Schedule for next week

Thank you in advance to all that are able to help. 


On Monday, Jeff will be with me. We arrive at the hospital bright an early and should be home later in the afternoon. He will spend his day in the waiting room in the front of the hospital through the doors near valet parking. If you are looking for him and want to come sit with him or bring him something to eat or drink, this is where you can find him. I will send you his mobile number if you send me a message. 


We are in process of making arrangements for the kids to get to their regularly scheduled Monday destinations.  My extended family will be bringing evening meals Monday - Saturday. Jeff returns to work on Tuesday. My aunt Linda will come by in the mornings to come check on me and help me. Lorenzo will be there in the middle of the day.


Thursday, March 8, Madison will not have soccer practice, so there is no need to shuttle her to practice that evening. However, I would ask that we have someone come by the house for the evening to help me out with the kids - homework and shower for bed. This is the evening that Jeff and Lorenzo are in class.


This Thursday, my friend Joyce will come by and help with dinner and hanging out with Brett while I get Madison to practice. 

A huge thank you to my parents and Jeff's parents for always pitching in to  keep the kids on their schedule. As some of you may know, our kids thrive on routine, especially Brett. Right now, we have only shared with Brett and Madison that I am going to get my belly button fixed at the hospital and will not feel good for a while. This isn't far from the truth, but it is easy for them to understand. As time goes by and questions come from them, we will answer them in terms they can understand. If they ask you questions, please feel free to share with them what you know. If you do not have the answer, they are OK with that response, too. 


I cannot express how grateful I am for the warmth and love I feel today, so here is something for you. "People will not remember what you said or what you did. They will remember how you made them feel." (Adaptation of a quote from Maya Angelou) 


I love your guts!

Meaning behind the title

A couple of people have asked me about the meaning of the title I chose for the blog, so here it is...


I look at this time in my life as temporary. I will make it through this valley to the peak of the mountain. I will rise to the occasion that He has put before me.  While this might be a little too deep for most, it is the lens I use for this event in my life. 


I am strong bodied, because I know I can physically run, jump, skip and swim when the moment hits me. For example, yesterday afternoon, we went to Target to get some items for the week. While going down the detergent aisle, Brett began hopping in front of the basket. So, as I pushed the basked, I began to hop too. I embrace the moment and knew this is what it will be like again for me when I make it to the summit. We hopped for a couple of aisles and this little bit of silliness made me very happy. 


I am strong minded because I am stubborn and want it my way, most of the time. When push comes to shove, I can do this because as many of you know, I went back to school over 6 years ago. I worked full time and had 2 babies. At the end of the journey, I had an Associates degree in Behavioral Science and Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Our family grew from 3 to 5 in a matter of a few years. So, if I can do all that in a small window, my will is strong and can get me through this event.

Bring on the rain!

So, in summary, the summit is where I aspire to stand. There is no rainbow without a little rain. I say bring on the rain so I can see the rainbow. This is a reflection of my strong faith. I know He loves me and will carry me through to the summit.


I love your guts!

What a weekend

I got a great surprise on Friday. My friend Lori W. sent me a couple of specially design shirts for post-surgery healing. I have a feeling that I will be wearing these for the first few days or at least the first week. The owner and CEO of Heal in Comfort, sent a couple of extra items and personal words of encouragement for Lori to share with me. I was blown away by her heart-felt message. Thank you Lori! 


Saturday was Madison's first soccer game. It was awesome to see her have a friend on the other team for her first game, but when they were on the field at the same time, I guess they thought it was time to chat.  During the game she saw us on the sidelines and ran over to my mom to give her a hug. The girls were kicking the ball and we all told her to get back out there. Mom found it hard to push her away, but after getting hugs, Madison was out there running again. Oh, what a game! This is going to be a GREAT season. Go Unicorns!


Later in the day, Brett played his last basketball game of the season. This game was awesome! It was very physical and Brett was being very scrappy. He was aggressive and his team did a great job. They were up the whole game, but the other team came back to win by a basket or two. The boys grew so much this season and worked well together. If he wants to play again next winter, I think it would be great if we could be with some of the same guys. Go Cheetahs! 


