Monday, November 26, 2012

Sleepless in Houston

For three days after my mastectomy and reconstruction surgery a nurse would come into my room EVERY single hour to check my “flap” to make sure the blood was still flowing and the skin graft was not dying.  To give you some background, the “flap” I am referring to is the real estate that previously resided under my old belly button which was relocated to build my new *ahem* lady part.  As I explained in the blog, “The Famous Dr. BK” this is why my surgeon is referred to as the “Booby King.”  Yes, he is not only an amazing doctor but also has incredible skills to rewire body parts to work in places they were not originally intended. 
Anyway, to make sure my new lady part was surviving; the nurse would come in and place this thing that looked like a pen on my chest.  It was like a small wand the size of a writing pen but acted like a stethoscope.  You know, like the kind of Doppler they use when you’re pregnant to listen to the baby’s heartbeat.   Well, the nurse would place the wand on three different spots to listen for the heartbeat of my “baby” (flap).  Thankfully, they always got a heartbeat, so the nurse would just take my blood pressure and then let me go back to sleep.  But I guess if they didn’t hear a heartbeat, they would be rushing me back into surgery to save the baby.
When they weren’t checking me a million times a day, I had the luxury of sleeping in a bed that was weird at first, but I ended up really liking it in the end.  It was a mix between one of those air number mattresses, pedicure massage chairs and a water bed.  I know, that sounds really crazy and you are probably thinking I dreamed all this up while I was on those really good surgery drugs.  But seriously, this bed was “ for real” and whoever invented it was a genius!   I am guessing it was designed to improve a patient’s circulation and help reduce bed sores.  It actually felt like someone was massaging my back and slowly rocking me to sleep all at the same time.  I didn’t realize how wonderful it felt until we got home to my own bed (which I previously considered comfy, but now have decided it sucks). 
Unfortunately, Romeo didn’t have such a wonderful sleeping experience at MD Anderson.  Have you ever tried to sleep in one of those hospital recliner chairs that are suppose to turn into a bed?  I remember looking over at him the first night and he was curled up in a fetal position with his head resting on the seat of the chair and the rest of his body balancing on some sort of a contraption the nurse called an ottoman.  It looked more like a four legged box with a vinyl plastic cover. 
For some reason, I was hot all the time so Romeo would crank down the AC to keep me comfortable.  During the night, he would cover his entire body (including his head) under the covers so he wouldn’t freeze to death.  This man was truly displaying for “better or for worse” in our marital agreement.  However, he has stated several times that I owe him “big,” but then I remind him of the vow stating he would not use paybacks “in sickness and in health.” 
Anyway, a couple nights before I was released, a new nurse came on duty (in the middle of the night) and noticed Romeo's unusual and awkward sleeping arrangement.  She asked him if he knew that the recliner would lie down flat so he wouldn’t have to use the ottoman.  Romeo assured her that it didn’t lay down flat and he had tried everything to make it lay back.   She confidently said she “knew” it would lay down flat and she would be right back with a different chair.  Hello People… I am sleeping.  Remember… I am the patient trying to rest while you all are having an argument about the functionality of a stupid recliner!   
A few minutes later I heard this horrible sound in the hallway that sounded like someone was dragging a lion’s claw on a huge chalkboard.  My door opened and there was my nurse with Romeo’s new recliner.  And guess what?  It laid down flat!  Yes, it was a glorious moment for my sleep deprived, frost bitten husband!  Even though he was still cold the following two nights, at least he slept better because he could stretch out his legs and didn’t have to worry about falling off the vinyl box.  Okay, so maybe Romeo has earned a few brownie points, what do you think?
My Romeo and Kosmo

