Frustrated! That's how I feel right now. I got a call today telling me that Dr. Peirce (my oncologist) still hasn't gotten the pathology report and they were changing my appointment. I was suppose to go back Thursday, but now I won't go til next Thursday, with the anticipation of starting treatment. It didn't bother me too bad til I got to thinking about it. Dern it, I have a deadly disease living inside me, I don't want to wait another week to start killing this thing! I'm so glad I have school to occupy my mind, and time. And I'm even happier that I have the good Lord above to turn all my burdens over to.
On a lighter note, I'm taking the time to read for pleasure! I love to read, just don't always make the time to do it. If you read here on a regular basis, you know that I have recently developed sort of an obsession with Twilight. I figured since I would be starting chemo again, it would be a good time to start reading the Twilight series. Well, there are four books in the series, and I started the third one today, lol! I'm not gonna have any left by the time I DO start chemo. I wasn't impressed with the second one, New Moon, I guess it was because my fave character wasn't present in the biggest part of the book. So far, the third one is good, but I'm only on the 6th chapter. Anyway, I think I would rather be reading than writing, so I'll be back sometime!

No Treatment Today!

I can't tell you how disappointed I am that I didn't get to start treatments today. We got there this morning, had blood drawn, blood pressure, temp, all that good stuff. Then when doc comes in, he tells us that they are still waiting on the pathology report from the biopsy. When he finally does get it, it doesn't have anything on it about the hormone status, which was the main thing he needed. So today's trip was pretty much for nothing. All the other test results were fine, so that's a good thing. It was nice to see that the dr was just as mad about the path report not being complete as we were. Sorry it's such a short post, but I'm still a little miffed about the whole thing and don't have much to say. I go back next Thursday, and may or may not, start treatment then.

So tomorrow is the big day! Ok, so maybe nothing to be excited about, but to me it is a small milestone. If everything goes well, I get to start treatments tomorrow. Not that I'm excited to start chemotherapy, but I look at it this way, the sooner I get started, the sooner they will be over. It really isn't for sure that I will start tomorrow. When this appointment was made, the idea was that it would give the doc enough time to get all the results back, from the biopsy, MRI, bone scan, and MUGA scan, and he would be able to decide what treatment would be best for me. And since it's a long drive for us, they gave us an early appt with the hopes that treatments would begin immediately following the dr's visit. Keep your fingers crossed! They did call to let me know that the MRI came back clear, so my noggin looks fine, lol!
So how am I doing emotionally? I have good days and bad. And I'm better at hiding some days than I am others. But I won't lie, it's a lot harder, mentally, this time.
I know it's in God's hands, and he will take care of me, really, I do know this. But I really can't help but wonder why. Then that makes me feel horribly guilty, because questioning God is the last thing I need to be doing right now. Ok, you know what, this is not something I want to get into right now. So I'm gonna change the subject.
Twilight. I had no intentions, at all, to get wrapped up in this craze. But, I did. And I have it bad!!! I got the chance to watch the movie at school, and it was all over from there. The movie was AMAZING! The absolute best love story ever! Not that Edward Cullen is good looking, but he had me melting! Just imagine someone looking at you with those eyes, YUM-O! So a friend of mine from school brought me the first book and I'm about half way through it. The same friend made me a copy of the soundtrack, and I just about have it memorized, it is so good. If that wasn't bad enough, I had to go out and buy the movie this evening! And I'll just tell ya, I'm not the type to buy a lot of movies. We may pick up a few in the $5 bins every now and then, but the last movie I bought as a new release was Cars. That reminds me, I have wrote what I needed to write, so there is no reason why I should still be here typing when I could be watching the movie!!! Just remember me & Doug tomorrow, and keep your fingers crossed that I get some drugs, hehe!

Two tests down!