We had breakfast with my parents. They celebrated their anniversary this weekend. I guess a nice brunch together took a backseat to an early morning soccer game, breakfast tacos, and an afternoon basketball game. I hope they had a great evening in San Antonio.


The evening came quicker than expected, but I was looking forward to dinner. We joined my friend Lori R. and friends at Sullivan's to celebrate her 40th birthday. It was nice to go out and have an all adult conversation. I was too tired to go to Cedar Door, but definitely next time. Happy birthday Lori! Thank you to Aunt Linda and Gina for coming by to hang out with the kids. They had a blast. Madison asked when you could play again. 


This week holds a lot of to-do items for me at home and work. Wednesday morning I have to be at the hospital for the pre-op appointment. I will be filling out forms until my hand cramps. If they are on the computer, I'll just take over the keyboard and fill in the digital forms myself. It would be quicker :-)


I love your guts!

Ta-dah!

Here is a video of Madison at her first soccer practice. She was dressed and ready a couple of hours ahead of practice time. She is the one in the pink shorts and blue socks. This will be a fun season :) Her first game is Saturday @ 9am.

Subject change --- I met my radiology oncologist (the doctor that will be monitoring my radiation therapy). I was surprised to know that I will be at that office Monday - Friday for treatments for 33 consecutive treatments. Yes, that is about 6 weeks. This treatment will begin 3 weeks post-surgery. Jeff will take me to my initial appointments to help me get a feel for how I will feel and if I would need a ride for every visit. As we get started with the treatments, I will let you know if I will need a ride. The doctor says I will most likely feel tired more than usual. Maybe not immediately, but possibly later in the day. I think the first week of treatment may help me/us understand what we need to help us through these treatments. Stay tuned.


I love your guts!

Help update

Thank you!

Thank you to all that have contacted me to help out this coming Thursday afternoon/evening (Feb 23). For a little while, I will need help on Thursday evenings with the kids. Madison has soccer @ 5:45 at Forest Creek Elementary, Lorenzo is in school until 7:20 and needs a ride home, and Jeff is in class until 10pm. No need for help during the week of March 12 (Spring Break).


On March 6, the day after my surgery, I will need help. Jeff will return to work so he can take off to take me to follow up appointments after surgery. Not sure if I will need someone to be at the house early in the morning to get Brett to school and Madison to mom's house (she has "school" that day as well). I would need someone to come by in the morning to check on me. My understanding is that the pain medication will be wearing off by mid-day or so and will need a little something to eat and take medication. As we get closer to the day, I will have a lock on what I need.

5K update - I woke up too late to get to the start line on time (frown). I will be back on the trail soon - even if it is just to walk.


Madison had fun at soccer practice today. She did well kicking the ball all over the place and met some new friends. The best part was when she would stop kicking the ball and started picking grass and looking around for dandelions. I recorded a little bit of her kicking the ball around and will see if I can upload the file to the blog. Her biggest adventure was going potty in the "woods." I told her to hurry or the bears would come out. She hurried and we both ran back to the rest of the group. Ten minutes later, she had to go again. I did not believe her, but took her anyway. She asked where the bear was because she did not want him to come out. And she wanted to know where the toilet paper was - of course I had to respond. I told her that it was gone. The answer was good enough for her. On the way home, I mentioned that we cannot go back to the woods again because the bear might be there. She agreed to go potty before practice. Let's hope that is the end of her "going" in the woods.


I love your guts!

Weekend activities

Today was great and the rain made it an adventure. This morning we were all up, dressed and ready to go to Brett's basketball game before 8 a.m. I am not sure what happened, but there was little to no fussing when the kids were told to get dressed. Brett had a good game, but was playing defense like he was in a rugby match or football game. He would wrap up on the guy with the ball. Eventually he improved, but really wanted to win. 


