Cancer Free!

I want to thank each of you for all your love, thoughtfulness and prayer for my mom. I received many texts and calls letting me know you were all thinking of my mom and you have no idea how much that meant to me. Tuesday was a very long day, but well worth it! She was in surgery for 8 hrs, and we were expecting only 5. I know, you're thinking "only 5". But, the Dr's were very happy with how the surgery went and thought she weathered the storm quite well! All of her preliminary tests for the lymph nodes came out negative for Cancer. Praise God! This was my greatest concern. The first night with her in the hospital was quite interesting. She was doped up and saying some really funny things. You hated to laugh, but you just couldn't help it when she was begging you to make sure the monkey's at the zoo got fed that night cause they were hungry. She was so worried about them...ha! Every day since, she has done a little better. She is a ways away from being pain free, but making progress every day. Her surgery was at Baylor All-Saints in Fort Worth and she had such a great support system! There were ladies there who had a double mastectomy that would come to check on her making sure she was ok emotionally, and the best part was that they were volunteers. What great hearts! Their church groups made heart pillows for her to put under her arms for support and they had a welcome note in her room for her congratulating her on being a breast cancer survivor and fighting the good fight. It was so nice for her to have that from complete strangers. She came home today, and was looking forward to being in her own bed. She is such a trooper, and is doing very well coping with the loss. She is an incredible woman. I love you mom!

Not Easy...Yet Thankful!

A few months ago, my mom went to the Dr. for what she thought was going to be a routine Dr's visit. A week later, she received a phone call from her Dr wanting to do a sonogram on her breast due to some concern of what was seen on the results. Needless to say, they ended up doing a biopsy, got the results back and determined that she has pre-cancer in two places in her right breast. The Dr told her without a doubt, she has to have both spots removed. When being referred to a surgeon, this Dr (which is a woman as well) told my mom to be safe and for her specific case, she is going to need a double mastectomy (both breasts removed). The news...stunning, hard to swallow, scary. But, we choose to be forever grateful! This puts so much perspective on life and what truly matters. Life is about relationships and the people you love. My mom is such an incredible woman. She has remained so positive through all the trying news. She has decided to move forward with the double mastectomy and is scheduled to have surgery. She has met with a reconstructive plastic surgeon which has made her feel more at ease with what is to come. It will take her about 8 months or so to feel back to herself again, but is much better considering the alternative. We thank God everyday for Dr.... for being overly interested in this small little place on her sonogram that could have easily been overlooked. The Dr confirmed that if it would have been looked past, that next year at her check up she would have been well into stage 1 cancer. My mom has very high spirits and is looking forward to having the surgery. Life is always very good at constantly humbling our spirit and showing us that the most important things in life simply aren't things. My mom's surgery is scheduled on August 18, so if you would all please say a little prayer for her. I am confident that God will well equip her for the emotional hardship that is to come. We serve a GOOD God! Thank you in advance for your love and prayers! Love you all!