30th Annual Woods Reunion

The 30th Annual Woods Reunion was held in Baxter Springs, KS on June 25, 2011. Below is a picture of everybody who was there when the picture was taken, except for my son, Randy, who was taking the picture, and about 10 people who arrived after the picture was done! Click to make it bigger if you care to.

Here are some miscellaneous pictures from the Woods Family Reunion. My daddy's mother was a Woods, so this goes back 3-4 generations. There are only three of the original Woods family still living: My great-uncles Walter and Lester Woods, and my great-aunt Velma Hinds. Walter is almost 96 years old and he and his wife Mary were the only ones of that generation to get to come this year.
Walter and Mary Woods


My brother, Lyndell, had gotten a Christian Flag for people to write a note to our daddy for his retirement from 50 years of ministry. Here my cousin, Caroline Taylor, and Aunt Elsie and Beth are planning what to write on the flag.

Beth, Emily, Micah and me waiting for the group picture in the gym.

Daddy gave the devotion and led the prayer time.

My grandsons, Quil and Micah, love the nursery in this church. It is well equipped with fun and educational toys. Micah playing the xylophone.

Quil playing the drums.

What is more fun than a "big cousin" to play with? Austin Scoles. Emily played with them too, but she was manning the camera.

Glenn and Melody Goodwin and children, Maggie and Max

Aunts Elsie and Joyce, sister Sherry, Mother and me

Cousins Andrew Owens, Austin Scoles, Leah, Rebekah Owens, Mandy Scoles

Joy, Quil, and Micah, Tim and Brenda, Charley Owens


Cousins: Tasha Wampler, Cody DeOrnellis, Mandy Scoles

Rowen, Daddy, and my sister, Brenda

Nephews Caleb Wampler and Andrew Owens, niece Leah Owens, and my mother, Wanda Scoles

Brother-in-laws Charley Owens and Tim Wampler, and Rowen

Niece Rebekah Owens, sister Marlene DeOrnellis

Sister Marlene, Cousins Glenn and Melody Goodwin, Christy Rowland

Daddy and his sisters, Barbara, Ruth, Leona, Elsie and Joyce

Brother-in-law, Charley Owens talking to Uncle Larry Goodwin. Larry was married to my Aunt Margaret, who is already in heaven. I enjoyed getting acquainted with his new wife, Ruth.

Cousins: Leah Owens, Mandy Scoles, and Andrew Owens

My daddy and his sister, Elsie, exchange a silly gift back and forth every few years.

She said she gets so nervous before she opens it and finds out what it is. They are both so ornery, that she deserves to be nervous!

Sons Randy and Tim talking to Aunt Elsie, Daughter-in-law Brenda talking to Aunt Joyce.

Scoles Sibling Meal

Last Thursday evening, I went with Daddy and Mother to Charlie's Chicken in Miami, OK to a Scoles Sibling pre-reunion meal. Most of my siblings also went too. This shows my daddy and his sisters: Ruth, Leona, Barbara (Bea).

Two more of his sisters: Joyce and Elsie. There is one more sister, Doris, who was not able to come. Daddy's two brothers and one other sister are already in heaven.

My uncles: Marvin (Elsie), Gene (Ruth) and Franklin (Joyce)

The whole group of Daddy and Mother and his siblings and their spouses.
Back: Franklin and Joyce Conley, Elsie and Marvin Spohn, Gene Spohn, Rex Scoles
Front: Leona Moore, Barbara Wimer, Ruth Spohn, Wanda Scoles

My aunts are really funny and delightful. They told stories about when they were young (a long time ago) about their school teachers and neighbors. They also gave gifts to each other. This is the main time they get together in the year. I was glad to get to go to this Sibling Meal. For years I have heard about the fun they have, and this was my first opportunity to witness it!

Miscellaneous pictures from our trip to Joplin

Except for Jeffrey and Jason, the rest of us went to Joplin, MO for last weekend. It was a busy time because of the Scoles sibling meal, Woods Reunion, my daddy, Rex Scoles's retirement from ministry, and packing in family time.
This is a picture of my mother and me in the nursery at the church where the reunion took place.

