TGIF to those that look forward to Friday. A little better today. Not as sore but still uncomfortable and hard to put my arm down. It really feels a lot better with a pillow under my arm. The shower was still a challenge. Stopped by work for July birthday party. We had ice cream sundaes. They were a refreshing treat and basically our lunch. By the time we got up and ate breakfast, we didn't eat anything else until party time. Went to dinner with my brother and sister-in-law tonight at Macaroni Grill. It was great. I am hoping that the weekend will bring more healing. I have 2 appts on Tues (surgeon/radiologist). Ready to move on and get back to work. Possibly going back on Wednesday. Not much planned this weekend. Just hanging out.

A decent night - got up around 3:30 and took pain meds. Up again at 7 for drains then back to bed until about 10a. Took a shower, which was a challenge with 1 arm. Kind of hard to dry off. Took Nick and his friend, Kevin to a movie. Actually, Nick took us as he drove. Stupid movie, G-Force. Stopped by work to say hi to everyone. It was weird being there after having been gone for almost 3 weeks. It was great to see everyone. Had a great dinner, compliments of Crista and Scott from church. The dessert was extra special. Thanks. Just hanging out with my son and the dog, watching tv until the 11:00 drain hour. 4 days + 1 visit left, then doctor appt.

Well, it was a bit of a tough night. I slept ok, however I think my son had a little difficulty from the goings on earlier. He felt bad about what happened earlier in the evening. I understand completely how he feels about dealing with all this. It isn't fair to him or me and we are doing the best we can to get thru it. He has been doing great with it all and I am surprised it took this long for him to finally break down. He was excited about running errands today as he wanted to drive. He finally drove on the main road yesterday so he had the fever today to drive where ever we had to go. I had him drive to the 2 places close by to look at the bedroom furniture for his room, then Walmart. Later on we went to get something to eat. He did a fine job driving and even parked between 2 cars - he has been nervous about doing that. Not much else happening. I took the dressing off my incision. A bit longer than the other one. It is bruised and a bit sore. The drain tube is a little further back under my arm so it is not real comfortable and hard to put my arm down. I don't go to the doctor until next Tuesday. I little bit more of a challenge but I'll get thru it. I have to keep in mind that last time I did not come home for 4 days and it has only been 3 (just over 48 hours actually) so it will take some time. But I am ready to move on and finish this. Big day planned tomorrow - stay tuned.

2nd day a little tough but better than the 1st day. I slept ok and woke up at 4 to take my pain meds. My son drove me to Walgreens and Publix. It's nice to have a kid that can help drive you. It rained some today so we both took a well needed nap this afternoon. We had some soup for dinner and just hung out. I think the last 2 days caught up to my son. He was having a bit of a tough time tonight with things. I think the thought of me going thru this, him being here to take care of me and just having to deal with what's going on got to him a little bit tonight. I hate that he has to deal with this and feel like he has to take care of me. As a young man, he has definately been thru a lot of challenges in his life. This is just one more thing he has to tackle. I know we will get thru it and I have to keep in mind that he is a kid and it is a lot to put on him when it is just him and I at home. Soon it will be over and we'll move on to bigger and better things. One day at a time.

Thank goodness this day is over. Originally I was supposed to be at the hospital at noon. By 10:30 this morning I got a call from the hospital asking me to come in then because the surgeon was ahead of schedule and was able to get to me sooner. So a quick shower and out the door about 20 minutes later. Of course I had to wait when I got there. My brother had a meeting at 11 so he couldn't be there initially, so I called Crystal at work and she met me there. She hung out until my brother got there. They did the IV thru my port -and it worked great. Surgery took about an hour then off to recovery. I guess things went fine and I was able to come home. Sat on the couch and did a few head nods. Took pain meds at 8 and took a rest for about an hour. Ate some supper (chicken and rice). Oh, forgot to mention last night - thanks to Denise for dinner last night. My sister-in-law already came by to strip the tube. Thank goodness I only have one drain this time. And the drain is not bothering me like it was the last time. I guess that's all the news for now. I am hoping to get at least 4 hours sleep, at which time I will have to get up to take pain meds and empty my tube. Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow.

