End of summer, end of this year's fun(d) raising
09/16/2024
My heart felt thanks to all who have contributed and made me look good once again! I am just a little short of my four thousand dollar goal, and I am sure a few stragglers will push me over!
As we make the quarter turn towards fall and settle in for winters approach I wish you a peaceful mind and an open heart.
Staying grounded and centered has been an ongoing project for me. Swimming, yoga, meditation, massage, zero balancing, acupuncture, mahjong all help. I am most grateful for the check ins, prayers and connections that keep me from spinning out in to fear and separation. Truth lies in our shared humanity, our Oneness.
The open water swim was yesterday. My swim buddies had a beautiful day.
I am looking forward to celebrating my seventy first birthday this friday.
Be well. Take good care. Thank you for all.
Vote.
♡♡♡♡♡
Monica
08/24/2024
I will have to sit out the open water this year. I completed my mile in the pool last week. No fanfare. No video, no one but just me swimming along, taking one hour. We can call it a slow crawl. Up to that point I wasn't really sure I could do a mile.
Life is still like that.I can't really decide beforehand what I am able to do, how long my energy will last n how i'll feel the next day. It is mostly related to the drug i'm taking, PARP inhibitor, Olaparib with perhaps a little aging thrown in the mix as well.
For all your support over the last year, seen and unseen, thank you so much. Of this I am certain, I would not be where I am today without it. My sincere and unending gratitude to each and every prayer, aid, support offered.
I had a PET scan on 8/10 That remains shows no detectable signs of cancer. My bloodwork normal. That's as good as it gets, folks!
So thank you!!!
If you have time To donate that would be great.
And we will see what the next year brings, maybe open water. Right now I can't figure out much of anything which is fine.
Staying in the moment brings peace.
Love,
Monica
06 28 2024
Open for business. I swimming in preparation for September swim.
Alive alive, Ooooo
♡♡♡
Monica
09/30/2023
A final thank you! $ 4300. WWoWow!
Baltimore SAA $500,000 forJhH Kimmel Cancer Center..
Thabks for extending yourselves in so many ways this past fundraising season to me personally. I am beyond grateful.
And I am most happy to report my most recent PET scan after chemo in September was clear. i'd say a wonderful 70th birthday present. Thanks for prayers, wishes, help, hope and love.
Thanks, thanks and thanks.
♡♡♡
Monica
09 17/2023
The open water swim was today.
Even tho I wasn't able to swim in murky water I finally swam in a pool this past week! So exciting. And so exciting to have reached my goal thanks to all of you!!! MANY THANKS.
AND thanks to each and everyone who have contributed to my personal well being and healing over these past nine months of chemo. I couldn't have made it thru without you.
Seriously folks. I AM beyond grateful, truly humbled And forever grateful.
Thank you.
♡♡♡♡
Monica
09/07/2023,
Well Folks, As they said what a strange trip it's been.
So, here I am finding my way after chemo.
also making my way in what was to be a post covid world..(.You may be ahead of me in what was thought to be post covid world. )I'm still not certain where I am.
What I can say is that possibility of slipping off balance still feels very real and present.
What just happened in the last 8 months? I truly can't say. I have a ten inch scar from my sternum to my pubic bone. I've got next to no hair. I'm missing lots of internal parts, enough to reduce me to an "it" rather than a "she". I've got fingers and toes that buzz from the aftermath of chemicals poured into my body thru a piece of plastic that was placed under my skin and goes into my heart. I got other bodily things that are slowly righting themselves, still struggling to do so.
And what's the most bizarre aspect is I had next to no symptoms to start with this past fall. Never really felt bad. It all lends itself to non reality.
In December I walked into act 1, scene 1. Roll em!
Not sure which act this is, but I would sure like this play to be over. And not sure what the next one may be but I'm hoping for a comedy.
As audience, having ducked out at intermission would certainly have been reasonable. I would have left if I could. Lol. Thanks for hanging in.
I had just the monoclonal antibody this past tuesday. Its Soooo much better now the chemo is finished. Tomorrow I have a PET CT scan. Maybe I'll send an understudy...
