so long summer

Well, the summer has ended, and what a summer it was! I have been quite busy these past few weeks with law school starting up and also went on my trip to Gettysburg with Dan, but I will attempt to summarize everything.

I enjoyed the Guster concert earlier this month. I believe my previous entry ended with me heading out to that. My friends and I got there several hours early so that we could be the first ones in, and managed to secure spots right along the railing by the stage, front and center. It was a standing outdoor venue, so I was pretty excited that we got arguably the best view one could ask for for the concert. Despite some thunder storms, we stayed for the entire event. We got completely soaked, but we had a FANTASTIC time!

I also got to go see Dan in his camp show, which was a lot of fun. Each year Bournelyf (the camp for special needs youth where Dan is a counselor) puts on a show as the grand finale to their summer sessions. This year's theme was Disney, and the kids put on some really cute and very clever skits. This was my third year seeing Dan in the show, and he was great as usual. The highlight of the evening though was a surprise marriage proposal for the host of the show, Stacy. This year's show marked her 20th anniversary working at the camp. After a special tribute to her where 19 former campers and counselors each brought her a rose on stage, her boyfriend came from the back of the audience dressed as a knight with the 20th rose, dropped down on one knee, and asked for her hand in marriage. After that there wasn't a dry eye in the house! It was such a fun evening, and I got to meet lots of Dan's campers, who all worship him and are adorable. Quite a good time indeed.

August 6-8th, Dan took me on my birthday trip to Gettysburg. We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast called Hickory Bridge Farm (you can check it out at http://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/), which was located about 10 minutes outside of Gettysburg. We had our own private bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room, cable TV, air conditioning, a shower, and a huge whirlpool tub. It was gorgeous! The family that owns the farm served us delicious breakfast each morning along with the other guests. We had french toast, eggs, fresh local peaches, bacon, croissants, and more. We got to chat with people visiting from Chicago, Florida, and New Jersey. Our bedroom had a guest book, and everyone before us had written that it was the best bed and breakfast they had ever been to. My favorite part was the farm's cat, Sam, who followed me around and was waiting on the porch by our door whenever we came back from town. I think we made a great choice for our first B&B experience :)

I really enjoyed exploring the town of Gettysburg too. Dan and I took an auto tour of the battlefield with a cd that our B&B owner let us borrow, and also went on a guided tour of the National Cemetery with a park ranger who was very knowledgeable. My favorite part of the trip was the ghost tour that we took on our first night, where we got to hear lots of local ghost stories. Some say Gettysburg is the most haunted place in the U.S.! It was very spooky.

We also ate at some great local restaurants, including one that was down in the spring house of one of Gettysburg's historic homes. It was candle-lit and all the staff were dressed in period costume. On our second night we went to a local German restaurant where I tried German food for the first time and actually really liked it (to my surprise). Dan is a big fan of all things German, so I can thank him for encouraging me to try something new :) And of course I learned a lot about the Civil War and about the importance of the battle of Gettysburg. Overall, it was a great trip!

Unfortunately for me, the hot weather and hiking that I did in Gettysburg was hard on my health, and I was sick for a few days after we got back. With some medicine and rest I was back on my feet after a few days though. No worries.

This past week I started school at Widener School of Law here in Wilmington, my dad's alma matter. Aaah!! I just can't believe summer is over and that I'm a law student already. This past week was packed with orientation activities and classes, and I had my 5th round of chemo on Tuesday to boot. It was pretty exhausting, but I am really enjoying school so far. We already had our first exam on Friday, which was intimidating, but I think I did well. We shall see. I have been enjoying making new friends, and I am already learning how to speak/think like a lawyer. haha

The school has been great in terms of accommodating me with my treatment. They taped the classes that I missed on Tuesday so I was able to keep up with everything. My 5th round of chemo went well, and I am now scheduled to have a PET scan, CT scan, and chest x-ray next week to give Dr. G a detailed picture of what's going on with my cancer. As it stands, it appears that the tumor is gone. All that remains is a small mass in the center of my chest, which seems to be scar tissue based on the fact that it didn't change since my last x-ray and isn't shaped like a mass of lymph nodes. After I get these scans, it will be time to make the final decision on whether or not I should receive a stem cell transplant, but it sounds as if we are leaning toward a "no" on that. My doctor said that as it stands, my chances for relapse are about 30%, but the risks involved in getting a stem cell transplant may outweigh the risk of relapse at this point.

Aside from all of that, I have been going to the YMCA to work out 3 times a week. It has been great having my dad as a workout buddy. He keeps me motivated. I have been swimming, strength training, and running for 30 minutes each time I go. I really want to get my body in the best shape possible so that if I ever have to deal with this cancer business again, I will be ready. So that's been a great source of physical and mental well-being for me.

Anyway, I really need to get some sleep. I have classes all day tomorrow. One final note: Please keep the family of Jason Schaible in your prayers. Jason was a Loyola student in the class below mine, and he just passed away this month after a year-long battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Though I didn't know Jason personally, I know many people who did know him, and I was really affected by his story. It absolutely terrifies me to see how this disease continues affecting more and more people around me, and increasingly younger people too. I cried for a long time last night looking at pictures of Jason and his parents, his younger sister, and his girlfriend. He looks so happy and healthy, even throughout his treatment. It is impossible to understand why people like Jason are taken from this world. I can't even begin to fathom what the Schaible family is going through right now. Please pray for peace for them and for all of Jason's loved ones.

Every day is so precious. Love and hugs to everyone,

Lauren