catch up randomness...

ok, so today i'm playing catch up....i told u i'd post tree trimming pics yesterday, but got side-tracked with the oncologist meeting

the kiddos & i did end up decorating the tree monday night - minus the star & some plain jane christmas bulbs that are in the missing box (pretty sure it's in our storage unit)....but honestly, i think the tree looks better without the bulbs - just covered in our kiddos' handmade ornaments! i do wish we had the star - but i might just have 2 get crafty & make 1 for the time being

the kiddos were soooo proud of themselves! mama didn't help put any of the ornaments on the tree - they did it all themselves!

with their "baby's 1st christmas" ornaments that nana got for them when they were born...these r the ones they want 2 put on the tree 1st - every year! ;0)

jaden had the job of putting his ornaments as high as possible - to fill in the top

and gabby wanted to do the same

corinn actually concentrated her efforts on the bottom ;0)

so proud!

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we've been losing a lot of teeth in the skates house!

gabby lost her 2 fronts right around her birthday/thanksgiving....and on friday, jaden lost one of his side/molar teeth - and then he lost the one on the other side, monday at school!


let's just say - after 4 teeth, in 2 weeks - the tooth fairy needs a break!
~lol~

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yesterday evening, my sister calls me as i'm headed to pick up the kiddos....she prefaces our conversation with "mom, misty (my BFF) & i have been talking about something...and we wanted to run this by u first"

i said "uh oh!"
~teehee~

all 3 ladies were wanting/willing to cut their hair short & send it off to have a wig made for me! they'd done the research & found a place that will take 3 or 4 heads of hair & can process it to make one custom wig! how cool is that?!

but as they suspected, i'm not really the wig type

and it's really expensive!

i told them that i'm so honored that they'd b willing 2 do that for me - and that it's a super sweet thought! but that i'm planning on rocking a fly scarf, or a cool hat & will b just fine! i don't want to worry with an itchy/unnatural wig....just not my style

i told my sis that if they wanted to donate their hair to Locks of Love or something like that in my honor, that was cool - but to please keep their hair & money ;0) their love & support is all i need!

oncologist meeting...

i went 2 meet with an oncologist this morning....i LOVED this guy & was disappointed to find out he's only going to b around for another week - he's filling in for a few weeks cause one of the regulars just left....but he promised to "pass the baton" in front of me - introduce me to the oncologist i'll b dealing with from here on out - he & the nurse insisted that all the docs there are super nice & friendly

anyway, he first explained the 4 stages of lymphoma to me...
stage 1 - when it's effecting 1 group of lymph nodes
stage 2 - when it's effecting 2 groups of lymph nodes
stage 3 & 4 are when it's also effecting areas below the diaphragm (which mine is not)...also when it's effecting the liver or ur bone marrow, etc.

right now, i'm considered 2 b at stage 2....BUT, they're seeing some activity in my bones....so i go on friday to have some marrow taken out....if it is in my bones, that will bump me to stage 4....the prognosis is good either way - i'll still b fine! the only difference is, with stage 4, i'll need a little more chemo & radiation

right now (if i stay at stage 2), i can count on 4 rounds/months of chemo (once every 2 weeks)....if it's at stage 4, that will add 2 more rounds/months....and the same with radiation - at stage 2, i'll get some radiation after the chemo....at stage 4, i'll get a little more

make sense?
~lol~

now the bad news - chemo isn't just some pill for me....i have to do it intravenously...and he says i will lose my hair (90% chance - it'll start about 3 weeks into chemo)....he said they have kick-ass meds for nausea these days - that they give u thru ur IV during chemo....of course, it could still make me sick & it will probably run me down....i can still have kids later if i want (but i don't want....pretty sure we're done ~wink~), and of course my hair will all come back - i hear it might even come back totally different (the doc didn't tell me this, but several friends have mentioned it)

now, onto how it developed...

