~WHAT A DAY~

I JUST GOT HOME!!!!
WHAT A DAY!!!
THEY LOST MY PAPERWORK at the Hospital so I had to WAIT to be "squeezed" in.....WHAT???

SO, I am just now home, I am EXHAUSTED.....BUT MY HEART IS GREAT!!!! SO...off to CHEMO I GO on Wednesday.....
Bob is making Grilled Hamburgers with Cheese, Pasta Ranch Salad and Chips for supper...

I NEED SLEEP and will be going to bed after dinner.....

UGHHHHHH!!!! I will catch up with all of you tomorrow....I have lots to catch up on....HAPPY SLEEPY~Amy~

~MUGA HEART TEST~

~MUGA HEART TEST TODAY~

I go for my MUGA Nuclear Heart Test today to make sure my Heart can take the Chemo. I have no idea how long it takes but when I get back...I will post more and be working on the website. I didn't sleep too good last night so I am sure a NAP will be in order.

HAVE A HAPPY DAY TODAY ~Amy~

~TODAY I FORGOT I HAD CANCER~

THIS IS MY 4th POST TODAY!!! WOW WEE!!!

MY HAIR like it NATURALLY IS EVERYDAY.....THICK AND CURLY

My HAIR STRAIGHTENED by my Daughter ALLI the night before my surgery

WOW!!! WHAT A DAY!!!
For the first time in weeks...I FORGOT I HAD CANCER!!!
Mom came over and helped me work on stuff for the website and for the FIRST TIME I felt like my old self....we never once talked about my breast cancer and what is going to happen a week from today. IT FELT SO GOOD TO WORK!!!!

WHAT A WONDERFUL FEELING....THANK YOU MOM!!!! And thanks for telling me about those WIGS on QVC!!!! LOL...I'm going to be checking that out soon.....Amy

~STAGE II TYPE B and CHEMO~

I HAVE LOTS TO WRITE ABOUT SO HERE GOES:

I didn't realize how tired I was going to be after my 2 and 1/2 hour doctor appointment with the Oncologist. WHAT A NEAT GUY MY DOCTOR IS!!!
HE is Straight to the point yet soft spoken and kind. It is TRUE what everyone has said about him...He DOES ACT LIKE YOU ARE HIS ONLY PATIENT!!! WHAT A GOD SEND and to think , I wasn't going to get him because he was not accepting new patience. More on that story later.....A TRUE BELIEVER IN BALANCE!!!

I START Chemo next Wednesday June 27 (the day before my Sweet Maddi's 6th Birthday) at 9:40 am

I HAD NO IDEA I HAVE TO SIT THERE FOR 5 HOURS and HAVE CHEMO.....I honestly thought I went in and got a shot like you go to get the flu shot or something. I was shocked and I am also in a panic. I am a very hyper girl and I don't even think I can sleep for 5 hours without getting up let alone sit in a chair for 5 hours. AND THE CHEMO ROOM......OH OH OH.....I can't even begin to tell you how I felt going in and seeing all those different stages of cancer in the people sitting there getting chemo. I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THERE FAST ENOUGH. It WAS SOOOO SAD I have to quit talking about it!!!

I will have to take chemo EVERY 3 WEEKS for 4 MONTHS.....then I will have to take a chemo drug by mouth everyday for 5 (YES FIVE) YEARS starting the day after my chemo is done.

IMMEDIATE SIDE EFFECTS of my Chemo:

HAIR LOSS (yep, any where from 2 days to 2 weeks into my first chemo treatment)SO....I WENT AND TRIED ON WIGS.....OH WAS THAT FUN!!!! I have picked out 2 of them one being BLONDE (of course I would...LOL) and one being a RED HEAD!!!! And I have yet to order them...

TIREDNESS and FATIGUE I figured that one.....everyone talks about that. LOL....oh well, what's a girl to do except take a nap.

NAUSEA and vomiting and that one I figured too....LOL

LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS of my Chemo:

Leukemia and Heart Failure (these are both possibilities, highly unlikely but needed to be mentioned by the doctor)

LOCKS OF LOVE and USING MY HAIR FOR A WIG

I cannot give my hair to Locks of Love because I have chemically treated it with hair coloring. BUT, my Sweet 15 year old Alli gave 13 inches of her STRAWBERRY BLONDE Hair to Locks of Love last year. So that's pretty cool I think.