Well, actually three if I count the biopsy he done when he put in the port. Anyway, today was spent at the hospital, almost ALL DAY! I got there this morning, got checked in, all that good stuff, and they took me on back to nuclear medicine so they could inject the dye. Then she notices that my MRI isn't scheduled til noon, and this was around 10 am, so she's gonna try to get them to take me earlier. She also leaves the iv in my arm, since I have to have another dye injection for the MRI. So I sit, and I sit, and I sit some more. I had already made plans to run a few errands in between the time I got the injection and the time I came back for the MRI, but I stayed, thinking I would get in sooner. Oh, I failed to mention that the actual bone scan, for which the first injection is for, isn't until 1:30. So here I am waiting, I'm about to get frustrated, and hungry, cause that was on my to do list. Ah, and finally I get called back for my MRI, and yes, it was earlier than 12:00, it was 11:45!! UGH!!! So I get back there, they get me started, I'm still miffed. And it was cold in there, I was real close to shivering, so that didn't help matters. I did have time to run and get me some lunch before having the bone scan, even though they didn't give me what I ordered in the drive-thru, but, hey, why should things go my way today? Make it back to the hospital for the scan, and they are running a little behind, so I get to wait some more, yippee! And the girl that did the scan, if she didn't ask me 100 questions, she didn't ask me one! Any other time, I wouldn't have minded a bit, but today it just bothered me. But being the nice person I am, I just answered them and was relieved to get out of there when it was over. And guess what, I get to go back to the very same exact place Thursday morning for the MUGA scan, at 7:30 am. This time I'm taking my mp3!!!!

Well I'm the proud new owner of a brand new shiny port! (at least I think it's shiny, they said it was titanium) Anyway, everything went fine today. I got there on time and they took me straight back and got me prepped. Dr. Holt was about 10 minutes late, but that's ok, since he was in another surgery I guess I can't say too much. The nurses that cared for me were so nice, couldn't have asked for better. Right now it's about 7 hours post-op, and I'm starting to get the feeling back and getting pretty sore. The only restriction I have is not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, lol, and they told me to go by that for at least 7 to 10 days.
I need to thank each and every one of you that have emailed me, called me, and left comments here, your kind words and prayers are better than anything right now! Thank you so much, and may God bless each one of you!

And the ball starts to roll...

I had my appointment with Dr. Pierce yesterday, he was my first oncologist two years ago, but had moved to a different office in Virginia. To have spent two hours listening to him talk, I still don't really know anything different. But I'm not complaining, that's the very reason I love this dr! He makes sure that Doug and I understand whats going on before he lets us leave. He's also very good about keeping up with the latest studies and research, so if there is something new to try, he knows about it. As a matter of fact, he told us he would be going to a conference in May for a lecture on triple negative breast cancer, which is what I have. Thankfully, there are more and more studies being done for triple neg, whereas, two years ago there were not that many. So this is a good thing for me!! Anyway, back to my visit, I left happy. I could leave you hanging at that, but I won't. He said that although he knew he couldn't have prevented it from coming back, he's pretty sure that he could have caught it sooner, had he still been caring for me. But we can't rely on the "what-ifs" so I'll just leave it at that. We still don't have a treatment plan in place, but for a good reason. He wants the biopsy results before he makes any definite decisions. He wants to make sure that it is, for sure, the breast cancer relocated. There is a possibility that it's a different kind of cancer all together, like lymphoma, so of course it would be a waste of time and resources to treat it as breast cancer if it's not, in fact, breast cancer. And your question now is, when is the biopsy? I have to be at the surgery center at 9:30 a.m. on Friday 13th! ACK!!! Good thing I'm not superstitious, huh! But Dr. Holt will perform the biopsy and put the port back in all at one time. Doesn't it sound fun? At least I like the dr!!! This will make the 3rd time I've been put to sleep, and the 4th procedure he has done on me! And then next week, I will be having a MUGA scan to make sure my heart is strong enough for chemo, a nuclear bone scan to so Dr. Pierce can get a closer look at the spots on my bones, and a MRI to make sure that the brain is clear of any spots. Those things will be done on the 17th and 20th, I think that's what I wrote down. The downside to seeing Dr. Pierce was that it's close to a two hour drive. The thing that makes it nice, besides being able to have him and Kelley back on my team of dr's, it's a new facility and it's super nice! There is no comparison with the last office he was in. The chemo treatment area then was a small room lined with recliners, which if several people reclined created an obstacle course for the nurses, and one tv that no one could ever hear, the chemo area in this new place was unbelievable! There were probably triple the chairs, there were half walls between each recliner, and a flat screen tv for EACH chair, oh and one whole wall was windows so you could see the gorgeous mountains of Va. I'm sure that he mentioned other things, but honestly, I can't remember half of what was said, I had a headache while I was there and it was hard focusing on what he was saying.
There is my update! Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers, they mean more than words could express!