it's not hereditary....it came from some sort of environmental toxin that i came into contact with at some point in my life (could have been as a kid or adult).....and for whatever reason, my immune system over-reacted to it & developed into lymphoma.....he said most people never know what caused it & even if u do, it doesn't change ur treatment.....he said it's surprising it didn't pop up when i had kids - that for some reason, child birth usually makes it act up.....again, i'm a classic case - all of a sudden my lymph nodes swole up & it usually appears to those in their 20's - mostly females

like i said, the marrow extraction is friday afternoon....we haven't scheduled 2 begin chemo yet - i'm hoping to put it off until after christmas (the doc kinda hinted that we'd b looking at the 1st of the year)

please continue to pray for me & my family....i'm still ok with all of this - but i admit, i am a little worried about 2 things:

1) that i'll have trouble with continuing to get the kiddos to & from their activities & that things will get difficult for me, with curtis working 2nd shift & not being there 2 help in the evenings....i recognize that things may have 2 change a little & there's a chance that the kiddos will have to slow down with their activities for a few months - i hate that, but i'm prepared 2 do that if need....plus i've had soooo many friends & family offer to help with the kiddos thru all of this - i'm sure i'll have plenty of help & will manage just fine

2) how the kiddos will react to mama losing her hair....we've talked about cancer & how sometimes people have to take medicine for cancer that makes their hair fall out (this has come up when we've seen bald kids on tv or in real life & the kiddos have asked ?s about it)....and just this past sunday, i talked to the kids about mama being sick....after my official diagnosis, i decided that they were old enuff for me 2 b up-front & honest with them & let them know what's going on....i'll spare them all the details - they just wouldn't understand the whole thing....but they know mama has cancer & that i'll have to take those meds that might make my hair fall out & make me feel sick/tired....but that my hair will come back & that i'm going to b just fine after i finish taking all these medicines

the doc says that after chemo/radiation, i'll most likely go into remission & in 5-10 years, i'll probably be cured - couldn't ask for anything better than that!

he wanted me to understand that i have a great prognosis - i assured him, that i totally recognize that....& i told him that i've been telling everyone - if i have to have cancer, this is the one i want! he agreed, saying that most of the people in that waiting room would love to trade places with me! again, i recognize - it could b a lot worse!

weekend recap...

saturday started off with Corinn waking up early, saying she didn't feel good & she didn't want any breakfast....remember, Jaden was sick friday & didn't go to school - and that was a week after this weird puking-one-minute-fine-the-next-bug had already hit both the girls....well, i guess it went around full circle! by friday evening, Jaden was feeling just fine, and by saturday morning, Corinn was back to laying around with a puke-bucket!

i left to go get my hair done at 8am....leaving Curtis to tend to our sicko & her big brother and sis....i got back home, literally a minute after her first vomiting session....she continued on like that all day - not able to keep much down at all...just sipping on ginger ale

i was working in the kitchen later that day, and walked into the living room to spot this - Gabby rubbing Corinn's back - how sweet!!!

she was catering to Corinn all day - getting her more ginger ale, covering her up if she was cold - it was so stinkin' sweet! it might not have been the best idea on Gabby's part tho....cause wouldn't u know it, by dinner time that eve, she was puking again too! i had just made a huge pot of spaghetti, when she started with the sickies....Jaden & i ended up sitting down 4 an intimate dinner for 2 that night ;0)

i called the children's choir director at church, because the kiddos were scheduled to perform in the "hanging of the greens" ceremony the next day (a ceremony full of song & in which the entire church takes part in decorating the sanctuary for Christmas)....i told her that i wasn't sure if they'd make it or not - but that with the way this bug was going, it was still possible

and would u believe - all 3 kiddos woke up on sunday morning, just fine & dandy?! and none of them have complained about not feeling good since! praise God!

