Treatment plan taking shape

Well, the time has come. I was prepared to get an aggressive treatment plan and they didn't disappoint. Heavy duty chemo (really, is there any other kind) is coming soon. I have some testing this week and early next week. This week we've added appointment #5 and tacked on a 3 scan day on Tuesday (which I've dubbed the nail biter day), port placement next Friday and I begin enjoying chemical cocktails on 5/14.  We first have to check to see if my heart is healthy enough to handle the Red Devil and his buddies. Then we move on to the scans to see if the big C has taken up residence anywhere else. (Insert nail biting here). Then I see my darling surgeon again for the port placement next Friday. Due to my "young" age and general good health, aggressive is the way to go. They want to do everything possible to minimize my risk of recurrence and obliterate anything that might be hiding. With this treatment plan we're looking at up to an 80% chance of no recurrence. Unless something changes with the scan results,  we are going for cure here! If it does appear somewhere else, it's not game over it's just long term treatment/management. 

Send up your prayers like crazy for clear scans! I'm prepared either way but am and shall remain an optimist. ;-)

I kept the goofiness to a minimum but there were laughs. I'll have them all charmed by the end of treatment #1. I must get my tshirts prepped and ready to roll.  Anyway, he said he loved my positive attitide and he was very impressed with my knowledge level and preparedness. Love that! At one point he said "You already know everything, you don't really need me." I said I did need him since I couldn't mix the drugs on my own. He said he didn't even do that, the pharmacist did that. My response was, "Well, I'm sure I'll need your expertise at some point." He thought that was funny...thankfully. Lol

I have 2 appts tomorrow including one with the radiation oncologist so hopefully I'll have the blueprint in place for the rest of this year. It's going to be a test but I'm as ready as I'll ever be. 

Smile friends, life is good!

The Dork Side

*in case you haven't been paying attention, I've been dealing with some fluid build up in "the area". I finally broke down and made an appointment to get it aspirated.  You may now proceed. 

My silliness has not been lost on my surgeon. He is wonderful! Always very professional but, as always, I chip away at people and they eventually come to the dork side (see what I did there...)

So today, he walks in the room and before he even says hello he says," So, are you trying to grow another breast or what?"  My response was "Yes and I would like you to remove it just like the other two."  

Now I'm off to make friends with my medical oncologist. He,too, shall turn!

;-)

How busy can you be, really?

Welcome to the 3 o'clock hour, friends!  Ugh!!!!!

Since I'm up anyway (growl), I thought I'd provide an overdue update. I'm sure you've been wondering how in the world I could be so busy. I mean, really, you'd think I could just kick back in the recliner and enjoy some down time...right? Well, I'll admit that I didn't sleep well on Sunday night so I did go back to sleep on Monday morning (...what? I'm entitled). But beyond that, life does not stop with a diagnosis. My husband is fabulous and stepped up in a big way to pick up what I was unable to do. He is SUPER involved anyway, so that was no surprise. I don't want to be burden to anyone and I'd sure rather contribute than be a couch potato. I have a husband and two kids that need me and we all need a little "normal" at The LD so life rolls on!  So after helping get everyone out the door, I took that little nap. After waking up for good, I did the following:

• called the surgeon to schedule some aspiration (yes, I'm finally caving in)
• called to get my PT scheduled
• faxed over my orders and some additional info to PT
• took a shower
• did a load of laundry
• created and populated a medical calendar and sent notification of said calendar to family
• called surgeon's office again (it's ok, I gave them cupcakes) to make sure I was cleared to drive. I have multiple appointments this week and didn't want to have to bother anyone for rides if I didn't have to. 
• spoke to genetic counseling and ended up moving my appointment Thursday morning
• worked on the 200 page (maybe it's more like an 11 page) family medical history questionnaire for genetic counseling appt
• worked on 4 pages of pre-appointment stuff for each of my two oncology appointments scheduled for this week
• did another load of laundry (pajamas, remember...lots and lots of PJs)
• more thank you notes
• smoothie for lunch
• cleaned kitchen.
• put dishes away
• picked up some toys
• made sure I had my Rx for my falsie bra ready for one of my trips to Lexy this week. Yes, my doctor wrote me a script for boobs. It's a medical device!! For some reason that just makes me giggle.
• figure out dinner
• discuss dinner help for later this week with my dear SIL, Pam
• gather the trash (no heavy lifting, left that for Bobby). Tuesday is trash day!
• pick up the kids
• feed them
• cook dinner for Bobby and me
• sat at kitchen table with Bobby and had dinner! Aah...
• as our luck would have it, one of our TVs decided it was going to try to die (apparently the curse of the Redneck Kennedys extends to electronics) so helped Bobby work on repair. No heavy lifting. Just research, door opening and cheerleading. Stay tuned to see if we can bring it back from the brink. I have faith!
• check on the weather
• get the kids prepped for bed
• fall asleep with Mattie and wake up @2:45 am
• update the blog. 