I haven't posted in a few days mainly because after venting in the last post, I felt a lot better and it hasn't been on my mind as much. It also helps that there were no dr appointments last week. So I've been feeling great and haven't been too down and out. The weather has been beautiful here in East TN. Over the wknd, Doug and I went out to dinner and a movie with one of the best friends I have, Samantha, and her hubby. We had a really good time, ate some Japanese then hit a movie, Mall Cop. It was a funny movie! Then on Sunday, we went to pick up the kids at my dad's and spent just about all day outside playing. It was really nice! Today was pretty great too, I met up with some friends at school and went shopping, we also had some yummy lunch! Tomorrow I have an appointment with the oncologist, I guess I could call this one my second opinion. Not that I think he will tell me anything different, but if you recall, I didn't care much for the other one. I'll post tomorrow evening with an update, if I don't forget!

Emotional Overflow!

I am having an emotional overflow! I have been MAD! There is no one to be mad at, but I am mad! Mad that this thing has reared its ugly head again, mad that I will have to go through treatments again, mad that my family has to deal with this again. This just isn't fair! Yea I know life isn't fair, but I just need to have my little tantrum. I'm scared! More so this time because I know what lies ahead and I know what to expect. I know that I'm gonna feel crappy, and tired, and possibly sick. And, honestly, I just do not want to do it. But I know I have no choice, like I said, I just need to have a little fit, get it all out, and maybe I will feel better. Feel sorry for myself for a few days, get over it, and face this beast head on. Aside from the emotional feelings overwhelming me, the physical feelings have already started. I'm talking about the pain. Started already? Well, I think that it has been bothering me before, I just had no reason to pay any attention to it. But now that I know what it is, I swear, it hurts a lot worse. Silly isn't it? It's probably all in my head. The hip has been bothering me today, for real, and it has gotten even worse since I came home from school. Not to the point where I feel like I need anything for it, but definitely enough to make me uncomfortable and to know that it is there. Now, every time I feel anything anywhere in my body, it makes me nervous. My shoulder has been bothering me, but I know it's from a recent injury, but still I can't help but let the thought run through my mind that maybe there is a cancer spot there too, and it just didn't show up on the scan. That's so silly, I know. Well, now that I have had my little pity party, I need to go get some things ready for tomorrow so I don't have as much to do in the morning.

If it walks like a duck...

If it walks like a duck, and it sounds like a duck, more than likely, it's gonna be a duck! That's what the dr told me when he didn't think we should do the biopsy. And that's ok with me. Then after he thought about it a few minutes,he remembered that I was triple negative the first time around, and there is a SLIGHT chance that it could have changed this time to a hormonal cancer, and that would be a good thing, it would mean that there would be more treatment options! He is sending me for a second opinion, the appointment is 3/10, but they will call me before then if they have a cancellation. Then when that appointment is done, then we will schedule to have another port put in and he will do the biopsy then, all at one time. That's all I know at this time, I'll update you as I am updated.

