TGIalmostF

Looks like our team is growing! Right now there are 15 team members registered online. I know there are a few that may be registering manually, also. And a huge thanks to Brian who has offered to hold our celebration dinner after the walk. It's going to be a great day!

The new season of Survivor starts tonight. Carol and I always talked on Friday mornings. We'd pick our favorite "players", comment on the challenges, and laugh at some of the great moments. I think she even got Brian hooked on it. I'm going to be a little bummed tomorrow morn, not having my go-to gal there.

Well, here's to wishing everyone a great weekend... it looks like the weather will be cooperating to the fullest, so enjoy!

Calling all walkers

Here's a small portion of Carol's Crusaders walking in 2005. Carol and I are in front (yellow and burgundy jackets).

For all of you looking to join the 2007 team....

There are two ways you can register for the Road America cancer walk. Either online, or manually if you are unable to go that route. But, if you're reading this I would assume that you have internet access, right?

Here is the address: http://main.acsevents.org/MW_RoadAmerica

I can't remember every detail, but it's fairly intuitive, so I'll give you the basic step-by-step.

When you go to the American Cancer Society website there will be a button to Join a Team. Enter the team name (Carol's Crusaders) and hit the search. When you click on the team name (towards the bottom of the page) it'll show Sue Chambers as the team captain. You can then "Join".

There is a $15 registration fee, which you pay online. Then just keyin your name and all associated info that goes along with being you. There will be a few other questions, including your Tshirt size. Each year they give out long sleeve Ts.

When you're done registering you can go to the Participation Center to setup your own personal donor page. You don't have to do this part if you don't want to do the donations online. Sue and I will have forms available if you'd rather go the paper route. If you DO wish to setup the page, have some fun with it. You can be creative and write anything you want. Then you can email all your friends (through the page) and they can donate online. Again, all kinda cool. Here's what my page looks like.

Click here to visit KB's personal page.

Click here to view the team page for Carol's Crusaders

So, following this so far?

You can also view the team data...see who's all joined and how much money has been raised so far. It's all right at your fingertips.

If you'd like to register manually, please contact Sue at: sue9768@gmail.com and she'll be able to help you out. If you register online, but would like to write your donations on paper, you may contact me popper53@sbcglobal.net or Sue, and we will get the form to you.

If you have any questions, please contact either one of us and we'll be happy to help you out. If you are unable to walk, but would like to donate, let us know!

We're hoping for a good size team this year and many more to come.
Again, the date is Saturday, October 27th.

Our team wants you

I'm going to make this quick because I don't have much time right now, but I have all the information available for the Road America cancer walk on October 27th. "Carol's Crusaders" is a registered team, just as it was in the past years. You may register online or manually, whichever you prefer. (The online method is pretty cool, so I'd recommend that.) I will post details on how to do this by the end of the day....gotta run!

Side note: I hear Dominic had a pretty good first week of school and band was fun. Gotta like that.

Backpacks and new shoes

It's time to get out the pencils and books and prepare for the teacher's dirty looks.

Back to school again! Being a parent of two, I have to admit that there are always emotions associated with this day, no matter how old the children are. Either we're happy to get them back into the routine and schedule, or we're sad to let them go into that world that we have little control over.

I've been thinking about Dominic and hope that school in Mankato will be a good fit for him. I heard that he was looking forward to it, so that's a great start. It shouldn't take long for him to make new friends and get into the swing. He has a lot of people looking out for him, so he'll be fine. Good luck to him!!

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

It is SUCH a beautiful day out there. I would almost consider it perfect. Not a cloud, mid 70s, dry air, tiny breeze. Can't really think of what could make it any better.

Funny how the weather can really make or break a person's day. It makes us happy to have the sun shining on our face... and crabby when it's pouring cats and dogs and we have to run to our car parked waaay over there. A pretty snowfall makes for a fun day to get cozy in the house and watch the ginormous flakes come down... but then we get cranky when we are breaking our backs with snow removal.

The weather also gives us something to talk about. How many times a day do you hear people bring it up at work or at the store? And not only today's weather, but what the weekend is going to bring, as well. It's also a conversation starter when you meet someone new. "Boy, sure is windy out there today, huh?"

The weather affects our mental health in a number of ways, but today it's all about sunshine, so let's concentrate on that. If you're going golfing, working on the yard or just having a beer on the deck with friends... enjoy this beautiful day. Make it a positive one.