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Counting My Blessings

Thanksgiving is always a wonderful time of year to celebrate your blessings with your family and remember those loved ones who aren’t with us anymore.  Since my Mom passed away four years ago, it hasn’t quite been the same.  But we decided it was time to start our own tradition the first year after she was gone.  Since then Romeo and I have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for our family.  He smokes the turkey and I do all the trimmings.  It has been a great system for many years and we have always enjoyed being in the kitchen together.
On Thanksgiving Day, it was two weeks since my Cancer-Free Boo-Bee Day.  There is no doubt, I’m still moving a little slow and need help with a lot of “normal” things.   You know, like carrying my purse at the grocery store (my Romeo is obviously confident in his manhood), getting out of bed (okay, he uses this to his advantage), changing my clothes (ditto), cooking, doing laundry, and ANY type of house cleaning.   Okay, I am totally milking this whole recovery thing, but somehow I am justifying it since Dr. BK and Dr. Sarah said I need to take it easy for 4-6 weeks.  Anyway, this year my oldest daughter, Brittney graciously helped Romeo provide me with the most splendid Thanksgiving feast ever!  I was very impressed since Britt has never cooked such an extravagant (and all homemade) meal before.  She totally amazed me! 
It was so relaxing (but almost felt guilty) to stay in my jammies all morning and watch the Macy’s Day Parade.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever watched it from beginning to end because I was always in the kitchen with my Mom or cooking for my own family.  But this year it was super special!  Oh the glorious benefits of “recovering” from surgery.  (Romeo forbids me to say I have cancer anymore.)
One of the events I missed this year was the Black Friday shopping frenzy.  I know, most people think shoppers like me are crazy, getting up at the crack of dawn to buy discounted items.  I swear I am NOT one of those people who will wrestle you over the last $199 TV, but it’s fun watching the people who get this intense.   Honestly, it’s really not about the shopping, it is more about being with my girls doing something CRAZY!  Even if we don’t buy much, we have lots of fun and laugh a LOT!  Since I wasn’t able to physically shop this year, I made a list of the items to buy at each store along with their associated coupon for my girls to purchase my gifts.  I’ll have to admit, it wasn’t as much fun, but I did enjoy them sending me pictures of their “finds” and texting me when I needed to make an alternative gift choice.   
The other affair I missed was photographing my kids for our annual Christmas card.  It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been sending out Christmas picture cards for over twenty years!  Every year we decide on a “theme,” coordinate their outfits and then we are off to the selected location for our photo shoot.   I remember when they were little it was such a dreaded event.  When two would be positioned perfectly and smiling, the other one would be crying or not paying attention.  Many years, the day would end with three crying kids and me swearing we would never do it again.  Thank goodness those days are over! 
This year one of my good friends, Chris offered (well I asked him) to take our pictures so we wouldn’t break tradition.  Now how many friends do you have that would agree to spend an entire afternoon taking pictures of your (sometimes dysfunctional) family?  Do you think I have overstepped my boundary of our friendship?  Sure, we could have gone to JC Penny’s to take pictures, but it wouldn’t have been as fun and we wouldn’t have all the “bloopers” to laugh about in years to come.  Chris, and his wife Kathy (aka photo assistant), certainly proved their unconditional love/friendship which I will never forget.  Thank you, Chris and Kathy!  We love the pictures and can’t wait to share this holiday season!     

I am so thankful for family, friends and my medical team who have supported me through prayers, positive words, food, gifts, cards, flowers and love.  Without a shadow of a doubt, I would not have been able to remain positive and sustained hope without these wonderful people uplifting me each day.  Please know I am very thankful to have each of you in my life, even if it is long distance or we only have a cyber friendship.   Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Does My Belly Button Look too High?

