CARPENTER COMMENTARIES

 

My family is full of expressions, opinions, and hilarious comments. Here is a few from last week! 

 



1.  Lila told toddler A, "Wash your hands!" "Here watch an expert do it!"

2.  I asked Brian if we had any dirty towels upstairs b/c I am getting ready to do a load. He sends Owen to retrieve them and Owen brings 4 folded towels downstairs.  I said, "Owen those are clean I need the dirty ones." In which Brian replies those are dirty.  I looked at him weird and he said," I thought they looked better folded on the floor than in a pile". 

3.  The girls just got out of the bath and the water is still in the tub as I am getting them dressed.  Miles comes in and says, "Wash my feet, wash my feet, girls!"

4.  I handed Lila a towel and she said, "Mom I can wrap myself, just go cook!" haha

5. Lila was sitting next to me on the couch and says, "Oops a tooty came out of my booty!" then giggles.

6.  So we have 1 bathroom upstairs and 1 down but no one likes using the downstairs one.  So one of the boys (not naming names) had to go to the bathroom and was taking awhile if you know what I mean.  Two of us were hurrying him and as he came out he says, "Just so you know my bum feels really uncomfortable b/c I didn't take my time!"

7.  I had scheduled a pedicure last week and told Brian, in fact have been talking about it all week b/c I was super excited. They are such a treat, right?! So I tell him that morning about my day and he comes home and I said okay, see you soon! Here is his text!

Whatever...it's just a weekend!

WHAT!!!!??!!!

NO! Oh Brian, you have the wrong idea! It's not just a weekend! This is a group of ladies from all around the globe getting together to eat, craft, talk, shop, more crafts, more talking, and lasting friendships! My husband doesn't get this at all! Sooo, the excitement that has been building is that I will be attending...

WHATEVER CRAFT WEEKEND!

I sent an email in October of 2011 to be placed in the lottery drawing for my name to be picked! It has been a long time but I am beyond excited to meet Megan, Kimberlee, and the ladies. One of my dearest friends, Abby will be joining me!! 

Don't worry, Brian! I have everything you are going to need for the weekend. I made Brian an itinerary for the weekend! :) I think with this plan of action I can make myself unavailable and really connect and enjoy the relaxing weekend, right?!

 

I will post LOTS of pics next week! Cheers to having a WHATEVER weekend!

 

It's organzing month!

Organizing is one of those words that bring me great anxiety.  You would know why if you have ever seen my basement! For me the basement was the place to pile, stack ,and box up everything that didn't have a place upstairs.  However, after 10 years our basement looked like a clip of hoarders.  We had a toy chest that the boys hadn't opened since they were 3 and 4! Thankfully we had some great help with our friends.  We purged about 1/2 of the junk in the basement but still have many boxes to go though. It's a work in progress and I believe each year we are getting better and better at organizing.  Right, Brian?! He would totally disagree with that last statement. LOL

I need an accountability partner! Do you? Let's partner up!

A couple of years ago I found this blog and it really has changed my way of thinking and I have kept up with a lot of the changes she has suggested! Toni is currently doing another 14 week organizing challenge. Go check it out!  www.abowlfulloflemons.net

Here is the schedule.

Re-launch, restart, and refocus in 2015!

Well it has been way too long and I have had several friend bloggers checking in on me. Thank you!  In all honesty it all just got to be too much.  I felt like I was just being a Debbie downer in all the medical updates that I got tired.  Sorry!!  

I will update 1-2 times per week and keep you entertained with our chaotic, crazy life.  Enjoy the ride, friends!  Did I miss something?  Do you have any questions? Want to know more! Just ASK!



Changes oh soo many changes!

1. I will be 4 years CANCER-FREE on Jan. 11th!! I have an Oophorectomy in Feb. sometime to get rid of those ovaries. I feel good and am incredibly blessed!

2. My children are getting older and out smarting their mom with their tech skills! :/
    
Owen is 10 (4th grader) who gets a charge playing Minecraft and Lego's.
Miles is 8 (3rd grader) who lives it up playing outside and playing ball with his friends.
Lila is 4 (Pre-K) who fancies make-up, dresses, and playing mommy with her dolls.
    
3.  We have been blessed to add to our family by fostering a baby from 4 months old. We will call her toddler A, for now anyway! :) Toddler A is active and imitates the other 3, loves puzzles and dancing.

4.  We have moved, added a dog, cat, and turtle to our household! ha-ha

5.  Brian is now a partner with his company and is enjoying fixing up his 1968 M715 Jeep Kaiser and dabbling in some woodworking. 

Happy Fall!

Happy Fall!  The boys had a blast creating this and I spent less than $7!  I will work on updating everyone but know I am doing well. 

