Well I guess it's about time for an update. Things have been a little crazy and hectic. Ok, so on 9/19 my brother and I drove to Gainesville to stay the night so I could get up bright and early to go to the hospital at 6a.m. I had a date with the plastic surgeon to get some new boobies. Things went according to plan and the were on time with just about everything they said. The doctor came in and marked up my skin with what his plan was. Oh, and by the way, he is a big time Gator fan. I really didn't hold that against him as I have heard alot about his success and credentials as a surgeon. And he is a very nice guy. I did tell him before taking me back that I did not want to wake up with any Gator attributes. He said he could make my boobs into Gator heads that would chomp now and then. It was actually quite funny. Ok, so surgery was to start at 8a and last till it was done. All I remember is being wheeled down the hall. He finished at 6:15 p. Yes, 10 hours. But he said everything went great and he was able to do what he expected. Then in recovery for a couple of hours. I don't think I got out of there until close to 10p and up to PCU, Progressive care unit. Similar to ICU but not as serious. I think it was about 11:30 by the time I was finally settled. The first 24 hours the nurse has to come in and use a doppler to listen to each boob to hear the blood vessels working. It sounds almost like a baby's hearbeat when you're pregnant. Not a whole lot of sleep. They also have to check your vitals, tempature, etc. Well the first 24 hours I did get a fever that eventually got up to 102 which is not uncommon. I had gotten one after my mastectomy surgery as well. So the next day, Tues, I have to get out of bed and sit in a chair 3 times. OMG - really? The bed converts to a chair so it does make it a bit easier to get up but that first time was horrible. By the third time it was a little better. And that night they came in every 2 hours so I got a little more sleep. Can't sleep very well on your back not being able to move. Day 3, had to be able to walk a little in the hall and to the bathroom. I could only walk out the door and 1/2 what they wanted me to. By the 3rd time though I was able to go the distance. And one of the nurses washed my hair with this cool shower cap thing. It goes in the microwave to warm up and it is soapless but cleans your hair and smells good. That was a nice change. Thursday, day 4, up again and walking and sitting. Getting a little better but still very hard to do. Nurses only bothered me about every 4 hours this time. I had to take a shower this day which was nice. The nurse on duty said it gets a little kinky because she has to help me. No problem with me as I can move. Things went well and I felt great afterwards. Food was not too bad but not feeling like eating very much. Still getting poked and picked with shots and blood drawn. I am so over this by now. Good night sleep and plans to go home Friday. Doctor checked on me each morning and said everything looked great. I had this stomach pain pump thing that automatically released meds in my belly (which is where they took the stuffing for my boobies and some skin). As the nurse removed it is, since it was close to my pelvic area, I could feel her pulling some hair. Ok, wasn't expecting that. My brother thought it was cool that I could get a brazillian, tummy tuck and a boob job all in the same surgery. Yeah - funny. Ok, so Friday I am off and running, ready to go home. 2 hour ride but felt ok. Most of the week was uneventful. Can't really sleep and get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Take naps. Stopped taking pain meds Sunday night. I'm a little sore but not really in pain. Went back to doctor on Wednesday and he was excited to see his "masterpiece" as he put it. Said thinks looked great. He took out 3 of the 4 tubes and said to come back this Thursday to get the stitches out of my stomach. Are you freaking kidding me? They are from hip to hip. He said it was one long stitch. I asked if he cuts one end and pulls - he said no, they will cut it in a few spots. I really hate getting stitches out. I plan to attempt to go to work tomorrow to see how I do. I won't push it but I might try to put in a few hours. All in all, so far I am doing well. My sister-in-law is back on drain nazi duty and doing a great job. The fluid hasn't stopped enough yet to take out the last tube, but I hope if nothing else it will come out on Thursday at my appt.
Thanks for the continued prayers and support as I continue my road to recovery.

