Busy busy.....

Rachel had a freind spend the night last night and then they were out the door bright and early to get good seats to......Eclipse! Yep, she loves the series and has read all of the books and what not. Curtis was again the driver. He's a good boy!

I woke up again hungry! What is up with that? Oh, well, I made a hot ham and cheese on an everything bagel with vegeterian veggie soup; it was delicious! I am meeting Janet today for my evaluation at the ED Center. A little nervoous about being out and about but I feel good, so I am going.

Tomorrow, I have a follow up with the Plastic Dr. He gives me the final say on getting in and out of the ocean. All the other Dr.s said it would be fine, followed by the saying, just dont get an infection, that would be terrible! No kidding! So I think the expanders are terrible. Think of them as hard square plastic bottles that poke you and are hard as a rock! Yep that is what it is like. I cant wait to get them out and get the soft ones in. Nothing major here, just a little somethin, somethin. Probably not happening until all treatments are over with, but I am a patient women.

I still love hearing from all of you. Without my family and freinds, I dont know where I would be mentally. Visists and calls keep me sane. I do have a few phone calls to make that I missed yesterday (Nancy and Bernie), but I was napping off and on all day. It happens. Ok, off I go. I might try and clean the floors today, might. Yea, it didn't happen yesterday, but It was cause I was not awake and we rescheduled.
God Bless this day!

Feeling very Hungry this morning!

I fell asleep to the Food Network and Travel Channel and woke up starving! My friend and boss, Janet, made me a gift at the beginning of May when I was first diagnosed. It was a mix made by her womens Church group. It is cinnamon pancake mix and then you add the wet ingredients when you are ready to make them. Well, today was the day! I woke up at 7:30, put on a pot of coffee, sizzled up a few pieces of bacon and made those pancakes. They were soooo good! I also cut up a banana on top and poured a glass of iced tea. Coffee and I have not been getting along, but I did have one cup today. Rachel, Paul and I gobbled up every last pancake and bacon and we are now onto doing laundry.
Yesterday, after my post, I felt so sleepy but couldn't sleep. It hit me like I just couldn't get comfy or something. I think I am doing to much, but I feel so good, I guess that is what I am supposed to do. I am not doing my floors today though. I have a wonderful friend, who is coming to remove the dog hair from my downstairs and give my floors a good cleaning. She does this for a living and she also has Mocha's sister, Cola, so she knows what she is doing when it comes to the dog hair! I promise, I will let any of you have a turn at it, just sign up next to a date!
Ok, better get off of this. Paul is home for a bit before going in and we are going to do something!? Not sure what, but I think it involves shopping for Hawaii! We just need one more suitcase and we are set!
Mahalo
Kathy

It was a long great weekend....

I had my parents in this weekend. I must say they looked great and we kept each other very busy. They celebrated Rachel's birthday, attended a Grad party down the street and had some fabulous food. They hardly got to see Bradley cause he is working 7 days a week, but they did see glimpses of him. Curt was here and there when e wasn't with his girlfriend!
We did all manage to sit and play some card games and Whoonu? It was silly but fun and fast. The kind of games that make you laugh, just what we needed.

My brother Al came in on Sunday to see the folks also and to see me. He of course did not come without a gift. I tell ya, he is going to get it! He and Ellen bought me the most beautiful Coach purse! Pink of course! It is so nice, I almost couldn't' except it, almost! I love it and I love them. Without my family, I don't know where my mind would be these days. I love them to death. i also spoke with Chris in Tennessee today, I think Kim will be joining me after I get back from Hawaii, I hope.

Well, Saturday night, I couldn't take it anymore. Paul shaved my head and I feel great. No, I didn't say look great but oh well. I forwarded some pics to the unit and they said they loved it! I don't care, I know it is temporary. I truly don't want anything on my head right now, so no hats or scarves for me. It is way to hot out there! People can stop and stare, I don't care!

I have not forgotten how very lucky and blessed I am for waking up today and feeling great today. A very good friend of mine brought me my unsweetened iced tea today from McDonald's. I must say, those are the small things that help me out throughout this whole ordeal. I have had a great day so far, some small bumps in the road, but nothing I cant handle. Please, God, give me the strength and give my family the strength to forge ahead and help us get through the next 6 rounds of chemo and the 33 days of radiation left. I am woman, hear me roar!!! Please continue to pray! God Bless!

