When Answers Aren't Enough
You have faced the mountains of desperation
You have climbed, you have fought, you have won
But this valley that lies coldly before you
Casts a shadow you cannot overcome
And just when you thought you had it all together
You knew every verse to get you through
But this time the sorrow broke more than just your heart
And reciting all those verses just won't do
When answers aren't enough, there is Jesus
He is more than just an answer to your prayer
And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge
When answers aren't enough, He is there.
Instead of asking why did it happen
Think of where it can lead you from here
And as your pain is slowly easing, you can find a greater reason
To live your life triumphant through the tears
When answers aren't enough, there's still Jesus
He is more than just an answer to your prayer
And your heart will find a safe and peaceful refuge
When answers aren't enough, He is there.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Cancer Update - September 2003
GOOD NEWS!!!
My last CT scan came back completely clear this week, that makes TWO clear CT scans, which means I'm officially IN REMISSION!! For the layman, that means that the cancer is gone. Provided it STAYS gone for five years, then they'll tell me I'm cured. Can you imagine? Cured of cancer. It boggles the mind. I never really had any doubts, since they gave me such a good prognosis in the beginning, but what a trial to have to go through. Blech.
I'm scheduled for a PET scan on October 17th, which is additional insurance that it's all gone, but my oncologist is confident that it will be, since my response to the treatment was so excellent from the get-go. The PET technology is very new to Anchorage - it's only been here for a few months. Providence will have the second one in town available soon, but they're not up and running quite yet. For those of you not familiar with it, it's amazing. A CT scan shows anatomy…a PET scan show activity. In other words, a CT scan will show tumors, a PET scan will show individual cancer cells running around (if there are any, which there won't be, because, did I mention that it's all gone? Well, it is).
Anyway, provided the PET scan is all clear, too, then I can have the surgery to get this blasted port out of my chest, then it's just periodic CT scans for the next five years to make sure it doesn't come back. At the end of five years, I'm done. Dr. Stewart will say, "Go - get out of here and live happily ever after. I don't ever want to see you again unless you find another lump somewhere." Which won't happen. Because I'm not going through this again. Because it's gone. And I'm not letting it come back. Ever.
Needless to say, I'm ecstatic. So is my family. My last treatment was on September 17th. The last few were getting rougher. It was taking longer and longer to recover. But I've managed to make it through with my hair intact and no funky things happening to my fingernails or anything else. Very minimal side effects. I'm convinced the enzymes were a big help and all the prayers and thoughtfulness of all of you an even bigger help. It's pretty easy to keep a good attitude when somebody is telling you every day how much they love you and care about you. Thank you all so much for all the support. Each one of you gave in your own special ways and my family and I appreciated every single gesture. What wonderful friends and loved ones we have. I hope you all know how much we appreciate you and love you in return.
Over the last few months, many of you have asked me two basic questions that I've had to put some thought into and I promised I would answer them in this forum. The first question I heard most often is, "Have you made any drastic changes in your life as a result of this?" The answer is no. A trial like this would cause anyone to pause and take stock in their life, and I'm no different. When I did my assessment, I concluded that I'm very happy with my station in life. My relationships with loved ones are good, I'm happy with my level of education, my family life, my spiritual life, my career, my hobbies, everything. The only minor change we've made as a whole family is in our diet. We're trying to eat more organic foods - the freshest, rawest, highest quality food we can find. Other than that, I have nothing to report, and I'm proud of that.
The second question I've been asked a lot is, "Have you learned anything from this?" Well, quite literally, I've learned a lot more about cancer than I ever wanted to know. Beyond that, I've also learned that there are a whole lot more people that care about us than I ever knew about. I think this is probably the case with most people. It's unfortunate that that we have to go through challenges like this to learn that lesson, though. This is going to sound very cliché, but I have found a lot of meaning in this, too: Just because somebody doesn't love you exactly the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they have. I've learned to accept whatever people want to give, in whatever manner they want to give it, and to appreciate the gift for exactly what it is. Sometimes it's hard to accept and love somebody just the way that they are, and not judge anything about them, but if you can do this, your relationships with people will be much, much closer. I've also learned that everything happens for a reason. God is in complete control. We live in a fallen world and sometimes the horrible events in our lives are a result of that, but nothing happens except by permission from God. This lesson really tested my faith and I had to explore it a great deal to come to that conclusion, but I'm confident it's right. There's a great deal of peace that comes with a greater understanding of the sovereignty of God. Thank you to Rich, for sparking that interest in my spirit - I'm not done with the journey, but I've learned a lot so far!
The most difficult thing has been to put life on hold for six months, especially for a Type A like me. I'm so looking forward to celebrating the holidays this year. Jacquelyn is a year old now and at such a fun age. I'm going to pull Jaden out of pre-school after October and just play with my girls all winter. Jaden will be in Kindergarten next fall and I will get started on building us a bigger house, but until then, I'm going to savor every moment I can with them and make a whole bunch of precious, blessed memories.
Just wanted to share the good news and get those questions answered for you. I probably won't send out any more updates since it's essentially over. Unless there's some bad news after the PET scan or surgery, but I'm confident there won't be. My next correspondence will likely be our annual Christmas letter.
Again, thanks to every one of you for the prayers and thoughts. They worked!! Praise God!!
Much love,
Tiffany
P.S. A shallow, vain little sidenote for the ladies: Revlon Colorstay nail polish. I saw a short clip on the Today show how the chemists at Revlon studied vehicle paint to come up with this formula. I've had one application on for 10 days and counting, two trips to the pool, numerous dishwashings, house scrubbings, kid's baths and my own showers, and not one nick, peel or fading of color. Not even a dull on the shine. Trust me. Buy it.
My last CT scan came back completely clear this week, that makes TWO clear CT scans, which means I'm officially IN REMISSION!! For the layman, that means that the cancer is gone. Provided it STAYS gone for five years, then they'll tell me I'm cured. Can you imagine? Cured of cancer. It boggles the mind. I never really had any doubts, since they gave me such a good prognosis in the beginning, but what a trial to have to go through. Blech.
I'm scheduled for a PET scan on October 17th, which is additional insurance that it's all gone, but my oncologist is confident that it will be, since my response to the treatment was so excellent from the get-go. The PET technology is very new to Anchorage - it's only been here for a few months. Providence will have the second one in town available soon, but they're not up and running quite yet. For those of you not familiar with it, it's amazing. A CT scan shows anatomy…a PET scan show activity. In other words, a CT scan will show tumors, a PET scan will show individual cancer cells running around (if there are any, which there won't be, because, did I mention that it's all gone? Well, it is).
Anyway, provided the PET scan is all clear, too, then I can have the surgery to get this blasted port out of my chest, then it's just periodic CT scans for the next five years to make sure it doesn't come back. At the end of five years, I'm done. Dr. Stewart will say, "Go - get out of here and live happily ever after. I don't ever want to see you again unless you find another lump somewhere." Which won't happen. Because I'm not going through this again. Because it's gone. And I'm not letting it come back. Ever.
Needless to say, I'm ecstatic. So is my family. My last treatment was on September 17th. The last few were getting rougher. It was taking longer and longer to recover. But I've managed to make it through with my hair intact and no funky things happening to my fingernails or anything else. Very minimal side effects. I'm convinced the enzymes were a big help and all the prayers and thoughtfulness of all of you an even bigger help. It's pretty easy to keep a good attitude when somebody is telling you every day how much they love you and care about you. Thank you all so much for all the support. Each one of you gave in your own special ways and my family and I appreciated every single gesture. What wonderful friends and loved ones we have. I hope you all know how much we appreciate you and love you in return.
Over the last few months, many of you have asked me two basic questions that I've had to put some thought into and I promised I would answer them in this forum. The first question I heard most often is, "Have you made any drastic changes in your life as a result of this?" The answer is no. A trial like this would cause anyone to pause and take stock in their life, and I'm no different. When I did my assessment, I concluded that I'm very happy with my station in life. My relationships with loved ones are good, I'm happy with my level of education, my family life, my spiritual life, my career, my hobbies, everything. The only minor change we've made as a whole family is in our diet. We're trying to eat more organic foods - the freshest, rawest, highest quality food we can find. Other than that, I have nothing to report, and I'm proud of that.
The second question I've been asked a lot is, "Have you learned anything from this?" Well, quite literally, I've learned a lot more about cancer than I ever wanted to know. Beyond that, I've also learned that there are a whole lot more people that care about us than I ever knew about. I think this is probably the case with most people. It's unfortunate that that we have to go through challenges like this to learn that lesson, though. This is going to sound very cliché, but I have found a lot of meaning in this, too: Just because somebody doesn't love you exactly the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they have. I've learned to accept whatever people want to give, in whatever manner they want to give it, and to appreciate the gift for exactly what it is. Sometimes it's hard to accept and love somebody just the way that they are, and not judge anything about them, but if you can do this, your relationships with people will be much, much closer. I've also learned that everything happens for a reason. God is in complete control. We live in a fallen world and sometimes the horrible events in our lives are a result of that, but nothing happens except by permission from God. This lesson really tested my faith and I had to explore it a great deal to come to that conclusion, but I'm confident it's right. There's a great deal of peace that comes with a greater understanding of the sovereignty of God. Thank you to Rich, for sparking that interest in my spirit - I'm not done with the journey, but I've learned a lot so far!
