Anxiety, November apologies & Your PURPLE pics!!

Ok, I have a secret that those close to me know of but those of you just following my blog probably don’t and I will share it.  I get very overwhelmed (internally that is)  and major anxiety when things are in disarray in my life. I am the type that needs everything very organized, clean, everything in it’s spot and to be on top of things.  I can’t throw things in a closet, drawer or tote and call it good.  I’ve always been like this and to get to the nitty gritty of what I’m talking about you would probably think I am crazy (or crazier 😉 ) but it’s all good.  I

Happy black friday!! Go purple shopping!! ;) & Art Ginsburg – Mr. Food

Tobys black friday Teddy and I :o)

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPINGGGG!!!! Got my SHOP on!!! 🙂   I LOVE me some Pentagon city! I love shopping.  My first words as a baby were “mall” and “shop” for heavens sake so don’t blame me!! 🙂   I didn’t need any off brand laptops or cheap tvs, but the little misc stuff I did need I got good deals on and spent 17 hours…. 5:00AM until 10:30PM… haha!  Nice day spent with my love 🙂  and good exercise!! Although I am not suppose to be exercising?  hmm… well my dr.’s don’t read this… as far as I know! ha!

I received a call today from someone who hasn’t seen my since May and wanted a follow-up and I was catching her up but forgot how she remembered me.  She had recalled how skinny and weak I was last she saw me and had my j-tube in my stomach and just dreamed of eating a bite of food.  It’s amazing how much I’ve changed since then! I’ve gained all and more of my weight, I eat obviously, I look better and am so much more active. Today I felt well actually, even after eating too much at the beautiful Thanksgiving dinner I attended last night and didn’t eat all day.  When I don’t eat I feel my best and then forget I have to take it easy and be careful.  I made this mistake in August and was literally running around everywhere when my spleen did what it did so I constantly have to remind myself about that and how I don’t want that to happen again.

It was funny today when I was shopping, actually later tonight and the cashier said I looked like a brunette barbie.  I laughed, first of all because I had no sleep and got ready in 5 minutes this morning and secondly that I had colored my hair blonde since high school and then I go with this brunette look this year and probably have had more compliments than when I dyed my hair blonde???  too funny! 🙂  I just roll with it.  Who doesn’t like a compliment when you are going through enough?  it’s a nice thing.  🙂

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful day yesterday.  I did! I had a wonderful day and a beautiful dinner with amazing people. I ate TOO much, little bites though and did well.  I am thankful just that I was able to eat, it would have sad if I was in the state where I was months ago and couldn’t even try a nibble. Amen for that!

I also hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!  I have a MILLION things I need to get done, that’s no exaggeration!  I am praying my platelets are high enough for chemo on Monday. I don’t want my 3 day chemo, but I need it, so platelet prayers for me! 🙂

I also wanted to add, since I forgot to blog about it the other day but I’m sure many have heard that Art Ginsburg, “Mr. Food”, died at the age of 81 from pancreatic cancer. This terrible cancer took another life, famous one at that.  How many lives does it have to take before it gets the recognition it needs???  This ridiculously underfunded disease is taking more lives by the day and many famous ones at that as it seems I am hearing it in the news often!  It will soon by the # 2 major cancer killer but it is the ‘NO HOPE’ cancer!!!! I spoke to someone last week who advised it doesn’t get the funding because it’s just SO hard to detect and treat that it’s basically the one that is looked at as when will you die as opposed to how can we treat this etc.  I get there is no cure for cancer but no one understands how pancreatic cancer needs the research to advance its odds, like breast cancer, so badly!!!!   Here is an article I found online about Mr. Food:

Art Ginsburg, who billed himself as Mr. Food in 90-second televised cooking lessons — attracting nearly four million viewers for each, selling eight million cookbooks and presaging today’s proliferation of celebrity chef shows — died Wednesday at his home in Weston, Fla. He was 81.

His family announced his death, which The Associated Press said was caused by pancreatic cancer.

Mr. Ginsburg disdained haute cuisine as irrelevant to the lives of hard-pressed working folks in favor of cake mixes and canned soups. His recipes had 10 ingredients at most, and he shared uncountable timesaving tricks. His “anybody can do it” philosophy held that any home cooking is better than no home cooking. The recipe for his recipes boiled down to this: “The less steps the better; the less ingredients the better.”

Mr. Ginsburg was the son of a butcher and a butcher himself — as well as an enthusiastic amateur thespian — and his appeal rested partly on his often goofy, unaffected manner. His syndicated spots appeared on local news programs and talk shows in the manner of weather forecasts, and were distinguished by his tall chef’s hat, gray beard and bad jokes, but most of all by his legally trademarked sign-off line: “Ooh it’s so good!!”

At his death, his vignettes — of which he made 230 a year — appeared on 125 local television stations, down from a peak of 168 in 2007. He wrote 52 cookbooks, and each month attracted 1.7 million unique visitors to his Web site. He peddled merchandise that included frozen food products, energy bars and gas grills. He endorsed products like spaghetti sauces and sweet corn. His company, Ginsburg Enterprises Inc., will continue; during his illness, an associate had already replaced him on the broadcasts.