I guess I slept a little better last night. Maybe I'll get some needed rest tomorrow. I have to have surgery - gotta be there at noon and scheduled for sometime between 1 and 2. Hopefully I'll be on time. I am sure I will rest some afterward. I am thinking that since my son got home today I will rest easy. It was so good to see him. He had a great time at camp and I am glad he was able to get away and enjoy some time to himself (away from the home drama). He was not very happy when I told him I had to have surgery again. I think that is unanimous. He brought me a couple surprises for my birthday. What a sweet kid. Lots of laundry to do and camp stuff to put away. Packing my bag for tomorrow in case I have to stay. I ate dinner late and feel quite full now - however I can eat up until midnight. I won't be able to eat until after surgery tomorrow so I will be quite hungry and irritable. I'll have to see what I can find in the next 2 hours to stuff myself without getting sick. Oh well - at least it's a thought. I hope to be home tomorrow and have my wits about me so I can update everyone how things went. If not - then Tuesday. Signing off for now.

Why is it when it is time for bed and it is after 11:00 pm, one can not simply just fall asleep. After tossing and turning for a couple of hours the couch was worth a try (2a). That seems to have done the trick for a few hours. Somewhere around 5 or so my bed was calling and I went back to sleep for a little longer than I should have. Got up and decided to go to a movie. So I get to the mall and try to get a ticket. Funny thing, my debit card would not work. Made me wonder because I had gone to the bank yesterday to dispute a charge on my account. The bank manager said to just watch my account and if I want to cancel the card I could. So when my card would not work today I got worried. I called the bank and since it was a debit dispute - the accounting department automatically cancelled my card. GREAT. So I had to leave the mall and go to the bank to get cash to make it thru the weekend. Went back to the mall, ran into my friend Gail and Steve and we went to the movie together. Then I went to a couple of furniture stores to get ideas on prices for beds for my son's room. Spent the rest of the evening just hanging out at home with the animals. Even though I didn't get much sleep last night, I am not really tired. Maybe I will just hang out on the couch watching tv until I fall asleep.

My, do things change from one day to the next. Finally heard from the surgeon (via email) that, yes, I do need to do the additional surgery. Better than to leave questions unanswered. At least the good news is I can do the surgery on Monday rather than having to wait later in the week. Sure wish I could have done it last week, but then again my sister-in-law has been out of town and I would have to figure out who would come over 3 times a day to help me with drains. Oh, my brother would surely come over and help me. I'm certain of it. I think he would do it........
I had a great lunch with my friend Rebecca and then my brother and I went out for pizza. It actually was a good day other then finding out I do have to have surgery. Should only be about an hour surgery - may or may not have to stay overnight. I finally heard from my son tonight. He sounded good and said he was having a good time. Glad to hear things are going well. I can't wait for him to get home. I think I will enjoy my weekend since I will be doing this all over again on Monday. Thanks to my boss and his wife for bringing supper. I have lunch and dinner for tomorrow. And the cheesecake was awesome.

What a great day to celebrate - my birthday that is. Happy Birthday to me. And 2 weeks since I had surgery. Can't believe it has been 2 weeks already. Had a great lunch with my friend Gail and a great dinner with my friend Crystal. Again thought my son would call but he is in a class until 9p and then has to sleep outside for his Wilderness Survival class tonight. I would imagine he does not have much time this evening. At least he'll be home in 3 days. Sent an email to the doctor and hope I can get an answer tomorrow. Plan to go to work next week even if it is part time for a few days. Got lots of cards and birthday wishes - thanks. We'll see if I feel any older tomorrow. Someone asked me today how it felt being my age - I said it felt like being run over by a truck. Just kidding though - that was actually 2 weeks ago I felt that way. Now it just looks like I got run over by a truck. Ok, not really.