The most difficult thing has been to put life on hold for six months, especially for a Type A like me. I'm so looking forward to celebrating the holidays this year. Jacquelyn is a year old now and at such a fun age. I'm going to pull Jaden out of pre-school after October and just play with my girls all winter. Jaden will be in Kindergarten next fall and I will get started on building us a bigger house, but until then, I'm going to savor every moment I can with them and make a whole bunch of precious, blessed memories.
Just wanted to share the good news and get those questions answered for you. I probably won't send out any more updates since it's essentially over. Unless there's some bad news after the PET scan or surgery, but I'm confident there won't be. My next correspondence will likely be our annual Christmas letter.
Again, thanks to every one of you for the prayers and thoughts. They worked!! Praise God!!
Much love,
Tiffany
P.S. A shallow, vain little sidenote for the ladies: Revlon Colorstay nail polish. I saw a short clip on the Today show how the chemists at Revlon studied vehicle paint to come up with this formula. I've had one application on for 10 days and counting, two trips to the pool, numerous dishwashings, house scrubbings, kid's baths and my own showers, and not one nick, peel or fading of color. Not even a dull on the shine. Trust me. Buy it.
Cancer Update - July 2003
Hi all!!
I've been trying to attach a scan of an article that I promised some of you I would send out, but Outlook just doesn't want to send it. If any of you have any suggestions, it would be much appreciated. The alternative therapy doctor I'm working with, Dr. Miller, gave me permission to send it out. It's general healthy diet guidelines. Like I said before, it's not rocket science, but it can be difficult to do on our society. We just fight our battles where we can. I think some of what this article says may surprise you. For example, no vegetable juices. The juice alone has nutrients that are toxic without the fiber of the vegetable. It's important that you get the pulp to protect you from the toxicity. Also, she wants me to eat a lot of organic, which is not surprising, but organic whole milk, real butter, no sugar substitutes, real sugar (but in moderation, of course), free range meat, etc. I think you'd find much of this very interesting. I'll keep working on it, I promise. Dumb software. Aargh.
Anyway, I'm more than halfway through treatment now and feeling pretty okay. Treatments #4, 5, 6 and 7 haven't been that bad. I have my chemo on Wednesdays, I'm tired and feeling puny for a few days afterward, but am back in the saddle by Monday. Mom continues to take the kids for those days and she calls me every single day to check on me. The girls love the schedule, Grandma's house is one big vacation. My house is very quiet for those days and it seems to be easier to get back on my feet. The nausea has subsided to almost nothing and there's been no appetite suppression. In fact, I'm putting on weight. For a few days after a treatment, my throat and nose and mouth feel like I swallowed some bleach. There's a definite burned feeling and "chemical" taste in my mouth that doesn't go away. I gnaw on everything in my cupboards to cover the taste. Then I lay around all day because I'm tired. It only lasts for 3-4 days, but it's a deadly combination. The scale hasn't been my friend lately. Here's some good news though....I STILL HAVE MY HAIR!!! In fact, it just keeps growing. I'm convinced it's the enzymes I'm taking. Dean was sitting with me during my last treatment and one of the nurses told me that it was extraordinary that I still had it. I told her that it was thinning still, but only coming out in strands, not clumps. Then Dean asked her if there was a way that we could make only the GRAY hairs fall out. Yes, everyone in the room laughed at the comedian. Sigh. He can't be serious anywhere, not even in a chemo room full of cancer patients. Ha. Ya gotta love him. Since I haven't been feeling as badly as in the beginning, my attitude is back on track again, too. I have treatment #8 this Wednesday, then only 4 more to go, and I'm done. I'm on the downhill side of this, and am starting to see the finish line. I've never wished for winter to come so badly. Ha.
More good news - I've discovered a massage therapist who is working toward a specialized certification in oncology massage. She's taken me on as a case study and gives me a free massage after every treatment!! What a find, eh? I think a professional massage is the ultimate luxury, and I am thoroughly enjoying being her guinea pig.
Finally, here's the best news - I had a CT scan after treatment #4, and it showed that the cancer is ALMOST gone. When they staged the cancer in the beginning with the baseline CT scan, it showed tumors all throughout my lymphatic system - groin, abdomen, chest, between my lungs, armpits and neck. After 4 treatments, it only showed tumors in my abdomen and left armpit, and they were very close to 1 cm, which is considered a normal sized lymph node. Dr. Stewart was thrilled and said my "response has been excellent"!! Needless to say, I'm thrilled, too. I have one more treatment (#8, next Wednesday the 23rd), then we'll do another CT scan and we're expecting it to be completely clear. I still have to do the remaining 4 treatments, "just to make sure". It really stinks, but I really don't want this to come back, so I'm willing.
That's all I have time to write for now. More later...
Love you all VERY much!! Tiff
I've been trying to attach a scan of an article that I promised some of you I would send out, but Outlook just doesn't want to send it. If any of you have any suggestions, it would be much appreciated. The alternative therapy doctor I'm working with, Dr. Miller, gave me permission to send it out. It's general healthy diet guidelines. Like I said before, it's not rocket science, but it can be difficult to do on our society. We just fight our battles where we can. I think some of what this article says may surprise you. For example, no vegetable juices. The juice alone has nutrients that are toxic without the fiber of the vegetable. It's important that you get the pulp to protect you from the toxicity. Also, she wants me to eat a lot of organic, which is not surprising, but organic whole milk, real butter, no sugar substitutes, real sugar (but in moderation, of course), free range meat, etc. I think you'd find much of this very interesting. I'll keep working on it, I promise. Dumb software. Aargh.
Anyway, I'm more than halfway through treatment now and feeling pretty okay. Treatments #4, 5, 6 and 7 haven't been that bad. I have my chemo on Wednesdays, I'm tired and feeling puny for a few days afterward, but am back in the saddle by Monday. Mom continues to take the kids for those days and she calls me every single day to check on me. The girls love the schedule, Grandma's house is one big vacation. My house is very quiet for those days and it seems to be easier to get back on my feet. The nausea has subsided to almost nothing and there's been no appetite suppression. In fact, I'm putting on weight. For a few days after a treatment, my throat and nose and mouth feel like I swallowed some bleach. There's a definite burned feeling and "chemical" taste in my mouth that doesn't go away. I gnaw on everything in my cupboards to cover the taste. Then I lay around all day because I'm tired. It only lasts for 3-4 days, but it's a deadly combination. The scale hasn't been my friend lately. Here's some good news though....I STILL HAVE MY HAIR!!! In fact, it just keeps growing. I'm convinced it's the enzymes I'm taking. Dean was sitting with me during my last treatment and one of the nurses told me that it was extraordinary that I still had it. I told her that it was thinning still, but only coming out in strands, not clumps. Then Dean asked her if there was a way that we could make only the GRAY hairs fall out. Yes, everyone in the room laughed at the comedian. Sigh. He can't be serious anywhere, not even in a chemo room full of cancer patients. Ha. Ya gotta love him. Since I haven't been feeling as badly as in the beginning, my attitude is back on track again, too. I have treatment #8 this Wednesday, then only 4 more to go, and I'm done. I'm on the downhill side of this, and am starting to see the finish line. I've never wished for winter to come so badly. Ha.
More good news - I've discovered a massage therapist who is working toward a specialized certification in oncology massage. She's taken me on as a case study and gives me a free massage after every treatment!! What a find, eh? I think a professional massage is the ultimate luxury, and I am thoroughly enjoying being her guinea pig.
Finally, here's the best news - I had a CT scan after treatment #4, and it showed that the cancer is ALMOST gone. When they staged the cancer in the beginning with the baseline CT scan, it showed tumors all throughout my lymphatic system - groin, abdomen, chest, between my lungs, armpits and neck. After 4 treatments, it only showed tumors in my abdomen and left armpit, and they were very close to 1 cm, which is considered a normal sized lymph node. Dr. Stewart was thrilled and said my "response has been excellent"!! Needless to say, I'm thrilled, too. I have one more treatment (#8, next Wednesday the 23rd), then we'll do another CT scan and we're expecting it to be completely clear. I still have to do the remaining 4 treatments, "just to make sure". It really stinks, but I really don't want this to come back, so I'm willing.
That's all I have time to write for now. More later...
Love you all VERY much!! Tiff
Cancer Update - May 2003
Hello all,
First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has called, emailed and sent cards. I'm so sorry that I can't reply to every one of you individually, I'm doing the best I can to stay on top of it, but the chemo has me very tired most of the time, and when I do have energy, there are other things that have been a higher priority, such as spending some lost time with my kids and family.
Anyway, I want you to know that I get every message, and read every card and email. They really do help, so please, keep them coming. Most of you just simply want to know how it's going. I thought I'd wait until I had a few treatments before I answered that question:
The first treatment was a breeze. My hopes soared after that and I thought this was definitely going to be do-able. All I had was a mild headache that never did go away until just recently, but that was it. They told me my hair would fall out about two weeks after my first treatment, so I had my friend, Barb, cut my hair VERY short in sort of a tousled, spikey-ish style all over my head (think, Halle Berry or Racquel Welch). My mom thought it would make the transition to "cue ball" much easier. Not just for me but for those around me that have to look at me all day. Especially my little ones who don't completely understand what's going on. It looks really great, she did a terrific job. The first day I went out, I had two different women with long gorgeous hair walk up to me and say, "Oh… I WISH I had the courage!! What a great style!" Barb and another friend, Diane, also bought me a bunch of great scarves and a book on how to wrap a bunch of different head-styles. What beautiful, thoughtful friends I have. My mom cautioned me against wearing it too turban-like. She doesn't think that would be the smartest thing to do right now. Ha. Just kidding.