2 days post second round.....

I wake up early and go to bed late. I am having trouble sleeping. My parents arrived yesterday evening for a weekend visit and I set them up very nicely downstairs so they don't have to climb the stairs. They look really good. I still have a ravenous appetite and so at 10:30, I made egg salad on an everything bagel with hot potato chips! It was delicious and hit the spot. They went to bed, and I played on FB for a while and then watched the end of Chuck and Larry. Still a dumb movie if you ask me. Not one of his funniest makes.

So, ya, I still have hair. No one, and I mean no one in my family wants to be "the one" to shave my head. I have one more grad party in the hood that I am sending my family to and when they get back, I think I will have the task completed and finish up with the lint roller to boot! What's a girl to do? I am also going to have a visit from my brother Al tomorrow and I need to call Chris and Kim. Apparently, Chris called while I was napping yesterday and no one answers the home phone, ever, well I do if I'm awake!

OK, keep the prayers coming, they are working! God bless this day!
Kathy

OIH! My hair is starting to fall out; Oh My!

So, let's see; Tuesday, I joined my friend Kris Robert's poolside and enjoyed some Thai Spice! It is a local favorite of mine. I get the Koa Padd; fried rice-extra spicy. Yep, my palate is back, and just in time cause chemo in 2 days! We sat around her pool a couple of hours, caught up on all of the kids gossip, talked about husbands, how much they miss me at work and so on. It was just what I needed and we will do it again next week for anyone else that wants to join us; it was totally spontaneous as I texted her that day and said I was coming over! Good thing she said yes!

I spoke with my boss, Janet today. She has expertly arranged for me to go to the Education Center for St. Francis Hospital so that I can check my 4000 emails and respond to some of them, and do a little shopping with my VIP points. I think I will get grocery cards as they come in sooo handy to send the kids out for things I may need, like Hot Stuff potato chips; hey, I can't help it, OK? And by kids I really just mean Curtis! He gets me my drinky drink everyday; an unsweetened iced tea from Mickey D's! Yum! After it's gone, I refill with 3/4 water and 1/4 cran grape. I need help! I totally got off the track; It was great to talk with Janet; I simply would not shut up and I know she was busy cause she is now the new owner of my position on.......the CCU Skin Care Committee! Thanks for stepping up to the plate Janet, I really mean it, cause it is a bit time consuming! I love ya for that!

Ah, the real story here.....my hair! Yep, I am grossing Paul and the kids out with my jokes. "Hey, will you throw this away for me?" "Sure what is it?" After I hand them a clump of hair, they look at me and shake their heads with pity! I laugh and they are like, no other Mom would do that. I tell them, "That is why you are so lucky!!" haha! I have to keep it real, we are shaving it later; well, Paul and I will watch as the kids take turns and then, yes I will finish with a strong lint roller brush for the remaining fuzz. Pictures will be taken!

Also, I had my 2ND round of chemo today, lifesaving chemo that is! I was accompanied by my siter-in-law Ellen! She offered to come in and I accepted. My other sister-in-law Kim will be joining me after Hawaii, and I can't wait to see her!
Anyway, they accessed the port in.........1 try!!!!!! Yay! Not to say she didn't have to dig deep, cause she did, but who cares, one shot and we were in baby! She pushed the Red Devil (adriamycin) first, then hung the big bag of cytoxin. My pee was bright red in 15 minutes from the 1st drug. Completely normal I was told. We finished in just over 2 hours, watched a little Price Is Right and then got the heck out of there. We picked up Curt and Rachel and headed to lunch to Shallo's where I saw a good friend Brenda. We ate and headed straight to Sears. I wanted to look at their Land's End line of suits. Guess who just got the cutest new navy blue and white suit with the cutest cover up? That's right, me! Of course, Rachel was there to help pull my suits on and off for me and Curt was the official thumbs or thumbs down judge. Yes, Rachel made fun of me again, and again, and again! Did you think she would be any different? Me neither, but thank goodness she can laugh and help me out at the same time! Auntie Ellen was also trying on suited and found some too! After that, home please, I'm starting to feel very, very sleepy.

