Happy Holidays!

It is almost Christmas day and I am still trying to catch up on business and rental records, etc. that were neglected during my long stay in California. The week in St. Augustine was great fun. It's always a pleasure to be with Bob's family and I also had a visit with Helen and Bud Worrall, longtime friends from Key West days in the 50s. On returning to Santa Barbara, I had a meeting with my oncologist there and received some good news. The CT scan showed the tumor to be losing its shape and the lesions to be reduced to almost nothing. There is a possibility I have glucagonoma, a pancreatic cancer that is much slower growing. Whichever cancer it is, the chemo seems to be doing its work and all signs are good.
Somehow I had a hard time getting in the Christmas mode due to all the catching up when I came home and several house guests in and out. This week gears started turning and there is a lighted tree in the living room (no ornaments yet, as they are still in the attic). A few gifts have been delivered and the cards are spread over the dining table being written a few at a time. Better late than never!! Simon and his girlfriend with her two children will be with me as well as Vince, my long time tenant, and Ed, an old friend. After the holidays I'll put some pictures on the blog but for now I just want to wish you all the happiest of Christmases and a healthy 2008.
Aloha, Joan

Nick's wedding (9/1) and Red Feather Ball (10/13)

Kathleen and Nick saying their vows in Chris' garden, Sept. 1st


Laurie , Joan and Chris ready for the Red Feather Ball honoring Chris and Bob, Oct. 13.

I was home in Hawaii for 2 weeks before returning to S.Barbara for the ball. The United Way of Santa Barbara honored Chris and Bob for their contributions of both time and money to the community, schools and museums. It was an elegant affair and I was very proud of them. A fews days later, I went to the Bay area to visit my brother and his family and other relatives and friends. I'm now back in S. Barbara where the air has cleared very much since the fires. Bob's daughter and family were evacuated and stayed here briefly. Her husband helped fight the fire in San Diego (he's with the forest service). All is going well with my chemo program, except for a painful and unusable right hand. The Dr. says it is a result of Xeloda, one of the chemicals making up my chemo coctail. It seems to be getting better and I consider it just a small bump in the road. The important thing is to keep the cancer at bay. I'll be here until after Thanksgiving as I'm going with Chris, Bob and Ryan to Florida for Bob's family reunion. Busy, Busy , Busy! Still think I have a wonderful life. Much aloha to all. JOAN

I am still in Santa Barbara and will return to Hawaii on the 25th, next Tuesday. The big event of the past month was the wedding of my grandson Nick to Kathleen, a lovely and talented young woman who is studying for her doctor's degree in psychology. They both sing in the Pacific Chorale. The wedding was here in the gardens of Chris and Bob's estate. I hope to have some pictures to post in my next posting. The beautiful grounds, the ocean backdrop and the perfect weather made for a perfect day. After Nick and Kathleen danced their first dance, Nick came over to me and took me on the dance floor for a special grandmother-grandson dance. I was happy and touched.
Happily, the chemo seems to be doing its job and I am feeling great. I was able to switch from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara for the intravenous treaments, thus saving a lot of heavy traffic driving. No negative effects from the chemo except hair loss. I must admit, a wig is much easier than one's real hair! I'm enjoying every day and making plans for the future as if there is no trouble looming. My life is wonderful. The past few weeks here have been full of social events, family togetherness and a bit of business and finance to sort out with Bob's advice. There are pleasures such as a morning capo as we relax in the Jacuzzi after swimming laps ( 20 for Chris and 4 for me if I'm lucky!) Of course I'm completely spoiled here but I'll return to my normal life next week
I'll come back to Santa Barbara in mid October to attend the United Way Red Feather Ball. Chris and Bob will be honored. Next blog post should be from Hawaii. Vince, a tenant for 11 years, e-mails me a sunset photo every night while I'm away so I won't miss any of the beautiful north shore sunsets. For now, much aloha.
Joan

