SURGERY

I appologize to any of you who follow my blog but are not on facebook for not posting sooner after surgery. I had surgery last Friday and it went very well. Besides removing the remains of the tumor in my breast, I only had to have two lymph nodes removed. That was great news. I did not get sick from the anesthesia, which was another good thing. But it was very interesting trying to wake up afterwards. The male nurse kept asking me if I was in pain and all I could do was stare at him as I could not make my mouth work. So he said, "well you must be in pain because your heart rate is so fast" and he gave me some pain medication. And since I was in pain, that was good. Ask Kirk about he and Gregg helping me walk into the house and he will laugh and laugh. My legs were like rubber and kept giving out on me. Wish we had taken a video. It would be fun to watch! I had hoped to hear by today the results of the patology report to see if the doctor got all of the cancer, or if I have to have more removed, but so far, no news. I have an appointment with the doctor on Monday. I'll post when I get the results. Thanks for listening. Love you all

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU HANDLE PLAN "B"

I spent this last weekend with my dear friend, Debbie Devine, who was visiting from Washington. We went out to eat at Cracker Barrel Saturday night and found the cutest things in their gift shop. One of the items I purchased was a note pad with the following printed on it:

Plan "A" is always my first choice... the one where everything works out. But more often than not, I find myself dealing with the upside-down version where nothing goes as it should. It's at this point the real test of my character comes in... Do I sink or swim? Do I wallow in self-pity or do I simply shift gears and make the best of the situation? The choice is mine. Life really is all about how you handle Plan "B". -- Suzy Toronto

This is so true. Thank you to all of you who have helped me to handle my most recent Plan "B" as well as I have. As a p.s., I got an "A" on my algebra test this week!! and I have my surgery on Friday morning.

QUILT PHOTO & CANCER UPDATE

Remember the "pink party"? Well Mary Woods finished the quilt for me and here is a photo of it. Isn't it beautiful? I feel special every time I look at it and I cuddle with it on the couch in the late evening (while the air conditioner is on, ha). Thanks to all who were involved in making the quilt or just coming to the party. It will be a constant reminder or how whatever challenges we face in life are easier to handle with the support of friends and family. Now on to a cancer update: Three weeks ago today I had my last chemo. Went to the cancer doctor yesterday and had blood work done and my blood counts are ALL normal! Woohoo! The doctor said that she has seen patients 6 months after the completion of chemo who still are not back to normal blood counts. I have been feeling much better and have more energy. Not quite enough to start riding my bike again, but enough to last through an entire day of work and a summer school class in the evenings. ( A few weeks ago I was having a "feeling down" day and decided that I needed something to focus on besides having cancer, surgery and radiation. So... I registered to take Intermediate Algebra at Pima for this summer school session. Tonight is my 4th night of class and so far, so good. I really like the teacher and the way he teaches. It is a 5 week course, M-Th 5:30 to 7:40 p.m. at the downtown campus. ) I will be having surgery on Friday, July 22nd. I am having a lumpectomy and removal of lymph nodes. This is done as outpatient and hopefully I will be up and functioning within a few days after. I'm anxious to have it behind me! I'll keep you posted. Thanks for your love and support