Busy, busy, busy!

My social calendar has been quite full lately!

Lots of fun stuff going on - great friends to hang out with and seems like I'm always on the go.....

I had a 2-week follow up with my radiation oncologist and he passed me with flying colors! He said "you really never had many side effects from all this - did you?" And I said "nope" :D He told me I'd done great and he'll see me again in 3 months. Nice!

I've been hanging out with Mark as often as possible and we're both enjoying that. He proved to be an incredible friend through all of this and showed great character. And he got a pink ribbon tattoo months ago, when we weren't even dating!

I know that I've heard a lot of people talk about having difficulties with doctors & hospitals; experiencing complications / delays and such ...... but not me. For the third time, I've had an appointment moved up - a day earlier than it was supposed to be! Most recently, it's my reconstructive surgery : ) Was set for next Thursday, April 7th, but I got a call last night, asking if I could do it early on the 6th. I was like umm..... well yeah, sure!

So I'd appreciate all of your prayers for this coming week. My mom is coming up the day before and will stay several days after. Thanks in advance - and more details later -

you know what....

you know what warms my heart?

When I come here to make a new post & I look at my last one..... and realize that todays is an answer to the prayer I requested last week : )
How cool is that?!

Well, the plastic surgeons office said there would be a scheduling meeting this coming Friday. So as I got up yesterday and this morning, I thought to myself .... Friday is getting closer all the time! This afternoon as I sat doing some paperwork the phone rang. It was my plastic surgeons nurse, saying she'd left my file on her desk as a reminder & just thought she'd take a look at the schedule anyway, to see if anything had opened up. Lo and behold - the OR is now available on April 7th!

Needless to say I was thrilled! I could have jumped through the phone to hug her : ) Yes, that is only 15 days away! But it gives me a full 3/weeks of recovery time, before my Sanibel Celebration with friends and family. I am super excited. And I thank God for watching over and taking care of me (once again)!

Ok .... here are some pictures to catch you up on some of who I've been hangin' with and what I've been doin' lately : )

I've had this plate for awhile now - but I love it & wanted to share -


Then part of the table decor when I went to the Relay for Life dinner ~



And my fun friend Val ~


My silly friend Marca : )


My sweet friend Lisa, who introduced me to Mark (owe her many thanks for that!)


Elizabeth and I at lunch the next day ~


where yes, I got FOUR pieces of pie (if you know me, you know I love pie!)

Those four fabulous ladies helped me celebrate my last day of radiation!

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This past Friday, I had one girlfriend come from West Virginia and another from Indiana, come to stay w/me. We met by way of the scrapbooking message board that I'm on...... and on Saturday went up to Kankakee for a 12/hour crop (scrapping event). There were 121 women there and it was a full day of great fun! We stayed up there Saturday night and did some shopping before coming home on Sunday.



These two (Stephanie on the left, Sabrina on the right) stayed w/me Friday & Sunday nights, then headed home on Monday.


Colleen


Ashley


Beth


Mary


Terry


April


Lindsey


Nikki


Becky

oh what a week!

What a fantastically good week! I don't have a lot of time to go into all the details, and will elaborate more later.... but here are the highlights:

1) had my 3 month check up w/my oncologist and he was incredibly pleased with my "condition". No cough, no wheezing, no neuropathy, no fatigue, able to sleep at night, etc. etc. etc. He said "see you in 4 months" : )

2) Sabrina and I consulted with another plastic surgeon - this one a female in Springfield. Her father was a plastic surgeon as well .... and we really liked her. Some of what she said, confirmed what my previous consultation did.... that radiated skin is not a good candidate for straight tissue expander & implants. I will be having a Latisimus flap (taking muscle and tissue from my upper back & bringing it forward) on my right side. And I'll go w/just the expander & implant on the left.

3) my friend Reba confirmed the condo for our upcoming Sanibel vacation (Shellabration). Britt and I talk excitedly about it every day & are anticipating a super FUN trip! The guest list continues to grow as well.... I just can't wait!

4) I have company coming tonight & tomorrow we are going to a 12/hour scrapbooking event in Kankakee.

5) Last weekend, a girlfriend took me to my first Relay for Life event. Wow! I felt SO blessed and inspired. Very grateful for what they do! After that, she and I went to another gal-pals for a pasta tasting party. There was lots of friends, food, fun and laughs! I have pics to share whenever I get the time to post them : )

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In the meantime I have a prayer request....

This plastic surgeon feels that surgery is better sooner, rather than later. In one way, this is an answer to prayer already, as you may remember I was hoping to have it completed before I go to FL at the end of April (?) Right now I am "penciled in" to have reconstructive surgery on April 11th. Openings may become available before that though - and that is what we're hoping for. Yes, this news has me super excited as well! I'd just like to have it done as soon as I can, so that I have the most time possible to heal before my vacation.