August 23

Laurie and I arrived in California on the 15th of August. She had visited me in Hawaii for 2 weeks. Santa Barbara was "ashed in" from the forest fires directly north. Since then the fire has moved east and the smoke and ash are covering the Ventura/Camarillo area. Chris and I flew over the area yesterday and checked out all the ash covered mountains and the plumes of smoke from the still burning fires. I believe this is now the biggest fire in California history.
As usual, the time in Santa Barbara flies by with much social activity. My niece Leslie and her family visited last weekend and there have been lunches and dinners with friends. Tuesday was chemotherapy day in Los Angeles. The doctor was pleased with the CT scan results and the blood tests. I seem to be tolerating the toxic drugs better than any other patients. Guess I'll be on the same 4 week on/4 week off schedule for an indefinite time. Chemo is the only defense available for this pancreatic cancer since it has already spread to the liver. I am feeling quite normal, have plenty of energy and I am extremely positive and optimistic in my attitude. That and everyone's prayers must account for the results so far.
While Laurie, Chris and I were in L.A. on Tuesday we visited with Nick, Kathleen nd Alex. We had a tour of the townhouse Nick and Kathleen have bought and are renovating. It is in a lovely gated community and they will be off to a good start there. The wedding date is rapidly approaching and the grounds here are being readied for the event.
More later. Much aloha to all. Joan

July 20

Here is a snap of my brother Phil and me sitting on the bench he made next to my beach path and another pic of the view from my deck

July 19

Tuesday was a very good day! The doctor showed me the CT scan and altho' I really can't read the scan he assured me that there is some shrinkage of the tumor and the lesions. Not a lot, but some. That shows we are going in the right direction. The C19-9 blood test showed an even more promising development. Normal is 0 to 35. Mine had been as high as 6100. Since starting chemo it has gradually been decreasing and a three weeks ago had been 375. Last week it hit a miraculous 79! So as an old song said, "Praise the lord and pass the ammunition!" Keep that chemo coming.

On the social side I've been busy. Phil and Chiquis left last Wednesday and I was sad to see them go. Yesterday Ken's brother's daughter Sheri arrived from Wisconsin to spend a week. Weather and beach are in perfect form for her. We'll go to the polo games on Sunday and there are three days when we'll have company for lunch or dinner so you can see I'll keep out of trouble.

Fondest aloha to all and thanks for your many letters, prayers and calls. Joan

July 8
My brother Phil and his wife Chiquis are being wonderful guests, cheerful and helpful. Chiquis and I play a lot of Rummy and Phil has outdone himself in the handyman department. He has refinished my dining table, remodeled the bird feeder, built a garden bench and drink holder in the shade of my beachside trees, cleaned rain gutters, lopped tree branches, repaired the sprinkler system, etc.
Julie, Simon's girlgriend, prepared a gourmet Korean meal for us on the Fourth of July after which we watched the fireworks on the beach. I'm on my two week "respite from chemo" period. I still have enough hair that I don't have to wear a wig. Today is another perfect day in Hawaii and I took my morning tea and toast down to the beach bench so I could meditate on the beauty of the ocean. We think the sea tortoises have laid their eggs at the foot of my vegetation line. There were several large depressions in the sand and tracks like something large had been dragged down to the water. Time will tell. Thanks for your comments and e-mails. Aloha to all.

June 24

This has been a great week. Last Sunday I went to the polo games with some tenants from years ago who were visiting the island for a week or so. They are Naval officers who were stationed at Barber's Point. Simon and Julie had been here Friday and Saturday so the weekend was most enjoyable.
On Wednesday my brother Phil and his wife Chiquis arrived. They will spend three weekd with me. Phil has been the ideal handyman and has already repaired the sprinkler system, a revolving dining chair, the bird feeder and some other neglected items. They drove me yesterday to Honolulu for my chemotherapy and we met Simon and Julie afterward at the Yacht Club. The good news was that my CA 19-9 blood test, which had been 3700 when the diagnosis was originally made and which went as high as 6100, had miraculously gone down to 375! This is not really definitive but it is certainly a good sign. I'll have a CT scan in mid July which should tell us how well the chemo is doing at killing cancer cells.
This is another beautiful day in Hawaii and the colors of the ocean are incredible. I am so lucky in every way and am thankful each day. Thanks for checking up on me and please keep in touch.

