HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Guess what?!?!?!  IT"S SNOWING!!! We are so excited...especially because we are now living inside of our Tia Bea's family's glass house (guest house)...we can spin in circles inside the house and feel like we are outside experiencing the snow flurry even hough it is nice and warm in here! The fire place is blazing and we are soon headed off to a Thanksgiving feast inside of a big ol'barn! Early this morning I made a batch of cookies to add to the feast...the house smells yummy! What a speacial day!

THANK YOU friends and family for all the love and support...we love you and couldn't fight this battle with out you.  Gracias!

XOXO Ani

Paciencia y Fe

Knowledge is light; it removes fear. 

  Hope is life; believing in the impossible.   

    Faith is trust; knowing He’s always there to carry you on His back.

      Patience is love; supporting one another, holding hands.

        Courage is determination, the will to walk a course.

Dearest All,

We were up and at it before the crack of dawn yesterday morning; we had been advised not to be late!   And Kelly was right on schedule for her cross-town consultation with Dr. Jerome Posner, Chief of Neuro-Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).  The initial phase of the consultation included only Kelly and Dr. Posner; Kelly related her story of the events leading up to the discovery of the tumor and answered a few questions about her medical history.  Dr. Posner had Kelly perform several tests to check her neurological responses (e.g., finger touching, eye movement, sensory responses, walking, balance, etc.), all of which she performed well.  After this initial phase, la familia (including Tia Bea, and Dad – who returned from Panama Thursday night) was able to join them for a question and answer session.  Dr. Posner opened the session: “Kelly, what do you know about what’s been going on and what questions would you like to ask me?”  And in the ensuing discourse, of about one hour, we gleaned critical facts about her cancer, her recommended treatment and her future.

In short, Dr. Posner informed us that Kelly has an unusual variant of a common type of brain tumor (anaplastic astrocytoma) that occurs in about 25% of brain cancer patients.   It’s unusual for someone her age to have this kind of tumor (commonly found in adults over the age of 60) and the variant that she carries is quite unique. 

Dr. Posner further explained that her operation and the post-surgery treatment will never cure Kelly of the cancer, as there are no cures for her type of brain tumor; anaplastic astrocytomas always return.  The recommended post-surgery therapies are meant to shrink the tumor and impede re-growth, but they will not cure her of the cancer.  There is a 99% probability that the cancer will return within 2-5 years, requiring that she again undergo surgery and/or additional therapies (as decided at that time by her medical team).

The treatment protocol recommended by Dr. Posner is the same one that was identified by the neuro-oncologist at NY Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Pannullo:  six (6) consecutive weeks of chemo and radiation therapies, followed by a rest period of four (4) weeks and then a resumption of (minimized) chemotherapy for at least one year, and perhaps for the rest of her life.

The actual radiation therapy requires but a few minutes each day, Monday through Friday, in the area where the tumor was removed and spreading (she will lose the hair in those areas during the radiation treatment).  The radiation will probably be administered via IMRT (intensity-modulated radiation therapy) and/or IGRT (image-guided radiation therapy).  The proposed chemotherapy agent for her type of cancer is temozolomide (Temodar), a “targeted agent” that is in capsule form.  Kelly will take one capsule every day concurrent with the 6 weeks of radiation treatment.  After completion of the radiation therapy and another four weeks of rest, she’ll start the long-term treatment: five days of Temodar and 26 days without.  Annual MRI’s would be taken to monitor the tumor cells and Dr. Posner indicated that she could have these MRI’s taken in Panama, as the set taken at Hospital Punta Pacifica was excellent (that’s very good to know!).

Most patients are fatigued by the radiation, but each individual responds differently.  More than likely, Kelly will be minimally affected by the radiation.  The chemo pill makes you feel mildly nauseous, so it would be taken at night with another pill meant to reduce the nausea.  Again, each body responds differently, but this treatment is less intrusive compared to other chemo therapies (usually given intravenously).

Other than these therapies, Kelly can live a normal life with no restrictions.  Dr. Posner recommended that she stop all the nutritional supplements, as there is no scientific evidence that nutritional supplements are helpful in arresting the growth of tumor cells or that they do not harm the patient.  Whether she decides to take supplements or not, she must be careful not to take anything during the 6 week period of treatment that builds up cell immunity; the whole idea of the therapies is to break down cell immunity in order for them to destroy cancer cells.

