Just for fun...

[WomanofSteel]

Suzan, you are not alone, I also live with my wonderful partner of 6 years. Last year we had a civil union ceremony and are about to celebrate our 1st anniversary. She has been my right hand through all this. I also have a daughter Logan from a previous marriage who will be 16 in May. She is my pride and joy. I work full time as a merchandiser in a craft store. I used to be a visual merchandiser for a women's clothing company. I have many supportive friends and a sweet cat named Sydney who are there to keep my spirits up. I like to read and watch movies and walk on the beach. I like to do "do it yourself projects" and worked with a carpenter for a while. I am happy to be part of such a great group of women.

[Leslie's sister]

I have just got around to reading this thread. What a neat idea. I feel like I know everyone a little better. Interesting surprises. My bio is pretty boring in comparison but here goes.

48 years old living in the same area, high desert of So. Cal., that I grew up in. Divorced raising 3 children. 18 son in first year of college at UC Irvine, daughter sophomore in high school, and daughter in first grade. (yeah I know I will be 60ish when I'm finally done raising kids but I love every second of it) Worked in escrow business 17 years and owned an escrow business for 10 of those years; real estate developer & home builder from 1987 to present (though the house building business is pretty nonexistent these days). The Lord has blessed me in many ways, most significantly with my beautiful children, and for that I am thankful. My midlife crisis has been a passion for running, especially running marathons (finished 77 marathons to date). I have run a marathon in every state having completed this goal in Philly Nov 07. I have also run in 5 Boston marathons and have a goal to run in 10 consecutive Boston marathons. Think of me in a few weeks, I will be out there finishing Boston #6.

Lisa

[Marlys]

This has always been one of my favorite threads. So many newer people are here and I would love to know more about You!!!
Love & Hugs, Marlys

[Jackie07]

Indeed a 'fun' thread. Wish I had found it earlier. Be prepared, since it's going to be a long one...

I was born in Taipei, Taiwan at the beginning of the Sixties. My Father, the colonel, is a very, very strict and conservative, 'Ching-dynasty' (ancient) type of guy. He married my Mother who is 8 years his junior at the end of WWII when the Japanese surrendered after the atomic bombs.

However, they ended up having to fight the communist in the 'impossible' civil war. They lost contact when the Nationalist Army collapsed (there's no way to fight the 'war' because the communist army forced civilians to the frontline.) After the communist took over the Mainland, my parents were reunited in Taiwan. After having 5 healthy children, they had a sickly premature baby who was constantly having health-related issues. He was 45 then, and she was 37.

The 'spoiled'(as my Father always calls me)baby girl grew up to be the tallest among three sisters. I had been labeled as a 'very bright, yet also very lazy' child. I was on the ping-pong team and the hand-ball team in elementary school, the track team in junior high, and the basketball team in both high school and college. I love music and was given a brand new piano from the family when I was admitted to the top college in Taiwan. Several of my nieces have used that piano since I left Taipei in 1984.

I was the 'ugly duckling' because the brother right before me has been dubbed 'the handsome little prince' since he was born. He was so good-looking and popular that even my junior high school teacher couldn't help making fun of my pimples and questioning why I was not as good-looking as my popular brother.

But the 'ugly duckling' went to the best college in Taiwan and ended up getting a master's degree from Texas Woman's University. I married a good-looking young Texan who was born 4 days after the handsome 3rd Brother. Amazingly they are of the same height, same built-up, and even wear the same size of shoes. 3rd Brother commented after the engagement was announced: "I didn't know that you had 'worshipped' me so much...". One of my college basketball team members (with a Ph.D. in English from Boulder, Colorado) asked how come a handsome American like 'him' would marry a not-so-good-looking Chinese girl like me; and how come a smart, capable woman like me would marry a country boy who didn't care about getting a PhD or making a lot of money...

Well... it is because God has brought us together. I was singing in the choir at First Baptist Church just a little more than two months after I had moved to the Central Texas town to take a reference librarian's position. The salary was so low that no self-repecting American would apply for that job. This handsome (my colleague assured me) young man drove 1 hour to town and sat in the pew and saw the only Asian girl in the all Caucasian choir in the all Caucasian church... I was nice to him because I thought he was just a college kid... He was curious because he just got dumped by his Filipino girl friend who had moved out of state... During our first dinner out I was basically 'analyzing' for him why the physical therapist chose not to stay in the small town near where he lived...

Less than two years after our honey moon trip to Taiwan, I was diagnosed with a life-long brain tumor (love is so blind that he never suspected there's anything wrong with his girlfriend/wife)and underwent a 23-hour brain surgery. My oldest Brother came and helped (drilled me) with my rehabilitation while the groom was finishing up his college courses. My In-laws parked their RV by the hospital for the 40 days and then took me home for another month after I was discharged from the hospital.

I lost my job as a mid-level supervisor a year after the surgery and was very, very depressed. Staying home and closed up to the outside world, my neurological function dwindled quickly. By the time I got a hostess/cashier's job at a Chinese restaurant, I was so weak then I wasn't able to stand behind the cashier's counter for more than 30 minutes (I was eventually allowed to sit on a high stool when there's no customer around.) I made mistakes in balancing the account... I forgot what customers had ordered off the menu...The only thing that had saved my job was that my English was fluent enough by then and the new owner couple who had just emigrated from Taiwan could not handle the phone orders without me...

