Radiation Done and Christmas

I am happy to report - RADIATION IS DONE!!  I finished on Tuesday, December 23rd - just in time for Christmas!  I can't think of a better gift!  No more stickers and permanent marker marks on my skin.  No more traveling to the Cancer center 5 times a week and sometimes on weekends.  I got to ring the bell for being done with radiation - which felt great!!  While I am not "officially" done with the chemo treatment side of things, it feels good to be done with the daily radiation.  And I am not actually getting any chemo treatments that have side effects - but there is one drug (Herceptin) that I have to take every 3 weeks for one year, so that will not be done until May.  It is because of the type of cancer I had (Her2-nu positive) and it is given through my port (IV med) - so I am not "officially" done with treatments until May.  But at this point, there are no side effects so it feels like I am done.  I will take it!  

I was lucky - my radiation wasn't very deep since all the cancer was gone at the time of my surgery.  It takes a few days after the last treatment for all the radiation to come to the surface, so my skin is still "burning" but it hasn't been bad.  I am lucky, in a way, that a big part of my radiated skin is still numb from my surgery, so I think the spots that would hurt I can't feel.  One small spot on my collar bone is red and feels like a bad sunburn.  

We had a good Christmas!  The twins and Dave were sick the week of but by Christmas most were feeling better.  Here are a few pictures I pulled off my phone:

Christmas Eve with my boys!  They actually went to bed by their choice shortly after this picture was taken!  They were so excited!

 

 Last year they started this and continued this year - sleeping in the same room on Christmas eve.  They are in Aiden's room, but it was Landon's "turn" to sleep on the bed.  They look real tired, don't they??

 

Christmas morning - I have better pictures on my camera but haven't pulled the pictures yet. These are their "the flash is so bright" faces!  Patiently waiting for Dad to say it was clear to come down!

Opening their stockings.  They always do that first.  We tried a new routine this year - they opened presents one at a time (not all - just took turns with each present).  Aiden got a little impatient at times, but overall it worked really well.  Things lasted longer, we were able to focus on each boy, and they got to see what they each opened!

Love this picture of Aiden.  Great Grandpa Young and Loretta got the kids all watches this year.  Aiden loves his and wore it all day the day after Christmas!

It was a great Christmas season - so much to be thankful for!  Bring on 2015!!

Radiation Almost Done!

Christmas is coming, which I can't believe.  This year flew by!!  But the good news...radiation is almost done!  In a way it's gone quickly, but I am going to be really glad to be done driving to the cancer center every day!  It was right what they told me - radiation is easier than chemo for sure, but it gets tiring by the end because you have to go 5 days a week.  So far I've handled it well - my skin is starting to pink up and just today I've had one spot where some skin has come off.  Hopefully it doesn't get too bad.  My final treatment - Tuesday, December 23rd!  :)

Let's see - what else have we been doing?  My bestest friend Kathy and I took a road trip to see her daughter play basketball in Ohio.  It was great girl time and I'm so glad I was able to go! 

 

We had Christmas with my family on Saturday, December 13th.  It was a little earlier than we all would have liked but everyone was flexible with my radiation schedule.  (I had treatment on Sunday the 21st).  We had a great time and it always goes by way too fast!  Here are some pictures...it was a pink Christmas as they all wore their pink shirts for me so we could get a family picture!  Not a Christmas we will forget!!  It was neat seeing all the pink!

The kids and I hanging out.

Grandma and Shelby - how sweet!

Grandma and Grandpa got all the boys, including Richard, a Minecraft shirt.

Shelby LOVES Landon - or Dandon as she likes to call him.  She hung out next to him for quite a while and kept giving him the sweetest looks!  Landon is very patient with her - it's so cute!

Then, on Monday the 15th - Aiden came to me right as they needed to get ready for the bus and said "can you pull this tooth out?"  I'm thinking - I can't get this out before school, but I did and then he says "can you just pull the other one out, too?"  It wasn't as ready but had twisted a bit so it was bugging him!  I got both teeth out in less than 5 minutes and he didn't even flinch!  His first two teeth!!! 

