Positive and inspiring photos, videos, posts, links, etc.
Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands. And take it when it runs by. -Carl Sandburg
Today I received the best news I could ever hear: I am cancer free!.
Today my tears are tears of joy; I have a second chance in life.
All your support and prayers have kept me strong and positive during this journey and I am grateful.
Thank you God!
I cannot believe that my last post was on March 15, 2013 after completing all treatment. Time flies!
In the last 30 days, I have dedicated my time to organize things at work and at home. It feels good to have some sort of peace and normalcy in our lives. Each day I feel stronger and with more energy to the point that I started running again.
My hair is growing back, although I cannot tell whether my hair will be curly or straight; it is a mystery. 
Even though I have been busy with work and visits from my parents and friends, I have spent time thinking about what has changed in my life since I was diagnosed. Certainly, I have changed:
Tomorrow is April 15 and I am turning 34 years-old. I feel blessed, happy, and excited.
I am surrounded by love.
Thank you for reading. 🙂
“Even though life can be deeply painful, it’s still a miraculous and worthwhile journey that somehow, some way, balances out. I’m not sure how or why it works that way, but I have faith that there are forces at play that are helping and guiding me, and that things always work out.” (Fortson, Leigh. Embrace Release Heal. Sounds True, 2011)
I feel better now, not only I am not in pain anymore but I have completed my treatment that started in December of 2012. A treatment that included 240 hours of chemotherapy and 5 weeks (25 days) of radiation.
Right now, my neck looks like I had a terrible sunburn, my throat is sore and still my taste is off. Luckily enough I can taste things like chocolate, ice-cream, sweets, french fries, and all things that are not the best for you. But I am enjoying it :).
During these last months of treatment I have learned the following:
Today was the first day I didn’t have to go to the hospital for treatment. Today, I went to the office and started organizing and planning new projects. I can’t wait to workout and eventually start running again. A new routine sounds exciting!
I feel blessed. Thank you to my wonderful husband Dave, my mother and father in law for their love and support when I needed it the most. Thank you to my lovely parents, sisters and family in Mexico for their encouragement and powerful prayers. I am grateful for my friends and co-workers who make me laugh; thank you for your thoughtfulness and positive words!!
On April 25 and 26 I have to go back to NIH for PET and CT scans, studies, and appointments with the team of doctors and nurses to confirm the Lymphoma is gone for good.
I am ready to move forward!
Love,
Bea
My immune system is weak. For almost a month I have been battling a virus called BK which affected my bladder. This virus has been a real nightmare. In my entire life I haven’t experienced so much pain that even strong medicines couldn’t take away. For the last 4 weeks, I have been very sick, I haven’t slept, barely ate and sometimes I haven’t been able to walk.
Nevertheless, I kept reminding myself that difficult times shall pass…
In difficult times, love prevails and that is what keeps me going. I am grateful for the love of our families and friends specially during these challenging last weeks. I cannot thank enough the care and support I have received by my loving husband and my wonderful in-laws, I know it is not easy to see me in pain and in such bad shape.
In the good side of these weeks, I was so happy to spend time with my friends Paula and Regina who stayed with us for a couple of days, it was so nice to see them and catch up.
This week my best friend Lucia is staying with us, she has been also a lot of help and has taken me to the radiation treatments that started two weeks ago. I am so happy to spend time with her. Also, my aunt, uncle and cousin Nane are traveling for several days to see us, I can’t wait to see them, it has been such a long time since the last time I saw them.
For Valentine’s Day, my husband surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of roses and delicious chocolates. I love you David. I am a lucky girl!
One of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid was the Jetsons (Los Supersonicos) and I always thought about how the future will look like and how amazing will be to have a robot like Rosie (Robotina for the version in Spanish) to help in the house. I have to say that several days ago, I turned into a robot like Rosie.
I finished my second cycle of intense chemo two weeks ago. And yes, I am officially done with chemo!!!!!. I will start radiation on Feb 1st. I am so grateful because my mother in-law stay with us and went with me to the hospital each day. Dave and Kathy were very patient since my mood was horrible, I didn’t want to talk, I couldn’t sleep, I was nauseous and the prednisone (steroids) made me hyperactive. I had what I will call the “Rosie Syndrome”, I wanted to clean the apartment and organize things 24/7 non-stop, exactly like Rosie/ Robotina.
Although the chemo was super strong and sometimes I was not hungry at all, there were times I will crave for comfort food particularly pasta and rice. I love risotto and I found an easy-to-make recipe from Cooking Light Magazine . I made it for one night and It turned out very well. Here is the recipe:
Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms and Mascarpone
Cooking Light
Level: Easy | 4 servings
Time of preparation: 50 min
2 cups of boiling water
1 cup dried Porcini mushrooms (1 oz = 28 g)
1 can of less-sodium beef broth
cooking spray
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese)
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
1. Combine 2 cups boiling water and mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain through a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid; chop mushrooms.
