It has been awhile since I have written on here. I thought it was fitting to write today since yesterday I celebrated my 44th birthday.  It was such a happy day. The older I get birthdays used to be good, but really just felt like another day, another day to truck along at life. Yesterday, however was much much different.  It felt wonderful to have a birthday to celebrate and know I have another year to live, be happy, spend with family and friends and actually celebrate life. When you are forced with looking at your own mortality life becomes a treasure and things get put into perspective REAL fast. They say after a cancer journey it changes a person. Instead of focusing  on mortality, I have really been focusing on how much I have changed so far and how much I will continue to change when this cancer treatment journey is complete. I really don't think it will really ever be over due to all the cancer surveillance that will occur for the rest of my life, but I do know that each day is a blessing and a treasure. When I say to Andy and Lex and my friends I love them, it is not just words. I have always loved them, but now the words come with so much meaning and more love and much more feeling. I know longer go day to day just being, I go day to day with such more feeling of love, gratitude and peace. Things that used to bother me, no longer seem to bother me. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. I have heard that before but really life IS  too short to sweat the small stuff, please take it from me..those dishes in the sink, that laundry that needs to be done,  the house work...the list can go on and on..don't let life pass by...those things CAN wait. I used to focus alot on the negative now I look for the positive and daily I am amazed at Gods wonder. I look around at this beautiful world He created. This time of year is glorious and beautiful and I am so thankful to be able to be a part of it all. I finished chemo on Aug 26. I was so happy to complete another step to being a survivor. I had a my first CT scan post chemo, scan days are very hard and filled with much anxiety.  My scan was good and i was cleared to start phase 3 of my treatment..radiation.  I have had 8 out of 28 treatments. Mon-Fri I drive to St. Paul for radiation. I have stated to feel some of the effects of the radiation,  but with my medication arsenal I am able to fight back the effects. I did have a little blip in the road last Sunday.  We had went up to the cabin to take the dock out. I felt great that day. On our way home I suddenly felt lightheaded and dizzy.  I checked my pulse and it was very irregular.  I have had this in the past,but this was much more intense and much more irregular.  We were able to make it to United ER. I was ruled out for a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) and a DVT, but my heart was have ALOT of irregular beats called premature ventricular contractions and I was feeling each one of them....let's just say..I really felt like crap. I was admitted to 3400 ( I had the best nurses while i was there)at United and Andy was able to stay with me. I was given medication to try and slow down my heart in attempt to prevent the irregular beats from occurring. On Monday I saw the cardiologist who ordered an Echocardiogram of my heart. There was some concern that chemo had caused some damage to my heart. My Echocardiogram was normal and we may never know why the electrical system of my heart is out of sorts. I went home Monday afternoon with a holter monitor for 24 hours( a home monitor that tracks the electrical pattern  of my heart) . I was still feeling the irregular beats but was satisfied with knowing I was being monitored.  I turned the monitor in on Tuesday and Thursday I was contacted by the cardiologist. My monitor showed way more irregular beats than expected. Cardiology doubled the dose of heart medication and I will wear another heart monitor. I pick up monitor Thurs and turn it back in on Friday and see if this increase in medication works or do we need to try another medication or other invention.  I can tell so far the medication is not working as I still at times feel pretty crappy. This is just a bump in the road and I have a great cardiologist ( who andy really liked which is important to me). This will get figured out. I also have a consultation with a gastroenterologist at the end of the month due to my lynch syndrome and colon cancer in my family I am high risk for developing colon cancer. I work with this particular gastroenterologist and know I will be in good care. My oncologist said I could have my endoscopy and colonoscopy mid December (about 6 weeks after radiation is completed)..I seem to be adding more and more ologist to my team....oncologist,  gastroenterologist,  cardiologist...buy hey they are needed to keep me here enjoy God's wonder, my family and friends and LIFE!!!!!! In other news Lex surprised us and came home on Wednesday.  The house feels so full when she is home and I love it. She is loving Viterbo and her school is a hybrid mix. She says she couldn't see herself going anywhere else-which makes her being gone  little easier.  Andy and I are getting used to being empty nesters but we miss her so much every day-she is our little girl and will remain that know matter how old she gets. Once again thank you to everyone for the calls, texts, cards, meals and gifts. My heart is so full with all the generosity me and my family have been shown. We were able to do the annual spring valley cancer walk and this fund has become very near and dear to my heart. I can not wait to fully give back and become an active participant of this group. It is such an amazing group of our small town. The picture attached is of my family supporting the spring valley community cancer fund and supporting me. There were some family members not able to make the walk but I know they were  there100% in heart. I seriously have the best family and friends. Every one that reads this I hope you are blessed, I wish I could hug all of you. Thanks you all for your love and support.  As for yesterday the day I was born it was perfect...my heart was swelled with joy. Love to all of you!!!!