What the heck?

I have these great radio psas that I'd like you guys to hear...but no way to upload mp3s. The upload video option isn't working. Anyone know how to do it?

Announcement

Okay, so for the past six months or so, we've been engaged in a journey together, my dear blog supporters. And so far, it's been a good journey (despite the topic-- namely, me with late stage lung cancer) -- how could it not be, with people like you on my side?.

But starting today, through when I have my next scan (not sure when...maybe 2 months from now?) -- I don't want to talk about MY cancer anymore. I feel really good on the Alimta, and frankly, need to have this time to learn how to live with cancer more like a chronic illness than a death sentence.

I will still post on cancer -- we're doing some great PSA's (thanks to the prodigious talents of Matt and Vandy) that I want you to hear --and I am hoping to do a cool photoshoot with my very talented friend Tara so Jack (Dr. West) will have some great shots for the Grace website...but MY cancer? That's off limits for the next little bit. I want to really enjoy this holiday season...it seems like a long time since I have felt this NORMAL, and I want to take full advantage of it.

So be prepared for lots of Lucie and Matt posts, and just general Peterson family merriment. It's the holidays, and there is much to be grateful for and to celebrate that doesn't always revolve around stupid little cancer cells that harsh everyone's mellow.

Love you people. Melissa

FYI

The chest x-ray you see IS NOT MINE. There were all sorts of issues with Seattle Radiologist sending the wrong one (!!!! Yikes, wonder who has mine, since we have Tim Matthews), and then they evidently never sent the right one...so we'll be looking at some b-roll of some unknown person...

King 5

is going to air tonight at 5.

Cool Party, 'Cause Ninety Five of our Favorite People Came!

So we had cake, we had prosciutto, we had booze, we had a rock band (thanks, SweetLou!), the one thing we DIDN'T have was a photographer or our cameras with us.

Thankfully, Pam brought her camera all the way from New York, and was able to snap some candids, which I will upload onto Facebook shortly.

What a great party. What a great crowd. So many out of towners, WOW!! And I am so sorry that I had no voice to really express how touched and grateful we have been with all of your support and love.

And how lucky I have been with my Man of the Year, Matt, to get me through all of this.

xoxoxo, Melissa

News Segment, King 5 Healthlink

Am pretty sure most of you know about this, but Dr West and I did a segment for the news last week, orchestrated by the lovely folk at Colehour+Cohen. Initially, we thought it might air Wednesday, but now it looks like it will hit closer to the November 19 Lung Cancer Awareness Event, co-sponsored by Swedish, Fred Hutch and Virginia Mason. They will let us know, and I will post it here in plenty of time (I hope!).

Go Obama........

What's Next?

Whew! The big gun treatment is done for now, and today we're doing baseline scans to see what the troops accomplished. No one (meaning me, Matt and Dr West) is particularly worried about what we will find, so please don't read this and start fretting, if you are the fretting type.

Then, tomorrow, I start my first "maintenance drug", Alimta. I have been told by several of the lovely chemo nurses (remember Dawn? Lucie is marrying Sam, her son, when they are old enough. I want her as an inlaw!) as well as Dr. West that Alimta is a piece of cake. Mild to no side effects, a short (like half hour) infusion once every three weeks, and the best thing -- a B-12 Shot every three weeks! (They are GREAT.)

Which just goes along with my assessment of cancer treatment at Swedish. You are treated like a rock star. Good drugs, shots in the stomach and rear (which Dawn also handles painlessly and quickly), catered lunch, warm blankets, lavender-scented eyepillows, personal knitters, and in my and my rock star doctor's case, film crews that follow us around and ask us to talk to them.

So then it's just Alimta until it doesn't work anymore -- and we'll be checking that with periodic scans (nope, don't know how often - haven't asked yet).

So that's it for now -- hoping to see all you lovely faithful readers next Saturday -- doors open , food arrayed, bar open at 6pm, and the band (we have a band! we have a band!) around 8:30.