I can't even come up with something that would be exciting to post today. I was able to do 2 loads of laundry today. I was actually wishing I would just get in the car and head to work so I would have something to do. Put another call into the doctor to see what I need to do (nothing to report). Was hoping my son would call from camp tonight but I guess he is having a good time or he is really busy. Had a nice dinner from Ashley from work. It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be 2 weeks since I had surgery. I seem to be doing well, just a little sore under the arms. I am starting to get a few more nubs on my head - it seems that my hair is starting to grow a little. It's more like whiskers. I've decided not to shave it smooth to see if it will grow. Tomorrow should be an exciting day as it is my birthday. That in itself is exciting. I have lunch and dinner plans. Thanks for the cards and birthday wishes I have gotten so far.

Another boring day. Went to Walmart to pick up some meds, had lunch at Tiajuna Flats and worked on adding songs to my iPod from CDs. Not much else happened today. Hung out with the dog, miss my son and now it's time for bed. Still haven't heard from the surgeon. I called yesterday and she was in surgery. I guess I will call her again tomorrow. I am guessing I just need to schedule surgery again just to get things out and not worry about it. Time for bed - until tomorrow - we'll see what exciting things will happen.

What a long day - of absolutely nothing. I got up around 9:30 or so - ate some cereal, watched a little tv and decided to go back to bed. Didn't get up again until about 1:00. Had to go to the post office to mail a card to my son at camp and stopped by the store. Back at home did nothing but lay on the couch and watch nothing on tv. Never realized that there is nothing on tv during the day. Played a little with the dog. Did not really know what to do with my alone time. I know my brother in Utah would tell me there is plenty for me to do around here, just grab a box and start throwing out stuff. I promise - I will. Had dinner dropped off from Jennifer at work. Thanks. Started trying to update my iPod but didn't get very far. Might try to get out and do something tomorrow.

It was a good day. Got a good night sleep - slept in till about 9 or so. Decided to go to a movie - The Proposal. It was very good. Definate chick flick. Then went shopping around at Best Buy and World Market. Then stopped at Publix for a few things. Came home and watched movies on tv. Ended up going to Sonny's with my brother for dinner. Went to Walmart to get a card to send my son at camp. Didn't need a nap today. Started some laundry this evening. Hanging out with the dog and getting ready for bed. Hope to hear from the doctor tomorrow.

I promise to keep this one short today. I had a decent night sleep last night for a change. Got up and had to take my brother to the airport. My other brother and sister-in-law picked us up and we stopped at Starbucks on the way. It was nice to have my brother here to help out and I hated to see him leave. It's not often the 3 of us get together, although I wish it was under more enjoyable circumstances. Came home and pretty much hung out on the couch all day. Watched tv and slept. Dinner was dropped off by MaryAnn from church. It was great. I talked to my son who made it to NC. It sure is quiet around here after all the excitement last week. I am feeling a little better today, still a little sore under the arms but for the most part - it was nice to sleep without tubes in the way and take a shower without worrying about them either. Again, thanks for the prayers and support thru all this. I know that one day it will all be behind me.