first, all the kiddos handed out candy canes to the church members....u can see Corinn's ornament in her hand as well....see that big tree in the back/left of this pic (behind Jaden)? that's the tree that everyone in the church helped decorate....we all picked up an ornament as we came in

and then later, we all filed up front to decorate, while the choir sang

see how pretty?!

then the kiddos sang one song from the Christmas program that they'll be performing later this month....i think their director must have picked the most difficult song out of the whole program for this performance - but the kiddos still did great! :0) u can really hear Corinn belting out the words in certain parts! Gabby's still a little shy, Jaden kept asking Daniel what page they were on....and cute little Jessie (up front) loves pretending she can read & keep up in the book ;0)



then, they ran to go change for their parts in acting out the nativity scene....the girls were 2 of the shepherds

jaden was a wiseman

and all 3 were total cutie-patooties!

after church, daddy had to head to work....the girls laid down for a nap....jaden & i decided to make some cookies

chocolate/chocolate chip! mmmmm!

u wanna know the secret to making big, chewy cookies like this?
u'll never believe how easy it is!

they're made from a cake mix!

yep, and once u try to make cookies this way, u may never go back to making them the way u did b4!

take any flavor cake mix u think might sound good as a cookie (we used devil's food for these, but u can use yellow for regular choc chip cookies, funfetti 4 fun cookies 4 the kiddos, we've even done spice - yum!)....add 2 eggs & 1/3 cup of oil....& if u want - stir in chocolate chips, or nuts, or whatever u think sounds good....mix together 2 form ur dough....spoon on to a cookie sheet, just as u would 4 any other cookie - i use a small melon baller to get mine nice & round & all the same size....flatten the cookies a bit, so they're nice & even - remember, they're like cake, u want the cookie to be even so it bakes even

then bake at 325-350 degrees (depending on ur oven - mine burns hot) for 5-7 minutes....this is key - the difference between these cookies & other cookies is that they bake up quicker....as soon as u see the bottoms browning, pull em out - they may even seem not so done to the touch....let sit on the hot pan for about 2 minutes & they'll firm up perfectly....then transfer to a cooling rack....this makes a perfect soft & chewy cookie!

the rest of my day mostly consisted of me doing laundry, washing bedsheets, wiping down everything, spraying Oust disinfectant spray - totally trying to rid our home of the weird-buggy-germs once & for all!

then after the kiddos were in bed, i brought in the Christmas boxes from our storage shed out back & set up our tree (yes, we have a fake 6' tree - which is way bigger than i remember, now that we're in a tiny house vs the HUGE apt it was set up in last year)....i strung the lights & got it ready 4 the kiddos to help decorate 2nite....i'm not sure, but i think we're missing 1 box of Christmas stuff - with the move, it might have gotten put in the stuff to go to our storage unit down the street....i guess i'll find out 2nite....ugh - i hate moving!

of course i'll take pics 2nite & will have those 2 share with u 2moro....i hope u all had a great weekend too! :0)

work visitors...

the girls' after-school-daycare-provider is sick 2day....so daddy picked them up from school & brought them to me on his way in2 work

look how they're keeping themselves entertained


hey, at least if they're watching a DVD under my desk, i can keep an eye on em! ;0)

Bindi cake...

only one cake this weekend - this is going to b the norm from here on out....i scheduled it that way for the rest of 2008, and i'm going to have to take just a few orders here & there in 2009, depending on how extensive my treatment is & how i'm feeling overall....i hope my customers understand!

this is the 3rd year in a row i've gotten to make Hayley's birthday cake (i also make her brother, Logan's, cake every year too)....this year, her party theme was Bindi the Jungle Girl (the daughter of Steve Irwin), so she asked for a jungle cake to match



this is 3 tiers of marble cake, iced in butter cream....there's a blue butter cream waterfall coming down one side....and i made a fondant monkey, croc, parrot & snakes to adorn Hayley's jungle cake....the cake is also accented with gum paste leaves & fondant rocks & flowers



thx for looking!
♥ sharon

ah, that's better...

