Time to Relay For Life!

I have joined a team this year!

 

Yes I am going to be relaying this year for sure. I had a lot go on last year and every chance I had "me" time I had barely enough to write my blogs and take my rest. Along with reading up on things I was going thru and getting tested for. As you may know by now if you are following my blogs, I finally was told all-clear after all the crazy testings and scans trying to confirm odd results that made no sense. So many times results are effected by other situations and may cause erratic results in tests.

And now on to the Relay For Life profile I now have. I placed hyperlinks into this blog, so click on the "link" corresponding to the subject mentioned. I joined RFL ADvocacy team in Second Life which has a profile on the American Cancer Society site for events. I now have my profile up as a team member and I hope to see more members join and/or donate towards out effort. Donations can be made anytime from now until Saturday, July 13, 2013. And even after, you can still donate because it all helps towards funding research for a cure for cancer and the search for more information made available to all who need it, along with services and support for those battling cancer.

My summarized story as I put on my team member profile page ...

 

Why I Participate in a Relay Event

 

As a survivor (finally told "all clear for now" on October 30th, 2012), I can easily, yet still emotionally, recall exactly how I felt when I was given the approximate duration I had left to live, the shock of it, the fear, the disbelief. In all honesty, I felt hopelessness from what I was told, and I felt, if they "cant do anything else at this point", then what can I do? I remember thinking, "how can this be, in this time and age of technology? All that has been found on cancer, all that could be done in our time and nothing can be done at this point?", yet I was given a terminal diagnosis anyway.

This was back in the end of 2008, after having gone through two emergency operations, and at a time I would start having further complications from the first, leading to yet another emergency operation when for the second time, I would have in my medical records of being revived during surgery. Despite of saying nothing could be done, I was still saved numerous times trying to live up my diagnosis. I am proof we DO NOT have expiration dates when cancer enters our lives.

Who I'm Participating For 

 

I'm relaying for all touched by cancer and those who know someone who has. That is you and I, and just about everyone else in between. I relay because before I knew of how sick I had become back in August-September of '08, people were relaying for life, raising money to help fund research and improve the chances of the then future cancer fighters, like me.

I relay today, am alive today, because of all those who relayed before me, made it possible for me to be saved in moments most would not before the advances made thru research, which is greatly funded by events as relay for life. It is a miracle to me I survived, I am the 4% of 2%, I usually just say 2%, but my chance to hear that "all-clear" was much less than 2%. Complicated, yes,  but if you think of it, that's 4% of 2%, so take 100 people, then choose only 2,  then say to them only 4% of you two will survive this.

That is me, 4% of 2%. I'm here because of all those who relayed for life, my life and the lives of many now saved ...Ill never finish thanking God for all the wonderful people who cared to relay for life before, during and now today with me. The way I see it now, Relay For Life is a very great support for life I never knew I had until I came to need it.

Why I Support the American Cancer Society (ACS)

 

ACS has invested in vital research for a cure, and in that search has found numerous ways to improve life during the battle and increase survival rates. They have advocated the importance of risk reduction and early detection. ACS also provides free information and services for those who are in need throughout their battle with cancer.

The amount of research advances made due in great part from the investments ACS has made from funds raised from donations, especially through relay for life events, have made leaps and bounds to gain more technology, more advanced procedures that were considered far too risky before, or were simply just unknown before. ACS works with lawmakers to get laws passed to fight cancer risks. Through invested research, risks are found and can be targeted for elimination and knowledge found and shared to all so risks can be lowered before getting cancer by lifestyle changes involving better diet and exercise.

We have great finds today, due to the research that benefits from relay for life events. Many advances in healthcare today exists because people came together, had events called Relay For Life, and raised money to fund further research, to search for the holy grail cure for the worldwide fight against this disease called cancer. And I for one am thankful for all ACS has done so far with all my heart.

Life sure can be a funny crazy thing, but so worth the fight

 

My own battle was far from conventional, but the main events in my fight, battled in the hospital, were followed with my eventual return home, because of the amazing doctors and technology we now have. I am fully thankful to ALL those who relayed before me, who relayed in the name of those in their own battle, and of those lost in the past, and because of such events to raise funds for cancer research, those with the same type of cancer today are now being saved with a much higher rate of survival.

I thank you all who have relayed with me while I battled my own fight during a time I had already become a survivor of my own expiration date given to me by the first doctors. During a time I was very slowly becoming a thriver, with cancer, regaining strength in health to be able to chance the harsher medications combined with the other mess of meds that were keeping me "maintained" in the diagnosis' progress thought at first to end my life, yet thankfully, the cancer shrank in the places left after surgery removed the removable, along with lymph nodes and a liver lobe, which thankfully can regenerate and has.