After 3 years - with good, nourishing Chinese food in the restaurant, I started back working part-time at a near-by college library and taking some college courses in the local community college (a self-prescribed rehab.) A couple of years later, I picked up another part-time job at the local college library. Then in 2000, after the library expansion, my position became full-time. Barely half year later - boom! my doctor said I had to get Gamma-knife Radiosurgery because the residue tumors suddenly doubled their size... (I am pretty sure I was poisoned there because the new director scheduled me to work the Saturday after the library got a new 'tar' roof Friday afternoon and I was the only staff 'constantly' working under that roof afterwards...)

A little more than a year after the GKRS, I lost my newly promoted full-time Reference Librarian's job (the library had built a new wing and expanded opening hours just 6 months before my Gamma-knife) at the library where I had worked 7 years.

I was on unemployment when we found out my first bout of breast cancer. I entered teacher training program with the scholarship from Texas Workforce Center and a travel stipend from Texas Rehabilitation Commission while I was undergoing the radiation treatment. I worked at three schools after substituting the first year. But none of the schools would renew my contract - the wig, the note-taking,... it's not hard for people to figure out that there's 'something wrong' with me.

So here I am again, battling another recurrence, trying for another line of work. I am taking 'medical coding' class on-line and hope to get through the program soon to get a job in one of the hospitals in the area.

'Life is not fair but God is good'. With helps from both sides of the families and our friends from the church, we have 'sailed through' all the obstacles so far. Truly, since we have been down to the Valley of the Shadow of Death several times, we 'have no fear' because His 'rod' has been protecting us...

And this website, to me, is heaven...

[dhealey]

This has be a wonderful thread. Great idea getting know everyone this way.

I will be 54 in Sept. and have been married to my high school sweeheart for 35 years. I have been a nurse in various family practices for 25 years. Been with the current doctor for 8 years. My husband and I bought our last house "ever" 2 months before my diagnosis. I have continued to work through all my treatments and Monday started in the Phase II trial for breast cancer vaccine. I have 3 children, Jenny 35, Hannah 23 (recently married) and the baby Ross 21 ( still in college and thinks he is in love), also have to grandchildren Tate 6 and Pierce 5. My hobbies are race walking, reading, sewing, gardening, quilting (I am presently working on a quilt made out of wedding dresses for the Making Memories for Terminal Breast Cancer patients. The quilt will be auctioned off with several others and they use the proceeds to make wishes come true for terminal breast cancer patients. Kinda like the make a wish foundation. Breast cancer has made me face my worst fears head on and live each day as it were my last. I am currently working on getting all the junk out of my life. It has also brought my husband and I so much closer.

I want to thank all of you on this site, you have all been such an inspriration during my journey with cancer. You all Rock!

[christie]

hi everyone,

i read the posts which you all write, but yes other than knowing the cancer details , we dont have much idea about each other. this thread is nice, i hope everyone writes into this and we can become a closer knit family.

I live in Nairobi , Kenya. I am trained to teach children with special needs, God has given me lot of patience and i feel i fit here the best, to reach out to these kids, at present i am not working.

we also look after a school in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, i am in the board and we look after the funds and manage the funds for them, there are so many poor kids, most of them orphans, abused, raped and Hiv positive in that school. we make sure they are provided with 2 square meals and clothing and education and telling them about God's love.. , we have 120 kids at present. i help in managing the accounts and we as a board take measures to ensure that the kids get what all we can provide by manging the funds we receive in a effective and accurate way.

I hope through this we can improve the lives of some of children God has entrusted in our hands to make their life better.

My husband, Daniel , has just started his own business, he is an engineer and is dealing with compressed air systems , Boilers and steam systems.

i have 2 children, keturah (13) and Kenneth(11).

I feel blessed to be their mother,

I have wonderful friends and also family who help me so much and are concerned about me. I love people around me and love being with them, i cannot live in isolation.

Above all i love Jesus and i know he is my best friend, i share everything with him.

love
christie

[juanita]

thought it was time to bump this back up to the top for anyone new.

[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

[ElaineM]

I am a retired teacher who has lived in New York, Japan and Hawaii.
I currently participate in an interfaith organization.
We have been planning several events. One of those events will probably be broadcast on local T. V. in the fall or winter of 2009.

[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

[ElaineM]

This is a very good idea. We don't need to go anywhere else to get to know each other a little better.

[Marlys]

Bringing it forward.
Love & hugs,
Marlys

[margiermc]

Hi, My name is Margie, I just joined the group the other day, can't seem to stay off this website. I have 2 kids, 19 boy attends USF and daughter 18 will attend USF. I graduated from USF as an education major, teaching and my master toward Library Info. Science. I have not returned to work - I will in Jan. I do substitute work. This gives me the benefit of working in my profession, yet I work when I want. I am
married - Paul, he works for the County Gov't, with traffic signals.
My first years of college was toward nursing.
A year ago, I felt a lump in my right breast. They told me I have DCIS, never spreads. I had pain. I went to the ER - they scanned and found
liver met. Stage 0 to stage 4 in a matter of a few weeks. Chemo,
for 10 weeks, now vaccine and trying to stay well.

I am happy to meet all of you, wish it could be in another way.
Stay well, god bless, margie

[Marlys]

Bringing this forward for the newbies who might want to tell us about themselves and possible find out more about us.
Love & hugs,
Marlys

[ammebarb]

I have just found this thread and have enjoyed reading about so many women in this battle. I am the sister of a HER2 lady, who was diagnosed in March of 2009. She was a registered nurse in a Dr.'s office until her diagnosis and has since retired. I am also a bc survivor (twenty six and a half years), never tested for HER2. I am a retired kindergarten teacher (30 years)

Barb A.

[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