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Post Surgery: the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Well... post surgery is here and whoa it hit me like a freight train. I knew it was going to be hard, but I also know the really bad part is only going to be for a few more days.  I am very hopeful.  The GOOD! YALL - this is the really, REALLY good part... I AM (almost) CANCER FREE!! What does that mean? That means that my breast surgeon had a hard time even finding the tumor because it was so small and an even harder time finding my lymph nodes (they grow larger when the cancer has spread to them) so while we won't get the final pathology report back until Friday at the earliest, I am believing that this happened and is happening for God's Work to be done through me. Its all worth it for Him. The cancer stayed put (THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS) and it was all removed yesterday. To God be the GLORY! Other good things - I haven't been nauseous at all from any medicine, I can walk around, I've been able to eat today, and I've slept some. Thankful for friends w

Today is the day!

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I forgot to post this yesterday so here is it now :) another post-surgery post coming soon... We just arrived at the hospital and are waiting... surgery begins at 10 but I'll be here with pre-surgery things until then. I wanted to share a few pictures and verses that I've been reading since I found out about my diagnosis. Here is our sweet toddler showing us his "muscles" before  we dropped him off with the grandparents yesterday.  I took and shower and put curlers in my hair this morning... makes the most sense since I won't be able to shower for awhile, surely I'm not the only one?!? The higher the hair the closer to God is the saying... I'll take it!   A few of the verses I've been reading and memorizing (I had more pictures but they didn't download)... ever heard of Beth Moore's SSMT? Look it up... click here if you want . I love Beth Moore, she's a pretty amazing lady who loves the Lord so very much.  My best f

Surgery.

In 4 days I will be having surgery... For the past few weeks our mailbox and front door step have be inundated with words of encouragement and prayer, care packages to get me through post surgery, and more offers to help in whatever way possible. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for the kindness of so many people. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, kind words, sweet gifts, and willingness to help. I am so very grateful! Surprisingly, I am feeling pretty good about surgery on Tuesday. I'm just ready for it to be over with at this point. Here are a few prayer requests for surgery on Tuesday: 1) The cancer stayed in my breast and did not venture out to my lymph nodes or anywhere further 2) Both surgeries to go smoothly (bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction part 1) - Pray for my doctors (by name if you want - Dr. Morehouse and Dr. Mackay), the nurses, the anesthesiologist, and anyone else who may be involved. 3) Pain management after the surgery. I know I will b

Cancer. Part 5.

Here's the 5th email... sorry for posting them all so quickly, trying to get through them so I can post in real time.  --- Hi friends and family! I just got back from an amazing weekend in Texas with my friend, Malloree. Last year, this same weekend, we went to Vegas for the weekend and this year it was a women's conference ( Sparrow Conference ) at a church in Dallas and it was so wonderful! We had almost two solid days of kid-free girl time and some Jesus worship and teaching, it was much needed!  Surgery. It's  on Tuesday, April 25th in Atlanta . I'll likely be the hospital for one night, maybe two. Surgery is  at 10AM  and will last for 5-6 hours.  Genetic testing: it came back, early!! (The Lord continues to provide, He knows my anxious heart way too well.) ALL of the 28 genes that were tested came back NEGATIVE!!! Praise God!!! This is great news that NOT EVEN ONE gene was positive!! However, this does not change my decision to not get a bi-lateral (doub

Cancer. Part 4.

Here is my 4th email. I  sent this  out on March 22nd.  --- I am sorry I am late sending this out, but I have really great news that I am so excited to share!!  My hormone receptor results came back and I am so very happy to say that I will not need chemo! (Blog Update: as of right now I will not need chemo, but my final pathology report will determine if I will 100% need it or not - pathology report will come back 3-5 days after my surgery on the 25th.) For anyone that understands pathology reports.... I just figured this all out yesterday- SO MANY new words to learn, my estrogen and progesterone receptors were positive (99% and 100%) which means that I will be on Tamoxifen for this for the next 5-10 years AND the high percentages also tell how well it will respond to the meds, BUT my Her2 receptor was negative!!! Which was the one that ultimately determines whether I would have to have chemo or not, I am so very thankful!! Also, my Ki67 score, which determines the rate of the

Cancer. Part 3.

Here's my 3rd email update... and before I get to it, I want to talk about Easter, because that's really what THIS is all about for me!!  Think for a minute about Jesus and WHY He is here... He is God's Son who was born into the world, became man like all of us to experience life as we do, yet without sin. he totally gets the experience of being human and the feelings that we all feel. He faced this world and lived blameless. He was killed... crucified on a cross and was completely dead. Until 3 days later, He rose again here on Earth before joining His Father in Heaven. Crazy story huh? [This is just a quick version, theres so much more to this story that I can't possibly sum it up in just a few sentences.] But what's even more crazy... that Jesus WILLINGLY gave up His life for us... ALL OF US! He could have brought himself down off the Cross, He could have chosen a way out, but He didn't. That's how much He loves us, that's how much He's willin