The good news is, here it is, seven weeks after my first treatment, and I still have my hair. The chemo nurses are a little pessimistic and they keep telling me that it will fall out eventually, but I'm thinking positive, and we'll just see. It is thinning a little bit. There are a few more strands on the sink in the morning than there usually is, but I've always had a head full of thick hair, so it's going to take more than a few strands to make me look like a chemo patient. It certainly isn't falling out in clumps like they said it would. It has kind of ruined my idea for a halloween costume this year, though. Jacqui and I were going to go as Dr. Evil and mini-me. Hee hee.
The second treatment was definitely no fun. The headache got really bad and the nausea really hit me good, too. Dr. Stewart said the headache was a nerve reaction to the "V" drug in my "ABVD" regimen. She said it happens in about 10% of patients and should resolve itself by the third treatment. I spent all day in bed one day. It took me about four days to start feeling somewhat normal again. Mom went home then I had to have her come back again because I was exhausted just trying to take care of Jacqui during the day and get Jaden to school and back every day.
The third treatment was even a bit worse. I don't think it would've been so bad, except that the family was passing around a cold, and I caught it, too. It took me over a week to feel okay again.
Then one night last week, I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and we had to go to the ER at 4:00 a.m. Chemo makes your white cell count drop and if you have a fever, the doctor gets very concerned because that's one of the bodies responses to an infection. With no white cells to fight it, it can get very serious very quickly. Well, they gave me a shot of a drug called Nupegen in the ER, which stimulates the bone marrow to make more white cells. It worked really well, but it caused a lot of achiness and throbbing in my bones. Very weird and painful sensation. This happened the day before I was supposed to get my fourth treatment, but Dr. Stewart put it off until Tuesday, so I was able to relax and enjoy Memorial weekend, and get healthy again. I honestly felt better this past weekend than I have in a couple years. I had lots of energy and it felt so good. Just a side note, the doctor in the ER was someone Dean and I knew in college, Megan Hendricks. We didn't know she'd become a doctor and were very proud of her and had a few laughs while we were there (for FOUR hours, but that's another story I don't feel like whining about here).
Hopefully, the next treatment won't be so bad, since I don't have the cold to contend with anymore. I'll be a third of the way through (12 treatments, minimum). I'm supposed to have another CT scan soon, I think, to see how well it's working. I can tell you that I can't feel the lumps on my neck anymore, and they were the size of grapes at the beginning, so I know it's working. That's the only thing that keeps me going back. I can't believe that I actually get in the car and drive myself there willingly to let them do this to me every other week. It's all starting to mess with me mentally, a little bit. I realized last week that I haven't really felt 100% since I got pregnant with Jacquelyn, which was a year and a half ago. I'm really sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I'm already ready to be done with this nonsense, and I still have nine treatments to go. Sigh. Dad keeps telling me to "get my Smith up". :-) I'm trying.
They do have good drugs to counteract the side effects. One of the nausea prescriptions I have is $75 PER PILL!!! Can you believe that?! You have to wonder if the drug companies or the pharmacies aren't taking advantage of sick people who really need these drugs. But it works, and I'm grateful. I HATE throwing up, that has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. The Nupegen shots are $250.00 apiece. Crazy. Thank God for insurance. I'm also taking the enzymes, and Dr. Miller thinks that they're the reason why I still have my hair and am not experiencing drastic side effects. The chemo nurses tell me I'm just "sailing" through this. Whee. I have a dozen prescriptions in my cupboard to manage side effects. I can't imagine what they think a difficult patient is. I feel like I'm popping pills all day long.
Also, my neighbor, Colleen, and another friend, Bobbie, are coordinating meals to be brought to our house three nights a week by our friends in the hockey community. I can't believe that there are enough people out there in the hockey community who want to do this that nobody has to bring a meal twice in a six month period. That amazes me. Many of them don't even know me, they just know Dean and want to help HIM out. I'm just the lucky one who married the guy. The meals have been an absolute God-send. Most nights, I don't feel like cooking, and when I'm tired like this, we would probably end up doing a lot of take out or mac-n-cheeze. That's not how I should be eating, especially when I'm sick. Also, the chemo can suppress the appetite, but the meals have been fabulous and very appetizing. I'm getting a lot of good recipes, too. I'm defintely going to pass this kindness on one day, it's a terrific idea.
In total, it certainly hasn't been fun, but I am finding little bits of happy news here and there. Most of all, I’m so thankful for my mother. She's been amazing. She stays with me for a whole week after a treatment and takes care of my kids and house. She knows exactly what time Jaden has to be at school and never forgets show and tell or snack day, she knows how I like my towels folded and how Dean likes his meals cooked. She knows when to spoon feed me and when to tell me to get off the couch and get it myself. If she wasn't married, I'd marry her myself and move her in for good. I honestly don't know how people do this and continue working and living their lives. Maybe it's just because I don't HAVE to go to work, but I really can't fathom it. I guess I'm a wimp.
I'm going to email out a photo of the new hairdo and my kids as soon as I fix an error in my scanner. Again, thanks so much for all the emails, cards and phone calls. Thanks, more than anything, for the prayers. I believe in their power and that God is the great physician. If I'm meant to survive this, he'll see to it. Keep em coming. Our family doctor is a Christian man and he told me that this was a great opportunity to be a wonderful testimony for those around me and also that it gives me credibility in the future to support others who have to suffer through this or worse fates. I found that so inspirational. I hope I can use this somehow, someday. We'll see what He has in store.
I'll email again when I have more news. Until, then….
Much love, Tiff
First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has called, emailed and sent cards. I'm so sorry that I can't reply to every one of you individually, I'm doing the best I can to stay on top of it, but the chemo has me very tired most of the time, and when I do have energy, there are other things that have been a higher priority, such as spending some lost time with my kids and family.
Anyway, I want you to know that I get every message, and read every card and email. They really do help, so please, keep them coming. Most of you just simply want to know how it's going. I thought I'd wait until I had a few treatments before I answered that question:
The first treatment was a breeze. My hopes soared after that and I thought this was definitely going to be do-able. All I had was a mild headache that never did go away until just recently, but that was it. They told me my hair would fall out about two weeks after my first treatment, so I had my friend, Barb, cut my hair VERY short in sort of a tousled, spikey-ish style all over my head (think, Halle Berry or Racquel Welch). My mom thought it would make the transition to "cue ball" much easier. Not just for me but for those around me that have to look at me all day. Especially my little ones who don't completely understand what's going on. It looks really great, she did a terrific job. The first day I went out, I had two different women with long gorgeous hair walk up to me and say, "Oh… I WISH I had the courage!! What a great style!" Barb and another friend, Diane, also bought me a bunch of great scarves and a book on how to wrap a bunch of different head-styles. What beautiful, thoughtful friends I have. My mom cautioned me against wearing it too turban-like. She doesn't think that would be the smartest thing to do right now. Ha. Just kidding.
The good news is, here it is, seven weeks after my first treatment, and I still have my hair. The chemo nurses are a little pessimistic and they keep telling me that it will fall out eventually, but I'm thinking positive, and we'll just see. It is thinning a little bit. There are a few more strands on the sink in the morning than there usually is, but I've always had a head full of thick hair, so it's going to take more than a few strands to make me look like a chemo patient. It certainly isn't falling out in clumps like they said it would. It has kind of ruined my idea for a halloween costume this year, though. Jacqui and I were going to go as Dr. Evil and mini-me. Hee hee.
The second treatment was definitely no fun. The headache got really bad and the nausea really hit me good, too. Dr. Stewart said the headache was a nerve reaction to the "V" drug in my "ABVD" regimen. She said it happens in about 10% of patients and should resolve itself by the third treatment. I spent all day in bed one day. It took me about four days to start feeling somewhat normal again. Mom went home then I had to have her come back again because I was exhausted just trying to take care of Jacqui during the day and get Jaden to school and back every day.
The third treatment was even a bit worse. I don't think it would've been so bad, except that the family was passing around a cold, and I caught it, too. It took me over a week to feel okay again.
Then one night last week, I woke up in the middle of the night with a fever and we had to go to the ER at 4:00 a.m. Chemo makes your white cell count drop and if you have a fever, the doctor gets very concerned because that's one of the bodies responses to an infection. With no white cells to fight it, it can get very serious very quickly. Well, they gave me a shot of a drug called Nupegen in the ER, which stimulates the bone marrow to make more white cells. It worked really well, but it caused a lot of achiness and throbbing in my bones. Very weird and painful sensation. This happened the day before I was supposed to get my fourth treatment, but Dr. Stewart put it off until Tuesday, so I was able to relax and enjoy Memorial weekend, and get healthy again. I honestly felt better this past weekend than I have in a couple years. I had lots of energy and it felt so good. Just a side note, the doctor in the ER was someone Dean and I knew in college, Megan Hendricks. We didn't know she'd become a doctor and were very proud of her and had a few laughs while we were there (for FOUR hours, but that's another story I don't feel like whining about here).
