Dear Beloved Community around the world. Here is a message that Janice Ulangca sent to Dick and me on July 25, which I hope all of you will be comforted by. Throughout this challenge in her life she remained a SPIRIT WOMAN! Love to you all, God's Grace & Peace, Ellen Howie in Altamont, NY Begin forwarded message:
From: "Janice Ulangca" <aulangca@stny.rr.com> Date: July 25, 2013 6:12:19 PM EDT To: "Dick & Ellen Howie" <rhowie3@verizon.net> Subject: Thanks & update
Ellen, thanks for your birthday call and your original art birthday card. I had lunch with friends that day and another lunch on the following Sat. so felt well celebrated.
My treatments are going well, the oncologist said when I saw him before Chemo Four last Tuesday (July 23). The previous Tuesday I had a mid-course CT Scan. They inject dye, then have you lay down and go through the scanner. When the oncologist discussed the results, he said the breast mass which was very big can no longer be seen, and lymph nodes growths under arm almost gone. These were the only places that a full body scan in May found cancer. Each chemo starts a new cycle of needing to do nothing but respect the "war" inside, and kind of creep around taking care of myself between naps, then gradually a little more energy until next cycle starts in 21 days. I have 2 more chemo cycles - total of 6 - then 2 injections of antibodies, whatever they are - each of these 3 weeks apart. This will take me up into Oct. Does seem long. And since I don't find the energy to do much in the way of exercise, I can feel myself getting a bit weaker with each cycle. It will take some time to rebuild strength - there's a special group for cancer survivors at the Y where I had been going.
This is a good time of year to go through this intensity - lots of fresh food at farm stand just a mile down the road - & farmer's mkt. when I can get there on Sat. Much better than snow on the ground! I much appreciate friends giving me rides to the hospital for the chemo - could drive there fine but driving back would be another story.
Hope your summer goes well, and family's doing fine.
Best to you and Dick,
Janice