Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown
I want to thank every single person who took the time to share the things that they are grateful for. You shared every thing from sweaters for a crisp Fall day to family and friends, to the medical options available to me. Most important, you allowed me to focus on the positive things I have in my own life and what I am grateful for.
After all, I’ve been living with cancer for seven months and we’ve made no progress. Can you imagine how frustrated I feel? More than frustrated, for the first time I’m scared. Although there is so much progress in cancer research, there isn’t much known about the rare kind of ovarian cancer I have. I won’t let the fear paralize me though.
For the first time since I stared this third battle with cancer, which is ridiculous to say because no one should have to battle cancer one time let alone three times, I’m starting to doubt my ability to kick cancer’s ass. I only doubt my ability because lately cancer has been kicking my ass. For example yesterday I spent the entire day on the couch, sick as a dog.
Yet I am determined to keep fighting…
And to keep living…
This week I start a new chemotherapy. On Friday to be exact. Then on Friday night, Dude and I are going to see the Australian Pink Floyd Show. Dude has always been a big Pink Floyd fan. When we saw Australian Pink Floyd on PBS one evening we couldn’t believe how great they were. He wanted to go so badly that I agreed to go…on the same night I’m having chemo. Thank goodness for anti-nausea meds.
The following Friday, October 17th, my university is holding an Alumi dinner. I wasn’t going to go since I’m sick and unemployed but it sucks I can always go visit my parents because they live five minutes away. The invitation says to bring my business card for “networking” and the door-prize. Any suggestions on how I should come up with a business card since I’m unemployed?
The final thing to look forward to this month is Avitable’s Halloween Party. Halloween has ALWAYS been my very favorite holiday. I really wanted to go last year but my graduation from college was a few days before and it just didn’t work out. This could be my last Halloween so I’m going to celebrate it as if it is at Avitable’s awesome party.
I was able to find a flight on Southwest for $79 from Philly to Orlando and $99 back to Philadelphia. Extra things like this aren’t in my budget at all but Dude persuaded me to spend the money and in return he’s picking up a couple of bills. My experiences flying Southwest have always been very, very good too. Especially coming home from Disney when I got very ill on the flight.
So even though I feel sick on a regular basis I’m glad I have these things to look forward to. I’m not worried about being to ill for any of these events because I can ignore feeling pain and nausea temporarily to have a good time. I just wish I could do it all of the time.
What are your big plans for October? Are you planning to go Trick or Treating?







{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
We hit the pumpkin patch today and will try to do something that says ‘fall’ on any nice weekend day. Fall is *my* season. Trip to FL sounds fun! So what are you going as or is it a surprise? We’re going trick or treating in the neighborhood, but not giving out candy. Our vet’s office is having a party for kids and pets. Somehow I think your Halloween will be a tad more exciting than ours!
HeatherKs last blog post..SOOC: Awww, Mom!
Reply
I don’t like Halloween, in fact I really hate it. Thanksgiving, I like, Xmas, I love, but Halloween… no warm fuzzies. My little one will be 3 years with month so a party will occur (in fact her first b-day party that has cake.)
So what am I thankful for?
That I have the sweetest hubby in the world. We got the flu early this year and he has been letting me sleep whenever I want and taking over everything. I know I will be doing the same in about 3 days when he is ill but still, I love the man.
MamaMays last blog post..Sick
Reply
Your business card should be mommy blogger of course! I just ordered SAHM cards from Vista Print (they’ll give you so many for free, you just pay shipping) so hop on over there. I’m so glad you have lots to look forward to this month!
Maggies last blog post..Diamond Superstar
Reply
You said: “This could be my last Halloween…”
To which I say: “No. No, it’s not.”
No trick or treating for me, but we will hand out handfuls of candy to each and every kid who rings our doorbell. I’m looking forward to that a lot!
Reply
Your business card could say “Professional Cancer Fighter” or something like that. You could design it yourself and buy those perforated sheets at Staples and just print them out. Make them pretty, make them funny, make them resemble YOU and you’ll rock the party!
