WELCOME

Hello,
Welcome to my Blog! Yes, I have been in the fight of my life against Leukemia, insomnia, depression, side effects of medications, molting skin, pooping my pants and this list goes on.... however, I still love my life, and that's what this blog is about Real Life. I hope to meet others who trails have brought them closer to the Lord and molded them for the next step in God's will. In January 2011 , my family, physician, and Be the Match was featured on a Fox 5 news story about bone marrow donors and transplants. In March, I was interviewed on Atlanta and Company along with Be the Match. I was chosen to sing the national anthem at the Be the Match Run last year and will also be doing it this year, along with some other songs. My team, no thanks to me, raised over $4,000 and raised more than any other team! Please join my team this year or consider donating here at the Run those Stem cells out ! Team I was also chosen for a patient advocacy panel for the international council meeting at Be the Match in MN in November. How exciting!! I ended up not being able to attend due to the relapse. I had hoped I could help raise awareness about how easy it is to sign up to be a donor and how many people need your help! Please go to bethematch.org and sign up! I was able to have my bone marrow (same as stem cell) transplant at the end of March thanks to a 22 year old donor oversees that I hope to meet her one day. As I came up on my 6th month mark and continued to add more normal activities to our lives, I relapsed, meaning that the that the cancer had mutated and the leukemia came back. I spent 2 more weeks at Emory and some other nights here and there and now I'm on a drug from the FDA. I have a compassion waiver so I am able to get it. I have to take it day by day sometimes hour by hour. Time keeps moving and my little girl is growing up. I'm lucky that I'm getting to see it. I continue to praise God for his wonderful blessings he has shown us including my wonderful husband Jonathan, baby girl Evalyn Rose, supportive family and friend, great medical care, new readers, and the chance to make a big difference, even if that means being a Lab Rat.
God Bless You!

Please read, comment, enjoy, learn, grow, LOVE LIFE.

Most Recently I have started a booth at a local consignment store with handmade jewelry from friends, crafts, and my own art from recycled materials. It is called DAY by DAY. God was very clear with me starting this. Please look over to the right of blog and click on Day by Day to see some pictures. I'm just getting started but I am taking orders from people that I know. You will be able to personalize items, etc. I just haven't decided how I will be selling them via internet yet. But for now, the jewelry is at A Weekend A'fair in Athens, GA and will hopefully be at some stores downtown soon.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

What have you peed in lately?

Friends that came to help in the yard and the house. Thank you!
                 Well, most of you will say the toilet only, or men may say the occasional outside pee, which they really enjoy for some reason, or outside cause they were camping. I'm starting this blog off with this because I haven't blogged in a while and that usually means it's too hard to talk about, to gross, I'm too tired, or as I have said before when something is in writing it seem more real. And I promised to be real, hence the title of the blog, because I know others are going through the same thing, or will. So in the last month due to my bladder issues along with my hip problems I have peed in a coffee cup, a plastic cup, a female urinal (ever heard of that?), a bed plan, a bed side potty, and often times my depends that Im still wearing everyday. Not only is it embarressing to carry them around, wear them, but haveing to ask people to help me get them on my bad leg, or legs now. I have even peed in the floor before I could  get one on and couldn't get to the bathroom. Do you know how hard it is to potty train a child? Do you know how hard it is to train a child when you yourself have to ask her to get your "pink panties" . Luckily, she is wearing real underwear ( ok just got really side track eating chocholate and looking at Rick Steve Europe Trips) most of the time but just won't poop in the bowl, any advice? Evalyn is so sweet though, she will say do you want a pink one or a white one, mommy. She will sometimes give me a prize for going to the potty.  So at this point, I just try to laugh about it and add it to my joke of 32 going on 70. It's really fun when you tech comes in and says " Mrs. Cape, have you had a BM today??" very loudly. But I guess they are use to shit and I hate to say it but I think my husband is getting use to it also between a child and a sick wife. I feel so bad when he has to help me, or clean out my potty chair. He has to be the best man in the world.           I still do not have any teeth which I have found also affect the kissing department, as if we needed another reason not to get friendly if you know what I mean.  A friend of mine knows someone that said they would donate money for me to be able to get me some good dentures. I don't want the best but not the worse either. He is a missionary that does dental work and he is trying to work out details. I'm trying to be patience, we dont need to pay any more interest on medical bills but I feel that I'm looking older everyday. At one appointment, my sister brought me to, the nurse or tech said " Do you want your daughter in here?" Needless to say, since I used to model and people thought Jen and I were twins, I busted out crying and said " That is my younger sister, I'm only 32." Grrrrr
 I'm not sure if I ever explained why I decided to go ahead and get them all out. First, all of my doctors agreed with me, except of course the oral surgeon. I could have save, for now, 10 teeth, but the rate that my teeth were chipping and falling apart I would have need constant dental work. Not only expensive, but time consuming, and a nightmare. Also, the medication, reclape, that I needed to take soon for my s osteoporosis, may cause deformaties and other problems if I needed any work in the jaw such as a root canal or an infection. I have them ,the teeth, in a bag, I don't know why, but I haven't even looked at them yet.
            As most of you know, I had hip replacement at the beginning of April and a few week later I fell in the backyard and got 3 more fractures in my pelvis. Painful as it was, I healing faster than I thought, I just need to slow down and remember just one wrong step set me back 4 to 6 weeks. Recently, I was having swelling in my feet, nothing unusual and have found weird lumps around my body. I just got out of the hospital and they said I had cellulites, an infection of the tissue, which can be very dangerous. We are still waiting on the punch biopsy I had at the dermatology last week. They may have kept me another day if pipes wouldn't have busted in the wall and no kidding, 4 floor were flooded, all the linens used for the next day, and ceilings were falling apart. They had to move me to the cancer unit in the middle of the night after giving me my 4th IV. At the least the food is pretty go at Athens Regional.
           I looked over my medical stuff I have and I have been in the hospital every month since last Oct., except Feb, but twice so far in May. We are selling anything we can and I'm closing my booth. We also decided to cash in my retirement, no pentalty for disabilities, and will try to pay off most of the debt we have right now. Otherwise, I've also decided to use some of the money to increase my quality of life now and not bank on living till I'm 60 or something. This includes fixing our dock that is a danger to anyone that decides to get on it. I have some stuff on ebay, craigslist, and stuff for said in my front yard. I'll be posting some of the things for sale in case you are interested. A few is a white 6 piece wicker set in fair to good condition, useable, but could use some work. Another is a rare baby bumper, quilt and 2 sheet set called Sweet strawberry by pottery barn, and a queen size termperpedic classic mattress with foundation and cover. Going to a vintage store this week to see if this girl will purchase some of my vintage collection, and consigning Evalyn's clothes and shoes. Now that I'm starting to feel somewhat better I hope to finally get my etspy site up and going with my art.
         There's  so much more to say  but I'll wait for another day. Someone told me this week that if I make it through this stuff I will have a huge testimony. Funny, the day after I went to church for the first time in a while, the sermon was on trials and tests. The next morning I fell and got 3 more fractures. Ha Ha     Well, I think I will and do. God is the only reason I have made it this far and plan to keep fighting. I pray you do the same where ever you are your journey.
Evalyn giving love at the hospital.