Lumpectomy done and I'm healing up. Finally able to perform more daily functions; laundry, cooking, driving, typing, writing, all the things you don't know you'll miss until you can't do them for yourself, for a span of time. After the first 24 hours they tasked me to get my arm moving again. It's been fun, but now I finally do most of the things I used to do, I just can't do it for the duration I was doing it before. I'll get there eventually.
Stage 1 breast cancer, our next step in our journey is meeting with oncologist. We get to do that next Tuesday, to discuss our steps from this point on. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about everything yet. Just trying to get through the pain I've dwelt with for the past 11 day. It is getting so much better. Still not as bad as a c-section, I know I've had four of them.
I'm so grateful for my family standing by me and helping me. I have so many friends that are like family to me as well. I'm so grateful for the prayers that have been said on my behalf and all the support that has been shown to me and my family. Thank you!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
The Sting of Finding out you have breast cancer!
Actually the journey began with my yearly mammogram. Not intimidating at first, then when they called me back for a second mammogram, okay a little more intimidating but I can handle it. I got called back last year and they came to the final decision, it was just tissue. Except this time, after I did the second mammogram they told me to wait in the waiting room until the pathologist looked at it, then the technician came back and said, we need to do another mammogram at a different angle and you may need an ultra sound, I'm thinking, three of them, something must be up. So again they sent me to the waiting room until the technician came back to tell me we need an ultra-sound, okay things are getting pretty intimidating now, I knew something was up when they want to run more tests.
After the ultra-sound the pathologist and Diagnostic care coordinator told me that there was indeed a lump and that I would need to have a biopsy done. Okay 80% of these test come back benign, so the odds are still good. When they did the biopsy they told me it would probably be midweek by the time we got the test back, so I figured no big deal it's all protocol. No, they called us on Monday, not 3 working days later but 3 exact days later. When my doctor called all he said was "you have breast cancer and need to meet with the surgeon. He didn't know any other information, he asked me if I knew any surgeons I wanted to do the procedure and because I didn't he called one for me, we visited with the surgeon, Dr. Harker, on Tuesday and scheduled a lumpectomy for January 23, 2015. So now the real adventure begins. It's so surreal, it still doesn't seem possible.
We'll know more midweek after the lumpectomy. The blessing I have been given has been one of great comfort and peace through this whole process. I know the Lord is with me and he's watching out for me. I know that he will be there for me through the process and that he will help me more than I could ever help myself. I'm am blessed with a wonderful family, ward family and lots of friends. I will make it through this, one day at a time.
After the ultra-sound the pathologist and Diagnostic care coordinator told me that there was indeed a lump and that I would need to have a biopsy done. Okay 80% of these test come back benign, so the odds are still good. When they did the biopsy they told me it would probably be midweek by the time we got the test back, so I figured no big deal it's all protocol. No, they called us on Monday, not 3 working days later but 3 exact days later. When my doctor called all he said was "you have breast cancer and need to meet with the surgeon. He didn't know any other information, he asked me if I knew any surgeons I wanted to do the procedure and because I didn't he called one for me, we visited with the surgeon, Dr. Harker, on Tuesday and scheduled a lumpectomy for January 23, 2015. So now the real adventure begins. It's so surreal, it still doesn't seem possible.
We'll know more midweek after the lumpectomy. The blessing I have been given has been one of great comfort and peace through this whole process. I know the Lord is with me and he's watching out for me. I know that he will be there for me through the process and that he will help me more than I could ever help myself. I'm am blessed with a wonderful family, ward family and lots of friends. I will make it through this, one day at a time.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be holding someone when they die? It's scary! As I hugged my mom and told her I loved her, kissed her on her forehead, she took her last breath. I was there and now had the responsibility of preparing my little sister, her only true daughter for what she missed. Mom's breathing before she died was so labored, so hard. She was hurting so much. I think the prospect of holding on for three more hours was hard for my mom. Kris asked her if she could hold on for Arlynda, she shook her head no. A nurse asked her if she could hold on till Arlynda got there, she shook her head no. She had been fighting for every breath for most of the day. I had gotten there, she could say goodbye to me, knowing that I love my little sister and would be there for her. I bent down a second time and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead reminding her that we loved her and would miss her and told her it was alright. That's when she took her last breath.
