It's the little things..

that seem overwhelming sometimes.
This has been a tough month. Two weeks ago my Mom came up for a hernia repair. Most of you who have read my blog will remember that she has been battling ovarian cancer for 5 years. Last year she seemed at deaths door but through a series of miracles, made a remarkable recovery. On Sept. 22nd she was given great news~no signs of cancer. There was a node that they would monitor closely.
I am off on Thursdays so planned to drop James off at Kinder and head up to the hospital around 7:30. When I got there the Surgeon was out and told us that he had seen "visible disease" aka as cancer, and it would not be wise to continue the surgery. He had called her oncologist. Chemo was started and my Mother is experiencing the debilitaing symptoms of a blockage again. She is overwhelmed and so are we.
This is my Mother, the person who grew me and raised me. Every emotion I have in my whole memory is in some way entangled with her. This is hard is an understament...but the world does not stop so I try to fit everything in and carry on.
I wish there was a handbook for those who know someone going through this with a close family member bc there are many who could benefit from it. My world is no longer my own! I do not want to be emotional, or talk too much about this, or make anyone uncomfortable...things just spill out from time to time. Every day is consumed with fear, emotional turmoil, exhaustion, dread, and embarrasment that I cannot be the person I usually am! I spend hours just trying to be "normal" only to find myself feeling anything but!
I hope that everything turns around, but I really do not know. There is no answer and for a planner that in itself is unbearable.
Be well, Mom. I love you and am praying that you can find some comfort!

Umm, Mommy...

...those underwear are really too small.

TMI to follow.

I was half naked in the kitchen(my belief is that it is my house and I can be half naked in my house so this happens often). I am not damaging my children...I am helping them to understand that very few women look like the Victoria Secret models and that is GREAT! (I would not mind being perfectly toned like those models but come on people I've had 4 babies and ...this is it :) )
I wear all sorts of undies. Some happen to be hanky panky thongs, and this is what was on my bum today.

James "Mommy, I found the remote and Um, those underwear really are too small for you"
Mommy "Some underwear are supposed to be this way"
James "Well they are pretty small"
Mommy "OK James, they are small"

We're all about the undie education here.

Petition Ovarian Cancer Stamp

There was a luncheon at Baylor UMC last month about Ovarian Cancer. During the luncheon a painting was dispalyed called "Faces of Ovarian Cancer".It was painted by one of the wives of the Dr.'s who treat Ovarian Cancer. My Mother is featured in the painting of Ovarian Cancer Survivors.
There is a petition to make it a postage stamp. Ovarian Cancer needs more recognition! Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, killing more women than all other gynecologic cancers combined. Please sign this petition to have the photo turned into a stamp:)

Amy
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION


PS:Feel free to forward this.

Snuggling and Raining

Today I am thinking of snuggling up in bed, watching movies, and doing a bunch of nothing. Notice I said "thinking of":). Each time I thik of this I offer it as an option to my almost 6 year old and 4.5 year old...it never seems top of their list. Gavin is a great snuggler...but only for a few minutes and then he tells me "I'll be back in a Jippy(read backwards for more on Jippy)" and dashes off. He does come back(repeat up to 10 times before I get out of my bed), but it is not really relaxing to snuggle this way and watching anything without pausing is a ridiculous thought. Nonetheless, I do offer this as an option on rainy, yucky days like today.

Update to Swine Flu and James Lymphatic malformation: We are healthy and James neck looks super!(again...read backwards for more)

Flu or Swine Flu?

Gavin was stuffy lst night and looked a little under the weather. In the middle of the night he started coughing really loudly and crying. He seemed in pain but was not warm to the touch. I got up and started looking up symptoms for this nasty swine flu going around. there has been a confirmed case at James' elementary now and 4 deaths in Dallas County this month, so I've started to worry!
This morning he is running a low grade fever and still coughing. He doesn't seem to be in pain now, but the fever worries me:( Off to get lemons and lemon oil and a call to the Dr this morning!

Left out the MRI results

There was just too much to write in the last post and life is buss. Sorry this amazing news is late!
James was born with a lymphatic malformation previously called a cystic hygroma. He was part of a study for OK432 over the summer. James had another MRI a couple weeks ago.
We drove to Houston yesterday to see Dr. Edmonds for a follow up. We got the most amazing news...after 6 years(they found the mass during a sonogram while I was 28 weeks pregnant) of learning about Lymphatic malformations and 10 ENT's(with varying treatmant plans) James MRI shows NO sign of the mass!!! He had the OK432 injections twice this summer.
We were gearing up for a very dangerous surgery for the last 5 years...thankfully we found Dr. Bauer in Dallas who referred us to Dr. Edmonds last year. I cannot say enough about Dr. Edmonds. He is so caring and kind! We are thankful that we found him and learned surgery is not the only option and other sclerosing agents can have issues. James would have likely had paralysis and a huge scar...and now he is all better!
Dr. Edmonds says that he has not seen a recurrance in any child who has responed this well to treatment! We will go once a year for many years to come for a follow up MRI and results, but feel so good about the prognosis!
James definately has his smile back!
You can read more in previous posts on my blog.

Fish, butterflies, and MRI's

We've had a busy couple of weeks. James is really liking kindergarten and doing well. He comes home happy each day.Gavin has adjusted well to having the days to himself. He keeps busy playing. He is so sweet at this age and some moments are too good not to post:
I was laying in bed a couple nights ago.
Gavin climbed up and said: Is there room for me?
Mommy: There's always rooms for Gavin. Let's have snuggle time.
Gavin: Let's have love time.
Mommy: Love time with Mommy and Gavin.
Gavin: I'll be back in a Jippy!
He dashed off and when he came back I said: That was a Jiffy(thinking he just misspoke:)
Gavin: It's Jippy, Mommy. That means fast.

We Spent labor day in DeLeon. The boys fished with Grandpa and Daddy and did a little diging with Granny. Uncle Simon and Missy were ther with Cade and Ryder so it was a great boy weekend:) James and Daddy caught a 21" fish!


Last week he lost a tooth while eating pizza and then the other after I got home from work. He was very excited but we fear the first tooth ended up in his belly.

We went to a butterfly exhibit with cousin Ellie and Aunt Erika on Sunday. The kids had so much fun chasing butterflies. There were some great photo's.