Kelly also asked Dr. Posner about the availability and advantages of proton beam radiation, a new alternative to photon radiology (used in both IMRT and IGRT).   The doctor said that medical science still did not have evidence that proton radiation is any more effective than traditional photon technology.  Dr. Posner will verify whether Kelly might be a candidate to participate in any on-going clinical trials at MSKCC (these are studies used to develop new treatments, including new chemotherapy agents, multimodal treatments and biological therapies).  When asked if she would have to continue to take seizure medicine, he said only for 1 or 2 years, at which point they could taper it off if she did not suffer continued seizures.  

The good news: Kelly will be able to return home at the end of the 6 weeks of radiation/chemo therapies, returning only for six-month checkups after that!  She will need further radiation only if and when the next tumor makes its appearance.  And she can get Temodar in Panama, so she doesn’t need to be in NY for that!  Yahoo, we should be home by the end of January!  The bad news: we forgot to take a group photo of La Familia, the Doctor and the Rabbi.

And so we have reached another crossroads – do we stay this recommended course, or do we seek other advice?  We will decide within a week and we trust that God will continue to illuminate our path.

Last night we took the advice of Isa Juliao and enjoyed In the Heights, a Latino musical showing on Broadway.  What great fun – the staging, the salsa, the dancing, the colors!  Ani’s college-friend, Katrina Franzen, came into the city from Connecticut and joined in the merriment, which included an after-show dinner at Breeze, a French-Thai eatery nearby the theatre.

In the show’s most poignant number, Abuelita Claudia sings of “combing the stars in the sky for some sort of sign”, much as we do each day.  And it is Abuelita Claudia’s mother that counsels her to have “Paciencia y Fe” (Patience and Faith).

We too will comb the stars in the sky, and pray for another miracle!

Mari and Mark

Big Apple - Big Smiles

Yesterday, Nov.18, Kelly registered at Sloan Kettering and as we made our way back to the hotel to find a restaurant for lunch, Mom insisted we take a picture with the NYC Taxi's behind us...the only problem was that they move too fast!

About two hours later...Kelly, Mom and I finished eating at this DELICIOUS organic pizza bar on 3rd Ave between 73rd and 74th St. called Slice, The Perfect Food! We left that place so happy, we couldn't help but take a picture of our beaming smiles!!

The Nutritional Challenge

And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the Earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

–Genesis 1:29

Dear Family and Friends,

What would we do without Internet and Amazon.com to help give us answers!  As soon as we got settled into Mountainville and could set up our laptops, we ordered a ton of reading material to help us get quickly educated on brain cancer, chemo, radiation, nutrition and herbal medicine and healing of cancer.  We settled down with Bea’s dogs at our feet and started reading aloud and discussing what we were reading.  Having no background in the subject, the beginning days were frustrating trying to make sense of everything.  Now, slowly, some of it is starting to make sense.  At least we don’t feel so helpless, and now we can start doing something to move forward positively (in the nutritional sense of the term). 

A week ago the words in Genesis 1:29 didn’t have much meaning; now after much reading in search of how to fight Kelly’s brain cancer, we can read the words and understand.  The nutritional material we have been reading repeatedly claims we don’t have to go far to find the miracle healer, right outside of our door is our green world of nature and it provides all the nutrients needed to sustain life.  Eat a diet rich in GREENS and HERBS, and you will feed your body properly and help it have a strong immune system to protect you from disease and also fight disease.  Our plant world has all the secrets to curing and sustaining life.  The challenge is eating the right foods.  This does not mean that chemo and radiation aren’t needed to combat Kelly’s cancer, it just means that eating healthy and staying away from foods that tumor cells thrive on can help greatly.

A  new diet regime is now our immediate focus.  It means

·  We toss the chips and dips, candy, pastries, can food, etc. 

·  We bring aboard a juicer and all organic veggies, herbs, fruits, grains, nuts and natural goat milk yogurt.

·  We learn which veggies and greens should be cooked and which are best eaten raw. 

·  Some fruit are heavy in sugar, we need to substitute these for others that have higher nutritional value and are ranked lower on the glycemic index.