I'm back! But so is the cancer! I know, not the kind of update that you wanted to read. I went last Tuesday, the 17th, for my 3 month check-up, and they found a lump in my neck. So then on Friday, the 20th, I went for a PET/CT scan and then back to the cancer dr on the 24th. The scans show that there is a cancer spot on my right hip bone, one on my pelvic bone, one on a left rib, one on the breast bone, plus the swollen lymph node in my neck. That was a hard blow to the stomach, going in to get news on the lump in my neck, only to get the news that it had spread to so many places. Course of action? Unknown at this point. I do go to my surgeon today for a biopsy on the place in my neck. (I always look forward to seeing him, uh-hum, I mean all the ladies in the office ;) Anyway, hopefully it is something that he will be able to do in the office and it won't have to be put off til another day.
I already knew that I had an amazing support group behind me, but it has grown so much since the first go round. My "school family" has been amazing! I have teachers, from other classes besides the one that I am in, that have come over just to let me know that they are praying for me. Four of my closest friends in the class, and two instructors went in and bought me a gorgeous Peace Lily with 3 pink roses stuck down in it. (I will try to post a pic soon) They have started a morning prayer around the flagpole, daily. (this wasn't just for me, but I'm still glad to be a part of it) My teacher has been incredible, making sure that I know that she is willing to work with me on my attendance when the treatments start. I am so blessed!
Although I know that I have God beside me all the way, and that I have millions praying for me, friends that are willing to do whatever I need for me, but still, I am scared. I've been told over and over, how strong I am, but right now, I don't feel too strong, I feel scared, I feel angry. So if you pray, and you say a little prayer for me, don't pray that the cancer will vanish, pray that God just give me a little extra courage, a little extra strength, and a little extra comfort. And also pray for my sweet husband, not only is he having to take all this in, but his dad is in really poor health living with colon cancer and sclerosis of the liver.

I'm almost finished with my first trimester of school!! Since I wrote last, I have finished another one of my books, call the Gregg Reference Manual, and made a 97 in it! I'm working on intro to filing this week and hope to get it finished up. December 18 will be my last day and then have a long Christmas break. I will start my 2nd trimester on Jan. 5, 2009!

I went to my surgeon last week for my check-up, but just got pushed back out the door. Well, not really. My dr was on-call and was called to a surgery at the same time my appointment was. So I had to reschedule for this week. I could have demanded him give me my appointment, but I am not that kind of person, and figured that the person on the operating table probably needed him a little bit more than I did at the time! Besides, they should be moved in their new office this week, and I wanted to see that! After all, I do need to see where I will be working when I get finished with school, right?!?! LOL!

Physically I am doing fine, I wish I could say the same for the mental part. Nothing major, but I do have a lot on my mind. Back a few months ago, I met a lady that I had a lot in common with. She was only a few yrs older than me, a mother and wife like me, and she teaches kindergarten (I don't). She had also went through treatment for breast cancer, actually, almost the same time I did. I recently found out that her cancer has returned and she will be starting treatments again. Her name is Christine, would you please remember her in your prayers that she make it through this round of treatments just as successful and strongly as she did the last time. Another friend of mine emailed me about a week ago and told me that a close friend of hers had just lost her battle with breast cancer, and that family has been in my prayers, as well. For obvious reasons, those things have been weighing very heavy on my heart. One last thing that I can't seem to stop thinking about, one of my dad's neighbors had a really bad accident this past week. I grew up with the Lawson's living close by. He's in pretty bad shape, from what I've been told, and is in intensive care. So, again, keep this family in your prayers! I truly believe in the power of prayer, and just because something doesn't go the way you asked for it to, doesn't meant that the prayer wasn't answered. God knows what we need, far better than we think we do!

Lots of stuff has happened since the last post. For one, the Race For the Cure came and went, and it was successful! I did walk, along with several friends and family members. I raised a little over $600, but can't remember the exact amount without looking. It was a great day and I got some great pics, but I will have to share those another time, they aren't on my laptop. The weather was really nice, not too cool nor too warm!

Then Halloween rolled around, and that's kinda a special day to me. Last Halloween was the day I had my last chemo treatment! So I have been out of chemo for a year! I have been feeling great, too! My check-ups have all been good. I've recently had my check-ups with my oncologist and my radiologist. Nothing but good reports! I was actually suppose to have my check-up with my surgeon, but I totally forgot it! Had to reschedule, and it's coming up next week! I always look forward to that one, love the girls in the office, and not to mention he's my most favorite dr ever! Of course, I know I have to be his favorite patient! (ok, so probably not, but it doesn't hurt to dream a little, right!?!?) Anyway, I won't forget this appointment, I hope!

