All smiles

Another day of appointments are complete and they were all too good to be true. To God be the Glory! Turns out the spot they located during my last routine appointment is gone. The Radiologist said lipomas normally do not just disappear like that. She even asked me if I have had a weight change wondering if that may have effected it. Of course I haven't, me diet-haha! As usual I will just monitor the area and if anything is alarming we will go in. Other then that I am in the clear for one more year!!!

We began the day with my I.V., MRI, and ultrasound. We had time to spare before we met with my oncologist so we took an hour stroll throughout the hospital district. We walked through many of the medical school campuses, Children's hospital, branches of M.D. Anderson, and many other places to just explore and enjoy our time together. I have to admit, weather permitting, we may have to make that our new tradition.

I decided to make this short and sweet and want to thank everyone who prayed for us during these appointments. A special thanks to my mom for watching the girls for us!

A few pics from our walk

4 years

4….yes it has been 4 years since God chose me and my unborn child to still be a part of this world here on earth. It is amazing how many people have touched my life since then and at the same time in hopes that my story will touch lives and comfort others knowing that miracles still exist in this difficult world.

I always try to be short and sweet but it is challenging enough just to keep it limited to a page or two. I decided to use this year mark entry as an opportunity for you to take on a challenge within the next few weeks. You see, when I faced this tumor four years ago I received cards, my family received phone calls, and they were very touching. I remember being told that countless churches put me on their prayer lists, many hugs were shared, and many prayers were prayed. They were ALL meaningful but what I remember most about everyone’s embrace were the ones from the people who did not know me, had no idea that I even existed, or even the ones who, for the life of me, I never even knew they cared.

I ran across a few cards from a lady from our old church in CS, whom to this day I have still never met, and it touched me. She told me that she was praying for me, received my information from a prayer request card through the church, and she had her entire ladies Sunday school class sign it. Another came from an older couple who wanted to share with me that I was in their prayers as well. Those were the two that I ran across and made an impact on me yet again. I thought to myself, “out of all the people at our church they chose to send a card for me and they were praying for me…a complete stranger.” Keep in mind our church was huge, thousands of people, and they picked me. It touched me and proved that God put forth angels in life form to comfort me.

After coming across these cards it occurred to me that I feel like I haven’t really returned the favor to anyone else. If someone could do that for me then why haven’t I thought about passing this down and doing it for someone else? It has potential to be as contagious as a smile! I do say prayers, when someone tells me of someone in need whether I know them or not, but I haven’t really taken the time to write an anonymous note, buy a random card, or even share a written message to someone that I barely know or do not know at all. I have sent donations to random things, participated in drives for pregnancy centers, soldiers, shoe box gifts to other countries, etc but I have not personally reached out to someone like others have done for me.

I wanted to challenge not only myself but others to pick a random person, whether they are on a prayer list, someone you heard about around town whether it is a complete stranger or someone you barely know, and personally let them know you care or you have prayed and will be praying for them. We can make the same impact on others the way they did me. We can be their angel in life form. All it takes is a pen and a piece of paper and they even have greeting cards for 50 cents if you wanted to do that. Even if you choose not to do this, or never find the time, then maybe you can at least share with a friend to let them know you care about them.
I am ending this entry brief by telling everyone thank you for being a part of our lives and we are continuously getting good reports from the doctor’s visits. 4 years is a huge accomplishment and I am confident that I will be having post like this for many years to come.

3 year olds

I know this blog is based primarily on my health but I felt like I should share something that I have experienced the past several months. Our lil Miss E was only 3 years old when I was diagnosed with my tumor. Pregnancy, health complications, husbands college graduation, his job & house hunting, and making the final decision on where to relocate our new family took away many of the precious moments that I missed with E. That year was one of the most emotional draining journeys that I think I will ever experience in my life. We had some of the best moments along with what felt like the worst. I understand that there are a lot worse things that we will overcome but I guess with it hitting us all at once I have to admit it was pretty overwhelming.
Now that E is 7 & B is 3 I feel like I am able to live that year through our youngest child along with cherishing our oldest for being the big kid she has became. When I hear and see the sweet things a 3 year old does I think about the things I missed because life was too complicated. I had to share how blessed I feel knowing that I was allowed to have this experience again with my second child. It has been so rewarding and I look forwards to having many more moments with both my girls.

