This is my friend, Andee, with her fiance, Karl. Andee is fighting ovarian cancer and this photo was taken at a spaghetti fundraiser dinner Saturday night.... the night before she left to see a new doctor in Ohio. The doctors in Indiana have told Andee that there is no more they can do for her. But, Andee is not giving up! She is seeking answers from other doctors. First and foremost, will you please pray for Andee and her family. She also has a small child and a very supportive family who love her very much.
I am having a fundraiser Thirty One party for Andee to help her with her medical expenses. I am a Thirty One Consultant and am giving my 25% commission to Andee from any sales I get for her party. If you would like to help, you can place an order on my website at www.mythirtyone.com/bags4you Click on the link at the top "Place An Order" and then find Andee's Cancer Fight in the list and place your order under that party to help me help Andee.
The special this month is any purse at half price with a $31 order.
Please let me know if you have any questions. This is my way of trying to help Andee in a physical way.
Thank you for any help you can give and especially thank you for prayers for Andee. I met Andee last year and she has such a sweet spirit and is such a fighter. She wants to live for her little girl. Her little girl needs her. It breaks my heart to see her have to fight this nasty disease at such a young age. But, in spite of it all, she's so strong and such an inspiration.
The day I met Andee and Karl and their precious daughter.
I met Andee through what I call one of my "God moments". Please lift them all up in your prayers. Thank you.
ANOTHER SPINAL INJECTION
Well, I went for my second spinal injection. All went well...again. But, I must admit that I hurt when I left....and didn't really feel bad when I went. I guess he woke up some nerves in there! The first injection really helped, but after about two weeks of being pain free, the pain began to creep back in. I had a check up with the Orthopedic Surgeon who ordered the first injection and he said we could try it again, since it was helping. He totally left it up to me. I told him if it wouldn't hurt me and might possibly help me....let's do it! So, I did it again and today I started feeling better again. I really, really hope it lasts longer this time! I wouldn't mind going every few months for one if it means I'll feel better, but I don't particular want to do it this often. And it would be wonderful if this took care of the pain FOREVER!
I feel like a woman....LOL!
My sister, Sheila, and I went bra shopping at the Fig Leaf in the Hospital again last week. Nothing can make you feel like a woman like bra shopping does...lol! Did you realize that most insurance companies allow bras as a covered expense after a masectomy? Me either until I had this done! All that is required is a prescription from your doctor! Imagine that...a prescription for a bra...lol...that just hits my funny bone! I think I'm getting more and more used to my new foobs. There's a few things I don't like about them, but most days I feel more "normal" with them. The main thing, I guess, is that they look normal in my clothing and I think they do....no one would really be able to tell. One is higher than the other and that has caused a problem here and there when I tried on clothes in the store....but I just didn't buy that top. Hopefully it will still drop. Mostly they look natural in my clothing and I'm happy I had the reconstruction done. There are some days when they just feel too tight and uncomfortable though. I enjoy the bra shopping. I can't really explain it, other than to say that it makes me feel "feminine" to try on some pretty lacy bras. I never got fitted for bras before and as big as I was, I just got what I called "boulder holders". LOL! So, trying on these pretty, smaller bras is kind of fun. I guess after going through this you try to enjoy what you can. I will be going this month to get my areolas tattooed. That sounds weird to me! But, before I get those tattoos, I will be getting my pretty pink ribbon tattoo this Saturday.
ONE YEAR AGO......
Last year at this time I was going through mammograms and ultrasounds and waiting on the results of all of these tests. The results were delivered to me via phone on April 7, 2011. "We have the results of your tests and are sorry to say there is a malignancy. Dr. Zusan would like for you to come in the morning at 8 am for a consultation." I didn't even cry...I already knew. Yes, even before that phone call, I already knew in my gut that it was malignant and had prepared myself for that news. I could tell by the way they reacted while doing the tests and the fact that they also ultrasounded my lymph nodes. I knew they would not do that if they didn't heavily suspect cancer.
Scared? I guess I was....mostly of the unknown. I had so many questions racing through my mind and could not wait to meet with the doctor the next morning to get the answers. By this time, I had watched my mom and sister being diagnosed the year before and even watched my sister have a bilateral masectomy. Because of their diagnosis, I had done a lot of research and I knew the different elements of breast cancer and that it could be different kinds of cancer and the biggest questions in my mind were...."what kind do I have?" and "how early have we caught it" and "what kind of treatments will I have and what will be my prognosis". Those were the questions that gave me the most fear. My sister, Sheila, had been diagnosed with a rarer type of breast cancer....Triple Negative. Triple Negative is harder to treat, although it can respond well to chemotherapy. But, it is unknown what feeds it, so there is no pill to cut your chances of reoccurence, as with breast cancer fed by hormones. Therefore, the reoccurence rate with Triple Negative is higher. That weighed heavily on my mind....do I also have Triple Negative? Before Sheila was diagnosed with it, I had no idea what it even was....but now as I waited to get the particulars of my own cancer, I did know about it and it was probably the one question that haunted me the most...along with how early I had caught it. I had been feeling something about that particular breast for several years....a swelling from time to time.....but no doctors ever found anything. The feeling was hard to describe....it wasn't particularly painful, but it felt "different"...... I wasn't surprised that my breast cancer was on that side. Now that weighed heavily on my mind, wondering how long it had been there and maybe not detected.
But, I also had a "peace" and knew God would be by my side and I had no choice than to be strong. I never realized how life changing the journey would be for me though. I never realized the blessings that awaited me through the journey and the emotional healing that awaited me after a very difficult year, following the passing of my mother.
So, this Saturday, April 7, 2012, I will be celebrating ONE YEAR SURVIVAL....I will celebrate by getting a special pink ribbon tattoo. Painful....maybe....but not nearly as painful, I'm sure, as what I have already been through.
I will also be celebrating on Saturday, April 21, as I walk in the Susan G Komen Race in Indianapolis.
I have a lot to celebrate!
Until next time...what do you have to celebrate? Give thanks and celebrate whatever God has brought you through.
Cindy
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