I hate surprises and even more than that, I hate being thrown a curve ball just when you think you are on the upswing. 1 step forward and 3 steps back. I went to the doctor today and apparently the initial path report changed. 1 out of the 4 sentinel lymph nodes came back positive. Which does not necessarily mean a problem. However, the doctor talked to the oncologist and she felt that all the lymph nodes needed to be removed. The doctor did not necessarily agree with her even though they usually agree on almost everything. The problem with removing all the lymph nodes could possibly create another problem known as lymphodema, which is swelling of the arm. With the nodes gone the fluid in the arm cannot drain thru the body properly. The doctor's gut feeling was that if she removed all the lymph nodes, they would come back negative and then she has created a possible unnecessary problem. She was going to call a few of her colleages that work in the research ares of UPenn, MDAnderson and Emery who are up on the latest research of this specific thing. She really could not give me an answer today on the best answer to this. If her friends told her it is not necessary she does not think I need to go thru with it. If they say go ahead, I will have to have surgery once again to remove all the lymph nodes in the right arm. And that means drains again. UGH. I really do not know how to react to this new development. It is just so frustrating to thiink things are going just the way you want and now there is possibly another set back. I reallyl have trust and faith in my doctor and know she will direct me to make the best choice. I have to wait until Monday for her to call me to let me know what to do. On the good side of things I did get my drains removed today and feel a lot better. She actually just yanked them out. Hurt for a minute then I felt the relief. She also removed all the strip tapes from most of the incisions so that feels a lot better too. I am now waiting thru the weekend to see where I am headed next. My prayers so far have been answered for the most part and I need to pray hard that another surgery is not necessary. Please keep the prayers coming that I can move on from here to healing.
Had a great evening. Went to a movie with my brothers and sister-in-law (Harry Potter) and then for a late snack. It was nice to get out and try to focus on something else for a couple of hours. My brother leaves tomorrow morning and my son is headed off camping for the week so I am left to ponder things on my own for a few days. God will pull me thru this.

Less than 12 hours to go = YAY!!!!! I can't wait to get these tubes out. I had a pretty good day. Slept ok last night and didn't really nap too much today. Had a great dinner from Susan at work. Nick and my brother worked on some scout stuff for Nick's camp next week. My sister-in-law and I went out to Bed, Bath & Beyond and Walmart. I felt a little uncomfortable not only with the tubes, but also just didn't feel comfortable with what I was wearing or how I looked. A little self concious I think. It felt weird walking around with tubes in my pockets and my underarms a little sore. Oh well, I day down of many more to go. I know I will feel much better tomorrow as long as these tubes come out. Well, off to bed and hope tomorrow gets here quick. Good thing my appt is at 9:45 and not at 4.

Today didn't start out so well. I had a hard time sleeping. I couldn't get comfortable and when I finally did fall asleep I had some really weird dreams. Tossed and turned, well actually moved my head from side to side. Tried to see if I could get in to the doctor today since my drains have been very minimal, but she said I had to wait until Friday. That sucks. I guess one more day of the tubes. Felt ok for the most part. I did get a little emotional when I took my shower today. Just looking at myself was a little depressing. It was a little hard to take today for some reason. But I moved on - and I know it's only temporary, but it still is a big adjustment to have to deal with. Took a nap or two and watched more tv. Had a great dinner from Vicki at church. I forgot to mention yesterday that I had gotten a cookie arrangement with gingerbread cookies decorated as doctors and nurses (from my good friend Rena) and we got an edible arrangement of fruit from my friend Denise. Everyone has been so supportive and thoughtful. I really appreciate it. The amount of help and prayers is overwhelming. I cannot thank everyone enough for the love and support. I do have to thank my sister-in-law for her commitment for coming over each day at 7:30 am, 3:30 pm and 11:30 pm to help me with my drain tubes. That is a big help and she is here without fail. Well, one more day (about 35 hrs), 5 more visits with drain tubes, then on to healing.

Wow, almost 24 hours without pain meds and only 2 short naps today. I seem to be doing well today. I am ready to get rid of the drains though. The first few days they don't seem to be much of a bother but at this point I would be more than willing to let them loose. I hate to have to wait until Fri but it seems like that is where I am headed. I feel like I am healing well as some areas seem to itch a little, although my underarms are still quite sore. Didn't do a whole lot today but lay around and watch tv. Hate to say - I almost wish I could go back to work (and I know they would love to see me.) We had a spaghetti dinner compliments of Carol from work. It is really great that work is keeping me supplied with dinner. My brother has decided it was a good week for him to come visit and help out. I did take a shower today, which was a welcome for all in the household. I did have one before I left the hospital, but at home it just seems to make you feel so much better. Tune in tomorrow for some more talk about how I just sat around all day and watched tv and watched my son and brother work around the house.

