It's a Date!

After several calls to our implant coordinator and with the OR scheduler, we finally have a date for Hayden's cochlear implant surgery! Our original date was for July 30th, but since we are scheduled to be in the N. California Redwoods that day, we had to have it changed. There was a cancellation and now we are on for July 20th. The neat thing is this is 1 day shy of Hayden's 1st surgery last year. I'm so anxious. He just started wearing the CI behind his ear (aka BTE) and this has proven to be so much better than the body worn. It stays on better this way so he hears more.

Anna and Sydney are both done with summer camps. Anna had so much fun with the YMCA camp. I think we will try to do it again next year. Sydney will tell you she didn't like hers but she really did. They had hands on science experiments. Now, we can have a week off to do what ever we want to, then VBS the week after. Then, ROAD TRIP! Right now, we are supposed to leave on July 22nd, but I may leave the next day if Hayden needs another day to recuperate. He was great last year, but I don't want to push it to much.

Tomorrow, I'm taking the girls to see Demi Lovato in concert. It will be their first real concert and they love Demi. For those of you out of the Disney loop, she's one of the latest things and one of the few stars that can actually sing. We should have a blast.

Here are a couple of pictures from our Vegas weekend. Jason's sister, Jene, and her husband, Dan, stayed with the kids. They all had a great time as did we. Thanks guys! The meal below is the escargot that Jason and his other sister Shielah shared. I passed.

Busy is the word

I can't believe that I haven't written anything this month. We have certainly been busy! School is over and summer is in full swing.

The girls ended the school year with great report cards. Each had 3 A's and 3 B's. Sydney is struggling some with her reading so she is in a new program through our ISD called SLAM'N (Science, Language Arts, Math, Naturally). She's doing really well so far.

Anna went to day camp through the YMCA last week and goes again next week. She has forgiven me for not signing her up this week. She got to try archery, horseback riding, and bbs. They swim every day and she's gone all day!

Jason got some excellent tickets for an Astros game a couple of weeks ago. The girls had so much fun. We were 24 rows behind home plate, we saw a Grand Slam during the 6th inning and watched the Friday night fireworks. It was great. I don't usually like baseball, but we will definitely try to go again. We may try to bring Hayden too.

I also started back on Herceptin this month. I don't like going weekly, but it's nice to get started again so I can finish. I had an echo last week and everything is good. My heart is still ticking quite nicely.

We have family coming in tonight. Jason's sister is watching the kids for us so we can go to Las Vegas on Friday. We are so excited to get away without the kids. We've never been this far for this long. The day after Jene leaves, Jason's mom flies in for 11 days. So, we will continue to be busy, busy, busy!

Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was wonderful! Miss Sydney turned 7 on Friday. We had a girls only movie night to see "Up". It was so well done. Then we had birthday cookies afterward. Saturday was spent at the pool and playing golf with Jason. Then today we had Syd's pool party. The girls all had a great time. Hayden did well as the only boy and Anna had a good friend there to play with. The weather was great and I enjoyed talking to the moms and dads that stayed. I just love weekends like this. I have a ton of house stuff to catch up on, but it's worth it after having spent a good time with my family.

School is over next week. Thursday is the last day. Our school is being renovated over the summer and so the building has to be empty by 4 pm on Friday. Our teachers and staff have been packing for weeks. I volunteered to help Sydney's teacher on Saturday and I hope to be able to help both girls' teachers tomorrow. They all have so much to do with normal year end things, but to gut your room as well, it's almost impossible to think of. But they are doing it and the school is going to look fabulous when it's all done.

I start back on Herceptin on Wednesday. I'm glad to get going on this again. Hopefully my cardiologist won't have any bad news for me on Tuesday. I'm starting to peel from the radiation, but the redness is getting better. I only have a few areas that are still bright red. Lots of vitamin E lotion and Aquaphor help.

10 Year Anniversary

Almost there

Chemo...done. Mastectomy...done. Radiation...almost done!!!! Tomorrow is my last radiation treatment. I'm so excited. In 2 weeks, I start back on Herceptin. In 6 months, I'll be able to have reconstruction surgery. With luck, this time next year, I'll be done with everything and just be on my long term drugs. Ten years after that, I'll be completely done. Yeah!


School is almost over. Just 2 more weeks, and the kids are off for the summer. Sydney is signed up for a program through the school district called SLAM'N (Science, Language Arts, Math, Naturally). She's not quite were she needs to be with her reading, so this should be a fun way to work on that for another month. Anna will have 2 weeks of summer day camp through the Y. I think she's going to have a blast. Then, in July, they both have VBS through the church. After that, we are going on our western USA road trip. This summer is going to be so much better than last summer. I can't wait!


Here's a little something from the kids. Anna and Sydney were repeating a scene from the Night at the Museum trailer. Hayden thought it was neat and started doing it too. So here it is.

My Kids

One year later...

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my journey to survive cancer. I got my diagnosis on May 1, 2008. The past year has been challenging, trying, difficult, rewarding and normal all at the same time.

While treatment has been tough, I have also become tough. I can handle most anything thrown at me. I think the years leading up to my diagnosis were to prepare me for this adventure. We had issues with Hayden's birth and first year of life, then mom's illness. This doesn't even count the years that Jason and I lived apart during the week. Basically, my move to Texas 14 years ago started it all. I'm just happy to be able to look back and know that I did it.

Actually, we did it. My kids and husband, large extended family, and the most amazing friends ever did it. Thank you to all of you for being with me while I went through this. While I'm not over, I can see the end. My hope is that this time next year, I will have completed all my treatment, healed from my last surgery and getting ready to enjoy a summer without anything to worry about. I can't wait.