3 Down 9 To Go!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

So I have let some time slip by without posting anything.  Now where to begin?  A lot has happened in the past five weeks or so.  Chemo, good news and interesting news from the doctor, company, and last but not least a little time to enjoy life.

I finished up my final AC treatment, but the red devil wasn't going out without a fight!  I came down with an infection and ran a fever for three days plus some other unmentionables.  Nothing like getting beat down and turning around to start a new weekly treatment.  I have now completed my third treatment of Taxol.  The side effects are nothing but a nusicance.  Muscle and joint pain are less than desirable, and with every treatment I take a get just a little more tired.  Still in good spirits and love waking up every morning to the sounds of Brandon and Anna playing!  Those two are something else together.

Taxol Week 1

Taxol Week 2

Taxol Week 3

When I met with my Oncologist last week,she measured my tumor which originally was around 1.8-1.6cm and is now 0.5cm.  I love progress!!  I also had a telephone consult with the Geneticist which informed me that I tested negative for all 16 known hereditary genes that cause breast cancer.  This is bitter sweet.  Sweet because it decreases Anna's chances of developing breast cancer by 50%, something to celebrate.  Bitter because we have no idea why I developed breast cancer.  Is it something I have eaten, drank, or environmental.  I was thrilled the test worked, because as easy as it sounds to sit and spit into two test tubes and fill them each almost full it is much harder than you think and nothing I want to do again any time soon.

I had a wonderful visit from my dear friend, Kate.  It was so great to visit and lounge!  Sharif even came over one night and watched a movie with us.  Not quite a complete family night, missing Sura, Mark, and Ryan!  My wonderful step-dad made it in town for Thanksgiving and so did my awesome step-brother Dan.  So happy to have them here.  This past Sunday we had an early Thanksgiving with the Danna, Mike, Nick, and Jenny.  We missed you Drew, would have made it perfect to have you here.  So sad to see them leave, but it was a great visit complete with an Anna style tea party, football, and a few good laughs.  A big thanks to them for humoring me and taking a family picture in the freezing and windy weather!

What tea party isn't complete without Texas Pete??

Anna was so proud that Papa Mike wanted some tea!

The Pre-Thanksgiving Crew
Don (Gramps) w/ Brewster, Mom (Nana) w/ Little Bear, Aunt Jenny, Nick (Uncle Nick), Dana (Grandmommy),
Mike (Papa Mike), Anna, Brandon and I.  We missed you Drew (Uncle Drew).
(Shannon thank you for my Greek Goddess hat, and Kelly thank you for my scarf!)

In the midst of everything Mom and I started decorating for Christmas, yes I know it is before Thanksgiving.  However, I am not the most energetic person so we are doing it slowly and we do this when Anna is asleep to avoid mass destruction and chaos.  We have also taken time for tea, daughter-mom talks ( I love these moments), and to smell the flowers.  Even got to watch the sun go down from the car one night, a big thanks to my mom for teaching me to appreciate the little things in life at an early age.

Thank you Heather for the perfect cup!!  I know you are all enjoying the plethera of items on my night stand.  The orange crayon is probably my favorite.  You will also find a lot of pills, a casuality of cancer, my daily devotional, doctors bills that never stop coming, and a notepad that I write everything on since my memory is shot!
 A snapshot of my life =)

It was a great sunset. Wish the lighting at been better, the leaves were really pretty before the rain and wind came.

Children really do remind you to enjoy the simple pleasures in life!

I hope that everyone is surrounded this Thanksgiving by their friends and family!  This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for and this wonderful life that I have been blessed with.  I am thankful for you all and all the happiness you each have brought and bring into my life!

One Block Closer To Cancer Free Street!!!

LAST AC TREATMENT!!!  Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Cancer Free Street?  I skipped in to my last treatment of AC. I dressed up as Elmo, my staple costume but always makes people smile.  I am now 100% done with the red devil!!!

My amazing oncology nurses giving me the last of the "Red Devil"!

 My amazing and most supportive husband!!  Every step of the way he has been by my side!

The past two weeks have been busy.  My Dad came to visit for a few days.  It was so great to see him.  We even got to go out to eat one day while he was here.  A lot of couch time and sitting on the back porch taking in the wonderful fall weather over good conversation.

Brandon, Nana aka Mom, Anna, and I loaded up in the car and traveled down to St. Marys, GA last weekend.  For those of you with small children, you know traveling at night is the only way to do it, it was our first time making the trip from Birmingham.  It was a dark trip, few street lights, and more deer than you could imagine.
It was a fantastic weekend getting to see some of the most wonderful friends that one could hope to have; and celebrate the upcoming marriage of two of the most amazing people, Ashley Packard and Jordan Pierce!  I have no doubt in my mind they have found their forever match, true love!


We enjoyed the time away and change of scenery.  Downtown boasted the most precious scare crows, but Linda Williams took first place in our books (if you live in St. Mary's I highly recommend her for city council, don't forget to vote)!  We got to take time to have lunch at Riverside Cafe and play at the park.  Love small town life!

It was Mom's first time being home since the beginning of July, I know it must have been so hard for her to leave to come back with us.  At least this time she has more than a weeks worth of clothes with her.  I am forever grateful for all she has done for myself, Anna, Brandon, and Little Bear.  She has cooked, cleaned, nurtured, and been the strongest when things were difficult to come to terms with.  I hope that I can be just half the mom she is to me.  Love you Mama!!

On my good days I love to take full advantage of them.  This means making homemade cookies and eating as much dough as we can!  Anna is the best kitchen helper.  We also had a play date.  The wonderful people that we purchased our house from, their daughter-in-law and granddaughter came over.  It was great conversation and Anna so enjoyed being around someone her age.

Yummy!  I do know that Anna is very dirty, just before this picture we completed her favorite activity.. watering the flowers.  Watering flowers at our house also means a little digging in the dirt.

After treatment on Thursday I rested up, and mustard up enough energy to take a few photos and take Anna to three houses for her first trick or treating experience.  She was a little confused at first.  She wanted to give the candy back and go into our neighbors' houses for a visit.  Silly girl.  I let time get away and didn't have time to get a new outfit together for Anna, she was a repeat of last year.  Anna the Bumble Bee!  So happy that I bought her costume a little bigger than needed!  A special thanks to my mother-in-law aka Grandmommy for coming in town to help out with Anna and take her trick or treating!

  

I feel so relieved to have completed the final dose of the "Red Devil" a.k.a AC treatment!  I start my next treatment 11/14/13 of Paclitaxel a.k.a Taxol.  Some of the symptoms are hair loss (don't have to worry about this one), finger and toe nail loss, and muscle and joint pain.  I will go every week for 12 weeks, seems like such a short amount of time in a long life to live.  Met with my oncologist, Dr. Atkinson, after my treatment on Thursday.  She measured my tumor before we began treatment, to touch it was 2 cm. and now it is 0.8cm.  TREATMENT IS WORKING!   Dr. Atkinson is very positive about how I have done and seems very optimistic I will handle the next round of treatment well!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, support, love, good juju, happy dances, and positive vibes!!  I am so fortunate to have you all in my life!