Fresh Princess of Bellaire....

Ok not really but I couldn't resist humming the Fresh Prince song "In West Philadelphia born and raised...." when I found out I may have the opportunity to fly to Philadelphia in November. I am considering making the trip by myself which seems a little intimidating yet exciting all at the same time. I received a letter from my organization regarding a walk/run and a brunch they are hosting to raise money for research. I am nearing four years of being cancer free and have gradually taken opportunities to be a part of various organizations. I have prayed for God to reveal to me why I experienced the things I have and allow me to use my experiences to benefit others. I still haven't felt a need or a desire to necessarily begin a new "journey" with my life struggles however I know that God is using me for something but I just don't know what yet. Regardless, I am ready and I am willing! I am still in the process of making sure it's not blizzard season...you know us southern girls can't drive in snow...we can barely drive in the rain! Also I would have to figure out how to raise money, not for my trip, but for the organization. I just wanted to share what might be in my near future. The hotel they reserved is almost booked so we will make a decision hopefully within the next few weeks.
On to my health everything is the same. I still have my lump. Some days it seems a little bigger but it's not anything to be alarmed about. I think we are gradually beginning to become more content with not having another child however I think the "want" would be there regardless of how many we do have. My husband told me "if we had 10 kids you would still want another."
Brylan has just began to show her slow progression in her learning abilities. We are not too concerned just yet because she seems like a normal child but only time will tell. We have had a few red flags but nothing too serious just yet. Either way we are blessed and know that everything is in God's hands. He just uses us as parents to guide and protect her regardless of her progression.

My 2nd RFL

Wanted to share a few pics from this years Relay for Life. This was my second time to participate in this event. We had to move it indoors due to the weather and it was just as enjoyable. I was asked through the elementary school if I would like to donate some items from my hair bow business to participate in a raffle for a teacher that had breast cancer. The lady in the pink hat beside me is who everyone through the school worked so hard for. She is a teacher and my younger sister and her daughter were childhood friends. It was a great honor to be a part of this fundraiser for her. Emory also received a shirt for selling so many tickets.
As far as my health pretty much everything is the same.

Honoring the survivors.


Emory was so proud! She tends to tell me "Mom I am so glad you don't have your tumor ball anymore" haha! That's how we described it when she was 3 & 4 and it stuck with her.


She just had to feed me her marshmallow covered in chocolate....yum!


Emory wanted to take a pic with my Luminaria. Thanks for whoever purchased them in honor of me. I know my husband did a few!


The girls making bracelets



Luminaria ceremony


I purchased a luminaria for Ashley!

