I am feeling pretty good...

Yeah!  This is my good week.  Oh, I forgot..... I will be having good weeks from now on.  No more chemo.  I am so HAPPY.  This has been a wild ride.  I still get pretty tired but overall I am recovering.  I even made a pretty tasty dinner last night and baked cookies.  I am just trying to get my strength back up so that I can have my surgery in a few weeks.  I am not nervous about the surgery.  Not yet anyway.  I have faith that all will go as planned.  I will be alive and I will have a positive outlook for the future.  Sure, I will have a different body but I will have a chance.   That is all I ask for, a future.  I have too many hopes and dreams to give up the fight just yet. 

Ring that Bell

My ringing of the bell...I broke it!

My Last Chemo--Ring that Bell

My Last Chemo...July 17, 2012

 My mom came to every chemo...thanks for being there!

July 3, 2012

Cheryl, me and my mom at my last treatment.

Cheryl helps patients who have to go through this nightmare.

 My gang came to my last treatment.  They wanted to see what I was doing all this time.

My two little ones.  They are so sweet.  Love you too babe (Todd)

I am so excited.  I had my last chemo and it feels great to be done.  I know that I have a LONG road ahead but it is full of different things.  First, I have my surgery on August 10. I will have a skin sparing double mastectomy.  I will be down for about a month.  I won't be able to lift anything and might be in some pain.  I will try to work partial days as much as I can at first.  We will take it one day at a time.  After about 6 weeks, I will start my radiation.  This should be fun.  During all this time I will be traveling to Salt Lake City for drain checks, filling of my implant, doctors appointments, etc.  After I am done with all of this lovely stuff, I will be having another surgery to finalize my reconstruction.  It takes about a full year to finish all of these things.  I am done with the most yucky part, I think.  Hopefully all of the rest of the steps are much easier. 

My name is....

I got to be apart of another wonderful woman's blog today....check it out.  It is my story.http://www.mynameisjacy.com/

The good, bad and the ugly

In honor of my 7th chemo today I thought I would write a list of all the good and bad things of cancer..... Good
1. I am using less shampoo and conditioner (no hair=less money spent).
2. You look at life in a whole new way (nothing is set in stone and there are no guarentees).
3. You meet a whole new variety of people (us cancer patients have to stick together).
4. Lots of time for reading and solitare.
5. I have been able to sport lots of new hats (I am so lucky, I know).
 6. I get to wear a lot of pink (my new favortite color).
7. I have a whole new appreciation for my family and friends (I love visitors).
8. I take lots of baths (helps with the pain).
9. I feel all the prayers being said in my behalf, they lift me up.
10. I am doing things now that I have put off until "later".

Bad
1. Nausea, you don't feel like eating anything, even your favorite food.
2. The forgetful brain, I can't seem to remember anyone's name.
3. Being tired, I get pretty run down.
4. All the scars on my body and in my soul (it does change you..good and bad).
5. Looking like the alien baby on the latest sci-fi show (my bald head isn't my finest moment).
6. Looking forward to getting my body chopped up (ha, ha, ha).
7. All the germs around me (Wal-Mart is the worst offender).
8. The hot flashes (wow baby, this is a new experience)
9. Being scared about my future (the cancer is very unpredictable).
10. All the pills and drugs going into my body. I don't like to add all these chemicals to my body.

So as you can see, cancer changes you. It might be for good and bad but it is going to happen. I am grateful for this challenge. I am almost done with one part of it. I have surgery and radiation left. After that it will be doctors appointments, tests and lab draws here and there. I will be alive and that is worth it.