·  We need to eat less meat and get our protein from other more nurturing sources like nuts and beans, dark legumes, organic fruits, fish, and free range organic eggs, etc. 

·  We need to read the labels on foods so we make educated decisions about our food intake.

·  We need to eat organic foods and foods that are not heavily pumped with hormones and pesticides. 

·  And we must be careful to stay away from eating chicken, unless we know that they are “gallina de patio” and have had a lot of sunshine.  Chickens raised in coops are given growth hormones and it’s believed that cancer feeds off of hormones.  But for now, we are staying away from chicken altogether

One of Ani and Thomson’s friends, Andrew Brodhead, visited in Panama with us for 3 months.  You may have met him, he’s a photographer.  Andrew’s parents own an organic food store in Savannah, Georgia called Brighter Day (http://www.brighterdayfoods.com/).  Andrew’s father is a Certified Nutritionist who specializes in natural foods and medicines.  For the past week we have been in close contact with him, as he has guided us in selecting some naturopathic medicines to complement Kelly’s new diet; these medicines will begin to act as natural cancer fighting agents as well as immune system boosters.  Also, Kelly talked with Alan Furmanski on the phone (thanks to a phone call that Rochelle Harrari made…thank you so much Rochelle!!!).  Alan is a close friend of her brother.  He sent Kelly some information on the juices that he drank when he was fighting brain cancer.  Kelly has already started her regime of herbal supplements and natural organic juices to help boost her immune system before she begins radiation and chemo.  Once we know more about the plan of action for her chemo and radiation, her natural nutritionsits will work with the oncology and radiation departments to coordinate a balance between the two medical worlds.

We now await the visit this Friday with Dr. Posner at Sloan Kettering.

Bueno, saludos a todos.!  Take care and keep connected.  And yes, please, keep those prayers rolling!

Big hug,

Mari 

Searching...

   We are currently reading Donald R. Yance's book, Herbal Medicine, Healing, and Cancer; A Comprehensive Program for Prevention and Treatment and there are many live testimonies that point out that herbs, vitamins, and other micro-nutrients, proper diet and other health-enhancing modalities can be used with conventional therapies in the healing process. We are moving toward this two-fold approach. Here is an excerpt from Yance's book that summarizes some of his thoughts that seem to make a lot of sense to us.


" I am frequently asked what really heals cancer. Frankly, I don't know whether it is the herbs, the nutritional supplements, changes in diet or lifestyle, changes in mind and spirit, or even some conventional protocols. Perhaps it's a combination of all these things. I do know, however, that just as each herb is a complex entity, so too is each individual. Thus, healing with herbs brings us into a realm where physical explanations are not always as clear and scientific as we would like. This synergy that takes place between the body's own innate tendency to heal and the herbs that aid in that process is, in some ways, a mystery even though the healing itself is indisputably real." -Donald R. Yance


Miriam Butterman sent us this article...Has anyone heard about this? Or know of anybody who has gone through this treatment.
-Ani 

Vivir| 16 Jun 2009 - 10:54 pm

El elíxir para el cáncer

Por: Mariana Suárez Rueda

El jueves se presenta en Bogotá un documental sobre este tratamiento.

Foto: Juan Camilo Giraldo

Alan Furmanski fue diagnosticado con cáncer cuando tenía apenas 27 años. Empeñado en ganarle la batalla a la muerte puso todas sus fuerzas en un tratamiento tradicional, pero no dio resultado. Desesperado empezó a investigar sobre otras alternativas para combatir la enfermedad y encontró que en Estados Unidos y México se había vuelto popular un novedoso procedimiento que en dos años promete curar el cáncer sin métodos invasivos ni perjudiciales para el organismo, simplemente tomando jugos de frutas y de verduras.

Sin dudarlo dos veces viajó a uno de estos centros médicos para aprender cómo preparar estas bebidas y comprobar que se trataba de un tratamiento serio. Allí se enteró de que entre los años 30 y 50 el médico alemán Max Gerson había descubierto los beneficios de la comida vegetariana y no procesada para curar ciertas enfermedades como la tuberculosis. Durante varios meses aprendió a mezclar lechugas, zanahorias, escarolas, acelgas, berros, repollos y manzanas, entre otros ingredientes, en una máquina especial en la que se baten sin perder ninguna de sus propiedades.

