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. 

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!

Party for Pottebaum - Thank you Part 2

If I could pick a song for my journey through cancer this would be it.

My Mom sent this to me last week and it literally made me shed tears and
by the end I had snot dripping from my nose. 

 I am sure this is TMI (too much information) but it's true!

If I made a video for this event this is the song I would choose because

you have all shown your love for me and my family.  Thank you!

"In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said "It is more to give than to receive."

Acts 20:35

Thank you for giving to our family in our time of weakness.  We plan to pay it forward when I am fully recovered by throwing a benefit for another cancer patient in the future.

Nicki Evans, Me, Angie Ross

Angie Ross and Julianne Spatz

I have known these three ladies since freshman year in highschool.  We were on cheerleading together freshman and sophomore year.  Julianne and I lived in the same dorm our freshman year in college and hung out quite a bit all through college and attended each other's weddings.  Angie went to Wayne State but I would visit another friend of mine Tricia Pugsley who lived with Angie at the time.  Tricia was there with her husband Dan but I didn't get a photo.  Nicki, Julianne, Angie and I spent a lot of time together in high school especially practicing for competitions and camps.  Love you ladies~!

Jeff and Kathi Scherzberg

Julianne introduced me to Kathi as they were in the same sorority Kappa Alpha Theta.  They called me an honorary member because I hung out with them so much I felt like I was part of the house.  I worked with Jeff at Main Street Cafe in Lincoln.  He was a bartender and I was one of the cocktail waitresses.  I introduced Kathi and Jeff one night while working and they tied the knot a few years later. They now have a beautiful little girl named Sabrina who is only one month older then my daughter Olivia.  =)

Angie, Kathi, Me, Diana, Julianne, Nicki and Karen

I met Diana and Karen both through Julianne.  Diana is her little sister and Karen was also in Kappa Alpha Theta with her.  Whenever we had competitions Diana was always there to support us.  I got to know Karen better the summer before my final year of college.  We had back to back economics classes crammed in to 3 weeks each.  We always would get lunch afterwards at Main Street and attempt to study.  We have stayed in touch since and I live vicariously through her and her roommate Dana.  So whenever I can go out (which is not much especially now-a-days) I always call to see where they will be.  When ever I meet them her brother Andrew usually joins us.

Karen and her brother Andrew

Sasha and Matt Speiker

It would not be a party without the Speikers!  Sasha also was part of the crew that would all go out in college.  Sasha and I have remained extremely close and talk at least two or three times a week.  I have known Matt longer then I have known Sasha.  I introduced the two many years ago and they now have three beautiful children Jack, Savanna and Sofia (My God daughter)

Marcy's Friend, Matt and Marcy

Marcy was a Theta as well and we had many good times in college.  She was so kind to come the party!  It has been years since I have seen her but she is the same old Marcy.

My sister Angie, Caci and Matt Liebentritt

Watching Angie's kids for the past 2 1/2 years I have gotten to know Caci, Matt and their four children, Barret, Chloe, Carson and Wyatt. Caci tripped on her stairs outside before she came to the party and was limping the whole time. They found out her foot was broke after taking her to the hospital! =(

Jeff and Kim Phillips

They are sporting the shirts they wore for the bike ride benefit in July and for RAGBRAI.  They were so kind to drive in from Remsen to show their support.  Thanks Weasel and Kim!

More to come!

Chemo #7 / Update on my mom

Two Emily Jane's in the same room at the same time usually means trouble!  My friend Emily Westering was so kind to drive in from Kansas City, MO to take me to my chemotherapy treatment.  Our middle names ironically are both Jane (I think hers is spelled Jayne like her mother's first name=)).  I have known Emily my entire life.  Our parents have been friends for years and consider them as an extension of my family.  Emily and I bonded 10 years ago when our families, the Bode's and the Wolf's all went on a trip to CABO San Lucas.  We were joined at the hip after our first evening out together and created fun lasting memories I will never forget.  One of the best stories from that trip is when most of us went four wheeling and I decided to get a fake tattoo.  I wanted to scare the crap out of my mother as a practical joke. My dad paid for me to  get a wrap around (fake) tattoo on my arm.  Everyone was in on the joke (with the exception my mom).  The story was Emily and I went out with Tommy, Alex, John, Billy and Matt and they talked me in to getting a tattoo.