I will post more next week - hopefully things will be settling down a bit by then : )

and now I am DONE !

313 days ago, I was told that I had breast cancer. Today, I finished the chapter called "so what are we gonna do about it?" The answer to that question was, that I would have surgery, I would receive an aggressive chemo regimen and I would have 33 rounds of radiation.

I think I'm in shock as I sit here typing tonight .... It's consumed so much of my thoughts, my time and attention for these past ten months. But thankfully I didn't let it define me. I called it an adventure from the beginning - and it was. I definitely had joy in the journey! And I have a photo album on Facebook called "Thriving While Surviving" I did that too :)

So now I wait for my skin to heal. My radiation oncologist wants to see me back in two weeks. I will see Dr. Rowland (my oncologist) this Wednesday; then on Thursday Sabrina and I will go to Springfield to consult with a plastic surgeon.

I snapped this picture today as I was driving up to Mill's .... I really and truly treasure this place and the time that I've spent there. I will forever be grateful for the phenomenal experiences I've had!

2 more to go!

Today and Monday ..... then I shall be done : )

If it hadn't been for that snowstorm / blizzard, I would finish today.... but oh well, Monday works for me! And to prove I have my priorities right, I've even delayed my last treatment for a few hours - so that I can go to lunch with my besties (we do so once a month). Wouldn't wanna miss that! So I'll lunch in Monticello with the girls, then have my LAST treatment on Monday afternoon.

I don't think I can fully grasp the idea of being done yet. Maybe it's because reconstruction is still up in the air .... But hey - treatment & kicking this (silly) cancers butt is #1 and top priority.... so I shall celebrate having succeeded at that!

Here is a pic of my crispy / radiated skin. It is now peeling, especially on my collarbone. It's tolerable though & none of that area has had any more treatment, so it's on the mend now.




In other news - I have a new granddog { yes, I am rolling my eyes! } His name is Hugo, he is Jeremiah's, he is a miniature bulldog and he is cute as a button!

one week to go .....

and I will be DONE!

Today was radiation treatment #28, and the last of my full-area treatments. I just learned a couple of weeks ago, that recurrence (which will not happen to me) is more likely to occur at the site of a scar. So while I had 28 treatments in 4 areas, from my lower neck to my ribcage.... I will now have 5 "boosts". The boost is a more localized form of radiation and focuses only on the area of my scar.

What had been an itchy rash (is still a bit of that) but is more of a burn now. It's not too terribly bad..... doesn't really hurt like a sunburn. I am grateful though, that it never got bad enough that I had to delay any treatments! A friend of mine did have to take a break during hers, to allow her skin to heal some before continuing. I met with my radiation oncologist this morning, as I have each Monday morning, and he's incredibly pleased with how well I've done. He told me last week - I like your spirit : )

patience is a virtue

and knowledge is power - right?

So I am gaining virtue and power as I proceed with caution.

Sabrina and I met with a nurse at Carle (Mills BC Institute) on Tuesday. This was a follow up to the appointment we had with the plastic surgeon last week. She has been in the surgery / reconstructive department for apx. 30 years. She was incredibly helpful in answering our questions, voicing concerns and encouraging second opinions.....

As I told my mom earlier this week; we can choose to ignore that still small voice within us, or we can tap into it and investigate a little further. Since the beginning of this journey, things have been falling in to place, just as they were supposed to. The progression of steps along the way, the people I've come in contact with, and the experiences I've had, are all for a reason (and in my opinion - orchestrated by God). This is very much the same way. I knew that God would lead the way, my job is to pay attention and follow. Some days I do better at this than others : )

Anyway, I have told the scheduler w/Carle to hold off for now. And I have an appointment to consult with a plastic surgeon in Springfield on March 17th. It's an early appointment (8:30a.m.) but Sabrina said she'd gladly go with me.... stating that when I asked her to begin this journey with me, she fully intended to see me through to the end. { big hugs to her! }

Though I am incredibly anxious to have my reconstructive surgery, I also want to be safe and go about it the right way. I mentioned before, that a Sanibel vacation fell into place between now and then anyway (which again - I feel is not a coincidence). My friend Reba took off work the end of April / first of May and it sort of snowballed from there..... it has developed into a full-blown celebration; or as we are now calling it, a Shellibration! There are friends flying and driving in, to be there and celebrate with me. We will be on Sanibel during the one-year anniversary of when I was diagnosed! I already feel so blessed and loved ~ my friends and family are awesome!

So my intent is to find the perfect plastic surgeon for me, and make arrangements to have surgery as soon as I get home in May. (Much like I prepped myself to come home and have surgery last year; I'm just looking forward to this one a bit more! : )