Well, it can't be that bad!

As I was falling asleep last night I started to think about my Thursday.

The morning started out as usual. My alarm went off at 5:30am and I sat up and helped my legs over the side of the bed. I sat there for a few minutes trying to assess the soreness in my lower back. I stood up and suddenly the bathroom felt very far away. I put one foot in front of the other and shuffled into the bathroom. And that is how it begins...with one foot in front of the other. I got myself ready, got the boys up, got breakfast, packed lunches, packed dinner, got the bookbag together, reminded Trent to feed the dogs and cats, got the kids dressed, gathered soccer stuff (except for shinguards...thanks Meg) and we were in the car at 7am. I dropped off Ian at Glen and Cindys and took Trent to school then headed to work. I worked until 5pm and then headed to pick up the boys so we could eat our packed dinner by soccer practice at 6. I walked Ian to the playground and visited with dad during practice, had to stop to get gas on the way home and was pulling in the driveway at 7:30. So, then I had enough time to clean up, help Trent with homework, give baths, read stories and tuck the kids in before sitting down to plan the Kindergarten Easter party. All of that without any pain medicine.

I started again this morning at 5:30am. That leads me to believe that things can't be all that bad. There is a huge sense of accomplishment for me when I can keep up like that. Staying on top of with what a normal mom should be able to do on a daily basis is a big deal. I often feel like I am fighting to stay in the 'real world' with the healthy people. A world where people worry about bills and getting to places on time and how much gas is in the car and what is packed in lunch boxes and what event is next on the list of weekly activities. This is a world that I plan on staying in for a very long time and this week I really enjoyed living in it.

How long does it take?

One of the projects that I really wanted to complete this winter was turing Ian's bedroom into a 'big boy room.' We talked about several themes and decided to use a fishing themed quilt and bedskirt my mom had made. Dad found the quilt, I found scrap material and made valances, Brad bought the paint, I ordered a stencil and we were set when the snow storm hit in February. I took down all the baby items, boxed them up and we got started! After the snow was cleared, Glen and Cindy went to a craft show and found a lot of really cool things for the walls. We were finished except for a lightswitch cover and a clock.

Over the past couple of years I have become an anti-shopper. I don't know if it is because I enjoyed shopping with my mom so much, or because when I shop I typically have two boys in tow, or with all our activities I just feel like it is a waste of time. For whatever reason if I can avoid going in a store, I will. For example, for the past two years my Christmas shopping is done mostly at Amazon.com and the rest I do in the wee hours of Black Friday.

So, one night Brad was watching something on TV and I decided to find the last two items to complete Ian's room. I quickly found a lightswitch cover at Amazon.com. The clock was a little tricky as most of them were either really expensive or not appropriate. I finally found one on ebay. New in box. Several available. And, most importantly, those two words I always look for: FREE SHIPPING. I showed it to Brad and he thought it was great (or at least he grunted approval) and I placed the order. That was the evening of March 9th. Just like everyone else, we got busy and forgot about the clock. Every so often when I would read to Ian at night I would look at the old clock and think about checking on the status of the new clock. Two days ago I said something to Brad while he was on the computer so he checked the status. He started laughing soon after he logged on because it turns out the cute fishing clock was on its way....from Hong Kong. Sure enough it arrived today. Packaged perfectly and shipped from Hong Kong. So if you were wondering how long it takes to get something from Hong Kong, the answer is 14 days. Now if we could just find one AA battery!

Too much on our minds

I'm used to the way the week goes after my Zometa drip. I feel pretty bad the day after and then it gets better each day. This week was no different except I was really busy at work on Thursday and Friday so I didn't really notice that I didn't feel good until Friday night. I was just so darn tired. The boys were outside when I got home from work and we played outside after dinner then settled down for Friday movie night. Trent picked Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey which is a movie I love too much to sleep through. After the movie the three of us came up from the basement and woke up Brad, who had fallen asleep in the chair.

Spot-o had been left outside and was waiting on the deck to come back in for the night. When I opened the door the dogs went out and he came in. I sleepily led the boys upstairs, tucked them in and proceeded to get into my bed. It was about 3am when I heard a noise and then a bark. A few mintues later another bark. I sat up in bed and looked around the room. The dogs weren't in bedroom and the barking sounded like it was coming from outside. So I did what just about every woman I know would do...I woke my husband up. Well it turns out that the dogs got left outside. Now, our dogs are inside dogs that sleep in our bedroom mostly on our king size bed. I can't believe we left them outside and I can only imagine the looks on their faces as they stood on the deck for hours waiting for someone to let them in.

I really think we have too much on our minds. Oh and I also think there is no need for a fence at this house! LOL.

We did try to remedy the 'too much on our minds' by making a reservation at a local restaurant hoping to use a gift certificate a customer had given Brad several months ago. This seemed like perfect timing as this is our free weekend between wrestling and soccer. Glen and Cindy generously volunteered to take the boys to dinner and keep them overnight. But, during lunch Ian started acting like he didn't feel good and, upon further investigation, I discovered he had a fever. Poor guy and it is such a nice day! So, no dinner and no sleepover and just one more thing to worry about.

I suppose I'll just go with my typical list making so I don't forget all the things I need to do when I have too much on my mind. And, I'll need to add 'make sure we are all inside at bedtime.'

A Beautiful Day!

As weather goes, today was about as good as it gets! The warm spring sunshine was such a welcome change from the long string of rainy days we have had. It is always hard to feel sad on such a pretty day, so I always appreciate a beautiful day when I receive 'not so good' news.

This post may contain more information than you want, but people are always asking how I am and I'm never really quite sure how to respond. My main reason for starting this blog is so you can read as much (or as little) about what is going on as you would like. So, here we go...

As most of you know, I have cancer. It started in 2003 and came back in 2008. When you are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, you know that you are pretty much stuck with it. So I've known for quite a while that for as long as I live I will have breast cancer. In January the hormone drug I was taking each day stopped working. My doctor switched me to a new drug and I had a set of scans (meaning a CT scan of the chest, abdomen and pelvis with contrast, and a nuclear medicine bone scan) last week to see how it is working. Today I found out that there is increased growth in the legion on my pelvis and the CT scan picked up a large lymph node under my left arm and another one within my chest cavity. Also, throughout my cancer treatment they have been monitoring a tumor marker that is shown through blood work. It is called CA27/29 and over the years it will elevate when my cancer is out of control and come down to a normal range when the scans show my cancer is 'stable.' Right now, my CA 27/29 is elevated.

What does it all mean? Well, for now I'm staying on the second daily drug, an aromatase inhibitor which blocks estrogen. (From my initial surgery, it was determined that Estrogen drives my kind of cancer.) I will have blood work done in a month to check the CA27/29 and see my doctor in two months. Oh and also in two months I will get my Zometa drip which is a drug that helps strengthen bone. Meanwhile, I have to try to monitor my pain levels and keep a check on the one lymph node under my arm that I can feel.

So, that is my report. Traffic was terrible in Baltimore today. Trent had a great day in school, Ian had a lot of fun playing with Memaw and Pepaw, and Brad helped me make 50 celery 'ants on a log' snacks for tomorrow.

Yes, I'm thankful it was a beautiful day!