no more gray,

no more roots,

no more teacher's dirty looks

ok, ignore that last part...

but look, i got my hair did!
;0)

poor baby!

i just got back from my post-op appt. with the surgeon....my mom kept an eye on jaden here at work (yes, we work together) while i was gone....curtis had just dropped him off on his way 2 work, right b4 i left....and this is what i came back to

poor thing!

he still hasn't thrown up since 6am....and curt said he ate 2 bowls of cereal & acted just fine all morning....but at lunch, he only took 2 bites of his sandwich & started saying he didn't feel well again....i'm sure he's sleepy (like mama) from all of our trips up & down last night

i hope he's feeling better soon!

oh, and btw - i waited almost an hour for the surgeon to take one of the tapey things off my incision & just snip off that string that was hanging out - i coulda done that myself!

randomness - take 2...

well, as i was saying b4 i was so rudely interrupted

~teehee~

i began telling u about how my wedneday night, turned out 2 b an eventful night....well so did last night! so let's just start from the beginning...

wednesday night, everything started out normal....we had gabby's acro class, then christ commandos at church....then home for dinner & homework....jaden had a project 2 complete - a Native American project....he chose to make a teepee, like the Sioux Indians lived in....he drew a buffalo & deer on the "skin" & an arrow, cause that's what they hunt with


after all the kiddos were in bed, i did some mama chores then vegged on the sofa....i fell asleep waiting 4 curtis....1am, my phone rings & it's him - & he's got a flat tire - ugh!

he's already tried calling a few of his buddies & no one is answering (duh)....so i have 2 drag the kiddos out of bed to go get him

they surprisingly rose with little argument....& actually enjoyed the ride - they'd never seen our little town in the middle of the night, so they were in awe at all the dark stores (especially Food Lion - they thought that was really weird!) & the absence of cars....gabby was like "there aren't any cars on the road!" - uh yeah gab, they're all in bed! ~lol~

we were home & had the kiddos back in bed a little after 2am....of course, they instantly fell back 2 sleep - and again surprised me by not being cranky or sluggish in the least, yesterday morn....our little field-trip didn't seem to phase them at all!

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speaking of field trips...

curtis got to go along on corinn's field trip to the book fair (love this place!) yesterday....he also chaperoned my nephew, Bryan....the preK program gave each kid $10 to spend on books too!

corinn picked out the very busy spider (which we didn't own yet, but she already knew the whole story by heart) & knut (a book about a polar bear born in captivity - the book has 40 pages & a LOT of text - not really a preK level book...but corinn LOVES animals & had to have it!)

after the book fair, they went to Cici's Pizza for lunch & then on to the mall to see Santa! and apparently, "seeing Santa" is all corinn was interested in doing! she wanted nothing to do with sitting on his lap....i've told u about how we deal with this fear every year - she loves Santa, she just doesn't like costumes or clowns, etc....curtis says that if i had been there, she probably would have given Santa a chance again this year (u know she milks it with daddy) - so we'll see how it goes when all 3 get 2 go see Santa next week

curtis took the camera along & got a few pics....nothing spectacular, but if u knew curtis - u'd know that it's HUGE he took pics at all! ;0)

ok, i lied - this pic is hilarious! bryan is such a nut!


-----

i'd also shared some of these videos with u....i LOVE these! i get sucked in to watching them on youtube every year....i just keep waiting for someone that lives in this area 2 do this, so i can see one in real life!

even college kids r doing it now!

and this one's not christmasy, but it rocks!!!