My sister, Brenda and me at Mother and Daddy's house. We used to look more alike, before I got a wig.

Brenda's kids: Andrew, Rebekah, and Leah

Here Quil is trying on my wig. Both of my grandsons were very intrigued by Grandma's lack of hair. If I didn't have it on, "Where is your hair?" If I had it on, "Are you going to take it off?"

Micah taking a turn with the wig. He looks like a doll.

Mother babysat these young men when they were little boys. Joe Austin Finn and his wife, Dallas, on the left, and Ben Bastings on the right. They came to the retirement party and it was so good to see them again, all grown up. Our kids used to wear hand-me downs from Joe and his brother, Jared. Their family was so generous to pass on their clothes to our boys.

My niece Leah, relaxing on the back step of the church, after the retirement party.

My brother, Lyndell, and his daughter, Mandy.

Lyndell's wife, Sharen, waving goodbye.

Beth and I at the reunion.

Donation to Locks of Love

In preparation for losing my hair due to chemotherapy, I decided to donate a lot of it to Locks of Love. I did not want it to be wasted, since it could be used for something worthwhile. This picture is before cutting the Locks of Love braid off.

My friend, Suzanne, came over to help cut it off and even up the remaining hair.

I left the front and sides longer than the back so I could comb the front in my usual way for a little while longer.

I took my 33 inches of hair donation to the Post Office to mail, the day after starting chemotherapy.

Janet's Inevitable Hair Removal

On Friday and Saturday June 17-18, it became quite obvious that Janet's hair was falling out, right at the predicted time after her first round of chemo.
So, we picked a rare time when everybody was at home to take it all off for her. Jason indignantly declined the offer to actually wield the scissors or clippers, but he faithfully captured a video of the entire ordeal; thanks, Jason.
Jeff began, then took turns with Beth, Emily, and finally Rowen.


Only once did Janet yield to her emotions, which we all were feeling...



It was a sad time, but we tried to keep each other cheerful. Janet has diligently taught our children, from their early childhood, to 'do the next thing'. There is always a 'next thing to do', so as a family we often remind ourselves and each other, to just 'do the next thing'. As we began the removal of Janet's hair, she resolutely reminded us again, that it was time to do the next thing, which was to remove her hair, as completely as possible with hair clippers. We decided not to actually shave her imperfect scalp, at least at this time.

Janet now is experimenting with wig, scarf, cap, and hat options. As I write this, she is still undecided as to her favorite, but it is less than 24-hours since her scalp has been exposed to the elements.
We have been having trouble with a plague of rabbits eating the tender green bean plants in our garden. Upon "Google-ing" the problem this week, I discovered that some people have successfully repelled rabbits by placing human hair around their garden. So, the last of Janet's hair to be removed was strewn among our precious beans plants.

First Nadir Update

I went for my lab work today on what was supposed to be my low point "nadir" of blood counts. Thank the Lord my counts were good; the Neulasta shot was effective in stimulating my bone marrow! The girls and I had a series of errands to run and found other places (since we are here, we should stop there...) to go and were away from home all day. As a result, I am "worn to a frazzle" (Lum n Abner quotation) tonight and want to take a shower and go on to bed! The doctor gave me advice on what to take to prevent some of the side effects I weathered through this past cycle. I will be interested to know if following this advice to the letter will help. I'll let you know... I am thankful for all the strength, health, and well-being I have been given by God in direct answer to many people's prayers. All the time, God is good.
Love and thanks,
Janet Albertson

First Chemo treatment June 6, 2011

These pictures are actually from June 7, when I got a liter of fluid and a shot, but they show what it is like.