It Won't Be Easy

A family member asked me to post a special message.

Next week Friday, the 31st, is Brian & Carol's wedding anniversary. It's going to be an incredibly hard day for Brian, as you would imagine. Please remember him next week, especially on Friday. Send a card, give him a call, anything that you think may help him get through it.

Save the Date

Oops...I failed to mention that the date for the 2008 Rally For The Cure is already set. It will be Saturday, August 9th, at Sunset Hills. Please mark your calendars now if you'd like to golf and/or volunteer. Debby Thorn told me that they are ALWAYS looking for new people to jump in and help out! If you'd like to be included on the volunteer list or are looking for additional information, please contact Debby at Debby.Thorn@kohler.com or Ed at 920.467.0780.

Let's make next year's event even bigger and more successful!

If Only It Grew On Trees

The golf rally was a big success! Over $21,000 was raised this year!

There were over 250 golfers and plenty of others that stopped in for a burger and a beer. The sun was shining and there was this sense of unity with everyone...all coming together for this great cause. Kudos to Ed, Amy and all of the friends, family and volunteers that made this special event happen.

We've Come to a Decision...

Hello, all.

I wasn't sure where to go with Carol's blog at this point. Some have told me that they still go back to read entries, or that they would like it to stick around indefinitely just because. It began as a tool for Carol to share her progress, medical jargon and feelings with all of us. I can't speak for everyone, but based on the number of people that have approached me since Carol asked me to take it over, I think it really served it's purpose.

Carol said she trusted me with it, and I feel honored to have that come from someone that was such a natural writer. After talking to some of her family members, I have decided to use Carol's Connection as a home base for all information Carol-related. I'll post any cancer fund-raising events, special things done in her memory and hopefully some cancer treatment break-throughs, as well. Although Carol's memory is held strong within all of us, this can be another way to keep the cause she fought for alive.

If anybody would like me to post information to share, please get in touch.

For those of you golfing at Sunset Hills this weekend, pay special attention to hole #5. A tree will be dedicated to Carol tomorrow night and there is a plaque with her name on it.

A special thank you goes out to Brian's sister, Penny, for getting pink "In Loving Memory of Carol Stecker" Tshirts made up for everyone that is golfing and/or doing the Road America cancer walk in October. We all really appreciate the effort involved.

Speaking of the cancer walk...Sue and I will be co-captains for team "Carol's Crusaders" this year. More info on that coming soon.

It's been a rough couple weeks and I know these events coming up are just going to stir up the ole emotional pot for everyone. We all miss her like mad. What gets me through each day is knowing that she's still there whenever I need to talk, just like she always was.

-Kristi B

Just A Little Plug Here...

I spoke with Tim Renzelmann today, the Vice President of the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund. http://www.scccf.org/
I have done volunteer work for him in the past. He's a great guy and a cancer survivor, as well.

He said that he has already received phone calls in regards to donations in Carol's memory. I was pleased to hear that! Keep them coming! Please contact Tim if you are able to make a donation of any size; it is a wonderful organization. Just be sure to include that it is in memory of Carol Stecker.

Also...the annual golf outing "Rally For The Cure" is coming up this August. Please visit the Sunset Hills website for more information. http://www.sunsethills-golf.com/rally

Thank You!!

Black Is Not A Color

Carol Marie (Breiter) Stecker, 42, of N1995 Wittwood Road, Oostburg, closed her eyes and met her God on Sunday morning, July 15, 2007. She died in the comfort of her home, with her loving family by her side as a result of the breast cancer that had overtaken her body. She was at peace with her fate, but deeply saddened to be leaving her loved ones behind.

Carol was born on December 15, 1964, to Richard (Dick) and Therese (Girten) Breiter in Mankato, MN.

She grew up in Mankato, and graduated from Loyola High School in 1983. She attended Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA.

In 1991 Carol was blessed by the birth of her only child, Dominic Richard Breiter. He brought great joy and laughter to her life. Some of Carol's fondest memories were tied to Dominic's sense of humor.

Carol spent ten years working in the movie theatre industry; managing theatres in MN, IN, KY, and WI. Carol loved to travel and satisfied her wanderlust by working in the hospitality industry for a number of years at hotels in MN and GA, a resort in the San Juan Islands of WA, and on a cruise ship in HI.

