Update

I can finally say, "I'm sooooo happy to be on the OTHER side!!" I am feeling awesome, have energy (and desire) to do "normal" stuff, and just enjoying one day at a time. Its amazing what a lil blood will do for ya:) I had my blood levels checked again last week and everything is right around the same. So for now, I do not have to go see the hematologist!!! I do have to call in pronto if I have headaches, dizziness, fever, pain, etc. so they can get me in right away to have my levels checked. Next appt isn't until Sept. 30th with my surgeon/GYN oncologist:) Not exactly looking forward to that one but hopefully I'll get another awesome report. I'm having to go back and forth with all the various docs to harrass them in order to get my CT scan done. It was suppose to be done in 3 months and we are going on 4 this week. I just want to hear, "It's gone. All clear." so badly!!! I'm just thankful that I am FEELing so much better. I didn't put any expectations out there and said that I'd hope I'd feel halfway human by Christmas, so I'm thrilled to be to this point at the end of August:)

More awesome news: As most of you know, my mom has been diagnosed with CVID (common variable immune deficiency) and has Vivaglobin treatments once a week (for the rest of her life). The immunologist felt that Bella and I should be tested for CVID since Bella was sick at least 1-2x per month from the time she was 1 year until she got her tubes done this April (thats alot of sick for a lil chica). We got her results back today and they came back PERFECT!!!! So her immune system rocks, she just needed tubies-which was pretty obvious to me anyways since she hasn't been sick once since she got them. I have to wait at least 6 months from the date of my last radiation treatment to be tested. Please keep me in your prayers for that one! My mom and I both had cancer at the exact same age (me-cervical, mom-thyroid) so its kinda scary. In my low moments, I bawl thinking of Bella getting to my age and the fear I know that I'll have for her. I just keep praying for a cure and that a miracle will come so she does not have to go thru this herself. Our genes are basically a petri dish just ripe for cancer.

Non-medical updates: Bella started preschool at Lifeway Christian and LOVES it!!! I think she is really going to thrive and do awesome. Her teacher, Mrs. Ostrand, is all about routines-LOVE it!!! Hunter is as close to crawling as he can possibly get. He is getting on all 4s and rocking back and forth. He can crawl backwards just hasn't gotten the forward gear down yet.

Thank you all soooooo much for all the prayers, cards, emails, delicious meals, sweet thoughts and just lifting our family up the past few months-you got us to this point!!! I will never be able to repay your kindness but am blessed to be at a point where I can give back to other survivors and their families. LOVE YOU!!!

August Pics

Feeling LOTS better now that I have normal hemoglobin levels... just enjoying the kiddos and the last bit of summer.

Yep, she's definitely mine-would rather read books than watch cartoons and insists on taking her books outside with her to read:)

Reading her Bible:)

Playing with the baby capuchin monkey at the Safari

Mama kangaroo with her baby hanging out of the pouch

Bella checking out the mini pony

Cheesyman:) with his toofers!

I have a baby picture of me EXACTLY like this!!!

This just LOOKS like trouble!!!

His newest thing is to put his thumb in his mouth and then stick up his fingers like this and blow zurberts:)

Blowing zurbers with his tongue hanging out:) He thinks zurberts are the greatest thing ever and cracks up laughing when he does it when I'm trying to feed him.

My silly boys

Daddy loves

Grma's dog, Jake, always sits at the bottom of the highchair when Bella eats lunch-cracked me up when Hunter scooted over there to take his turn:) And yes, my 3 yr old is in a highchair cuz its the one time of the day I can actually contain her and get stuff done!!!

Cutie patootie

Love me some Hunter

Before & After: Back Yard

Our NEW backyard-got a fence installed and built a butterfly garden:)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Due to POA regulations (*PUKE*) you cannot install a chain-linked fence off the side of your house-it has to go straight back from the edge. This didn't work for our backyard since the property line doesn't run right next to the edge of the house, so the fence guys built a wooden gate out to the side and then chain-linked the rest of the way around.

BEFORE (w/ my lovely assistant, Bella):

AFTER (w/ Hunter's finger):

BEFORE:

AFTER (also added mulch to the Bette Bed):

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:


AFTER (thinking about some shrubs and flowers to go around the eyesore propane tank):



BEFORE:
AFTER (new butterfly garden):

Appt Updates

Radiation oncologist appt went great:) He doesn't want to see me for another 4 months, and then only if I'm still having problems with side effects.