Whew! I need a nap!

Love to all,

Andee

So many posts...

...in my head but not enough to time to sit down and get it all out. I have a few I'll try to get up today but I'm trying to get prepped for my week of appointments. Stay with me and I promise I'll get some stuff posted. I've been hard at work on the Pages so check those out if you're bored.

Small victory #...whatever, I lost count

12 days post op and 4 days after being given the OK to try I can raise both arms over my head. Take THAT!!

Friday - Trip to The Ville and yet another haircut

Hello again! Told ya I'd be back.
Yesterday was a pretty darn good day. It required a nap but it was nice to get out and be somewhat "normal". My darling Daddy was kind enough to drive me to Louisville to visit with my work family. It's driving me crazy to be unable to work right now. My schedule will fill up soon enough...like, next week...so I'll get past that part. I will, however, continue to miss my work family! I can't tell you what a wonderful group of people I work with. They have already been the most loving and supportive group of people and I've not even been there a year yet. You guys are such a blessing and I hope I get to visit periodically while I'm doing my cancer fighting thing.
After returning to Lexington, I took a brief nap and then we headed back to "Mayberry" to pick up the kids. Then the entire family ventured out for haircuts and dinner. We were a clean cut looking group at dinner. LOL
Today, my in-laws and one of my nephews are visiting. Bobby and Bob started some cleanup on our landscaping...and when I say cleanup, I mean ripping out shrubs via the chain and a pickup truck method. The kids have had a ball and I was able to enjoy a long nap.
We can't say thank you enough to everyone. Things will get progressively more challenging for our family as we go but it's comforting to know that we are surrounded by so much love!!

Love to all!
ACD

One of the best things about temporary retirement...

the naps

I am OK!

Did you miss me?  ;-)

All is well  I just had a wonderful, jam-packed day yesterday.  After we got the little people tucked in I was ready to sleep...so no blog update.  I'm sure you all felt a huge void in your day (wink wink) but cheer up, I'm sure there will be multiple posts this weekend. There is a lot of content in my head that just needs to get out!

On the recovery front, still dealing with the swelling but it's still better than the tubes. YES, they were that irritating.  I'm managing but if it gets worse or bothersome, I'll go visit the surgeon and let him aspirate. We'll see how today and tomorrow go. 

Back soon with updates from yesterday!!

Brief post

Quick update cause this old lady is sleepy. 

Doing well today. Tired, as usual, but some nuisance issues today. As you might have heard, the drain tubes were removed yesterday (cue the happy music). Here's a quick summary. When you have the drains you have to empty the bulbs and strip the tubes twice per day, at least, and then measure and record the amounts. When you record less than 30 cc, they take them out. Please note the important part of that last sentence. It did not say when you get zero. That means even with the drains out there is still fluid and it's got to go somewhere. So mine is building up and causing some swelling. This is normal and I was prepared. It's not the most comfortable thing but it still beats those tubes!! It's still tolerable now but if it gets to be too much I can go back to the doc for, yet another, needle stick. We'll see how things go tomorrow. For now, I'm snuggling up with my ice packs and sleeping on the couch. Yes I have graduated from the recliner. Victory!  ;-)

My new full time job...

Is being a cancer patient. I have appointments 3 days next week. I'm going to go nap now to prepare. ;-)

Pages

Adding more pages all the time. I'm considering some expansion plans but not there yet. So much I want to do here but just can't in the current format.
I added a page for the collection of t-shirts I have my eye on. I feel like I need to have a "thing" during treatment and these make me laugh.  Enjoy!

Coming Soon - 40 days

Laugh with me...

You might not know this but I had a little surgery recently. ;-). Well, I came home today after spending the week resting at my parents'. It had been a good day, tubes, bulbicles, and staples, OH MY (couldn't resist)...all gone. Doc told me to start stretching the arms so I'm working on range of motion. Right side will only take a few days but left...well,longer. Anyway, the point is that I was feelin' sassy so I decided I could put on a tshirt.  It wasn't the prettiest process but doable. I'm feeling pretty good and then I look in the mirror and the sad truth hits me. I have gauze covering the tube holes, which I've been referring to as bullet holes, that makes me sound way more bada$$, right? As I gaze at my new altered reflection, I realize that the bandages on my ribs are more prominent than where my "girls" used to be. I could not stop laughing. I laughed, and laughed...way more than was probably appropriate. So what did I do? I smiled at myself, said you look marvelous and promptly put on a jacket and went outside with the kids. 