Todos los días, por dos años, tuvo que tomarse 12 vasos de estos jugos, realizarse varias veces al día un enema de café y sacar de su dieta la carne, las grasas, el alcohol y la comida chatarra para que el tratamiento diera resultado. “Se necesita mucha disciplina, hay que ser muy estricto”, cuenta Alan. “A veces tu familia te dice que no exageres, que por un día no pasa nada. Pero no es así”, recuerda.

Después de 24 meses el cáncer abandonó su organismo. Fue un milagro, dijeron algunos. Sin embargo, este joven bogotano estaba convencido del poder curativo de estos jugos y decidió dedicarse a ayudar a quienes quisieran realizar este tratamiento en Colombia. Además de suministrarles las frutas y las verduras con las que deben preparar las bebidas, Alan se ha convertido en un testimonio de su eficacia, en un símbolo para no perder la esperanza.

Al igual que le sucedió a Alan, se han registrado varios casos de pacientes en diferentes países del mundo que logran curarse con estos jugos. Aunque el tratamiento es cuestionado por los médicos tradicionales, quienes defienden la necesidad de utilizar la quimioterapia o la radioterapia para combatir el cáncer, cada vez es mayor el número de personas que se anima a probarlo.

Este jueves a las 10 de la mañana en los cines del centro comercial Andino, en Bogotá, se proyectará un documental de 92 minutos sobre el tratamiento y las clínicas en donde se practica. En la cinta se hace una fuerte crítica a la industria farmacéutica y se habla del cáncer, especialmente de cómo puede prevenirse si las personas adquieren hábitos de vida saludables. Alan confía en que esta película pueda dar respuestas a quienes sufren la enfermedad o se convierta en una esperanza para los pacientes que quieren a toda costa recuperar su salud.

http://www.elespectador.com/impreso/articuloimpreso146168-el-elixir-el-cancer

Kelly in Wonderland

“The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things; of shoes -and strings- and sealing wax- of cabbages and kings- and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."  "But wait a bit," the oysters said, "before we have our chat, for some of us are out of breath and all of us are fat."... (poem from Alice in Wonderland)

Dear All,

If you believe in magic, then you’d know that one should never have the staples removed from their scalp while on an empty stomach and certainly not without celebrating the event with a tea party!   So, at 10:30 am yesterday, the Dillon family made a very special stop at Alice’s Tea Cup to munch on pumpkin scones, drink aromatic teas and enjoy the enchanting ambiance from Alice in Wonderland!  Once done and with our bellies full and tongues still wagging, we sauntered happily over to the hospital to get Kelly “unzipped“  (for the long row of staples looked just like a zipper across her head).

We entered the doctor’s office en masse to witness the event (even Rabbi Goldwasser squeezed into the room).   Nurse Amanda used this neat little tool that looks like a scissors but it has 3 fingers and acts like a staple remover.  It bends the center of the staple at the same time that it pulls the staple out of the skin.  Kelly just sat on the examination table, bent her head over and… clip, clip, clip…out they came, all 43 of them.  It took all of 10 minutes (Ani filmed it).  Kelly assured us (as we all looked on and grimaced in anguish) that she didn’t feel anything other than a little pinch…..until the doctor got to the last three staples...the one's in front of her ear.  Ouch, those three little buggers hurt (the face being a more tender area than the scalp)!  EVERYONE checked out the wound and "ooohed" and "aaahed" at how beautifully it had healed:

“Let me see!” says Mama Bear.

“Move over!” says Papa Bear.

“Hey, I can’t see…Get out of the way, I’m filming!” says Little Sister Bear.

“It’s amazing! Thank the Lord!” says the Rabbi.

“Did it hurt?” says Hector.

“Not really, only here.” says Kelly Bear as she pointed to her ear.

“Back away everyone, let me finish!” says Nurse Amanda.

“Keep the staples! “ excitedly piped up Little Sister Bear, “I want them!”

“OH, DISGUSTING!” groaned Mama Bear! 

“Go for it, Baby Bear! Make us something beautiful!”  smiled Papa Bear.