I love Halloween too, and we live in the most awesome house for decorating, but we’re so far from the road that we don’t get even one trick or treater, so it’s not really worth the effort. Such a shame, because every year I just dream of doing it up with a graveyard and coffins and all sorts of scary stuff.
Have fun in Florida. That party sounds awesome. I hope you got one of Dave’s shirts to wear!
margalits last blog post..Electoral map is shifting in Obama’s favor
Reply
I hope you have a great time at the part! You’re going as Mrs. Clean, right?
Jens last blog post..Silent Sunday: Love Letters
Reply
of COURSE you have a business card!
Lisa
Mom, Wife, Friend
Cancer Survivor
Cancer Fighter
Blogger
General Ass Kicker
World Champion Arm Wrestler (to throw them off a bit)
Ms. Changes Pants While Drivings last blog post..you can boil my egg any time
Reply
I can’t wait to see you again!
Avitables last blog post..Ghost Hunters
Reply
Make a business card that says “Full-time mom, wife, and cancer boot stomper”
Las Vegas! That’s where I’ll be on Halloween. I was supposed to go to the Cirque/Criss Angel Show, but it was cancelled. Now I’m going to go to some of the art galleries that I didn’t get to see last time.
GirlintheCrosswalks last blog post..In fact…
Reply
October brings colorful leaves, cooler temps, another month of soccer practices and games, and I have no idea what the boys are planning to be for Halloween. We still have to go get our pumpkins. I did get the scarecrows up at least!
I wish I could go to Florida, too. Enjoy!
Kerris last blog post..The math genius
Reply
Plans for October…hmmm. Well. Since I’m Canadian Thanksgiving is next Monday. That’s a bonus!
Halloween is getting “old” for me. Kids are not as much fun as they used to be and we’re in a new town so we have to find all the good places to get candy this year…
I wanna go to Adam’s… take me with you.
Tracys last blog post..Yesterday & Today
Reply
Well let’s see. October has already brought a very special “gift” to me. The gift of time with my 16 yr old daughter. We took a trip to the mall (she drove!) and we shopped for about 3 hours, shared a pretzel and soda and then later got dinner together. Do you know what she told me? She said “I really had fun today, Mom. I really wish we hadn’t wasted 16 years to do this, but we need to do it more often”. I plan to do these trips with my children as often as I can. Perhaps not to the mall with all 4, but maybe a trip to the toystore with my special needs 15 yr old, ice cream with the baby, a football game with my son, you get the idea.
As for Halloween, the kids will go trick or treating and I’ll stay home passing out candy.
Maggies last blog post..More thoughts to keep me awake……
Reply
How awesome is that Pink Floyd concert going to be?! And Avitable’s party? You will have a blast, I’m sure, and I’m so glad that Dude talked you into letting yourself have some fun. If anyone deserves it, you do!
We have no big plans for this month; I’m just anxious to get through these next four days so I can have a four-day weekend! W00t! For one of those days, I’m thinking about taking my Littleone to paint pottery again, as she’s been asking pretty regularly, and we had a lot of fun last time we did it.
Tense Teachers last blog post..Oh, What a Relief It Is
Reply
Packing, moving, and unpacking. Those are my plans. That and lesson planning.
Check this out Lisa: http://www.novartisclinicaltrials.com/webapp/etrials/searchTrial.do?trialID=493&pl_id=bmrcntrwtchl000001
Black Belt Mamas last blog post..Happy 3rd Birthday
Reply
Here’s another one. Just scroll down a bit: http://www.dana-farber.org/pat/adult/gynecologic-cancer/diseases-treated/clinical-trials-for-ovarian-cancer.html
Black Belt Mamas last blog post..Happy 3rd Birthday
Reply
I totally adore Halloween..the second candy corn hit the shelves here I bought some, along with the little pumpkins too! Yum…
I’m going to Vegas this week (fiance’s conference for work), then off to Oklahoma for some college football fun. Also I’m going to see the clairvoyant Lisa Williams here in town, as well as Amy Sedaris who is speaking at my local Barnes and Noble. We plan to visit some haunted houses and go apple picking. Love this fall weather, I’m new to New England and love the weather!!