What?  It was breezy!  ;-)

Back soon

Love to all,

Busty McRib

Let's do some math, shall we?

Me - a gazillion staples - drain tubes that, apparently, reached to my nostrils - 2 bulbicles (my word, funny, right?) = 1 happy patient

FREEDOM!

Don't you wish you were my surgeon?

My new accessories

Tonight, Andrea is wearing Flexal Nitrile Powder-free exam gloves in lovely Cornflower Blue.  Jealous?

Have I mentioned that I am over these drain tubes?  I mean really, REALLY, over them. 

Want to know about drain tubes? Look ahead. If not, turn back now. 

Here it comes....

You'd better be sure...

Ok, here goes...you have been warned...

This setup varies a little from mine. My tubes are about 2 inches below my incisions. I'm excited about the prospect of them being gone but not exactly looking forward to the actual removal. Pain is temporary, tubes are the DEVIL. I will take a deep breath (and a pain pill) and soldier through. 

BAM!

You guys need a hobby.

We surpassed 10,000 page views. Wow! Thanks for coming along for the ride, my friends. 

Repeat after me...

...it's only been a week. 

I decided it would be a good idea to go to the grocery with Mom. "I'll get my walking in!", I thought. So, how did that work out? Well, here's what I'm doing while she's checking out.

:-)

I'm fine, just taking it easy. Lol

*note to self. Put some grown up titles in MimMim's mobile DVD in inventory.  

Random thoughts...with AndeeDoo

• I'm not sure how Hugh Hefner has done it all these years. The novelty of wearing pajamas all the time has already worn off for me. (I was going to make a comment about boobs making the difference here but thought that might take it a little far...you're welcome).
  
• I'm not sure how much they weighed but since those things were removed, my neck and shoulder pain is GONE. I've had shoulders that were as tight as drums for years...suddenly, I'm all better. Amazing!
  
• To be continued...

Love

Just checking to see if she took my rights away!! Haha

Seriously, I know all of you reading love and care about my baby sister!' But I can not put into words what she means to me and how her journey is affecting me. This should be me not her! She is a wonderful wife and mother and the perfect sister! She  is a very strong willed little lady and she is my hero. I will follow along with her and do whatever it takes to make sure she is with me for a long long time.

We still have a lot of things to do! I love you Andee Pandee!!'

New Features

We're expanding! I'm adding a couple of new pages.

• First, a photo diary. I'm going to annoy everyone involved in my treatment and recovery (those who are willing) and get pics. They are going to be an important part of this journey and I like to take pictures. It will help me document the adventure while doing something I enjoy. I'll keep it clean but honest. I hope you follow that page as well.
• Next, a page which will include the really real truth. Part of the purpose of this challenge is to help others who might travel the same road some day. I'll keep it as un-icky as I can but I have really appreciated the "say it like it is" information I've gotten from those who took the journey before me. Read at your own risk but feel free to share with anyone you think might find it helpful.
• And lastly, for now, a resources and information page. I'm a bit of a nerd so this is only logical. Again, share with anyone you think might benefit. 

Innovation is alive and well...

Sometimes, being able to take care of yourself requires some creativity. See, I have this problem...I don't like help. I don't like being a burden and I sure don't like being unable to tend to my own needs. Don't fuss at me yet, I'm following instructions. Not lifting over 5 lbs, not lifting arms past my shoulders...etc, etc.  That said, I have been creative in working around the rules. I have bathed myself (sans assistance), dressed myself, I've been sleeping in a recliner since surgery so, with the exception of the first 2 nights, I can get myself out of the chair as needed so my mom can sleep in her own bed. I'm one stubborn gal. So, even though I like the dry shampoo product, it was time to really wash the hair...with water. Problem is, I have decided that I'll let the doc remove the bandages on Wednesday (I really don't want to have a look at staples until I have to...it's not pretty...trust me...I peeked). That means, I still can't get "the area" wet. What is a girl to do?

Let's just say that the job was done, by me, and involved plastic wrap, tape and a strong will. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Sleeeeepy

I will post tomorrow. Right now...sleep. Rest=recovery. 

Love to all

Andee

Product review

Should you ever find yourself in need of a product that will allow you to wash your hair without water, this is a great product. The scent is a little strong (smells good though) but it makes a world of difference. Trust me!

Thanks for bringing it, Pam!

My sweet, trouble making, baby girl

Quotes I like.

Ahhh...fresh air

Blooms!

A little walk, family, sunshine and golf. 

Guess what we're watching

My boy is with me and you know what that means...