April 2010 Appt update

Well we had another appt at UT Md Anderson on Tuesday. We had an emotional day and I have to admit it drained me. The weekend prior we decided to tear our guest bathroom down and start from scratch. We worked ourselves really hard and replaced the shower, tiled the back splash, floor, installed a new toilet, primed the walls, and Bryan grouted & sealed the tile before we left Monday evening. All between that I packed for our garage sale which turned out to be huge this past weekend. I have to admit we were pretty tired when we left for this trip which made things a bit more emotional this time.
We started off with my prep and IV which went really well. My first appt was at 7:30 a.m. and for some reason they were already slightly behind. I have to admit I felt a little overwhelmed more then usual because they put me in the outpatient MRI so I was in a new place this time. A few of us patients were put in our little blue scrubs, had our IV's running down our arms, and waited in the prep room for our MRI's.
The MRI went better then all of the rest. As always I count to 60 over and over and over through most of the hour because the noise and the body aches of lying flat, still, with your toes pointed in the air for an hour tends to make you go nuts ha! To top it off I have the IV needle in the fold of my arm but I have to bend my arm so they can scan my pelvic region so that always makes me a bit nervous. At least this time they didn’t have me hold my breath several times. The radiologist was extremely nice and I really liked him. He opened up about himself and it’s nice to carry on a conversation with a professional and they make you feel like they care enough to talk about your family life & their own.
After that was the ultrasound. Here's where the day changed. As some of you know I posted about how I thought I tore my prosthesis a few weeks prior. Turns out they detected another spot and its sitting right above my prosthesis. I told the tech about the spot I felt and he detected a circular area that looked just like my original tumor. My heart dropped. He did measure it then sent the scans to the radiologist. I guess what scared me the most was him asking me how big was my original tumor and asking if I received radiation or chemo after my surgery to make the treatment more effective. I couldn't receive it because I was pregnant so we knew that just having surgery was a less effective way to overcome it. He left the room for about 20 min to discuss things with the radiologist. The first thing that flashed through my head other then the pain and cancer was how I was going to take care of my kids & husband. I thought about how Emory was affected through all of this and how it put a standstill in my family’s life. It just took me back to everything that I have already accomplished and I felt I was going to start all over again except this time I knew it was going to be more intense and harder to overcome.
No one is allowed to go back with you and I told myself that I was not going to say anything to anyone…not even my husband. After I walked out of that area I walked to Bryan and the look on his face for hope drew me to tears. I completely broke down. My tears were the kind where you have to put your arms over your head to just take a breath. I honestly felt lifeless and had an anxiety attack in front of everyone in the waiting area. The immediate bathroom was closed so I walked by the elevator and found a corner to cry in. For those of you that know me personally knows that I am not a crier and my husband can probably count on his hands how many times he has seen me cry over the years. A poor older lady came to me to comfort me and I think I felt worse about scaring all of the other patients. I picked myself back up, prayed to God for comfort, and off we went to the next round.
We had a few hours to spare before my oncologist could tell me anything. We went to the gift shop and Bryan bought the girls some little I love you pens and got me a licensed coozie and lunch kit = ) I guess that made things a little better right?
We finally made our way to the oncologist. After an hour in the waiting area, then an hour in the room, the results came in. My oncologist told me that she thinks the spot is a lipoma....when I say "thinks" I mean she feels pretty confident that's what it is. She said that it’s right at a cm right now and they are going to monitor the area and make sure there is no growth. Lipomas are non cancerous fatty tumors and very rarely turn into liposarcomas (cancerous tumors). We are familiar with what they are because my first tumor was misdiagnosed and they thought it was a lipoma before the biopsy since they can look similar under the skin. She could still feel all of the scar tissue and lump. Even though the lump is small I think you can feel it because the scar tissue forms a blanket over it to make it feel larger then what it actually is. The plans so far are for me to follow the same steps I did with my tumor. I will check the area and make sure I do not feel any future growth and if I speculate any changes we will go back in and get more scans. When I go back for checkups they will measure the area and make sure it has not grown dimensionally. If any changes occur then she will figure out what we need to do from there. Right now it is not necessary for another biopsy. After we left my husband got me a huge chocolate milk shake to cheer us up. Also he bought me a few things from Sam Moon but I have to wait until Mothers Day to get it.
Well, I guess that’s it for now. I was going to share this after Relay for Life and to be honest I didn’t even tell my mother or other family because I didn’t want to raise any concern. I have to admit that I am emotional most days but in all actuality this is good news…in the cancer world this is GREAT news!!!

"I thought I was living very fully before this happened.But in comparison I really wasn't. I wasn't taking the time to notice things. I didn't see things as brightly or as sharply or as memorably as I do now.I really don't let a moment slide by.I just don't. It's a big price to pay, isn't it, to have to have cancer... to learn that? But it is in the end, I have to say, a price worth paying."Lynn Redgrave 1943-2010.

Forever young

Just wanted to update everyone and let you guys know that my friend from College Station passed away last week. Her service was in Cleburne and it was beautiful. When she moved her twins were just babies, her middle child was a little boy, and her oldest wasn't a teen just yet! When I saw her children at the service it really made me realize just how much time has passed. One of my fondest memories was when she was pregnant with the twins and the Dr put her on bed rest (to add she actually was one of the women who convinced me to use the Dr I use now which I give credit to because he sent me to get a biopsy for my tumor). A friend (Lisa) and I went around town going to yard sales. We knew Ashley really wanted to come with us but couldn't. We found a barn wood chest and one of my friends said we have got to get that for Ashley. It was $20...now remember when you are young and a college student...$20 to an average person is like $200 to a college student. I had little to no money and we split the cost and loaded the chest up. We showed up at Ashley's house, opened the trunk, and took the chest out. Her eyes immediately filled up with tears of joy and she was so thankful. She could not believe someone would think of her and do something like that for her. How could we not do that...she was that special = )
She was blessed with such a beautiful family. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.