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now, on to last night...

i was up late, working on some baking & making gum paste pieces for a cake that's due on saturday (some stuff takes a couple days to dry)....right after curtis walks in the door from work, there comes jaden down the stairs

he says "i don't think i feel so good"

he goes & pees....and gets a drink of water - but he says he doesn't have 2 throw up

so i put him back 2 bed - with a puke bucket, just in case

curtis & i stayed up for a little while longer....then as soon as we hit the bed, there comes jaden at our door....i walk with him downstairs - puke bucket in hand....luckily, cause he hurled before we made it to the bathroom

this continued on throughout the night - i'd put him 2 bed, then he'd b back up sick....eventually dry heaving because his stomach was empty....the last episode was at 6am

needless 2 say, he didn't go 2 school 2day....gabby cried because corinn got 2 go home early last week cause she was sick, & now this - when does she get 2 stay home from school?! ~lol~ so far, jaden hasn't thrown up any more since that last episode - he hasn't eaten anything yet either, so we'll see how it goes

jaden will chill at home with dad until dad has 2 go 2 work - then dad will drop jaden off with ma....jaden will just chill here at work with me until my appt. at 3 with the surgeon

TGIF - at least if jaden's sick - he'll have the whole weekend 2 recover & can hopefully b back 2 school on monday

-----

oh, and that brings me 2 tomorrow - i get 2 get my hair did!!!
~lol~

boy do i need it too! and curtis will b home, so i can go kiddoless!
can't get much better than that!
:0)

grrrr...

some of u may have noticed - my blog was down for a good part of the day yesterday....i had created a "randomness" post & when i published it, my blog broke....i wasn't alone - this happened to many blogger members yesterday

i logged on this morning to find my blog fixed - but my post gone....grrrrr

i guess i'll b recreating it 2day

the diagnosis...

i got a call yesterday from the pulmonologist's lady....she said the doc wanted me to come in that day, or today, to talk with him

i was confused - i asked "before my biopsy comes back? i'm already meeting with the surgeon on friday."

she said that the lung doc's results were back & he'd like to chat with me

uh, ok

so i went in this morning....the nurse took me back to weigh me (sigh) & get my vitals....then she hands me an envelope & says "this is from sharon (the pulmonologist's lady), she wanted to make sure i gave this to you"

right on the front - sharon had written...
"referral appt. @ cancer center"

uh duh - i guess i know what i'm here to find out now!
(good thing i'm not sensitive & it didn't freak me out - that might not have been the best move for someone else in this situation!)

so the doc comes in & says that yes, the biopsy is back & that i have
Hodgkin's Lymphoma

but don't worry - it's the good kind of lymphoma - the curable kind!
if i have to have cancer, this is the kind i want!
;0)

i really like this doc....he's very up front & frank - makes sure i understand everything & gives good advice....i won't see him again - i was just referred to him because of the lymph nodes around my lung & well, he's a lung doc....i'm scheduled to meet with an oncologist next tuesday - then we'll talk about what stage i'm at, what the plan of action is for treatment, etc....the lung doc told me that it's key that i'm active in my treatment - that i ask any & all questions, that i am frank with the cancer center docs about my concerns, that i read up & learn as much as i can, and that i fully understand what's going on

he showed me my PET scan, and OMG!
there are so many lymph nodes in my neck & chest that my left lung is about half the size of my right - from all the nodes crowding it....luckily, there's no other cancer in the rest of my body - just in my neck & chest area

i told him that it's a good thing these nodes on my neck popped up - or i'd have no clue....i'm actually pretty darn healthy otherwise....he said that's how most people find out....that it's usually people around my age - and that a node in the neck or under the arm will pop up - or they'll notice their neck is looking weird - lopsided....that's why it's super important that you have any lumps or growths checked out!!! (that's my PSA for today! ~wink~)

this a very treatable cancer & survival rate is like 90%, so again - i'm not worried....plus we've had so much preparation leading up to this - we pretty much knew this would b the diagnosis, we were just waiting for the ball to drop

i'm still going to see the surgeon tomorrow about my incision....it'll be good to talk to another doc - sort of like getting a 2nd opinion....and i REALLY like the surgeon - he's an older gentleman, very smart and very kind! he just makes you feel at ease....and a fun fact about my surgeon - he's the same doc that removed a cancerous goiter from my mom's thyroid back in like 1983!