School. You may wonder how school is going. Well, it's still going great. I have finished my math course ending it with a 97 average. I have also been able to put my English book away, with a 97 average in that one too! Then there is also my electronic calculating course that I have completed, but can't recall what my grade was on that one, but I'm pretty sure it was in the 90's as well. Dec. 19 will be the last day of my first trimester! Only two more to go after that and I will have my diploma and be able to get me a job! In case I have failed to mention it before, I love my classmates and have made several really good friends!

Hmmmm, what else? Oh yea, Ethan got glasses! Like mother, like son! Thankfully he doesn't have to wear them all the time, just when he's reading or doing any kind of school work or coloring, stuff like that. He looks so cute in them! He picked out some gold frames and said he picked those cause they matched his skin, lol! We're also getting him a little bit of counseling, he has had a hard time coping since Doug's aunt passed away. But we are on the road to recovery, so I have high hopes!

I got to do something that was really up my alley recently. The owner of the scrapbook store in Kingsport was going to be out of town for the weekend, and she doesn't have anybody that works for her on a regular basis, so I got to work at the store for two days. I had a lot of fun and I hope she lets me do it again soon! I also taught my first class there, too! It was a lot of fun and I have another one coming up in a couple of weeks. I will have to show you pics of those projects too! I'll have to get my camera software downloaded on this computer before I can share pics.

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving, I'll get to see most of my family. We always get together at my dad's, and his brothers and sisters come, as well as my grandma! Sad enough, this is usually the only time I see some of them. So I always look forward to it and try to get lots of pictures! I love my family! Oh, and after we eat, Doug and I will be headed to the Smokies for a camping weekend, ALONE! We plan on getting a lot of our Christmas shopping done then. The kids will be staying with my in-laws. I'm so excited to get a few days away! Plus it will be the first camping trip that I will have a laptop to take with me! (I know, big deal, but I'm still excited!)

Ok, well, I do need to feed my children and maybe do a little homework, so...
Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Raising Some Funds!

What started out as just asking permission to ask my classmates for donations towards my Susan G. Komen race fund, ended up being a full blown celebration! I would have been happy just getting a few donations from my class and maybe some of the other classes, but I am overjoyed with what I ended up with! One of the other instructors at the school (TN Technology Center, Hawkins County Branch) volunteered to do a hot dog sale and had the idea to do a cake walk. Then our class decided to throw in some baked goods for a bake sale. The turnout was great, and when it was all over with, we had raised a whopping $276.00! I'm tickled PINK! (pun definitely intended!) Plus, my teacher and a couple of classmates have signed up to walk with me! Looks like it will be another successful year!

In Memory Of....

I'd like to take a moment to remember my husband's aunt, Fern Snapp. She was a very special lady and adored her family, especially my husband and our children. Doug and Fern had a special relationship and he knew he could always count on her. It was an unexpected passing, so it has been exceptionally hard on all of us. I still can't believe she's gone, although I know that she is in a better place and one day we'll be with her again. She was a lot like me in that she hid from the camera whenever possible, but I did manage to get this shot of her and Doug just a few weeks ago at a family reunion. Fern, we love you and miss you terribly!

I would like to thank a few special people for their donations. My sweet aunt Barbara, thank you, and it's ok that you can't walk. My great friend, Tonya Brewer, it will be just as fun this year as it was last year! Another great friend, Michelle Oxrider, love ya! A scrappy friend all the way in California, Diana, thanks, you're a sweetheart! And my teacher, Mrs. Combs, I'm tickled that you will be walking with me!

For anyone else that would like to sign up to walk, or make a donation, click on the "Race For A Cure" link at the right of the page. Make a donation under my name, Kristi Snapp, or sign up to walk with my team, Kristi's Krusade. The race will be on October 26, at 3:00 p.m. at the park across from DB High School. I'm hoping to get 10 members on my team, but so far there is only 2 signed up. So come on, sign up, I know there are at least 10 people that love me, right?

