Just for fun...

[Marlys]

In reading the blog of "newbie" MMoons I realized it has been a long time since this thread has been brought forward. Therefore by the power vested in me by Joe & Christine (although they may not know it) I am bringing it forward again. Hey, those of you who have not shared let's hear from you.
Love & hugs,
Marlys

[Mary Anne in TX]

I've read and re-read this thread a couple of times. It's like having a "tea party" with ol' friends! I love visiting with everyone this way. I'm an old (and hoping to get older) school teacher and librarian who has done sales management for the last 28 years. My current goal is to be an old retired person. I get close, but have never quite gotten there. I'm counting on being able to raise our granddaughter (never giving up on her daddy getting zapped by God and taking over the job) and sending her off to college and really taking the plunge and retiring. Except that is for always making time to learn more about this goofy disease that is always knocking on the door.
ma

[Marlys]

Bringing it forward.
Love & hugs,
Marlys

[tricia keegan]

I love this thread too, thanks for bringing it up Marlys!

Welcome to all our new members and looking forward to getting to know you!

[Marlys]

Bringing it forward one more time.
Love & Hugs,
Marlys

[JeanBeanie]

Hello everyone,

I am married 21 years - to a firefighter Michael. We have no children but we both come from very large families - so there are plenty of kids to go around.
I work now part time as controller for a campany who out fits yachts - for spare parts. I did work stressful hours - until of my second diagonis with bc in March 2011. Now it is all about Michael and I.

[adelay]

I'm 42 years old, I have been married for 19 years to the love of my life and we have one son who will be graduating from high school in a few weeks and is heading off to Ohio State University this fall. I have a degree in early Childhood Education and have owned my own day care/pre school for the past 18 years. I worked as a director of a child care center before that. Children are my passion. I will be celebrating my 2 year cancerversary on April 28th. Here's to many more years NED...

[pibikay]

Just stumbled on to this thred.I will be 70 in September and Hema will ne 63 on 29th August.We have been married for 43 years. I am retired lawyer.Hema is basically a home maker.She is into Music and she has participated in lecture demos.We have a dughter and son both settled in the USA. We live in Chennai.India
Best of luck all

[harrie]

Hema is very beautiful.....

[pibikay]

Thanks Harrie

[Estelle]

I just saw this! I like the idea of getting to know some non-cancer facts about our friends and fellow fighters. I am currently retired after 28 years of working as a public sector lawyer doing civil rights work (primarily employment discrimination, and housing discrimination and accessibility issues). I went to law school because I saw the law as a means to effect positive change, particularly for those who have no voice -- and I have been blessed that in most of my jobs I have been able to do just that. I also taught law school for 7 years while my daughter, my rock, now 26, was young. I have an BA in music, which was my first love, and am now happily singing to two choirs, including a semi-professional choir - www.heritagesignaturechorale.org -- and composing sacred choral music. I am also catching up on a lot of travel that I postponed throughout the years.

And most importantly, I thank God every morning for new mercies.

[snolan]

Just saw this post would like to chime in.

I am a Physical Therapist Assistant for the last 15 year. Working mainly in inpatient rehab settings. Love to work with stroke, and head injury patients. I currently have switched venues and am the clinical coordinator for a PTA program, I still see home health patients on the side. I have enjoyed switching to the teaching side as it has forced me to relearn a lot of things we forget over the years. My husband and I also enjoy racing mountain bikes. We are not pros or anything but enjoy it and it gives us something to do together. I have two girls ages 11 and 8. I coach my 11 year olds basketball team, and my husband coaches my 8 yo soccer team. So we stay very active, which has helped me keep motiviated on recovery and getting thru tx.

[RhondaH]

Hello all my BEAUTIFUL ladies!!!! It's been almost 6 years since my dx and while I don't post much, I do check up on you all. It looks like this hasn't been around for a while, so please feel free to add to it. Take care and love ya.

Your Breast Friend,

Rhonda

[Pray]

I worked as a sub-secretary for district and voluntered for Saint Vincent d' Paul Society. 10 years and for The last 6 I was President our Parish. Until my dx. Now I watch a new born twice a week and I am having so much fun!

[fauxgypsy]

I can't remember whether I have posted here or not. I am an artist and I am an instructor at a community college where I teach Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition and other Biology courses. For many years I had a company and did faux finishes and murals. After my mastectomy, I couldn't do the large faux finish jobs without having flareups of lymphedema.