Hopefully, the next treatment won't be so bad, since I don't have the cold to contend with anymore. I'll be a third of the way through (12 treatments, minimum). I'm supposed to have another CT scan soon, I think, to see how well it's working. I can tell you that I can't feel the lumps on my neck anymore, and they were the size of grapes at the beginning, so I know it's working. That's the only thing that keeps me going back. I can't believe that I actually get in the car and drive myself there willingly to let them do this to me every other week. It's all starting to mess with me mentally, a little bit. I realized last week that I haven't really felt 100% since I got pregnant with Jacquelyn, which was a year and a half ago. I'm really sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I'm already ready to be done with this nonsense, and I still have nine treatments to go. Sigh. Dad keeps telling me to "get my Smith up". :-) I'm trying.
They do have good drugs to counteract the side effects. One of the nausea prescriptions I have is $75 PER PILL!!! Can you believe that?! You have to wonder if the drug companies or the pharmacies aren't taking advantage of sick people who really need these drugs. But it works, and I'm grateful. I HATE throwing up, that has to be one of the worst feelings in the world. The Nupegen shots are $250.00 apiece. Crazy. Thank God for insurance. I'm also taking the enzymes, and Dr. Miller thinks that they're the reason why I still have my hair and am not experiencing drastic side effects. The chemo nurses tell me I'm just "sailing" through this. Whee. I have a dozen prescriptions in my cupboard to manage side effects. I can't imagine what they think a difficult patient is. I feel like I'm popping pills all day long.
Also, my neighbor, Colleen, and another friend, Bobbie, are coordinating meals to be brought to our house three nights a week by our friends in the hockey community. I can't believe that there are enough people out there in the hockey community who want to do this that nobody has to bring a meal twice in a six month period. That amazes me. Many of them don't even know me, they just know Dean and want to help HIM out. I'm just the lucky one who married the guy. The meals have been an absolute God-send. Most nights, I don't feel like cooking, and when I'm tired like this, we would probably end up doing a lot of take out or mac-n-cheeze. That's not how I should be eating, especially when I'm sick. Also, the chemo can suppress the appetite, but the meals have been fabulous and very appetizing. I'm getting a lot of good recipes, too. I'm defintely going to pass this kindness on one day, it's a terrific idea.
In total, it certainly hasn't been fun, but I am finding little bits of happy news here and there. Most of all, I’m so thankful for my mother. She's been amazing. She stays with me for a whole week after a treatment and takes care of my kids and house. She knows exactly what time Jaden has to be at school and never forgets show and tell or snack day, she knows how I like my towels folded and how Dean likes his meals cooked. She knows when to spoon feed me and when to tell me to get off the couch and get it myself. If she wasn't married, I'd marry her myself and move her in for good. I honestly don't know how people do this and continue working and living their lives. Maybe it's just because I don't HAVE to go to work, but I really can't fathom it. I guess I'm a wimp.
I'm going to email out a photo of the new hairdo and my kids as soon as I fix an error in my scanner. Again, thanks so much for all the emails, cards and phone calls. Thanks, more than anything, for the prayers. I believe in their power and that God is the great physician. If I'm meant to survive this, he'll see to it. Keep em coming. Our family doctor is a Christian man and he told me that this was a great opportunity to be a wonderful testimony for those around me and also that it gives me credibility in the future to support others who have to suffer through this or worse fates. I found that so inspirational. I hope I can use this somehow, someday. We'll see what He has in store.
I'll email again when I have more news. Until, then….
Much love, Tiff
Cancer Update - April 2003
Dear Loved Ones,
First and foremost, I want to thank every one of you so much for all the support these last couple weeks. When we got the big phone call, it was quite a shock, and it has taken some time for it all to sink in. I want you to know, though, that the more I learn about this and educate myself about it, the better I feel about it, and the more confident I am that it's beat-able. My attitude right now is pretty positive.
Here's the latest: I had a CT scan last Monday and it showed the cancer is spread throughout my lymphatic system, but there is no organ involvement at this point. The bone marrow sample they took came back negative for malignancy as well, I was VERY happy about that. When you get this type of cancer, they "stage" it on a scale of 1-4, with 1 being the best case scenario (tumors localized in one area) and 4 being the worst case scenario (it has spread outside the lymphatic system with organ or bone marrow involvement). I am at a stage 3B (the "B" means that I've had systemic, or system-wide, type symptoms, such as fatigue, fever/chills, and night sweats). Even at this advanced stage, they still give me an 85% prognosis. That means that, statistically, 85% of past cases in stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma have been cured.
I had an internal catheter put in my aorta last Thursday, which is where they'll administer the chemicals every two weeks. I get my first treatment this coming Thursday morning at 10:00. They'll give me treatments every two weeks for the next six months. At some point along the way, they'll do another CT scan to make sure it's working. At the point when the CT scan shows no more tumors, they'll give me two more treatments, then call it done. It will then be "in remission" for five years, and if there's no recurrance in that time, they'll start using the word "cured" with me. If I can get to that point, then it's life happily ever after for me. It doesn't reduce my life expectancy at all, although it does put me at a slightly higher risk to develop other types of cancers later in life. The goal of Hodgkin's disease treatment is total cure, not simply tumor mass reduction or life extension.
Due to various circumstances, I haven't actually met my oncologist yet (Dr. Mary Stewart), but I've talked with all the nurses, lab technicians, and other doctors that I've been dealing with, and they all sing her praises like she's an angel. A wonderful reputation preceeds her, so I'm not too worried. I'll meet her for the first time this Thursday when I go in for my first treatment.
I am also working with an alternative therapy doctor who will be my guiding light on nutrition and digestive enzyme therapy to support the chemotherapy. She's amazing and has given me tons of information already. It amazes me how much we study diet and nutrition in our society and yet so many of us really haven't a clue. I want to encourage all of you to go to this website and educate yourself a little bit, just about digestive enzymes, and what they do: www.loomisenzymes.com I think you'll be surprised. We try so hard to eat healthy, and although it's not rocket science, it is difficult to do 100% correctly in a Western civilized society. Much of our food is over processed, especially when we eat out in restaurants and such. But the key is, if your body toxic and is not digesting well, it doesn't matter how good you eat, it doesn't do much good. My goal with the alternative therapy is just to be the healthiest cancer patient I can be, if there is such a thing. Chemotherapy is poison. Basically, they try to kill the cancer before they kill you. I want my organs to be as healthy as can be so they can process the toxins quickly and get them out of my body, and that's where Dr. Miller comes in. Fatigue is one of the most severe side effects of chemo, so the nutritional support should also help me with energy levels so I can continue to function day to day. As if it's not fatigue-ing enough, chasing two little ones around all day, eh?
They've come a very long way with chemo in the last several years and they tell me that the side effects aren't nearly as severe as they used to be. They have good ways to combat the nausea and other toxicities, without reducing the effectiveness of it. The fatigue and hair loss are still pretty inevitable, but I can deal with those. I'm kind of looking forward to not having to shave my legs for six months - ha. Needless to say, Dean's looking forward to it, too. Some nights he swears he's sleeping with a sasquatch. Ha. Actually, many people are able to continue working and living their lives fairly normally anymore when they go through this, so I really believe it will be okay. The chemo nurse tells me that if I get the chemicals on Thursdays, my worst feeling days will probably be Saturday and Sunday when my white cell count drops. As that count climbs back up again, I should start to feel better and better. So it's going to be a bit of a roller coaster the next six months, with good days and bad days.
That's about all there is to know at this point. Again, I'm pretty confident with the 85% prognosis. I feel that's a good, strong number and it makes me feel pretty confident. I really just think this is a bump in the road for me. We'll just deal with it, get through it and then get on with life. At this point, I don't believe in my heart that the Lord intends to take me home with this one, although I haven't figured out yet why I'm supposed to go through this trial. I'm sure it will be revealed to me when the time is right. The Lord commanded us to be strong and of good faith, for He is with us wherever we go. I'm trying.
Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for caring so much. I'll keep you posted as often as I can. I love you all.
Tiff
First and foremost, I want to thank every one of you so much for all the support these last couple weeks. When we got the big phone call, it was quite a shock, and it has taken some time for it all to sink in. I want you to know, though, that the more I learn about this and educate myself about it, the better I feel about it, and the more confident I am that it's beat-able. My attitude right now is pretty positive.
Here's the latest: I had a CT scan last Monday and it showed the cancer is spread throughout my lymphatic system, but there is no organ involvement at this point. The bone marrow sample they took came back negative for malignancy as well, I was VERY happy about that. When you get this type of cancer, they "stage" it on a scale of 1-4, with 1 being the best case scenario (tumors localized in one area) and 4 being the worst case scenario (it has spread outside the lymphatic system with organ or bone marrow involvement). I am at a stage 3B (the "B" means that I've had systemic, or system-wide, type symptoms, such as fatigue, fever/chills, and night sweats). Even at this advanced stage, they still give me an 85% prognosis. That means that, statistically, 85% of past cases in stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma have been cured.
I had an internal catheter put in my aorta last Thursday, which is where they'll administer the chemicals every two weeks. I get my first treatment this coming Thursday morning at 10:00. They'll give me treatments every two weeks for the next six months. At some point along the way, they'll do another CT scan to make sure it's working. At the point when the CT scan shows no more tumors, they'll give me two more treatments, then call it done. It will then be "in remission" for five years, and if there's no recurrance in that time, they'll start using the word "cured" with me. If I can get to that point, then it's life happily ever after for me. It doesn't reduce my life expectancy at all, although it does put me at a slightly higher risk to develop other types of cancers later in life. The goal of Hodgkin's disease treatment is total cure, not simply tumor mass reduction or life extension.
