BACK HOME AGAIN!

Wow, it's February already!  We've certainly had a mild winter...so far!  It's been great weather here in Indiana this week for all of the Super Bowl activities!  We only live 50 mile south of Indianapolis and I'm thinking Larry and I need to go check out the Super Bowl Village tomorrow!  I'm hearing of lots of star sightings....Brad Pitt, Johnny Dep, John Travolta, Madonna....I've even "heard" the hotel they are staying at.  lol....rumors everywhere!

Today I have been achy all day.  I have days like that...but not every day, thankfully.  I am assuming it is from the Arimidex that I'm taking to keep the cancer at bay.  It's the price I pay, I guess.  I'm not like this every day, thank goodness!  I just haven't felt much like doing anything all day.  My shoulders ache...my arms ache...my legs ache.  Ugh!  I can handle it though!  :=)

Next week I will be going to get an MRI on my spine.  This is not cancer related!  I went for my annual check-up with my primary doctor this week.  I have had a pain in my leg now for several years that just isn't getting any better.  It's not only my leg...it goes from my bottom down my leg and sometimes it's so bad I can't go to sleep at night.  He believes it may be a nerve, so he's ordered an MRI to see what it is so he knows what to do to give me some relief.  He has also ordered a Bone Density Test the same day, which is good!  With chemo and now this Arimidex (which is hard on my bones), I am glad to get this test done.  All of my blood work came back great....sugar, chloresterol, liver, kidneys...all good!  But, remember I asked him to test my Vitamin D?  Well, I'm sure glad I asked for that, as it was really low and he's got me taking a Calcium +Vit. D tablet 3 times a day now.  I want to do anything to help my bones, because that is a big factor with the Arimidex!  Other than these aches and pains and vitamin D deficiancy, I am doing great!!!!

Not only am I doing great....but, I found out that I can fit into a size 12 jeans!  Yes, I said a size 12!!!!!!  I know...I can't believe it either!  Look....here they are...lol!

Now, I went from an 18/20 to a 16 and was very happy about that.  But, I never would have imagined even trying on a size 12!  But, my dear sister was following me one day when I had my size 16 Jeggins on (skinny jeans) and remarked that they were baggy in my butt (lol) and suggested that I needed a smaller size.  I was like....huh uh, I can't wear a smaller size!  I was happy to just be in a 16!  Then JC Penneys did re-marks on their pricing (yeah, I hate that commercial too...I didn't even understand it at first because I didn't know anything about the new CEO, etc.), so Sheila and I went to see what all of the hullabaloo was about.  Well, I found two jeans....both Gloria Vanderbilt.  One was a dark green color and a size 14, so I thought...ok, I'll try it, not really thinking I'd get them buttoned, even if I did manage to get them up over my rear.  They fit...they fit....oh my, I was doing a happy dance!!!!  On top of that, they were only $8!!!  Then there was this burgandy pair, size 12 and I thought...NO WAY!  But, I tried them on for fun anyway...you just never know, right?  Omigosh, I got them up and buttoned too!!!!  I was happy dancing all over that store..lol!  I mean, a size 20 down to a 12?.....never in my wildest dreams!  Now, they are tighter around my waist, which means I have more of a muffin top, so I'll have to be picky what tops I wear with them.  BUT, I CAN WEAR THEM!!!!  I can even SIT DOWN in them!!!  WHOOOhoooooo!  Now all I need to do is lose this darned muffin top!  I haven't really lost more weight but am staying stable.  I guess I was just too scared to try on a smaller size before!  lol!

I had a great time in Kentucky and Nashville, TN last week, but must admit that when I came home on Sunday evening, I was totally wiped out!  It has taken me all week to recuperate...lol!  I'm still not a bundle of energy anyway, so it's easy to wear me out.  But, it was so worth it!  I went for training for both of my businesses and learned some great things and got motivated and inspired!  I am so ready to get my businesses going again after having to shelve them while I went through treatments and surgeries!  But, I'm ready to charge ahead now!!!  It is great to have a Scentsy buddy and a Thirty One buddy to do these events with!

Just thought I'd share some pics of my travels with you!

The long and winding road in Monticello, Ky.....leading to a.....

FAMILY CEMETERY!

This is my good friend, Linda Morrow, and when we found out the Scentsy Spring Sprint was in Lexington, Ky, she asked if I'd mind going down a couple of days early to see her family down there.  So, we went to Monticello and hung around for a couple of nights and she took me up to show me the family cemetery.  I had a good time meeting her family and seeing where Linda's roots and fond memories are.

Linda and some of her Kentucky relatives.  Good people!

And then look what was there at that cemetery!  It reminded me of my grandma and grandpa's house in Missouri!

And you know me by now...I am always looking for an unusual photo op...lol!  Here Linda is trying to push me over in the outhouse!  Shame Linda...shame!  :=)

Then she wanted to show me the doughboy in downtown Monticello.  Now, I don't know what YOU think of when someone tells you they want to show you the doughboy downtown, but I instantly had visions of a giant Pillsbury Doughboy and was wondering why...lol!  I mentioned it to Linda and she about died laughing.  It had nothing to do with Pillsbury! 

