Too busy to blog

I've been meaning to write an entry in my blog since February when I received my latest PET scan results. I finally sat down today and to begin my session I checked on my last post and saw that it was almost day for day one year ago. Reading over that last post I realize that I am living in a state of grace following the same course of treatment with Caelyx, with its characteristic lack of side effects, and enjoying the positive results. The PET scan revealed a total lack of metabolic activity in the tumors, the MRI shows that the tumors are significantly shrinking and the level of the cancer markers in my blood continue to plummet. According to the life expectancy rates for patients with Stage 4 invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (that's me) only 17% of patients survive for five years after diagnosis. I was diagnosed in November 2010 so I'm well on my way to becoming a poster child.

When we received the results of the PET scan, I was in some ways afraid that Dr. D would declare that I was in remission again. I didn't want to take that false high hopes/big deception ride again. She said that she felt that we should continue the treatment since it gave such good results and was essentially without any side effects. I heartily agreed thinking that as long as I can tolerate it and as long as it continues to reduce the size of the tumors than I should stay on it.

We packed our bags and headed for a ski vacation just the two of us immediately after that treatment. I seem to have been living out of my suitcase ever since then! There was a trip to Brétagne to see Alec and family, then a trip to Camargue during spring break with Émilie and Charlotte, followed by a visit to our dear friends Jeni and Wendy in Lymington for Easter. We spent ten days in Italy and Sardinia in July the purpose of the trip to celebrate Thierry's nephew's wedding – a wonderful break. Then we set up 'summer camp' here in Heuchin where we have received Émilie, Charlotte and Lola for a week, followed by Alec, Jasmine, and Alec's classmate and her family, followed by Jeni and Wendy for a long weekend. It has been a non-stop summer fiesta.

It seems that I just can't see enough, do enough, travel enough, enjoy enough. I feel a need to drink in the sunshine, to relax and enjoy my garden, to watch the chickens and contemplate the bees. I have an almost frenetic desire to take it all in, which is one reason why I haven't taken the time to stop and write.

I started harvesting our honey yesterday starting with our new hive in Brussels. This weekend I hope to harvest the two hives here in Heuchin. I thought the time was ripe for harvesting my thoughts and sharing them with you.