Since I delivered Mikayla sixteen years ago, I’ve been dreaming of having a tummy tuck.  My first two children (Brittney and Brandon) were tiny little babies and my tummy flattened back out within a couple weeks.  But my last baby girl was a whopper!  It’s strange because I didn’t gain that much weight during my pregnancy, but for some reason she was really, Really, BIG.  She weighed slightly under ten pounds when she popped out (ouch!)   I remember looking down at her in the delivery room thinking she looked three months old.  Anyway, since that day, my belly has never been the same.
A couple years ago I talked to a cosmetic surgeon about having a tummy tuck, but couldn’t really justify the expense and was concerned about the pain/recovery.    Since then I’ve tried to flatten it out the old fashion way (which totally has not worked).  When Dr. BK explained how he could reconstruct my new lady part by using my stretched out poochy tummy (thanks to Mikayla), I was elated! 
Trace had warned me the tummy tuck was the worst part of the surgery and she was right!  I didn’t really realize this until they made me get up and walk to the bathroom the second day after surgery which is where this story begins. 
On day two, my favorite nurse, Emelda came bouncing into my room, annoyingly cheery and announced it’s time for me to get up!  I’m thinking she has lost her mind and there is no way I can even move an inch.  But with the help from a couple nurses and my Romeo, they somehow stood me up and made me walk two miles to the bathroom.  Oh heavens, I think I’m going to faint!
Okay, so I managed to *ahem* do what they want me to do in the little girls room.  As I am exiting the bathroom I get a quick glance of myself in the mirror.  I’m not sure what came over me, but I had to look under my tacky hospital gown to see how “things” looked.  So I slowly lifted it up and the first thing that hits me was, “OH MY GOSH, Dr. BK put my belly button in the wrong place!!”  How could this happen when he is the best plastic surgeon in the world?  From my perspective, it appeared off centered and waaay too HIGH!
I am standing there staring at my belly button (not even noticing anything else) when Romeo knocked on the door and asked if everything is okay.  I told him to come on in but I want him to look at my belly button.  He came in and assured me its fine and it just “looks” off center because I am more swollen on one side then the other.  Yeah right, whatever!  Maybe it’s all the pain pills that are affecting my vision and really everything looks perfect.
So let’s fast forward to when I arrive home a week later.  Thankfully, my belly button appears centered but I’m still convinced  that Dr. BK has placed it too high.  When no one is looking, I sneak into the closet and measure the space from the middle of my chest to my new belly button.  I do this because I remembered a Tulsa plastic surgeon took all kinds of measurements of my body (which I still had the medical records) when he consulted about doing my reconstruction.  AHh ha, I was right, it is TWO inches higher than it was before!  I’m trying not to panic, but my mind begins racing how Dr. BK is going to fix this error (and how much pain I’ll have to endure).
A couple hours later I casually ask Brittney and Mikayla about the placement of their belly buttons (I’m sure they thought I had lost my mind).  Of course, they still have young, beautiful flat tummies and don’t hesitate to lift up their shirts to show me.  Oh my, they have HIGH belly buttons too!  It is at this moment, I am horrified to realize my old belly button has been hanging low (more like sagging) for the past 16 years (or maybe longer).  Oh mercy me, I had no idea!  I’m sure I’ve been the laughing stock of the neighborhood pool as I’ve foolishly worn a belly-button-revealing bathing suit believing my only problem was my baby pooch.   I am totally flabbergasted!
But there is a moral to this story because I suspect at this very moment, you probably have the urge to go grab the measuring tape just to see if you have SBBS (sagging belly button syndrome.)  But trust me, don’t do it!   Some things are just better left unknown.   
Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Ya’ll!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

My Cancer Free Boo-Bee Day, the Rest of the Story....