It's a statue honoring the doughboys of WWI.  Hey, history was never a strong subject for me in school!  lol!  I like it NOW, but hated it then!  Linda did confess to me that I wasn't the only friend of her's (Hi Karen!) who had visions of that rolly polly doughboy when she mentioned it. 

And look at this awesome diner downtown.....

I so wanted to eat here....unfortunately it was closed up....guessing it was a victim of the economy....  :=(

I looked inside to see if maybe the Fonz was there...but, no one was.  Boohoo!  What a cute little diner!

Tuesday it was time to head to Lexington for our Scentsy event, but we managed one more stop....we stopped at the Somerset, Ky Cracker Barrel to meet up with a facebook/crafting friend, Terri Shepherd, for lunch.  Linda had met her before, but I had never met her in person, so that was a treat!

And lo and behold, we met someone I knew from Seymour there!

She was a waitress there!  April used to live in my hometown, Seymour, and worked at the Cracker Barrel here and waited on me many times in Seymour.  I knew she had moved to Kentucky, but didn't realize we were going to be in her neck of the woods and didn't realize when we made arrangements with Terri to meet at the Cracker Barrel, that it was the same one that April worked at!  It really IS a small world!

After a couple of evenings in Monticello, we headed to Lexington (horse country) and met up with our upline from West Virginia, Kim Arthur and checked into our hotel...

The next day we headed off to our Scentsy Spring Spring!

After Linda getting a winning ticket in her box for a whole box of Scentsy samplers, and our training...we headed to find some place to eat....

Now, Kimberly had researched all of the eating/shopping places ahead of time and had an agenda of where she wanted to go...so, an hour later, we ended up at this really cool restaurant....

The Mellow Mushroom...yes, it is what it sounds like...a hippie themed joint...lol!

Being a 60's flower child, I loved this place!  :=)

Now, how awesome is that?  You 60's children know what I'm talking about.  lol!

And how could I possibly miss out on this photo op with this cool tree in the restaurant?  It was calling my name.  lol!  Peace man!

And then the bathrooms...

LOL...cute!

It doesn't take much to make me smile.  lol!

Oh, and the food???....

It was awesomely delicious!  :=)  Mmmmmm.....makes me hungry to just look at it!

Have you ever been to Lexington, KY?  It is the Horse Capital of the World...yes, the world!  And there are beautifully painted horses all over the place, inside and outside of buildings!  This particular one was in front of Texas Roadhouse, where we ate one night.

This one was actually inside of a building on a top floor. 

These horses just fascinated me!

Signs fascinate me too, when I travel.  I keep my camera handy for anything of interest to share with you all!

This sign was in Monticello and I just loved it...it was huge!

And we saw these signs travelling down the highway in Ky.  His word shall not return void!  :=)

On the road again.....

Come back tomorrow so I can share my pictures with you from Nashville, TN...another beautiful place in our grand country!  I didn't want to overwhelm you with too many pictures in one day!

Until next time....plan a trip...even a mini trip to a closeby location...and see what's out your backdoor!  I am learning to really appreciate this beautiful country of our's and the people I meet along the way! 

Hugs, Cindy

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, CHEMO, MRI, AND PINK HAT...IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!

Well, there it is!  My first pink hat!

I had a stamp class in the cave last night and one of the gals brought me a goodie package with all sorts of goodies in it, including this...my first pink ribbon hat!  I loved everything else, but was thrilled with my hat!  So, I just had to show it off!  A huge thank you to Brenda McKain for my beautiful cap, which I will probably need sooner than I originally thought!  And thanks for everything else!  That was so sweet of you and really touched me!

So, that brings me to chemo.  I met with the chemo doctor today....Dr. Venkatesh, Medical Oncologist at the Community South Hospital in Greenwood.  This was my first time to meet him and I left really feeling good with him!  He was very personable and encouraging and everyone told me he was really good!   He took his time to talk with me and explain everything and had a great sense of humor that started coming out at the end of our visit.  He made me feel very comfortable.

He wants me to do chemo first...BEFORE SURGERY!  As I mentioned last night, I thought this could be a possibility, so I'm glad I had prepared myself for it so it didn't come as a complete shock.  He told me my cancer was fast growing (I think I had already figured that out).  I asked him if it could have just come on in the last six months, since I had a mammogram in August and he said yes.  He said he's seen that happen before and especially with a fast growing cancer.  So, I'm content now that they didn't "miss" something back in August.  In reality, a fast growing cancer is not good news....but on the other hand it confirms that it hasn't been there for years and they have caught it early.  Basically my percentage on my pathology report tells them that 36% of my cells are duplicating and growing at a fast rate.  So, it could always be much worse than that.  He said he's seen people come in with 99%!  So, even though being fast growing is not good news, he was very encouraging and positive and told me it was treatable.  As a matter of fact, he used that "other C" word....curable!  Yes he did!  :=)  Honestly, I didn't expect that word to come out of any of the doctors' mouths, so it was music to my ears!

