I know I probably sound like a broken record, but did you know that the Maple Valley community rocks?!?! This morning Nichole Hansen planned and carried out a Party In Pink Dance-A-Thon at the High School Gym. She is a very busy lady and so I really appreciate the time & effort she put into this. Thank you also to Angie Walker and many other MV teachers who helped out! I was able to get out there for the last 45 minutes and was amazed at how many were there shaking it to fight cancer. And fight cancer they did...$800 and counting was raised during this event!
Had to catch up on my rest this afternoon after my big trip out in the morning. Then we were treated to a yummy dinner from Kelly Adrianson. Ate while watching King of Queens Season 8. This was a box DVD set that Kyle got me for Christmas like 4 years ago and I had never even opened it. Guess I was saving it for when I was recovering from surgery in Oct. of 2012!
So excited for my sister and her husband as well as my Dad who are running in the Grand Rapids 1/2 Marathon tomorrow! Praying for safety & endurance for them.
Thank you to the English family for entertaining Alexis this afternoon and to Dad Booher for letting Gavin go watch the big game with him tonight!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Post Surgery-Oct. 20th-Day 19
Well I made it through surgery yesterday! We arrived at 7am and had some preliminary stuff done. Then I was taken by wheelchair to radiology where they injected a dye that would travel through the lymphatic system and collect in the sentinal node. This is the lymph node that all fluid passes through first so they remove that node and send it to pathology to be tested for cancer cells. This is how they know if the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. So anyways, the shots that injected this dye were very painful but the pain didn't last. I waited 1/2 hour and then she was able to take pictures that revealed where the sentinal node was located. She marked two x's on me to show this and the surgeon would use the pictures as well. We had a great experience in radiology with a very nice tech named Melissa.
Then we returned to our room to wait for surgery time. My parents came and so we all chatted, watched tv and read magazines to pass the time. They came to get me just after 10:30. If you ever wondered what it feels like to have God's peace surround you and the prayers of 100 people covering you, I tell you it is amazing! I was so calm and at peace getting wheeled into that surgery room and even as they began to put me to sleep. Kyle said it was almost 2 hours before Dr. Rappaport came to talk with him. He told Kyle that my sentinal lymph node tested negative for cancer which spared me from another huge step of surgery-yaaahhh! I woke up very groggy in recovery and experiencing some pain until I got some pain meds. We left the hospital shortly before 4:00. I was greeted at home by pink ribbons tied all around the house. My Mom & Lexi did that in the morning before the kids got on the bus! I also have to give a shout out to Dianna Finkler who brought dinner last night. I hadn't really eaten anything since the night before so it tasted good! Thank you also to friends Mindy Hasselback and Nichole Hansen who helped with the kids yesterday afternoon/evening!
I am hoping that my sister-in-law Erin will share some pictures from her event today in Florida. Her and her fiancé, Mike, are competing in Dragon Boat races today to raise money for breast cancer research. Go Erin & Mike!!!
Then we returned to our room to wait for surgery time. My parents came and so we all chatted, watched tv and read magazines to pass the time. They came to get me just after 10:30. If you ever wondered what it feels like to have God's peace surround you and the prayers of 100 people covering you, I tell you it is amazing! I was so calm and at peace getting wheeled into that surgery room and even as they began to put me to sleep. Kyle said it was almost 2 hours before Dr. Rappaport came to talk with him. He told Kyle that my sentinal lymph node tested negative for cancer which spared me from another huge step of surgery-yaaahhh! I woke up very groggy in recovery and experiencing some pain until I got some pain meds. We left the hospital shortly before 4:00. I was greeted at home by pink ribbons tied all around the house. My Mom & Lexi did that in the morning before the kids got on the bus! I also have to give a shout out to Dianna Finkler who brought dinner last night. I hadn't really eaten anything since the night before so it tasted good! Thank you also to friends Mindy Hasselback and Nichole Hansen who helped with the kids yesterday afternoon/evening!
I am hoping that my sister-in-law Erin will share some pictures from her event today in Florida. Her and her fiancé, Mike, are competing in Dragon Boat races today to raise money for breast cancer research. Go Erin & Mike!!!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Pre-Surgery-Oct. 18-Day 17
More good news today...my Pet Scan results showed no other cancer activity besides what we already knew. I don't know what that spot on my lung was, but it's not cancer and that's all that matters-GO GOD!
I had a great evening! First I met with my girls, Micah & Kim, who I do a mentorship Bible Study with. They are two amazing women who bless the socks off of me! Then I went to my parents house to watch the Tigers and hang out with my family. Emilie & family and Lee & family were there too.
