Back Up A Week...

Lets back up a week to the time we were having fun.  Sometimes focusing on the more positive things in life help to lift our spirits!  We were still in Gatlinburg a week ago enjoying the activities there.  At the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum they got stopped for awhile at the over-sized lite brite display.  Ryan worked meticulously to make an American flag.

Stacey is writing names on her side.

Ryan starts devising his plan

 

Figuring out the pattern.

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

Cancer Files: What a Husband Should Never Have to Do

There really is a different version of "love, honor, and cherish" than you think of when you are in the romantic attraction of a new marriage.  When we stand there on our wedding day with so much hope and excitement for a future different than it has been before.  That version includes things like blood and ooze, fear and uneasiness.  No husband signs up for that on their wedding day!

This version of love is so much more than I ever knew I was getting that day long ago when I was just worried that everything that was planned for my big day was going to "go off without a hitch" so to speak.  I have said it before, if any of us would have known what we were really getting into in marriage, I am not sure there would be as many married people.  That is why in God's grace, He doesn't give us the whole story about marriage until we experience it.  On the flip side though, there are amazing and wonderful things you can't even imagine on that wedding day that you get to experience too!  Which is a fun little bonus!

And here is the truth...love is patient, and kind, it doesn't envy or boast.  It does not seek its own, not easily provoked and thinks no evil...love bears ALL things, believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, endures ALL things.  Love never fails.  This makes a nice little saying in the wedding program that you hand out to your guest on the big day, but does anyone REALLY know what that means?  I am thinking with divorce statistics as they are today, probably not.

So, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised when I am going through life thinking things are going pretty well and I find myself on my bed while my husband is packing three feet of soaked daikon strips into a dime sized incision on my right breast right after looking at me with an unfamiliar expression and saying "I really don't think I can do this!"  Yes, I am bawling - IT HURTS, all the while saying to him "this is not your fault that I am crying, you are doing GREAT!"

The facts are, a week and a half before my "final" surgery to finish up the cosmetic things involved in the reconstruction, I develop a hemotoma on the right side (which had been healing wonderfully and not causing me any problems since the cancer was removed on August 15th!).  Within two days, infection had set in and gave me what I thought was the flu.  Not so, after the wound was drained and I woke up today, I felt GREAT!

So, not final surgery coming up next week.  Instead he is going in to see why I started bleeding, clean out the wound and stitch it up.  He says this happens.  Funny, I didn't see it in the breast cancer manual (and that thing is THICK!)  Doc did tell me that he will still be able to work on the left side and "tweak" there so all is not lost.  Then, if all goes well there will be one more surgery.

Thank you for all your prayers, there are so many great people who I love so much who have come beside me and encouraged.  Sometimes it is just that kind word of encouragement that lifts your spirits.  Lifted spirits are more important than I ever knew before this whole experience.

Matt Loves Mom

We were at a steakhouse the other night that provided these Wiki sticks for the kids to play with while they waited for the food.  One by one, Matt handed me one and asked "can you make an M...can you make an A...?"  I wasn't really paying attention to what he was doing until he had asked for M A T T M O M, and he asked for an L.  After the L I heard "Mom, how do you spell love?"  That is when I looked down and he was working on the word "love" in between Matt and Mom.  One of those "Awwww" moments!

World's Tallest Man and Other Odd Things

The world's tallest man...the kids thought it was pretty neat to see a life-sized replica of the world's tallest man.  We thought we would pause for a picture just for fun.  There was a lot of things in the Ripley's believe it or not museum that was interesting and exciting to see.

There are a few visual learners in our family and to see the actual size of a man who was 9 feet tall really made an impact on us.  We also got to see things like art made out of rubix cubes and cool optical illusions as well as getting to play with giant Lite Brites!  There was a little something to interest everyone.  I was even able to read a few of the interesting facts as we walked along the way...my kids are growing up!

One of my favorites was right at the beginning of our journey through the museum.  I have very vivid memories of gum wrapper chains.

I turned the corner yesterday during our tour and there was the world's longest gum wrapper chain.  That brought back memories from my childhood.  My mom made gum wrapper chains when she was in high school.  She still had one she was working on when I was a little girl.  She kept it in a light blue bucket the size of an ice cream pail.

She would get the chain out and let me look at it and show me how each link was a gum wrapper.
Imagine my surprise to have those memories jogged by the worlds LONGEST gum wrapper chain!  My first thought was "man, I wish that Mom was here to see this" and I took a picture from every possible angle so that I can show her when we get home.  It is a memory that may seem silly, but was surprisingly vivid to me.

Family Time

It has been a great day.  A great week so far actually.  We are celebrating Thanksmas with Auntie Chelle and it has been a long time since we have been in Gatlinburg.  In fact, the last time we were able to book a condo here, I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with Zach.  (Eight years!)

The last three weeks have been so busy at the house, and I have a lot to catch up on and I have all kinds of pictures and blog posts in my head that I haven't sat down and typed up.  I am hoping to share some of the moving moments and new house adventures as I get a chance but for today, we played mini golf!

As the kids get older, the family dynamic is a lot different.  Going mini golfing without a stroller, this mom was able to hold a warm cup of coffee and take some pretty fun pictures.  Zachary has improved tremendously since last trip and Matthew is learning how to hold the club.  Ripley's believe it or not was pretty great too.

Cancer Files: Surgery #4 - Hopefully the Last!

I am having a hard time keeping up with the blog lately with all of the things that are going on around here! The new house has been wonderful this past week as we have gotten used to new things and figured out which light switches go with which lights.  I could do without all of the boxes but I know that it won't take too long before they won't be here, at least in the main living areas.

Doctor said this week that we can try to schedule the last surgery before the end of the year to save the deductible once January hits.  I am all for that!  Who wants to drag cancer treatments into a whole new year?  I am ready to get this behind me and move on in 2014!  So, December 12th will be the next and final surgery to get the cosmetic aspects taken care of.  Not super thrilled when he said it would be a 3-4 hour outpatient surgery, but if it is the last one, it will be good to get it behind me!

I have some fun pictures to share from the last week or so, and our moving experience so I will get to those fun posts over the weekend, but for now, this is where I am on the journey.  Grateful to be here and that the cancer was found when it was.  I will deal with the new me and find the new normal.  Maybe this upcoming surgery will move me closer in that direction.

Suppertime at the New House

Last week was such a whirlwind.  In 36 hours we went from living in one house to eating dinner in a new house on the other side of town.  Lots of things happened that I would like to document but I have not had time to sit down and make that happen.  This coming week when I need some down time, I will get a more detailed update.  Life is a little crazy right now but God is oh so good!