He explained the reasons for giving me chemo before the surgery.  I can tell you now that when you have cancer in your body...you want it removed....NOW!!!!!  So, I wasn't sure about this thing of waiting to remove it.  But, he said by doing the chemo first, it will shrink the tumor (perhaps to a size that would allow for a lumpectomy instead of masectomy...not sure what I'll do about that, but at least this would help the option).   He said the chemo will kill any cancer cells in my body, as well as the cancer cells in my diseased breast, while shrinking the tumor.  He said he has seen some tumors shrink to a very small size and when they've removed them, the cancer was even gone because the cells were killed with the chemo!  He furthermore said that treating with chemo first lets them see how the tumor reacts to the chemo and lets them know if the chemo is working.  As he explained, if the tumor was removed before the chemo, they would have no way of really knowing how the cells responded to the chemo.  So, leaving the tumor in gives them a way to gauge the success of the chemo and change the type and dosage if necessary.  Makes sense, doesn't it?  He did say neither way was wrong, but he would like to treat me this way.  I did tell him the biggest worry I had about it was to think it was still in there for several months, but he reminded me that while it was in there, it would not be growing because the chemo would be killing and shrinking it.  Oh yeah, I forgot that!  After it was explained  to me, I am very comfortable with it, so told him "let's get 'er done"!   I did tell him I had just wasted money on my cute new haircut that I would have skipped if I realized I was doing chemo so soon...LOL....and his response was, "well, I'm about ready to give you a BIG haircut"!  LOL...I loved his sense of humor and that he realized he could joke with me.  I told him I bet his haircut was going to be much more expensive than the $15 I spent on this one!  :=)  Then he asked me what I sold (he asked what my job was earlier) and I pointed to my Thirty One bag on the floor and said, "I sell those bags!" and he said, "Well, we have lots of ladies in this office who would love that" and about that time one of the nurses walked in and he turned to her and pointed at my bag and said, "Hey, she sells these bags...you all need to buy one!" and she took one look at it and said, "That's Thirty One"!  LOL...I loved it!  I handed out several business cards to the office girls!

Ok, I got off track, didn't I?  Ok, so he wants to begin chemo asap....like next Monday!!!!  But, before he can do that, my surgeon needs to go in to remove the sentinal node to check to see if the cancer has made it into my lymph nodes.  She had already told me she'd be removing two nodes.  So, I will need to have the surgery to remove these nodes and to put in a port and then I'm ready for the chemo.  He has put in a call to her to see if they can get me done before Monday.  If they can, then I'll start my chemo on Monday.  If not, then it will probably be later in the week.  Either way, I look to start my chemo next week.  I will have it every 3 weeks, for 3-6 months.  We are still waiting for the Her2 test that may determine the longer period of chemo, plus having to have the other drug, Herceptin, for a year.  I'm so ready to get this show started!  As soon as I have my first chemo treatment I'll feel like we're doing something to get rid of this cancer.  For now I just have thoughts of it in there growing, growing, growing!  I do feel, though, that they are moving things along fast considering I was just diagnosed last week. 

OK, the MRI....this is more bad news, but not necessarily devastating.  It did not come back "clean".  I think I was more worried about this test than any others!  No matter how postive I feel on the outside, I think my body was responding to the stress of it all last night.  I was extremely tired and jittery and felt a huge heaviness in my chest and just coudn't concentrate.  I honestly think it was just nerves and anxiety over the MRI test.  I had those darn visions that like to creep in......visions of the MRI showing more cancer than they suspected.  Well, I got those results this morning and while it did show a couple of more spots, it's better knowing this than imagining things much worse.  No matter how positive a person is, these thoughts still creep in.  Anyway, the MRI showed another very small tumor right below this one and they honestly don't seem too concerned with it.  So, other than that, the cancer in that breast is what they suspected, which gives me some relief.   But, it also showed a very tiny spot on my other breast and that seemed to raise more concern.  So, now I have to go back to the doctor on Friday morning to let them ultrasound this spot and see if they feel it needs to be biopsied.  So, here we go again!  It may be nothing...but could be cancer too....so we need to know!  I'm not stressing out about it.  I feel I'm in good hands and if it's cancer, we'll deal with it.  I hate the "unknown" and even though it wasn't the "clean" report I wanted, I can deal with it better than the anxiety of wondering what they'll find.  And whatever it is, it's tiny....too tiny to show up on a mammogram.

So, today I had a chest x-ray and then Friday I will be getting that ultrasound and an echocardiogram and visit with the Radiation doctor.  Larry is off work, so he'll get to go with me this time.  Tomorrow looks like a "free day" at this point, but if they call me to get the sentinal nodes removed and the port put in...I'm soooo there!  I'm ready to roll!

Until next time.......WINNING!!!!!!!!!