Wow - has it really been 3 months since I have blogged. I actually thought it has been longer. At lot has happened. I had my follow up with my doctor and my glucose numbers are good. I don't always check my daily numbers like I should. I really need to start doing that. I had an appointment with my oncologist and she said everything is good. She did have some bad news for me though. She has resigned at the office she is at and will be leaving in December. She is not quite sure where she is going yet, but said for me to definately look her up. I will see her again in November so I hope to know then what she will be doing. I decided to call a plastic surgeon in Gainesville I had heard about, mainly to find out what time frame I was looking at for appointments and surgery. Knowing my appointment with the radiologist was in November and I would probably have to wait until then to do anything. Well, to my surprise, the girl told me it was better to plan early rather than later. I was able to get an appt for an evaluation and consultation this past Tuesday. So I go to see him, super nice guy and great office people. He said I was healed well enough to move forward as long as I had a letter from my oncologist. Good thing my appt was with her the day after. So they had a few openings for surgery over the next couple of months. I ended up scheduling my reconstruction surgery for 9/20 in Gainesville. I will end up being there Mon-Fri. It is a very long surgery (mostly all day), so I am quite nervous but excited at the same time. So I have 2 months to prepare and look forward to a new me.
Ok, well my son has turned 16 and passed his drivers test. He was really nervous, but he did great. He has not taken the car on his own yet - he is not quite comfortable. That is fine with me. And I celebrated my birthday yesterday.
Hopefully I will be back into the swing of blogging and keep you updated on the happenings.

Dear Blog,
I am so sorry I have neglected you lately. Seems like other things are taking my time.
Today is milestone, so to speak. One year ago today I called my surgeon to find out the results of my 2nd biopsy and heard the words I never wanted to hear. It was a very emotional day, one that I had to come home and let sink in until I went to her office the next day to find out my fate. I can't believe it has been a year. Looking back at that day, I wondered how I would ever get thru all that was ahead of me. I am so fortunate to have great family, friends, work support, church support and others that have prayed for me along the way, prepared meals for my family, sent cards or well wishes and just offered support in every way. As my brother responded to me today in an email - to think this time next year, I should be done with reconstruction and the last of the healing. It seems like so far away but I know it will be here before I know it and I will be writing a similar message.
Ok - so to update from where I left off, I went to my 6 week follow up with my primary doctor and she was happy with my glucose numbers and I had lost 7 pounds in those 6 weeks. She said I could go from testing 4 times a day to only 2 times. Yay. I never thought I would think pricking my fingers 2 times a day would be a good thing but it sure beats 4. I will follow up with her in May. On a side note, my prayers are with my friend Debra who had a lumpectomy last week, and no positive lymph nodes. I hope I don't stay away as long this time. Until then - Enjoy each sunrise.

So what's new? Well, the blood testing is going ok so far. A bit of a hassle but I'm trying to keep up with things. I've been to 2 classes so far. The first one on what diabetes is and what it can do to your body if you don't stay on top of it. The second was on nutrition. What to look for on lables, what I should and shouldn't eat. It was actually quite informative. One more to go. Ok, so I went to the orthopedic doc yesterdy for a check up on my shoulder. Had an x-ray and the doc was pleased with how things have healed. The fracture seems to be healed for the most part, and he said there was a crack across the bone that is healing well. I told him I didn't know there was a crack. He said he didn't notice it last time but could see the new bone growing. OK. News to me. Any way he said to still take it easy with the arm and I will probably still feel some soreness for awhile. Next I go to my oncologist today for my 2 month follow up. My son had made brownies for me to take to her office. She was very appreciative for the goodies. She was happy with the healing as well. A lot better from last time. Still has a little more to go but the swelling is much better. I told her about the diabetes and she was not surprised due to the chemo. She was surprised I was put on medication already and said to make sure I have my blood checked frequently. If I could get back to my pre-chemo weight and work on exercise I could probably drop my sugar level back to what it was. She gave me the indication that it most likely is not a permanent situation. Gave me a bit of hope. Don't have to go back for 4 months.

I am such a slacker. Ok so here's the latest. I finally got my tester last Tuesday and started testing my blood sugar on Wednesday. It took a few days to get used to but I have managed to keep up with it so far. The morning fasting levels seem a bit high but the rest of the day seems to be ok. I have done pretty good with food choices so far (at least I think I have). I went to a class tonight that that was 3 hours long. I have to take 3 classes to learn about the disease, nutrition and how to keep my blood sugar in check to prevent future problems that can be caused by diabeties. It was long but quite informative tonight. Actually it was quite scary. To hear what can happen if you don't keep your sugar level in check. I guess I will be doing as much as I can to control it. I came home and my son had done the dishes and even made dinner. What a great kid. Then we took a long walk with the dogs. The biggest things that will help is exercise so I should try to walk some everyday. Ok, so while we were walking tonight something pretty funny came up. I am not a runner but sometimes I jog just a little with the dog. Well Suger and I were trying to keep up with Nick and Harley and I realized (for the first time since surgery) that my boobs didn't hurt when I ran. I would usually have to hold them to stop from bouncing so much. Well, not outside where people can see. It was quite a funny thought. Humor goes a long way and sometimes you just have to see the funny in things. Thanks to the church ladies for bringing me food this evening. They heard of my shoulder issue and thought it would help for me to have food. How very thoughtful. You should always take the opportunity to pay it forward. One thing I haven't mentioned is: a girl I work with was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago (maybe 2 months ago). She had never had a mammogram and finally went. They found a small spot that needed to be biopsied. Come to find out, it was bigger than they thought. I had referred her to my surgeon and come to find out she needed to have a mastectomy. However, it was caught early enough and it was a type that did not require further treatment. She was able to have immediate reconstruction. So many people were very generous with me by bringing me and Nick food that I felt I needed to do the same for her. I coordinated meals from those at work to keep her and her family supplied with dinner the last 9 days. I know it seems like a simple gesture but it makes the world of difference on the receiving end. I'll keep you posted on my food and testing progress.