Due to various circumstances, I haven't actually met my oncologist yet (Dr. Mary Stewart), but I've talked with all the nurses, lab technicians, and other doctors that I've been dealing with, and they all sing her praises like she's an angel. A wonderful reputation preceeds her, so I'm not too worried. I'll meet her for the first time this Thursday when I go in for my first treatment.
I am also working with an alternative therapy doctor who will be my guiding light on nutrition and digestive enzyme therapy to support the chemotherapy. She's amazing and has given me tons of information already. It amazes me how much we study diet and nutrition in our society and yet so many of us really haven't a clue. I want to encourage all of you to go to this website and educate yourself a little bit, just about digestive enzymes, and what they do: www.loomisenzymes.com I think you'll be surprised. We try so hard to eat healthy, and although it's not rocket science, it is difficult to do 100% correctly in a Western civilized society. Much of our food is over processed, especially when we eat out in restaurants and such. But the key is, if your body toxic and is not digesting well, it doesn't matter how good you eat, it doesn't do much good. My goal with the alternative therapy is just to be the healthiest cancer patient I can be, if there is such a thing. Chemotherapy is poison. Basically, they try to kill the cancer before they kill you. I want my organs to be as healthy as can be so they can process the toxins quickly and get them out of my body, and that's where Dr. Miller comes in. Fatigue is one of the most severe side effects of chemo, so the nutritional support should also help me with energy levels so I can continue to function day to day. As if it's not fatigue-ing enough, chasing two little ones around all day, eh?
They've come a very long way with chemo in the last several years and they tell me that the side effects aren't nearly as severe as they used to be. They have good ways to combat the nausea and other toxicities, without reducing the effectiveness of it. The fatigue and hair loss are still pretty inevitable, but I can deal with those. I'm kind of looking forward to not having to shave my legs for six months - ha. Needless to say, Dean's looking forward to it, too. Some nights he swears he's sleeping with a sasquatch. Ha. Actually, many people are able to continue working and living their lives fairly normally anymore when they go through this, so I really believe it will be okay. The chemo nurse tells me that if I get the chemicals on Thursdays, my worst feeling days will probably be Saturday and Sunday when my white cell count drops. As that count climbs back up again, I should start to feel better and better. So it's going to be a bit of a roller coaster the next six months, with good days and bad days.
That's about all there is to know at this point. Again, I'm pretty confident with the 85% prognosis. I feel that's a good, strong number and it makes me feel pretty confident. I really just think this is a bump in the road for me. We'll just deal with it, get through it and then get on with life. At this point, I don't believe in my heart that the Lord intends to take me home with this one, although I haven't figured out yet why I'm supposed to go through this trial. I'm sure it will be revealed to me when the time is right. The Lord commanded us to be strong and of good faith, for He is with us wherever we go. I'm trying.
Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, for caring so much. I'll keep you posted as often as I can. I love you all.
Tiff
Michigan Pro Hockey Tour - September 1998
Hi all!!
Hope this letter finds you well. Dean and I have had an exciting summer. I have so much to tell you I don’t know where to begin. I suppose chronologically would make sense.
Dean finished off the hockey season last spring with the Milwaukee Admirals, and did very well. They made it to the second round of playoffs and ended up getting eliminated by the team that ultimately won the championship. He got a lot of ice time and scored more goals there in 10 weeks than he did all season in Grand Rapids. It pays to have a good coach who believes in you, I guess. I drove back and forth between Milwaukee and Grand Rapids that last month I was there and got to see some of his games at the Bradley Center and at the Rosemont in Chicago. The Bradley Center is huge, they played in front of about 15,000 people regularly - that was exciting.
I spent April going back and forth between Michigan and Alaska. I had applied with ad agencies in Seattle, Minneapolis, Denver, and I sent only 2 resumes to Anchorage. The Nerland Agency in Anchorage was the only one that bit and they made me a very nice offer. I interviewed for two days and they ended up offering me a higher position with more responsibility by the time we were finished, so I must’ve impressed them. There are 25 employees and I report to the President (Rick Nerland) - he’s a really good guy, I like him a lot. I love working there, it’s everything that I’ve always thought an ad agency should be. It’s a creative powerhouse and the atmosphere is so fun all the time. Even the decor is fun. There are teal walls and yellow walls, teal leather couches in the reception area and games and things to stimulate creativity everywhere - Rubik’s cubes and other tavern toys, putting greens, hula hoops, basketball hoops, there’s even a heavy bag hanging back in the creative area for those really rough days when you need to get out frustrations (people really do use it - it’s great!) There’s a whole area set up and designed especially for brainstorming sessions and the formal conference room is designed for client presentations. There’s always music playing and laughter and yet, people work their hind-ends off. It’s not uncommon to see the AE’s or the Creative Director there still working at 7:00 - 8:00 at night. They love what they do and it shows. And it’s contagious - it’s a great team to be on. I plan on staying for quite a while.
Rick is paying for my college tuition, too, so I’m back in school hacking away at that MBA. I’m on schedule to graduate in the spring with a 4.0 and have already begun work on my thesis. It should be interesting, I’m going to try to quantify the value of having a corporate intranet. The Nerland Agency has an interactive department where we do CD-ROM development, interactive kiosks and a large amount of corporate intranet content, so hopefully my research can be used as a tool for us to acquire more clients like that. We’re working on a pitch right now that could be worth a million dollars to the agency if we get it. I’d meet my entire years quota in one fell swoop, so I’m working like crazy to pull it together. We give the presentation in two weeks and they’ll probably take a month or more to decide. If we get it, it will definitely be party-time in Anchorage that night!!! I’ll keep you posted.
If all goes according to plan, I’ll graduate the first of May, then deliver a baby a couple weeks later. Yes, we’re pregnant again, and taking it very easy this time. I’ve stopped working out for the time being and do a lot of studying laying flat on my back on the couch!! My first doctor appointment is in two weeks, so I’ll at least wait to get the okay from him then. We’ll see. Dean is a gem, he cooks breakfast every day and calls 2-3 times a day to check on me. My big, rough, macho, professional wrestler wanna-be has turned into a pussycat. Ha - bless his heart. We’re just about 6 weeks along now (the heart just started beating, according to my books - way cool) so we have about 2 weeks to go, to beat our last record. I sure hope this little guy hangs on, we’re excited all over again. I said last time that we would probably wait to tell anybody the next time it happened, just to make sure, but we can’t stand it. I took four tests that morning, just to be sure it was positive. What an obsessive, eh?
We closed on our very first home the same day we found out we were pregnant. Talk about a big day for the Trboyevich’s. I didn’t think closing was ever going to come for this condo! We lived out of a suitcase for 4 months while we waited for it to be built, then, because of complications with the builders financing, we had to wait another month to close. It was ridiculous. Apparently, Dean & I were the only ones in the association that wanted to go with conventional financing (we wanted to put 20% down), so the builder never qualified for that type of financing. When we made our offer, and told them that’s what we were going to do, they had to jump through a bunch of hoops and pay a $2500 fee for us to be able to do that. So that drug it out longer that it should have. But, we’re in and settled and life is good. I love the place - it’s 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, about 1800 square feet. I got to pick out all the colors and had some custom things done, like a jacuzzi tub and a gas fireplace. I had a french door put into the office and it’s so pretty!! Dean doesn’t see the practicality in having see through doors inside the house, but he tolerates it because I love it. Ha. What a guy.
We did discover, however, upon unpacking our stuff, that we’d had a bunch of things stolen (by the movers in Grand Rapids) Every time I find something else missing, I just get livid. I get furious all over again and it takes me hours to calm down. I’ve never been so angry in all my life. We’ve valued everything that’s missing so far at over $10,000. Our stereo and all of our CD’s are gone (about 300), my pearls and other random stuff - blankets, trivets, some books, all my software CD’s, my calculators, my Bible, and even our college degrees, which I thought was really odd. I think they were probably just in the box with something else that they wanted. I’m fighting with the moving company right now, but they tell me that they’re only liable for .60 / lb. I screamed at the guy on the phone “How much do you think a rope of pearls weigh???!!! You’re telling me you’re only going to reimburse me .60 for a $1500 string of pearls!!!???” I was totally irrational at that point. I’ve since talked with a lawyer and the police in Grand Rapids are investigating it. Just so everyone knows, DO NOT use University Movers in Grand Rapids. If they don’t make this right, and soon, I’m going to hassle them to death. I’m going to write the ombudsman and the editors of all the local rags. I’ve never been a vengeful person, but I’ve never wanted to hurt somebody so bad in all my life. There’s nothing worse than a thief. I know that it’s all material, and can be replaced, but the Bible was a gift from my brother’s wife, when I was 14, the year after he died, and the pearls were a family heirloom - a gift from my grandmother. I wore them on my wedding day as my “something old.” They had such sentimental value and it makes me sick to think that they’re probably in some sleazy pawn shop somewhere in Michigan. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell grandma yet. I keep hoping they’ll turn up. We had insurance, so everything is covered, but I want the movers to pay for it, if at all possible, and I think it’s worth the fight.
Anyway, if I stay on this subject, I’m going to work myself up again. I know it’s not worth it, but it’s really hard not to get mad. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is, like I really need to fight with these people in addition to everything else. Sigh.
