Irene's Blog
--- Ben ---
From 2001-2007 Ben was in the US Army, maintaining Apache helicoptor electronics, avionics & armaments.
He did two year-long deployments in Iraq.
Ben has also spent a couple of years in the Us Army Reserves, out of Conroe,TX and worked for Sears Automotive in Austin.
Ben currently lives in Northwest part
of Austin, not far from the rest of the family.
Ben's and the other "boys" of family have completely rebuilt a 1980 Yamaha 650 motorcycle,
which he purchased fall 2007.
Click
HERE, to see a photo of Ben at Christmas 2008 with his
Birthday/Christmas cake and a photo of the motorcycle.
Other interests include: books (action, science fiction and fantasy), history, computer games and figures, and guns
(mainly target shooting.)
--- Ed ---
After a year of being supportive during my recovering from my bone marrow
transplant that I had at the end May 2009, Ed is finally enjoying some shop time.
Ed also keeps busy keeping the computers running,
and doing the usual household, water system & driveway maintenance.
He reads various online newsgroups,
volunteers at the local temple,
and continues to make mead
and brew excellent beer (and an occasional less than excellent batch.)
Ed still enjoys photography and recently got his dream Nikon digital SLR
camera, a D700. He is also gaining more expertise using Photoshop.
When people ask Ed what he makes
in the shop, he replies "metal shavings and sawdust."
I think he mostly makes widgets to make more widgets.
However I have seen odd piece emerge from it, including some butcher block
tables/desks. Another one is ongoing.
(Thank you Jan & Bill for supplying the maple.)
He is making me new spice racks for the updated kitchen. Did you know
the spice bottles have gotten larger over the years and no longer
fit in the old racks? Hopefully he is also working on a new
plant-stand/mission style table for the master bath out of some
of the good cedar from the pool deck.
--- Irene ---
I am feeling much better. My bone marrow transplant was May 29,2009,
at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston.
This is an ongoing process. We stayed in Houston for 4 1/2 months, another 6 weeks in late 2009
and 2 weeks in early 2010. Now we
go back to MD Anderson in Houston as needed based on my current condition.
Lately it has been day trips (long day) only every 3 months.
The transplant is
a process of letting your new bone marrow (hence new immune system) get used to your new body; typically
things go up and down for a while. It it normally a takes 2 years to get back to a normal immune system, but
things should get better and more stable as I go along. I have completed
my innoculations (my new immune system is just like a newborn baby but with no anti-bodies from
mom). I am still on anti-rejection drugs, which suppress the
immune system to deal with my GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease.) My new immune system tends to
attack my skin, expecially if I have had ANY sun exposure. Yep I wear a LOT of hats now.
Because I am suppressing my immune system I must be very careful with virus, fungi, bacteria in both food
and in the air.
Hand sanizer companies are doing well ....
The leukemia I had was probably bone marrow damage from
my previous breast cancer chemo in 2003,
but for all of you cancer survivors who have had chemo, please don't make this a cause for worry.
It is an extremely rare chemo side effect. MD Anderson sees it, because so many of these cases go there,
.... but
I had never heard of it (and I know lots of cancer survivors) until it happened to me.
Prayers continue to be appreciated.
I periodically update my blog and here is the link:
Irene's Blog I regularly use Facebook.
Irene's Facebook Page
It is lovely having family in town and watching the great-nephews and great-niece as they grow. The youngest
great nephew lives in western New York but his parents are good about videos, posting photos and updates.
I am at my "new normal"energy & healthwise, so I am doing more things with church,
Peace Lutheran, and am back in Stephen Ministery.
Peace offers great adult education classes.
Peace's website is
www.peaceaustin.org.
When I have time, I also enjoy participating at Congregation Shir Ami with Ed. They have
been equally supportive of us and that community is dear to me.
We still enjoy our dog,
Zena, a mini-dachshund, born 8/27/07,
with a personality much larger than her size.
My jewelry business, Irene's Jewelry, Etc. at
www.irenesjewelry.com was
inactive for the duration of my recovery.
The facebook page is
Irene's Jewelry, Etc. on facebook.
It is back to normal operation (still pretty low key). Jan had a great home party/show in October 2010.
Right now I plan to participate in the Hadassah Craft Fair in November of this year and perhaps another
fall party. It somewhat depends on my medical schedule. It is time for cateract surgery and I am not sure
how that will fit in.
I still enjoy cooking, reading, card making, scrapbooking, knitting & crocheting.
I also have
been learning some new tools on the computer (blogging, Facebook, Skype ....). So I seem
to stay busy and happy despite the limitations.
She loves people and to play fetch and tug of war. Our dear neighbor took care of her whenever
we needed to be gone (including the whole 4 1/2 months in Houston.) Happily she has a dog named Zoe
and another one named Abby
and they love each other.