My sweet boy OR I'm over these drain tubes...really

It's 2:52 am as I type this and I'm doing it from my phone so I apologize for any typos or errors. I've been up for over an hour now...I think. The house is quiet. My hubby and my babies are here and I couldn't be happier.  When the family arrived last evening, Mattie was the first one in. She said hi Mommy, told me she missed me and immediately shifted gears and said she needed to show me all of the goodies she received at her Easter party. Barely missed a beat. Love her. My boy was the next one in. He came around the corner and said hi Mommy, hugged my neck, kissed my cheek then proceeded to tell me about his trip to space (the planetarium). Then a few more lingering hugs. He came back multiple times. He played with his trains and his Hot Wheels but he kept coming back for more hugs. When it was time to go to bed, he wanted to climb up in the recliner with Mommy and sleep. He tried to fight for it a couple of times but we finally convinced him to go on upstairs. What a sweet and intuitive kid. Apparently he told Bobby he wanted Mommy to come back home with them when they left. Sweet, sweet sweet!
There's a punch line coming so hang with me. So, we have been very open with the kids about the situation. They don't understand "cancer" or "surgery" but they know Mommy is sick and will be seeing the doctor a lot. I've been trying g to prepare them for the hair loss, for example. We started off easy with "what if Mommy cut her hair" then "what if Mommy's hair was short like Gabriel's and Daddy's? Then what if Mommy's hair looked like Papaw Eddie's?  Fast forward to last night before bedtime, I had been been wearing a ball cap all evening. Gabriel looks up at me with a little concern on his face and says "Mommy, do you look like Papaw Eddie?"  WOW!  I immediately lifted my hat to show him all of my hair was still there. Smart kid to remember that conversation and tie it in to my absence. Our Nurse Navigator sent some children's books that should help when the time comes for hair loss and I'll keep talking to him to keep him at ease. What an amazing little family we have.
Now let's shift gears a little.  When we initially met with the surgeon, I asked what would be the worst part post-surgery. Would it be pain? Lifting my arms? What?  I was surprised when he said the drain tubes would be the worst part. Well he was right! Holy crap, they cannot come out fast enough. They're kinda gross, they get in the way, I have to have help maintaining them (my momma is a trooper!!!),  and they are not that easy to hide. Luckily, things appear to be slowing down so I'm praying that he will be able to take them out on Wednesday.  Patience, Andrea, patience. Ohm.....
I'm going to try to go back to sleep. Rest equals healing so I'm pretty tomorrow will include some nap time.
Thanks to everyone who has checked in. I'm a little behind on responses and thank yous but I'm reading everything and so appreciative. Still feeling the love and support!

Love to all
Andee

Welcome to day 4

I'm up and about. We've taken care of the morning routine and I'm doing an inventory of silver linings! Let's check in, shall we?

• I NEVER take off my wedding rings (except to clean them) and they have been off since Tuesday morning. They are back on my finger and the world is as it should be.
• I'm making plans for some serious ab work, as soon as I'm able. Until I get some boobs (no joke, right now...NOTHIN'), I'm at risk of my belly sticking out further than my chest. I would rather look like a box than a Buddah!
• After dealing with crazy hair for a few days, I'm pretty excited about the day that the biggest decision I'll have to make about my head is which cute hat to put on.
• I have found some REALLY cute hats. 
• I get to see my babies, in person, tonight for the first time since Monday!!!! I'm going to be wrapped in pillows 'cause I'm gonna hug the snot out of those little people.
• It isn't exactly like vacation but I'm getting some quality time with my folks. They're pretty fabulous.
• My in-laws have been helping out at home. They're pretty fabulous.
• I'm surrounded by pretty fabulous people.
• I'm learning patience...between drain tubes, ice packs, bandages, rashes, adhesive, the permanent ink on my arm, and on and on... I'm being forced to.  lol

Well, I'm hungry so I'm signing off. I'll be back later. 

Love to all!!

Andee

Yup!

Tattoo removal

Making progress. Slow going but progress. Hope it's gone a week post op and that I still have skin there. ;-)

Thank you to my Citizens family.

Lovely flowers arrived today. So thoughtful and beautiful!

So, did they have any trouble getting my appendix out....wait, they took WHAT??