Surprisingly it was a good day. Woke up a few times thru the night but had a good sleep anyway. Not much to drain from my tubes (good thing). My brother and Nick did a lot of work to clean up the house a little bit. I didn't do much but sleep and watch tv. I was able to go an extra hour before taking pain meds this afternoon and an extra 2 hours this evening. We had a great dinner that Cathi from work dropped off. My dog won't leave my side. Seems she knows something is wrong, she has to be close by. Was able to stay up this evening without a nap. Each day I grow stronger, each day I heal a little more, each day brings me closer to the next step in my journey. Thanks to all that are praying for me.

3 hours of waiting, 5 hours of surgery and 3 days in the hospital. I am finally home and up and running on my blog. Thanks to Rebecca for updating the last couple of days. I know the information was slow and minimal in the beginning. We didn't really know what was going on until things happened. Ok - so I have to get to the surgery place at 9:30 for a 10:30 surgery time. They don't take me back until after 10. Since they are doing surgery in the upper extremities, I can't have an IV in the arms. So the nurse gave me the news that they had to do it in my foot. Ouch. Then she couldn't get it in right away and the pain of pushing it thru my vein was something I hadn't felt before. Come to find out it was a problem during surgery. They had to remove it and put it in my hand anyway. My ankle got swollen and the surgeon was not very happy. Then she said I had to finish the bag of antibiotics before surgery. Well, needless to say, it was 12:30 before they took me back to OR. Surgery was only supposed to take 2-3- hours. Well, that lasted 5 so I was not in recovery until 5:30 or so. Got into my room around 7. I was quite out of it mostly. My sister-in-law decided to stay the night with me so she could keep an eye on me, watch the nurses do their thing and listen to what was going on. Nick decided not to stay. He had a hard time seeing me after surgery. I think it just surprised him. I had an oxygen tube in my nose and was able to talk to him but I think it frightened him. Ok, day 2, doing fine. I have my morphine button in my hand the whole time. I can push it every 10 minutes. I was basically in and out of it most of the day. 3 of my co-workers came to visit and I had a great time with them. They kept me awake about an hour and we had each other laughing. It was a good repreive. The new associate paster from church stopped by. Later that evening, my friends Gail, Ann, Troy and Allison stopped by. I had flowers delivered from work, my brother's family in Utah, Gail and family and Nick brought me some roses. I also had balloons delivered from the boys of Troop 10. Of course, my brother and sister-in-law and Nick were there. I was sleeping in and out. That night I had a fever of 101.2 and that concerned them a little The surgeon came in Sat and felt I needed to stay one more day. My brother came in at 8p that evening so he came to visit me at the hospital. No one stayed with me Fri or Sat night. I guess there are a few stories I can share about my hospital visit but it might get a little lengthy. And besides, I don't remember a whole lot. I was told that when the surgeon got done she said she could use a beer and apparently I told her I wanted one too. Well, I have to call the doctor tomorrow to set up an appt for Friday. I should be able to get the drains out and be cleared for light stuff. I have to say many thanks to my sister-in-law for all her help, support and care. Of course, my brothers, son and many friends for their prayers and support. Love you guys. On the road to healing and moving on to the next phase. Not sure what's in store for tomorrow but I'm sure you'll hear. Thanks Rebecca for updating the blog and keeping everyone in the loop. Also thanks for the cookies - Nick has already tried them out. Sorry I was asleep when you stopped by. Seems to be something I do alot of lately.

Valerie had a fever Friday, so the doctor kept her in the hospital through Saturday. She went home Sunday afternoon. Her brother from Utah and Nick are there with her this week. She is doing as well as we could hope at this point. Not much pain but she has limited use of her arms for a while. Follow up on surgery - surgeon doesn't think that there is any cancer in the lymph nodes. Yeah!!

Information from Sally Campbell-Evans:

"Earlier this evening, Bruce (Val's brother) left me a message saying that she was out and doing 'okay.' They did think they got it all and there appeared to be 'clear margins' on the edges of the incisions. He said she will be 'out of it' until sometime tomorrow. Please continue to keep them in your prayers."

