Hi Everyone,
I am, once again, thrilled to have the honor of delivering more good news about Vivi and her extraordinary battle against the Big C. Two weeks ago, Vivi received the results from her final CT scans, and they were completely clean! This means Vivi has been officially deemed IN REMISSION (!!!!!!!!!) - which technically means there is no traceable sign of cancer in her body. This news, while not entirely unexpected considering Vivi's incredible progress over the last 10 months, was certainly met with overwhelming relief and absolute joy.
I can still so clearly remember the day of Vivi's first surgery, sitting with our surgeon in that little holding room at Sloan Kettering, barely able to absorb what Dr. Abu-Rustum was explaining to us. As he sat across that little round table, which was adorned with nothing more than a small box of tissues, Dr. Abu-Rustum soberly delivered news, which he had clearly delivered to countless families before us, that the situation did not look very promising. At that point, the cancer was so far spread throughout Vivi's abdomen, he was not even able to perform surgery, and decided it would be best to try and shrink the tumors with chemo first. With such a prognosis sitting on our shoulders, our family heading down the road of this journey hoping for the best, but certainly preparing for the worst.
However, through each step of this process - nine rounds chemo, two surgeries, two near heart attacks, countless tests, and endless days and weeks in that hospital - Vivi made us all believers in the impossible, as she met each challenge with strength, spirit, and her impervious sense of humor.
While the last year has certainly presented the greatest challenge my family has yet faced, it is my mother who truly endured a test of the body and will that none of us could ever try to understand. It is also she, and she alone, who came out swinging with her 40-carats worth of diamonds, and fought an awe-inspiring battle for her life.
However, as I have said so many times before on this blog - there are countless doctors, nurses, nutritionists, chefs, family members, and friends, without whom my mother, nor our family, could have ever survived this last year. So, I will say it again, as it cannot be said nearly enough times - THANK YOU! Thank you, to all of you, from the very bottom of our hearts, for everything you have offered my mother and our family throughout this entire process. This overwhelming influx of love and support has touched each one of us so deeply, and allowed us all to remain strong and positive when, at times, such a feat seemed impossible.
I would also like to thank everyone for their generous donations to Team Vivi for our ride in Cycle for Survival - an event that raised money for Memorial Sloan Kettering. It was an absolutely moving and inspirational event, and raised money for a cause that is obviously near and dear to all of our hearts now. So thank you for supporting us!
With that said, I am thrilled to tell you that Vivi is getting stronger by the day, and already up to her old tricks. Surprisingly, she is also up to some new tricks, such as working out with a trainer twice a week (news which was almost more shocking than my mother's initial prognosis)! Tricks or not, my mother is certainly on the mend, and might I add, looking fabulous as ever as she sports her new, um, hair! And as the weather begins its slow but sure turn, I know my mother is looking forward to, once again, spending her time enjoying her favorite activities such as riding the trails of North Salem on her horse, and relaxing in the serene surroundings of our house on Lake Mahopac - luxuries that have been taken from her for far too long now.
However, it is certainly a challenge to simply move on with life as usual, as all of our lives have been forever altered by the events of the past year. We certainly remain hopeful that my mother's miraculous recovery will continue, but also remain mindful of the complicated disease she is facing, and the fact that we may not have, in fact, seen the end. However, we also forge forward with a new sense of strength, and, most certainly, a new sense of appreciation for all that life has to offer. After experiencing a year such as the one my family has just endured, all we want to do is spend our time with the people we care about in the most positive way possible.
Hence, our family has started a new tradition called "Monday Night Family Nights" where, together, we embark on a new fun activity each week. It is certainly a much needed shift from the countless Monday nights we have spent together in the hospital over the past year. It is also a welcome change for a family that never even managed to have a real family dinner together over the years! The pictures above are from our first Family Night a few weeks back when we all, including Vivi (as you can see) went bowling. I absolutely love these photographs, as they so perfectly embody Vivi's spirit, our collective feeling of redemption, and our attempt to move forward with life and FUN!
So as our family looks forward to the change of the seasons, and the turning of a new leaf, we hope you do as well.
All our love and gratitude...
