Monday, November 22, 2010







Wellllllll, what a weekend! My best friend, Laura, came to visit from the Akron area. We were so excited to spend time together and catch up. She arrived Friday night, with her son (Levi's best friend since birth) Connor. We were both tired, so we stayed in. Saturday...let's go window shopping! Laura has never been to Ikea, wohoo! We had plans to come home and take Levi to his football banquet, go to Sarah's housewarming party, church the next morning. We set out on I-75 southbound. Free from the boys, singing our hearts out to Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas," Clay Aikin's "Don't Save it all for Christmas Day," etc., feeling like fun, silly teen girls. Paul was to leave at noon to go to his nephew's 30th birthday party, we would be back by 1pm. The boys would be fine for 1hr by themselves, right?! So we get south of Dayton, dead stopped traffic for an hr, should have been our first sign to turn around and go home! But nooo, we can get there and speed shop. So after FINALLY getting there after much singing, we wonder through Ikea. I don't know if you have been there, but we are talking 2 floors, a mall in itself really. And, instead of following the arrows, we turn off to another section. Therefore, now we are lost. My cell phone rings, it's home. I am thinking, gosh, can't I just have a couple hours? So, I ignore it. It rings again, grrr. I answer, and on the other end I hear my little boy hysterical, can't understand him. Great, I am the worst mom ever! Oh my gosh, I am in fricking Cincinnati and Paul already left for the party. I call my friend Sarah who lives less than a mile from my house. She rushes over, Gus (our 3 legged amputee) had snapped at him and caught his bottom eyelid and ripped it all the way through right at the inner corner. THANK GOD FOR SARAH & ERIC!!! After turning white and gray, passing out a couple of times, and being clammy they rush him to the ER. Meanwhile I contacted Paul and he met them there. To make a long story shorter, we ended up at Childrens and having plastic surgery! His lacrimal duct was spared, thank God. The Dr. said it was 1/10th of a mm from being torn, which would have been very bad. So, now we have a tripod and a cyclopse! lol. That's Eric's line. Not really funny, I guess. But I was laughing all day yesterday, because I do have a little Stevie Wonder now. Levi "couldn't" open either eye, so he used a cane to feel his way around the house and I was also his lead/seeing eye companion. heehee. So, basketball season is now over for us and Levi is barred from gym/contact sports for 6 wks, ugh! That kid loves and needs to be physically active. But I'm just thankful that it wasn't worse. It could have been really bad. BTW, we think that Gus, who is the sweetest, most affectionate dog in the world, was just trying to warn him and protect himself. He hadn't had any pain medicine, and Levi went to lie down with him, must have hit his wound. Connor fessed up later that Levi had also been antagonizing Gus & rough housing with him. But, I am not cool with any aggression in a dog. So we are going monitor him closely, and any further change in behavior or signs of aggression then he is gone. They said in the ER it was not an attack wound, looked like nip/warning that happened to catch his eyelid. So we will see. I think Gussy will be just fine. And I think Levi learned a lesson. I have been telling him since Gus's surgery to leave him alone & quit being rough with him. And poor Laura~ drove all the way here to spend the weekend with her son alone at my house. My middle name should be drama! lol. So, I start radiation today, lung fungus is all better, yay! CT last week no changes, life is good! I feel so different this year in regard to Thanksgiving. I feel profound gratefulness for my many blessings! Happy turkey day to you! p.s. Don't do it...black friday is soooo not worth it! hahaha

Saturday, November 6, 2010

GREAT news!!! The biopsy was negative for cancer! Thank you God! That would have been really bad. It came back as fungus...remnant of the histoplasmosis I had 2 1/2 yrs ago. So, I have to get IV treatments through my port for 2 weeks to beat it back down. Then repeat CT, then start radiation/tomotherapy 2 wks from this coming Monday. I was in tears when I found out that I had to do IV amphotericin again, it was awful when I had it before...and I was having a panic attack about pushing back radiation. I am in REMISSION and I do NOT want the cancer to have a chance to grow again! But, I was a very sick girl back then when I got it before and I have gone through massive chemo treatments, this is just a bump in the road! lol. Got my 1st treatment yesterday at MVH, wasn't so bad. Just felt like I had the flu, and this morning I feel much better. Home health is coming tonight to "teach" Paul to do the infusions. He's a pro already! I swear, I do not know what I'd do without him, he is such an AMAZING human being. He does it all; works, takes care of the house, yard, dinner, kids, and me! And is so sweet about it, never complains or acts tired of it. He is very loving and makes me feel so protected.Anyway, Lisa, Paul's sister, talked to me and got me back on track (emotionally). I have to get back to... trust the Lord with ALL of your heart! I am just soooo thankful it is not cancer! Enough on that! So, our baby Gus is doing pretty good with just 3 legs. And Levi is gearing up for football all star tournament next weekend in Troy. Tyler is doing well at Ashland, all though he needs to text me more!!! I hope you are reading this Ty! I know you are busy, but I miss you!!! And I am going to get a poster size picture of us that says "mommy & me"! It better be hanging in your dorm room like you promised. lol. Jessi is doing well, she got a supervisor for grad school next fall, awesome! It will take her 2 yrs to finish, I am so proud of her. My other baby boy, Zack is studying hard at BG (his Sr. yr.)...not! He is taking a walking class and some other BS classes. Makes me laugh. Oh, and I am in the process of making a princess crown cake for Karson, her 5th b-day party is tonight! Actually Paul baked the cakes for me last night because I felt so yucky. Thank you saint Paul! I plan to decorate it today sometime. I am so bummed that I will miss the party tonight :( I hope the cake doesn't end up looking dumb. I watch all the cake boss, ace of cakes shows, and I have a vision in my head...hahaha. But I don't have fondant or other necessary supplies.People will probably be like, what the heck? Maybe it is a good thing I can't go. lol. I am exhausted from all of this typing, nap time for my grandma butt! BTW, Amy Ritchie! wow, so good to hear from you. I hope life is treating you well! I just love to hear from old friends. And Deaton, I miss you so much, sorry I haven't made it out to Greeneville... I will, I promise! I love you & I hope you are happy at your new job! Can't wait to catch up with you :)

Monday, November 1, 2010

Biopsy done, cakewalk! I feel bad for Jill and Paulie...sitting with my drugged up self all day answering the same questions over and over and over again every time I would wake up. hahaha. Drove them nutty. And Gussy made it through his surgery without any complications. Went to visit him on my way home, poor little guy, he just laid there with his head in my lap and fell asleep while I loved on him. What a sight I'm sure...both of us were wobbly with drugged, droopy eyes. lol. But it did my heart good to hold him. Jess went to visit him tonight and I know it was just what she needed too. She was even joking about calling him tripod now. It looks so weird, he doesn't have a stump or anything, there is no leg or hip whatsoever. It is so sad, he had the cutest little sway when he walked. But, he is alive and won't have arthritis and chronic pain, and the vet assured us he will be able to run and play just as he did before. So, I am thankful to God. I really don't think I could've handled losing another dog right now. (We put my baby Maggie down Nov last year, she was my sweet baby girl for 9 years & it was very traumatic). I am beat, going to sleep now...my doodlebug (levi) is asleep on the couch next to me...he is so incredibly beautiful and he has been so very sweet the past few days...makes me happy inside :) Nighty night!