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| Fall 2014 |
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| Fall 2014 |
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| Two years ago today! Last treatment. |
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| 2 Years ago, Feb. 2, 2013. |
Today, February 2, 2015, marks two years since my final
cancer treatment.
I’ve had several
check ups since my last entry, including a mammogram, blood tests, and a couple
of different scans, and so far, all is still clear and I’m still cancer free.
My energy level remains at about 85% of
my pre-cancer energy level, and Scott jokingly adds, “and all our lives are
better for it.”
He claims that my
80% is higher than most people’s 100%.
I am able to do all that I need and want to do; I just need to take it a
little slower on Mondays following a busy weekend.
My hair continues to grow, and now that I’m hitting the 2
year mark, the curls are also almost gone. The last 6 months of growth has added straight strands, with
some remaining curl on the ends from my earliest growth. The flesh from my left arm pit, to
about half way to the elbow still has little feeling, due to nerve damage when
the lymphnodes were removed. This
is most likely permanent at this point, but it doesn’t prevent me from doing
anything. And, if I pinch it hard,
it does register pain at some level of the tissue. Obviously, I rarely do this.
I take daily medication to block the hormones that fed my
type of cancer. I have been able
to talk with other women starting on their own breast cancer adventures,
sharing things that I’ve learned along the way, and advice shared with me from
others who have been on similar journeys.
I am thankful for all I learned through the process. I appreciate my body and its
resilience. I am thankful for the
things I learned from family and friends about love, compassion, prayer, and
support. Most of all, I am
thankful for the opportunity I had to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and my
Savior. I could feel of my
Savior’s love, grace, and enabling power.
It was an opportunity to give my will to Him, and know that all would be
okay, no matter what the outcome.
I’m also very thankful that His will was also what I wanted most—more
time with my family and friends, and more time to serve others.
That’s the end of the cancer update and talk.
Now I’ll share a few updates since my
last post.
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| BYU Graduation April 2014 |
Garrett married Jamisyn in August.
She fits in so well and is a great addition to our
family.
Kirsten & Weston
graduated and moved back to Indiana, where Weston’s in a masters program and
will begin medical school in the fall.
Courtney finished high school and
starts college in April.
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| Photo Credit Erin Summerill Photography; cousin Jackson holding Heath's photo. |
Last August, I completed a sprint triathlon with Scott,
Kirsten & Weston.
It was a
great event to train for.
I
learned how to swim with proper stroking and breathing, and purchased my first
swim cap and goggles.
I have a
MUCH greater appreciation for swimmers.
I also learned that triathletes are more serious and competitive than
your typical 5K participants.
There
were no walkers. Kirsten and I were the only casual participants. I won 2
nd place in my age category (women over 50), but
there were only 2 of us, AND I placed DEAD last out of the 50-60
participants.
It was really fun
doing the event with family, and Kirsten stayed with me through the swim and
bike portions.
We plan on doing it again this summer.
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| Sprint triathlon |
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| New Years Day 2015, Chicago |
Our family will soon hit another 2 year mark—Heath will
return from his 2-year mission in Argentina in 10 days!
We are SO excited to see him
again.
He has loved his time there
and will be sad to leave.
His
mission adventures can be followed at elderheathtenney.blogspot.com
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| Indianapolis Temple Under Construction |
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| Temple photos credit to Trisha Amerpohl |
This will be an exciting year for our family and our church
family here in Indianapolis. The
construction of our Indianapolis Temple is almost complete. There will be a public open house from
July 17th through August 8th, except for Sundays. It is a rare treat to tour a temple of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After the open house, entry will be limited to members who
hold a current recommend (permission card). I’d love to host any local friends who would like to go on a
tour!
