I have been living in Houston, TX for the past 7 years. I was born and raised in OK. 99% of my family lives between Bartlesville and Tulsa. As one would guess most of my friends live there also. I have two children (yes, living in OK) Dale and Anna who each have two children. This makes me the “MIMI” to three girls and one boy. I have a Canon EOS 30D which is a great camera that was a gift from my great husband. My purpose on FLIKR is to document my great family and life. Seldom will you see pics of me because I am the one with the camera.

August, 2006 I was diagnosed with Carcinoid Syndrome which is: A syndrome due to carcinoid tumors which secretes large amounts of the hormone serotonin . The syndrome is directly due to the serotonin. Features include flushing and blushing, swelling of the face (especially around the eyes), flat angiomas (little collections of dilated blood vessels) on the skin, diarrhea, bronchial spasm , rapid pulse , low blood pressure, or high blood pressure and tricuspid and pulmonary stenosis (narrowing of the tricuspid and pulmonic valves of the heart.

Carcinoid tumors are: Tumors which secretes large amounts of the hormone serotonin . Carcinoid tumors are also called an argentaffinoma. The tumor usually arises in the gastrointestinal tract, anywhere between the stomach and the rectum and from there may metastasize (spread) to the liver. In the liver the tumor produces and releases large quantities of serotonin into the systemic bloodstream causing Carcinoid Syndrome.

It’s not as bad as it sounds but I do have good days and bad days. I spend many days a year hospitalized for this or that but the good news is “I ALWAYS LIVE”. I give myself shots of Sandostatin every 8 hours on the bad days and a shot of Sandostatin LAR given by a doctor once a month carries me thru on the good days. These shots slow down and sometimes prevent the release of hormones the tumors produce that make me sick. I go to the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa, OK for test and cancer stuff. I have wonderful support from friends and family 100% of the time. My daughter is possibly 80% of that 100%. Any way I look at life different as you may well imagine and I try to make every day I get to spend with my family, friends, and grandchildren not just a day, but a memory. I hope that long after I am gone they will all be able to access my FLIKR account and reflect back on those memories and smile. On my good days I try to live life like I’m dieing LOL. I plan on leaving this earth well worn out. I want everyone to look at me and say how awful I looked and to know I lived every bit of life God gave me to live!

One more thing, if you enjoy my pictures look all you want, comments are great because I don’t feel so all alone. Just please don’t be rude or mean. I don’t have time in my life for either.