 

 Bring on the holidays and end of radiation!!!

Back to work

Well, it's time to head back to work!  Today is my first day back after 6 weeks off.  I'm not going to lie - those 6 weeks were nice to not have to look at anything or think about anything work related and I fully enjoyed them!  I can't say I was 100% ready to come back...but at the same time, it's a good sign that I am feeling better and getting more and more healed each day!

Health wise I am doing great!  I am feeling more and more like myself each day.  My energy level continues to improve.  My arms have more movement and aren't as tight or as sore.  All good signs!

On November 19th, I started my radiation treatments.  As I might have mentioned, this is simply a precaution based on my original diagnosis and the aggressive nature of my cancer.  As I shared before, my pathology from my surgery was 100% clear - no cancer - but the radiation is just a final protective measure to be sure we got it all!  They have scheduled me for 25 treatments and if all goes as planned I will be done on December 23rd - what a good Christmas gift!  

Some places do small tattoos as markings so that they can line you up each day for treatments. This is what my mom had done years ago for her radiation.  Now a days, at least at my treatment center, they don't do tattoos - they use permanent markers and clear stickers.  They just replace the stickers as they start to peel off.  This picture is hard to tell but these are a few of the lines and stickers on my chest - I have them on my stomach, sides, back of my arm.  It is interesting to see and I while they don't bother me at all - I will be glad to be done with this part!

 

Last week Austin's class won a Good Behavior Party and were allowed to bring in a stuffed animal.  Austin chose his Beanie Baby Panda - named Bamboo.  He talked about taking Bamboo to school for days!  It wasn't planned but after he got dressed that day I told him he matched his Panda - black and white, with green to match Bamboo's eyes!  :) Such a cutie!

 The twins started their basketball camps on November 15th.  Landon wasn't interested in playing this year - he says we MADE him do it last year, which was true, so he opted not to play.  But both Austin and Aiden were excited to play again.  Austin is definitely our sports child - he picks up on whatever sport he is playing and tends to do well.  Aiden - he has to work at it a little more but he LOVES the social aspect.  Austin does, too.  They are both much more social than Landon, which is fine - it's just fun to watch in a different way!  They have Saturday basketball camps now and then in January will start with their team and games - Dave will be their coach again this year.  It's funny to hear the boys telling Dave who he needs to draft to be on the team.  The list is long, so hopefully they aren't disappointed if they don't get all their friends!

Here is a picture I got at their first camp -  Aiden is in the blue shirt, Austin in the red shorts making the shot. Nice form and this basket did go in!  Aiden has been making a lot more baskets this year and doing great, too!

 

And just the boys being silly.  At these camps they don't pull the bleachers out all the way and they think it's great to climb to the top.  Doesn't take much to entertain my boys!

It's growing!

It's been a good few weeks of recovery after my surgery.  I'm feeling stronger and stronger each day.  I am still waiting to find out specifics of my radiation treatments...I had my set up CT scan yesterday and just waiting to find out my start date and time.  Once started it will be 5 days a week for 6 weeks.  Nothing I can't handle!!!

Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks....

 

Dave and I went to a friend's birthday party and I had the boys take a picture of us.  Each of them got to try and this was the least blurry one!  Always good to have a photo with my honey!

 

 One day before school I snapped this picture...these boys crack me up sometimes.  Landon is looking so much older in this picture (I think it's the jeans - that kid rarely wears jeans unless we force him and I always think that makes him look older).  Aiden always smiles for me - love that smile.  And Austin - he was just fighting with me over having to wear his winter coat.  I can see the attitude he was trying to hide - LOL.  My boys!