After the game, we ate breakfast with my dad. The kids chose pancakes instead of breakfast tacos. Not a peep from them until the last bite. I am convinced they are both going through a growth spurt. Especially Madison. She is the picky eater. I am sure she is going to love tapas because she just samples food.


Following lunch, we dropped the boys at the house and ran a few errands: Academy to get Madison soccer socks and a ball; Target to get some household items; and Natural Grocer to buy eggs (yes, free range and veg fed), tea and order a case of our favorite oolong tea shots. In between stops, the rain got us good. We didn't get too wet, but I think Madison enjoyed Jeff carrying her from the car to the store :)


This evening was quiet. The kids played. Laundry was washed, dried and some of it even got put away. The big plus is that most of our taxes are sorted and ready to be delivered to the CPA this week. HORRAY! The one thing that surprised me is that shortly after 9 tonight, Brett said he was ready to go to bed. Madison was quick to follow. Looks like I will have time to pick up Hunger Games and continue reading.

Tomorrow, I have an early start. I will be running the 5K tomorrow in the Austin marathon. It is the 5K Break-a-leg race. I thought I could do the half this year, but I can try for it next year. 


I love your guts!

Another doctor for team "get me better"

I have another doctor. Apparently I was not aware that I needed a specific doctor for radiation. The bus is full but I am sure we have space for more. 


Between now and surgery date I will be getting my family ready by identifying who needs a ride to and from activities, school and other. 


One thing I would like help with, once we get to the treatment phase, is someone to take video and/or photos of Madison playing soccer. Right now I am not sure I will be up to attending her games, but want to have someone lined up in case I cannot make her games. I will post the game schedule as they become available, along with the location of the soccer fields. She will be playing with Round Rock Soccer Association. Keep this in mind if you are able to come out one or a couple of Saturdays during the season, if I am not able to attend.


We need a better phrase than 'thank you' because I do not think that is sufficient for the gratitude I have for the help and support from you. Yes, you ;-) I know there are many that are far away from me, but I feel you are just down the street. Thanks for being part of the team and let me know if you want a window seat on the bus :)


I love your guts!

Save the date (I can't say that without laughing)

I went to my appointment with no expectation of how long it would be for a date to be chosen for the procedure. My surgeon is going on vacation next Friday for a week, so I declined the Thursday opening. My procedure will be on Monday, March 5 at Seton hospital on 38th Street in Austin. As the coordinator was making phone calls with the hospital arranging a room and all necessary pre-op items, all I could think of is being at a travel agent's office. If you didn't know what she was doing, you would think she was booking a trip and had a bit of difficulty coordinating a flight and rental car. All I could do is chuckle while she was back and forth.

The bus is full of love

The date is set. The bus is full (of medical staff and my support system). And the clock is ticking. I have so many things on my "to-do" list before that Monday. Most of it surrounds getting a good plan in place for the projects I have going on at work and the kids and their activities. Which brings me to my first request. 

Next Thursday, February 23, I have conflicting activities for the kids. Brett has basketball practice at 6pm (for an hour) and Madison has soccer practice @ 5:45pm (for 45 minutes). They are both in the same part of town off Gattis School Road and Red Bud Trail. Plus, I have to pick up Lorenzo after school lets out @ 7:20pm at ACC down the street from our house. Would someone like to play rock paper scissors or draw a number to see who they can shuttle for me? Jeff will be in class during this time and doesn't get home until 10pm. Oh yeah, and does someone want to come cook dinner or heat something up for us so we don't have to eat sandwiches or cereal? Even though "fend for yourself" night is Brett's favorite. On those nights Madison will eat a piece of cheese and be satisfied, while I scramble an egg and make breakfast for dinner. 


So if my math is right, I need someone at the house to help with dinner and to pick up Lorenzo (which takes 5 minutes round trip) along with someone else to help with Brett or Madison.  While I am on a roll, would anyone be available to come over and hang out with the kids while Jeff and I go to a birthday celebration for a friend of mine, on Saturday evening, February 25? We are going downtown Austin to have drinks and dinner at Cedar Street and Sullivan's. 