I don’t mean to stay so negative, but this summer has been awful in terms of weather, too. It’s been one of the coldest, cloudiest summers I can remember. We’re due to have a stormy winter, too. The air force base here is predicting 159 inches of snow!!! And they’ve never been more than 3 inches off in their predictions! Can you imagine?? We’re looking at over 13 feet of snow!! Dean is chomping at the bit to rev up his snowmobiles, he can’t wait, he’s so excited. We have a garage for the first time ever and I’m so thankful. Dean doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal (he’s grumbling because he had to paint it and seal the floor) but he’ll appreciate it this winter, I’m sure.
He signed with the Anchorage Aces again this year, and it was all over the news that he was back in town. He had a really nice write up in the paper, too. He told them that he could probably play one or two more seasons at the IHL level, but his wife has talents and goals, too, and we decided to come back here so I could pursue those. What a sweetie - they actually printed that. He’s got a job in sales at an industrial supply place, and he’s going to work that this winter, too. They’re a big sponsor of the Aces and they’re completely supportive of him. They’re going to buy him a laptop so he can work on the road and give him the time off he needs to travel. They want their company name on the back of his jersey, too, so it all worked out really well there. He’s working with some really nice people and likes it so far. He’s still going to pursue firefighting when that opportunity comes around next fall, but wants to develop some other skills in the meantime, which I agree is smart. I hope we’re both able to see each other this winter, I think we’re going to stay pretty busy!!
He went fishing for halibut this weekend and brought home about 25 meals worth. I love fresh halibut - we’re cooking some tonight out at my parents house. And that brings us up to date as far as what we’ve been doing. I’m really getting into school, and have a lot of work to do to graduate in May, so I probably won’t write much again until Christmas break. I hope you all have a wonderful fall - I’ll be thinking about you!!
Much love,
Tiff and Dino
Hope this letter finds you well. Dean and I have had an exciting summer. I have so much to tell you I don’t know where to begin. I suppose chronologically would make sense.
Dean finished off the hockey season last spring with the Milwaukee Admirals, and did very well. They made it to the second round of playoffs and ended up getting eliminated by the team that ultimately won the championship. He got a lot of ice time and scored more goals there in 10 weeks than he did all season in Grand Rapids. It pays to have a good coach who believes in you, I guess. I drove back and forth between Milwaukee and Grand Rapids that last month I was there and got to see some of his games at the Bradley Center and at the Rosemont in Chicago. The Bradley Center is huge, they played in front of about 15,000 people regularly - that was exciting.
I spent April going back and forth between Michigan and Alaska. I had applied with ad agencies in Seattle, Minneapolis, Denver, and I sent only 2 resumes to Anchorage. The Nerland Agency in Anchorage was the only one that bit and they made me a very nice offer. I interviewed for two days and they ended up offering me a higher position with more responsibility by the time we were finished, so I must’ve impressed them. There are 25 employees and I report to the President (Rick Nerland) - he’s a really good guy, I like him a lot. I love working there, it’s everything that I’ve always thought an ad agency should be. It’s a creative powerhouse and the atmosphere is so fun all the time. Even the decor is fun. There are teal walls and yellow walls, teal leather couches in the reception area and games and things to stimulate creativity everywhere - Rubik’s cubes and other tavern toys, putting greens, hula hoops, basketball hoops, there’s even a heavy bag hanging back in the creative area for those really rough days when you need to get out frustrations (people really do use it - it’s great!) There’s a whole area set up and designed especially for brainstorming sessions and the formal conference room is designed for client presentations. There’s always music playing and laughter and yet, people work their hind-ends off. It’s not uncommon to see the AE’s or the Creative Director there still working at 7:00 - 8:00 at night. They love what they do and it shows. And it’s contagious - it’s a great team to be on. I plan on staying for quite a while.
Rick is paying for my college tuition, too, so I’m back in school hacking away at that MBA. I’m on schedule to graduate in the spring with a 4.0 and have already begun work on my thesis. It should be interesting, I’m going to try to quantify the value of having a corporate intranet. The Nerland Agency has an interactive department where we do CD-ROM development, interactive kiosks and a large amount of corporate intranet content, so hopefully my research can be used as a tool for us to acquire more clients like that. We’re working on a pitch right now that could be worth a million dollars to the agency if we get it. I’d meet my entire years quota in one fell swoop, so I’m working like crazy to pull it together. We give the presentation in two weeks and they’ll probably take a month or more to decide. If we get it, it will definitely be party-time in Anchorage that night!!! I’ll keep you posted.
If all goes according to plan, I’ll graduate the first of May, then deliver a baby a couple weeks later. Yes, we’re pregnant again, and taking it very easy this time. I’ve stopped working out for the time being and do a lot of studying laying flat on my back on the couch!! My first doctor appointment is in two weeks, so I’ll at least wait to get the okay from him then. We’ll see. Dean is a gem, he cooks breakfast every day and calls 2-3 times a day to check on me. My big, rough, macho, professional wrestler wanna-be has turned into a pussycat. Ha - bless his heart. We’re just about 6 weeks along now (the heart just started beating, according to my books - way cool) so we have about 2 weeks to go, to beat our last record. I sure hope this little guy hangs on, we’re excited all over again. I said last time that we would probably wait to tell anybody the next time it happened, just to make sure, but we can’t stand it. I took four tests that morning, just to be sure it was positive. What an obsessive, eh?
We closed on our very first home the same day we found out we were pregnant. Talk about a big day for the Trboyevich’s. I didn’t think closing was ever going to come for this condo! We lived out of a suitcase for 4 months while we waited for it to be built, then, because of complications with the builders financing, we had to wait another month to close. It was ridiculous. Apparently, Dean & I were the only ones in the association that wanted to go with conventional financing (we wanted to put 20% down), so the builder never qualified for that type of financing. When we made our offer, and told them that’s what we were going to do, they had to jump through a bunch of hoops and pay a $2500 fee for us to be able to do that. So that drug it out longer that it should have. But, we’re in and settled and life is good. I love the place - it’s 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, about 1800 square feet. I got to pick out all the colors and had some custom things done, like a jacuzzi tub and a gas fireplace. I had a french door put into the office and it’s so pretty!! Dean doesn’t see the practicality in having see through doors inside the house, but he tolerates it because I love it. Ha. What a guy.
We did discover, however, upon unpacking our stuff, that we’d had a bunch of things stolen (by the movers in Grand Rapids) Every time I find something else missing, I just get livid. I get furious all over again and it takes me hours to calm down. I’ve never been so angry in all my life. We’ve valued everything that’s missing so far at over $10,000. Our stereo and all of our CD’s are gone (about 300), my pearls and other random stuff - blankets, trivets, some books, all my software CD’s, my calculators, my Bible, and even our college degrees, which I thought was really odd. I think they were probably just in the box with something else that they wanted. I’m fighting with the moving company right now, but they tell me that they’re only liable for .60 / lb. I screamed at the guy on the phone “How much do you think a rope of pearls weigh???!!! You’re telling me you’re only going to reimburse me .60 for a $1500 string of pearls!!!???” I was totally irrational at that point. I’ve since talked with a lawyer and the police in Grand Rapids are investigating it. Just so everyone knows, DO NOT use University Movers in Grand Rapids. If they don’t make this right, and soon, I’m going to hassle them to death. I’m going to write the ombudsman and the editors of all the local rags. I’ve never been a vengeful person, but I’ve never wanted to hurt somebody so bad in all my life. There’s nothing worse than a thief. I know that it’s all material, and can be replaced, but the Bible was a gift from my brother’s wife, when I was 14, the year after he died, and the pearls were a family heirloom - a gift from my grandmother. I wore them on my wedding day as my “something old.” They had such sentimental value and it makes me sick to think that they’re probably in some sleazy pawn shop somewhere in Michigan. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell grandma yet. I keep hoping they’ll turn up. We had insurance, so everything is covered, but I want the movers to pay for it, if at all possible, and I think it’s worth the fight.
Anyway, if I stay on this subject, I’m going to work myself up again. I know it’s not worth it, but it’s really hard not to get mad. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is, like I really need to fight with these people in addition to everything else. Sigh.
I don’t mean to stay so negative, but this summer has been awful in terms of weather, too. It’s been one of the coldest, cloudiest summers I can remember. We’re due to have a stormy winter, too. The air force base here is predicting 159 inches of snow!!! And they’ve never been more than 3 inches off in their predictions! Can you imagine?? We’re looking at over 13 feet of snow!! Dean is chomping at the bit to rev up his snowmobiles, he can’t wait, he’s so excited. We have a garage for the first time ever and I’m so thankful. Dean doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal (he’s grumbling because he had to paint it and seal the floor) but he’ll appreciate it this winter, I’m sure.
He signed with the Anchorage Aces again this year, and it was all over the news that he was back in town. He had a really nice write up in the paper, too. He told them that he could probably play one or two more seasons at the IHL level, but his wife has talents and goals, too, and we decided to come back here so I could pursue those. What a sweetie - they actually printed that. He’s got a job in sales at an industrial supply place, and he’s going to work that this winter, too. They’re a big sponsor of the Aces and they’re completely supportive of him. They’re going to buy him a laptop so he can work on the road and give him the time off he needs to travel. They want their company name on the back of his jersey, too, so it all worked out really well there. He’s working with some really nice people and likes it so far. He’s still going to pursue firefighting when that opportunity comes around next fall, but wants to develop some other skills in the meantime, which I agree is smart. I hope we’re both able to see each other this winter, I think we’re going to stay pretty busy!!
He went fishing for halibut this weekend and brought home about 25 meals worth. I love fresh halibut - we’re cooking some tonight out at my parents house. And that brings us up to date as far as what we’ve been doing. I’m really getting into school, and have a lot of work to do to graduate in May, so I probably won’t write much again until Christmas break. I hope you all have a wonderful fall - I’ll be thinking about you!!