Surgery Update

Well it has been a month since I have posted so I better update you all.  I have been lounging and being lazy trying to heal from all these darn surgeries.   My double mastectomy is behind me and I am healing nicely with that surgery.  However, a few days after surgery I was told the cancer was in my left lymph node so I needed another surgery.  On June 24th I had all my lymph nodes removed from my left arm pit.  This surgery has been a major obstacle!! It was really, really painful and I am still feeling the pain today.  I don't have full arm movement and to top things off I got a fungal infection at the site as well.  Ughh.... I am sooo over surgeries!  The results from my lymph node removal came back and they removed 5 nodes and none of them were cancerous!  Yeah!! 
On July 20th I met with my plastic surgeon so she could fill up my tissue expander's.  I now have 550 cc. of saline in them and I will have one more fill and they are full! I still dislike them VERY much.  I have some nerve pain/damage (not sure) from my shoulder to my elbow.  It is hard to describe the pain.  I don't really have any feeling but when you rub the area it is painful.  I hope this goes away soon.  Also the weirdest feeling is when I have an itch on my breast but it is not a skin itch just an itch that I can't get to.  I told you it was weird.  My next plan of action is to have my DIEP flap surgery in October.

I snuck in to talk to my oncologist and she is taking my case to tumor conference on July 27th to determine if I need radiation or not.  I am PRAYING that I don't have to do radiation. I have been told I need 6 weeks 5 days a week of radiation.  We will see...

 I am now taking 2 aspirin a day to keep my blood thinned which means that I have finished my Lovenox injections.  I was getting those daily for 90 days at the local hospital.  I am so thankful they are done.  I will be starting an IV infusion of Zometa to prevent me from getting bone cancer.  I will go every 3 months for 2 years and the treatment is about an hour long.  I am hoping that my local hospital can do these treatments.   

On another note we took Owen to see his pediatric endocrinologist  for his growth hormone medicine.  He started up last night and did fine.  I am looking for him to start sprouting really fast.  He was -4.0 on the height chart. 

Here is a pic of my new hair with Owen and the other pic is an update on this post.

Owen, Grandma JJ, and I stopped to pick sunflowers to give to Aunt Ellen.

Here is an updated pic of my nails. If you look close you can see discoloration and white lines.  Those white lines are really fragile and the nails just peel when they get close to the white portion.  I also lost one toe nail so not too bad considering the thought of losing them all.  

Yes, that is my wedding band!  The nurses just taped my wedding band but my surgeon needed it removed b/c of all the tools he was using could cause the metal to do damage to my finger.  Well the only problem was I haven't been able to get that ring off for who knows how long. Obviously they couldn't either so they cut it off me. I feel naked now that I don't have my wedding band and I can't wait to get it fixed.

Let's breast it down

Okay well I am back! I feel pretty good considering the surgery I went through. It was a tough surgery and I am STILL healing! I am feeling lots of pressure and I really dislike the tissue expanders. So here is the breast break down.

My surgery was at KU hospital and while we were waiting I had my grandma, my dad and his wife Cheri, Brian's father Frank, my Pastor, and of course my husband. Before I was sent to prepare for surgery my pastor said a prayer which was a powerful feeling and gave me the strength I needed, thank you Pastor Dale!

I really dislike needles and am "one of those patients" so I hear. It always takes at least 2-5 attempts to draw blood or get an IV. So I was a nervous wreck regarding the IV and for good reason b/c it took them 4 attempts! Ugh!

My surgeon removed my breast tissue (which I donated to KU for further research) and 2 lymph nodes on the right and 1 lymph node on the left to see if the cancer had spread. The right nodes were free from cancerous cells but we found out that the left node was cancerous. That was a HUGE blow! I go this Friday to have all my lymph nodes removed on the left side and then will have 6 weeks of radiation Monday-Friday sometime after I heal. The good news is they will let me do my radiation in Manhattan rather than KU!

My plastic surgeon went in and placed an expander under the muscle and shaped the breast with Alloderm(cadaver cartilage and filled them to a size B). They placed drains in each of my armpits to allow the fluids to escape. The surgery lasted about six hours.

It has been two weeks and I still have the draining tubes in and have a constant ache in my chest. The tissue expanders are ROCK HARD and uncomfortable! I am trying to stay grounded to my initial size decision which is hard b/c having your expanders stretched to MY size will be more uncomfortable and a longer process. They will fill the expanders every 2 weeks for anywhere from 2-4 months to get to my size. I am going to try to get as much as my surgeon will allow so I can speed up the process but I don't want to be in too much pain either. Tough calls I tell you!

It's funny how your image of breasts change with each chapter of your life. For instance when you are single they mean sexuality then you have children and they are no longer sexual but for nourishing your child, then after nursing for three years you realize they are just blobs. Am I the only one who feels this way?!  I went back and fourth deciding if  I should show you what my expanders look like but will leave that decision up to you individually.  If you are interested in seeing let me know and I will show you or email you the pics.  I know that my mind always wanders to the worst so I would want to see but I am also weird but you all know that already :)  I hope to help anyone else who has to endure this journey and have no shame in sharing pics but thought this was the most appropriate way to do so.