She must have been in pain for quite a few days but she wouldn't let on how bad things really were. She did beg me to come down earlier, but she didn't ever let on that it was because she might not make it till I got there. She stopped answering her phone and stopped talking to anyone period I should have known.
I am so grateful for the staff at the nursing home where she was at, for not ever letting her be alone. My older sister made it there when she could. I just wish I could have been there for her more in the week before she passed. She did get to visit with her sister's on the day she died. I was grateful for that, because I know it comforted her.
As much as it hurts to not have her here to talk to every Sunday, to call to ask how Dad is doing, to tell her the kids accomplishment, to let Caitlin talk to Grandma and tell her how much she loved and missed her, I'm grateful she is no longer suffering. It's really empty when we go visit Dad without Mom there. I never realized how much I would miss her until she was gone.
She must have been in pain for quite a few days but she wouldn't let on how bad things really were. She did beg me to come down earlier, but she didn't ever let on that it was because she might not make it till I got there. She stopped answering her phone and stopped talking to anyone period I should have known.
I am so grateful for the staff at the nursing home where she was at, for not ever letting her be alone. My older sister made it there when she could. I just wish I could have been there for her more in the week before she passed. She did get to visit with her sister's on the day she died. I was grateful for that, because I know it comforted her.
As much as it hurts to not have her here to talk to every Sunday, to call to ask how Dad is doing, to tell her the kids accomplishment, to let Caitlin talk to Grandma and tell her how much she loved and missed her, I'm grateful she is no longer suffering. It's really empty when we go visit Dad without Mom there. I never realized how much I would miss her until she was gone.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Dalton Got His Bear Award!
November of 2013
I am so proud of my ten year old. He will be getting his Bear award this month, not without much sweat and tears. At times I had to take him kicking and screaming to scouts. We finished the last section he needed tonight, he didn't pull his hair out, he actually had fun learning something new. I made arrangements with the Willow Park Zoo Education Specialist to go do their certification there. It never used to cost the scouts money but now it is $3.00 per boy, but they were able to pet a Chinchilla, see a Peregrine Falcon up close and personal, they also got to hold a Cockatiel on their hand or arm if they wanted to, no I am not the scout leader, but because I wanted my son to get his Bear award someone had to take them. I actually enjoyed going with them. I took most of his den with us, due the fact they went with the pack a month or two ago and did not do the stuff they needed to pass it off. I think it might have been because their scout leaders didn't really know what they needed, just that they needed to visit a zoo. I don't know if they knew about the zoo education center and all of its wonderful programs. You can speak with a conservation officer and learn what they do to help animals. They also teach the boys about what causes an animal to become extinct and endangered. They are a great source in our community and I am grateful I had the opportunity to share it with my son and his friends.
I am so proud of my ten year old. He will be getting his Bear award this month, not without much sweat and tears. At times I had to take him kicking and screaming to scouts. We finished the last section he needed tonight, he didn't pull his hair out, he actually had fun learning something new. I made arrangements with the Willow Park Zoo Education Specialist to go do their certification there. It never used to cost the scouts money but now it is $3.00 per boy, but they were able to pet a Chinchilla, see a Peregrine Falcon up close and personal, they also got to hold a Cockatiel on their hand or arm if they wanted to, no I am not the scout leader, but because I wanted my son to get his Bear award someone had to take them. I actually enjoyed going with them. I took most of his den with us, due the fact they went with the pack a month or two ago and did not do the stuff they needed to pass it off. I think it might have been because their scout leaders didn't really know what they needed, just that they needed to visit a zoo. I don't know if they knew about the zoo education center and all of its wonderful programs. You can speak with a conservation officer and learn what they do to help animals. They also teach the boys about what causes an animal to become extinct and endangered. They are a great source in our community and I am grateful I had the opportunity to share it with my son and his friends.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Learning in a different way!