[Pray]

Leslie, I'm sorry part of your passion had to come to an end. Gods blessings to you!

[Kmswilson]

I just saw this thread! What fun! I have been married for 11 years and have a 5-1/2-year-old son, Jake, and a daughter, Ellee, who will turn 3 at the beginning of March. Before my stage IV diagnosis when my doc suggested I "spend as much time with family" as I could, I was an account supervisor for an ad agency in Louisville, KY. I handled a large portion of our GE Appliances account developing marketing and training materials and an internal sales training website for them. I loved it, but it was extremely stressful, and i worked a ton of hours. I believe some blessings have come from this last year's journey in that I've been able to spend so much time with my family, especially my kiddos. I've been on LTD and social security disability. The agency I worked for, however, is fabulous. They have stocked our pantry with carloads of food, diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, etc., several times over the last year, raised funds to help with medical costs several times, and they run a care calendar where someone brings my family dinner every Monday, Wednesday and Friday (primarily coworkers who participate), and they've kept this up for over a year! They are amazing people, and I can't help but feel thanks fo how blessed I am by coworkers, friends, and family.

[NEDenise]

Hi All!
What a great idea! I'm so glad this got bumped back up! I've often wondered what some of my HER2 friends do when they're not fighting the cancer beasties.

I am married to my high school sweetheart and very best friend. We've been a couple for 31 years...married for nearly 24 years. We have two wonderful sons, Jack 14, and Ben 13.

I have been a teacher for 26 years, and have taught every grade from preschool to 8th grade, except for 1st grade. The responsibility of teaching children the basics of reading...easily the most important thing they'll learn in school...has struck fear in my heart, and caused me never to venture into a first grade classroom. I was teaching 4th grade when I was diagnosed.

It's been exactly one year today since I left my classroom to go to the surgeon's office and get my pathology results. At first, I was anxious to get back to school. Then, I was too sick to consider going back. Now, I'm trying not to go back until the fall. I miss the kids, and I miss teaching. I miss my fellow teachers and staff members. I don't miss the paperwork....the testing...or my miserable principal. (I've been "sick" for an entire year now, and I'm still waiting for my first get well wish from her!) There are 5 other schools in the district...and I'm hoping that when I go back, I'll be assigned to one of them!

Anyway...my husband is an architect. He plays the trumpet, as does our son Jack. Ben, the younger boy, plays violin and French Horn. All three play in the wind ensemble at our church. (I would love to say that I play the piano...but alas...I do not.)

Our favorite thing to do together is laugh. We do an awful lot of it. We tend toward sarcasm, but not at the expense of anyone's feelings. For me, laughter really is the best medicine, and it's been a blessing to me during this whole BC ordeal.

We have a Norwegian Elkhound, Molly, whom we refer to as being pampered. (as opposed to being spoiled)

My hobbies are reading, crocheting, and chocolate. Not necessarily in that order. To say I love to exercise would be a lie...and my mother told me not to lie...but I can say that I love the idea of exercise. I often comtemplate it quite seriously. I've even had dreams about it...but so far...my motivation to do it while I'm awake is spotty at best.

Well...now you know a little about me...
If you're reading this and you haven't posted your "non-BC self" yet...

What are ya waitin' for!? We're dying to get to know you better too!

Denise

[KsGal]

Well, my name is Jody, and I live in a small town in Kansas. I spent 15 years being a medical transcriptionist, specializing ironically in oncology and hematology. About 1-1/2 years ago I decided to take a part time job outside of the house. I had spent those 15 years working at home and raising my kids, which was such a wonderful blessing for all of us really, but felt it was time to get out and do a little now that my kids were about grown. That grew pretty quickly into me getting promoted and becoming a full time assistant manager in a restaurant/dairy store a block from my home. I love the people I work with, but the job is major stressful and pretty physical as well. I'm 43 now, and my youngest son and daughter still live at home, so I spend a lot of time with them. Right now I am in a holding pattern until I get this first set of therapies out of the way, but being diagnosed has really changed the way I feel about things. Im moving back to where I came from in a couple months, and kind of starting over the way again the way I wanted to do things in the first place. I probably wouldn't have had the motivation to do it before, but it comes easily now. Im pretty excited about what the future holds a few months down the road after the move, and spending time with family and friends that I have not been able to for years now.

[NEDenise]

Jody,
Your move sounds exciting! I hope all your "starting over" dreams come true!
Denise