Where is the time going? It is Memorial Day weekend already! I've been feeling a little bit better. I did have my lower x-ray series done awhile ago. Never heard anything from the Dr. and that means normal. There's a sign in the office that says they'll call you if the results are not normal. So if the phone rings... that's when you panic! The test took 3 hours and was really just time consuming. Next Friday is my colonoscopy.... happy days.
So, yesterday I found out that yet another high-profile person has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Amy Mickelson, wife of Phil (golf pro), was just diagnosed. Not much details out, but hopefully this will bring more attention to the subject!
Last weekend the kids and I went to a very good friend's son's 1st birthday party! Nick Kreiner is just a gem. Marianne used to work for Chris, and called me the week she was in the hospital before she died to tell me that she was pregnant. I told Chris and even though she was heavily sedated she knew exactly what I told her and was so happy. Marianne visited Chris the night before she passed away and the first thing Chris did when she saw her was say.... "I know, I know". Chris will be watching over Nick his entire life I'm sure.
After the birthday party, we headed out to Annapolis for a graduation party. Great to see all our friends out there. We were really tired as that morning we all got up early to participate in the community yard sale. We got rid of a lot of stuff, including some things of Chris's that were a little difficult to part with. All in all it was okay and the kids and I plugged through w/o too many problems.
This past Monday I played golf in a charity golf tournament. It was for a hospice in a neighboring county. I had a great time and the weather was pretty good. Unfortunately, I am now sick again with a cold or allergies!!! 3 days of stuffy nose and sore throat!!!
This weekend is going to hopefully be spent relaxing. We all need some downtime. Michael has been working very hard on 2 big projects for school. It's been a drain on me as well as Alex. She is working part time for the credit union. They cut her hours way back this summer but she's still getting some that's a good thing. She's also an intern (no pay) at the Frederick Keys stadium and is working many of the home games. It's good experience and she's enjoying it too.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Me or Willie?
Okay so my friend Rich keeps telling me everytime he comes to my house that a picture I have in my living room of Chrissy and I makes him think of Willie AAmes from 8 is Enough fame. Here's my college Id and a picture of willie from the 80's.... what do you think?
A very sad loss...
The founder of Climb for Hope lost his sister to breast cancer last week. She had been fighting for over 4 years. She was diagnosed 1 month after Chris. This posting was placed on the website that I keep for Chris. It was posted by his sister.
The following remarks combine the thoughts of Peter Augustini with mine on the loss of Jodi Alter Buerger, Mr. Augustini’s wife and my sister.
Jodi A. Buerger ended her four and one-half year struggle with cancer May 8, 2009.
My sister Jodi was the inspiration to create Climb for Hope. When she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in October 2004, I knew we had to move quickly to find a cure. Jodi was one of the greatest women you’d ever meet. Her courage and strength led me to put together an organization dedicated to speeding up work on a treatment for advanced breast cancer to give her more time with her family.
Our precious and beautiful Jodi died only after exhausting every ounce of energy from her broken body. She never gave up and never wavered, clinging to life with awesome courage and determination. I believe she was driven by a sacred devotion to her children and an abiding promise to protect and nurture them. That’s the spirit we embody on our mountaineering expeditions.
In turn we honor her life and take forward the lessons she taught us about being a good and decent person, always acting with integrity and grace, always with words of support and encouragement. She measured her life by what she could do for others and never by what was taken from her.
Throughout her battle she drew tremendous strength from the overwhelming support and love of her family, friends, and climbers. It helped her more than you might know—through all the harrowing medical procedures and crushing relapses and in those dark moments when unspeakable pain and suffering would momentarily weaken her grip.
She leaves behind Peter, a loving husband of 14 years, and 3 children Charles 12, Caroline 9 and Max 5,
We were not able to save my sister Jodi’s life. But, as Jodi remarked to me when our expedition returned successfully from Kilimanjaro last year that we may not find something fast enough for her, but she believed that her daughter Caroline would grow up in a world without breast cancer because of the hard work of CFH volunteer climbers.
I want to thank each of you for all you’ve done to support and sustain us. Thank you for every hug, every tear, every dollar, and every ounce of support to create a sustainable organization that will keep Jodi’s name alive.
Our board recently voted to change the name of the organization to Jodi’s Climb for Hope to fulfill her wish that despite leaving us at an early age, she never be forgotten.
Now, in Jodi’s name we will continue on the many advances we’ve made in three short years, giving Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Leisha Emens $350,000. That money sped up research by six months and lead to the ground-breaking discovery that lower doses of chemotherapy increase immune responses, a lasting legacy that will be left for future generations.
Jodi will be missed by so many people, including the more than 75 CFH climbers that she inspired to push themselves way beyond their perceived physical limits to summit a mountain they never thought possible.
I would have traded anything that Jodi would have never gotten this disease. Since she did, she was able affect real change in this world. Due to Jodi’s humble personality, she never fathomed how many lives she touched – donors, climbers, guides, volunteers, breast cancer survivors, and grieving families – through Climb for Hope.
If furthering cancer research and inspiring scores of people is how’s she’s remembered, than she’ll have lived a fulfilled life.
May her memory continue to be a blessing.
Donations in Jodi Alter Buerger’s memory can be sent to the charity of your choice or on-line to Climb For Hope, a Baltimore-based foundation that raises funds for breast cancer research. http://www.climbforhope.com/
The following remarks combine the thoughts of Peter Augustini with mine on the loss of Jodi Alter Buerger, Mr. Augustini’s wife and my sister.
Jodi A. Buerger ended her four and one-half year struggle with cancer May 8, 2009.
My sister Jodi was the inspiration to create Climb for Hope. When she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in October 2004, I knew we had to move quickly to find a cure. Jodi was one of the greatest women you’d ever meet. Her courage and strength led me to put together an organization dedicated to speeding up work on a treatment for advanced breast cancer to give her more time with her family.