I start oral meds the last week in September, PARP inhibitor. I am less than thrilled by the possible side effects. I will see how it goes. They are tumor specific. We have gotten very fancy these days.
So, I may forget my lines, walk off stage and leave the show behind. The main character in Patchetts new book did it, so can I.
As we do anything is how we do everything. I am very practiced at jumping off a bit early, not finishing the final dish, saving some little part of the project to do later, not putting away the last piece....etc.
So, thanks for all. We can all hope the scientists come up with something very specific in the way of treatment. Let's get past global poisoning. It is no fun at all.
Take care,
Grateful to you all!
Monica
06/08/2023
Hello everyone.
This particular occurrence may be off of your radar. Since I have 2 more doses of carboplatin to go it's front and center.
Equity of distribution comes into play. The 2 major producers of this and other chemo drugs folded recently with very little notice given. This added more challenges to an already overloaded medical system.
I would say do what we can. Donate what you can. And I will see what happens between now and June 12th, my next dose.
Holy guacamole, what is going on ??
Smoke cutting off outside activies, shortages and supply chain issues.
Idk if I'm as flexible as what is being asked of me...
Take care,
I am stillI am still hoping to swim in september.
Like everything else, we will see.
❤ Monica
09/19/2022
With much gratitude to everyone for their support and encouragement I can wind down this years fund raising.
I am truly grateful.
Take good care.
♡♡♡
Monica
08 30 22
Swim is officially complete. Video below.
Thanks for making it another successful year.
You are always making me look good.
Thanks.
Be well. Be kind. Be the love that you are.
♡
Monica
08/29/2022
My swim is done. Great.
Just a little more fund raising.
Just a little more fundraising and I'll be to my goal. Help?
I did it. You can do it.
We can do it!
♡♡♡♡♡
Monica
8/24/2022
Getting ready....
On Monday the 29th I will swim my mile in the pool. I may still do the open water on 9/18. I will see where we are with covid by then.
It's odd times. I feel much unrest and general confusion in myself and others. We have been through 2 years that have shaken up our plans, redefine health measures, and 4 years before that moved us out of complacency of watching truth telling disappear. In short, a restructuring of our world.
Cancer does this as well. How we see it, how we deal with it, how we restructure in the wake of it is up to us.
As we gather ourselves and realign with truth and examine our values, chose our path, our companions, let us do so from our heart space. Build it back better.
Best to all.
Warmest regards,
♡
Monica
08/12/2022
August has arrived.
As we approach late summer I have been cooling off by swimming as well as keeping in practice.
One month til the open water swim.
Thanks so much for supporting my fund raising efforts. Every donation moves us towards the goal of providing more grass roots efforts in research.
Stay Well.
Keep cool.
Play on.
♡♡♡♡♡
Monica
7/6/2022
"Normal is a setting on your clothes dryer." ---unknown Here we go again.
I'm a little late I'm a little late getting started this year. However, it may be a boon for all. Fewer emails to you and we can still make a splash by Setember.
Ready, set, go
Hope you are on board once again!
And hope you are well and finding your way along...
♡♡♡
Monica
Done!
AMEN
THANK YOU!
September 9, 2021
Greetings,
The open water was officially canceled today. The virus determined the call. The monies saved from the event will add that much more to what can go to the Kimmel Cancer center at JHH.
I will swim my 16 laps equalling one mile at Meadowbrook pool here in Mt Washington in the next few days.
Stay posted. We are at $3460.
May beat my previous high of $4100?!?
Thanks so much!
♡
MONICA
September 2, 2021
Hello!
We are moving into the last 2 weeks!
Not sure what venue I am going to be using to complete my swim.
I had a recent right leg injury that I think will be healed in another 2 weeks.
Fund raising continues. Thanks to all who have donated. I am 75% of my goal.
I'd love to get in the water having reached the $3000 mark.
♡♡♡♡♡
Monica
We have a new layoutWe have a new layout and Everything Everything I post Everything I post repeats itself Everything I post repeats itself and disappear Everything I post repeats itself and disappears Everything I post repeats itself and disappears...
This could be This could be helpful This could be helpful if I say thank you This could be helpful if I say thank you You Thank you.
Repetition Repetition.