Nicholas, her son, said mom looked better today and he sounded happier - my guess is that mom looks & sounds more like mom today. He said the hospital (TMH) food wasn't so bad. Everyone hopes Valerie will go home tomorrow. Valerie was getting ready to get up and walk around this evening. All GREAT NEWS!

Rebecca R.

Surgery is over and Valerie made it to recovery, according to her son, Nicholas. She is at TALLAHASSEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL . I am sure she'd love your continued prayers and support. Thanks. Rebecca R.

It is now just 24 hours away. My surgery time was changed from 7:30 to 10:30 am. At least I get to sleep in a little longer. I haven't gotten any butterfiles just yet - I think they are still in cocoons. I am certain they will blossom tomorrow morning. I am checking my bag over and over to make sure I have all I think I need. My brother was glad he had time to go to the gym in the morning instead of getting up early to get me at 5a. My other brother will be here Saturday evening to share the week with me and Nick. I am so thankful and fortunate that I have two great brothers to help take care of me. And a sister-in-law (well 2 - but one here) to help and take charge of what I may need. Not to mention the great friends and co-workers, who are also friends, that offer many hugs and positive support. It has really helped me get thru this. And I know it has helped Nick too. Today I agreed to donate the removed tissue to the Moffit Cancer Center for research to either help me at some point in the future or others with current or new drug treatment for my specific type of cancer. It is a great opportunity to help with research. An interesting thing happened today. The last two surgeries I had (biopsy & port surgery) I had the same anesthesiologist. He was a really nice guy and I even joked with him at my 2nd surgery. Well - last night he was arrested on 10 counts of solicitation of a minor (14) on-line that he has been talking to since November. And I also found out that his first child is due in the next few months. If that isn't crazy. Any way = this is my last post for a couple of day. I hope those that need to know how I am doing know who to contact in the meantime. I know I will be fine and once I get past tomorrow I can focus on the final stage of my treatment and healing. Thank you for the prayers and continued support.

2 more days - well, actually less than 36 hours. Seems like it's right around the corner. I am having mixed emotions at this point. Knowing it is what has to be done and knowing I am doing the right thing to take care of this monster, I still can't help feeling a little depressed that I have to actually go thru with it. I do know that after the next 7 days I will be past this phase and ready to tackle the next obsticle. And then I can set my sights on the new me soon to come afterward. I had a good day at work. I don't have much to do tomorrow as I prepare to be out a few weeks. I hate to leave my co-workers with so much to do but I will eventually get the work back and be right there with them. Tomorrow will be my last blog for a day or two, unless someone brings a laptop to the hospital. My son and brother will have the main contacts to notify and hopefully the phone chain will work to let others know how I am doing. I am very thankful for my family and friends and the wonderful support and prayers that I have been receiving. God has put all of you in my path for a reason.

and now it's 3. Good day at work. I am basically caught up and all ready for being out a couple weeks. Making my list of things I need to bring. Still haven't gotten very far on cleaning the house. I just don't even know where to begin. Of course I've been a little tired and could take a nap in the middle of the day, but I keep working away and busy when I get home. We went up to Sportsman's Warehouse tonight as they are closing by the end of the month. Sad to see them close - they are the best sports store in town for the camp stuff we need. Oh well, guess we really don't need any more stuff. I'll have to get a bigger house just for stuff (love the George Carlin routine about stuff). Well,, another day comes to a close and I am ready for bed. My son decided he wanted to watch Jaws tonight, which I really wasn't up for - but here I am, on the couch, listening to the jaws music. That's ok - I make him jump at some point and scare the pants off him. hehehe. Good night all. Thanks for the prayers and support as I head into the next few days preparing for surgery.