You've figured out by now that I'm a bit of a goofball. Early yesterday, I let Bobby in on my plan. If he was able to see me in recovery, he'd know I was ok if I woke up and said "So, did they get the appendix out ok?" Sadly, he wasn't allowed into recovery nor was I OK. When I woke up, at least a little, I was experiencing some pretty nasty pain. If you're lucky enough to have never had major surgery, then you may not know that they ask you to score your pain level on a scale from one to ten. I don't think I've ever responded with anything higher than a 7 (maybe an 8 during labor...with no drugs...UGH) but I can honestly say that, had they asked me at that moment, I would have said a 10 or 11. Never in my LIFE have I been that uncomfortable. In the moment, I kept thinking that I woke up before they could give me any pain medication...as in I was getting the "this is what surgery feels like without pain meds" kinda pain. Since it gradually got worse, I think it was just an interval between doses. They responded quickly and were wonderful but I don't wish that on anyone. Whew.
That said, I'm feeling good (considering) today. I'm resting a lot, taking advantage of frequent naps throughout the day. Walking around - it's nice to get up and about. If you had told me yesterday that I would feel this much better today, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm still trying to (physically) adjust to my boyish figure but the no bra thing is pretty fabulous! I can definitely tell something is missing but my shirts fit GREAT.
I'm happy to report that I hear there was a lot of love and laughter in the waiting room yesterday. Thanks to all who showed up to support my darling husband. What a horrible wait that would have been if he wasn't surrounded by so much love, support and of course, laughter! Everyone should be so lucky! To each and every one of you who showed up, called, texted or even said a prayer for him, I send you my undying love. I love him more than anyone will ever know and I know that this process has been and will be as tough on him emotionally as it will be on me, physically. We will get through just fine but don't forget to say prayers for him and the babies as travel on this journey.
I'm going to sign off and go put on my massive ice packs and rest my t-rex arms for a while. I'll update again tomorrow. As always, thanks for your continued support and love. It's so nice to know we're not alone.

Love to all!
Andee aka Rex

Daily Laugh - I feel his pain

When you can't raise your arms past a certain point, you begin to feel his pain...wait, not the big head, just the little arms. lol

what a difference a day makes

I slept well (in 1-2 hour intervals) so feeling rested.

Eating normal

Vitals are "fabulous"

Disconnected from IV tubes

Peeing like a race horse (that's good from what I hear)

Drainage minimal

Opted for no pain meds this morning. Will need some when I get up around shortly but told them only wanted half of what I was taking. 

At shift change night nurse told day nurse I was doing excellent. 

That's what I like to hear!

Thanks to my sweet Momma for staying over with me. Hate that she has had to do this so many times with me but I love her to the moon and.back. 

this is a test...

I'm fighting ice packs, drain tubes and an IV so no complaints about typos or other errors...ya got me?  GOOD. ;-)
What a day. Great surgeon, great nursing staff, my fabulous family and friends, a ton of wonderful Facebook messages and texts. I'm really feeling the love. Thank you so much everyone. My pain is finally under control so I've been able to get a good amount of rest between vitals checks and meds. I'm about to take another little nap but wanted to stop by and send some love back out.

LOVE TO ALL!
Andee

Ouch!

That is all. :-)

In her room

She is finally in a room. In a lot of pain but still has her sense of humor. She is "showing" me her monitor again!! Such a joker. Love my little sister.

Thank you for all the prayers!

She's out!

Finally!!! Andee did well in the surgery and is now in recovery. We appreciate the prayers!

Underway

She has gone back for surgery. Will keep you posted! 

Ready for the fight

Waiting......

Here we sit.... Waiting. I think that's the hardest part. Andee doesn't do well waiting either. :) This is Pam by the way.... Karla and I will be updating today. Now..... Off to embarrass Andee somehow. Hehehe!!!

Ready to roll

Gowned up and ready. Shuttin' it down. Catch ya later!

Daily Laugh

This bit makes me laugh!

http://youtu.be/QWzYaZDK6Is

Sisters

Good night friends. Updates tomorrow will likely come from my sister, Karla and/or sister in law, Pam. I have given them carte blanche to post as they see fit. I can't wait to read tomorrow. LOL

Love to all!
ACD

Why so serious?

So, I've taken my Silkwood shower and now I'm just waiting to do the disinfecting thing. JOY! I know the drill but dang, this is a lot of work.
You'd think I would be all serious, pondering the meaning of life, etc. ME? Not so much.  I'm not sure what goes through a "normal" person's mind on the night before a bilateral mastectomy, but in my world, it's something like this.

As I'm putting on my jammies after my shower I think, "These will fit so much better when I have no boobs."

My world right now is all about silver linings. That means you'll probably see random "Silver Linings" posts in the coming days. Try to control your excitement!  ;-)

Put your boots on, it's about to get deep in here.