How great is our God

I am having one of those extraordinary moments and wanted to say how great is OUR God!!!

Now how many shots have I had?

After the rounds at the Allergist I had to continue shots twice a week at a local Dr's office until the end of December. Two weeks ago I began taking them at home on top of the other meds to control the dermograpism. So far things have some what progressed. I get occasional hives which is great because it sure does beat having them every day! As far as the dermographism it is still apparent but I am patiently waiting for the medicine & shots to hopefully improve that soon. I go back to my full day of appts in April and every January I tend to get nervous & excited all at the same time about it. I have started a new year yet in the back of my mind its not a new fresh year until I get my first round of appts over with. That's when I tend to start my so called "resolutions" for the new year. Just walking in the building and seeing all of the patients can be inspiring. To end this post I wanted to ask for prayers for a friend of mine that I met while living in College Station. She is a mother of 4 & married to her lil sweetheart. Over the Christmas break she announced that she received a pain pump & she will not be seeking anymore conventional treatment for her cancer. She went home with hospice care. She too has been treated at UT Md Anderson at the same sarcoma center I go to but she has a different doctor then I do. Her family really needs our prayers right now. She still has not and will not give up. Again...cancer picked the wrong chick! Prayer is the best medicine!!!!

Upped Meds

So I went in for my first round of shots last week and my second round today. I think those are some of the easiest shots! Dr upped my meds. My hives are somewhat better but my whelps come & go. I am going to start my new meds after Thanksgiving since they will make me drowsy. He said these are pretty strong and will make me sleepy and not want to get out of bed. I am concerned about that part because I seem to stay tired most of the time anyways. I will get my last round next Friday then begin weekly shots. This 3 week period will boost me to the level that an average person gets in 6 months. Needless to say I am ready for some relief.

Something New

Allergic to heat

Allergy test (everything whelphed because of the dermographism)

Dr played tic tac toe on my back

On Wednesday I went to the Allergist for an ongoing recurrence of hives and whelps on my skin. When I do simple things in life I notice that my skin whelps very easily. An example is when I play with my dog. He will jump from time to time and when his paws touch my skin I get a huge whelp on my arm. A normal person would receive a light scratch and mine looked like he viciously clawed me. I was beginning to wonder if I was developing a severe allergic reaction to dogs. Also one night Bryan rubbed my shoulders and arms and almost instantly I broke out in hives & whelps in the areas he massaged.
The dermatologist told me that I needed to get allergy tested so off to the doctor I went! The doctor had a med student and nurse in the room with me. He decided to play tic tac toe on my back...yes tic tac toe! So he reached in his jar and pulled out on of those dreaded sticks they gag you with to look at your throat. He drew the board, x's & o's, and began to talk to me. He immediately said its obvious that I have a skin condition. He put my shirt down and began to talk to me. About a minute passed he said I was prob a 2+ for the condition I have. About another minute after that I was a 4+ plus. I figured it was no big deal because in my head the scale was from 1-10 but....it was from 1-4! I felt pretty awful thinking ok so now something new is wrong with me but he kinda perked me up a bit! He asked me if he could take a picture of this because it was a perfect example of this condition. So he pulls out his iphone and began taking pictures. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this point haha! He texted me the photo above.
I was diagnosed with dermographic urticaria. I will be treated with shots (rush immunotherapy)and two one a day daily medications. Basically he says he can control this condition so hopefully it will be no concern to me in the near future. I will be taking Allegra in the morning and Zyrtec at night for the allergies. Basically I will go to him in 3 visits to receive 7 shots, 7-10 days between each visit, then begin weekly shots. The first three visits will be within the next 21-30 days and it will produce an outcome of what an average person gets in 6 months.
I have to say I wanted to tear up because I was so happy that I was finally getting treated for the hives. This has been a very uncomfortable experience for me. One night I even laid in bed with ice packs on me to numb the itching. I also found out that I am allergic to heat so that explains all of the hives I got at the pool this summer, in the bath, and hot tub. He tested me for 70+ other things and I do have other allergies but I think most of them are pretty common. He did blood work for the shellfish allergy since I have received hives with shrimp and if that comes back positive I will have to get some epinephrine pens.
Anyways I will post an update to see if this clears. He did say if this doesn't work then he will add another medication in the mix. I am thinking he will get this under control FAST! Hes a good Dr and has treated alot of my family for allergies so I know I am in good hands. Most importantly, Gods hands!