Carol and Dominic moved to Sheboygan in 1996 and this area became their home. At the time, Carol worked for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Sheboygan County. Her co-workers there remained close in heart, always, especially Sheryl Schuesler. Most recently Carol was employed by Muth Mirror Systems in Sheboygan as an Administrative Coordinator and greatly enjoyed the variety of her work. She leaves behind there her best friend, Kristi Biederwolf.

In 1999 Carol met the love of her life, Brian S. Stecker. She always said he was worth the wait! Brian was by her side in 2001 when she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer and remained there throughout her treatments. In December of that year he proposed and Brian and Carol married August 31, 2002, in a big, beautiful outdoor wedding in their back yard.

Carol bowled several years on the 'Stecker Construction' women's bowling team and on a couples bowling league. She enjoyed snowmobiling while she was able, and golfing with Brian at Sunset Hills Golf Course, owned by their friends Ed and Amy Kirchenwitz. She loved family gatherings, trips to Mexico, Dominic's drumming, Brian's softball games, Christmas, lunch with Deb (Jeff) Thorn, dining out with friends, and everyday activities with those closest to her. She was an unusual football fan in that she rooted for both the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. Laughter truly was her best medicine.

Carol was one of seven children and Brian is one of nine. Carol always felt blessed that she came from such a wonderful family and then made it even better by adding the many Steckers to her family tree. In addition to her parents, Dick and Therese Breiter of Mankato, husband, Brian and son, Dominic, both of Oostburg; Carol is survived by three sisters, Mary Breiter (husband Scott Pratt and nephews Alex and Aaron) of Eugene, OR; Kathy Ramirez (husband Anthony and nephews Lorenzo and Zachary) of Milwaukee; Sue Chambers (husband Larry, niece Kaitlyn and nephews Jacob and Owen) of DeForest; and three brothers; Joe Breiter (wife Chersti Hanson) of Minneapolis, MN; Jerry Breiter (wife Roberta Jensen), and Dave Breiter (wife Kate and nephews Mark and Joseph), both of Mankato, MN. Carol's in-laws include her mother-in-law, Romaine (Gordy) Stecker-Bruggink of Oostburg; brothers-in-law: Lonnie Stecker (wife Brenda, nephew Joe and niece Nikki and her family) of Oostburg; Dale Stecker (wife Tammy and nephews Andres, Joshua, Kyle, Jacob, Josiah, and nieces Kaitlyn and Alicia) of Oostburg; Larry Stecker (nieces Ashley and Jordan and nephew Zachary) of Gibbsville, WI; and Tom Stecker (Dawn and nephews David, Alex and Tommy) of Hingham, WI; and sisters-in-law; Wendy Hendrikse (husband Kevin and niece Samantha and nephew Travis) of Oostburg; Julie DeMaster (husband Mike and nephews Arin and Matthew) of Oostburg; Penny Wychesit (husband Felix and nieces Chelsea, Courtney, Mary and nephew Tyler) of Gibbsville; and Debbie Harmeling (husband Joel, nephews Nicholas, Drake, Alex and niece Elizabeth) of Hingham, WI; and also Brian's stepchildren; Becky Lukens (and her children April and Jordan),of Cedar Grove and Brandon Lukens of Plymouth. Carol is further survived by many aunts, uncles, and over 50 cousins.

Carol was preceded in death by her grandparents, several uncles and her father-in-law, Thomas Stecker, Sr.

Friends may greet the family at the Wenig Funeral Home in Oostburg, WI, on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, from 3 pm to 8 pm, and on Wednesday, at church, from 9 am until the time of services.

Funeral services will be held at the First Reformed Church in Oostburg, WI, at 10 am, Wednesday, July, 18, 2007, with the Rev. Wayne DeVrou officiating. Entombment will follow at the Gardens of Peace in the Town of Sheboygan.

Online condolences may be sent to wenig@wenigfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, Carol has requested that donations be made to the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund.

Additionally, Carol's wish is that no one will wear black to her funeral. Wear bright, happy colors. Celebrate her life, do not mourn her death. She wants to look down upon those gathered and see a wave of colors, as if viewing a field of flowers.

A very special thank you to Dr. Kumar and the oncology angels at the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic in Sheboygan. You, truly, are miracle workers.

The staff at the Wenig Funeral Home, 108 Center Avenue, Oostburg, WI 53070, (920-564-2771) is serving the Stecker family.

The Sheboygan Press

July 16, 2007

And Then There Were None

....days left of suffering.