Our precious and beautiful Jodi died only after exhausting every ounce of energy from her broken body. She never gave up and never wavered, clinging to life with awesome courage and determination. I believe she was driven by a sacred devotion to her children and an abiding promise to protect and nurture them. That’s the spirit we embody on our mountaineering expeditions.
In turn we honor her life and take forward the lessons she taught us about being a good and decent person, always acting with integrity and grace, always with words of support and encouragement. She measured her life by what she could do for others and never by what was taken from her.
Throughout her battle she drew tremendous strength from the overwhelming support and love of her family, friends, and climbers. It helped her more than you might know—through all the harrowing medical procedures and crushing relapses and in those dark moments when unspeakable pain and suffering would momentarily weaken her grip.
She leaves behind Peter, a loving husband of 14 years, and 3 children Charles 12, Caroline 9 and Max 5,
We were not able to save my sister Jodi’s life. But, as Jodi remarked to me when our expedition returned successfully from Kilimanjaro last year that we may not find something fast enough for her, but she believed that her daughter Caroline would grow up in a world without breast cancer because of the hard work of CFH volunteer climbers.
I want to thank each of you for all you’ve done to support and sustain us. Thank you for every hug, every tear, every dollar, and every ounce of support to create a sustainable organization that will keep Jodi’s name alive.
Our board recently voted to change the name of the organization to Jodi’s Climb for Hope to fulfill her wish that despite leaving us at an early age, she never be forgotten.
Now, in Jodi’s name we will continue on the many advances we’ve made in three short years, giving Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Leisha Emens $350,000. That money sped up research by six months and lead to the ground-breaking discovery that lower doses of chemotherapy increase immune responses, a lasting legacy that will be left for future generations.
Jodi will be missed by so many people, including the more than 75 CFH climbers that she inspired to push themselves way beyond their perceived physical limits to summit a mountain they never thought possible.
I would have traded anything that Jodi would have never gotten this disease. Since she did, she was able affect real change in this world. Due to Jodi’s humble personality, she never fathomed how many lives she touched – donors, climbers, guides, volunteers, breast cancer survivors, and grieving families – through Climb for Hope.
If furthering cancer research and inspiring scores of people is how’s she’s remembered, than she’ll have lived a fulfilled life.
May her memory continue to be a blessing.
Donations in Jodi Alter Buerger’s memory can be sent to the charity of your choice or on-line to Climb For Hope, a Baltimore-based foundation that raises funds for breast cancer research. http://www.climbforhope.com/
Laces
Sunday Alex got up early and went to Mass really early and then went to the cemetery. Later in the day I went by on my own and noticed that she had left her pink shoelaces there that she had worn all season in honor of her mom. A perfect mother's day present for sure.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dr.
Went to the gastroenterologist last Tuesday. Left with 2 tests that I have to take. Small bowel series of x-rays.... and since I'm almost 50, oh god did I say that?, a colonoscopy... So that's it for now... still feeling okay but not that great.
TODAY - I took Tyler to the MVA and he now has his learner's permit to drive in MD! Watch out! As we were leaving I tossed him the keys and said drive home. He was like a deer in the headlights! Too funny. Could not figure out the turn signals!!!
TODAY - I took Tyler to the MVA and he now has his learner's permit to drive in MD! Watch out! As we were leaving I tossed him the keys and said drive home. He was like a deer in the headlights! Too funny. Could not figure out the turn signals!!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Just busy...
It's been yet another very busy few days in the life and times of cedewitt... Last week after watching Alex's game up in Philadelphia, I had to go up to Lycoming on Friday morning and get her things. She has a lot of things.... I left really early in the AM and got up there about 9:30. We went to her cafeteria and had breakfast and then packed the car. We finally made it home abour 2:30. We had a couple of hours to unpack and then went to the high school to watch Tyler's lacrosse game.
Saturday was a day of youth lacrosse and I had to drive Michael to Chambersburg, PA for his game. 1 hour there 1 hour back... you get the idea. I did stop and get some salmon and we had a nice dinner at home that also included Tyler's friend Tanner. He's a great kid that lives around the corner from us. Always welcome in my house.
Sunday... more lax. Michael had a tournament that started at 10am not far from home. ONly problem was that it was pouring outside all morning long. It was miserable. They played 2 and it was cancelled around 12:30. Cold and dejected we came home and spent the afternoon trying to warm up.
Alex and I went grocery shopping last night. When she comes home we have to throw out all the outdated stuff in the fridge and buy new stuff. Milk that is only 2 weeks out of date is still GOOD. She doesn't understand...
Today is raining again. I have a dr. appointment with the gastroenterologist this afternoon. I'm hoping we can start figuring out what has been causing me to feel so poorly recently. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday was a day of youth lacrosse and I had to drive Michael to Chambersburg, PA for his game. 1 hour there 1 hour back... you get the idea. I did stop and get some salmon and we had a nice dinner at home that also included Tyler's friend Tanner. He's a great kid that lives around the corner from us. Always welcome in my house.
Sunday... more lax. Michael had a tournament that started at 10am not far from home. ONly problem was that it was pouring outside all morning long. It was miserable. They played 2 and it was cancelled around 12:30. Cold and dejected we came home and spent the afternoon trying to warm up.
Alex and I went grocery shopping last night. When she comes home we have to throw out all the outdated stuff in the fridge and buy new stuff. Milk that is only 2 weeks out of date is still GOOD. She doesn't understand...
Today is raining again. I have a dr. appointment with the gastroenterologist this afternoon. I'm hoping we can start figuring out what has been causing me to feel so poorly recently. I'll keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
