Hola!

Okay, so I'm learning Spanish with my boys right now, so I know a little bit more Spanish than that, and am grateful to have wonderful friends who are patient and let me practice on them :-)

I've written something about my experience with breast cancer, (I am a 3 time survivor :-) while pregnant with my (now 16 year old) second son, & things I've learned since, and 2 seeming recurrences after 14 years ( November '05), while my two boys, each after they turned 13, were going through bone cancer surgeries & treatments, (so much has happened over the last four years). The second recurrence was May 18, 2007, when I finally got the boys father into court to start divorce proceedings) You can read it, & hopefully benefit from some of the other websites links heres at www.IAmAtPeaceWithDestiny.com

My 16 year old seemed to have a recurrence of the cancer last year, so a lot is posted about him and the many things we've leaned.

I am so grateful for every moment we (me, both of my sons - and our precious friends and family) spend together.

I hope to assist others with all the things I've learned over the past 16 years

You may share this with anyone you feel would benefit, now or in the future :-)

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 Joshua, before surgery

April, 2008

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Joshua at his 16th birthday party ( June 5,2008 - finally, a party - after 2 years) after eating ice cream without a spoon (his had dropped to the floor :-)

(His birthday is April 25th)

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May 20, 2008

 Mr. Gregory and Joshua   Joshua's "leg through the table" trick

 

http://www.makingpeacewithdestiny.com/franklintaekwondo.htm 

 

 

   Cara's graduation party :-)

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Christopher at tournament :-) 

photo by 

 Nelson Vieira

 

   

                             Joshua took the above photo 

 

Photo by Amanda :-) 

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People ask how they can help;

There is an interactive, online calendar, that if you'd like to assist us in the following or other ways, you can go to: http://www.livestrong.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/604772/calendar/view/event/id/806817/?z=/y/2008/m/5/d/29/

 

(this is a great thing to do for someone in a situation, similar to ours)

We can use assistance every day of the week, except Friday :-)

We can always use help juicing  We usually juice carrots and apples!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (if possible 3 times a week)
Publix has 20 lb. of Organic carrots for $16 or $17, and 3-5 lb bags of apples (pinkish gold ones)

Assist in cooking, chopping, food preparation.

Also if anyone is at the store (Whole Foods, Kroger, Pubix etc.) or knows they will be going that day and can call me,  It is a great help if they can pick things up for us & I can reimburse them when they get here.

If anyone would like to assist by cleaning any part of the house, or folding towels and laundry, vacuuming, sweeping etc.

Teens coming over to watch movies, or play the wii, play board games, sit on the deck or play basketball outside, with Joshua :-)

Can use assistance unpacking boxes, putting books on shelves ( and organizing the ones already up :-)

       If anyone compost their veggies etc, and can pick up mine, anytime, that would take that off of my concerns and out of my freezer :-)

 

 If you are able to bring a meal over, that is always a welcome sight. We have a Vegan Vegetarians (no dairy or eggs) diet and the boys do not like onions, garlic nor asparagus- Christopher doesn't like bell peppers and Joshua squash.

If you live out of the area, or concerned about not knowing how to prepare a Vegan meal, Plum good Food ( www.plumgoodfood.com ) has gift certificates available.  You can call or email them, and we can order food and things we require from them & they deliver the next day

 

MacroMobileMeals can also be ordered form the Ki of Life Center in Franklin,TN  ((615) 646- 2841 ex 2)for Tuesdays & Thursdays. (they also deliver it :-)

 

You may click on the donate button, if you'd like to assist with all I've had to get for Joshua in his alternative / integrative healing, over the last year, and other things I am still doing and getting for him:

 

 Thank you :-)

 

Other Ways to help :-)


If you have access to information, or know anyone  who is looking to donate, We could really use...

*a sports wheel chair and wheel chair gloves

 

*to make house more wheelchair friendly :-)

*a vehicle to get Joshua and the wheel chair around :-)

*a deep  and long, soaking tub (with jets - his hospice social worker said it would be great for him) that he can walk into, which has a soft bottom, or something we can put  on the bottom he can safely sit on. It seems to be such an ordeal for him to take a shower, with the bath tub he wouldn't' have the water pounding on him, nor have to fit into a small place.  I could also do a lot with hydrotherapy to assist him in relaxing and healing.  He loves baths, but cannot get into ours which are too shallow and one doesn't even have a overflow drain

 

*to create a relaxing and inviting space in the back yard (wheelchair friendly), so Joshua will desire, and be able, to get outside, by himself or with friends :-)

 

*Refrigerator for garage to put the carrots and other veggies we juice, an then the juices that are made

*maple story trading cards found at Target

*friends to play the online Maple Story game

 

I have to move the plants (mulch) from directly in front of the house, out into the yard because the mulch against the house is housing ants etc - we  have a great natural pest control service, but they ants still come back, and since the house is on a slab instead of having a craw space, it's important to get that done.  Anyone with ideas, or would like to assist in that - would be awesome!
*

Thank you :-):-)

 

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                                            A Year of Great Transition

This seemed to be a year of great transition for our family

To see photos of the kids during this time go to:  http://www.makingpeacewithdestiny.com/beforejoshuasdiagnosis.htm