Tomorrow is the big day. I feel like I should tell you I'm nervous, stressed, distraught...but I'm not. There's something you need to understand. I am, apparently, wired a little weird. In previous posts I've mentioned our history and have dubbed us The Redneck Kennedys. We've been through a lot, yes, but I have a different perspective than you might expect. Because of everything we've been through, I actually believe in miracles. I'm not so naive to think that they will continue to happen to us over and over...that's not it. But I've seen too much to be a non-believer. The power of a positive attitude, lots of love and bit of fight will get you places. I believe everything happens for a reason, it happens when it is supposed to happen and there is ALWAYS  a purpose and a lesson. I'm in control of the things I can control and the rest is up to God (or whomever you believe in). I really am OK. I'm prepared for tomorrow and all that is to come. I want everyone around me to feel the same peace and general ease that I feel right now. No worries, no tears, only smiles, prayers, positive thoughts, love and OF COURSE some dancing.
It's been a crazy busy day so far and we aren't even done yet. When you think of the Doolins (and our families) over the next few days, do it with a smile on your face and love in your heart. That's the way we live and we've done OK so far.
Love to all!
Andee

See ya on the flip side!

Radio Flyer Ziggle™

Still no sign of an adult version but the kids LOVE this thing.  G is already drifting. It's awesome!

9:30 AM Update

Groceries - CHECK
Jammies - CHECK
Slippers - CHECK
New undies so I wouldn't get in trouble with my mom - CHECK
New Bra - NOPE! Won't be needing that particular medieval torture device for a while. Note:  I will be burning the old ones very soon.
2 travel size tubes of GOOD hand lotion and sanitizer - there is a story behind the lotion, I'll bore you with that later.

Now off to get those new jammies washed and packed and to do some last minute chores around the house. Tick tock, tock tock....

The old normal

Good morning friends!

Today I'm going to enjoy a little bit of the "old normal". This morning we got the kids ready , Bobby took Mattie to daycare, I took Gabriel to school. I'm not working today but there is work to be done, for sure. I'm off to the grocery to get a few things, find some comfy jammies and slippers, make the final list for our helpers, then off to Lexington for my preoperative testing. And that's not even all!  :-)

Let's do this! 

Much to do

The time is quickly approaching. So much to do, so many plans to finalize, so many lists to make and it's time to execute! I had hoped to have a real pre-surgery dance party but with our shortened timeline and last minute errands, we won't have one. I'll still be dancing, cause that's a must! So join in wherever you are - get your groove on and have a laugh...because that's what I'm going to do! There will be plenty of opportunities to dance again so save a spot for me. We're going to throw down!

It's been a great weekend with family. Couldn't have asked for better weather and better company. We are so blessed to be surrounded by people who are ready to pitch in and help out. We are not ones who find it easy to ask for help but sometimes life happens and you have to reach out for some support. Thank you to all who have helped out already and/or volunteered. We appreciate you more than you know. 

As we've been working out all of the logistical issues, I've also been preparing myself for the ugly realities of surgery and recovery. I've had more surgeries than I'd like to admit but it looks like this one will be the most challenging yet. I won't gross you out with all of the details but the healing period will be different than any other I've ever been through. That doesn't even count the post-surgery discussions of treatment. I'm mentally ready for what's to come but it will be a bit of a test. 

In preparation for surgery day, I've added some contributors to my little corner of the digital world. Karla and Bobby now have access to update the blog. They may (or may not) provide updates during the day on Tuesday. If I'm unable to type for myself, I will harass one of them to provide some sort of update here. 

Well, it is WAY past my bedtime so I'm going to sign off. Lots of preparations to tend to tomorrow, the least of which is a visit to the hospital to finalize everything there. 

I'll update tomorrow. 

Good night and God bless.

Love to all

Andee

Never Give Up!

Me and my girl.

Tuesday's Prayer

Maker of heaven and earth,

 

Thank you for the role of doctors, nurses, and surgeons. Thank you for the blessing of knowledge and understanding, for the breakthroughs in medicine and all the specialist treatments.

 

Lord, may you oversee each area of this surgery, every detail and protect me and keep me as I look forward to recovery and the future.

 

I dwell in your love, hope and strength always.

 

Amen.

 

What a lovely day!

Looking more like Spring @ The LD. 

She decided it was time to walk the fence. 

My handsome boy. CHEESE!

Golf. He's looking at his reflection.

Operation: BBB Cover

A shining example of why it's important to keep me busy.

Life is good.

Yes, yes it is. 

Dance with me! Part I

Operation: BBB Dance Party Playlist

With requests to participate in my pre-surgery dance party from all over the place, I thought I would share my playlist. That way you can join in wherever you are. I'm sure there will be edits...and I will consider requests. :-)

Happy/ Pharrel Williams

Yeah/Usher

Low/FloRida

We Run The Night/Havanna Brown

Pause/Pitbull

Getting things done.

Some things don't change. I'm still waking up before the sun. Boo!  Ha ha. I'm going to try to sleep a little more. My dear momma is coming over today to help me get the house spic and span before surgery. I need my rest to be able to keep up with her.  
Will write later.
Love to all!
Andee.