When we got back from four wheeling and to the pool where my mom was laying out I wore a t-shirt to cover the tattoo.  When she caught wind of story she pulled me aside and oooooh was she mad!  I was kicked out of my sister's wedding that was happening in a few months and was pretty much disowned.  She went up to the hotel room fuming and my dad went up to see how she was doing.  My dad broke the news to her that it was fake because she wanted to fly back home.  Long story short my mom did not fly home and we enjoyed the rest of the trip.  Since then Emily and I have stayed in touch and I always look forward to seeing and catching up with her.  Thank you so much Emily for coming this weekend for the benefit and to taking me to chemo!  Love you!

Emily and Me

My friend Lyndsey who has stopped by for almost all of my chemo sessions gave me an awesome gift!

"Yes They're Fake.  The Real Ones Tried to Kill Me!"
LOVE IT!

Thanks Lynz!  Love You!

Please keep Lyndsey and her family in your prayers.  She is flying to Arizona this weekend to get her grandfather who has Alzheimer's and moving him back to Omaha.

I didn't get a picture but Deb Bothof stopped by to drop off vegetables and an adorable make up bag.  Thank you Deb!  I love it! =)  Ironically I have been experimenting with make up this week.  I am losing my eye brows and eye lashes so if you haven't noticed I have a lot more make up on these days.

I am using Anastasia's brow ex-press  to "paint" on my brows and switched my makeup to Bare Minerals.  Bare Minerals is an all natural make up and is really good for your skin.  Chemo has made my skin ultra sensitive and so far this make up has worked for me.  You don't have to order Bare Minerals online any more there is a store at Westroads called Bare Escentuals that sells all the Bare Minerals makeup.  Sonja a makeup artist help me find the best shades and eye makeup for me.  http://www.bareescentuals.com/

A special thank you to:

Sara McGee for the Angel charm to go on my bracelet.  I will wear it to the benefit on Saturday.

Denise and Roger Friesen for the very nice note and healthy drinks!  I haven't tried them yet.  I have to wait until the chemo side effects wear off.  If I try them to soon I won't want to drink them. =) 

Chrissy and Jason Bailey for the generous donation.  Chrissy and I have known each other since 2nd grade and were super close growing up all the way through high school.  We were also on dance team together junior and senior year.  I met her husband Jason in junior high and back then Jason was known as "PACO".  I am not sure how he got that name but I still remember the night Chrissy and Jason met in the garage of our friend Heather's house.  They started dating, went to college together and soon after were married.  We haven't seen each other in a while but it is always good to hear from old friends that knew me "back in the day!" =)  Love you guys!

Jason and Chrissy

Carey and Sean Keenan for the generous donation.  I started hanging out with Carey the summer before 8th grade and we spent a lot of time together in high school.  We experienced all our growing pains together and we got each other through it.  Carey has a daughter named Olivia too!  So good to hear from you Carey!  Thank you!

The Keenan's

Jill Dolnicek for your generous donation!  Jill was known to me as GILL!  We were silly back in high school and if we had a nick name that was funny we would use it.  Jill was a year younger then me but we became close the summer before my senior year.  We were on dance team together and when she started her freshmen year in Lincoln we were roommates.  We still see each other when I travel to Chicago once a year.  Love you Jill---see you next year when I am recovered, healthy and in CHICAGO! =)

Me and Jill (August 2010)

My mom's surgery is scheduled for September 7.  She will have a double mastectomy and reconstruction.  Her recovery will be up to six weeks and several months for the reconstruction.  Please pray she will not need chemotherapy or radiation.

Love you Momma!