There has been casualties in my battle, and what you are reading now is now my only voice. I am left mute from a severed nerve during a tumor extraction from my larynx. But as many would tell me, I have been louder now than I ever was before.

It's unbelievable, perhaps it was all a nightmare. Did I really hear him say "all clear"? Am I still dreaming in a hospital bed? If so, please don't wake me. SERIOUSLY!

 

OMG, how crazy this all sounds even to me, and yet this is just pieces of the whole story which I have a hard time believing myself, but I did live it, and I am happy to be able to relay for life. I still have a long way to go to regain health back to where I left off, but I am constantly improving my condition after I came so close many times through the battle and left with a mess of "me". But this "me" now is stronger, resilient, experienced in all the aspects of the darkest hours of the battle and now someone who understands the importance of advocacy, importance of living life to the fullest and to continue to relay for life for the rest of the time I am thankful to have gifted each day I awake.


Now lets relay, I myself am signed up to walk and fund raise in the Relay For Life of Second Life event. We would love for you to join us, so consider joining our team and/or make a donation in support of our efforts.
You can even Dedicate a Luminaria to someone you know who is a survivor, or surviving their ongoing battle, or especially those you have lost to cancer. It is a great way to give tribute to their efforts through their journey.

         Lets relay together....
                ...for life
                    ...for more birthdays
                        ...for the dream of a cure
                            ...to end this disease forever!


~Jennifer C. Wolf (BOOTEDGIRL Foxtrot)  o:)

RFL Advocacy Exchange Team Logo

*********************

 

For more info on our team, visit the team blog at Advocacy Exchange. 
If you want to know more about the event and/or past RLFof SL events, visit Relay For Life of Second Life
And also for more history info of RFLofSL events, visit History-of-RFL-of-SL

Also never forget to be informed on everything involving your cancer diagnosis. Its best to know everything you possibly can so that you can make educated choices for your treatments and how you can tackle down your cancer no matter what your diagnosis turns out to be. Never forget, we never wear an expiration tag!
Visit "Is My Cancer Different?" for a great start to learning how to find out more information on cancer of a loved one or of yourself.

And remember...     YOU ARE NOT ALONE.     *hugs*   o:)

Come relay with us!    
*big hugs to all*   bye for now and be well 
~Jennifer C. Wolf (BOOTEDGIRL Foxtrot)  o:)

Time flies when it drags along ...sometimes.

The hospital missed me!

The subject title of this post is just a play on words of how times can feel literally, and then on a moment of clarity, you realize, "its already February"!  I know its been since the last few minutes of 2012 I last posted, and in that time its been a bit interesting for me to say the least.   To start,  I had some hospital time with yet another operation. This time not having to do with cancer, but a cyst. I cant recall the technical term they used but it was considered a simple cyst, that grew fast and caused issues. All in all, I am better now and feel no pain anymore and that is a good thing.

The flu season, grrr!

About four days into being home from the hospital I started feeling a bit sick in a way I have not felt in a long time, thankfully. My neck felt cramped, I felt a bit dizzy each time I would get up more than usual, my temp went up, and then I was officially sick with the flu. How does someone like me get sick when I'm on so many vitamins and eating so healthy?  Answer: I got it in the hospital most likely. Apparently the body's immune system takes a bit of a hit during surgery so I'm guessing I was not well armed against the bug, and I got sick, really sick,  bad bad sick, but not overnight at the hospital sick, just a half day on IV and another temporary med to add to my collection of pill intake.

It took literally a month to get over this for me, due from the lingering left overs that caused bad headaches, on top of the prednisone-caused headaches and just pure blahness. On top of dealing with a bad flu, I am nowhere near recovered from my battle with cancer, and am still treating my AIH, which by the way is coming along well with the prednisone, despite my misery of the side effects which for me include bad headaches that originate behind my eyes, itchiness on my arms, some dizziness getting up or slight difficulty doing so, and thankfully not a lot of "bad" weight gain, although I could use some weight gain after losing so much early on in my battle with cancer. Regaining has been hard for me and my diet makes that hard to do as well, especially how I must eat 5-6 meals a day, small meals.

Anyhoo, I am feeling better lately and getting back to my pred-mess self instead of pred-flu-mess self that couldn't read for 5 minutes without a migraine, let alone write (err, type, lol) and post as I do. So, for now, I'm getting back to my online self again.