4 days and counting. I am sure it will be here before I am ready. I started to clean the house a little bit but just really wasn't motivated to do too much. I paid some bills, watched a little tv and played with the dog. Nick made it home from the beach and we went to eat. He drove to Publix and I drove to dinner. We stopped at Wal-Mart and I had some pictures made. I made a collage of pictures of him and I to take to the hospital with me. It started raining so we lost our satellite reception so we can't do too much right now. I am getting ready for bed anyway since I didn't get my nap today. Only 3 days of work this week. I'm not sure yet but I think my brother is coming down from Utah this coming weekend to stay with me after surgery. Otherwise it will be next week. Either way it will be great to have him here to help me out. I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July weekend. We had a good time. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention yesterday, while we were at the beach, the people next door had a dog wedding. It was a bit strange but funny. 2 small white dogs. The male dog had a black tie and the female had a pink dress with a pink vail. Then they threw dog biscuits as the rice. First and probably last time I will see that.

Happy 4th - I am proud to be an American. Thanks to all the men and women who serve our county so we can have our freedom.
I had a great day. Slept in a little. Went to the store to look for a few button down shirts for post surgery. Found a couple along with some pjs. As we were in the PJ section, my first encounter with someone who actually asked me about my condition. Actually she asked if I didn't mind her asking - was I a survivor. I told her I was working on it - that I was in the middle of the process. She said good luck and advised me that she was a 10 year survivor. Of course I told her congratulations. Nick and I happened to be wearing matching red, white and blue doo-rags, and Nick in his wonderful wisdom, asked her how she could tell. I had to smile.
Came home and got ready to head to the beach. My brother's in-law family has a beach house on Shell Point. We went down there and hung out by the beach - me in the shade. Great weather, a nice breeze and nice company. We went out on the boat - tried to fish, had a shrimp boil, watched fireworks - then I headed home. Nick decided to stay for the night. He had gone out fishing a 2nd time and ended up being the only one who caught a fish - a catfish. It was a great day with family and nice to be able to relax for a change. 5 days and counting - gotta work on the house tomorrow.

TGIF. Nothing special today. Got to work and part of the power was out in the building and it was very hot inside. However, my boss brought us bagels for breakfast so it wasn't all bad. My computer worked but the lights didn't so I worked in the dark for about a half hour. Got caught up on most of my work so I shouldn't have too much to do next week. It was an easy day for a Friday. Got home and Nick drove us up to Wal-Mart for a few things. Didn't do much this evening but chill out. Got a lot to do this weekend to prepare for surgery next week. 6 days.

Not bad for a Thursday. Tried to get my desk in some what of an order. Felt a little out of place this morning as I was still trying to figure out where things need to go. I have lost a lot of space and no room to put working files but I am glad I have a chair and a desk to sit it. So I can't complain too much. It is so much more important that I have a job than it is the space I have to work in. I did manage to get a lot done. Came home during a downpour and lightening storm. Nick and I ended up taking a nap until it blew over. Nick drove us up to Publix to get a few things for dinner. He did a great job, however we did take the back way and not the main road. Feeling okay and looking forward to the weekend.

Very interesting day. Why is it that doctors want you to call ahead to get copies of stuff, only to make you have to wait when you get there for them to make copies of what you need??? My doctor called the imaging center yesterday at 1:00 to have copies of my mammogram films ready for pickup today. I get there at 8 this morning and they were just printing them. Then, I go to the plastic surgeon, who fit me in at 9, in between surgeries, and I wait until almost 10:30 for him to see me. Meanwhile, my MRI appt is at 11. So, at 11:15 I had to call to let the MRI place to know I was running late. By 11:45 I finally made it to my MRI appointment. Didn't get out of there until 12:45. I hadn't had anything to eat because I thought there was plenty of time in between picking up films or in between appointments to get something. So at 1:00 I was headed to pick up something for lunch and finally made it to work by 1:30. Not to mention, feeling exhausted already from doing nothing. I did get some things accomplished at work though so it wasn't all bad. And I have no other appointments or things to get done until next Wed - when I go for pre-op. I am going to enjoy the next 7 days as much as I can before I deal with the realization of surgery. This is definately a life changing hurdle. However life is not without challenges and as odd as it may sound, I believe I am a better person because of it.