Carol Marie Stecker passed away this morning at 8:10am.

She took her last breath and then there was peace. Dominic never left her side. He spent yesterday afternoon with her and was there throughout the night. He's still with her now.

I know they gave her 7 months, so this may come as a little bit of a shock to some, but it was time. We've been watching her health change every day and knew it was going to be soon. Some of us prayed that it would be this weekend because the whole Breiter family was here. I think she was waiting for that time, and after she had the final talk with them, then she was ready.

Arrangements are in progress and will be posted soon.

Please remember Carol today and always, as she was. With her infectious smile and positive outlook on life. She will forever be in our hearts and our souls. God bless her.

-Kristi B

Family Is Where It All Begins

Carol has had some ups and downs the last few days, but she's hanging in there. The nurses say that her heartbeat and blood pressure are good. The breathing still seems to be an issue, but they gave her oxygen last night and it helped. She's also become a bit nocturnal lately, so her sleeping patterns are a bit off whack. The most important thing right now is that she's not in a lot of pain. A bit uncomfortable at times, but not hurting. She was a bit weak this morning, but some rest may help.

The Breiter family said the hospice staff has been wonderful. There are social workers and nurses that are working with Carol and the family members. Not only is this an important step for Carol's well-being, but it's been a huge assistance to the family, also.

Brian and Carol have both been blessed with such fantastic, large families. From everything Carol has told me about them, along with the kind people I have met on both sides, I couldn't imagine Carol having a better support group. Both the Steckers and the Breiters have bent over backwards to do whatever they can for these two and Dominic. Right now the Steckers have been keeping everyone well fed and the Breiters have been able to give Carol the warmth that she needs.

Home again home again, jiggity jig

Carol is back where she belongs. I wouldn't exactly say that she's resting right now because she seems a little antsy, but she should be getting a nap in later this aft. Hospice is going to be visiting first. I don't have a lot of info on what they'll be doing for her at this time. All Carol really said is that they were going to help her breathe because that was becoming difficult. That will be done with medication. She'll probably schedule regular visits with them and then she can call inbetween if need be.

There won't be any more radiation or treatments of any kind. Carol talked to Dr. K this morn (he's the one that released her from the hospital) and they made the decision to stop. I don't think she plans on seeing him anymore because they had their good-bye hugs. A big thanks to him for everything he has done over the years.

Dominic has literally been by her side since she got home and her family is all coming in tomorrow to be with her. She'll be surrounded by those that love her...all she really needs.

The Fight of a True Survivor

Hello, all. It's just me, Kristi B (aka KB). For those of you that don't know me - Carol and I started out as coworkers and became close friends very quickly. She has asked me to be her voice from now on. I will try to stick with the facts and put all emotions aside, although it won't be easy.

You've probably read Carol's last entry and know that the spread to her brain has put her in a bad place. She got a prognosis last week Tuesday and they gave her approx. 7 months. She has been through the ringer and has told me many times that she wants it to be sooner. She's ready to make peace.

Right now she's in the hospital. She made the decision to be admitted last night, mainly because she is lacking nutrition and the discomfort is becoming unbearable. She's had problems with her throat since a procedure was done a few weeks ago and she hasn't been able to put any food or liquid down. After seeing her today it appears that she has made a little bit of progress and is taking some steps with getting the nutrition she desperately needs. They have her on an IV and she's had some soft foods and drink.

She has a meeting with hospice care today. Their main goal is to make her comfortable and give her the quality of life that she needs at this point, mentally and physically. They will take care of her at home and hopefully put her in a much better place. She had started radiation on her brain last week, along with steroids, to reduce the swelling, but today they decided to put that on hold. Not sure if they'll continue this week or not. Carol would rather not, but the doctors think it's an important step. She should be talking to Dr. K tomorrow to make that decision. In the mean time she will continue the steroids.

Carol said you shouldn't plan on hearing from her anymore. I will keep you updated on where she's at. I know you all have a lot of questions and visit this blog daily to find out how she's doing. I sure don't have that way with words like Carol does, but I'll do my best.

And....I'm not sure what else to say. Those are most of the facts and I said I wouldn't get emotional. It's been a long week for many of us and as hard as it is for us to see Carol suffer like this, you have to know that she is ready to say her good-byes and put the pain aside. She's fought a damn good fight and kudos to her for being the toughest, most courageous woman I have ever met. She is truly one of a kind.