School is going great! I will take the final for English sometime this week, and then will be finished with that!! I've made some really good friends, as well!

That Time Of Year Again!

Yep, time for the Susan G. Komen race in Kingsport this year! I'm a little late getting my team and page set up this year. Last year I joined a team created my one of the dr. offices I go to, but this year they aren't doing it, so I created my own team! I named it Kristi's Krusade and you can click on that and it will take you right to the team page where you can sign up, donate, see how close I am to my goal, etc. Last year I had enough friends and family walk with me to have my own team, so I hope I can say the same for this year as well! Let's just hope that it is not as hot as it was last year! It should not be 92 degrees in October like it was last year!! I'm really excited about it! I know this year to take pictures and to take a bottle of water with me on the actual walk! Anyway, I'd be really greatful if you could walk with me, or even just make a donation! Any amount, no matter how small will be so very appreciated!

After 10+ years!

I have finally went back to school! Yep! I'm taking business systems technology classes at the Tn Technology Center. I'm hoping to work in a medical office, maybe an oncology office. So far I really like it. Our main subjects are keyboarding, math, and english/grammer. Now, most of the the women in the class are dreading the math part, but I actually enjoy math, so that's not what I'm concerned with. Keyboarding is gonna be my biggest challenge. Why? Well, I didn't take it in high school, which I have regretted so many times, so, therefore I never learned to type the "correct" way. I am a self-taught typer, and don't use the correct fingers on the correct keys, but I don't chicken peck either! So breaking my old habits and starting over is a big hurdle!! But I will do it! As a matter of fact, writing here is a great practice! I surprised myself one evening when I was working in my math book and I actually didn't want to quit!! Getting up early is another thing, ugh! I have never been a morning person, but I am having to be one now! My classes are from 7:30-2:10 and I have to get ready in time to get the kids dressed and to my mother-in-law. Now I know that there are women that have done this for years and are very good at it, but when you're not use to it, well, you are just not use to it! Anyway, back to the class, it is "learn at your own pace", so our instructor pretty much handed us our books and a syllabus, and said have at it, and she goes to her office. Granted, she will help us at any time me need it, but we are on out own. This is foreign to me, I like structure! I am proud to say, however, that I am ahead of schedule! I plan on taking my first math test Monday! I'm also taking the opportunity to shed a few pounds. See, where the school is, there is nothing close to get for lunch, so I have to take something. There is a fridge in the room that we can use, so I have been taking bottled water to have during the day. So I figure, since I can't just sit and eat whenever I want, and WHATever I want, I would eat what I have available, so if I only take good things with me then that is all I have! We'll see if I can keep it up! Oh, want to see the pic of me on my first day of school?? Too bad, you're gonna see it anyway!

WOW! I knew it had been a while since I updated, but didn't realize it had been 2 months!! Well, a lot has been going on, mostly just summer fun stuff! We got to go camping a couple of weeks ago, with Samantha and her family, and had a blast, as usual! I did have my gallbladder taken out on the 1st day of July, and have fully recovered from that. Has it taken care of the nausea? Not 100%. There have been a couple queasy days since then, but no where near as bad. I went in for my 3month check up with my oncologist (cancer dr) a couple of weeks ago and ended up in the ER!! Only me, I know! Well, it turned out to be nothing, but she sent me there because my blood pressure was up and my heart rate was really high. But I felt just fine! Anyway, both came down on their own, so they sent me home after about 4hrs! There is good news tho, my dr that I was so upset cause the office was closing, ended up staying with the "company" and is working in the office in Johnson City. It was really weird, cause I knew it was time for my check up, and I still hadn't made my appointment with the new dr, for some reason, I just could not make myself do it! Well, it was just a day or two later that I got a voice mail saying that Kelley was working in the JC office and that I had an appointment coming up! So I was really happy to see her, even if she did send me to the ER, lol! She did tell me, however, that it was still in the "trial" period and she wasn't sure if she would stay or not, so we'll see! I would show you a recent pic of my hair, but I don't have a good one. We'll see if I can get one, maybe! But it really doesn't look much different from the last pic I posted, of me and my dr. It's still curly and still thick! It would be down to my shoulders, if it were straight, but it's still bout half way down my neck. I'm leaving you with a pic of the twins. This was their second day of second grade!