2. Bring soaking liquid and beef broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil) Keep broth mixture warm.
3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add rice, shallots and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes)
4. Add 1 cup broth mixture to rice mixture, cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes).
5. Add mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped thyme, salt and pepper; stir gently until cheese melts. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 Tblsp mascarpone and thyme leaves, if desired.
Cooking tip: I couldn’t find Porcini mushrooms and I used regular mushrooms instead. Also, if you cannot find the mascarpone cheese try 1Tblsp of sour cream or regular cream cheese on each serving to add more flavor.
Thank you to my friends Anna, Michelle and Maria for the beautiful flowers that make me smile.
Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and positive thoughts!!!!
Have a great weekend!.
2013, a year that starts with a new look (I am bald now) and a new treatment.
Although we were very busy during the holidays, we had a great time. My parents and younger sister spent Christmas with us. We had a Mexican/American holiday dinner on December 24 that was delicious. It was great having them at home since I went through the first cycle of intense chemoteraphy during the holidays, their moral support was very important.
In a previous post, I talked about the hard decision we had to make regarding treatment. Indeed I believe in research and after doing my homework, looking for information on “Grey Zone Lymphoma”, reading blogs from patients and survivors, and having conversations with friends and family; We decided to go with the treatment proposed by the Lymphoma Team at NIH.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the US medical research agency. It is a federal government entity whose work and research benefit not only the people in the US but the world.
The new treatment proposed by the group of experienced doctors and nurses at NIH consists on two cycles of intense chemoteraphy followed by 6 weeks of radiation. Each chemo cycle lasts 5 days. The first day I had to stay in the hospital for 24 hours. The next 4 days are not so bad since I carry a fanny pack (“cangurera” in Spanish) with a pump that administers the chemo. I can go home and do my regular activities. Each day I go back to the hospital to change the chemo bag and then I go back home.
The new chemoteraphy regime includes the following medicines: Campath, EPOCH and Rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R). These medicines are extremely powerful and believe me, they work. When I asked about loosing my hair, I remember the doctor telling me that I will will lose my hair on the the third week after the first cycle. Since I didn’t lose all my hair on the first round, I thought the doctor was underestimating my “Mexican genes” (like Dave says)…. well my hair is gone and I have a new look.
Now I can change my look each day and I am having fun with it. It is definitely a process of finding what makes me feel comfortable and great. I can wear a wig, a scarf, a hat, or whatever I want. I can also try different colors, lenghts and styles. Certainly, on the next post, I will share some of the funny stories.
Tomorrow I start cycle 2 of my treatment and I will spend the night at the hospital so the chemo does it magic and gets rid of the cuckoo cells.
This is certainly a new start and I am looking forward to winning this battle and regaining my g
ood health.
Your prayers, positive thoughts, calls, cards, and emails mean a lot to me. But most importantly, I am grateful for feeling so loved and supported by our families and dear friends. Thank you!
I will keep you posted.
Enjoy the rest of the week!
Today I am not going to write about me. Today I am going to share an inspiring story about hope and the reasons for being thankful during this season. Thank you Cameron for sharing your story and the story of your wife Heather.
This is their story….
My Reason for Giving Thanks this Holiday Season
By Cameron Von St. James
My favorite time of the year has always been the holiday season. It is a great time to spend with family members and friends, creating memories that will last a lifetime. It was seven years ago, August of 2005, when my wife and I were celebrating the birth of Lily, our first and only daughter. My wife, Heather, and I were so excited to be able to spend the holidays with our new baby girl. We were already discussing different traditions that we would pass on to her, when all of the happiness of the holidays came to an immediate halt. Heather received news from her doctor that she had mesothelioma, a rare and very deadly form of cancer.
We learned of Heather’s diagnosis when our daughter was just 3 months old and just three days before Thanksgiving. During a holiday where people are supposed to give thanks, I could not help but to feel very unthankful and miserable. My emotions were all over the place and I felt angry and afraid most of the time. I understood that a diagnosis of mesothelioma meant a struggle ahead, and that most people did not make it through. I tried to stay hopeful, but I was afraid that I would lose my wife as things were spiraling out of control.
Although I had no celebration in me, we still managed to gather with Heather’s family for Thanksgiving and for Christmas too. We sat together as a family to discuss our finances because shortly after Christmas, Heather was supposed to receive her treatment. The conversation was difficult for me to handle and I felt overwhelmed. I knew that we were struggling financially, and I also knew that the expenses would continue to grow. Our money was decreasing as expenses increased. We talked about what we could liquidate for cash, and which bills my in-laws could afford to pay. I never imagined I would be spending the holidays in this manner, and I was embarrassed and ashamed.