This is the rest of the story of my surgery day, so if you haven’t read, this blog you might be confused, so go back and read it before reading this story. 
Nurse Barbie Doll stayed in my room the whole time I was in recovery.  Every time I opened my eyes, I would ask her a question.  After she told me she couldn’t tell me the result of my lymph node study because someone from my “family” would need to tell me, I said (fine), “can I see my family then?”  Of course, her response was “no.”  What?  Why can’t I see my family?  Am I being punished because I didn’t take off my toenail polish?”  So I close my eyes again still thinking about how I’m going to look without hair and wondering if I had Lisa’s (my beloved hairdresser's) phone number so she could start shopping for a fabulous wig.
After about 10 minutes I opened my eyes again hoping Barbie (who I now want to call Nurse Bi**chy) is gone and is replaced by some grandmotherly nurse who wants to baby me.  But no such luck, Blondie is still there (no offense to blonds – my mother was a blond and I adored her.  In fact, I am thinking I might want to be blond someday.  Hmm… maybe I should have Lisa look for blond wigs) Whoops, sorry for the detour, back to the story…. 
In the meantime my Romeo and Daddy are anxiously awaiting to see me.  It’s been 1 ½ hours since Dr. BK told them I was in recovery and they still had not been called to see me.  Apparently, my Romeo demanded to see me or wanted to know why there was a delay.  The reception lady called back and talked to Barbie and she said only one person can come back.  No way!!!  The patient across the hall has the entire Dugger family in his room and it sounds like they are playing Pictionary! 
A few minutes later, my Romeo came back alone and before he could lean over to kiss me, I ask about the results of the lymph node test.  Before he can say a word, I can see in his eyes the answer to my question.   Hooray, he confirms my lymph nodes were clear.  Can I get a halleluiah?  So why in the world would that wench of a nurse not tell me this news?  I am so happy and furious all at the same time.   But to get her back (I am not typically a vengeful person) Romeo returns to the waiting room and requests my Daddy to follow him back to see me.  So take THAT Barbie Doll, my TWO family members are staying with me no matter what you say!
Having the love of my life and my sweet Daddy there to share this moment was awesome; I cannot even describe the joy I felt knowing I was cancer free, the surgery was over and I can start living my normal life again!  No more worrying, no more dreading, no more crying, no more of not knowing, no more thinking about chemo, no more CANCER!  THIS was the greatest moment of my life since my first child was born.  All I could do or think of was thanking God for allowing me this most precious gift.
The next couple days in the hospital were rough as I began adjusting to the soreness and uncomfortable feeling of my reconstruction and tight tummy.  I am so thankful my friend Trace prepared me for what was ahead.  She was right that my bad hair would be the least of my worries (well, at first).    Every time I stood up or walked, I thought my tummy was going to pop a stitch, but I kept thinking about Trace assuring me it would all be worth it.
During my five day stay at MD Anderson Cancer Hospital I met some very interesting people. You know, I really hadn’t thought much about MD Anderson being a “teaching” hospital until I experienced firsthand some of these medical students practicing on me.    There are some good stories, or at least in my fuzzy memory (which may or may not have been drug induced) are quite comical in hindsight.  Of course, Romeo is hilarious so I’ve got a few stories on him too!
Thanks again for coming along on my journey.  I’m really happy you’ve stuck around to hear my happy ending and know I have officially “Busted Free.”  But don’t worry, I’m really enjoying this whole blogging thing and have a lot more material to share.  So, don’t stop reading now…

Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Sunshine just keeps coming!

