Hat #1!

My dear friend Katie Johnson (Tucson, Arizona) sent me my first hat for chemo!  She said it "yelled your name at me as I walked by."  She added the flower pins for fun!  What a fun surprise to find the box on my doorstep this afternoon!

Felt well enough to cook the first meal for family since my surgery.  2 1/2 weeks have gone by.  We have had people bring us so many meals I didn't have to cook before now.  One of Vince's last meals with us as he leaves for his mission in 2 days.....GULP.  Baked salmon with rice pilaf for the fam.  I chose quinoa and celery as a substitute for the white rice.  Yumm!

Pink Pedicures

Last Friday I went to get pedicures with some friends.  We each chose a pink color and had the breast cancer ribbon painted on our big toes.

Had  my 2 week post surgery follow up yesterday with my surgeon Dr. Wintch.  He removed 12 lymph nodes from my right armpit along with the  tumor in my right breast.  Three of the nodes had cancer.  There were clear margins in one spot by less than a millimeter.  My husband remarked " that's amazing!!"  Dr. Wintch pointed to the ceiling and said, "That's God."  Never heard a physician so openly acknowledge the idea that God helped him.

Healing nicely and I have had a surge in energy the last 48 hours.  Really starting to feel like myself again!  Thanks for all the prayers and positive energy coming my way!  We meet with my chemotherapy oncologist for the first time this coming Wednesday, the 3rd.

Bucket of Sunshine and other acts of Service

Yesterday was quite a day of  service.  See that gleam on my counter tops?  14 different ladies of all ages, cleaned our house from top to bottom in preparation for Vince's mission farewell on Sunday.  Our house has never looked better, thanks to all those who organized and helped out.  It was great to visit with and get caught up with many of  you!

Had some friends drop off a "bucket of sunshine," containing all things yellow and some uplifting thoughts sandwiched between treats.  One of my favorite quotes?  "When life hands you lemons.....toss them back and DEMAND CHOCOLATE!"  Advice I plan to take from time to time on this journey.

Great news delivered by Jim Clarke and my surgeon Dr. Wintch......pathology reports came back from the surgery and there are "clear margins" which is medical speak for, "we got all the cancer the first time around and don't have to operate a second time to get more."!!!!!!!!!!!!  Phewww, sooo
relieved to hear that.  I struggled between hoping or assuming-the-worst-so-I-wouldn't-be- disappointed regarding that particular outcome.

Met the lovely Deb Christensen who is the Oncology Nurse Navigator for Dixie Regional Medical Center.  She had lots of timely information regarding the upcoming chemotherapy.  I believe I begin approx 3 weeks from now.  It will be a cycle of 8 visits spread over 16 weeks.  Once every 2 weeks.  In the mean time, I will need to have a MUGA scan (which evaluates my heart), and a port for the chemo surgically implanted in my chest.  They are very concerned about helping me achieve the quality of life I hope to have during chemo not just after.  Both John and I came away from that meeting with good feelings and lots of questions answered.

"Bear one another's burdens, that they may be light." Mosiah 18:8

 So.... I wanted to post about the overwhelming service my family and I have received since D-day (diagnosis day).  I will begin with last night though the service began long before then.  Every Tuesday, our Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka The Mormon Church) holds activities for youth age 12-18 yrs old.  So my husband received a phone call from the Young Men's President Joe Langston.  Knowing that Vincen'ts Mission Farewell is this Sunday,  Joe said that the Priests (16-18 year old young men) would like  to come help with yard work.  We have about a third of an acre, so no small task.  About 20 young men and a couple of leaders came and  worked for 2 hours or more clearing weeds and hauling dirt and rocks.  We have an area in the yard that flooded Monday when a freak rain storm brought too much mud and dirt off the mountain.  Fortunately, one of our neighbors Ryan Whipple was on the scene and able to unclog the drain during the storm before things got too bad.  He and several other young men, stayed until it was dark, removing loads of mud and rocks.  They re-engineered that area in the hopes to prevent further flooding.  Did I mention that these guys are just 16&17 years old?!  Army of Helaman indeed!

