Fun #2 Before Chemo #4

My sister, MaryAnn Halloway, hosts a family party at her home every year on Halloween. They live in a large neighborhood and lots of kids go door-to-door. MaryAnn and Tony serve chili to the family, we all bring a side dish and EVERYONE dresses up. Some of the grownups go door-to-door with the trick-or-treaters, and some grownups stay at the house to hand out candy. When everyone returns, we eat chili and hang out for the evening. The photo at the top is Katie's carved pumpkin from the patch we visited on Sunday. The photo below the pumpkin is of our family - Katie (teen girl), Bryan (strange dentist), me (G.I. Jane), Paul (cobweb guy), Sarah (cat), Emily (queen chess piece), and Hunter (knight chess piece).

This picture is of my sisters and me - Becky (Mr. Peanut), MaryAnn (Thing 1 - Dr. Seuss) Jennifer (Thing 2 - Dr. Seuss), and me (G.I. Jan). The cute centipede in the foreground is Savannah, my niece that I kept full-time from the time she was six weeks old until June of this year - she is a sweetie and I miss her. The "old woman" sitting on the porch to hand out candy is my dad! (And you thought they saw strange things out at Waverly Hills!)

I go tomorrow for Chemo #4, and I would give anything not to go another round. My fatigue seems to be cumulative and without a break. I continue to get irritated by my ability to do not much more than sleep. I still have some pain from my surgery, and I cry alot out of frustration at my situation and from some depression. But as I looked around at my family last night, I realized that this is why I went through surgery, why I will go through chemo, and why I will go through radiation. I want to enjoy many more years with this wonderful family with which God has blessed me.

Thanks for your prayers, cards, e-mails, and calls.

Jan