and she's still kickin'!
~lol~

keep the prayers coming as i start this "cancer treatment" journey - it's really weird to say that....i have cancer....but i know i'll be fine & i have an amazing support system around me!

oh, and you wanna know something else really cool? sort of a silver lining...

about 6 months ago, i signed up for AFLAC cancer insurance here at work!
yep, i was already getting the accidental insurance, and cancer wasn't that much more of an additional cost....and with curtis & his stupid cigars, i thought - why not?!

never thought i'd use it for me!

stop the madness!

as if the group push-up session wasn't enuff!

then last night, i put the kiddos 2 bed, sit down on the sofa to work on some paperwork for insurance open enrollment at work, and i look over to the door leading out onto our mud porch....there he goes again!

it wasn't so much his working out that bothered me....it was the fact that i was watching Biggest Loser on TV & helping myself to some Thanksgiving leftovers (as my dinner), while my husband worked out!!!

ok, maybe it didn't bother me as much as amuse me!
~lol~

and truth be told - i don't mind watching curtis work out at all! i actually enjoy the view! ;0) and he doesn't workout as much as u might think he does....i know u look at that rock hard body, with his rippling abs & strong, muscular arms...and my personal favorite - those strong, broad shoulders....and think he must spend hours in the gym....but for real, he only works out maybe once or twice a week - and always at home...sit-ups, push-ups, boxing on his heavy bag, weight lifting & even jogging sometimes

u'd think by now, i'd be inspired & join in
ha!

-----

i also wanted to take this opportunity to wish my friend Cindy (i mention her here & here), a happy belated birthday!

she turned 35 yesterday!

she really hates that she's getting older - she lies & tells everyone she's 27....so of course, since she hates that number so much, i had to put it on a little cake for her! u know, just to rub it in a little more! ;0)

luv ya cindy!
;0)

the family that does push-ups together...

...gets BUFF together!

~wink~

weekend recap...

i already posted about some of our long Thanksgiving weekend...

the meal & birthday party on thursday & the surgery on friday

well, here's the rest of the weekend...

i spent most of friday evening & saturday morning on the sofa....just hanging out with my laptop, taking it easy, trying to recover....well, by saturday afternoon, i was ready to go outside! i was ready to get up & do something!

the kiddos on saturday

luckily, i had our thanksgiving meal at grandma's to look forward to....it's my dad's mom & stepdad - and their house is small....so it's always a ton of family, crammed into a little house....kids running around playing, adults sitting on every sofa/chair/stool available....us young adults sitting on the floor to make room for our elders....total chaos! but that's exactly what i wanted to b around after riding the sofa for 24 hours!

i made a simple, but oh so yummy dish to take (a recipe that i learned from my BFF, Misty (who recently started her own blog!), like 3 years ago) - it's cooked cabbage, onions & mushrooms - mmmm, good!....as well as chocolate chip cookies for the kiddos....i know that they don't usually care for all the wonderful pies/cakes/trifles that are brought for dessert, so i thought the cookies were a good idea....shoot, as soon as the kids hit the desserts, the cookies were GONE - good thinking Sharon!

cousins eating dinner together

we had a great time eating & visiting....then headed home & rolled the kiddos into bed

sunday, i was able to take off the dressing from my incision....finally, i could take a look at the size of it....the doc had told me they'd make a cut, the size of the lymph node they were removing....a little bigger than i imagined - but not too bad (so sorry if this grosses u out - u can see the string hanging out - that's what the doc will remove on friday)


the dressing came off just in time for our planned water park trip, to celebrate Gabby's birthday! that morning, Gabby helped me decorate this tiny cake to take with us - to have as dessert at dinner....since we just had family around for Gab's actual birthday, we needed a small cake to take & share with her BFF that we invited to come along with us to the water park....she helped ice it & put on a pink border, then i got out a few extra gum paste flowers i had & she decided where they should go - i think she did a pretty good job too! ;0)


we picked up Gabrielle's BFF, Kaitlyn, right after lunch & headed out....originally, i planned on not taking the camera into the water park - after my recent luck with cameras, better safe than sorry! but after inside, i couldn't resist taking some with my cell....and hey, they didn't turn out so bad!

