My Mom's Final Surgery is Scheduled / More Updates

It has been over a month since my last post.  I have been extremely busy and haven't found time to write.  My mom's final surgery is scheduled for January 30th.  She will have the expanders taken out and the implants will go in their place.  The first set of twins will be here before the end of the month! =) 

I have been celebrating since my final treatment.  Steve, Olivia and I celebrated on the 19th of December (my final treatment day) with my parents and our good friends, Travis, Michelle and their son Paxton.  I had so much adrenaline because I was so excited to be done.  We went to dinner at Mi Mi's Cafe and I had my first glass of wine since March.  I only had a few sips as it didn't taste that good to me but I still got to do a toast to ending my cancer treatment journey.

Back: Travis holding Paxton, Michelle, Me, Steve
Front: Olivia, My dad and mom

I spent some time with friends,

My friend Megan with Olivia
We try to go to lunch every other week.

Our friends, Jerid, Lyndsey, Haili and Lexi came over 2 days before Christmas.
We played ate dinner and played games all night...Wii Bowling was a hit!
Here is a picture of Olivia and Haili.


Getting Ready to celebrate Christmas at Papa's shed

My cousin Leah with her Grandma Laura and her daughter Leona.

Aunt Linde with baby Leona 

Surprise!  Mr. and Mrs. Claus paid us a visit!

Reading Christmas Stories

 Chad getting it all on video!

                                                                          Uncle Terry

                                                                Papa with Santa

                                                             Charlie with Santa

                                                All the kids with Mr and Mrs Claus

We spent Christmas Eve with my parents:

                                            Olivia opening a present from Nana and Papa

Papa just finished reading T'was the Night Before Christmas

                                                         Nana and Olivia

Christmas Morning we opened presents from Santa and headed to Remsen to spend Christmas with the Pottebaums!

I had quite a few more photos to post but my computer is so slow it would take me all day to upload.  =)

Steve and I spent New Year's Eve celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary with very good friends.

I had my first event for the charity I started Auntie Em's Angels.  (http://www.auntieemsangels.com/) We raised over $6,000 from our first event and helped Brea Nelson and her family to help pay her medical bills.  Thank you to Brea who had a hand in catching my cancer before it reached stage 4 and which helped catch my mother's cancer before it spread to her lymph nodes.

I find out in March when I have my final surgery and will have body scans in February to keep a close watch to see if the chemo and radiation helped in fighting my cancer.

I can't thank you all for all your love and support...it has helped me continue to be strong, positive and to pay it forward to help other cancer patients in need. 

Party for Pottebaum / Thank you for your donation!

So many more thank you's I need to acknowledge.  Thank you so much for your generous cash donations!

Justin and Amanda Albright
John and Joan Allen
Diana Anderson
Pete and Kaye Bataillon
B.J. and Colleen Ballard
Ron and Jan Brown
Ardean and Julie Buller
Dave and Shannon Butler
Will and Jennifer Champion
Derek Clark and Gina DePaul
Rosy Conrad
Joe and Sharon Cooney
Tyler and Rachel Cotton
MJ Doll
Don and Darlene Frank
Emily Gardels and Nick
Allyn and Butch Harper
Tim and Traci Harrison
Kevin and Denise Havlovic
.....CONT...

Steve, Olivia and I can't say thank you enough for your generosity and kindness.  We are putting all the money raised to suppliment my income until I go back to work and all my medical expenses.

I am done with Chemo!!!!

I am happy to report after 5 months, 16 sessions and countless hours,  I finished my last chemotherapy session this afternoon at 4:40 p.m.!!! Yay! I have not been this excited in years. To know that the worst is over and I only have radiation and one more surgery left puts a HUGE smile on my face. Normally I need to take a nap after chemo (because the drugs they give me before the chemo knocks me out) but today I can't sleep. I want to celebrate! I could not have gotten through chemo without the love and support from all my family and friends. Chemo drivers...THANK YOU so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to take me to and from chemo. You know who you are!  My advice to anyone going through chemo:  If you are fortunate enough to have the love and support of friends and family ask them to be your chemo driver.  It was so hard to go out of the house after chemo sessions because of fatigue, nausea and the fear of getting sick.  Because I had a new chemo driver every week I got to see friends I hadn't seen in a while.  Instead of dreading chemo, I looked forward to it because I knew I would get to hang out with friends and family.  I do have to give a special shout out to three people:

Chemo Session #15- October 8, 2011

Deb Bothof took me to a few chemos and stopped by my house every week to see how I was doing.

Chemo Session #15 - October 8, 2011
Lyndsey Foster signed up for my second chemo session but came to 14 sessions!

There is one thing that I learned about Deb and Lyndsey...they are caretakers and all they wanted to do is take care of me.  I never expected them to go above and beyond but that is who they are as people, kind, loving and generous....angels sent,  to get me through chemo. =)  Love you both! 

