Monday, June 23, 2008
My readers have voted.
With 96% of the votes in favor of keeping the blog going, I have decided to continue it. With recent events, I also feel like the story hasn't ended. It is just time for the next chapter. I now also realize that the kinds of things we recently went through are a part of our lives. Not that we dwell on the disease and after effects daily, but things are going to come up that are not part of our plan. It's not like cancer was part of the plan.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Home at last!
We arrived home today between 2 and 3 this afternoon. Dave is now busy working on a paper that is due in less than 12 hours. I am trying to conserve a little energy to edit it for him before I fall over. Although there were some crazy moments during this vacation, we did have some (good) memorable moments . . . listening to the conversation between David and Dawson while they shared a bed last night (it was mostly about bad guys and robbers) . . . hearing David tell me how he caught his first fish . . . hearing Dave and my dad tell the same story, from their perspective . . . evening walks (and chats) with my mom . . . going out on a date with Dave in my parents' small town . . . starting and finishing 2 books . . . and coming home and being reminded of His sovereign grace every day.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Unbelievable! Really, I am not making this stuff up!
We were scheduled to come home today. We left Little Rock airport on time, around 2:30 p.m. Dawson napped on the plane, as scheduled and it was an uneventful plane ride until . . . we arrived over Cleveland where we were scheduled to connect to our Philly flight. We kept circling over Cleveland - thunder storms. Okay, we'll land when the storm is over, right? No, we didn't have enough fuel to continue circling. We had to travel to Fort Wayne, IN, stay on the plane until clearance to travel back to Cleveland. Okay, we finally get back to Cleveland but missed our Philly flight. Okay, catch the next flight into Philly tonight, right? No, the next flight to Philly or any surrounding city is not until late tomorrow morning. Apparently, Cleveland airport closes around 8 p.m. When we got in around 7:30, all of the stores were closed. We are now in a surrounding hotel. The boys are having a ball and we are just trying to make the best of the circumstances. I am not making this up!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Unexpected surgery
I didn't think I was going to have updates about surgery and cancer related stuff. Well, I was wrong.
The boys and I have been traveling since June 5, visiting family. We went to NC first to visit my sister-in-law Robin and travel to Boone, NC to ride on Thomas the train. The day we were supposed to leave for Thomas, Dawson came down with a high fever. Dawson has never traveled well, so we assumed it was just that. Well, as the day went on, it looked like more was wrong. We ended up going to 3 different urgent care facilities before he would be seen. He had an upper respiratory problem and possible strep throat. So, he started on an antibiotic and we went to Thomas. Within a few days, he was himself again.
We came home briefly for 2 days so David could play his last tee-ball game and then left for Arkansas to visit my parents. We went to a church camp with my parents near a lake and the first day we were there, we had a great time. The second day of the camp, Dawson was sitting in the lake, rearranging the rocks, when some boys shouted, "Snake." Dad and I kept looking for it when we both spotted it at the same time - headed straight for Dawson. I yanked him out of the water as Pa took care of the snake. We joked that we could reattach Dawson's arm later. He didn't know what was happening and blamed these boys for moving the canoe. He had no idea there was a snake. When the boys moved the canoe, the snake came out from hiding. So, Dawson went back into the water. I was a little shaky after that but didn't want to discourage him from going back in. We didn't see any more after that. Whew!
Now, to the latest. On Monday, the boys and I went to a playground up the road from my parents' house. We were having a great time and Pa came to pick us up on the golf cart around 6 for dinner. We came home and had dinner. While we have been here, my mom and I have been walking on a nearby track every night while my dad watches the boys. I decided to change into cooler clothes. When I changed, I noticed a lot of blood. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I then saw that the skin on the left breast was split completely open and the hole was about 2 inches wide. This was a problem. I couldn't feel anything. So, mom and I had to put our walking on hold. If I hadn't changed my clothes, who knows how much worse this would have become. My dad took me to the ER and they took me right in. The problem is I can't just see a general surgeon, I need a cosmetic surgeon because of the implants. I don't want just anybody sticking needles around those! I spoke with my cosmetic surgeon from home and she told me what I needed. The ER didn't have a plastic surgeon on call so they consulted with another surgeon about 1 hour away from the hospital who also instructed the ER doctor. After a shot of antibiotic and a temporary dressing, the ER doctor got a quick response from the surgeon who said he would be in an outpatient surgery center the next day doing procedures and would squeeze me in. Yesterday, my dad and I traveled to Little Rock, saw the surgeon shortly after arriving and gave me my options. The problem was the possibility of an infection. To just sew it up would mean greater risk for infection. So, we decided to open it up, clean out everything and hopefully put back the implant. The skin is so weak because of the radiation, he wasn't sure if he would be able to close it up again after placing the implant back in. So, there was the possibility of losing the implant and having to come home and make more decisions about different cosmetic solutions. He also spoke with my plastic surgeon and they agreed on what to do. His words to us were that he didn't want me to come home with an infection and my doctor wondering what this small town hick doctor did to me. Dad and I got a good laugh. Well, when I woke up, the first thing I checked was that the implant was there and it was! I also have a drain to reduce any swelling and not put more pressure on that skin. This apparently is a common problem with radiated skin. The skin can appear closed and healthy and then just rip. This may become a problem for me and then we will have to go a different way.