here's in the car (taken with my camera) - Gabby is putting one of her HSM BFF necklaces on Kaitlyn....she got these for her birthday & couldn't wait to share one with her BFF....she even let Kaitlyn pick which one she wanted out of the 2!

all 4, just after going inside the park

these 2 were so brave & outgoing - wanting to try out every single slide in the park!

they spent a lot of time in the middle of the park (on the big playground type thing behind them in the photo above)....there were 3 tube slides in this area & they must have gone up & down them over 100 times!

jaden also enjoyed this area, but he played mostly on his own

daddy kept a watchful eye

omg - can somebody get me a drink of water....is it getting hot in here?!
~teehee~

corinn wasn't as thrilled about getting water in her face....she liked the calm froggy pond....she & i took it easy in this kiddie area & rode around on the lazy river a whole lot

there are also 4 really big tube slides that you have to climb 4 or 5 flights of stairs to get to the top of....for these, u ride down on inner tubes & u can go alone, in pairs or even on a 3-seater tube....the whole crew went down once (on 2 3-seaters) & then Corinn decided she didn't like all the water rushing in her face at the bottom....so daddy took the other 3 kiddos down again & again, while Corinn & i went back to the froggy pond....i'm soooo glad Curtis was along to help keep the older kiddos busy! :0)

Jaden even got brave enough to ride the Flowrider!

u climb up stairs over on the side, then sorta dive in on ur belly....of course, the pros jump in standing up - and surf....but i was majorly impressed with how well Jaden did on the boogie board for his 1st time! he wasn't scared at all - just dived right on in!

*warning - u wouldn't believe how much change & jewelry Curtis & the rest of the maintenance crew find under this Flowrider machine! if u visit the water park - please take off ur wedding bands, belly button rings, chains, etc. before trying out this ride! otherwise, it will become pocket change for Curtis & his boys when they take it all up to Rocky's to sell every month or so! ;0)

after getting our fill of the water park, we dried off, got dressed & headed upstairs to the arcade

and afterwards, we went to Cici's for dinner (always a crowd pleaser)!


we had a quiet car load coming home....everyone was wiped out & it didn't take long for the snores to fill the house, once we were home & had the kiddos warm in their beds!

i'm back 2 work today - and feeling great....even tho we had a super long weekend, it still didn't feel long enough! we had such a great time (with a little surgery thrown in the middle) & i'm sure the kiddos r having a blast telling their friends & teachers all about it today at school! ;0)

all i want 4 christmas is my 2 front teeth

there goes tooth #4

another top one - the gap is complete!
;0)

all good...

i'm home....waiting on the kiddos 2 come home from the movies with my mom
(nana took them to see madagascar 2)
*disclosure - i'm taking percocet for the pain - please remember that as u read this ;0)

everything went exactly as planned 2day....i arrived & waited for a whole like 4 minutes before the nurse came out 2 get us....i changed into some sort of hospital gown from the future - this thing was so cool! it was huge compared to the hospital gowns i've worn the only 3 times i've ever stayed in a hospital (that would b 4 the birth of my 3 children) - so i had no worries about my back end showing....and in each & every little station/room, there was a vacuum like hose that could b hooked up to these super thick paper gowns....& warm (or cool) air pumped thru the whole thing! so nice!