That'll get ya

When Bobby woke Gabriel up this morning I heard this...

"Daddy, when Mommy's in the hospital I will take very good care of you."

Whew

Ready for some rest

One more work day to wrap things up. Not enough time but will knock out what I can.  I'm ready for some rest - I could do without the yucky disease and the surgery but I'll take what I can get. :-)

**fell asleep with phone in hand while typing this update. 

And like that, it's gone

Bobby and I just went for haircuts. Mine is now about 6 or 7 inches shorter. Aah. Control...

Major update

Surgery has been moved. Now on for Tuesday morning!

And now, the rest of the story

Just to bring everyone up to speed. We saw the surgeon this morning. (If you're wondering why I keep saying we, my husband is right there with me the whole way so he's experiencing everything but the actual cutting.) We were originally supposed to see him next week but we were able get an earlier slot so things are moving right along. The day started with a touch of anxiety...it's like stage fright...it goes away once the "performance" starts. We arrived before they even opened the doors, I filled out my paperwork and we were ready to roll. They got me in quickly for the physical exam and then I met Bobby in the conference room for the show and tell portion of our program.
We reviewed pathology reports, surgical options (I'm stubborn, I stuck to my guns on the only acceptable option...but I listened like a good Southern lady should), what we know now, what we don't know yet, what we'll find out from surgery, my surgical future (it looks like about 4 in the next year or less), treatments (more to come on that after we meet with the oncologist) and other fun stuff.
So here's what we know.

• I'll be having surgery on Thursday April 17th. I'll arrive by 11, surgery by 1, surgery will take at least 2 hours, stay overnight, and, if all goes as it should) I will go home on Friday. 
• They will be removing both breasts. On the left they will also test and take lymph nodes, on the right that won't be necessary.
• We're not sure if there is lymph node involvement BUT they didn't see anything of concern on the ultrasound. TINY VICTORY #3
• I will be having genetic testing. In the last two weeks I unknowingly and unintentionally increased the cancer risk of my sister and my daughter. More about what that means for our baby girl later. CANCER SUCKS!
• We will not know the "official" staging of my cancer until after surgery. The clinical staging, based on what we know now is Stage 2. I was pleasantly surprised by this news as well as the lymph node news. AGAIN, this is all preliminary and could change with what they find during surgery but I was preparing for the worst news and didn't get it. Better is ALWAYS better.
• They asked me today if I would prefer to be stuck in the arm each time for chemo or get a port. I said PORT PLEASE! The surgeon said the port placement would not be done with surgery, it would be done later.
• Reconstruction - the question everyone wants to ask.  I will be having reconstruction. I will admit that I did have a borderline crazy semi-feminist moment when I told Bobby that I wasn't sure if I was going to have any reconstruction done. I thought I would just go without because society placed too much value on women's breasts...yada yada yada. Luckily, I snapped out of it. I've got my eye on a pair of Scarlet Johansson's!  lol
  After consulting with the surgeon, I've agreed that I'm OK with doing this in a multi-step process. Everyone has their own opinion but I've settled on this. The downside is multiple procedures but I'm pretty sure that surgery isn't the worst thing I'm going to go through over the next year.
• If you know anything about breast cancer, the following information will make sense. If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about, now would be a good time to jump ahead.  :-)
  I'm ER positive, PR positive and HER/neu positive. This wins me a year of Herceptin, some Tamoxifen and other fun stuff. I'll also need to have the ol' ovaries extracted at some point in the not so distant future. If anyone has a need for useless organs, let me know. I'm going to see if they can just go ahead and yank out my gallbladder, appendix, and maybe my tonsils and my spleen. I think it will ultimately save us all a lot of time and trouble later. Ya think they'll go for that??  ;-)

So here we are. Bobby and I are going to get haircuts tonight. No, I'm not taking it all off yet. I thought it would be less traumatic for my babies if it goes gradually. It will be back this time next year so I'm taking as much control as I can. I don't do anything too drastic. Angled bob first and we'll see where that takes us. Mattie has already said she wants me to have pink hair so you can bet there is a pink wig on my wish list. lol  Progress is good, friends! I'm worn out and tired of hearing myself talk today. I'm going to make a couple of additional phone calls then I may try to sneak in a nap. We'll see how that works out. 

Don't forget to sign the guestbook, if you are so inclined. 

Love to all!

Andee

Let's get this party started!

I have a date with the surgeon! Aaah. Thursday, April 17th is the big day. We received some more details about my diagnosis and plans. I love information! I'm working on the big post but I have some phone calls to make before I finish. Stay tuned for further details.