Much love,
Tiff and Dino
Michigan Pro Hockey Tour - April / May 1998
Hi everyone!
Well, guess what? This will be my last letter because Dean and I are moving home and I’ll get to see most of you on a regular basis and can tell you in person what happening in our lives. For everyone who doesn’t live in Alaska, I’ll still keep in touch, though, just probably not monthly.
A lot has happened in the last two months so I won’t keep you in suspense: Dean was traded to the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday, March 25th. The Griffins owed them a player and out of everyone on the team, they wanted Dean so that was quite a compliment. Dean’s happy about the trade because he thinks the Admirals are a better team, they’re battling fewer injuries than the Griffins, and he thinks they’ll go further in playoffs, thus earning him a bigger bonus. His first weekend, he played in front of 15,000 people at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee and he got a goal and an assist. He gets a lot of ice time and more scoring opportunities so, again, he’s very happy to be there.
I spent the first weekend in Milwaukee with him, but then he left to go on a 10 day road trip and I came back to Grand Rapids. A couple days later, on April 1st, I flew to Alaska for a job interview with the Nerland Agency and they liked me so well, they ended up offering me a management position in the agency, rather than the account executive job that I applied for. I was very excited and yes, I accepted the job. My first day is April 27th. Also, payment for schooling was part of the job offer, so if all goes according to plan, by the end of next summer, I’ll be the proud owner of an MBA. I’ll keep you posted. Dean will just fly to Alaska instead of Grand Rapids when playoffs are over.
I stayed with my sister while I was there, and Pete and I were flipping through the channels one day and Fox had one of Dean’s games on TV! It was so neat to watch him on television! He was part of the play of the game, so the camera zoomed in on him for about 30-40 seconds while the color commentators talked about how he was a great addition to the Milwaukee team, a very strong defenseman and very solid on the defensive line. They told a little bit about his history and everything. It was so great! No honorable mentions about the wife at home, though. Oh well. Ha.
I came back from Alaska last week and headed to Chicago where Dean had one more game. It was his last regular season game on Easter Sunday. Chip Aiken and family joined me and it was great to see them, they’re doing well. Nathan graduates this year and they had all just returned from a trip to Nashville and Orlando, where Tiffany and the marching band she plays in got to perform down main street at Disney World. Chip and Annette were chaperones for all the kids. VERY generous parents, aren’t they? I’m glad Dean didn’t play for Chicago this year because it was a boring performance. The hockey was good, but it’s such an entertainment industry anymore and I missed all the fun promotions and games that they usually have between periods. Shannon Miller, the gymnast, was in the crowd that day, and they showed her on the readerboard but that was about it. At the beginning, when they introduced the players, they had laser lights and fire and smoke, so that was neat, but pretty standard anymore. I spent most of the time visiting with the Aikens.
After the game, I went back to Milwaukee again with Dean until he had to leave for playoffs in Houston, TX. Just to kill some time, we took a tour of the Miller Brewing Company. That was a fun couple of hours. We went with one of the other guys on the team and his wife. They didn’t really explain the brewing process so much, but rather, gave a history of the company and showed us the bottling, canning and shipping areas. Did you know that their canning machines can a case of beer every second? Amazing. Their shipping warehouse is 200,000 square feet and stocked full of beer from floor to ceiling. Every last bottle and can in there is shipped out and restocked every 48 hours. That’s a lot of beer, America. We saw the huge vats where they make the mash and process everything. It was about 90 degrees in that room from all the boiling wort. We also walked around in the cave where they stored the beer in the 1800’s to keep it cool during the summer. Then at the end of the tour, we sat in this great little tavern and they let us try 8oz samples of different Miller products. That company makes a LOT of beer. I was surprised. Although I don’t know why, I am married to a hockey player, after all. Dean told me that the refrigerator in the locker room is always stocked from donations from the company and the guys certainly take advantage of it.
Anyway, I’m back in Grand Rapids now to pack up the house and say farewell to everyone. My computer will be packed up next Wednesday and I won’t unpack it again until we get settled in a house in Alaska. It may take a couple months to find a place and close on it, but as soon as we do, I’ll send out an email and let you all know our new address for your Christmas card list. In the meantime, I’ll be living with Dad and Mom in Eagle River and you can reach me there:
c/o Ron & Gayle Smith
PO Box 770884
Eagle River AK 99577
(907) 696-2293
smith1000@prodigy.net email
Aside from all the above excitement, it’s been a great couple months. I had a good birthday in March. Mom sent me a present from her trip to Mexico and wanted me to open it right away but I made her wait until my birthday. I called her and had her on the phone while I opened it. It was a gorgeous chess set. It’s hand carved from green and ivory stone and has an Aztec design on it, so it matches my southwest decor. The green pieces look like English royalty with the king, queen, bishop, knights, and the pawns are men dressed for battle in armor. The white pieces are Aztec Indians with a chief, his squaw, and Indian warriors for pawns. It’s so beautiful, I absolutely love it and Dean & I have played several games on it already. Dean had a hockey game the day of my birthday, so the night before, we tried to go out to dinner, but it was blizzard weather. We tried several restaurants in town but every place closed early. We ended up going to the grocery store and we came home and I cooked. We went to Charley’s Crab a couple days later, though, and it was wonderful. Also, as a little gift to myself and the women in my family, I had a picture done of my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, sister and niece. FIVE generations of women in one photo - it is SO neat. I framed it and I’ll cherish it forever.
Dean’s birthday is coming up in June, but if they do well in playoffs, he’ll be in the championship round at that time. If they make it that far, and I manage to get us in a house by then, I’m going to buy him a big screen TV for his birthday, then have a party at our new house and we can all watch the games on his TV! ha. Could be a lot of fun, yes? I hope it happens.
Last week, we had a fantastic thunderstorm. I love watching electric storms because we don’t really get them in Alaska. Not like they do here in the midwest. Lightning flashes every 10 seconds and it’s amazing to watch. I AM going to miss the weather here. There was still quite a bit of snow in Alaska last week when I was there and it’s been warm enough to wear shorts all week here. The grass is green and the flowers are blooming. The trees all have leaves and the apartment complex turned on all the fountains in the little ponds around here, so when I open my porch door, I can hear the water splashing. That is one thing I will definitely miss about this place is the warm summer. Oh well.
March was actually a pretty boring month. I was unemployed with nothing to do but job search and that’s a lot of “hurry up and wait” type stuff. I discovered that I have to stay active or I go nuts. I bought some MBA textbooks to read to get a jump on classes, did our taxes (we had to file federal, state AND city taxes here - blech!), I cleaned out every nook and cranny in the house, went through all our stuff (the goodwill people know me by name now), cleaned out all our files, took up yoga, and I even started brushing up on my Spanish. Yikes. I told Dean that when I start taking inventory of toothpicks to have me committed immediately - I’ve lost it completely. I spent a lot of time on the computer in March, too. Ask me anything about Windows 95. If I don’t know the answer, I can figure it out, I guarantee it. We discovered how to record, mix and edit sounds and send them as attachments to email files. I can also answer the telephone using the microphone and speakers, and use the computer as voice mail when I’m out. I’m still trying to figure out how to call long distance using the internet connection so there’s no LD charges. I need a new program, but I’m told it’s really easy.
I also auditioned at a local modeling agency and they booked me for a couple shows so that was fun. I volunteered to be the meeting leader / emcee at a local speaking contest sponsored by Toastmasters, International. They asked me to come back and do it again at the area wide contest, so I did that, too. It was fun and I learned a lot listening to the more advanced speakers. Some of them are so good.
Dean grew a goatee this month, and I thought it looked great on him, but it drove him nuts so he shaved it off while I was in Alaska. It took almost three whole weeks for it to look full. Ha. He’s such a babyface. Shortly after he started growing it, he caught the butt end of a stick in the chin during a game and got four stitches. With the blood and scraggly hair, he looked really tough for a while, let me tell you.
I saw one of the greatest moves I’ve ever seen in hockey the week before Dean got traded. Danton Cole, a Griffins player, had a puck coming at him through the air about eye level. Now, I didn’t know this, but you’re not supposed to be able to catch a puck like that with your hands then put it down and continue playing. If you do, the ref is supposed to blow the whistle and you face-off again. So to keep the puck in play, Danton bent his head down a little bit and head-butted the puck back down to the ice, he took it down and then scored!!! The crowd was on their feet - it was so great! Those guys are so tough, who else but a hockey player would have the nerve to head-butt a flying puck? Of course, it could just be stupidity from being hit in the head one too many times from flying pucks. Ha. Just kidding, actually it was a well thought out move and I was in awe. It hit his helmet so there was no blood or pain (so he says.)
On April 1st, Dean & I realized that we’d met exactly 10 years ago for the first time at a party in college. His buddies had left him at a party and both he and I lived in the dorms. I offered him a ride back. I figured it was safe enough because I had three of my girlfriends with me (hi Nat, Fran and Regina – remember that night?) He came back to our dorm and sat at our kitchen table with us until about 5am, being Mr. Entertainment and making us all laugh for hours until we were all crying. I fell in love immediately, and now here we are, living happily ever after. Sigh. I can’t believe it’s been that long.
Well, that’s all the news. It sure has been a fun year and I’m sad to see it end, but looking forward to my new job and being with my family again. I’m anxious to finish my MBA and get started on our own family again, too, so we’ll keep you posted as life trucks right along!
