Feeling better...

Well...the surgery is over and done with- hip, hip, hooray! And I feel so much better this morning. Yesterday after we came home, I was feeling quite nauseated and had an enormous headache from the anesthesia. I slept pretty good last night, which was great! So about yesterday...Greg and I went to the hospital at 6 am and moved pretty quickly through all the paperwork, preregistration, etc. (You would think they could mail you this stuff prior so you could fill it out and bring it in with you, but they didn't ask me for my opinion!) Anyways, I was taken back for surgery a little before 8 am. I remember scooting over to the OR table, and that's it. Then I remember waking up in recovery- which is a terrible feeling. The first question out of my mouth, which I thought I was asking clearly, was if the doctor found any cancer in my lymph nodes. The nurse had to ask me 2 or 3 times what I was saying- I guess I was slurring my words or either she was hard of hearing! Haha! But the nurse couldn't answer me because she didn't have a report. So, she brought Greg back and Dr. Rippon had already talked to him. Yes, she did find cancer in my nodes- which is a bummer. I was praying for a clean report there, but we'll get through this. She also told Greg that after she took out the cancerous mass, they tested part of the marginal area that was around it. She did have to go back in to get some more tissue because there was still traces of cancer. Hopefully she got it all- I trust she did. Dr. Rippon is a fabulous surgeon and I wish I had half as much energy as she had! Since she found that some of my nodes were cancerous, that means I will go the chemo/ radiation treatment route. Another bummer...but we will get through this with help and support from all of you and the Man upstairs! Dr. Rippon had to put a drain in from where she had to go farther up for the lymph nodes. I will be getting that out on Tuesday at my post-op appointment. The next step, as far as appointments go, is to see Dr. Wilcox (the radiation doctor) on October 7th and then I'll see Dr. Gococo (the chemo doctor) on October 10th. Phew....I'm ready to get going and get all of this behind me. It's a little inconvenience, but in the big picture we'll look back and say, "Do you remember having to go through this?" It will pass!

Race for the Cure...
This Saturday, a bunch of teachers at my school and friends and family will be running/ walking in Race for the Cure. I hope to attend as well- I think I'll be ready for it. We have a team name- "Mustangs R.O.C." (Mustangs being our school mascot and R.O.C.- Racing over cancer) I am looking forward to this event- I'm sure it will be a moving experience! And then the next weekend, my family is going to the beach with Greg's parents. This is a family tradition to go to the beach every October for a long weekend. I think I need this vacation more than ever- just to get away from the hustle and bustle here. I again can't thank you enough for the support you all have given me and my family! You all are the best and we love you!