Band-aids!

Well I finally made a trip on Monday to get some moles looked at on various sun exposed parts of my body. Needless to say I came out with 2 circular band-aids on my face, 3 on my neck, and one on my right calf. So far everything seems to be healing well. He sent a few off but he assured me that he really thinks they were fine and removing them were precautionary. I have to treat the burns once a day until healed and am expecting to wear the band-aids for a month or two. If you see me and I am polka dotted with band-aids....its because of that!

3 years in the making!!!!!!

Note: To set the tone of this letter I wrote this as if I were verbally speaking. I feel like this post is more intimate and for the first time I am open about a few things.
Warning: This is really long!

Wow! What a great 3 years it has been. Just seems like yesterday I was able to say I have been cancer free for two years. Suddenly another year to celebrate is upon us.
I prefer not to make things into a big deal but when I am grinning ear to ear it’s hard not to feel like this is a special day. This year went exceptionally well. All of my Dr.’s appointments were great and even better they reduced the rate in which the tumor may return. As time passes the numbers are slimming. Praise God!
I have always been told to never change for any”one” but why do you not ever hear you should never change for any”thing.” That is something I wish I heard a long time ago. Isn’t it true that people tend to change more by things and not by people as much? I guess an example is the “curse of the lottery.” I think they should make an expression that says the “curse of the cancer!” It does change you but I have learned that it is our responsibility how we change ourselves.
Occasionally I doubt myself and wonder why I let it transform me in both good ways and bad, yet I question myself and reflect maybe that was God’s plan. Things happen to us to mold us right? So in my best efforts I am slowly but surely getting over the anxiety, looking past the scars, and am replacing it with praise and thanks! As only a few of you know I was treated for anxiety attacks and I am now off of all medications. You see occasionally I go through phases: in my eyes a common cold could be cancer, a cough could be cancer, a small insect bite could be cancer, when I have a pain it could be cancer, when my husband tells me he doesn’t feel well it could be cancer. I am gradually healing and putting forth the best effort to not let this get to me. Instead of allowing it to have a negative effect I am learning how to turn it into a positive outcome. A common cold simply is a common cold, an ordinary cough can be just an ordinary cough, kids are going to get insect bites, when my husband or I have pain well that’s just part of life. We are getting older so more pain is to be expected. I feel like I am dealing with these issues slowly and things are beginning to gradually progress. It steadily leaked into other parts of my life and that too I am working on.
When each yearly anniversary arrives, you can somewhat compare my feelings to a little girl that is about blow out her candles on her 12th birthday: she is excited, full of emotions both intense and powerful, soaks in the wonderful experiences she shared the previous year of her life, the curiosity sinks in as to what to expect the upcoming year, and it all stops at this moment…it’s time to blow out her candles and make a wish. What is she going to wish for when she blows her candles out…probably something materialistic? You see I am full of all the powerful emotions, I soak in all of the moments, I too wonder what the future holds, however every wish, prayer, hope, expectation, anticipation, immense moment thrives on our health; not just my health but the health of all of my friends and family as well everyone that has been a part of my life. Even though I am an adult I still feel like that little 12 year old girl about to blow her candles out. As I reach every anniversary of my surgery I am gradually growing and learning. Each year my wish is a silent prayer for everyone’s health and I pray that even during our hardships that we seek guidance from above to get us through life’s struggles. We may not understand why some may not survive these things in life and why some have it less complicated as I did, but it is all part of Gods great plan.
Instead of something worldly when I blow my candles out on my 3 year celebration cake today remember that I am wishing for you and everyone that is in your life to have a safe and healthy life.
We are very thankful to have a happy & healthy family. Bryan works hard to support us and truly is the rock in our relationship, Emory was our unexpected child but shines every day and reminds us that she was given to us for many reasons, and Brylan will always be our miracle child and every year I am reminded that she survived this too. Once again my family is very thankful for everyone’s prayers and support. Here’s to many more years!
I dedicate this year’s letter to my Papa & Grandma Jarvis. Your influential strength continues to lift us up!