A large part of Mr. Ginsburg’s appeal was his easygoing approach, advocating moderation. His advice to dieters: “One piece of chocolate cake has half the calories of two pieces of chocolate cake.”

Don’t forget it’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month!!

It’s November!! Tell everyone that its Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month!!

Hello world!!!! I tried so so so hard to make the best of today!! I did my best.  I didn’t go into my work as I wanted.  I did clean, do laundry and showered!

One thing was sure known….it’s Opening Day in Michigan!! (hunting season) haha I sure heard about this enough today.  I heard about todays opening day more than I did in April.  Speaking of baseball, ‘Miggy keeps the MVP in the D’!! Woohoo!! 🙂   and we got Torii Hunter yesterday! whoop!

So back to me?  Eh. I’m not exciting today. As I said, I tried so hard to do things I needed to do but this dang chemo was just kicking my butt! I know my body has to get used to this chemo although it’s less harsh than my last one, it’s still harsh and my body has to get used to it.  I kept getting sick and then I’d get hungry. AHH! So icky!  Thats basically my day.  I tried to do the most while sickly and groggy and just am happy I can chill out now, nice and clean from my shower ( I couldn’t shower since my biopsy Monday because the hematologist advised I had to wait until today so this was a big deal) and relax in my bed of clean sheets/bedding and the smell of my yummy candles glowing.  Love!  I have neighbors over now chatting with Tim and their chatter is kinda like calming background noise because I feel so relaxed now.

Ok people! Tomorrow is “Purple for a Purpose” which is basically something that millions are doing nationwide to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer.  I would LOVE for everyone reading this to participate.  How can you participate?  Wear purple!!  Ladies, purple nail polish, necklace, ring, shirt, earrings, bracelet, undies, shoes… anything! 🙂  Fellas… same things! You can sport purple! Boxers, bands, ties, really doesn’t matter. Be creative!  So just ‘wear purple for a purpose’ whether its for me, for someone else you know, for a celeb you love that has been affected or died etc.  I’m sure many of you will do this and thats awesome!! 🙂  I may not even know this, you may wear it privately and not say but hey at least you and Him will know. If you want to wear it proud then take a pic and send it to me!! 🙂  Send it to my email, friends or family – send me a picture text!!!  I personally think everyone should send me pics of you, a group, your dog, I don’t care but wearing purple and send it to me and let me post it on my blog here.  Please!

Well I must call it a night on here. I simply hope everyone really knows the importance of bringing awareness to pancreatic cancer.  This is awareness will bring the much needed research and funding to this terrible cancer in which needs advancement to save lives!  My life may not be saved.  I MAY DIE from this cancer! I need everyone to be honest and know the truth.  Though my truth is I am going to fight like hell, I feel if anyone can fight this beast it’s me.  I have a rarer form of pancreatic cancer that has spread to my lymph nodes, liver, stomach, bowels, abdomen, cervix and my cysts on ovaries.  I just wanted to remind everyone.  This is inoperable and incurable but which research and funding we can find a cure.

Night all! xoxo

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month!!!

Do I have amazing friends??

^ This is a picture of an old coworker of mine (Fire Dept Lt. ) and great friend.  I am very fortunate to have such amazing friends!!!

– Incase you cannot read this it says “10 Mile Run Team Ashley Anderson and Purple Stride”

It’s November!!

It’s November 1st!!! That means it’s time to see PURPLE everywhere!!! It IS Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and it’s time to see a purple nation!! 🙂  Do it for me, do it for someone you know, do it if you love Apple and miss Steve Jobs, do it if you LOVE the movie Dirty Dancing and Ghost and love you some Patrick Swayze.  It doesn’t matter to me who exactly you are wearing purple for just wear it! Promote it! Tell everyone you know that this Ashley girl said Nov is for PC awareness and I think we should all show some support.  😉   K?  Cool.

Did you know?

• Pancreatic Cancer has the lowest survival rate of all the leading cancers – unacceptable!!
• Most people diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer (like myself) will die within the first year
• There is NO cure and NO early detection for pancreatic cancer
• Approx 44,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year
• Pancreatic cancer receives only 2% of federal funding for cancer research
• By 2020, possibly 2015, pancreatic cancer is will be the second cause of cancer related deaths in the US

The PanCan motto is “Know it Fight it End it” – I challenge you all to research a little more so we can fight together and end this!!

Events:

There is a PurpleStride in Philadelphia on Nov. 3 at 8am at Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park.    I will be attending this event!  A friend of mine is from Philly and actually wanted us all to do it together but since he unfortunately cannot make it now, the party must go on.  😉   Come out and rock that purple with me!

Just a note:  My birth stone is amethyst so I was just meant to promote purple!! I love it! ♥♥

oh I LOVE my birth stone!! I’d love to own this ring! haha

 

Once again, join the fight with me!!