Home we go. Ellen left, I went up to bed and took a nap, and when I woke up, dinner was waiting for me. Our neighbors, the Wards, delivered a fabulously prepared dinner, as told by my kids and after I am done writing, I will go and eat. So on that note, I hope everyone has had a wonderful day and will have a wonderful tomorrow! God Bless!
Kathy

Trouble Sleeping Again.......

I am the worst at night! I also read something tonight that is disturbing to me to say the least. It was a post on FB and it is haunting me now. It is all I can think about. I do not wish to reveal what it is but just know, I will be OK, and I will stay healthy!
I thank God for each and every day now. I truly enjoy the day and what is happening at that exact moment.
I made some plans today with my brother and his family for Hawaii. We will be attending a Luau and also doing "The Road To Hana". This will happen in Maui. What will take place in Kauai, well, we don't know yet. I do know that I will relax and enjoy the scenery and takes lots of pictures. I need a new suit! I went to Macy's and tried on several and I must say, the stretchy fabric was a bit trying on the old lady! I struggled with a few and wished I had a pair of scissors with me to cut some of them off. Easier on than off in some cases. I will pursue more trying on tomorrow at Kohl's.

I am going to try and go back to bed now. Wish me luck!
God Bless and Goodnight!

I just woke up from a tiny cat nap; it's 4:45 in the afternoon. I have been having trouble sleeping again. I need to retrain my body, but it knew I was supposed to be at work last night so it was up, and so was I!

I had a very, very busy weekend. Rachel turned 13 and had a party with sleepover on Friday. This year, 4 lucky boys were invited to stir things up a bit. It ended up raining and storming very violently, so the girls spent the night indoors instead of on the screened in porch. They all had a great time and want to make "movie night" at our house a monthly, weekly, or nightly event! I guess that is a sign of a successful party!

I still feel relatively normal. I don't feel sick. Am I sick? They said that they dissected all of the cancer out of me, so I say NO! I think about how fortunate I am every day. However, I do know that this will always be with me, this chapter in my life. Will I ever do anything without thinking of this? the answer is no. I know this already has changed my way of thinking. I will allow my children to do things that I might once have told them not to do. To wordy? I know, to deep, but these are things I think about.

I received an email from a very old friend of mine and I must say that it moved me quite a bit. Again, I am blessed at just how many people are praying for me. I love hearing from all of you so please keep it up..

My parents are going to be heading down next weekend to help out. I look forward to it. They will be handy in case I start to feel like crap after Thursday's chemo party!

As for my Hawaii trip; hell yes I'm still going! Less than 3 weeks away and I am very excited about that. I don't plan on overdoing it, but I don't plan on feeling ill either. It will just be what the Dr. ordered. A few pieces still needed, like new swimsuits, but other than that, I'm ready!
God Bless this day!

The one week check-up

I went to the Dr. Office this morning; drove myself; then proceeded to wait for 1/2 hour in the tiny office exam room. Not horrible just get a little anxious being there. Everything looks good, right? Well, sort of. I did have to have blood drawn that I was not aware of; and have a tiny little suture knot that was peeking out of my shoulder near my port. guess what? She had to dig a little cause the skin grew back over it! No worries, it came out fine and not too much discomfort. They will be checking my counts weekly, something I did not know about. I thought it was biweekly.

Anyway, after that, I felt good enough to go Krogering. So, I loaded up the cart and got in line and guess what? I ran out of gas. I had to ask for help unloading, bagging, and taking my groceries out to my car. I had lots of help and they were all really , really nice. I notified the kids before I left and they helped unload and put away. They are being good to me.

One more thing to do; take Rachel to the mall for a present. We went to Von Maur to the Clinique counter and there, she had a makeover and got to purchase all of her essentials and she loved it, and so did I! She looks understated and beautiful and that is what we wanted. Nothing fussy over here!
OK, completely bushed and tired, I am off for a quick nap and then I am playing Euchre with the family.
God bless this day!

today is Wednesday........

I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. The night thought and worry about my port have kept me up. My port is good but it is tilted and this, my friends, if your
're a nurse, can cause some anxiety. they did have a bit of trouble getting into it the first time so, one week from now and yes, I'm already worrying about it. I will get my second round of chemo next Thursday; any takers? im looking for a companion of sorts to sit with me and keep me company and hold my hand if needed. I know I will get some offers out there! I get scared very easily, but yes, I am strong and brave, but sometimes, I need a little reassurance.

