PLEASE PRAY FOR MY FRIEND ANDEE

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



LIFE BEYOND CANCER......

My life seems to be returning to normal.....a new normal.  I don't think about cancer as often any more like I did at first.  Oh, I never forget it....but I can feel I'm moving beyond cancer at last!  It has changed me, however, and that is why I refer to my life now as my "new normal".  In my "new normal" I take the time to take better care of myself and I also live life to the fullest with lots of "firsts"!  Cancer has taught me to "live out loud"!  :=)

TASTE OF HOME

Well, look at this!  My sister and I got in the newspaper again....this time it was the local newspaper and our Red Hat sisters were with us!  We are such celebrities...lol!

We all had a great time at the Taste of Home cooking school here in town.  I told Larry to go pick himself something up to eat while I went and leaned how to cook for him.  lol!

Here we all are in a group picture we asked the reporter to take of us.  A few couldn't make it.  One of our sisters opted to go on a cruise with her husband instead of this event....imagine that!   LOL!

Here's a few others the Tribune took that night.

And look what I won!  This was one of the dishes the cook made that night......Taco Casserole....and I won it...yay!  Yes, it was yummy!

I had my supper already made for the next night.  Larry said it was a little spicy for him, but he ate it!  Makes you hungry just looking at it, doesn't it?  :=)

Isn't this a great picture of mother and daughter, Ruth and Linda Morrow.  Ruth joined us, but she's way too young for a Red Hat.  She had a pink cap with her, but didn't have it on when I snapped this picture.

After the cooking show, we went to Applebees for dessert!

Oh, and did I tell you that I, THE QUEEN, visited the PRESIDENT?  LOL

SUMMER WEATHER GOT HERE EARLY!

I had to go shopping for some summer clothes sooner than I expected!  Who would have guessed it was going to be 80 degrees in March!!!  All of my summer clothing from last year are size 18/20 and my old capris fall off of me and are so baggy!  So, I went and got me a couple of new pair of capris....size 14...yay!!!  I'm so happy to still be at a size 14.

And here's a side view so you can see how natural my foobs look!  They don't FEEL natural YET!

And look how fast my hair is growing now!  I'm actually thinking I'm going to cut it like it was back in January!

Like this...what do you think?  I'm seriously thinking of getting it cut this short!  I just wanted to grow it out a bit first to see what the curls/waves would look like.  But, I really, really liked it SUPER SHORT!!!!!  It sure did grow fast since January, didn't it?

MY FIRST PEDICURE!

With the warmer weather I also dug out my sandals and realized I needed to go get a pedicure....my VERY FIRST one! 

Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!  Yes, I take my camera EVERYWHERE.....lol!

LOL...yes, I have hairy toes and BIG veins!  Ick!  But look how beautiful my toenails are....lol!

And while I was at it....how about a manicure too!

Yep, I have juicy veins in my hands too.  Must be why they like to put IVs in my hand...lol!

And look at the pretty flower she painted on my thumbnails!  One of these days I'm going to get a funky color like lime green or bright orange!  I had been trying to paint them myself at home, but to honest, I'm not good at it and they chip off immediately!  So, if this lasts me 3-4 weeks, it will be worth it to just let them do the job for me!

LUNCH MEETING WITH MY THIRTY-ONE ROOMIES!

I was so happy to meet up with my Thirty One Conference roomies.....Amy and Vicki!  I've talked with both of them on facebook and the phone since then.....but we hadn't seen each other since the conference last July!

Here we were last July! 

And here we are just yesterday!  Wow, what a difference 8 months has made, right?  Of course they look great in both pictures, but I was pretty sickly in the first one.  I had just finished my chemo a couple of weeks before the conference and was two weeks away from my masectomy.  I look at these pictures and realize how sick I really was.  I'm glad I took pictures all through my journey....I can now look back and them and see how far I have come!  Amy and Vicki both met me when I was sick and bald....so they had never really been with me when I wasn't sick!  It was soooo good to meet up with them again and we are making plans to have a play day in my stamp cave!  Can't wait!!!

Speaking of Thirty One....my business is going great after jumping in and turning it around in February.  At the end of this month, I hope (and plan) to be promoted to DIRECTOR...yay!!!  This has been a goal of mine since I signed up to be a consultant!  I am so excited!  And what's really neat is.....Us roomies, Vicki, Amy, and I will all be Directors at the next convention in August!  Vicki has already promoted and Amy and I should promote by the end of the week!  How cool is that?  None of would have realized last year that we'd be going back to the convention as Directors this year!!!  That's a big accomplishment!  With taking almost a year off from my business, I am shocked at how fast it has turned around for me and that I'm actually on track to be a DIRECTOR!  I always said...."in God's timing"!

SPINAL INJECTION

Well, today I went back to Dr. Chambers....the Orthopedic Surgeon....as a follow-up to the spinal injection I had.  The pain in my buttocks and leg let up for two weeks after the injection, but it returned (mostly in my buttocks...a little in my leg).  It was so awesome to be pain free or that two weeks....and a dissappointment that the pain came back.  But I have heard people have to get these injections repeatedly....even just weeks apart.  So when he asked if I would want to choose to get the injection again, I said yes!  It helped and may help longer the next time, so I told him if it doesn't hurt for me to get it again and might possibly help....then I'm ready to do it again!!  So, he's making the appointment for me and I should be doing that again in a couple of weeks.

Well, that's pretty much my update for this time.  Until next time....enjoy that sunshine out there!!!!

Cindy