Yesterday I had my first chemo treatment. I had to be stuck twice in my port; because of swelling from the recent port surgery, the first needle was not long enough to get deep into the port. The good news is that the numbing cream I put on an hour before the procedure worked great and I did not feel either poke. The second needle was an inch long and was able to access the port without problems. My labwork was drawn and then I received several medicines to help my experience with the chemo: steroid, anti-reaction meds, anti-nausea meds, normal saline flushes between each one. My nurse was Kathy. She was fun and kind and I enjoyed her. Also got acquainted just a bit with April, who is the other nurse in the room. Rowen went with me for the whole time yesterday and got to sit in a recliner also. We were visited by Patti, a patient navigator, who brought applications (homework) for us to fill out to tap into monies that are available through foundations to help with breast cancer treatment expenses. Even with "good" insurance, there are still a lot of expenses (out of pocket maximum; also we've found out that co-pays continue every time you step into the care facilities, even after out-of-pocket is passed, all the traveling to and from, etc.) So we are thankful for the opportunities to get some help. (I didn't write an update last night because we were doing all that homework. We had to get copies together of lots of financial information and medical expenses, etc, besides filling out 6 forms.)

After all the premeds, each of the two chemo drugs I'm getting (Taxotere and Cytoxin) were given over an hour each, with normal saline for 10 minutes between, before and after each. I did get a little sleepy from a couple of the premeds, but did not get sleepy enough to go to sleep. I watched Facing the Giants on Jeffrey's laptop which we took along. I did a Word Search, for my brain exercise, prayed for lots of people in my prayer journal and answered a million questions Kathy had to get into her computer. Rowen and I had taken a lunch along so we ate that. I did not notice any side effects--only a metallic taste in my mouth during Taxotere. They have peppermints that took care of that for me. I drank lots of water, and made several visits to the restroom, and the time (from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) flew by! About 12:50, my port was flushed with heparin, and de-accessed, and we got to leave!

I was told to drink lots and lots of water, not vegetate in the chair, take a walk, and set my alarm to wake up in the night to empty my bladder. The chemo drugs are excreted through the kidneys, and you don't want them sitting in your bladder to cause damage. One thing that was interesting to me, was that the nurse gowns and gloves to do anything with the chemo drugs. If it got on her skin, it could hurt her. We thought, and we are putting them inside of me! But I do know that if they get on the skin they can cause great damage. That's why I am so thrilled to have a port and not have to worry about peripheral IVs, infiltration and skin or tissue damage. Kathy said she doesn't have cancer, so it would only harm her if it got on her, and of course she is potentially exposed to it every day. On the other hand, I have the possibility of cancer cells in my body that the medicine is going after to kill. Of course, it will also target my hair, fingernails, and other fast dividing cells, which is why I expect to lose my hair in the next 2 weeks.

For those of you who don't know, on Friday I had 33 inches of my hair cut off to donate to Locks of Love. I still have enough hair to make a small bun and look "normal" for me, though it doesn't feel exactly normal. I have been told by several people, including a bald lady receiving treatment yesterday, that my hair will hurt right before it starts falling out. So I will know when it is getting time to shave it off. Then I won't look or feel "normal" for a long time. I have the wig, a couple of hats or scarfs, so it will be a new look for me...

I think the only thing I felt differently, was a little shakiness through the evening. So far, no real side effects. I was able to take a long walk, fold laundry, fill out paperwork...and get to sleep by 12:30 or so. I was told the steroid would probably keep me awake, but I sometimes have difficulty going to sleep anyway, so it was fine. I got up twice in the night to go to the bathroom, once with an alarm, and once with an alarm I dreamed, and was up at 6 a.m. this morning. I have an appointment at 9 a.m. for a Neulasta shot, to stimulate my bone marrow to make more white blood cells, and to get a bag of fluid. My next appointment will be to check labs and see how I'm doing at the "nadir", the lowest point of blood counts, on June 16.

I am told after the steroid wears off, I will be tired. I'm hoping to have minimal side effects, but it is all in God's hands. I feel His help, encouragement, and strength and know He is answering your prayers!!
Love to all,

Janet Albertson