Today, I met up with some friends ant BJ's Brewhouse in Greenwood. Curtis was my driver and dropped me curbside at the door. I darn near cancelled. I just wasn't sure if I was ready to go outside and sit for lunch. Well, I did, and it was lovely. I didn't eat too much but feel satisfied. My pizza was not the best I ever had, but I think that is from the chemo changing my palate again. I received some gift cards from many people and from CCU, where I work. I always said, how much I love the people I work with and I truly work in the best unit in that hospital. I stand behind that saying as I have had so many people praying for me and wishing me well. I feel blessed to work where I do. I promise to work on all of the thank you's also, it's been on the back burner, but I need to get moving on it!

It is also nice to recieve little cards in the mail of inspiration from friends and family. I love them and they truly do help me! I know my unit is special because at the very same time I became sick, one of our other nurses delivered triplets and is also going through some hard times and I know that these group of people are helping her also and praying for her three girls as well. Amy, I pray that everything will work out for your three beautiful girls and that they get to come home as soon as they are ready! I only worked two days a week, and I hardly ever complained about going in, but I have to say, I miss the weekly grind of it all. We always made the best out of every situation, no matter what. Laughter kept us sane!

As for how I am feeling; I feel great today physically and emotionally now. I am a bit weepy though. I am so touched at the generosity of so many people. I hope I never have to repay them the same service, but if I did, I know I will definitely go overboard!
Want to hear the best news? I just applied for cleaning for a reason .org. My friend Julie sent me the link and I can get my house cleaned professionally once a month for 4 months while I'm in treatment! Yay! I hope it goes through, my house needs it!

Love all of you and everyday is a blessing from God!

I can do this!

I have had a couple of rough days to say the least. Sunday and Monday proved to be a little nauseating, but I still managed to eat and nibble to avoid the vomiting.
I can't thank all of you enough for all of the well wishes that I have been recieving and I really appreciate all of the prayers. I don't know where I would be without all of them. I am blessed everyday!

Yesterday, Brad, Rachel, Paul and I played Euchre until 12:30! Now, mind you, I was ready for bed at 10 pm. I'm not sure how it happened but it was alot of fun.

Poor Brad, I am saying my prayers for him today. He is getting his wisdom teeth on top taken out. He says he is not nervous, but he is glad to be getting out of a few days of work and commute to Ball Memorial! I know he will do well and he can keep me company while we recoop together!

So nothing sounds good except that darned baked potato again. I am going to go make one right now. I put just a little catalina dressing on it and yummm, it tastes so good! Some things are not tasting all that good lately, like, HOT things. I love hot but I couldn't eat it right now, it just doesn't sound good to me. Metalic tastes are breaking their way into my mouth. OK, everyone have a great day and God Bless!

Three days after Chemo....and counting

OK, so day 1 and 2 were fine. I managed to attend a lovely Graduation Party at our friends down the block. After many sitings of friends and well wishes, Rachel and I left the party, went straight to the bingo tent at the OLG festival and sat down to play. Of course I had a driver by the name of Julie Scudder, also an avid Bingo payer! We all lost at bingo and then the big storms rolled in so we made it to Julie's basement and there we sat and played rummy and Whoonu. It was alot of fun. I passed on Poker! That is BIG news for anyone who knows me, but I know that I wouldn't be up long enough to finish the game that night.

While at the festival, I did run into Laura and her sister from work (sorry chemo brain acting up, and can't remember names right at the moment). I gave them each a hug and talked for a few and it was good to see them. I do know that one of her daughters names is Maggie, right? The brain is not totally gone yet! I would say, I was at the festival for about an hour and that was plenty for me.

So today, is Sunday. Hoping to attend mass later around 5ish. I slept in and then watched TV in bed for another hour, so I was up late today at 10am! I watched food TV and so I decided we are having shish_ka_bob today and Paul just got back from the store with all of the ingredients. Can't wait and it sounds so good right now!
Rachel was also very persistent this morning! We ordered her charger for her camera from Kodak, on sale with free shipping, and we ordered her Eclipse movie ticket for June 30Th at 1045 in the am. Now, who's going with her cause it is not going to be me!!!
I still need to call US Airways and get new seats as I have been instructed to sit in the biggest area because I need to walk and stretch every hour on the plane ride over to Maui! I will see what I can do there! Other that that, I still have a hefty slice of graduation cake I stole from the Rice's house. I almost called them this morning to see if they had any left over pulled pork, but I felt that was pushing it!! Anyway, more anti nausea meds and pepcid complete and I can do this!!!