Didnt even cross my mind!!!

Well August 3rd marked 3 years since I found out I had my tumor. Yes, 3 years ago on our 4th wedding anniversary we received the phone call that we honestly did not want to hear. Amazingly enough I have to admit that I did not relate my wedding anniversary to my tumor this year. It never crossed my mind!!! We took a mini vacation to Galveston Saturday-Wednesday so I am sure that drew my attention away from it. I also think that God laid his hands upon me and comforted me that day. On our 4th wedding anniversary I knew that our special day would never be the same when I received the news of my tumor. Now 3 years later as we celebrated our 7th year I focused all of my attention on my husband and my girls that I did not intercept any form of distraction regarding my previous health history. We have been together now for 10 years! How amazing is that?
On August 3rd we made a trip to Schlitterbahn and it was one of the best days we have ever spent with our lil family. My sister Jessica came along that day to share this experience with us. My scar is on my stomach and hip area and many times I looked down at it in my swim suit thinking "I wonder if these pl look at it thinking I had a terrible c-section or had a tummy tuck procedure that went wrong" haha!

I have to admit that this wedding anniversary was amazing and I thought that I would never have a "normal" anniversary again. I knew that every year I would relate it to the bad news I received a few years ago. Everytime I think about it I continue to tell myself "God is GOOD"...even though he is many more powerful words then that my vocabulary of simplicity sinks in and I continue to run those particular thoughts through my mind.
So as I am ending this blog I would like to say that I am so thankful for our healthy lil family and one more time that truely God is Good!

Quick Update

Well I went in for the cyst that they found on my left ovary in April. Turns out that ones gone but now there's one on my right ovary that was detected via ultrasound. Cysts are EXTREMELY common but I will go back for another check up in 4 months. My doctor told me that I looked somewhat normal compared to what I normally go through and we both joked that for the first time I actually had an appointment that actually made me feel normal. I have come to the realization that being abnormal is normal for me. Now that everything tends to be looking up I just pray that my health continues to progress.

Relay For Life

Well I finally walked in my first Relay for Life! I wanted to get involved last year but my appointments were the day before the big event so I opted to not participate just in case we didn't receive the news we were hoping for. RLF was great! Bryan is working his 40 day outage and I was so thankful he was able to get off of work at a decent time to be there. We were honestly thinking he was going to miss it. My mom and friend Chila came out to support me as well! My girls had the opportunity to sit in a helicopter, jump in a bounce house, and of course loved the free food the Lions Club provided us in the survivors tent! Just thought I would share a few pics! also one of my friends Sara sent me a "Cancer picked the wrong Diva" shirt. When I finally fix my hair & wear makeup again....haha....I will take a pic of it and post it! I thought that was really sweet and again Sara if you read this...Thanks!
Oh and we did get Brylans shirt made for her by Spirit Tees!

2.5 years!

(I was going to do a video blog but my new card for my camera hasnt came in. I plan on posting a video sometime soon!)
To start this blog off right I need to let everyone know that God knew my dad was with me on this trip. It was the fastest and easiest (traffic free mostly) trip ever! For those that know my dad...this was much needed for the two of us ha!

My MRI was only about 45+ minutes this time opposed to my 2 hour ordeal the previous appointment so that calmed my nerves this visit. My IV was inserted with just 1 poke too. As they adjusted me out of the MRI machine to put the contrast in my I.V. he told me I had 7 more minutes....7 more minutes! I literally counted to 6 minutes and 50 seconds and low and behold I was 10 seconds too slow and it was finally over! (Note: for those that have ever heard a dial-up connection...it sounds like that with the addition of a woodpecker except you feel like its coming out of a theater surround system...try listening to that for 45+ min)I know, I know a MRI should be the least of my worries after what I have experienced up there but I did make the best of it and smiled until I left that wing of the building = )

On to the fastest ultrasound ever....not much to say other then I still feel like something is missing every time they do an ultrasound on my stomach and there's no baby haha!