my nurse, kathy, was super super nice! she's been a postop nurse in the surgical area for 32 years & loved to talk! she was unbelievably sweet & she really seemed to put curtis more at ease....she told us how her husband just went thru treatment for lung cancer - never smoked a day in his life, but dealt with a nasty & lengthy bout of pneumonia....she says that they're discovering that cancer can develop from inflammation & irritation - like cells r under stress, and morph - interesting....her hubby went thru a few rounds of chemo - never lost his hair, never got sick, never missed a day of work & never missed ref'ing a game (high school referee)....he's been in remission for about a month is is healthy as a horse!

kathy explained the whole process 2 curtis & i and took care of my IV & vitals....the anesthesiologist & surgeon both came by to chat with me before hand (the surgeon initialed my left collar bone with a sharpie - better safe, than sorry! ~lol~)....then my pastor, roger, stopped by & kept us company as we waited....he prayed with us before another surgical nurse came to wheel me away

the operating room was nothing like what u see on tv....very big, and very bare....lots of equipment, but not all that exciting....i hopped over onto the surgery table & 4 different nurses started prepping me - putting oxygen on my nose, sticking wires & stuff to me & strapping me down....the anesthesiologist came in & once he told me he was putting the meds into my IV, it was only a matter of seconds before i was out...

i don't even really remember waking up....i knew i'd b in recovery, and that curtis wouldn't b able to see me yet....i vaguely remember a nurse taking the oxygen thing off my nose & mentioning giving me some morphine - and i know she was busy working around me....i felt sleepy & remember wanting to go back 2 sleep, but also wanting 2 wake up & see curtis....i was supposed to b in recovery for 45 minutes or so - and i guess i was....i don't remember

meanwhile, curtis was in the waiting room with roger - he'd been given a card with a number on it, and beside the TV in the waiting room, there was a big screen that scrolled patient numbers & gave the status of their surgery...."in OR", "in recovery", etc. - another cool, techy thing that made me feel like i was in a hospital of the future

a nurse wheeled me back to the area where we'd began & kathy got me settled into a room....she hooked up my gown to that glorious heat & joked that we should tell curtis that i got a breast augmentation in addition to the biopsy! ~lol~ curtis & my pastor came back & i was allowed soda & crackers....roger chatted for a bit & said goodbye....kathy kept an eye on my vitals, gave me my 1st percocet & carried on with me & curtis some more (she's so funny - i'm sure others in the ambulatory surgical center wondered what we were cracking up at).....she helped me to the restroom (they have to make sure u can pee b4 u're discharged) & after about an hour, the doc came by to talk to me

he said that they had sent the node to whoever it needed to go to (can't remember what they're called) & that it could b a few days till we hear back, if they're able to find out with just a basic biopsy....but more than likely, it would take a couple weeks till we'd hear, after more in-depth studies....he said "if it's lymphoma, which i suspect it is, we'll then hand u off to the oncologists.".....he told me to keep the dressing on my incision until sunday (i won't see what it looks like till then) & after that, i can wash over it like normal....he told me they'd schedule an appointment for next week to come see him, & then he'll take the stitches out....then we'll wait for the results....i asked him about what they'd seen on my PET scan, but he said he'd like to wait for everything to come back - that sometimes looking at 1, without the other, can be misleading

kathy unhooked my IV & told me i could get dressed....i felt fine to walk & take the elevators down to the parking lot, but was told they had to wheel me out - yet again, i was surprised at how far wheel chairs have come - very light & simple, pretty neat

afterward, curtis & i ran to sheetz so i could get a MASSIVE sized coffee & a sandwich (it was almost 2pm & i'd been fasting since midnight)....then we headed home

i'm glad it's over....curtis is majorly relieved - he was more scared about this part, than anything else....i'm anxious to hear what they find out, but again, not scared....regardless of what's going on, i know i'm in God's loving, merciful hands

thx 4 thinking of me today - and for ur continued prayers....i know that prayer, positive thinking, and my Heavenly Father are what will help me thru whatever it is i have to face