Relay For Life of Second Life

Well its time to start relaying ppls!  Yes this year I have joined a team and I am going to do my best not to miss the event this year. Last year had a mess for me going on with tests and everything that lead to me hearing my doc finally say "all-clear" a few months later. Going in to retest, rescan to clarify previous blood tests a month prior, then going on my camping trip, and returning to odd results, to require more tests, requiring my small local camp trip to help my nerves calm since we were stressed pass a point of popping with our anxiety filling our home enough to fill a neighborhood, to end greatly with all-clear.  :)

I will post up a separate post for the Relay For Life info so if anyone would consider to join and or donate to our efforts to raise money for American Cancer Society at the Relay For Life of Second Life I will have links there to all needed info.

To all still reading my blog/posts/tweets/etc, thank you for sticking around. I done my best to fix any areas of this blog that lost track or made no sense, but I am trying to work through the mind fog I been in since mid Jan. It is funny to reread something I wrote and get lost on what I was talking about myself.

Bye for now   *hugs*      ~Jenn  o:)

Happy New Years!!! o:)

Well, another year ends, and with it a ton of other endings too, like  the end of the "end of the world" stuffs,  and the end of alot of worry for those who really were not sure what to believe anymore. For me, it was a year of regain,   regaining alot of what I lost, and regain  more health. It was a year to finally hear "all-clear" from my doctors, a year to find out I am cancer free. It also is a year of confusion of what all I had as a whole,  how it all  fits together, and if it all was related or a harsh cruel coincidence of health issues. Either way,  Im taking back my life and running with it. I am calling the shots and looking forward to more happy days filled with  laughter and smiles.

I hope the best for all of you this coming year, and may it bring you all good health, more love and hope, and faith in "self" to keep going. I hope this year finds you all surrounded by friends and family and all the support from near and far to help you live out your life in full and with great success in goals and wishes. If 2012 was a doomsday year, then let 2013 be the year for success in health, prosperity, renewal, love, friendship, answered questions of health with cures, another birthday and the optimism to continue seeing more.

May all your goals and dreams come true this new year and may all the cures be found for all illnesses soon. 2012 had many great finds for cancer research, and I hope 2013 continues that pattern and I hope they get those findings in use soon to save more lives NOW.    Make this new year a year you all  ask more questions for yourself or loved ones living with cancer. Some questions can save lives, and it could be your own it saves if the answer is your doctor saying "lets order up a test to check something". That test could find a new protocol to treatment that can result with that one day when your doctor tells you that you are cancer free. I hope those of you living with cancer now  get told that this new year.

I know its politics that force the hold on such findings for years until they are "accepted" for use, but I suggest for an option program, done using waivers of full liability for some things that can help someone today.  I'm not a politically outspoken type, in fact I strongly dislike political talks as a whole, because it only feels to me as arguing over debating points of opinionated views, and that is just not my wish on how to live my life with happiness. I cast my vote privately and leave it at that, lol. I just felt it would or could not hurt to suggest the option idea for some things such as tests that would otherwise not harm anyone if it was wrong, since there are always second opinions to seek.  I have dear friends who get political with me in chats that I  force change of subject all the time, so that's what stemmed this explanation I think, lol.

Well,  my last post of 2012, and I hope it finds you all with smiles and good health. I want to thank you all for being a great inspiration for me to keep going, keep fighting, keep living and helping however I can. We are all a big team for healthy living, and more birthdays. I hope all the best come your way and this new year is filled with good news, better health, and more smiles.

Happy New Year everyone, may it be the best love filled year for us all.
For the last time  in 2012,  I now say...    "Bye for now"      *big new year hugs*    be safe and be well!

Love you all!    ~Jennifer Wolf  o:)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Another Christmas celebrated with family and friends, and for me too,  another birthday!  Many ask if I get presents for each or one for both occasions. My answer is always,  it does not matter whether I get one or two, or none, because time spent with loved ones  is gift enough to me and that is one of the great wonders about Christmas time for me. I have been given a ton of gifts simply from my doctor saying a few words that included "all clear". I have been able to regain alot of my life back this past year, including walking without need of holding on to things, I feel better most of the time now, and I get "sick" much less now, meaning I am eating a lil better and keeping my weight at a more healthy level.

I am now treating AIH, Its another mess, but even that has shown some improvement from where it was when they upped my meds after docs decided to focus treatment on that rather than begin a chemo schedule to rid of such high risk of cancer returning or developing elsewhere. I am on watch now with blood tests every other week, and scans every few months. Chemo is still an option if relapse occurs of course, but that's in case, so for now I am staying optimistic about remaining cancer free. I am doing my best at living life to the fullest, and will continue so in 2013.