Today has been FABuuuLOUS!  It began with “almost” being able to get out of bed by myself.  My Romeo just had to give me a little support to help me sit up and I could do the rest by myself.  I know, it’s the little things that make me feel independent and happy these days.  Then I managed to actually blow dry and style my hair; followed by a little makeup.  Of course, this activity totally wore me out so I needed a nap (which sort of negated the hair and makeup, but whatever). 
After a little rest, there was a knock on the door, and low and behold, it was the Edible Arrangement Dude delivering me a present!  Yahoooo!  Have you ever received one of these glorious fruit arrangements?  OH MY, the chocolate dipped bananas are to DIE for and I have decided I am NOT sharing with my family (is that selfish?)  I just want to send a HUGE thank you to my friends at Williams for sending me a another great surprise to brighten my day.
Thank you, Ted, Susie, Karen, Angela. Kristie and Dan!
But there was more “good stuff” as the day progressed.  So Romeo and I decide to go on a ride since it is a beautiful day and we needed a few groceries.  We are heading down the road when I open my phone to check Facebook (don’t judge me, it’s my only social outlet these days).  To my surprise, I find this picture posted on my timeline:
Love these girls!
These are my Tulsa work friends - Jessica, Patti and Carla.  They ran in the Williams Route 66 Run this morning and made this sign and dressed in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I was so totally overwhelmed by emotion at this point, that I couldn’t even explain to Romeo why I was crying.  He pulled over and all I could do was hand him my phone to show  him why I was so deeply touched by my friends.  Thank you girls for remembering and honoring me today!  I am very humbled by your expression of support and there are no words I can say that can explain how you touched my heart.  Next year, you can count on me running beside you proudly representing our Company in this wonderful event.
After I stop crying and Romeo has driven around long enough for all the puffiness to  disappear from my eyes, we go into the grocery store.   Wow – what I zoo!  But get this, Romeo had his list organized in the same order as the layout of the store (I mean, who does this?  If I make a list, I usually forget it or can't find it by the time I get to the store).  But Romeo knew I would get tired fast and therefore, was very prepared.  We were in/out in lickety-split!
When we get back home, I get a text from my sweet friend and beloved Tulsa hairdresser, Lisa.  She asks if it is okay if she comes over Sunday afternoon to do my hair since I was unable to make it to my appointment last week (you know, since I was busy in Houston kicking cancer’s butt).   Can you believe this?  Lisa is willing to drive 90+ miles to come to MY house to do my hair?  If I could have jumped for joy at this moment, I would have, but Romeo was outside mowing the yard and wasn’t there to help me out of the chair.  So yes, Yes, YES, I am available for a new hair-do tomorrow!  You have no idea how excited I am to see Lisa and will be forever indebted to her for giving up one of her few days off to pamper me.   
Tomorrow, I will write Part Two of My Cancer Free Boo-bee Day!  I was planning to post it today, but wanted to share all my "happy news" and acknowledge the support, love and encouragement of my friends.  I can honestly say, so many people have made this challenging time so tolerable (and almost enjoyable).  There hasn’t been a day go by since my diagnosis on 9/13/2012, that someone hasn’t gone out of their way to give me a little sunshine to pickup my spirits and give me hope.    

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Finally... the Cancer Free Boo-Bee Day!


Hello Friends and Family! 
I’m back and can happily report I DO NOT have cancer ANYMORE.  Dr. BK confirmed the final pathology reported the lymph node dissection indicated the cancer had not spread!  Yep, you heard that right, with the help of many medical professionals (even Dr. Shorty Pants), lots of people praying for me and the beautiful Grace from God, together we totally kicked this cancer’s bootaay!  So take THAT Mr. C and the horse you rode up on!  So here is what went down on my Cancer Free Boo-Bee Day….
The morning of the big day I am reviewing the “pre-surgery rules” just to make sure I am compliant.   Unlike some people in my family, I love rules, reading directions and doing exactly what they say.  But I came across a few “do-not’s” that seemed a little preposterous.  Like, why can’t I have any makeup, hair gel, hairspray, nail polish or acrylic nails in the operating room?    What are they going to hurt?  So after much deliberation, I decided to leave the makeup off, but conveniently “forget” the rest of the cosmetic rules and figured I could beg for forgiveness if I should get busted.  After all, how could I ruin my French manicure and special toenail design my friend, Linn had worked so hard on a couple days earlier?  
We arrived at MD Anderson Main Hospital at 6:00 AM to check into the surgical holding area which felt like a deep freezer.  I was feeling very nervous, nauseous and cold!   When we walked up, I was amazed there were a mob of people waiting, along with their numerous family members (even though the directions clearly stated only ONE family member per patient was allowed).
So finally someone sounding official told everyone to stand up and follow the lead person through the double doors at the end of the hall.  So hundreds of people stood up and were herded down the hallway to be assigned a surgical stall.  Apparently, my Romeo found this method of assignment very comical.  As we began walking behind the crowd, my ONE family member began “mooing.”   Of course, I started laughing (along with many others around us) which thankfully broke the tension in the air for a few minutes.  Seriously, how does this man know when he needs to make me laugh, when I feel like crying?
Okay, so let’s fast forward through the next hour… a couple of nurses hook me up to all kinds of  monitors, stuck the IV in my arm and told me they will be back in a few minutes.  In the meantime, my Daddy showed up (hooray I have TWO family members now), Dr. Sarah came by to say hello and preview Dr. BK’s artwork on my chest (which Romeo happily colored in the night before) and finally I met Dr. Jasmine. 
Her name is not really Dr. Jasmine but she reminds me of the beautiful Disney Princess from Aladdin. Plus, she has a last name that I would not even attempt to pronounce, but she appears to be of Middle Eastern descent.  Anyway, she introduced herself and explained she will be assisting Dr. BK in my reconstruction.  What?  The Boobie King needs help?  Before I can question her another nurse came into the room and squirted something in my IV to relax me because they are about to take me in.  Hello, do I look nervous?
I really don’t remember anything after that but my Romeo says the pre-surgical cocktail relaxed me to the point I was willing to flash anyone who wanted to see Dr. BK’s artwork on my cancer parts.  I just want to publicly say I totally deny this allegation and believe I remained lady-like through the entire event (especially since my Dad was present and he spent all that money on Charm School when I was a teenager.)
Anyway, about twelve hours later, I wake up in the recovery room and a nurse that looks like a Barbie Doll is sitting beside me waiting for me to open my eyes.  The first thing I ask her is if my lymph nodes were clear.  She immediately told me I will need to ask my family about “this” information.  Oh no!! I want to scream and beg her to please tell me, but instead I close my eyes believing cancer probably has spread to my lymph nodes, and start mentally planning how I am going to survive chemo and losing all my hair. 
That’s all for tonight, but stay tuned, I’ve got a lot more to share about my Cancer Free Boo-Bee Day because you need to know Nurse Barbie Doll totally led me astray.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Progress Report