Hooray for a fun month!
Reply
HeatherK: The pumpkin patch sounds like a lot of fun. Fall is one of my favorite seasons too. My costume is up in the air right now.
MamaMay: Do you think you’ll enjoy Halloween more as your little one gets older?
Maggie: Oh, I never considered myself as a mommy blogger. A blogger who is a mom…but not a mommy blogger.
Dawn: I hope it’s not my last Halloween but just in case….
I usually love giving out the candy.
margalit: I did not get one of Dave’s shirts but I already own two from the Artificial Duck Store.
Jen: No but I thought about going as a Harikrishna.
Ms. Changes Pants While Driving: I like World Champion Arm Wrestler.
Avitable: I’m looking forward to seeing you and a lot of other people again too!
Girl: That’s a good one too. Vegas sounds like fun!
Kerri: October is such a gorgeous month.
Tracy: I’ll stow you away in my suitcase.
Maggie: The trip to the mall with your daughter sounds really nice.
TT: I’m hoping to have a lot of fun at both!
Painting pottery is a lot of fun. I did that with the girls a few years ago and we had so much fun.
BBM: Sounds like you will be very busy! Thanks for the links.
MaryLeigh: It sounds like you have a lot of fun things planned! New England is a gorgeous place for the fall.
Reply
I understand the “just in case” motto — we should all live life to its fullest, every day — but…
You know when you just have “that feeling” in your gut? When your gut tells you something? My gut is giving me “that feeling” — it’s telling me that this is NOT your last Halloween. You’re going to have plenty more. My gut’s telling me that.
Have a super time at Adam’s party.
Reply
My 3rd Wedding anniversary is Halloween
If hubby’s current work schedule holds like it is I won’t even see him for it. So I’ll take the kids trick or treating in the rich neighborhoods (they give better candy) and spend the evening with them.
Hope to start next weekend hitting haunted houses & outdoor haunted mazes.
Hopefully moving by then also. Dread it but oh so looking forward to a place thats ‘ours’.
MrsRobbieDs last blog post..IT’s Pirate day!!
Reply
I have a job but my personal business cards have the following titles:
artsy computer geek
pop culture dropout
happiness addict
asspole remover
Robin Hood wannabe
World Peace Believer
Queen of Lala Land
mushroom sleuth
dance junkie
telemarketer torturer
I would be happy to help you make up some. How about “Queen of Clusterfook” “Czar of Strength”
I’m still looking at flights for Adam’s party. I haven’t looked at Southwest yet. I will now!
Reply
I actually sort of dislike the ordeal the kids school makes out of Halloween. Everyone is encouraged to bring in candy for each kid, sort of like a goodie bag. Who the heck needs that when they are going trick or treating that night? I do love helping my kids decide what to dress up as, and I used to enjoy making their costumes when they used to let me. Now they want the lame-o store bought ones just like their friends have.
I do enjoy trick or treating with the kids though. I will be pretty sad when they are too old.
Your business card could list you as the CEO of your household or something like that. And I’m sure there is some clever twist to the strong brave cancer fighter that you are that you could work in there too.
radioactivetoris last blog post..I Need Some Extra Thumbs To Help
Reply
Nope, won’t be doing much for Halloween or October except for a trip to Minneapolis for a staff meeting, but November is when we start rocking the house. We’re going to DaishoCon, a new anime con practically right in our backyard, so we’re saving the bucks up for the room and I just did our registrations so we’re set to go.
Since we’ll be dressing as anime characters (Google “cosplay” to see what I mean) we’re actually just postponing Halloween a month so we can have more company to go around with then.