“Here they are!" laughed Nurse Amanda.  “I put them in a test tube, just for you, Little Sister Bear.”

Then Nurse Amanda asked Kelly Bear, “Do you have any questions to ask me before you leave?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have several.” replied Kelly Bear as she pulled her list out of her cuadernito (notebook):    

#1.  Can I have a massage….my neck has been killing me?

#2.  Can I wax my eyebrows….I’ve got a forest growing?

#3.  Can I use my new Easy Tone Reeboks?

And the list went on...

Nurse Amanda, took a deep breath and signed, “Yes, live your normal life and do the things that make you happy, Kelly Bear!  And, by the way, your question about waxing the eyebrows, is a first, I never heard that one before!”

And so the staples are now gone, and Kelly Bear won’t have to worry ever again about them freezing and popping out in the cold, cold NY weather!  (Wonder what interesting art piece Ani will design from them?...)

We are so glad to have the operation behind us.  Alleluyah!  One down, two to go…..

Yesterday, we also went to pathology for the update.  We were informed that the additional pathology studies confirmed that Kelly’s tumor is not an oligodendroglioma (low grade tumor), but rather is a glioneuronal tumor that is equivalent to a high grade astrocytoma (ana plastic astro/ WHO grade III). [WHO= World Health Organization]  Astro cells have tentacles that travel and this type of tumor can return.  It will have to be treated with radiation and chemo therapies, so treatment will probably begin after Thanksgiving.

Our task now is to find the best place for Kelly to receive the treatment; a place that specializes in her type of tumor.  It may be here in NY or it may be elsewhere.  Since tumors respond to different kinds of treatment, and hospitals are known to specialize in certain types of tumors, we have to find the right place for Kelly.   Friday, November 19, we have a meeting scheduled with Dr. Jerome Posner, chief of neuro-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (across the street from NY-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill-Cornell .)  We await Dr. Posner’s recommendation to know how to proceed.

Mark and Hector head home to Panama today.  They will return next week to be here for Dr. Posner’s meeting on Friday.  In the meantime, Kelly is to lead a normal life while her wound continues to mend.  We will remain in Mountainville.  Kelly will start learning how to use the new school administration program called Admin Plus, Ani will begin work on our school yearbook, and I will be working on school business.  We have much to keep us busy.  And between it all, we are planning a bang-up Thanksgiving with family and friends from around the globe.

Now that things will calm down a bit and we’ll be home more, Ani will be able to post some of the many great photos the girls and Hector have taken.  Please keep us posted about the life in your worlds.  We miss Panama terribly and think about everyone all the time.  Your messages help keep us going (hits to Kelly’s blog now number above 12,419!).  And don’t forget, please continue with your prayers.  We want nothing less than a miracle, and lots of PMA will get us there!  We believe and feel that in our heart.

Big hug and kiss,

Mama Bear

A Poem by Vivianne Cedeno

The Warrior Princess and the Egg On Her Head

Dedicated to Kelly with Lots of Love!

There once was a princess

Who looked over her land, 

She cared for her people, 

The town, and even the sand.

One day, she woke from her bed,

It was the oddest thing,

A bump, oh, dear...  

There was an egg on her head!

“An egg on my head!?

I don’t understand! 

I’ve never seen such a thing,

In all of the land!”

She went down to the village

And people would stare,

It made her taller,

And looked great with her hair.

“I want an egg too!”

Said the merchant’s wife,

Who never wanted something

So bad in her life.

“Woman!” said the merchant.

“Have you gone mad?

I’ll buy you a ribbon.  

Will that make you glad?”

“No!” she said.

“I want an egg on my head.

I’ll wear it like the princess

And then paint it red.”

All of the town’s people, 

They wanted eggs too.

Some used oval shaped rocks,

And stuck them with glue.

While the people were busy

adorning their heads,

The princess discovered

A new world instead.

She stopped all her duties,

And went to explore,

She smelled flowers, ate berries,

And skipped down the shore. 

Peacefully sitting under the sun

And blue sky,

With the warm sand beneath her,

She started to cry.

“What an odd thing,

This egg up above.

It helped me see my kingdom

Through eyes filled with love.”

With tears of joy,

She started to wonder, 

How she hadn’t noticed

the approaching thunder.