Much love,
Tiffany
Well, guess what? This will be my last letter because Dean and I are moving home and I’ll get to see most of you on a regular basis and can tell you in person what happening in our lives. For everyone who doesn’t live in Alaska, I’ll still keep in touch, though, just probably not monthly.
A lot has happened in the last two months so I won’t keep you in suspense: Dean was traded to the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday, March 25th. The Griffins owed them a player and out of everyone on the team, they wanted Dean so that was quite a compliment. Dean’s happy about the trade because he thinks the Admirals are a better team, they’re battling fewer injuries than the Griffins, and he thinks they’ll go further in playoffs, thus earning him a bigger bonus. His first weekend, he played in front of 15,000 people at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee and he got a goal and an assist. He gets a lot of ice time and more scoring opportunities so, again, he’s very happy to be there.
I spent the first weekend in Milwaukee with him, but then he left to go on a 10 day road trip and I came back to Grand Rapids. A couple days later, on April 1st, I flew to Alaska for a job interview with the Nerland Agency and they liked me so well, they ended up offering me a management position in the agency, rather than the account executive job that I applied for. I was very excited and yes, I accepted the job. My first day is April 27th. Also, payment for schooling was part of the job offer, so if all goes according to plan, by the end of next summer, I’ll be the proud owner of an MBA. I’ll keep you posted. Dean will just fly to Alaska instead of Grand Rapids when playoffs are over.
I stayed with my sister while I was there, and Pete and I were flipping through the channels one day and Fox had one of Dean’s games on TV! It was so neat to watch him on television! He was part of the play of the game, so the camera zoomed in on him for about 30-40 seconds while the color commentators talked about how he was a great addition to the Milwaukee team, a very strong defenseman and very solid on the defensive line. They told a little bit about his history and everything. It was so great! No honorable mentions about the wife at home, though. Oh well. Ha.
I came back from Alaska last week and headed to Chicago where Dean had one more game. It was his last regular season game on Easter Sunday. Chip Aiken and family joined me and it was great to see them, they’re doing well. Nathan graduates this year and they had all just returned from a trip to Nashville and Orlando, where Tiffany and the marching band she plays in got to perform down main street at Disney World. Chip and Annette were chaperones for all the kids. VERY generous parents, aren’t they? I’m glad Dean didn’t play for Chicago this year because it was a boring performance. The hockey was good, but it’s such an entertainment industry anymore and I missed all the fun promotions and games that they usually have between periods. Shannon Miller, the gymnast, was in the crowd that day, and they showed her on the readerboard but that was about it. At the beginning, when they introduced the players, they had laser lights and fire and smoke, so that was neat, but pretty standard anymore. I spent most of the time visiting with the Aikens.
After the game, I went back to Milwaukee again with Dean until he had to leave for playoffs in Houston, TX. Just to kill some time, we took a tour of the Miller Brewing Company. That was a fun couple of hours. We went with one of the other guys on the team and his wife. They didn’t really explain the brewing process so much, but rather, gave a history of the company and showed us the bottling, canning and shipping areas. Did you know that their canning machines can a case of beer every second? Amazing. Their shipping warehouse is 200,000 square feet and stocked full of beer from floor to ceiling. Every last bottle and can in there is shipped out and restocked every 48 hours. That’s a lot of beer, America. We saw the huge vats where they make the mash and process everything. It was about 90 degrees in that room from all the boiling wort. We also walked around in the cave where they stored the beer in the 1800’s to keep it cool during the summer. Then at the end of the tour, we sat in this great little tavern and they let us try 8oz samples of different Miller products. That company makes a LOT of beer. I was surprised. Although I don’t know why, I am married to a hockey player, after all. Dean told me that the refrigerator in the locker room is always stocked from donations from the company and the guys certainly take advantage of it.
Anyway, I’m back in Grand Rapids now to pack up the house and say farewell to everyone. My computer will be packed up next Wednesday and I won’t unpack it again until we get settled in a house in Alaska. It may take a couple months to find a place and close on it, but as soon as we do, I’ll send out an email and let you all know our new address for your Christmas card list. In the meantime, I’ll be living with Dad and Mom in Eagle River and you can reach me there:
c/o Ron & Gayle Smith
PO Box 770884
Eagle River AK 99577
(907) 696-2293
smith1000@prodigy.net email
Aside from all the above excitement, it’s been a great couple months. I had a good birthday in March. Mom sent me a present from her trip to Mexico and wanted me to open it right away but I made her wait until my birthday. I called her and had her on the phone while I opened it. It was a gorgeous chess set. It’s hand carved from green and ivory stone and has an Aztec design on it, so it matches my southwest decor. The green pieces look like English royalty with the king, queen, bishop, knights, and the pawns are men dressed for battle in armor. The white pieces are Aztec Indians with a chief, his squaw, and Indian warriors for pawns. It’s so beautiful, I absolutely love it and Dean & I have played several games on it already. Dean had a hockey game the day of my birthday, so the night before, we tried to go out to dinner, but it was blizzard weather. We tried several restaurants in town but every place closed early. We ended up going to the grocery store and we came home and I cooked. We went to Charley’s Crab a couple days later, though, and it was wonderful. Also, as a little gift to myself and the women in my family, I had a picture done of my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, sister and niece. FIVE generations of women in one photo - it is SO neat. I framed it and I’ll cherish it forever.
Dean’s birthday is coming up in June, but if they do well in playoffs, he’ll be in the championship round at that time. If they make it that far, and I manage to get us in a house by then, I’m going to buy him a big screen TV for his birthday, then have a party at our new house and we can all watch the games on his TV! ha. Could be a lot of fun, yes? I hope it happens.
Last week, we had a fantastic thunderstorm. I love watching electric storms because we don’t really get them in Alaska. Not like they do here in the midwest. Lightning flashes every 10 seconds and it’s amazing to watch. I AM going to miss the weather here. There was still quite a bit of snow in Alaska last week when I was there and it’s been warm enough to wear shorts all week here. The grass is green and the flowers are blooming. The trees all have leaves and the apartment complex turned on all the fountains in the little ponds around here, so when I open my porch door, I can hear the water splashing. That is one thing I will definitely miss about this place is the warm summer. Oh well.
March was actually a pretty boring month. I was unemployed with nothing to do but job search and that’s a lot of “hurry up and wait” type stuff. I discovered that I have to stay active or I go nuts. I bought some MBA textbooks to read to get a jump on classes, did our taxes (we had to file federal, state AND city taxes here - blech!), I cleaned out every nook and cranny in the house, went through all our stuff (the goodwill people know me by name now), cleaned out all our files, took up yoga, and I even started brushing up on my Spanish. Yikes. I told Dean that when I start taking inventory of toothpicks to have me committed immediately - I’ve lost it completely. I spent a lot of time on the computer in March, too. Ask me anything about Windows 95. If I don’t know the answer, I can figure it out, I guarantee it. We discovered how to record, mix and edit sounds and send them as attachments to email files. I can also answer the telephone using the microphone and speakers, and use the computer as voice mail when I’m out. I’m still trying to figure out how to call long distance using the internet connection so there’s no LD charges. I need a new program, but I’m told it’s really easy.
I also auditioned at a local modeling agency and they booked me for a couple shows so that was fun. I volunteered to be the meeting leader / emcee at a local speaking contest sponsored by Toastmasters, International. They asked me to come back and do it again at the area wide contest, so I did that, too. It was fun and I learned a lot listening to the more advanced speakers. Some of them are so good.
Dean grew a goatee this month, and I thought it looked great on him, but it drove him nuts so he shaved it off while I was in Alaska. It took almost three whole weeks for it to look full. Ha. He’s such a babyface. Shortly after he started growing it, he caught the butt end of a stick in the chin during a game and got four stitches. With the blood and scraggly hair, he looked really tough for a while, let me tell you.
I saw one of the greatest moves I’ve ever seen in hockey the week before Dean got traded. Danton Cole, a Griffins player, had a puck coming at him through the air about eye level. Now, I didn’t know this, but you’re not supposed to be able to catch a puck like that with your hands then put it down and continue playing. If you do, the ref is supposed to blow the whistle and you face-off again. So to keep the puck in play, Danton bent his head down a little bit and head-butted the puck back down to the ice, he took it down and then scored!!! The crowd was on their feet - it was so great! Those guys are so tough, who else but a hockey player would have the nerve to head-butt a flying puck? Of course, it could just be stupidity from being hit in the head one too many times from flying pucks. Ha. Just kidding, actually it was a well thought out move and I was in awe. It hit his helmet so there was no blood or pain (so he says.)
On April 1st, Dean & I realized that we’d met exactly 10 years ago for the first time at a party in college. His buddies had left him at a party and both he and I lived in the dorms. I offered him a ride back. I figured it was safe enough because I had three of my girlfriends with me (hi Nat, Fran and Regina – remember that night?) He came back to our dorm and sat at our kitchen table with us until about 5am, being Mr. Entertainment and making us all laugh for hours until we were all crying. I fell in love immediately, and now here we are, living happily ever after. Sigh. I can’t believe it’s been that long.
Well, that’s all the news. It sure has been a fun year and I’m sad to see it end, but looking forward to my new job and being with my family again. I’m anxious to finish my MBA and get started on our own family again, too, so we’ll keep you posted as life trucks right along!
Much love,
Tiffany
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