*laughs to self* 
The doomsday ppls were wrong!!, lol,  just had to say that,   we live,  we will continue to live, and I had no doubts we would see another day, lol. But Ill not say I was not prepared for a disaster, because I am, but then again,  I do live in California and I am well prepared for emergencies like a big earthquake, lol. That goes without saying here in Cali, lol. Sadly many ppl don't ever think ahead and never prepare things for "what-ifs". So the earth didn't go boom in a hail of fire, lol,   which I laugh at since they said that. I mean,  it isn't going poof by fire ppls!,  its gonna be glitter!,   geeze, lol  :P

Ok,    I got that out of my system,   lol.   Well,  my brother's b-day had come and passed,  he is now  older than he was, which was already old, lol.  I will  be 27 this Christmas, yay!,  then  comes  new years,   yay again!  I love this time of year, and I truly wish all the best to all of you. I hope for the best this coming year, and I pray for those families who had hard times this year and will now journey into the next year with remaining hurts.  To those I send my heartfelt hugs to.  May you all remain surrounded by love and keep the strength to find your smiles again (speaking mainly to the sandy disaster victims, both storm and school, and to those who lost loved ones to cancer and other means as well)

To all you reading this,  I hope you the best this holiday season, and may your hearts be filled with love and your life filled with happiness. Keep the hope that one day a cure for cancer is found.  Thank you for reading,  be well ,,,bye for now   *hugs*   o:)

Marry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!        o:)

Is My Cancer Different?

A question I have asked, and to be honest, I still don't have a full scope, "big picture" answer of all I had and survived but I made it through because I was a big part of my care team. I do know, asking this question does make a difference. When I asked, I had yet to discover there was a Facebook group with the very question as their name. For me the answer has been different, and now with an "all-clear" status, I still wonder what the true answer overall for me is now, knowing all I know now of what I now live with and have been treating. This group is one of the great resources that I feel many doctors, surgeons, nurses and every cancer patient should be part of. Every cancer case IS different, just as every treatment is different. To follow on one liver cancer case to see how it would turn out, would scare anyone. I know this to be true. I am one case of liver cancer. And my case is by far, very different, very rare as two doctors have told me on both ends of my journey.  I have shared posts from this group in my Facebook, and I do hope it reaches some people, who will share it with others, so that one day, this question will land on the lips of someone who is just diagnosed asking his or her doctor, and will remember hearing of this question in the past.  It just may be the question to trigger a lifesaving test, that otherwise the doc would wait on in favor of "lets see how things go from here". Perhaps this test may find something that will change a misdiagnosis, and find a more critical path to take to treat the patient who asked "Is my cancer different?".  When you think of all the little things that can change outcomes,  and think how "voicing" your concerns can push your oncology team to explore all possibilities of your case, it sure becomes a major contrast of the opposite thoughts of not saying anything at all,  being silent, never asking,  never getting that extra  minute of your doctors' time to think of what it can be, never  giving chance to spawn a thought in his or her mind, perhaps of another case sounding  similar to yours, triggering that inner voice the doc has that can create the decision to order that yet unknown critical test to eliminate any possibilities in search of all correct paths to properly treat your case.

I want you , the reader,  to take one minute, and think of a moment in your life, one instance in your life, where you later wished things would have evolved to a better result, and you know, now, that  had you  asked a question, or even said something to change that moment, things would have turned for the better.

Think of something close that fits this?
  ...  I know we all have at least one moment in our lives like that. And if you don't, then I honestly wish you continued success in having a perfect life, lol.  We all  wish  we had such a life, lol,  but the truth is,   we do have regrets, big ones, little ones, insignificant tiny ones, and most have got over the event and carried on, with life.

Now think about this scenario....
   ...you have been diagnosed with cancer, and the doc says its a common type, but you feel it don't fit what he says but you are so distraught from the news at the moment, you cant conjure the words to ask, but in the comfort of home you do a search on your diagnosis online, what you find are the many symptoms that don't exactly match yours, but you find that another type within the same category of your diagnosis has more similarity as all you been feeling. Now on follow up (or perhaps you call in to say "Im coming in to see my doctor now, fit me in, Im on my way!"), you choose to ask, if your diagnosis is  different to other common cancer diagnosis. Your doctor then asks you what made you ask, and you explain. With this explanation your doc orders another test, and that test finds something that was missed before, something that requires immediate treatment. Your doc later on says how lucky you are to have asked about your diagnosis and you have a good prognosis based on catching it just in time.       ...just in time.        Think about how things could have turned out had you stayed silent, and not asked.  It sure would not be another event in your life that you would simply get over and carry on from.

This site has many great resources and links to other resources to help inform everyone, patient, caregiver, the curious, and give tons of info that can help anyone find the right paths instead of freaking out uninformed and newly diagnosed (I was one).