I Hope You're Sitting Down

After the 2 litres of fluid came off my lung on Wed, we did the scope on Thurs. Before scoping I received platelets cuz my numbers were poor, and after the scope I received 2 units of blood for the same reason. Dr Sokhi banded off 6 varices again. That's quite a few. Have had probs eating/swallowing since then.

Now is where you sit...feeling 'off' today so I went in to see Dr K. He decided an MRI was in order and we discovered spots on my brain. NOT good!! He put me on a steroid right away today and I'll start radiation immediately tomorrow. I'm afraid we'll soon be running out of treatment options.

In a daze right now. Not sure what else to say....

Home

I know for a fact that I'm home because I ended up spending the afternoon in the hospital. They drew another two litres of fluid off of my right lung again. Although when I got home I took a little nap and the phone rang and I had no idea where I was...home, hospital, Mankato??? It was strange.

Tomorrow I have a gastroscopy in the afternoon. Those drugs knock me out so I'm sure I won't be bloging then.

Head is very woozy now and stomach not quite right. So I'm signing off. More at a later date...

A Little Off

Here I am, still in MN, feeling a little "off." Although better today, I've had a rough couple of days lately. Hopefully tomorrow is a good day since we'll need to be driving home.

The trip here was good with Dominic doing the 4-lane driving. I imagine we'll do the same thing on the way back.

We've watched all levels of baseball while here. Mark had his games on Mon & Wed with his daddy coaching. We went and saw the Mankato Moon Dogs play last Tuesday. And we've watched Twins ball on TV.

We also celebrated my Aunt Midge's 50th Jubilee. It was quite the nice celebration. And while I felt pretty crummy that day it was nice to see so many aunts, uncles and cousins. Once again I am amazed at how many people tell me they read my blog. The corresponding prayers are greatly, greatly appreciated!!

Wed brings another shot of Aranesp, and Thurs holds a follow-up gastroscopy. I hope that nothing unusual shows up. I have had bad problems with the blood clots in my mouth again though. No...I don't know why, or what causes them. I just know they have me awake pretty much every single hour at night. The lip/chin numbness is still there and has not changed at all. Unfortunately, I've bit the inside of my lip several times now and it's pretty raw. That I can feel!

Thank you for your continued love, prayers, and support. This "trial" is made somewhat easier knowing I have the gift of family and friends by my side.

Minnesota Bound

I am going to be leaving again for MN on Saturday for another 10-day visit. This time Dominic is going with me so we'll be driving. Brian is too busy to be able to go with us, or to be spending much time at home during the days or evenings. So once again the change of scenery and time with my family will be really nice.

I had my one month check-up yesterday with Dr. K. We did a round of Zometa (bone strengthener) since I've been having this discomfort. We also increased the Fentanyl dosage in my patches. Hopefully all of that will help to ease the pain. Still no solid explanation as to why I have the numbness in my lip and chin. Dr K said it could be from a cancer lesion pressing on a nerve, or it could be Bell's Palsey. It hasn't gotten any worse, but it hasn't improved any either. I also have some numbness/tingling in the finger tips of my left hand.

I may or may not get around to blogging while in MN. That remains to be seen. In the meantime, I hope all of you are well and happy and enjoying your summers!

What now?

I woke up yesterday morning with the left side of my lower lip and the left side of my chin feeling mostly numb. They're still that way today. I've got a call in to the clinic to see what they think this might be. No pain, no tooth ache, no discomfort, no obvious trauma. Just this very odd numbness. Fortunately my face looks normal and I don't have a fat lip or sagging chin or anything.

I think it may soon be time to have the fluid drained from around my right lung again. I'm not really short of breath, but I do hear some faint wheezing sometimes. I'll probably hold off until I see Dr K next week though to get something set up. Since I've managed to go so long this time with draining, I don't think we'll have to resort to the very involved chest tube and can just drain it like we did the last two times. I'll let you know what happens with that.

I had a pretty good weekend. Got out of the house a bit with Brian on both Saturday and Sunday. I'm kind of sick of the clouds though and look forward to the next all/mostly sunny day to arrive.

Both my mother and mother-in-law have birthdays at the end of this week so, if you're so inclined, please say a special prayer for each of them.

Have to go flip the laundry from the washer to the dryer now. Big excitement for my Monday!

I hate waiting around for this phone to ring, but I really need to hear something from the clinic. I'll let you know what they decide this new strangeness might be from...