I got an opportunity to use some of the stuff I learned from the Joys of Foraging, I'm excited to try more. Brennan found there are some acorns that grow close to where we live. He actually picked a few, not enough to really do anything with but we got to experiment with them and learn a little bit more about what to look for and how to tell if they are bitter or not and how to process them so that you can grind them into meal to use for breads, pancakes, in soup, you name it you can use it like corn meal. It was fun to actually use what I have been learning. I didn't get to teach it to the Young Women this year, because it was Stake Camp, but next year we'll be able to apply some of the things I have been learning.
I'm learning that I can get the information from a book, but it is better to learn it from someone who can show you the difference between the poisonous plant and the edible plants. I didn't know until I started studying up on plants, that the tomato plant is actually in the family of the nightshade family. The fruit is edible, not the leaves, whereas, other plant like beets, both the beet and the leaves can be eaten. I have been using a lot more of the plants in my garden in various ways other than what I learned as a child. My children don't always like it, but I love it. Beet greens have become one of our favorite vegetables. We eat it just like spinach.
What a wonderful world we live in.
I'm learning that I can get the information from a book, but it is better to learn it from someone who can show you the difference between the poisonous plant and the edible plants. I didn't know until I started studying up on plants, that the tomato plant is actually in the family of the nightshade family. The fruit is edible, not the leaves, whereas, other plant like beets, both the beet and the leaves can be eaten. I have been using a lot more of the plants in my garden in various ways other than what I learned as a child. My children don't always like it, but I love it. Beet greens have become one of our favorite vegetables. We eat it just like spinach.
What a wonderful world we live in.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Skylar's Graduation!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The Joy of Foraging!
I love this book. I am excited for spring to come, so I can try locating things that grow locally. I'm excited to show my children and the Young Women that you can find things that are edible pretty much everywhere you go.
I was looking for a way to teach the Young Women and even my own children how to identify edible foods in nature no matter where you go! I came across this book at the local library and I'm really excited to put some of the practices to use. Our neighborhood has a lot of variety, as far as edible plants go, and I'm excited to teach my own children how to identify edible plants. I've found that talking to the property owners they are usually very accepting to let you pick fruit especially on rental properties. There are a lot of people that don't even know what they have growing around their house. Many people don't have time or the desire to pick the fruit so it's a win, win situation for each of us.
I'm very grateful for my friend that comes from a healing background, her grandmother was a medicine doctor on one of the Hawaiian islands. She has a lot of knowledge about plants and what is edible, but I have only learned what she has shown me around our neighborhood and I know there is a lot more. Things I had always looked at as weeds have taken on a new outlook for me. I'm excited to learn more and be able to share this information with my family and the Young Women in our ward.
It even has recipes on how to use the food you forage.
I was looking for a way to teach the Young Women and even my own children how to identify edible foods in nature no matter where you go! I came across this book at the local library and I'm really excited to put some of the practices to use. Our neighborhood has a lot of variety, as far as edible plants go, and I'm excited to teach my own children how to identify edible plants. I've found that talking to the property owners they are usually very accepting to let you pick fruit especially on rental properties. There are a lot of people that don't even know what they have growing around their house. Many people don't have time or the desire to pick the fruit so it's a win, win situation for each of us.
I'm very grateful for my friend that comes from a healing background, her grandmother was a medicine doctor on one of the Hawaiian islands. She has a lot of knowledge about plants and what is edible, but I have only learned what she has shown me around our neighborhood and I know there is a lot more. Things I had always looked at as weeds have taken on a new outlook for me. I'm excited to learn more and be able to share this information with my family and the Young Women in our ward.
It even has recipes on how to use the food you forage.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)