     * Being informed
              is the first step
                    to fighting cancer! *


 That goes for anyone, even if you dont have it and luckily never do. Perhaps you will be  the one to know, help, love, or even be the caregiver for another who will go through cancer. You can make a difference.

Read, share, post, copy/paste to every email as a signature if you have to,  this link...http://ismycancerdifferent.com/

Here are more links for more info from the site directly that can help you, and/or to spread awareness:

5 Must-visit sites when your diagnosed with cancer

When diagnosed, as soon as possible, ASK THESE QUESTIONS

Share this with those you know who have just been diagnosed, share all the links too ;)

If you can, print and post this up, use your imagination to spread awareness! It can save a life! o:')

Thank you for reading and sharing,  *hugs* Be well.
    Bye for now!    ~Jenn  o:)

my little insight on the subject of "Caregiver burnout" , and how it can be avoided, along with the article my post was inspired by.

I read this article (link here and at bottom of this post) that spoke on ways to avoid burnout as a caregiver of cancer patients.  So I chose to share it on my FB timeline and here as well. It is a very big concerning subject and hit home for me in a big way. I hope this helps others as this can bring awareness to the needs of caregivers of all cases of illness assistance. Caregivers  need caregivers too!   They are lifesaving angels  in my eyes, and even angels need angels.      o:')

 Posted on my fb Nov 29th  2012...

 This is a very good article on the health of caregivers. I know how hard it has been for my best friend, I know how hard it could have been if she did not have the help of my older brother and many others who have helped her, help me. Physical health is very important for caregivers as is the social and mental health. Many times, I heard her crying in her room, many, many times, and most of those times were during times I could only wish I could simply get up, go 

to her room, and hug and hold her, tell her "its ok, I'm ok, things will be ok.....". I know her life changed just as much as mine has, a great sacrifice of all she knew as normal in her own life, to care for me. At one point I had to insist she return to work, because she was home, 24 hours a day, leaving only to go to the store during times my nurse came over. She was becoming paranoid and ironically, this occurred at a time I was feeling a little better after my last major surgery. She did return to work part time, and had me send her email texts every half hour, to be sure I was ok. To this day, I still send her emails twice a day when she is at work. Understanding of concerns caregivers have is of great importance, for it is only them loving us that they worry so deeply, and they need that love back in return in any way possible. So understanding even the crazy little things they need/ask, is the least anyone can do to show support for a caregiver.

Burnout is very easily done in even less extreme cases. I hope this article reaches all who are assisting, caring for, living with and watching over someone battling cancer, or any other illness requiring assistance for that matter. Caregiving is one of the most wonderful, selfless acts of love. They need just as much support as the one they care for too. If you know of anyone who is a caregiver of someone battling for their life, give support to them, even if its a hug, or to offer to grab something at the store while you are getting your own groceries too. Anything small can be a great help to caregivers as it can be that one small yet necessary thing they push themselves to do, that may bring them closer to a burnout. And that can be, by example of my observation of my best friend over these past four years, "caregivers becoming very sick" (overwhelming situations and extensive emotional hardship can weaken the immune system, allowing harsh flues and colds to overtake caregivers), "caregivers going thru emotional breakdown and/or crying throughout the night" (in the past, during times my results of tests/scans were not as good as hoped, or my loss of appetite and I could not eat, became too weak to go to the bathroom on my own, or falling too many times when I tried to go on my own, or me sleeping excessively or not at all due to pain, etc.).   ...

There is so much I could go on about my observations of what she went thru. I hate the few things that she had to deal with on top of everything else, and that was my stubborn choices, my own hard moments of coping, and mood swings. I know I was not the easiest person to be around many times, and I wish I was better able to cope better, but I know, much was from medications and fears and well, the deeply dark thoughts one can have in the absolute darkest hours of coping, or better described as failure of coping on my part. Drastic actions and stupid things that went on, ....... I just wish I was never sick at all to have made her deal with all that. But she got thru it and brought me thru it all.

Now Caregivers are not only those who physically assist the sick, but those who give emotional support, or simply talk, chat, spend time with someone who is needing to talk/chat during times of late hours, or times when the main caregiver is away at the store or at work. I can name many, many people who have fit such a role for me, some in even the greatest way of support thru love as well. I owe a great deal of my survival to them too, as they took over where my best friend went to sleep (or tried to), or went in to work, or to the store. Panic attacks don't have a schedule and the need to talk to someone can happen at any time, therefore, I consider many of my dearest friends online, as caregivers. Many times panic attacks were silent, unseen and unmentioned to those on the other side of online chats, and little do they know that they just saved me from a hard long sleepless night deep in fear brought on by otherwise unstoppable thoughts of every "what if" scenario of upcoming tests/scans, or the anxiety filled "wait" for the results afterwards.