All of a sudden,

gray clouds rushed in,

and in the midst of the rain drops,

She started to spin.

She was in awe

And enchanted with this world.

The rain made her blissful,

As she continued to twirl.

The king and the queen watched

Their daughter in the rain,

Hearing her incredible laugh,

They knew she’d never be the same.

(To be continued...)

Per Vivianne, the ending is pending.

The Falling Leaves…..

Dear Family and Friends:

Winter arrived too fast for us to notice.  Two weeks ago the countryside was ablaze in orange, yellow and gold tones.  Today it stands dressed in the most austere shades of black, grey and white.  Where the wind was crisp to our faces, it is now cold.  Mornings break with frost-covered grass and leaves.  Nature is gently withdrawing into a state of deep sleep.  The hustle and bustle is gone; it’s quiet all around…. so different from what we tropical birds are used to.  And there was a light dusting of snowfall just this morning.  Brrrrrrr.  We hear that in our lovely paradise, Panama, the rains have been playing havoc up and down the Isthmus!  Yes, life and nature go on…

During these last few days, Kelly, Hector and Ani have had a fun time shopping for head gear, socks and scarves to protect themselves from the chill and wind.  Mama and Pops bought lip gloss, hand cream, vitamins and Vicks!  The Dillon family spent a quiet weekend indoors, reading, listening to music, reminiscing about favorite memories, connected to the Internet and sitting close to the kitchen stove or living room fireplace.  Yes, these tropical birds don’t have any down feathers to keep warm, we only have chattering teeth!

Tia Bea and Cousin Ernesto were occupied all weekend at a high level USTA Sectional Tournament for boys 14 years of age, held in Long Island.  Ernesto is quite an accomplished tennis player, with regional ranking.  Charlotte (16 year old cousin) is in boarding school at The Putney School in Vermont.  Tio Kurt and Tia Bea are architects and practice in both Panama and NY.  Kurt is presently in Panama until the end of the month and has just announced the publication of a book titled Gamboa.  The book is about the architecture, planning and natural landscapes of the town of Gamboa, a historical landmark on the banks of the Panama Canal and hometown of the Dillon boys and our three kids.  Kurt is presently working on a new project: an inventory of the historical buildings and structures in the city of Colon.  Colon is Mama’s hometown - she’s a Colon city gal! 

We had some close friends surprise us with a visit in Mountainville!  Sean and Ayesha were here for Fiestas Patrias and stopped by to visit on their way upstate to spend time with Ayesha’s parents.   They were having great fun playing with the GPS in their rental car. The younger generation always arrives to the USA anxious to play with the latest technological innovations, not that GPS are new, but they are still not a common thing in Panama, so it is a fun toy to tinker with when here in the USA. 

With Hector’s covert mission skills, he planned another happy moment for Kelly.  Cathy and Sebastian landed in NY last Wednesday and completely surprised Kelly, appearing in front of her while shopping at the APPLE Store in Manhattan.  There was an explosion of tears and joy as the two girls hugged and kissed.  Cathy, Sebastien, Kelly, Hector and Ani met in NYC on different occasions to spend time together and they did their share of Latin havoc to the restaurants and goody stores in the West Side on Broadway.  They visited Alice’s Tea Cup which is a famous tea house.  And while there, voila! ……Lt. Dan (Daniel Ciniglio) showed up!  Another big emotional Panama bang-up moment!   

The following day the five of them went to Serendipity for lunch.  What a magical environment, something totally out of Candy Land!  This is now Kelly’s new favorite restaurant in the entire world.  Poor Hector, looks like Serendipity’s “frozen hot chocolate” is going to be a staple item on future visits to NYC!  And to finish off the day and to complete the full sugar “poison” effect, they went next door to Dylan’s Candy Bar to smack their lips and drool at all the delightful colorful candies dating back to the 20’s.  There are literally thousands of candies in this store, but Kelly was good; she didn’t pull out the credit card!  On the other hand, Hector, our chocoholic, was having a mouth-foaming blackout!  Roahl Dahl, author of BFG  (Big Friendly Giant) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory always talks about candies in his books in such a way that makes the reader’s mouth water , and he’d be tickled to know that there is a sweets shop in NYC to compete with the fabulous ones in his books!