Today, I am in some pain and very dizzy from the medication. We go home on Saturday. Oh, I forgot - Dave's plane got in about an hour before I came out of surgery so I was able to see him in the recovery room. I have never been so happy to see him! We are hoping for a few boring days before we go home.
The boys and I have been traveling since June 5, visiting family. We went to NC first to visit my sister-in-law Robin and travel to Boone, NC to ride on Thomas the train. The day we were supposed to leave for Thomas, Dawson came down with a high fever. Dawson has never traveled well, so we assumed it was just that. Well, as the day went on, it looked like more was wrong. We ended up going to 3 different urgent care facilities before he would be seen. He had an upper respiratory problem and possible strep throat. So, he started on an antibiotic and we went to Thomas. Within a few days, he was himself again.
We came home briefly for 2 days so David could play his last tee-ball game and then left for Arkansas to visit my parents. We went to a church camp with my parents near a lake and the first day we were there, we had a great time. The second day of the camp, Dawson was sitting in the lake, rearranging the rocks, when some boys shouted, "Snake." Dad and I kept looking for it when we both spotted it at the same time - headed straight for Dawson. I yanked him out of the water as Pa took care of the snake. We joked that we could reattach Dawson's arm later. He didn't know what was happening and blamed these boys for moving the canoe. He had no idea there was a snake. When the boys moved the canoe, the snake came out from hiding. So, Dawson went back into the water. I was a little shaky after that but didn't want to discourage him from going back in. We didn't see any more after that. Whew!
Now, to the latest. On Monday, the boys and I went to a playground up the road from my parents' house. We were having a great time and Pa came to pick us up on the golf cart around 6 for dinner. We came home and had dinner. While we have been here, my mom and I have been walking on a nearby track every night while my dad watches the boys. I decided to change into cooler clothes. When I changed, I noticed a lot of blood. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I then saw that the skin on the left breast was split completely open and the hole was about 2 inches wide. This was a problem. I couldn't feel anything. So, mom and I had to put our walking on hold. If I hadn't changed my clothes, who knows how much worse this would have become. My dad took me to the ER and they took me right in. The problem is I can't just see a general surgeon, I need a cosmetic surgeon because of the implants. I don't want just anybody sticking needles around those! I spoke with my cosmetic surgeon from home and she told me what I needed. The ER didn't have a plastic surgeon on call so they consulted with another surgeon about 1 hour away from the hospital who also instructed the ER doctor. After a shot of antibiotic and a temporary dressing, the ER doctor got a quick response from the surgeon who said he would be in an outpatient surgery center the next day doing procedures and would squeeze me in. Yesterday, my dad and I traveled to Little Rock, saw the surgeon shortly after arriving and gave me my options. The problem was the possibility of an infection. To just sew it up would mean greater risk for infection. So, we decided to open it up, clean out everything and hopefully put back the implant. The skin is so weak because of the radiation, he wasn't sure if he would be able to close it up again after placing the implant back in. So, there was the possibility of losing the implant and having to come home and make more decisions about different cosmetic solutions. He also spoke with my plastic surgeon and they agreed on what to do. His words to us were that he didn't want me to come home with an infection and my doctor wondering what this small town hick doctor did to me. Dad and I got a good laugh. Well, when I woke up, the first thing I checked was that the implant was there and it was! I also have a drain to reduce any swelling and not put more pressure on that skin. This apparently is a common problem with radiated skin. The skin can appear closed and healthy and then just rip. This may become a problem for me and then we will have to go a different way.
Today, I am in some pain and very dizzy from the medication. We go home on Saturday. Oh, I forgot - Dave's plane got in about an hour before I came out of surgery so I was able to see him in the recovery room. I have never been so happy to see him! We are hoping for a few boring days before we go home.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Should I keep it going?
I am torn on this one. I have been asked a lot if I will continue the blog. I'm not sure. The whole reason I started it was to keep folks updated with my health/ treatment status. It also has served as a journal for me to capture my thoughts in the midst of all that was happening. Now, we have moved on with life and would only have life things to write about. Please take the poll and let me know if you would be interested in reading about our family.
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