I hope this post finds all in good health, and if you know of anyone who is going through a hard time while caring for someone, please do help if you can. Caregivers need as much support as those they care for.

Share this post to anyone you know who is caring for someone, and let them know they are not alone, and so very appreciated, no matter how things may seem/look, or sometimes seem as if the care is refused. Denial and coping is a hard deep dark place we go through at times in our battles, So caregivers take alot of circumstantial abuse in such difficult times.

Thank you for reading.  *big hugs to all*     ~Jennifer C. Wolf o:)

How to Avoid Caregiver Burnout: 7 Tips for Caregivers of Young Adult Cancer Patients and Survivors by Emily Drake on huffingtonpost.com 

So sorry I not been on here much lately..

I been going thru alot of new things and alot of good news and some confusing stuff thrown in for  good measure. First off,  I want to post a video I made using my "Why I Relay" recording I had made for the 2011 RFLofSL. I know it took me forever to do but, I finally did it and better late than never,  right?    lol,    I will say  most of my updates lately have been on my Facebook and if you wish to go there, heres a link...

https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.wolf.3994

Be sure to send a message to me that you are from my blogger so I know when I get friend requests,  :)         I get  requests sometimes from people  who just  troll around fb, so I have become cautious as to who I accept lately, lol.   Anyhoo, like I said, alot of stuffs happened lately,  and one great thing is,  finally,  I am  cancer free.   :')    I have  been without any new findings for a while, but based on my choice not to go through preventive chemo treatment, I was at a very high risk and was on a slow recovery from all I had gone through. In other words, I chose quality over quantity and lately I had chose to get prepared for anything they advised I do. That brought on a few tests that found I had some elevated afp levels, that oddly was not seen a month before, then I had another test  couple weeks later and the same.
All in all,   they found no cancer, but I am treating the cause of it all,  and now am on Prednisone to treat the autoimmune hepatitus and have been placed on a new status with the transplant waiting list, with new score, although  a lower score, but that only means Im not doing as bad as I have in that past.  
Ya, Im still very confused on the  whole process of my journey, but Im here, and thats what counts. Ill probably  come back to this blog now and again, but not as much as I do Facebook.  I am trying to consolidate my online stuffs, so do say hi if u wish, no obligation.   o:)  

Bye for now and thank you all for reading my blog.   *big hugs*       ~Jenn   o:)

Here is the video I made using the recording I made that was used at the RFLofSL event opening ceremony, mentioned on my Why I Relay For Life post...

short update for now... ...or is it short as I thought at first? :P

Been  doing ok,   getting out more and regaining life and function lil at a time. Such a slow  thing recovering with things,   but for the most part,    its just nice to feel better.   Yesterday,  I had an appmt to have bloodwork done,   an early time too,   so,   decided to  sleep after I got back home.  LOL,    Doc  put  in for my going to  radiology right after  the Lab visit and so  that added to less sleep, gotta love those appointment reminder calls where you find out the  changes, lol.

As far I kno all is still ok,   I have couple cysts. Its no news about my having those,  I always had them throughout  my life far as I remember,  since middle school at least. Still tho,   I just get nervous with any scan,  and the  wait till follow up to find out details if anything,   grrr,, , unless  Im called in,   then Ill kno,  but so far,  no call. *suspense continues*

Now, perhaps  the details have not really been said  here,  since I  deleted alot of my older posts,   but, to say briefly.....        I learned I  have   a dum hereditary gene,   it caused  early age cirrhosis,   turned cancer,  and  it spread. I found out in 08,  , Im the 2% according to my  health team, Im a survivor, and am thankful each day I  wake up.  I may not be   the picture of  health  yet,  but ,  in time Im sure,    I still need a transplant,  no longer on critical list but on the list still,   tho, with my blood type, just hard to find  my match,  so many factors,     but Im still here.   o:)

To some, Im left with alot of loss,   , that sounds like an oxymoron,  I kno, lol.   No voice (nerve damage during tumor extraction),  have lil feeling below my waist and  lost of precision of my left arm (complication of hypoglycimia), and must eat several small meals  instead of  normal three square meals a day.    I take  vitamins,   nutrition supplements,  seemingly all day....    BUT,  Im alive,   I can type,  I can play world of warcraft, I have friends, I have a smile. I have alot, and that surpasses the loss. Im still  finding my ways to get around  my  disabilities, and that too is a slow process. I have yet to learn sign,  but noone around me knows it, but I have found ways to communicate, and that works well so far.  In time,  Ill learn it for sure.

