My 21st Birthday was much worse...Chemotherapy will be a breeze!

Sunday May 15, 2011

Our good friends Michelle and Travis baptized their son Paxton!
Olivia had to get in the photo...she thinks Travis is her boyfriend.

The week before my first chemotherapy session I wanted life to be back to normal as possible.  Avery and Addison have their dance recital on June 4th but had rehearsals this week.  Don't they look so cute?

Addison and Avery with the Auntie Em special
HAIR and MAKE UP!

Olivia wore her Dora ballerina outfit..she thinks she is going
to be in the dance recital ....to bad she will have to wait 2 more years. :)



Here are all the little munchkins!

Thursday May 19, 2011
1:45 p.m.
Midwest Cancer Center

Me and Steve

Steve took me to my first chemo treatment.  We met with my nurse navigator Nicole and Dr. Thome.  Then I was introduced to my nurses Ethel and Darcy.  Loved Them! They explained everything that was going in to my body and what effects it will have on me.

I watched Oprah and ironically it was about a mother who passed away from breast cancer.  She made hundreds of video tapes for her daughter to watch over the course of her life.  Ethel started tearing up and said "This will not be you!"  Duh!  I know that!  =)  Ethel is such a sweetheart.

After my first treatment I stopped off on Lillian street to say hello to some friends.

Nicki and Brea!

Brea - Thank you for my new plant!  It is out on my deck blooming beautifully! =)

I was expecting to relive the day after my 21st birthday after my first chemo treatment.  If you were with me that night I had a fantastic time but when midnight hit, so did my head...directly on to the table.  My friends hauled me off to go back home to recover.  Let's just say the next four days after my 21st birthday SUCKED.  I was hugging the porcelain God (aka toilet)  and could barely lift my head.

I did not experience anything close to my 21st birthday after my first chemotherapy treatment.  A little nausea and fatigue.  I have definitely felt worse....so I will get through my chemo treatments.  Ironically, today is my Birthday and I feel much better then I did on my 21st birthday. The only things that are sitting well with me are yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, Chocolate Ensure, BLT's, frozen fruit sticks and apple juice.

Thank you to:

my husband Steve who took care of me and Olivia all weekend.  Steve has been there with me since the beginning and reminds me daily he will be there with me to the end.  Steve has been doing both our jobs and I have never once heard him complain.  It is extremely hard, but I try to model myself after Steve on a daily basis..he makes me want to be a better person.  I LOVE YOU MORE THEN WORDS CAN SAY! =)

my mother and father for helping out with the kids and my birthday present.  Mom, Thank you will never be enough for all the time you have generously donated to taking care of the kids.  Dad, Thank you for being the designated driver to and from events.  I LOVE YOU!!!

my aunt Patty for another generous cash donation...THANK YOU!

my mother and father-in-law for my birthday gift.

My God mother Linda and her husband Wendell Quist for the Carrabba's gift card.

Bruce and Betty Bode for the fabulous meals!  We all LOVED your spaghetti with meatballs.  It was so good our friend Travis joined us for dinner.

Dancing after dinner!

Kathi and Sabrina Scherzberg for the chicken casserole.  Steve loved it!  I didn't try it...only to save my stomach.  I had to stick to the Sierra Mist you brought.;)  It was nice meeting Sabrina. We need to get the girls together for a play date this summer.

Emily Gardels for the Pink Flamingo...(see below)

 

Ikaika is in Hawaii right now with Emily (Gardels) and her boyfriend Nick.

This is Ikaika the breast cancer flamingo. I found her in the dollar section at Target:) and thought it would be fun to send her around the country to different friends. I thought it would be something fun to do while Emily is going through treatment, so she knows we are all thinking about her! So, if Ikaika comes to you please take her out and do something fun with her. Take pictures, send them to Em or post them and then send Ikaika along to Emily's other friends and family. I chose the name Ikaika because it means Strength in Hawaiian. Love you EM!!!

How Fun!  Thanks Emily!  I can't wait to take Ikaika on a trip with me once I am done with my treatments.

Crystal - for bringing over chemo friendly food.  Love the rice with chicken broth. 

My aunt Patty and aunt Vicky for the lovely flowers

Ruth for the beautiful flowers for my birthday and my favorite cookies!

My aunt Linde and uncle Terry for the Barnes and Noble gift card and the chicken noodle soup. It is in the freezer ready for chemo #2.

Sasha for the adorable picture of me and my God daughter.

My cousin Leah, Chad and Charlie for the beautiful bracelet from the Chocolate Peacock.

