Update

Hello friends, followers, and family.  Sorry for the long break from blogging. Truth is, we've been super living life and once the Ethan and Ellen started their Little League Baseball season, along with their other activities (besides school and homework) like soccer, swimming, piano (at one point), Kumon and the girls weekly ballet dance classes, between their activities, working full time, weekly doctor visits and or scans/MRIs, Bone scan, acupuncturist appointments, baseball games, kids practices, recitals, performance, walking the dogs, play dates,  and everything else, there was no time for blogging.
Other than the 1.5 week where I got so sick from eating the Costco recalled organic berries (I made smoothies with them), where I had to go get a "just in case Hep A shot" from my PCP (Primary Care Physician), I've been doing well. But, for the 1.5 week of this episode though, I was miserable with daily vomiting that I felt so horrible, my stomach and nausea so bad, I barely made it the day through with enough strength to make it into work. I felt so weak, I almost fainted. It was a horrible, bad case of food poisoning and thank goodness, it's over and I've fully recovered.

But, without further ado, without a moment's free, after the kids last baseball game and dance performance, I was off being busied spending time with the kids on  a quick Beach family weekend trip, and also a camping trip, as well as planning and quickly having to sign up the kids summer camps and activities. Now that the kids activities have slowed now, I have just a little free time to blog.
So from the last blog, I had posted about my dream trip to Vietnam. Thank you to the few individuals that donated and contributed. Your continued support warms my heart and I am ever grateful. But, with very little funds raised, I can't go. I am not such a good marketer or fundraiser as you can see. I wonder how others do it? Marketing and fundraising definitely takes talent and lots of effort and time and of course, knowing powerful, lots of people/friends with money helps. But, in my case, I lack all of the above and can't even raise any money for my own medical and dream trip. I think the total donations were I received was like $150? Yup. That's it. Now, do you think I can go to Vietnam on $150??? Probable not. And I actually, tried looking and applying for one of those "Make a Wish Foundation" for adults like me, but there is none for California residents. So, of course I also don't qualify to apply for the Dream Foundation since I work and don't financially qualify.

So Vietnam is a no go. Simply, we can't afford it. And also, summer's way too humid and miserably hot, that it's not an ideal time to go. So, my plan B is, well, take 3 weeks of in Aug and hang with with the kids and also finish up taking care of "personal, business affairs and paperwork".  Traveling is hard, and probably not a reality too soon since finance is an issue, and as long as I am spending time with my family, really, that is all that matters.Any place with the kids, whether its the local museum or nearby beach, that's happiness to me and the kids.

Health update
From the latest scans as of yesterday, everything shows stability. Except that last week's latest brain MRI, shows 1 suspicious spot grew from 8 mm to 10 mm. The doctors wasn't sure it was due to "swelling" and that the spot would "die off" due to my recent 2.5 month ago whole brain radiation. But, in light of this uncertainty, my Dr., recommended that I switch to a new drug and begin the process of applying for the latest phase II clinical trail of the second generation of drug of Crizotinib, or LDK378 at Stanford. The trial just opened up on May 28, and I would be participant #3. I just started taking this new drug yesterday. More details in the next blog. Lots of Love.