinner and some conversation.  They were pretty good if I do say so myself.  I based my dish on a recipe from Food and Wine magazine you can find here.  My mom liked it enough to ask for the recipe, and I decided to post it here because even though part of my mom’s life has changed and become about white blood cell counts and good veins and wigs and lethargy, mostly it seems like it's still about dinners and family and work and Skyping with the grandkids and the NBA Finals.  Same as it ever was.  Anyway here’s the recipe for you mom, and whoever else wants some.  You know you can’t pass up the endorsement from the woman with the compromised palate.

 I stole the photo from thekitchn.com since I didn't take my own photo.

Here's the link to that post.

CARROT SOFRITO

1 1/4 pounds carrots, coarsely chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled, coarsely chopped

2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

So, take the chopped onions, carrots and garlic and run them in your food processor for a while.  You want the carrots to get to a texture finer than a mince. 

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Heat about half the olive oil in a large skillet or other heavy bottomed oven safe receptacle and scrape the carrot mixture into the skillet.  Cook it up for like seven or eight minutes stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile chop up the tomatoes and puree them in the food processor, then add that to the softened carrot mixture and continue cooking for another five minutes. 

Pour the rest of the oil over the sofrito and throw it in the oven.  Cook for an hour and a half or two hours, at 225 you could go as long as you want really, give it a stir now and then if you feel so inclined.

ENCHILADAS

About 2 cups of crumbled cheese (I used what I had in the fridge, some feta, some cotija, the recipe called for queso fresco)

1 cup finely chopped cilantro

3/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Canola oil, for warming

12 corn tortillas

Salsa (I made a chipotle tomatillo salsa, but I think any kind you want would be just fine.)

Mexican yogurt sauce (My own invention, mix some cumin (lots), oregano, cayenne, salt, pepper and lemon juice into about half a cup of yogurt.)  Alternatively you could just use some sour cream or crema.

Mix up the cheese, cilantro and red onion.

Pull the sofrito from the oven.

Warm up your tortillas.

Put a couple spoonfuls of the cheese mixture (1/4 cup at most) in one tortilla, roll it up and put it in a baking dish (9x13).  Repeat with all 12 tortillas.  Top the rolled tortillas with the sofrito, some salsa and any of the cheese mixture that remains. 

At this point you could serve the enchiladas, or you could do like I did and stick ‘em back in the oven while you get the table set or a side salad ready or whatever.  

Serve the enchiladas with the yogurt sauce/sour cream/crema and more salsa, maybe some limes and/or fresh cilantro.

Enjoy.  

Renewal

To be completely honest, the last few days have been hard. Like our friend Kerstin said, Mom's hit mile 16 in her marathon. She's already come a long way, but she has almost as far still to go. It's pretty hard to stay positive when you can't see the beginning or the end. Here are some things I've learned the last couple of days.

→Accepting God's will - especially when there's a chance it won't be what you want - is terrifying.
→It's okay to not be okay 100% of the time.
→Sunshine makes anything seem just a little better.
→Sometimes it's okay to be mad at God - as long as you continue to turn to Him in prayer, and continue to love Him.
→Being sad sucks, but sometimes it's just too hard to be happy.
→Chemotherapy, whether indirectly or directly, takes a toll on all the systems in your body, including your spirit.

Over the last few days, Mom has been hit hard with the fatigue that comes with chemo. If you know her, you know how unusual it is for her to lay around all day, not wanting to get up and do anything. You also would know how hard it is for her to be still. Other than the fatigue, Mom hasn't really been physically ill after this last treatment, which is definitely a blessing. In some circumstances, though, being physically ill would be easier to deal with than being emotionally ill.

Isn't she beautiful?

The good thing is we've turned a corner. Last night, after a long day, we decided to take a drive up City Creek Canyon and go for a little walk, since it was still too hot in the valley to enjoy being outside. Something about the sunshine, the mountains, and the cool breeze began a bit of a renewal. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place, where we can be up a mountain in 15 minutes, taking in the calm and serenity that comes from leaving a busy world behind. Today is better, still not great, but better. And that's what we'll do, just make every day a little better than the last. Hopefully, this will only last a few days, and she'll be back to feeling well soon. If she doesn't, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It's really easy to become overwhelmed when we think about getting through this whole experience. I don't think any of us has the strength inside of us to get through something like this when we look at it as a whole. But we do each have the strength to handle one treatment, one week, one day, one hour, if that's what it takes.
 
A quick shout out to everyone who liked or shared our posts yesterday, and especially to those who donated in honor of our brother, Scott's 33rd birthday. We reached our $330 goal, and we couldn't be happier! There's still a long way to go, but it's nice to reach small milestones along the way. I continue to be amazed by the support and love poured out to us, and am so grateful everyday for it. We couldn't do any of this without you - thank you!

Scott's 33rd Birthday!

Yesterday our brother Scott would have turned 33 years old.  We've discovered that due to the leukemia research over the last three decades, Scott's specific diagnosis would be easily beatable had he been born today.  We need that research to continue!

In honor of Scott's birthday, we've set a goal to raise $330 by the end of today.  

 Click the link at the right to donate now.  

Thanks for your support!

That's not a lot of money, and we know you can help us get there.

Come on folks, let's make this happen! With a little determination, we can ensure that families like ours get to grow up together.

Fight Cancer with Team Paulapalooza!

Sometimes life calls on us to do hard things. Help us in our fight to take cancer off that list!

Our team of 11 is training for the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon in September to help kick cancer to the curb. NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL, AND EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!

Thousands of studies go unfunded every single year. Research that brave doctors - and all of us - dream of goes undiscovered.Watch the story of the revolutionary (and a little crazy) idea that saved one girl’s life when she had run out of options.

Start dreaming with us!

Blood cancers aren’t just an abstract affliction; they’ve hit our family more than once. Our current fight is for our mom, Paula, who is currently undergoing chemo for Stage 3 non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and will be hitting the trails with us and participating in the Big Cottonwood Half Marathon!

Let us introduce you to some the reasons we’re fighting blood cancers. Scott is Paula’s son, diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 2 months. He passed away 15 months later, in November of 1981. Paula’s sister Marci (left) was also taken by leukemia – leaving us in October of 2012. Her mother Fern (center) is also currently battling leukemia. Paula (right) was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in April of 2013 and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

We need your help for the future of our children and yours. Donate today and help us raise $1,000 per participant for blood cancer research! We’ll get there – even $5, $10, or $20 will help!