I got to have some baby cuddle time, watch the Tigers sweep the Yankees and have my family pray for me. The highlight of my day was when my niece Averie prayed for me. This little 4 year old prays like an adult! Then she sang "Speak Life" by tobyMac and "Our God" by Chris Tomlin. Love her to pieces!!!
I decided to eat a second dinner this evening as I am worried about the fact that I can't eat in the morning. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I like to eat! I have to check in at 7am, I have an x-ray at 8am to help with the lymph node biopsy and then surgery at 10:30.
Specific prayer requests would be that I would not be nervous, that my kids would have a worry-free day at school and that there would be no lymph node involvement.
Thank you to everyone who is praying and offering messages of support! I feel so blessed to have all of you in my life!
I had a great evening! First I met with my girls, Micah & Kim, who I do a mentorship Bible Study with. They are two amazing women who bless the socks off of me! Then I went to my parents house to watch the Tigers and hang out with my family. Emilie & family and Lee & family were there too.
I got to have some baby cuddle time, watch the Tigers sweep the Yankees and have my family pray for me. The highlight of my day was when my niece Averie prayed for me. This little 4 year old prays like an adult! Then she sang "Speak Life" by tobyMac and "Our God" by Chris Tomlin. Love her to pieces!!!
I decided to eat a second dinner this evening as I am worried about the fact that I can't eat in the morning. Anyone who really knows me knows how much I like to eat! I have to check in at 7am, I have an x-ray at 8am to help with the lymph node biopsy and then surgery at 10:30.
Specific prayer requests would be that I would not be nervous, that my kids would have a worry-free day at school and that there would be no lymph node involvement.
Thank you to everyone who is praying and offering messages of support! I feel so blessed to have all of you in my life!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Good News
As some of you know, after my diagnosis, my sister decided to contact her doctor about having a mammogram. Even though she is 4 years younger than me, she wanted to have that reassurance. The first mammogram took place early last week and resulted in an abnormal finding. She had a more detailed mammogram on Friday that continued to fuel the suspicions. She then had a biopsy on Monday and received the results today. It was benign! We are all so happy and relieved! I told someone today that if she got bad news it would certainly shake us but it wouldn't break us. I am so glad the news turned out to be good...we've had enough "shaking" to last us a while!
Monday, October 15, 2012
October 15-Day 14
Had breakfast with a 15 year cancer survivor this morning-thanks Katy!
Still feeling so blessed and overwhelmed by the show of support & prayers coming my way.
So many people have mentioned that they are enjoying this blog. Like I said before, it came to be when a friend suggested that I should share my story this way. The afternoon I started it Kyle had stopped by to visit me at work. The children were napping and so he, Carrie (my friend & co-worker) and I set to work at trying to decide on a name for the blog. I looked at titles of other breast cancer blogs and found anything from "Save the Boobies" to "Cancer Sucks". My favorite was, "But I Don't Even Look Good in Pink!". These are all fine but I needed something that was more fitting of me. After further searching I was telling them about listening to a song on the new TobyMac CD. The song is called Speak Life. It talks about speaking hope, love and life to those around us. I decided when I listened to it that I wanted to try, as much as possible, to speak about my cancer in a way that would bring hope to those around me. So that is where the title of my blog comes from!
Tonight I messed up and I didn't speak love to someone that I care about greatly. I apologized & know it will be ok. Tomorrow is a new day and with God's help we will all get through this.
Still feeling so blessed and overwhelmed by the show of support & prayers coming my way.
So many people have mentioned that they are enjoying this blog. Like I said before, it came to be when a friend suggested that I should share my story this way. The afternoon I started it Kyle had stopped by to visit me at work. The children were napping and so he, Carrie (my friend & co-worker) and I set to work at trying to decide on a name for the blog. I looked at titles of other breast cancer blogs and found anything from "Save the Boobies" to "Cancer Sucks". My favorite was, "But I Don't Even Look Good in Pink!". These are all fine but I needed something that was more fitting of me. After further searching I was telling them about listening to a song on the new TobyMac CD. The song is called Speak Life. It talks about speaking hope, love and life to those around us. I decided when I listened to it that I wanted to try, as much as possible, to speak about my cancer in a way that would bring hope to those around me. So that is where the title of my blog comes from!
Tonight I messed up and I didn't speak love to someone that I care about greatly. I apologized & know it will be ok. Tomorrow is a new day and with God's help we will all get through this.
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