The 1st Round fo Chemo is Under Way!

So I'm awake early at let's say 9:30 and I start my day. Rachel and I get ready, hed to Target, get some stuff, forget to look at cute hats and scarfs for me, and check out. I make macaroni and sandwhiches for all of us and then wait for Paul to get home to go to Chemo. I'm ready, right? I'm really ready; I keep telling myself this over and over. It's not really sinking in but I figure, what the heck, how bad could it be?

Not knowing is a blessing. Being a cardiac nurse, I truly know nothing about Chemo agents except that at the hopital, if I come inot contact with a pt. who is getting chemo, I have to where special chemo block gloves. I wouldn't want to get that stuff on me let alone inside of me; wait, yea, here it comes baby!

So I wait in the waiting room for 5 minutes and it feels lilke an hour. We are escorted back to a small room with no decor, a small TV/VHS player and a lazyboy and some chairs. My nurse introduces herself. Now, from this point on, imagine her and me talking in a British accent. She is from the UK and her name is Hum. She is lovely and has been doing this a long time. She is giving me a vesicant called Adriamycin (look it up) and has to be very careful not to let it leak out from my port. Ok, about the port. Nothing is ever easy with me, so why should accessing my port be any different.
The port is under my skin and very close to my left armpit but in front kind of right next to my shoulder but not quite on my chest. Got the picture? So she cleans me up, get a 1 inch needle and tries to stick the port. Attempt one= FAIL. Ouch! Attempt two= FAIL. Shit! She calls in Karen. Karen will get it! They are a little concerned that the prot has flipped around and the back is now facing us. That would suck.....for me. Well, anyway, Karen gets the 1 inch needle and boom, she gets it but says, wow thats deep. Make a note in her chart! Ok, it's in and I'm ready, right?

To make a long story short, I got 20 minutes of Adriamycin and 1 hour of Cytoxin dripped and pushed into me. I did great! I also got alot of anti-nausea meds and steroids. All to help me get better my dear! I get the needle out and leave the office feeling fine! I even took a long walk around the block with Mocha and Paul. My mind is good, and I feel very fortunate for my smarty pants doctors at this point. I am going to be just fine, and at this point I know it!
The best news of all; I get a three week break from chemo while Im in Hawaii and I can get into the Ocean!!!!! Except only when the sharks are feading; before 10am and after 4pm!! I have choices!
Ok Im off to bed as my brother Al and his son Alex will be arriving in the morning and I want to feel good for this visit!
Good Night and God Bless!

Guess What?

Today is still Wednesday for about another hour. I did a few things around the house and by that I mean, nothing. I was a complete basket case about some stuff going on at St. Francis, of which I cannot talk about! It is giving me an ulcer, and making me question my sanity. I drank a beer at 11am this morning and I don't even like beer that much! Yep, something is bothering me very badly. But, I had to move on for the day so I did.
I went upstairs to get ready for my appt. with the Plastics Dr. He is so nice. Im not nervous at all. So i gather my 2 washcloths and my shampoo and bodywash and begin the procedure of cleaning muyself via sink in bathroom that I must say, I have gotten pretty good at. All and all, I still look like a small boy in the bathroom mirror when I am done, you know, no boobs short hair and chin hair for which it is time to pluck the stragglers for the appt. so I get busy! I'm finally ready and my good friends Marji and DeeAnn pick me up and drive me to Columbus. Indiana. We will meet Paul at the office and then go for a quick bite to eat afterwards.
As I wait in the waiting room, the anxiety comes over me, I am really here again. This is really happening and I don't want to be here. I want my drain out so this is what I will focus on.
"Kathy" ' they call me. I go back with Paul, and get undressed from the waist up, put on their bathrobe and wait very little time for the Dr. to come in. He comes in and says, "Want to get that drain out? How long have you had it in?" I tell him since the 17th of May. Ok, let's do this! He snips snips here, and snips snips there and then tells me to hold my breath, now exhale 1/2 way; woosh, it's out! The burn, then the relief. I feel free. He says he is not going to fill me, unless I want to be bigger. Not really, so we leave. I will see him again in a few weeks. Want to hear the greatest news? I can shower now!!!!!! Yay! I can shower and peel off the steri strips from both breast. I've been known to be a somewhat of a picker, so this does not bother me in the least. We go to lunch, then Paul and I go to the Jockey store in Edinburg on the way home and I purchase my first new smaller bra. It's cute and beige. Victoria's Secret will have to wait till treatments are over.