In WoW game,  I  was told in a private conversation chat about raid group leading, to never to allow my disabilities to get in the way of doing what I can otherwise be fully capable of doing. Which is the point I took from  what was said  in that chat, and I  fully respect that  point. I have yet to let  some things  keep me down,  but  ,  the  subject of that mention  was of my being mute and therefor,  my thought  I  could not be a leader in  a group in world of warcraft. They use ventrilo,  a voice  chat program, to  talk to  the group logged in  "vent" alongside the game. It helps tons  with giving directions and  voicing is sooo much faster than, my typing,  or typoing, lol,  the directions to the group.  Ill find a way on this  setback on  how to  get  around the voice thing,  but for now,  Ill type,  even if it holds  raid up some, if I  find myself in a lead spot in a group one day,  lol. Perhaps I can create macro buttons to  actually  use a recording to say something into  the mic channel,  hmm,  ideas, ideas, lol.
      To read up on my venture in the game  of World of Warcraft,  click ->> HERE <<-

I may try being lead one day, but will need help with voicing shout outs on some things , but  I can direct, I kno the  strategies and such,   but   just have not found a way to voice in that game. I kno I can  use  text to voice  stuff,  but,  what I  used before took  a long time, and Im not sure if I can  change settings in   sound input from  output of what I hear into  vent  without  causing feedback when others talk.  Maybe Ill figure setting something with sound channels or  ,  Idk,  but Ill figure it out  sometime for sure. For now,  I can  assist and be  of help  with strategy with my friend who is lead in my group in game and work on something in the mean time.

For now,   this story continues,    Im still here,  and   I  am thinking on   doing   as the  Doc suggested,    and thats  doing  a "last"  treatment,   to be sure, and it may be low level dosages, not sure.    I just  been  enjoying  feeling  well  ,    about as well as  a stitched up swiss cheese block, LOL,  just kidding on that.     I will  be  oks,  my dark humor still intact,  its a good sign,  trust me.  But  , ya,  Im going to  be consulted on  the   treatment  soon after  I return  from  my trip up to Mammoth Lakes. I miss it up there,  and  I cant wait to  just  sit and relax in that  crisp air , listenning to the sounds of the wind blowing  on the tops of the trees,  birds   chirping,     squirrels   climbing  the trees,  bears strolling through  the camp....    bears? What?!!  LOL,   ya,   last time  we saw a bear,     the forestry rangers  had to tranquilize  the bear to  transport it safely   up higher into the forest away from the  town. Bears  can cause extensive damage  when   irresponsible visitors  are  in the area as well as  both bear and humans   being in danger of injury or death. I am  a very responsible camper, as are both my brother and my best friend, who  are taking me. That bear was heading towards a construction site  near the main road in town,  so  they had little choice  but to use a tranquilizer gun to  keep all safe,  bear and ppls.

Ill update more on anything as  things go on with stuffs in the world of Jenncraft, lol. and I might post a pic or two of  my trip,  mebbe.  but dont expect me in it. Thats  not  gonna happen yet. Besides, I hate  my pic taken  before,  so       imagine how I feel   after  stuff  , happened,  mmhmm.  Anyhoo,      best of health to you all,    live to the fullest in  the time you have,   and  be well  doing it. At least  as well  as u can be,     o:)       

Bye for now  o:)

my new blog for World of Warcraft....

I decided to make a new blogger for Bgdraewolf,  my main lvl 85 toon.   heres the linky to it below,     it starts from my leaving  IC guild  and Im now in  a new guild. lol,  Ill   add more to   that  blogg  on   that later on,  :))    I feel  very confident with this one for sure.     bye for now all,   Ill add more on   just life here on Bootedgirl as  that  goes on.     o:)


CLICK HERE TO SEE MY BLOGG ON WoW Bgdraewolf of Uther realm o:)

wow and guilds, my recent ventures....