Also, IT"S WAY TOO EXPENSIVE to have my own hair made into a wig.....AND It will be 9 MONTHS after chemo before I have any type of workable hair to work with so I will be wearing hats, scarves and wigs for a little over a year depending on how fast my hair grows back. The basic wigs I would like to get are $140 each. I am buying them locally because you can try them on and the guy "Jeff" is a TOTAL SWEETHEART and treats you with dignity and respect. Plus, that way, if I ever have any trouble with the wig and need help with it, he's right here to help me.

I DROVE FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY

Oh what a BIG MISTAKE that was....I am paying for it now and I never realized how much you use your chest to turn the wheel. Looks like driving is still a no-no for me. (Amy, you dummy!!!!)

Tomorrow I go in for a NUCLEAR Heart scan to make sure my heart can take the chemotherapy. ALSO, Friday I go back to my Plastic Surgeon to get more solution in my temporary expander's. I don't want to gross anyone out but I have had some requests wondering what my surgery looks likes post op. I do have a picture and am HAPPY TO SHARE, it sure takes away a lot of guessing and puts a girl at ease to see it's NOT SO BAD. If you want to see a picture, just click here for my PHOTO JOURNEY....remember, they are ACTUAL PHOTOS and I don't want to offend or upset anyone. I just have so many women interested and thought I should share so I could take away some fears anyone might ever have about Breast Cancer.

I am going to get this posted and write more later today as I remember things. I do know I will have highs and lows and I can continue to work as long as I feel up to it. I WAS SOOO EXCITED to hear that as I am going to try to work on the website and get it all ready before I start chemo next week. ALSO, about the 10th thru the 14th day of chemo I will be at my lowest blood count point and my immunities will be at their lowest. I figure that will probably be when I am the most tired too. We will see!!!

MORE LATER TODAY......HUGS TO ALL OF YOU, Amy

~To CROCHET or KNIT~

~TO CROCHET OR KNIT.....HMMMMMM, I NEED YOUR HELP~ The girls and I have decided that we want to learn to make HATS for me (and them too) since I was told today, I WILL LOSE ALL OF MY HAIR. (more about my appointment in the next post)

So, which is easier, to crochet or to knit AND.....which looks better, crocheted hats or knitted hats. I will need some for the winter (Iowa gets below zero) and if we can pull this off I would love to make quite a few because I like to match my outfits with my shoes, hats, gloves, you get the picture....LOL

Also, any tips on books, patterns and yarn???? I have no clue as we are the blind leading the blind in this new adventure.

Please drop me a line as I will be waiting anxiously to hear from you.

Hugs to all of you.....Amy (My appointment went GREAT today until I saw the Chemotherapy room.....I had a MAJOR MELTDOWN...I will post all about it Tuesday)

~Dr. Appointments Today~

Well today at 10:00 am I will finally get my last drainage tube out. YIPPY SKIPPY.....11 days is LONG ENOUGH!!!!

AND.....at 10:30 am will be my first visit to my Oncologist Doctor.

Today I will find out what kind of chemotherapy I will need, when I will start and for how long I will have to take it.

I am starting to get COLD FEET and I said to Bob this morning....I was all okay with this at first but NOW I AM STARTING TO GET SCARED. I CHANGED MY MIND......(it is a woman's prerogative to do that you know) and

I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY HAIR,

I DON'T WANT TO BE TIRED,

I DON'T WANT TO BE SICK.

I didn't sign up for this and I don't want to do it.

I think the whole reality of all of this is finally sinking in...

Please don't think for one minute I haven't had my MELTDOWNS and CRYING SPELLS....because I have!!! I'm just don't want to think about going to get my first chemotherapy treatment.....It's already making me sick to my stomach....Amy

~MY DAD~

~MY DAD~

Today marks the first Father's Day without my Dad

~He was such an adorable little kid~

~My Dad in the Army at the time of the Korean War~

~Dad and Mom's Wedding Picture....WHAT A HOOT~

This week Tuesday June 12th was his birthday....also the first year without him for his birthday.

And Yesterday marked 11 months since he passed....I literally watched him die of CANCER....I HATE THAT WORD!!! I never left his side for the last 3 days....Crazy what happens in a year....

I MISS HIM SOMETHING AWFUL!!!

Love you Daddy, Can't wait to see you again.....Love, (the only girl who was wrapped around your finger) Amy