4/14/14 Greetings from Gabrielle

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, here we go again.  I haven't written until now for many reasons.  I have been in shock at the cancer reoccurring so soon.  I have been depressed.  I have been in chemo.  I haven't felt well.  And I don't have anything terribly encouraging to say or report. 

What I will try to do, however, is count some of my blessings out loud with you right now--naming them one by one, as the old hymn says.  I hope that will encourage you and me both!

1) I have an amazing support team in Steve, Renee, Daniel, and too many family members, neighbors, and friends to name.
2) I have a great medical oncology team.  They are so smart and good, and care about us deeply.
3) So far, my body has tolerated the first two chemos with only nausea, fatigue, a few aches, and sore throats.  The chemo kills rapidly dividing cells, some of which are in your throat and esophagus, so it hurts to swallow and is very red in my throat.  But I'm at home in my sweats with nowhere I have to be, a DVR full of good shows, dinner that someone brought in my fridge, and a steaming mug of throat comfort tea, so how bad can that be? 
4) I have received so many kindnesses already, and it has only been two weeks!  My heart is swelling with the fullness of knowing I am loved.  Thanks to all of you who have sent cards.  They mean so much to me.  Once again, going to the mailbox is a highlight of my days.  Thanks for flowers from Riley and Lynette and others.  Thanks for desserts from Julianne, Helen, and the Korpis.  Thanks for bread from Dee.  Thanks for amazing meals from Maribeth, Ami, Sam & her girls, Nancy and John, Doris, Laura and Jerry, and Cherylin.  Thanks for care packages from Paul and Heidi and Mark and Tania, and to Tania for handling our taxes for us!!  Thanks for a trip all the way from Spokane to minister God's love in our brokenness from Jan and Felix.  Thanks to Kristi for helping me clean when my strength is nearly gone.  All of you, and anyone I've forgotten, have blessed our family more than you will ever know.  Oh--and thanks to everyone who is praying every single day for us!!!  It comforts me to know God hears our names so many times a day.
5) I had a fun trip to Blake Island on our boat yesterday, enjoying laying on a blanket in the warm sand, a picnic, and a walk, with Steve and Renee.  Unfortunately, Daniel had huge exams today so he couldn't join us.  See photos below!
6) Lastly for now, I am thankful that the God who made us and loves us is with us ALWAYS, in sickness and in health, and that I see Him in all of your kindnesses daily.  "Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He.  I am He who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you.  I will sustain you and I will rescue you."  Isaiah 46:4.  I am weak today, getting winded going up stairs and with a burning sore throat.  But He is with me, sustaining me, carrying me, and rescuing me through the terror that is recurrent ovarian cancer.  Thanks be to God.
Love,
Gabrielle

P.S.  Prayer request?  I leave on a six-night trip to Maui with my girlfriend, Kristi, and my sister, Marti on April 22.  My counts are very low and I am very susceptible to infection.  Please pray protection over my health on both plane rides and for the entire trip.  Thank you!  Oh--and that Steve will pass his Family Practice all-day Board Certification Exam while I'm away!

Gabrielle and Renee at the half-way point in their 3.5 mile walk. Just melt that little anti-nausea pill on your tongue and go for it.  Then the next day (today), do nothing!

Gabrielle in her chair on the warm beach with a good book.

Captain Steve, wearing, appropriately, his Blake Island State Park hat.

Deckhand Renee, preparing to enter the lake-bound Locks on our way home.

4/12/14 Lots of love for Gabrielle!

Here's the latest batch of We <3 Gabrielle photos! Thanks for all the encouragement, friends!

 Gabrielle's friend Laura

 A heart from Gabrielle's Aunt Julianne and Uncle Oliver

 Gabrielle's niece Katia sends love from her college in Alabama

 Renée's good friend Marissa and Dakota the horse

 A message in the sand from Steve's cousin's family

 Our friends the Coghlans

Gabrielle's good friends Bill and Luanna

 Two of Bill and Luanna's cute granddaughters

 Gabrielle's friends the Sclars and their dogs

…and Renée's friend Luis rocking out for Gabrielle!

4/9/14 More pictures!

Getting these great pictures from friends and family is a bright spot in our day. Thank you!!!

 Gabrielle cute pregnant niece Mandie

 Renée and Daniel's friend Alicia at work as a nurse

 Renée's friends Jane and John

 The entire church council of Ballard First Lutheran Church making hearts for Gabrielle!

Some of Steve's coworkers at the urgent care clinic

And more of Shannon's awesome elementary school students!

4/7/14 More love!

Second batch of We <3 Gabrielle photos! Thanks for the encouragement, friends!

Renée's friend Shannon, a teacher in Oregon, sent in these adorable pictures with her students:

 So cute!

 Renée's girlfriend Riley, her cousin Pete, her sister Ivy, and Pete's grouchy cat :)

 Riley and Ivy's fierce cat Sam is rooting for Gabrielle!

 Daniel's best friend Philip in front of his impressive art collection

 Our friend Anthony with his super cute new puppy!

 Renée's great friends Karissa and Peter

Our cute stripey friends Ami and Matt

 Gabrielle's friend Janet with some friends

And finally, this wonderful and impressive picture featuring tons of Gabrielle's old SPU coworkers.

We all love Gabrielle!!!

4/6/14 Photos come pouring in!