I been in a guild  for a month now,    and it started out pretty cool,    ppl friendly and  helpful,   and I felt really like a part of the family.   For alot of  the guildies,  I still feel the same,     its just    now Im seeing   the political side of how core raid groups  are  chosen,  and its not the greatest amount of fairness in my honest opinion,    and Im sure,  if  Im still in this guild and they read this  post,  Ill be  kicked out, lol.  Im  looking for a guild atm, and  one that will be fair to  all deserving guildies, not  just friends of officers and   those not in guild they  invite quick  so they add them to core group right off,   lol.      Fairness to me is...     working your way up,    priority  is  guildies only for raid core group who has raided  a certain amount with the guild,  main toons the members joined the guild initially with only,    and guild rep  may be  a factor to  the choosing decision.            NOT,  main core group member's  alt gets first choice over  other applicable members who show up waiting for a spot,  its just not right for  anyone to  be chosen first to run an alt to fill a spot that should go to a worthy member on their main who shows up. Now when theres a spot not covered  by a deserving waiting guildie who meets the requirements to raid at such high lvls, then  I see reason for bringing in an alt  if main toon of  one of the  core group members  already raided for the week.  I mean,  thats why   we raid tuesdays and thursdays,  right?,  so those who cant one day   can another?   mmhmm,  ..  Also,   to be fair to member's alts to gear up,  Raids meant for just alts can be organized, which will make a more well organized guild for members to know what and where they belong with which toon they have in guild.     Im just   tired  of how  I see  deserving  guildies  being  set aside so alts  get  first  picks on who goes.     I know,  I may just be a noobie to guild being just a month in, but,  you can look at  my guild  point contributions,  and my weekly rank has been   hovering in the  top 15,  even hit 9th one week,  out of  over 260 members,   and Im   near revered  in reputation,   Ill  reach that  by next week or  so,  lol, as of this post.    I know,   ppl  not in world of warcraft reading this   are all probably  wondering what the heck Im talking about.  LOL,     It is ok,      its  a WoW thing,  you wouldnt understand if u no play wow,  lol.  Anyhoo,      Imma  post pics showing my  dps rank in 25 man raids,   5 man  dungeons,  and such, just  click link at bottom of this  day's post   Ill put up my  profile too,   showing  my gear,      and those who know WoW can see,  I cud be a benefit to any core group, and there are some of us who are much better than I am that are  not  allowed to  raid in core raid group over someone's alt who has  raided with their main already.  LOL,          I mean,  the  ilvl of  some of the core  members' alts chosen are not  above  mine, lol,   nor is their  dps,  ,  of which mine  be  22.5-30k, depending on  group buffs,   and in well of eternity, I hit  60k,  lol,   according to  recount addon,   of course., lol.  (see the pics)   anyhoo,       Ill post more on stuffs   bout   if and when I  move guilds.     And if  some  think,   "oh, you got  most of your gear because of the guild",    well,  your right,   I  did,    some with other friends who  invite me to raid with them too,    plus ,  I  have added  mats that  are   pricy in guild bank as well,  and  then  told  I can not   get or use any of the  mats in the guild bank  to upgrade or  skill up  my toon.  yet  I was told when I joined,  the bank  is for guildies to   upgrade and skill up toons,    but when I asked,  Im told,  no.  Oks,  so I   earn gold and buy my own,  no problem. I keep my mats now, lol.  And I help out  guildies  when Im asked for help, I love helping ppl.  Ill not change who I am,      Ill not   allow myself to be  treated unfairly  too. Also,  promotions are not  done when  requirements are met, by far,      so,   that is demoralizing to begin with as an active  player in this guild.  Another thing is,  in  vent (ventrilo)   I hear stuff in voice thats not  nice of others,  including  of myself when they dont know Im in vent,  I  am not dumb,   tho they may thinkso,  saying in guild chat  "it was not about me",    its only obvious it was,  because  Im the only one who  did what they talked about.  Wanna know what it is  I do?,     I typo, or type silly,  like I do alot here in my posts,   cuz its fun to type short hand or just plain silly  talk,  u kno? And I say  pew pew when I mean  shoot,  like  when I ask,   "who do I pew pew?    when do u want my pet  not to nom nom? "  etc.,  lol,      So...  is  silly/cute anti wow nerdo?,  I think so.     but   thats  what I do,  and again,  Ill not change,   Ill keep  doing my thing cuz it makes me happy to  have a silly  time ,  its just having fun, and soo many  just want to be all serious and spellchecked  typing all perfect, and .....   oh,  and you can not  joke around  too much or u get ignored when u  ask a question seriously,    its  just      dum to be around some ppl  that lack a sense of humor,   lol.  I  now  ignore most guild chat unless Im directly addressed in guild chat in questions. :P    . ..  At least  there are  those who  laugh with me,   and there are those I met in guild  I  come to  enjoy their company,    and   that I can say  is worth  the crap that goes on,   for sure.       Im done typoing here for now cuz my fingers  are bout to fall off my hand here from typing soo much, lol.   Ill   post  more later  as I sed,    bye for now,  and, lets  just see   if I get  kicked  from guild  b-cuz of this post. At least Ill know   ppl  actually do   visit and read my  silly dum  bloggy blah blah I do at times.   LOL,    click link below to see screenshots  of  what I see in WoW.   I may   create a new   blog for   WoW soon!            o:)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SCREENSHOTS o:)