You can either leave a comment if you are able to help or email or call me. Thanks!


I love your guts!

Busy Monday

Today was non-stop busy. I woke up early and logged in to check my mail before leaving the house. I had a few top priorities to finish at work and felt like I was herding cats, but got the job done. Glad I took a break to grab lunch - thanks!

When I made it home - dinner was simple. Brett was quick to announce that he finished all of his homework and that he wanted to go to the Valentine dance at school this evening. I knew my evening was cut out for me. He was on his BEST behavior and held my hand and said, "...come on Mom, let's go." When we go to the school, he was quick to tell me the rules of crossing the street. The music was loud and the screams of the kids echoed as the doors opened and closed. I knew I was in for a treat :) When we got in there, the dance (gym) floor was packed with kids. I asked him if he wanted me to get out there with him. He said no, go stand over there with the other parents. So, I was a wall flower. It was cute to watch him find his friends and see girls find him. He ran, danced, laughed and handed out a lot of high fives. I wanted to take his picture, but he wasn't having it and ran all over the place. Finally when he go thirsty, he came over and took me to the refreshment tables. We got lemonade and he offered me a cookie. I told him I was fine with the drink. No photos were taken at the dance. 


However, when we got home, he was still running around and playing before it was time to go to bed and I snapped this picture. My mom bought him the cowboy hat and yes, it makes him look like George (Strait). Yes, he knows George.


This long day passed by faster than I thought it would. Thanks to all that kept me busy and taking time for the small stuff :)


I love your guts!

4 more days

Since the beginning of the year I have been to see a doctor, specialist or otherwise at least once or twice a week. As the weekend approaches, or is already here because it is 5 o'clock, I do my best to be in the moment. 

I am lucky to have a great team at work that supports me. I am making plans for the next big items that I will need help launching. I have been using the last few days to develop the documents and admit that it is easy to get side tracked. So many things to plan for, think about. Speaking of things to do, I need to get a lawn person/company to come out and mow, edge and rake up the dead grass.

I am also thankful that I work for a company where I can do my job from anywhere there is WiFi and a place for me to sit. Our world is global and most of my work is with a global team. 


Our weekend is here and maybe Jeff and I can catch a movie tonight while the kids kick it at home with pizza, games and movies. Saturday is full: I am going to run with my group in the morning, while Jeff takes the kids to a pancake breakfast. Then we will make a quick run to the Taylor Meat Market to get some awesome hot dogs, breakfast sausage and other yummy stuff to BBQ. By the time we get back, it will be time for Brett's basketball game. Whew! I am tired already but looking forward to being worn out :)


Have a great weekend and remember...I love your guts!

New information...

This afternoon I met with my oncologist, Dr. Hellerstedt. We reviewed my test results and had more positive results. The MRI came back with no indication of other affected areas. This news combined with negative genetic test and estrogen positive receptors made for a good appointment. 


We reviewed the options I have and my decision is to go with a lumpectomy. This is a procedure where the surgeon will remove the mass and a bit of the surrounding area. After the procedure, I will follow up with Dr. Hellerstedt to determine the type of radiation necessary to treat the area. 

I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am for all the love. I feel like our collective prayers have been heard. I will continue to fight every day!


I love your guts! 

I know one thing today...

My surgery will be at the Austin Surgical Hospital, just off Bee Cave Road. I will have 2 surgeons - Dr. Brady and Dr. Haydon. Dr. Brady will take care of the cancerous tissues and Dr. Haydon will do initial reconstruction procedures. I will be there at least 2 nights.

This will be the time I know we will need some help - especially with the kids and some around the house. As we get more information, I will put out some specific ways you can help, if you are available.

Stay tuned...more later today. My next appointment is with Dr. Hellerstedt, my oncologist.

I love your guts!

Trying to stay busy

Today I am in the office. I figured a change of scenery would help today pass by quickly. My to-do list is long and my planning document is at the top of my list.  There are a few other things that I have to do but they aren't as fun as doing strategy and planning.