Reply
I love Halloween! I’m over 30 and still love to dress up. Last year I made a shirt with a giant white “P” on the front and painted a black circle around one eye (and did the same to my husband & son). We were “black eyed peas”, but most people guessed we were pound puppies! Lol. Oh well. I work for a church, and the MOther’s Day Out teachers are all dressing up as characters from the Wizard of Oz. I agreed to participate, and am ecstatic to be the Wicked Witch of the West! I can play that role easily enough…just ask my husband! Although I’m pregnant with #4 (and the LAST – just found out another boy today!!!! 2 girls/2 boys – can’t you sleep better now that you know that?), so I’ll be a witch with a bun-in-the-oven. My 4 year old wants to be the good witch Glinda, but I have no idea what to dress the current baby up as (she’s 19 mos). We go to every fall festival in the area we can find, and hit houses on Halloween too. I can’t wait!
Ashley Hasts last blog post..Cookie Got Spit-Faced
Reply
I’m having one of my awesomest friends come visit.
Miss Britts last blog post..Declare Yourself
Reply
I’m going to try and get a hold of a bunch of friends we’ve lost touch with over the past few years (we’re in that new parent timewarp – what is hip these days?) and see if we can’t throw a fun Halloween costume party. I’ve already bought two pair of fairie wings, so I can decide between the two to wear and I’ve bought a cute strawberry knitted hat for my daughter. She’ll be a strawberry for Halloween. =)
We need to go out and get pumpkins soon too. Probably the weekend after next. I hope that you have a BLAST! at Avitables party. =)
Erins last blog post..Reverting back to a student
Reply
I’m sending all the positive energy I can your way. I think that having things to look forward to is great…and I hope you enjoy yourself!
I’m flying to Philly next week for a long weekend–including a trip to Rhinebeck for a yarn/fiber festival. I can’t wait!
Katys last blog post..Playing catch up
Reply
We have absolutely no free weekends in October, including the one we just had, I’ll put it that way and leave it at that.
Poppys last blog post..That weekend was B-A-N-A…oh, you know how Gwen finishes it off.
Reply
October is my most favorite month. Why? ‘Cause it’s mah birfday month! Plus I have a sweet with costume to wear, along with a pink and black pigtail wig; I think Laci, Sodapop and I are going to hit the gay bar in Louisville for Halloween. Then Laci is having a sex-toy I mean “passion” party. :-p
Moniques last blog post..Feast Your Eyes on the Next Mr. Monique
Reply
I’m really not big on Halloween, never have been.
so at this point, no plans.
My plans are to have no plans and be lazy.
Ok maybe not all month long, but a good part of it,
becuase it’s getting colder out and being a bum
goes so well with cold weather!
Reply
Dawn: I hope your gut feeling is right.
MrsRobbieD: Did you have a Halloween themed wedding?
PocketCT: Cute titles for your personal business cards.
Definitely look into Southwest online. They have great “web” deals.
radioactivetori: Thank goodness our school doesn’t do that!
I think Dude is more the CEO of the household than I am these days…I have to give him that credit.
PandoraWilde: Sounds like fun!
Ashley: Congratulations on the baby boy!
Miss Britt: You are? OMG!
Erin: A Halloween party would definitely be fun.
Katy: I live near Philly…how long will you be here?
Poppy: And I think I’ll see you one of your non-free weekends down in Florida, right?
Monique: Now don’t get into too much trouble!
Kate: You could enjoy the beautiful colors of the fall…
Reply
Yes, Ma’am, you will.
Poppys last blog post..That weekend was B-A-N-A…oh, you know how Gwen finishes it off.
Reply
Poppy: Yay! I’m really looking forward to seeing you and everyone else.
Reply
That sounds like a good plan – enjoying the colors.
Thanks!
Reply
I really think you should use some of the suggestions in your comments to make a “business” card. You could just print them at home using one of the Avery cards you buy from Staples or Office Depot , etc. I love Ms. Change Pants’ suggestions!
Have fun in Orlando! I’m not far from there
The weather has actually been really nice lately!
Tamis last blog post..Randomness
Reply
I’m flying into Philly 10/16 (I have a late flight, won’t get there until 10:30pm) and leaving on Monday, 10/20.
Katys last blog post..Playing catch up
Reply