Ya know, I just realized I didn't say WHY I was getting a CT scan in the last post, lol. Well, for the past 2 yrs or so, I've been having spells of nausea, at least once a month, sometimes more. When I got the cancer diagnosis, I just assumed that was the reason, but then after all treatments were over, the nausea came back, and maybe a little worse. Ok, I know it was worse cause I was actually vomiting and couldn't keep anything down. So I mention this to my oncologist, not really sure if I needed to be worried about it or not. And that's what the scans were ordered for. The stomach ultrasound showed that I have gallstones! It also showed that there were some suspicious spots on my liver. Probably nothing more than fatty cysts, but still need to checked out closer. After all, the liver is a common place for the cancer to reoccur. And so there was a MRI ordered, but thankfully it showed nothing to be concerned about!!!!! Ok, back to the gallstones. There is one good thing coming out of it, I get to go back to my surgeon, the good looking one! Had a consult with him last week and will be having it taken out June 30th. It will be a same day surgery and I should be coming home that day as long as everything goes as planned and there are no complications, and I don't expect there to be any. According to what I have read and what others have told me, I will probably be sore a couple of days, but nothing really horrible. I've been through worse, right?
After that appointment, I had to go see Kelley, my onc. They just found out that their office will be closing! Honestly, this really makes me mad! My first onc already left a while back, and I felt really, I don't know, almost scared I guess. I mean they have treated me since the beginning of this nasty beast, I don't want to have to see someone else. But I continued seeing Kelley, she's the nurse practitioner in the office and she's wonderful. But now she's not even going to be there, no one is! I know it's not their fault and not their decision. My security blanket has been taken away from me, THEY were my security blanket, they, along with the grace of God, are the ones that made me better. There, I got that off my chest, maybe I'll start feeling better about it. Here is a pic Doug took of me and Kelley.

Yea, I'm still around! I just don't feel like I have anything to talk about. I did have some check-ups recently. Had one with my surgeon, and he said everything looked fine. One with my radiologist, said everything looked good to him. And a little funny about the two of them... well I've been having quite a bit of tightness in my left arm, where the node dissection was AND the radiation. So when I brought it up at my appointments, they both pointed fingers at the other one, lol! Radiologist says it's from surgery, and surgeon says it's from radiation! Ugh, MEN!!! So when I have my check up with my oncologist, SHE says it's from both, lol!!! Which I totally agree with! They all recommended physical therapy, but with gas prices rising like they are, I passed! I did promise to consider it if the tightness got any worse. But I just don't think it is bad enough for therapy, and one of them showed me some easy exercises I can do myself at home to help with it. I can already tell a difference too. I was scheduled for a ct scan a couple of weeks ago, but insurance decided they didn't want to pay for it until I had a stomach ultrasound and chest x-rays. Those were set up for last Friday, but no one thought to mention it to me that I couldn't eat before hand, and of course I had ate, so they couldn't do it! It was rescheduled for yesterday, and I made sure I didn't eat anything! Guess it will be a few days before I hear anything from them.
We have been on a couple camping trips. We went to Fall Creek Falls state park back around the middle of May. My good friend Samantha and her family joined us, and we had a great time! I did get my freshly healed foot to hurting a little bit, but it was worth it cause I got some great pics! Here are a couple...


Then the wknd following that, which was Memorial Day wknd, we camped in Pigeon Forge with Kim and Billy. The weather was gorgeous and we were able to get in the pool. Well, kinda! The water was soooo cold, and I only got in to my waist, but the kids toughed it out! It was a lot of fun!
We'll be planning another trip in July sometime. But for now, the camper is set up in the backyard and we can camp whenever we want, lol!