Hello internet! This is Brittney again. I don’t have much to report.  I’ve talked to mom a lot over the past couple of days, she is doing really well.

It seems like she is halfway across the country. It’s been hard not being there with her and I know she is feeling pretty homesick. We thought she might be released yesterday (Sunday) but they decided to keep her an extra day. This afternoon she was released from the hospital, however, she has a post op appointment with the B.K. on Wednesday.  If everything goes according to plan, she should be home by Thursday.

Today she got her hair did! MD Anderson has a full service salon for all of their patients to use free of charge! How awesome is that? I know she was in dire need of some pampering. According to my mom, they washed, blow dried, and curled her hair.

Little fact about my mom: she never leaves the house without hair and makeup. Even to go to the gym! So you can imagine how antsy she was to get that hair under control.  I begged and pleaded for a picture but she wouldn’t give in. I think the hospital gown was a deal breaker.

Tonight she is cuddled up in her hotel room with Ron. She mentioned having French onion soup for dinner. Yum!

Let’s all say a little prayer for Ron tonight; he has sole custody over my mother’s needs. No more nurses to call if she needs to go to the *ahem* little girls room!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I will probably be around for a little while longer, until my mom has the strength to type!

Happy Monday!
-Brittney

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The moment we've all been waiting for...

I have some very exciting news!!

The cancer has NOT spread to her lymph nodes!! This means that she will not have to have any chemo or radiation! Praise the Lord!

We are so relieved to receive this news. I spoke with my mom this evening, she’s in good spirits. She says that she has had minimal pain and she is getting lots of rest.

They moved her around a little today (to clean her sheets) and I think that pretty much wore her out.

The doctor said she might be released Sunday but we are taking it one day at a time. It’s going to be several weeks before she is up and around but it’s all going to be over very soon!

I wish you could have been there when my Poppa called to tell me the good news. We were both crying like babies. I am so grateful to all of you who have been praying. God heard your prayers and is healing my momma!

It is so good to know that she is CANCER FREE!

I will keep you all informed of her progress.

Again, thank you for all the love and support!

-Brittney

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Andrea's Update!