It was not for another few years that I started to realize that even though I did not feel thankful that holiday season, I did have plenty to be thankful for. We had such an amazing support system, and our family was always by our sides throughout the entire ordeal. Our family constantly did what they could to help us through a time where we needed them the most, and they made incredible sacrifices for us without a moment’s hesitation. My pride and my fear blinded me at the time, but I can see clearly now how very lucky and blessed I am to have these wonderful and generous people in my life.
With the holiday season here again, I wanted to sit down and think of all the good things that I have in my life, and all of the reasons I have to give thanks. I am so thankful for the family and friends that Heather and I have. I am even more thankful for our beautiful and healthy little girl. Lastly, I am thankful to have received support and guidance from so many people who wanted to help us. I have a legitimate reason to want to celebrate this year. Thanks to the love and support of our family, my wife was able to make it through her mesothelioma surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments over the following months, and overcome cancer. I am thankful for the many holiday seasons we have been able to spend with one another since her diagnosis, and we look forward to many more. We hope that our story can be a source of hope and inspiration to all those currently battling cancer this holiday season.
🙂 🙂 🙂
To support and learn more about the Von St. James’ family go to:
Cameron’s blog
Heather’s blog
Happy Holidays!!!!
With Love, Bea
I took a break from writing on the blog because I wanted to take some time off after the treatment and the intense but fun projects I have been involved at work. But I am back to share with you our favorite recipes and the adventures and feelings of the new battle I have to fight. This is round 2.
For Thanksgiving we traveled to Bloomington, IL. We spent a day in Chicago – what a great city, – it was almost 18 years ago since last time I visited the windy city. We had such a fabulous.
I had a CT scan which showed an increase in the size of a lymph node on my neck. The fear of having the Lymphoma back was quite evident.
And yes, unfortunately the Lymphoma is back and not only back but it seems that I have a combination of two types of Lymphoma (Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkins). This combination is known as the “Grey Zone Lymphoma” a rare type of the disease discovered in 1998 that affects a very small percentage of patients. Definitely, I am going to buy several lottery tickets, perhaps I will have the same luck.
I had a partial biopsy of the lymph node, but yesterday I had a full surgery to remove three big nodes on my neck. I am doing well just tired and sore but feeling better.
On mid-December I will start chemotherapy again, it seems that the treatment is intense and concludes with a “stem or bone marrow” transplant, but let’s see….. I am quite disappointed and angry this time (but I will get over it). My hair was growing back and I was starting to recover my strength.
I have no choice, I am in round 2 of a battle that I know I am going to win. This time I am thinking about cutting my hair to be ready for this crazy battle. I like Charlize Theron’s haircut for the role she performed in the soon-to-be-released movie Mad Max.
Thank you to my family and friends that have been praying and thinking about Dave and I.
I am strong believer that love, a positive attitude, and a warrior spirit can get you through the most adverse and difficult circumstances.
I am ready….
Dear friends and family,
Many weeks have passed since I published an update on my blog. This summer has been quite busy: I completed 12 rounds of chemoteraphy and I had a CT scan that revealed that the cancer is in remission!! (This mean that the cancer cells are no longer growing = great thing). One of the side effect from the chemo is that my lungs need to recover and I am under treatment, but this is nothing compared with what I went through the last six months.
Immediately after receiving this great news, I traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico to spend almost 4 weeks implementing the program I created: ArtFest12 – a summer program sponsored by Laureate for students in the art, design and architecture fields. The first edition of the program was very successful and gathered 230 students from around the world. You can imagine it was a lot of work; but fulfilling and creative work.
Also, Dave and I celebrated our first anniversary. Certainly this was a challenging year for us, but we are blessed, we love each other and we have the support of great friends and our loving families.
To celebrate that my cancer is in remission and to run for the cure, I have signed up with Team in Training for a post-cancer half marathon that will take place in San Antonio, TX on January 27, 2013. The name of the race is Hero-Thon. My commitment means also to fundraise to support the mission of the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society (LLS). To donate go to:Team in Training.
I am really blessed and thank you for your encouragement during this crazy journey. Cancer took some of my energy and changed my life forever; yet cancer couldn’t take away my desire to live and the love of people around me. Love beats cancer!!!
Today on July 2 I will have the first CT scan after completing my treatment. I am confident that I will receive good news, but also I am a bit scared. Under these circumstances I guess that feeling a bit anxious is something “natural.”
In this sense, I decided to bake bake a tasty classic Cheesecake. I came across the recipe on the Real and Simple magazine. This recipe is easy-to-make and a fantastic dessert that worth sharing with all of you.
Thank you for reading and specially for your prayers. Love Bea
Classic Cheesecake
Real & Simple
Easy | Servings 10
For the Pie Crust:
For the Cake:
Cherry sauce:
Cooking tip: The key on this recipe are the ingredients kept at room temperature. Also since I am not the best at making the pie crust from scratch, I prefer to buy the pie crust at the grocery store. My favorite brand is Keebler. Finally, I didn’t have all the ingredients for the cherry sauce, so I skipped the step and used marmalade instead.
-Bea Grateful- 