 We've received our first batch of "We <3 Gabrielle" pictures! It gives us all a boost of encouragement to see that people all over the country are thinking about us. Please keep them coming, and help us show Gabrielle lots of love! ~Renée

 Adele taking a study break in the Linguistics Library of her college

 Gabrielle's cousin Elizabeth and family

Arlo and Penny, the awesome kids Renée nannied last year (with their own interpretations of "We <3 Gabrielle")

 A Christmas family photo from Steve's aunt Peggy

Renée's good friends Houston and Megan send love from California 

Adorable Arlo again!

Even crocodiles love Gabrielle!

Grandma Abby loves Gabrielle!

Please keep sending pics to rdudley10@gmail.com or post them to Renée on facebook :)

Thank you!

4/5/14 Send us a photo!

Hi friends--Renée here. We've thought of a fun way that you can help encourage my mom: take a picture with a "We  Gabrielle" sign and post it to facebook or email it to me: rdudley10@gmail.com. We'll compile them and show my mom that tons of people are rooting for her!

Let's see how many pictures we can get! 

And as always, thanks for your support--we are feeling loved!

4/5/14 First chemo session done

Steve again (who else would be up early on a Saturday morning around here?).

Well, we got through the first chemo session and it was a marathon day.  Gabrielle and the kids (speaking historically, of course, as they are now 24 and 25) showed up at the day surgery area of the hospital for her infusion at 10.  By around noon, the first of three drugs arrived.  Normally, she gets the chemo right in Dr. M's office, but they were so rushed to get started that there was no room at the inn, hence the little change in venue.  I thought it was nice as this is the same wing of the hospital Gabrielle spent a day or two in back in July, 1988 as it was the post, "just had my first baby" wing.  For all I know, we were in the same room.  Somewhere in the basement, we've got a picture of me holding Renee sitting in a giant rocker in the lobby of this same wing.  OK, so much for memory lane.

Aunt Julianne came by with chocolates to help keep everyone's spirits up.  The drugs went in one after the other, but it was indeed a long session of one infusion after another.  By around 3:00, she was ready to go home, so got unplugged and made a bee line for Casa Dudley in Shoreline.  Upon her arrival, she was greeted on the doorstep by a wonderful care package from the Poulsbo Dudleys (Paul, Heidi and gang) containing a beautiful blue scarf, amazing gourmet soap (OK, gourmet isn't the right word, but I can't think of it...designer? fancy?  Anyhow, it looks good enough to eat), and gourmet chocolate (now that's gourmet), and a candle.  It warmed our hearts and showed up at just the right time.  There were also two bunches of flowers...a wonderful assortment of pink tulips from Riley and an assortment of cheery yellow ones from Lynette.  They are beautiful and so cheery. Aunt Peggy from Rehoboth send cards (thanks so much!).

Gabrielle had so much energy, that she corralled us all into going on a long walk at Richmond Beach.  It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and the perfect thing to do after being indoors at the hospital all day.  When we got back home, our dear neighbors Jerry and Laura brought us dinner.  They asked Gabrielle (not me) what we wanted and since her appetite hadn't tanked yet, she asked for a super combo pizza with the works and Greek salad from Spiro's.  It hit the spot!  They are good friends, neighbors and moderately good canasta players. 

We topped the evening off with a couple of TV shows while we noshed on chocolates and sat around in a stupor from the wonderful food and unpleasant news of the past 36 hours.  I am pleased to say that we are all doing a tad better emotionally.  We only went through half a box of Kleenex rather than a box a piece the day before.  It has been great getting so much well-wishing from all of you.
As for now, she's upstairs asleep, which is great.  If things go like before, she'll feel "fine" till about 2:00 today then have a couple challenging days, then will do better for a couple more.  As far as I know, next week's session will only be one drug and the following week will be no drugs, which is great as that'll be Good Friday and we all know what that means:  Easter Eggs!  OK, there's something about Hope, the Resurrection and stuff like that in there too!  But the nice thing is the entire Easter Weekend will be a "drug free" weekend (except the resveratrol in chocolate, of course).

We are still trying to figure out how to manage in the next few weeks.  I still have some work obligations I need to attend to...it's tough being the local expert at ear wax removal...and Daniel has this little academic journey he has embarked upon which demands at least a modicum of attention.  People have already offered to come by and keep Gabrielle company.  Be forewarned, if you do come by, she'll challenge you to canasta or Scrabble or cribbage and she likes to win, is wicked good at all three and she takes no prisoners.  Of course, she might make you sit in the basement and watch Jeopardy re-runs as well (she's good at that too).  What she's not good at is playing the pity, poor me card.  In the midst of all this, she hasn't uttered a word of complaint and has the most amazing spirit of calmness and serenity.  She is cheerful (as much as she can be) and spends more time making sure those around her are doing well than the other way around (unless she is your opponent at a game, then the gloves come off).  Even in the hospital, she was asking the nurses how they were doing and offering them chocolates.  Whatta gal! 

So that's the news so far.  We are having a birthday celebration for Daniel later today.  He wants to go to the art museum (SAM) and then grab a bite to eat.  We had planned on sushi, but that's off the list, now that Gabrielle is on chemo.  We'll find something for her to eat.  Oh, she's rustling around!  She just mentioned she had a good night...only woke up for one hour.  That's not too bad.  Will keep you posted.