Leah and I have celebrated our birthdays together since I was three years old.  Leah's birthday is May 22nd and mine is the 23rd.  Leah had a birthday party this weekend I had to miss.  Next year we will celebrate all night!  I would also like to congratulate Leah, Chad and Charlie as they will be adding to their family in November.  Yay!  Something else for me to look forward to!

LOVE YOU!

Thank You Pt. 2

More Thank you's to:

Travis & Michelle Havlovic - Fantastic Sandwiches, Olivia and I ate the ice cream and we have yet to eat the cheese cake.

Crystal Crowley - For lunch and dinner. Loved the chicken salad, pulled pork and dessert! Steve drank all the beer. ;)

Lynn, George, Caleb and Noah Nelson- Thanks for the visit and lunch and dinner. I will be sharing the meals with my sister's family this week....Steve can't wait for the dessert! It's amazing what you find out when you get to know your neighbors. Lynn is a cancer survivor! She had it as a child and was told she could never have children. God has blessed her and George with two gorgeous boys.

Betty and Bruce Bode - Thank you for the Beef stroganoff, cherry jello, green beans and brownies. I will need to get the recipe or Steve might be stopping by your house unexpectedly for dinner. Steve said it is now his new favorite.

My aunt Patty for sending us a generous cash donation

Ron and Jan Brown for send a generous cash donation

Lance and Jenny Howe for the gift card to Applebees

Melissa Gregory (a dear friend from high school, dance team and a college roommate) Thank you for my comfy robe, socks and pillow.

Pam Sloan for sending a generous cash donation

Rosy Conrad for the gift card to HyVee

Dave, Pam, Austin, Madison and Derek Pottebaum for the beautiful "surrounded by love" Willow Tree.

Emily Gardels for all the DVD movies. My favorites...Chick flicks and romantic comedies.

Colleen Ballard, Sara Smith and Beth Hazen Thank you for the pedicure and ice cream.

Kim and Mary McGee - Thank you for the cookies and candy! Mary just had surgery for thyroid cancer. Please keep her in your prayers. Kim and Mary are the parents of my sister's husband Dave.

Ben, Nicole, Kayln and Ryder Harrington - Thank you for the gift card to Target.

Pam and Tim Hoffman - Thank you for the angel light.

Deb and John Bothof - Thank you for the plant. I have it out at my sister's house. That way I know it won't die. (I do not have a green thumb =)

My Cancer is Genetic

When I was diagnosed with cancer in March, I never thought I could get cancer.  Cancer does not run in my family.  I am healthy, I exercise on a regular basis, I do not smoke, I eat my fruits and vegetables.  I never thought I was at risk until today.   I met with Twilla Westercamp at Bergan Mercy Medical Center for the second time to get the results of my genetic testing. 

I must be lucky because I fall in the top 10% of having a mutation since birth.  What this means is my mom and/or dad  is a carrier.  This increases the risk of my mom and sister to develop breast and ovarian cancer, and my dad to develop prostate and breast cancer. 

The scary part is I could have passed this down to my daughter Olivia.  Twilla did say they are doing several clinical trials on vaccines to fix mutations.  What this means is by the time Olivia is old enough (19 years old) to have genetic testing they will have a cure to prevent cancer that come from mutations.  Thank God for modern medicine!

What is a mutation?  I am not quite sure myself because I am learning all this medical "stuff" all at once.  This is what I got out of it.  Cells reproduce all the time, copy each other and die off.  So let's say my cells ABCD are copied several times then die off the correct way.  The mutation I have is causing my cells to reproduce incorrectly.  I developed cancer because B and C switched and my cells are reproducing as ACBD which is incorrect.  Because my cells are being copied the wrong way, they will not die off causing my tumor to grow.  This is how I developed cancer.

My cancer is 1/3 estrogen based which is stimulated from pregnancy which is why I can not carry a child again.  The risk of the cancer coming back is extremely high and either I stay around for Olivia to grow up or I try for number two and not be around for either one.

In some ways I am relieved to know this so I can prepare Olivia when she is older.  I will have genetic testing done on her. 

T-minus 11 hours and counting and my cancer will be removed.  I am so relieved to get it out.  I can actually feel it growing and it is pinching a nerve which sends a sharp pain down my back.  It will be so nice to know it is out.  Please pray it has not spread and the doctors can remove all of the cancer.

Thank you so much to all my friends and family who have sent me well wishes and prayers.  I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Ta Ta for now!