11/26/98

Lincoln County News
November 26, 1998

"LifeLines"- My Journal About Living With Cancer
by Sandy Labaree

In this journal submission, Corvette publications are taking an interest in the Tour and I am soon to be a published writer for an automotive magazine. I struggle with lagging energy levels and a swollen hand. The rolling restaurant review returns to King Eider's and the trap is set for wayward meteorites

November 11, 1998: Today, I had a 1 1/2 hour phone interview with an automotive writer. He is composing an article for Corvette Fever Magazine and for Carlisle Productions' publications. The Corvette Fever article will appear in an upcoming issue next Spring. Part of the interest in interviewing me is because my car and I have been chosen to be part of the "Chip's Choice" Collection for 1999. Unless you are into collectible Corvettes, you probably have no clue about Chip's Coice.

Chip is Chip Miller, owner of Carlisle Productions, producer of the largest automotive shows in the country. Chip is also well-known in the Corvette business as a serious collector of priceless, one-of-a-kind Corvettes. Each year, he assembles a group of 12 unique Corvettes to showcase at Corvettes At Carlisle and to promote throughout the year. Chip called me a few weeks ago to tell me that he had chosen me and my car to be part of next year's Collection! He chose five "famous women" and their Corvettes, and seven of the Corvette Challenge race cars. I will be featured in Corvette Fever Magazine, in addition to Carlisle Productions' publications. Quite an honor for me and my every-day driver, high mileage Corvette.

Recently, it seems that every national Corvette magazine has had an article, photo or reference to my Tour. Vette Magazine, Car and Parts, Vette Vues and Corvette Quarterly have all had something good to say about the Tour. I am hopeful that more donations to benefit the American Cancer Society will arrive thanks to all this publicity. My debut as an automotive writer is also imminent. Corvette Quarterly, recognizing my fine skills as an LCN columnist, asked me to submit a story. I did, and it will appear in an upcoming issue. Their Art Director called and asked me to mail them some photos, trinkets and souvenirs from my Tour. They wanted to do a photo shoot of some of the Tour memorabilia. I packed up a box of all kinds of mementos and a variety of photos. I will be curious to see which ones they use as a backdrop for the layout of my story. They will probably include photos of all my co-drivers: Ben, Dot, Mary Ann, Christy and Peg.

November 13, 1998: Tonight, is the rolling restaurant review and we have decided on a return visit to King Eider's Pub. Paul, Sue, Ben and I are joined by Bill and Dot. For those who remember the previous review, we had given King Eider's a 4.9999 rating. Obviously, Eider's manager must have read my column/restaurant review because he comes over to the table to take our coats, mentions the rating, and informs us that he is keeping an eye on the sugar packets. It is painful to now be known as a restaurant critic and an enabler of sugar thefts. Sue is ready to crawl under the table and blames Paul for the sugar heist during our last visit.

King Eider's has redeemed itself from its previous sugar shortage, and now earns a 5 star rating. Not because my crab cakes were again fantastic, the barbecued salmon superb and the veal dish great, but because the manager man delivered our checks to us with two packets of raw sugar! Paul even found a lime seed in his martini, though in reality I had placed a lemon seed on top of his lime slice. Do you know the difference between a lime and a lemon seed? We don't and we suspect that limes are seedless, though I am not certain how they reproduce without seeds. I think if Paul ordered enough martinis he could probably find the answer to this probing question.

Tonight, Dot has brought me a wonderful gift. After leaving me in Spokane this summer, she visited her son in Kennewick, Washington. During her stay, she went shopping at a Toys 4 Us and found a 1/18 scale model of a 1997 red Corvette. It looks just like my car! Actually, even more so since she put tiny white Corvettes Conquer Cancer Tour lettering on both doors, and little cut-out photos of Ben and me sitting in the seats! What a labor of love to assemble this one-of-a-kind collector's item! I think Dot should do more photo cut-outs including one of herself that I can put in the driver's seat along with a photo of the speedometer gauge reading 130 mph.

November 15, 1998: We have taken it easy over the weekend, though I probably overdid it yesterday. I spent the afternoon cooking up a couple of batches of spaghetti sauce and some hamburger pies. The past two weeks, my right hand has become increasingly swollen around the thumb and index finger, making it hard for me to grasp utensils. After messing around in the kitchen for a few hours, my hand was weak and sore. I think this is all related to lymphedema, swelling in my right arm caused by damage from my radiation treatments. I had been warned that the radiation to my neck and upper chest nodes could cause scar tissue which in turn could hamper the flow of lymph through the remaining lymph channels in my right arm.

During my mastectomy in 1994, eighteen lymph nodes were removed from my right side. Though I was fortunate not to have any lymphedema from the surgery, the radiation to that area has further stressed the remaining lymph channels. I will have to discuss this latest development with Dr. Tom. I have been wrapping my arm in an ace bandage to relieve some of the tissue swelling, taking my water pills, and elevating my hand and arm at night when I am sleeping. Other than that, I don't think there is much that can be done about it.

Even more distressing to me yesterday, was that my hamburger pies came out awful. I threw them in the trash. I had spent all day cooking and I guess I have forgotten how to cook. I feel like everything I do is in slow motion. My hand is weak, and my energy level is zero. It is very discouraging.

So today, I need to stop focusing on all that I can't do, and go out for a break.

Ben and I have decided to drive up to Belfast to do a little Christmas shopping at Monroe Salt Works and Silkweeds in Searsport. It's a pleasant drive and we find all kinds of little goodies. On the way back, we stop in Camden for dinner. It is really turning dark so early now, and we drive home through an absolutely gorgeous sunset, a mixture of bright blues, pinks and aquas with the leafless trees and dark pines providing sharp contrast. These crisp contrasting colors are what I associate with winter sunsets. Tonight's seemed to last for nearly an hour.

November 17, 1998: The Leonid Meteor Showers are scheduled for last night and tonight. Last night, it was too cloudy to see anything. It also snowed and rained today. A wet snow that barely stuck to the trees and some areas on the ground, but still our first snow of the season. I have placed my meteor trap outside. Last night, I didn't catch one, but there is always tonight. My trap is similar to a Hav-A-Hart trap, a homemade contraption designed not to harm or injure meteorites or visiting aliens. I hope to capture a meteorite and file my next column from a remote galaxy. I have told Sue that just touching one of these microscopic specks will connect us with a foreign galaxy or at least send us on a one-way trip to a black hole. Sue thinks there may be a number of folks we could send to a black hole. This is a very interesting concept of adventure travel. Especially for those of us who are too busy and have no time for vacations. According to the black hole time theory, you can return home before you have even left! I should have considered advertising this fabulous vacation idea while I still had my marketing business. If I do capture a meteorite or alien, Wiscasset may be the next Roswell, New Mexico.

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