Finally on to the oncologists reports! At the time they had only had my ultrasound in and that look good other then a large cyst that was detected on my ovary. I was told that I would receive a call when the MRI results came in...

Instead I called them first....surprised? Yeah I just couldn't wait any longer so when we approached Huntsville I made the call. My tumor is still gone so of course...CANCER FREE! I was told that they detected 3cm cyst (little over an inch..for those that don't know an inch is 2.54 cm) on my left ovary which is the lump that we have been concerned about for the past few months. I am going back to the Dr to see what we need to do about it.

Overall everything is good in the cancer department. The cyst is not cancerous nor can it turn into cancer. Some are harmful but as far as I know from this point mine is normal and the only thing abnormal at this point is the size. I will keep everyone updated on how that goes.

To end this blog I would like to thank all of my family & friends that have prayed along the way. I have truely felt them. There is no doubt that you guys have comforted me along this journey. I admire everyone for being so involved and keeping up with our family. We truely feel the love! God is in control and with him and prayer.....I know I already have the best medicine!
I also want to add special thanks to my dad for taking me!

Anxiously waiting...

Well I go in for another check up on the 30th which is a few weeks away. I am pumped and ready to get it over with! My dad is taking me since Bryan will be working an outage so I am excited about spending time with him. It reminds of being a little girl when he would pick me up from school to take me to the orthodontist and things like that.
Overall I am expecting a good check up. I do have a lump that has grown a bit but I think its scar tissue because its about an inch lower then where my tumor was. We have had then here & there before so now worries like the first one ha! Each visit I feel more confident however it normally takes a tumor, on average, two years before it is apparent again. September will be 3 years and my two year mark appointment was still clear.
Anyways I felt like blogging a bit because it has been on my mind alot lately.

Blogspot

For those of you that are not familiar with blogspot, located to right is a list of dates and you can start in 2006 and work your way up to read my story!

2 year Appt

October 23, 2008 2 Year Appointment (My moms, Bryans, & Lauries b-day) What a gift!
We made it to my two year appointment. September marked two years since I had my surgery. On Thursday, October 23rd, I went in for my routine ultrasound and I received my first MRI. The ultrasound was fast & easy and the MRI took longer then expected therefore I was very uncomfortable. I have had many MRI's for my knee throughout the years (I fell off of a swing when I was 2 and damaged it) and thought that they would be similar. Boy was I wrong! I can admit about 4-5 times I considered pushing the panic button because I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and I thought I was on the verge of a claustrophobia meltdown. It was such a relief when I finally was able to move and not stare at machine just inches from my face!
After that "wonderful" experience we made our way to my oncologist and she gave us the hopeful news. My ultrasound and MRI read differently so we are going back to do both in about 6 months. We were pleased to hear that everything still looks fine and the radiologist told me that my scar tissue did not seem as apparent. We are thinking that the results read differently due to my fluid patch that developed under my prosthesis. Overall we were please about that information.
We were told to wait until this appt to be released on having another baby. Overall I can admit that there was some disappointment however we know we have been blessed thus far. My Dr told me that if there is a piece of tumor that the machines cannot detect, and I get pregnant again, the tumor is hormonal responsive then it would require extensive surgeries and I would not have an option to keep the baby in a future pregnancy. Hormonal responsive means the tumor will respond to my hormones and if I am pregnant I will produce more hormones and it will cause it to grow at a rapid pace, basically what happened this previous time. The first experience was very difficult at times and I just can't imagine going through that again and putting my family in a position to take care of me again. I think God is putting us to a test that only prayer can answer. We are not going to make any permanent decisions until we feel we are certain as to what direction God is pointing us to.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We are so thankful to have everyone in our lives. My girls are the best and I can't imagine not having them in my life. I thank God everyday for him giving us Emory at a time we least expected it. I also praise him for saving Brylan and allowing us to raise our little miracle baby! Thank You All