 

Guess I take some blurry pictures, too - ha!  The boys and I went to Muffins with Mom during the book fair at the twins school.  It was a good morning with my boys!  Side note - Aiden isn't actually reading a book in this picture - the other two were and when I said I wanted a picture Aiden said "give me a book so I can look like I'm reading" and as soon as I was done he gave it back.  It was cute!  I haven't been in their schools this year since I was still going through chemo and surgery earlier this fall, and I've missed it more than I thought.  Landon is in a different building and they don't have as many parents come in, but I'm really looking forward to being in the twins classrooms a few times a month come the start of the year.  

  And the best news....referenced in the title of this post....MY HAIR IS GROWING!!!!!  I sent this picture to my sister-in-law the other day after she asked how it was doing and I just had to share.  It's a little darker (with a little more grey) than it usually is, but I don't care.  I am just happy to see it coming back in!!  Such a good sign of progress and healing.  (I will share that I just told Dave last night that I have liked not having to deal with my hair more than I thought.  Don't get me wrong - I cannot wait to have my hair really back and be able to brush it.  I love brushing my hair...but it was actually nice to have a few months not to have to worry about it.  Honest!  Now keep growing back...don't stop now!!!)

Cancer Free!

When you get a diagnosis of "you have cancer" - it rocks your world.  I remember being in my late 20's when my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, or even as a teen when my grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer being rocked to the core. But nothing compares to being 39, with 3 young kids and being told you have cancer.  It is unbelievably hard.  It is not what I expected to hear, even after having gone through a biopsy where I felt the doctor was all but telling me it was going to be cancer.

It's a hard diagnosis to hear, and I chose to face cancer head on, as aggressively as needed and possible and I never lost hope and faith that I would beat it.  But you have moments that creep in - the "what-ifs" that can destroy you if you let them.

I chose...and continue to choose - to fight this with all the hope and faith that I have.  And in doing so I have beat it!!!  As many read on Facebook, my pathology after surgery was ALL CLEAR!!  No cancer cells left anywhere!  Thank you God!  Is my journey done? Not completely.  I am still facing 6 weeks of radiation to be sure I have beat this - but that's easy.  Compared to chemo and surgery - I got this radiation faced already!

I can't thank all of you enough for the love, support, prayers, messages - all of it is appreciated more than you know and it worked!!!!  

Surgery updates:
I had my surgery on Thursday, October 9th.  All went well.  It was about a 6 hour procedure, which was a long one, but again - all went well.  I had a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (expanders placed for final surgery next year), along with a lymph node dissection on the left.  In all my surgeon removed 25 lymph nodes in my left arm where the cancer was originally found - a total of 3 appeared to have had cancer at one point but none at time of surgery.  And no cancer anywhere in any tissue.  The chemo worked!!!  Makes all those yucky days 100% worth it because it worked!

Overall recovery has been going well.  I have not had near the pain I expected - mostly it's been pressure or discomfort so far with most pain coming from the drains.  At this time I still have 3 drains in place (5 total; two were removed last week).  Hopefully more or all will come out this week.  But I honestly can't complain.  Dave has been taking great care of me, the boys, the house - which makes it all easier!  Thank you honey!

In closing, I leave you with three of my favorite songs that I have listened to a lot lately.  They just speak to me - and I hope they speak to you wherever you are today.

Jeremy Camp - He Knows - this is actually a very new song, just released at the end of September but it spoke to my heart the moment I heard it.  Never forget - He knows!

Phil Wickham - Safe - this one just touches my heart and I replay it in my head over and over when I need to feel safe in His arms!

The Mrs - Enough - I saw this one go around Facebook about a promotion they did in a mall and it just spoke to me.  Ladies - never forget - we are ENOUGH just as we are!

A Great Day - Zoo 2014

Today - October 6th - was a great day!  The boys are on fall break for two weeks starting today and of course I am heading into surgery on Thursday of this week (10/9).  Of all the weeks of the year it could be it had to fall on this week.  But in the end I think it will be okay - they will spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa Easterday and be in Heaven and totally distracted.  And then next week they get to spend a few days with Aunt Debbie and cousins and I know they will be excited to hear that, too!