So that's it. Tomorrow, I will have the lifesaving, poison dripped into me for the first of 8 long treatments followed by 33days of radiation to the armpit where most of the cancer was. I can't wait for this to be all over and done with. Hawaii can't come soon enough!! Thanks for all of the texts and phone calls and emails and presents! I love them all and look forward to the drop ins for visits that help me keep my mind off of things. I count my blessings everyday now! God Bless!

Things don't always go according to plan......

Today is Monday. I wake up to the fact that my drain is not coming out today. In fact, it has picked up speed over the weekend. It can come out after it drains less than 30cc's in a 24 hour period. this is the amount that your body can reabsorb and not become a problem. I was close but then something happened and I actually started to increase. Irritating, frustrating, but not horrible.
So this morning I called both my surgeon and my oncologist. They both agreed that I need to see my plastic surgeon as scheduled on Wednesday. The Onc. says she will see me no matter what at 1:30 in the afternoon on Thursday! This will be my official day of chemo!! I'm both scared and relieved because I just want it to be over with already! So, unfortunately, the weekend trip I was planning on, probably isn't going to happen, but I will keep my options open, as I may do very well with chemo and I might not be as sick as they tell me I'm going to be, just maybe!

On a lighter note, we had a great weekend filled with lots of company, one poker game and one open house. It was a fun but exhausting weekend.

I am still experiencing the "overwhelming blues". They come on fast, don't stay long, I have a good cry, feel sorry for myself and then they are gone just as quickly as they arrived. It's weird but again, I'm told this is normal. I feel more crazy then I knew I already was. ( That didn't make sense to me either. )

It's funny how when your sick, you seem to run into people who have the exact illness you have. Of course I ran into someone who has breast cancer with the same Dr.s I do and just finished up chemo and radiation. This was at the open house. I know what your thinking but, this time, I actually enjoyed it and it gave me inspiration because the lady, she looked pretty good for just finishing up such a big dose of medicine.

Well, we are grilling out tonight because Paul's sisters wanted to come over for a visit. I am looking forward to it as I havent seen them in a while. I need to get off of the computer and go and do my hair? No, clean the house, no? Well, I could stay on here all day if I wasn't careful, so til next time!

I'll be having a good day, when all of a sudden, it's dawns on me that I have breast cancer. I start to cry, like I am right now, and It is a feeling and sensation that I truly cannot overcome easily. I have to just let it out and cry and hope I don;t get it again, but I know I will. I now cry in all sorts of places and I look odd doing it, but it is what it is!
One thing that keeps me up is my family. I am so very proud of them for helping me, driving me around and just being there with me and playing games and hanging out. My friends have been there too. Have I forgotten to mention how very generous and loving all of my friends have been? Well I am sorry it has taken me this long to do so. From many, many dishes of food, candy, chips, drinks, gift cards and clothing, I am forever humbled and grateful. My friend Karen also made me a chemo quilt! She had my family and some of our good friends in the hood sign a square, then she quilted them together with a poker pattern (surprising I know), then she presented it to me! I cried while I was reading each square. They all mean so much to me, especially since people took the time out of their day to do it. I even got a message from Mocha and Dixie! I will have to post it on here some how. I will figure it out.
Well, I was really hoping that my chemo will start Monday, and it might, if I get my drain out early that morning. I pray that I do because I want to get this going and get on with my life. I am grateful for everyday, for everyday is a blessing to me!

Having a good day is everyday for me!

