Poor Big Teddy

Wow, has it really been so long since my last post?? Well, my second reconstruction surgery, last Wednesday, went well. Hopefully it will be my last. Lori and I got to the hospital at 6:30 am and I was home by about 10:30, I think. The pain from this one was virtually zero, and I'm a lot more even, so hopefully, no more. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to have the surgery due to my blood pressure, but it all worked out. Two days before surgery, I went in for my herceptin treatment and my blood pressure was 163 over 103. For those of you who don't know, yeah, that's high. So, my oncologist sent me directly to the heart center for an echo cardiogram to check for heart damage. Luckily there is none, but if the blood pressure was too high, my surgeon wouldn't operate. Lots of prayers later, it was 124 over 80 the morning of the surgery. God was listening for sure.

Preschool is going so well. What a great group of kids my partner Melodie and I have. Every day I become more and more attached. Even when, during grandparent's week, one of my girls told me that her nana was really really old with brown spots all over her, and "she's even older than you, Ms. Lisa!!" What a blessing it is to have such sweet, honest kids. (No more snack for you, Victoria!!)

The hot flashes seem to be getting more infrequent, or maybe I'm just getting used to them. My sleep patterns are improving. I'm not up for 3 or 4 hours each night, so I'm really starting to feel a little better. Maybe, finally, I'm coming out of this chemo haze I've been in for so long. The aches and pains are still there in the muscles and joints but, one step at a time. My hair is coming in thicker each day, and it actually is a little wavy. Maybe I'll even have curls by the time it's all said and done. Still too much gray, but thank God for hair color.

So, my children have somehow or another become interested in wrestling. No, not the normal wrestling, but tv wrestling, you know, the Undertaker and those guys. Well, every Friday night, my poor husband rushes home from Raleigh to watch wrestling with the boys. Like he has a choice. I gotta tell ya, if we ever catch Osama bin Laden, we should make him watch Friday night Raw, or Smackdown, or whatever it is, for his punishment. I think I'd rather watch the dog lick herself. It really is excruciating. Thankfully, they don't practice all the wrestling moves they see on tv on each other. Mikey, however has this big white teddy bear he's had since he was a baby. Poor Big Teddy. He gets the brunt of Mikey's wrestling moves. Whenever it sounds like a tornado is twirling in his room, we know poor Big Teddy's getting his. Slam!, on the floor, slam!, on the bed, slam slam slam!!! Mikey works himself into such a frenzy, he emerges from his room hot, sweaty, and stinky. Hello, Right Guard! How one little boy can smell so stinky is beyond me. And, oh my God, stop picking your toenails!! Anyway, I digress. I'm grateful to have smart, healthy boys.

Happy birthday to my bff Lori. She turns 40 tomorrow. We went out last night for a celebratory birthday dinner. There were 14 of us, kids included. They were pretty good for the most part, until one of them spotted what they thought was a Lamborghini in the parking lot. Then, we couldn't get them away from the window. Come on kids, just pretend everybody has a car that costs more than most houses around here! Turns out it was a Lotus. Imagine that, a Lotus in Blacksburg, SC. Whodaa thunk?? Thank you to Lori's mom and stepdad, and mother-in-law for a wonderful dinner.

Cowboys pulled out a win today. Finally...I've been in enough agony! Have a great week my friends. And remember, wrestling is fake, just like my new boobs.

Where Were You?

Where were you when you first saw the images of New York City 9 years ago today? Do you remember how you felt? Do you remember what you were doing and who was with you? I remember where I was, how I felt and who was with me. It's a memory etched deep in my mind, one that I will never forget. Of course, the news channels are re-airing the footage from that fateful morning again. I watched for a few minutes, but found it very difficult. My God, what were those people thinking on those planes? How terrifying it was for them. The anger and frustration that I felt that day arose in me again as I watched that awful footage. How dare you come into my country and commit such horrible acts against innocent people. What kind of heart does it take for someone to knowingly murder over 3,000 people? What kind of heart does it take to cheer, yes they actually cheered, as the planes struck the twin towers? How many children were orphaned that day? What will it take for people to live in peace.

My Savior died for me, He didn't ask me to die for him.

She's Baaaaack!!

Isn't it funny how God puts you where you need to be? A few weeks ago, I attended a Christian Ed. meeting at church. This was the first meeting of this kind I attended. Before we got started, I was informed that one of the preschool teachers had quit. School was starting in 6 days, and the preschool, for whom I was the director for 5 years was in need. I told the current director that I would be happy to help if she needed me. (I resigned two years ago because I thought my family and I would be moving to Raleigh where Michael and I have a business. That didn't work out, and here we are.) So, the next night, Pam, the director of the preschool called and asked if I'd meet her. Long story, yes, I know, longer not shorter, I'm the new pre-k teacher. How funny life works. I wasn't planning on working yet, still recovering and all. However, God had a different plan. My partner, Melodie and I have 17 students. Some of these children I've known since they were babies and some I've only known big brothers or sisters. Some are brand new to me. Already, they have a piece of my heart. Every time I get tired or have some kind of muscle or joint ache, I think, maybe I've made a mistake. Maybe I shouldn't be working so soon after finishing chemo. Then, a little face pops in my head. Usually it's Branson's and I think, no way am I leaving these kids. God put me here for a reason and I'm not quitting on them. Did you ever see the movie an Officer and a Gentleman? I remember the scene where Louis Gossett, Jr. is trying to make Richard Gere quit and all he keeps repeating is, "I aint quitting, I aint quitting!!" That's me. Richard Gere. I used to be George Clooney (with moobs), now I'm Richard Gere. I aint quitting! So, the Queen of Love and Beauty (yep, that's me) is back to stay. I'm looking forward to a great year with my new family, all 17 of them. Thank you to all my parents for sharing these wonderful children with me. It's gonna be a blast!

My hair is getting thicker by the day. Of course, so are the gray hairs. It's not growing as fast as I'd like it to, but I'm not compaining. I go back to see my plastic surgeon next week, and hopefully he'll agree with me that I need some tweeking. I'm still pretty uneven, but thankfully it's not noticeable in a sports bra and t-shirt. The hot flashes are still bad, but fall is just around the corner and I think the cooler weather will help. My hands are still swollen, most days I can't wear any rings, but that, too will pass. Just like a bad piece of corn.

Well, off to pick up the boys at bible study. Thank you, my friends for all your support. It means more than you'll ever know. Hug your kids tightly. One day they'll smell too bad to hug at all.