The fun didn’t end in NYC, as Cathy and Sebastien drove up from the city on Saturday and spent the night. Kelly introduced them to Woodbury Commons Premium Outlet Mall, located 7 minutes down the road.  This outlet mall is a favorite spot for all visitors to NYC; there are over 200 outlet stores!  Eyes rolled and credit cards flashed!  Major damage.   For dinner, Hector cooked scrumptious barbecue steaks and the girls tossed a huge organic salad and boiled up some buttery corn on the cob.  Mmmmmm.  Even Molly and Jack (the household poochies) were lying on their backs, scratching their pansitas after dinner.  We fully enjoyed the company and good cheer!  Thanks, guys!

On Sunday morning, family and friends piled in the cars and cruised over hill and dale to Blooming Hill Market, a big barn with adjoining greenhouses tucked into a country lane in the heart of farm country.  They are open only on weekends and sell organic vegetables and fruit, homemade natural grain bread and assorted pastries.   Here we delighted in a yummy country breakfast while seated at rustic barnyard tables next to an old cast iron wood stove that crackled with piney smelling burning wood.   A couple of big Garfield lookalikes sauntered around greeting everyone and entertaining us with their purring songs.  We all agree that we need a place like this in Cerro Punta!  Lots of photos were taken and hopefully Ani will post a few.

The Dillon sisters have been trying to figure out how to bring their cats and Ani’s puppy, Kiosco, up to NY to be with them!  Today they got the bright idea that maybe it would be best just to get a kitten/puppy here and then transport him home when we return.  Ani put up an ad at the Farm House and they are hoping someone will call announcing that they have a kitten for them!  But, their bubble was popped when we found out that Tio Kurt is deathly allergic to cats.  So, that is that!  Meanwhile, at home in Balboa, poor, poor Pauline (our housekeeper) is going crazy caring for all the animals from the three Dillon households…. a total of 5 dogs, 2 cats and 6 birds!  She deserves a gold medal or at least a dozen pairs of funky soft socks!  

Good news!  Next week, Ian and Mary (our son and daughter-in-law) move back permanently to Panama!  We are so excited about this; it’s been 15 years since Ian has lived full-time in Panama.  They’ve been planning this move for many years and now finally, the time has come!  Yahooooo.

Kelly is beginning to complain that her staples are starting to feel tight…..it’s time they come out!  Tomorrow she will have them removed and feel like new again.  But, these last several hours will be slightly uncomfortable for her.  Ouch!  She’s wearing her white Russian furry beanie to keep from “popping a staple”.

Presently, we are waiting for the results of a few more pathology slides that will give the doctors more specific information about the composition of the tumor.  The investigation stage is multi-leveled: as one piece of information surfaces, then they know what to look for next… until they have a very good diagnosis of the tumor, its habits, speed of growth, sensitivity to certain chemicals, etc.   Because treatment cannot begin until Kelly’s wound is completely healed (a couple more weeks?), we thankfully have time for this careful investigation.  This recovery period also gives us time to resolve issues with the insurance company.  We all know how time consuming and frustrating insurance issues can be!

Meanwhile, we are doing a lot of reading on cancer and the recommended regimens for diet/nutrition.  Kelly will receive radiation and chemo therapies, but she also needs to supplement her diet to include the recommended nurturing foods, vitamins and minerals.  We’re going to have some very detailed blood work done on her in order to monitor her progress.  Studies show that diet and nutrition are also very important for a healthy recovery.  The literature says that brain tumors thrive on sugar, insulin, estrogen, and copper.  Kelly’s already trying to reduce her sugar intake.  You can imagine how difficult that will be!  Yup, no more frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity or visits to Dylan’s Candy Bar for the foreseeable future!

So, dear family and friends, this is what Mark and Mari’s family has been up to in Mountainville, NY these last several days.  We hope you all had a wonderful time during Fiestas Patrias week!  Our thoughts have been with you.

Thank you for all your support.  You have no idea how wonderful it is to know we have you all behind us. Truly, your words of encouragement and messages of love and friendship are the wind behind our sails!  And we ask for your continued prayers.

Kelly, Hector, Ani, Ian, Mary, Mari and Mark