June 8

I thought I could add text to the pictures below but was unable to figure it out so here are the captions: Top pic is of the hair I have left. In the middle pic I am wearing the turban and the bangs that Chris gave me so I could have fun with a different look. At the bottom I am wearing the wig that was as close as we could get to my usual hair color and style. It s put away until I feel I really need it.
I will be starting the next four weeks of chemo tomorrow, Saturday. This week has been full of good times with friends, doctor's appointments, business in Honolulu and shopping at hardware stores, commissary, etc. I am feeling great and still find it hard to believe there is anything wrong with me. Although I get just a little more tired than usual, my optimism is undiminished. The ocean, sky and foliage are full of marvelous colors and the weather is perfect. Life is good! Let me hear from you by cmment here on the vlog or by e-mail. Aloha!

May 28 pics

Aloha from Hawaii!

The ocean and the palm trees were calling and there was a lot of business to tend to so I returned home May 29th. Simon and Julie stayed with me a few days while I settled in. A bushel basket of mail had to be sorted and lots of banking and bills had to be caught up but there has been time for visits with friends. Saturday night I enjoyed a beach bonfire with my tenants. Sunday I went with friend Tom McLaughlin to the Polo Club. There were two exciting games and a sky diving exhibition. This is the only polo field in the US on the ocean shore so the scenery is spectacular. After polo, we came to the house for a Scrabble game and were joined at dinner by ex-tenant and very dear friend Amy Leach. I was shocked and touched when Tom arrived with a shaved head to demonstrate his support for me. I am tolerating the chemo quite well. The hair loss and a wicked case of sun poisoning have been the most obvious side effects. I now have a gamin hair style but I've bought a wig for use . Since I wouldn't buy a red (or green!) wig, Chris gave me some hats, a turban and some faux light brown bangs so I can try new looks. I'll try to put some of the pix she took last week in my next blog. My next chemo series will be done in Honolulu starting in a week or so. I'll keep you posted. Aloha, Joan

May 26 update

Last Wednesday I had my fourth (and last of the cycle) intravenous chemotherapy. I'll now have 2 weeks off. The latest results of this chemo have made it a little more difficult to keep my sense of humor. My skin has become super sensitive to the sun , resulting in a condition like sun poisoning. There are red spots on my arms, chest and lower legs. My hair has decided to part company with my scalp, although I still have enough to sport a very short Parisian gamin hairstyle. It's actually quite chic! I bought a wig in preparation for the time the hair is too sparse. I also have begun to have red, burning palms. In spite of all of this I'm having a great time meeting friends for lunch, enjoying dinner parties, and being present for Ryan's pre-prom dinner party by the pool at sunset. Thirty of his friends gathered for photos and food before being taken to the prom via the Santa Barbara Trolley. Nick and his fiancee came to S.B. yesterday and spent the night. Today I am with Laurie and Skip at their house. Aletha and her boyfriend are also spending the weekend. Monday I'll go back to Chris' to pack for the trip home. Aloha for now.

Hello from Santa Barbara. In case you have not heard why I am here, I'll recap. After a wonderful four week cruise around South America in February, I went for a routine checkup with my doctor. The blood tests and a sudden weight loss led to a CT scan which indicated cancer of the pancreas with lesions on the liver. I flew to California to see pancreatic cancer specialists at UCSF and UCLA medical centers. As a result, I have been staying with daughter Chris and family and going to Los Angeles for my chemotherapy treatments. I will have four weeks on and two weeks off for as long as it takes to shrink or slow down the cancer tumor and growth. I am optimistic, as always. It has been wonderful being with Laurie, Chris and their families. Although I am slightly tired and find food not as appealing as usual, the effects of the chemo are not as bad as I expected. Meanwhile there have been parties, volleyball games, art shows, etc. and I haven't missed a thing. I expect to return to Hawaii May 29 and will take my next 4 weeks of chemo therapy there. In July or August I'll be back in Santa Barbara so I can attend my grandson Nick's wedding on Sept. 1. I will post all new developments here on my blog site. You can communicate with me here or at joanlife@aol.com Aloha for now!

View from my deck. Photo by Vince Cavataio.