I guess I am overdue for an update. Lots going on and have not been insistant on updating. So, let's see, I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago and reported that I am not classified as a diabetic. Yay me. As of today I am still waiting on my testing supplies to show up. They are ordered thru a medical supply company and gets shipped. The good thing is my insurance covers it so I won't have to pay for strips or lancets, which I understand can be quite expensive. So last Monday I go to the diabetic center my doctor sent me to for one-on-one appointment on what I need to be doing, how to use the blood glucose meter and sign up for a class. So we talked about what I should be eating and how to keep my sugar in check. It's not really as bad as I thought, I just have to be selective. I can have bread if I want but I am limited on the grams of carbs I can have at each meal and snack. So, if I eat the bread, I can't have other starch. I should have some carbs at each meal. Even though I don't have my meter yet, I have tried to start eating the way I should and starting to walk some so I can make the transition. So I have 3 classes I have to go to that are 3 hours long. For real?? They do serve dinner so at least I'll get a free meal. Ok, so one thing that I haven't had checked yet - my eyes. Something some people might not know is I do use eye drops for a type of glaucoma known as pigmentary glaucoma. I don't have any effects from it yet so right now I am just doing preventative treatment. So my eyes are normally checked every 6 months. Since all this started last March I have not had my eyes checked. I thought the chemo and meds my have had an effect on my eyes (as it had everything else) and I also was not using my drops for awhile just out of inconvenience. I had a check up on Friday and things look great and my eye pressure was down 4 point from the last time. Pretty good I would say. And on top of that, my prescription had not changed. Yay, something that improved. I imagine I will get my meter on Monday, hopefully, not that I am anxious to prick myself 4 times a day, I just want to get this started. Oh yeah, I also went to my hairdresser for the first time since she shaved my head in May. Believe it or not my hair has grown in very even and has gotten a bit long. She trimmed the top and back to match the length of the front and then cut some on the side and gave me a few whisps by my ears. It now has some kind of style to it. Well, that's the update for now. I'll post more once I get going on my blood testing.

Just when does it stop?? You would think that all i had to deal with last year was enough for anyone to deal with for awhile. Then I have to deal with a fractured shoulder. Which is slowly getting better. It is hard to sleep at night but I am able to manage during the day. Well, then this past weekend my son was having groin pains. So yesterday I take him to the doctor. It is a guy thing that just happens sometimes, however they take it serious and want to make sure there is no other problem. So off to get an ultra sound. And to top it off, he had 2 ladies in there due to one in training. Of course, they didn't tell me that. Thirty minutes later they were finally finished. Good thing is - he is normal and things are find but he is on an antibiotic. Ok, so today I go to my doctor to follow up on blood work I did last week. Well, she doesn't like my sugar numbers. I have been put in the diabetic column. After much conversation, come to find out, the steroid I was given during my chemo can increase the sugar levels. So now I am on medication for diabeties and have to start taking my blood sugar levels 4 times a day. And see my doc and do blood work every 3 months. What joy. Back on a special diet, exercise and hope that I can get my sugar levels on track and not have other problems. Ok, so the chemo kills the cancer, but can elevate your sugar and make you gain weight. The Tamoxifin will help prevent cancer from returning, but promotes osteoperosis and slows your metabolism, which makes you gain weight. A little good with the bad - kind of like 2 steps forward and 4 steps back. I don't remember signing up for this journey and I think I would like a refund since I am not satisfied with the events. I need continued prayers to deal with all of this and also to get thru whatever challenges may be ahead. I need strength to get thru the day to day choices. I hope I can get thru this.