Hello Everyone!

I’m Brittney, Andrea’s Daughter. I am going to be guest blogging while my mom is recovering from her surgery.

Today was one of the longest days I’ve had in a while. As my mom mentioned in this post, I’m staying with Mikayla while our parents are in Houston at MD Anderson. It was hard not being there with her today but I know she is relieved to have Mikayla under my watchful eye (which is kind of scary! Me? In charge of a teenager?)

Around 6 o’clock this morning, before I left for work, I sent my mom a text message to see how she was doing. It comes as no surprise that she was in high spirits. She assured me that she would be fine and told me to have a good day. I am amazed by her positive attitude and her ability to surrender to God.

I on the other hand, have been a nervous wreck! Today seemed to drag on an on! It was hard to sit at work and wait for updates from Ron (aka “Romeo”).

This morning, around 8:30, she went in for her surgery. Dr. Sarah performed the mastectomy. My grandfather (we all call him Poppa) was there anxiously awaiting with Ron. Poppa called me around lunch time to let me know the surgery went wonderfully! It was such a relief!

B.K. took over after Dr. Sarah to do the reconstructive surgery. This surgery was very complicated, it took him all afternoon. I received a text message from Ron at 5 pm letting me know that she was in recovery and doing well.

Later this evening, I spoke with Poppa. He told me that they will have someone checking on her once an hour all night long! He assured me that she was doing great! She is a little groggy and will be getting some much needed beauty sleep over the next couple of days.

I wish I had more information to give you! I will be back tomorrow with another update!

We are so thankful for all of your prayers! I know my mom treasures all of you and your encouraging words.

-Brittney

Monday, November 5, 2012

The Circle Marks the Spot

We arrived in Houston on Sunday evening because I had an appointment with Dr. BK this morning to be “marked up,” discuss what happens on surgery day, recovery and take a few glamour shots in those cute little photo panties! 
Apparently BK does not trust Dr. Sarah to make the incision in exactly the right place because he took a black permanent marker and drew a circular line where she is to remove “her” part. Obviously so it wouldn’t mess up his custom creation for my new “look.”   He then drew a whole bunch of other lines on my chest and tummy with a blue marker because I guess he likes to color.  I could tell Romeo was having fun just watching because he had this huge smile on his face.  So when BK finished his artwork, (I know you are going to think I am making this up, but I SWEAR it is the truth) he signed his initials on the side of the "sick" lady part.   
He also gave Romeo a permanent marker to take back to the hotel to color the lines back if they begin to fade over the next two days.     After all, we can’t risk Dr. Sarah cutting in the wrong place ruining Dr. BK’s soon-to-be masterpiece (and it’s possible she could be distracted since she is getting married next weekend).  He also insisted that Romeo not use the marker to leave Dr. BK any notes for surgery or modifications.  
Dr. BK also informed me I would be on a special floor, in a special room because he demands very special care for all of his favorite patients.  Sorry Trace, I know you thought you were BK’s favorite, but there is a new girl in town! He said my surgery would be first on the schedule Wednesday morning and should begin around 8:30 AM.  If everything goes well, it should take 5-6 hours and then I would probably be in the hospital until Sunday.  Then we would probably hang around in Houston a couple more days just to make sure I don’t have any problems.    
As we are leaving Dr. BK’s office Romeo confesses the reason he was smiling was BK’s drawing on my chest reminded him of the Target Puppy.  You know the one, the cute little dog with the circles drawn around his eye. 
Romeo has great intuition when he needs to be funny and make me laugh.  Somehow he senses when I'm stressed or scared and would really like to cry.  But I'll have to admit, when I looked in the mirror later,  the drawing on my "puppy" does look like the Target Puppy!  
Tomorrow we have a variety of appointments for pre-operative activities.  One of these includes shooting me up with blue dye in preparation for the Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection on Wednesday.  Which reminds me, I need to research how they intend to place blue die in my lady parts since I have history of Post Traumatic Stress Booby Syndrome (PTSBS).  But don’t worry; I brought my Valium in case it causes me to have a PTSBS relapse.
Thanks again for coming along with me on this journey.  I know the road is going to get a little bumpy, but I have complete faith it’s going to be okay because I'm going to let Jesus take the Wheel.  Don't you just love that Carrie Underwood song?