Chemo Session #15 - October 8, 2011
My mom - Doesn't she look great?!
My mom has been there for me since day one of diagnosis. 
She watched the kids when I couldn't up until she was diagnosed with
cancer.  We talk on a daily basis and she is doing fantastic!
 Maybe our twins (aka: our ta ta's) will be born in the same month?

I will have 33 radiation treatments (Monday - Friday for 6 1/2 weeks) that will start on Halloween. The side effects do not compare to chemo so it will be a breeze! These past two weeks have been busy. I am working on a business plan for my non-profit organization.  "Auntie Em's Angels" will educate cancer patients on the importance of eating healthy and exercising during and after cancer treatment. I want to create awareness for everyone to prevent cancer. What you put in your body and how you take care of yourself can and will prevent cancer from starting in the first place.

I met with Tonee Gay, Executive Director with Midlands Community Foundation and we will be partners. They take care of the accounting and some of the marketing pieces and I can focus on fundraising and creating the programs that need to be in place. Hopefully I will have the website up in the next few weeks so you can see what we are doing! =)  My friend Lyndsey Foster is going to help develop some of the programs too!  I am looking forward to my new journey and hope to help as many people as I can! =)

Here are more pics from the past couple of weeks.

My sister added to her family!
Meet Lulu, isn't she cute?
She is a maltese / yorkie

Komen Walk - with my nieces and nephews
Cullen, Avery, Sully and Addison

My sister Angie with the kids

My general surgeon was there...Dr.Grange
I was suppose to be at a breakfast the day before for cancer survivors
I missed it and Dr. Grange informed me that I won $150 Gift Certificate
to a clothing boutique...but I had to be present to win....=(
Darn it!  I shouldn't have slept in!

My friend Sasha ran while I walked around the venue.
Sasha runs for her Aunt every year who passed away from breast cancer 2 years ago.

Vala's Pumpkin patch
Paxton and Olivia

Me, Olivia and Steve

Travis, Paxton, Olivia and Michelle

Thank you to my Aunt Vicki for the new cup and nail polish!

Thank you to the nurses of Midlands Cancer Center!

MY LAST CHEMO SESSION - #16 is my new favorite number!
Lyndsey, me, Deb and Steve

Thank you to my husband Steve for taking care of me and Olivia, you do such a great job and I could not get through this without you.

Thank you to all our friends and family for your love and support - We are truly blessed!

Chemo #11 & #12 / Thank you Party for Pottebaum / Cure for Cancer?

A CURE FOR CANCER!!! NANOTECHNOLOGY  Check this video out!  They are in the testing stages but at 100% for curing 40 types of cancer.  It starts talking about it 4 minutes and 40 seconds in to the presentation,

Chemo #11 - Thursday, September 8, 2011

My friend Emmy Reilly was so kind to take me to chemo this week.  I met Emmy through my husband Steve.  Steve was roommates with Chris who was best friends with Nolan who married Emmy.  We also get together to watch Husker football!  Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to drive and sit with me for chemo Emmy!  XOXO!

As always my friend Lyndsey stopped out to say hello. =)

Me and Emmy

Saturday, September 10, 2011 - Zoo with the Pottebaum's and Delperdangs.

We spent the day with Steve's parents, his brother Brian's family and his sister Judy's family.  We went back to their hotel to swim and eat dinner.  It was great to see you and catch up!

Cousins!
Back: Lexi and Haley
Front: Will, Olivia, Mya and Taya

Olivia, Mya and Taya looking cool in their shades!

Olivia and Steve throwing food to the fish.

Jessica and Taya
You can see Brian and Mya in the back ground

Chemo #12 - Thursday, September 15, 2011

Deb Bothof took me and Lyndsey Foster dropped me off.  Deb is always stopping by to check up on me and Lyndsey does the same with phone calls and stopping by to see me at all my chemos.  It means the world to me ladies that you would take so much of your time to check up on me.  Love you!

THANK YOU to Todd Glorvick for the generous gift card to HyVee and donation to the American Cancer Society!  Todd and I went to high school and college together.  Now that he lives in Minnesota we meet up in Chicago every year along with a few others to go to a cubs game and catch up. Thanks Todd!  Can't wait to celebrate my recovery next year! =)

Thank you - PARTY for Pottebaum

I met all these wonderful people through my husband Steve.  He met them while he was an athletic trainer for the Husker football team.

Jay Terry, Trevor Svoboda, Doak Ostergard, Chris McQuillan, Al Recker, Steve and Nolan Reilly.

Travis Havlovic, Me and Steve

Julie and Tim Reimer

Denise Havlovic, Michelle Havlovic, Nicole Zitek

Al and Sara Recker, Heather and Jay Terry

Michelle Havlovic, Me, Heather McQuillan, Stacy Nelson

Kevin Havlovic and Travis Havlovic



Lindsay Vodicka and Michelle Havlovick
Lindsay's husband Brent came too...I didn't get his picture =(

Thank you for coming out to support us!  We love you all!