My old friend has a new role

My dear husband bought this bag for me almost 20 years ago. It's one of my very favorite things (and I don't have love for too many "things".). We've been through a lot together. She's traveled all over the country with me and now she will accompany me on my various visits. My Livestrong planner & guidebook, reading material and eventually medical records. There is a tote bag in my future but this ol' girl will be put to good use. 

Gotta run, they're calling my name. 

I've got it!

I've dubbed this part of the journey Operation Bye-bye Boobies!  Lol

LAUGH, PEOPLE!!

Another small victory...I was able to fit all of my surgical procedures on the forms in the space provided. Woot woot!

Missed post

I tried to post from my phone earlier but it obviously didn't work. Not sure what happened there.This post will be short because I'm having WiFi issues and my signal is bouncing.
Anyway, we are in Lexington in preparation for my appointment with the surgeon, bright and early tomorrow morning. The appointment was originally scheduled for next week but we were able to get in a bit earlier. I'm eager to get things rolling but this impacts my timeline at work - I lost about a week of transition time. In the grand scheme, I know that sounds trivial but I have issues...I'll just leave it at that.
So, tomorrow we should know more about next steps. Say a prayer, wish us luck and check back here for updates...if you're interested. Oh, and for the 3 people that don't already know this, I've already told them to take 'em. No hesitation...as far as I'm concerned, there's no other option. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Catch ya on the flip side!

Love to all,
Andee

We know silly!

It is BREAST cancer so there will be boob humor - you have been warned

**The epic post became truly epic. I'm going to edit and break into multiple posts. I just have a lot to say**

4/4/14

Bobby and I are pretty typical. After dinner, we were hanging out discussing our work days. Part of the conversation went something like this.

ME: Ya know, I never thought I would spend so much time thinking or talking about boobs. Funny how that happens.
BOBBY (without missing a beat): Doesn't surprise me at all, I think about them all the time.

TRUE STORY!

Though it's a funny story, this is not another Daily Laugh. I've spent a good portion of the past week trying to get used to, what is, my new normal. Part of that new normal is talking to friends about my situation and my disease. Answering questions and having discussions about treatment, side effects, surgery, reconstruction, bras, scars...and so on. I've spent most of my professional life in male dominated work environments. Since June of last year, I've been in an office with more women than men. It's different - not bad, just different. If you know me, you know that I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and it happens when it's supposed to. From day one, I've loved my job and all of my work family. I quickly felt right at home. But over the past couple of weeks it has become clear to me what the "purpose" was in this change. It was to be surrounded by a group of women who all bring something different to the table. So many different personalities, some feisty, some emotional, some caring and compassionate and those who just tell you like it is. I don't let many people in or have a large group of friends but I can say that I've made FRIENDS over the past 10 months and I consider them blessings. They accept the weird things that make me, me. They look out for me when I don't look out for myself. They coach me when I need coaching and share their wisdom and guidance on some challenging topics. I now have some wonderful women in my life...and thank goodness because that makes it a whole lot easier to discuss boobs at work!  ;-)

Love to all,
Andee

Daily Laugh - DANCE!

This laugh was selected in honor of a dancer in our house. We hold out hope that Momma can "fix it" before the first dance. I hear I have until 5th grade.

Love my boy! Enjoy.

Not so epic

Sooo, I was writing my epic blog post… And I fell asleep… In the chair…

Daily Laugh Double Feature

Warning: lots of laughs but grown up themes. If you're easily offended you might want to pass on these.  Loved these guys!

Grumpy Old Men Outtakes

http://youtu.be/hh81LMz1sPo

Grumpier Old Men Outtakes

http://youtu.be/tF8soqX_6kw

Exhaustion is a real thing

Well, we are a week into this craziness and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that adding a little drama to your life can really take it out of you. I have so much I want to write but I'm sleepy, friends. Tune in tomorrow for, what is sure to be, an epic post. Lol

Love to all
Andee

That explains a lot...

Tiny Victory #2

I spoke with my nurse friend a short time ago and we have another small victory to celebrate. The results came back on the "spot" on the right side.

IT'S BENIGN!!!!

It may seem silly to celebrate this while knowing that it's cancer on the left but you need to get with the program. WE ARE ABOUT POSITIVES IN ANDEE'S WORLD, BABY!

A bonus laugh for my sister!

If this doesn't make you laugh, I'm coming to your workplace and singing it to you myself!

Don't be a dumba@@

Very little, not so sound sleep last night. Going to make the smart decision this time. A little more sleep and work from home. Yeah for my smarts.

sleepy

It's 1:55a and I'm still awake. I'm pretty sure I could sleep for 12-24 hrs.

Daily Laugh - For Bobby

Today's laugh is an oldie but a goodie! We both love the Carol Burnett show and this is one of the best bits ever!!!

Tim Conway - Bobby and I LOVE this bit!