The Laurel's ( young women 16-18 yrs old) spent the evening creating casseroles and other meals that can just be heated up.  The freezer in my storage room is stocked with meals to feed our family for days on end.  I have had friends bring flowers, cards, dinner (haven't cooked for a week), washed and styled my hair since I can't use my right side very well yet, helped with more yard work, texted, called, and visited.  Tomorrow, I will have an army of women descend upon my house to clean it for the Farewell on Sunday.  I feel that our Ward (congregation) family is going to love ,serve, and pray us through this.  I get the sense that many are taking my diagnosis very personally.  They truly are behaving as if this is happening to them, and mourning with us.  I love where I live and the people that surround us, we are so blessed.

Hats, Glorious Hats!

We  met with the geneticist today.  Decided to run the Myriad myRisk panel that looks at multiple genes that impact inherited risks for 8 important cancers.  For the nominal price of $16,000.00!  Available at no extra cost for a limited time only!  We said definitely and feel like VIP's!  Tender Mercy?  We think so.  Will hear back 3-4 weeks.   If there are no genetic mutations, I will get started with chemo.  If there are BRAC mutations then, bilateral mastectomy and at some point, ovaries removed👀.  On a happier note, picked out a hat and cap for a trial run!  I am NOT a wig-woman!  I repeat, I am NOT a wig woman!  I think I want to rock the hats!  Not gonna lie, I will miss my hair😢.

Feelin" Happy!

A few of my favorite things..... Rosie my shih-tzu.  She's my little shadow, with me where ever I go.  Beautiful flowers to see and smell and Vince's missionary pictures!

The Journey Begins

 So great to see my kiddies after the surgery! The pink ribbon on my street lamp was so touching. Next Steps? We meet with the Geneticist on Tuesday. If that gene test returns positive for the BRCA gene mutation, I will need to have a bilateral mastectomy. That test takes a while to analyze (2-3 weeks). In the meantime, we expect to get the pathology report from the lumpectomy and full axillary surgery. We hope to hear that we have clear margins. If it is not clear(still have cancer cells in the tissue that surrounded the tumor, then we will probably wait for the gene testing to be completed before the next surgery takes place. In either case, chemo starts a month after my latest surgery which will be followed by radiation.

Words cannot express the love and appreciation for the support we've felt from our friends and neighbors. What an outpouring of service in our behalf.  We are truly blessed and feel buoyed up during this trial in our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Information Overload

Hello Everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that last week, I was diagnosed with........breast cancer. Triple negative breast cancer to be exact. I had a tumor in my right breast and they found it in a lymph-node in my right arm pit as well. I had surgery today to remove the tumor and once the surgeon was in, he found that he needed to remove all of the lymph-nodes on my right side. As I am adopted and my biological family history is unknown (plus the triple negative status), I will have some genetic testing next week to see if I test positive for a gene mutation. If so, I will have to undergo a by-lateral mastectomy. Regardless, I will have to do chemotherapy followed by radiation beginning one month after my surgery. As our 18 year old son Vincent put it, "That came out of nowhere." I went in for my annual mammogram (and that is when they found it.). I had my mammogram last year and the cancer was not there. So.....all my girl-friends, if you are 40 or over, please, please, please, stay current on your mammograms!!!! My husband, children, and I are surrounded by loving, and hugely supportive family and friends. You all are such a blessing to us at this time. I feel power, strength, and peace, from your prayers, kindness, thoughts, positive energy and service to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I thought of the words from the Hymn, "The Lord is My Shepherd." In the midst of affliction, My table is spread, With blessings unmeasured, My cup overfloweth. I find hope and peace in one my favorite scriptures, "I can do all things with Christ." I truly feel the enabling power of His Atonement in my life right now. It is very real, He is very real, and I am so grateful to have Him with me in this journey. I love you all, so very much. "Go Team Enfield!"