Next appt: Sept. 30th with the GYN/surgical onc. Its the big one and one I fear the most, especially with some of the side effects/red flags I've been having lately. I guess I'll be paranoid forever now when a doctor doesn't seem worried about something that *could possibly* be something and when they take the "wait and see" approach.

Gonna go update the family blog with some summer pics

http://mayquad.blogspot.com

Quick AWESOME Update

My levels are up!!! 13.3 WOOOOOOOOO I'm back in the "normal" range-the low side of normal but normal is good, I'll take it!!! Go back in 2 weeks for another blood draw as my levels are expected to drop during the 4-6wk post-radiation period. Please pray my levels stay good and don't drop and just continue to go up!!!

Thanks for all the prayers!!! I have my one-month follow up appt with the radiation oncologist tomorrow afternoon.

Random Thoughts

I was emailing (actually messaging on Facebook) the other day with one of my Cancer Posse chicas (a MUST read for ALL cancer survivors-Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips by Kris Carr) and somehow got on the subject of not being in control and having no clue what the future holds. I'll never forget when the doctor said the words, "It's cancer" and then I laid there bawling as he did an exam. All I could think about was my babies having to grow up without a Mama, and I just wanted to know that I was going to live and this was all going to be ok. I'm a planner and I NEEDED a plan faster than pronto!! The days waiting between diagnosis day and finding out what stage it was were grueling. They were the few days I allowed myself to be vulnerable and fear the worst-I bawled at church that Sunday. Then I realized-God is in control, this is all for a greater purpose and he will NOT let this cancer be wasted. I knew no matter what happened I would be ok and so would my family. (Yeah ok so tell me that again around midnight when I can't sleep cuz all I can think about is my appts this week LOL) It wouldn't matter how much I laid in bed, wallowing and worrying-it wasn't going to change the outcome. No one ever knows how much time they have left before they go to Heaven, so why waste the awesome time we have here on earth with the people we love? I don't want my kids to remember Mama laid up in bed crying and too sad to play with them (and YES, I am human and there have been days just like that). I was 6 when my mom first had cancer and honestly the only things I remember were knowing that Mama was sick, having her aunt come from Boston to take care of me and my brother and us not being able to hug her neck because of her surgery. I don't remember her allowing it to devastate her life. Thats how I want my kids to remember this time-we are a team, we pulled together and we beat this!!!

As for the fear of not knowing what the future holds... in the beginning I wanted answers sooooo badly, and still do even today want to know that every single little bitty cancer cell is wiped clean from my body and hasn't found any secret hidey spots. I want to know if/when its going to come back and how bad it might be. But while I was talking to my chica, I realized, ya know, if I had known how awful some of my bad days were really gonna be and had to wake up each morning with that looming over my head, I probably wouldn't have made it. I would have never gotten out of bed, never faced life, and never waged war against this disease. I would have feared those bad days so much and had so much anxiety that no blood transfusions in this world could save my sanity LOL Instead, I woke up every day determined to make it a good day, or at least give it the chance of being a good day. I woke up determined to give the fight all I had and draw all my strength from God and know he wouldn't leave my side. I woke up determined that even if I wasn't strong enough to hold my babies or chase them or push them in the swing, at least I could sit on the floor and give them hugs and make them giggle and read books-all without letting that fear of the possibility of a rough day ruin all of that. So sometimes, its ok to not know exactly what the future holds. God knows what he is doing by protecting us and forcing us to just live in this day and be so incredibly thankful for what each little minute holds.

Other randomness... I'm going to start working on writing my letter to the state's medical board. I've been dreading it and putting it off but I know its something I NEED to do-not just for myself, but for the doctor so she can truly understand her errors and what its done, as well as for the protection of her patients. I have no clue where its going to lead-I'm putting it all in God's hands. I don't want anything out of it other than for it to be acknowledged that mistakes were made. I don't blame the doctor for my cancer but I do think it definitely could have been and should have been caught ALOT sooner than it was, and it shouldn't have taken me having to find a new doctor to get diagnosed. I know people go years searching for a diagnosis so I was very lucky to have found it as early on as we did but there were just too many things that went wrong that cannot be simply chalked up to human error that I feel have to be addressed. So please just say a prayer that God will use me somehow thru this whole process and be with me in my heart as I begin writing the letter. I will post it once I'm done.

Thank you SOOOOOOO much for still praying for me!!! Also this week, Monday afternoon I have my blood work to see if my low hemoglobin was a one time thing or if something is going on, and then Tuesday afternoon I have my one month radiation follow up appt! Can't believe its been a month!!! I AM healing!