Friday, November 2, 2012

Saying Good Bye

Today was my last day at work before my surgery, and I’ll have to admit, it made me feel a little blue.  I really love my company, my coworkers and my customers.  I know I am not going to die, but it just seemed like I was saying goodbye all day long.   After all, these people are like my family because I’ve been there for TWENTY years!   I guess the reality set in that I might be gone for a couple months and I’ll really miss everyone so much.   I keep telling them I will be checking emails and getting online ASAP, and everyone says, “take care of yourself and don’t worry about work.”  But, I’m not worried about work I just want to reconnect back with all these wonderful people as soon as I can.  So I want to give a BIG shout out to all my friends at Williams to let them know how much they mean to me!

Something really neat happened today, but I am half way ashamed of myself.  Here’s what happened…. A telemarketer lady named Jean called to offer Romeo and me “special deal” since we signed up for some sort of drawing at the OKC Home and Garden Show.”  I am thinking, did we even go to the Home and Garden Show?  I believe we may have gone last winter but honestly I really can’t remember.  Anyway, the lady starts in on her pitch about they are going to give us a free trip to Branson… and asking me if I’ve ever been to Branson before?  Before I can answer she starts telling me about the free vouchers she is going to give us for the holiday shows, food coupons, outlet mall discounts and a chance to win a NEW car if we will try out their timeshare condominiums.  At this point, I’ve had enough because I am really busy trying to work, and Jean is taking way too much of my time.  So in my most pitiful voice, I say…. “Excuse me, Jean… I need to tell you something!”
Jean stops immediately and there is silence on the line.  Wow… I can’t believe she actually stopped reading her script, but I guess she could hear the passion in my voice.  So I tell Jean I have cancer and we won’t be taking any vacations this year.   I can tell Jean doesn’t have a “script” to react to my response.  She immediately starts stammering and saying how sorry she is that I have cancer.  I tell her, “it’s okay, but we really can’t make any plans in the future because, you know….. (more silence).  In fact, we aren’t even buying green bananas (my favorite) anymore.  Okay, I really didn’t say that part about the bananas but it is funny line, don’t you think?   
Okay, so Jean is overcome with emotion and I have totally messed up her marketing strategy.  But before we disconnect, she thanks me for being nice and not hanging up.  She tells me when I get better to give her a call and she will get me a really good deal on a first class vacation to Branson.   She also says she will be praying for me and believes I’ll be okay.  I thank her for the prayers, and we hang up.  I can’t help it, but the tears start rolling.  Oh great… here we go again!
So I’m feeling a little down so I decide a pedicure will perk up my spirits.  I head to Wal-Mart nail salon (because Romeo demands I use the very best) to see my friend, Linn.  She realizes I am there to get a pedicure and my nails done before I go to Houston for my surgery.  We both pretend like I’m preparing for a vacation to Jamaica and she does a special design on my toes.  I am about to leave and I can tell she wants to tell me something.  Even though Linn has been my nail lady for four years, we usually don’t talk that much because her English isn’t that great and she is sort of shy.   Linn tells me she hopes I recover quickly from my surgery.  Then she surprises me by giving me a BIG hug and whispers in my ear she has been praying for me.   Oh my, it’s been a long emotional day and this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Now I’m standing in the middle of the Wal-Mart nail salon crying like a baby and hugging my nail salon lady like she is my long lost friend. 
So today has been bittersweet.  I am happy to be one day closer to my Cancer Free Boo-bee Day, and very humbled by the demonstration of support from people I really don’t know, but l am also feeling a little sad and scared because everything is about to “get real.”    But as long as I know I have a first class Branson vacation coming soon, I think I can make it.