I look forward to this afternoon when I get to go to the trail to run/work out with Andy (pronounced Ahn-Dee). She's great and pushes me to go further. I like it because sometimes I get lazy and a 3 mile day would be fine for me. I feel tremendous afterwards and right now I need it more than ever.

Tomorrow I have 2 appointments. I meet with a plastic surgeon to consult on what his role would be in this journey. If I like him, then he will be part of team "Just fix it!" or he will be thanked and we will move on with another recommendation. Yes, I just made up that team name. It is weird that I have a team of doctors. Their role is to make sure I can get back to my life...I still have a lot of things on my to-do list. My second appointment is the big one - I meet with Dr. Hellerstedt, my oncologist. She will review my lab results and MRI to help stage the cancer and recommend options for treatment. Jeff is going with me to both appointments. 

This is a temporary situation and I know I will make it through. I have a legion of family and friends to support me and angels guiding me, so I am positioned to win this fight. See, even Captain America is on my side. 

I love your guts!

Thank you Nikola Tesla and Siemens

Nikola Telsla developed the unit measuring the magnetic field (SI) and engineers from Siemens developed the MRI machine to see inside the human body. Yes, I know Siemens is not the only company that builds these machines, but this is the one used on me.

Yesterday morning, Friday, Feb 3, I had an MRI procedure to take a closer look at my chest. The process was painless but took a long time. The machine made loud noises and I had to be perfectly still. Before we started, I closed my eyes and prayed. I thought of the lavender fields in Fredericksburg we visited last summer with the kids. 

I think I dozed off for a few minutes. I opened my eyes and heard the voice of the tech telling me we had 5 more minutes.

When the process was over, I asked about results. The tech said I have to contact my doctor. Ok, so this is probably procedure, and makes waiting until Tuesday afternoon a bear.  Luckily there is much to do this weekend at home and Monday at work.

Today has been full: I got my hair cut this morning (thank you, Kelli!) We went to watch Brett play basketball. After the game, we went to lunch with my parents to celebrate my mom's birthday :)

I feel good and in good spirits. I went for a run yesterday afternoon which made me feel great afterwards. Missed training this morning with my team at the trail, but will resume on a one-on-one work out with our coach on Monday.

I love your guts!

I have some results

DISCLAIMER: The new language I am learning is for my treatment. The experience is like learning Dell-speak or any corporation that is full of acronyms. I will try to keep the language used on this blog to plain terminology. 


There are many tests that need to happen after cancer has been confirmed, usually from a biopsy.

From the biopsy, they learn about the cells and what is happening and learn more about your blood and what is going on inside of you.

I got more news today from the biopsy that identifies the type of estrogen and progesterone receptors I carry. These both tested positive.

Another piece of news I got was from the genetic testing. The BRCA test identifies whether I have a genetic mutation that caused the cancer or if my cancer developed spontaneously. My test results were negative.

 I am not quite sure what these results mean yet, but I was told by survivors that this is very encouraging!

Next steps...


My oncologist has these results and will use this information, along with the results from my MRI tomorrow to help develop a plan of action. This appointment with the oncologist is Tuesday afternoon, February 7.

I learned that having a care calendar would be a great way to identify ways you can help. As I get more information about what this would look like or where you can go to sign up, I will post the information.


I love your guts!

Hurry up, Saturday! Get here fast.

Fluffy

This past Christmas, we purchased tickets to go see one of our favorite comedians, Gabriel Iglesias. He always makes me laugh and who knew I would really need laughter right now?

Saturday is special because it is my mom's birthday. The best thing I could give her is good news from my doctors. Let's hope next Tuesday they can deliver. (x Crossing my fingers. x) We will go out to lunch after Brett's basketball game to celebrate.

The kids will stay with mom and dad for the evening while Jeff and I go see "Fluffy" @ the Moody Theater.

We haven't decided where to have dinner, but I have a couple of ideas. Suggestions are welcome. If it is warm enough, I may dress in typical Austin casual - jeans and flip flops.  I love your guts!