I went to bed late last night (2am) because I didn't take my Xanax. I was also playing games online (bejeweled). I had to wake up early for my Muga scan. So 6:30, I'm up and getting ready and my friend Lisa will be taking me this morning and picking me up at 7:30.
I'm up and ready, arrive at the hospital and I' walking through the halls when I see him. I see the Dr. who I first went to when I started having all of these symptoms. He told me that I was fine and he did however, reluctantly order the Breast MRI for me because I told him I read an article about Christina Applegate's story and how it saved her life. She was only diagnosed b/c of this test. I remember, sitting in his office getting the results of this MRI. He told me that everything looked fine. He did not mention the lymph node in my right breast or the cyst in my left, as I later found out I did have. He told me that I was having normal changes to my body. He couldn't explain the pain under my armpit but assured me that having another MRI was not necessary. There was simply nothing he saw that warranted any further tests. The radiologists backed him up and told me that we will be getting another MRI, because they saw a wrinkle in the left breast but told me had we not gotten one in the first place, that we wouldn't have to be going through any of this! He was scolding me because I got the test in the first place! I asked him if he would feel this way if this were his wife or daughter and he said absolutely! You are a healthy young women, and you now will have to go through another MRI because of your insistence on getting one in the first place! I left that office and never went back to them. Good thing too, because just think if I had listened to them? I'm not sure where I would be today. Still in pain and not diagnosed yet.
Anyway, I avoided him, but thought if he looks my way, I would not back down. Of course, he would have to recognize me first wouldn't he? I mean my hair is short and I look quite a bit different. Anyway, I chalk it up to Karma. I mean, that was a little reminder to me that I did the right thing, and listened to my body, not some Dr. who wasn't completely sure about things except that he was right and I was wrong! Enough of that!
So on to the test. Creepy! That is all I can say. This test is to make sure my heart is strong and ready for chemo. Take out 10 cc of my blood. Mix with heparin (blood thinner) and radioactive chemicals; wait 1/2 hour; place back into Kathy! Gross! Take pictures and done! I'm sure everything is fine, but I will have to endure one more friggin phone call to find out.
My drain in left breast is at 35 cc today. Not coming out. Hopefully by Friday, as I want to get the chemo started Monday or Tuesday. My Onc. says this won;t be a problem.
I also went to the Baseball fields tonight with a friend just to get out of the house. It was fun. I had a Tenderloin from the concession stand and a sprite. I also ran into some people I haven't' seen in a while and they all wished me well and are keeping me in their prayers. Isn't that sweet? I am truly blessed with friends and family in abundance!
OK, I'm going to go to bed and lay down, and I'm taking the sleeper, cause I can already tell, I'm not tired yet! Nighty night!

This Just In.....

Well I was sitting around after not going to my Muga scan because of some kind of mistake in the scheduling department, when the phone rings. It says it's a restricted call, which is code for Dr. Office! I reluctantly answer, Hi is this Kathy? I say yes; who is this? She tells me it is Dr. Mayer. I immediately get very weary and sick because this is the lady I specifically told that I hate phone calls with bad news. Then I think, OK, why is she calling me? She says, I couldn't let you wait all day until 6pm to let you know that your PET scan was beautiful! YAY!! She actually said BEAUTIFUL!
I thanked her and she said now, lets get those drains out and start the chemo! So off to the Dr. Office I went and got the remaining right drain out and the left is still in but slowly slowing down.
Whew! Great news! Rachel and I celebrated by going to Von Maur and getting her a couple of bathing suits on sale and walking around too much!! Im exhausted but as you can see, it is late. I must get some sleep as the Muga Scan is set for the morning at 8am. Yuck! One more scan. I hate them but I can do anything now!
Thank You God, Im glad you were listening to all of our prayers!

Memorial Day Weekend

Well, I have endured a very long week. Many Dr. visits, scans, blood draws and oh yeah, I got my Portacath. It sits right in my left chest wall near my shoulder. The Dr. assured me she would try not to nick my lung and I guess she was good, cause that did not happen.
We ventured out to two open houses on Saturday, had two cookouts on Sunday and we had 1 open house on Monday. They were all lovely and it was nice to see everyone. I was exhausted by the end of all of it, but I kept my chin up and carried on. We ended the weekend with movie night. Rachel picked, and we watched Leap Year. It was cute and light hearted, just what I needed.
Today, my friend Julie is picking me up for my Mugga Scan. They need to make sure my heart is ticking right before they drip poison in me tomorrow! That is if I get all of my drains out! At 6pm this evening, Paul and I go to The Oncologists office to find out how my PET Scan( I will tell you about this scan a little later) results are. I feel very good about this, but the little doubt creeper keeps trying to creep in!
Anyway, I am ready to start treatments and get this part of my journey and life over with and behind me.
39 days! 39 days til Hawaii.....that is what I will be focusing on for good vibes!