So, I knew I wanted to something - anything - with them before my surgery.  So today, even though Dave had to work we headed to the zoo.  (Dave only has 2 days off for break and it's not until the boys are back into school.  Bummer.)  Anyway - it was a little rainy this morning but I was sure it would clear off so we headed off anyway!  I could have posted a lot more pictures, but here are some of my favorites.
 

 

We are off...headed out about 8:15 a.m. in the rain but we were excited!

 

 As the boys would say - we FINALLY made it (at like 9:15.  That's what we get for living in the country - things are farther away!)

 

In front of the penguins -always fun to watch!  I think petting the little sharks were the twins favorite this year.

 

The orangutans were the new exhibit this year and it is impressive.  I thought they all looked a little sad but maybe that was just me.  This one here just kept staring at us - so sweet.  They have a new skyline ride but it wasn't working today - a good reason to go back! 

 

Always love the giraffes!  And the zoo was pretty quiet today all around - it was nice!

  

We got a group picture - woo hoo!  Love my boys!

 

We rode the train - twice.  Here is the first time, in the front.

 

And the second time - all the way in the back!  These boys and their faces - cracking me up!

 

More crazy posing on this rock - hilarious!

 

And they were so good - we enjoyed a Starbuck's on the way home!  I'm not going to lie - today wore me out (in a good way) and I needed some yummy caffeine!

It was a great day!  Even though we missed dad, I had fun being with the boys and just relaxing.  A great way to move forward into what is to come this week!

Hello Gorgeous - September 27, 2014

Saturday, September 27th was a surprising day!  It was a great day.  The day started as a beautiful sunny morning, and the twins had their last flag football game!

The boys were surprised when they arrived and their coach had stickers for their cheeks to make them look tough.  They had a great football season, learned a lot and had great coaches.  I was kind of sad to see it end!  Great job, Austin and Aiden!

After their game, we loaded up and headed north.  Dave had been asked to help with a project at his parents house, and I was supposed to have lunch with my friends Kathy, Jen and Jenny.  And then go to a surprise 30th party for my brother Joe.  Just those plans alone made for a great day.  But little did I know....

There were other plans for me!  Kathy picked me up and we headed into town to meet the other girls.  That morning the only thing I thought was how Erika was missing but being in Seattle, that's just the way it goes.   So anyway - we get into town and Kathy mentions we need to stop at Michelle's Headquarters to pick up something for Katie - sure no problem.  Little did I know that when we walked in - there was a surprise for me!  Just that alone was a surprise but guess who was also there - ERIKA!  I was in shock!  There to greet me were the Hello Gorgeous Team, some family, my friends who I thought we were just doing lunch, sweet little Shelby - it was great.  I was treated to a mani/pedi, facial, scalp massage, outfit choices, makeup and scarf/wig choices.  It was a wonderful day - I felt beautiful - GORGEOUS - I felt loved, it was a day of smiles, laughter, hugs and tears.  It was wonderful.  Here are a few pictures:

My "after" shot!

My sister Suze and my Mom - thank you for arranging this wonderful surprise, Mom!

The Hello Gorgeous Team - Marilyn, Michelle, Me, Susan.  Thank you, ladies - what a wonderful gift!

My wonderful friends - Erika, all the way from Seattle.  Amazing.  Kathy, Me, Jenny, Jen - thank you to all of you for spending such a special day with me!  I know you all have busy lives and it means so much!

There was also a reception at Papa's...here I am with my sister-in-law Allison, Jen and Erika.

Me and my wonderful mom - a SURVIVOR!!!  Thank you for being an inspiration!

It was a wonderful day...so many people came to celebrate me and it means so much!  I'd love to see any pictures people have as I was busy just soaking up the day!  It was overwhelming but in a wonderful way!!  Just the boost I needed headed into my surgery!  

Love you all!